Could serum S100B be a predictor of neuronal damage and clinical poor outcomes associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoids? S100B to predict neuronal damage of SC in the ED

Aim

This study aims to evaluate the serum S100B levels to predict neuronal damage and poor clinical outcomes associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoids.

Cancer Chemotherapy Treatment Patterns and Febrile Neutropenia in the US Veterans Health Administration

BackgroundThe Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States and a major cancer care provider.ObjectiveTo use VHA database to conduct a population-based study of patterns of myelosuppressive chemotherapy use and to assess the incidence and management of febrile neutropenia (FN) among VHA patients with lung, colorectal, or prostate cancer or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).MethodsData were extracted for the initial myelosuppressive chemotherapy course for 27,899 patients who began treatment in the period 2006 to 2011. FN-related costs were defined as claims containing FN diagnosis.ResultsMost patients were men (98.0%); most were 65 years or older (55.8%). Patients received a mean 3.4 to 3.9 chemotherapy cycles/course (median cycle duration 34–43 days). The incidence of FN among patients with lung, colorectal, or prostate cancer or NHL was 10.2%, 4.6%, 5.4%, and 17.3%, respectively. Primary or secondary prophylactic antibiotics/colony-stimulating factors were received by 21% and 12% of patients, respectively. Antibiotics were more commonly given as primary or secondary prophylaxis for patients with lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer; colony-stimulating factors were more common for patients with NHL. Among patients with FN, those with lung cancer had the highest inpatient mortality (10%); patients with NHL had the highest costs ($24,571) and the longest hospital length of stay (15.4 days).ConclusionsVHA cancer care was generally consistent with National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommendations; however, compared with the general population, chemotherapy cycles were longer, combination chemotherapy was used less, and treatment to prevent FN was used less, differences that may be attributed to the unique VHA patient population. The impact of these practices warrants further investigation.     

Orthognathic surgery of a patient with oligodontia: alternative technique for intermaxillary fixation

ABSTRACT: Oligodontia may cause various problems during orthognathic surgery because it may be difficult to fix the surgical guide splints. The aim of this clinical report was to present an alternative technique for intermaxillary fixation of a patient with oligodontia and facial deformity. A 20-year-old male patient, whose 8 maxillary and 11 mandibular teeth were congenitally missing, was treated using bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. Before the surgical approach, fixed mandibular prosthesis containing pins on the vestibule sides of the crowns was constructed to provide anchorage for intermaxillary splint and to achieve occlusal stability and vertical dimension during the surgery. This prosthesis was also used to hang intraoral elastics during the postoperative orthodontic treatment. At the end of treatment, these pins were cut, composite restoration material was applied to camouflage the places of the pins, and the patient continued to use this prosthesis. The patient gained an appropriate facial aesthetics and oral function using multidisciplinary approach.     

Two-stage total prosthetic reconstruction of temporomandibular joint in severe and recurrent ankylosis

ABSTRACT: Temporomandibular joint ankylosis is a devastating condition for the patient associated with both functional disability and aesthetic deformities. Various techniques have been described in the literature to overcome this problem; however, there is still a high risk of reankylosis in patients undergoing multiple temporomandibular joint operations, severe heterotopic ossification, and fibrosis of the soft tissues.This study includes 5 patients with severe and recurrent ankylosis. Two-stage reconstruction with excision of the bony mass and placement of a distraction device in the first stage, followed by gradual distraction of soft tissues, and placement of a total joint prosthesis in the second stage were performed in all patients. The 2-step approach helps to overcome the fibrosis and adhesions in the soft tissues and allows placing an implant with a higher ramus component. This approach seems to be a useful and effective technique for the management of such patients with high risk of reankylosis.     

Use of audit and feedback with fluorescent targeting to achieve rapid improvements in room cleaning in the intensive care unit and ward settings

Environmental contamination of high-touch surfaces in patient rooms can lead to the transmission of clinically significant pathogens; thus, such surfaces should be cleaned routinely and thoroughly. Fluorescent targeting can be used to provide feedback to frontline cleaning staff on the thoroughness of room cleaning, which can result in substantial improvements in performance. We demonstrate that auditing with fluorescent targeting can be implemented in both the ward and intensive care unit settings using only modest resources, resulting in rapid improvements in cleaning thoroughness.     

Adhesive tooth fragment reattachment with intentional replantation: 36‐month follow‐up

Crown‐root fracture is one of the most challenging fracture types in dental traumatology literature. Aesthetic and functional rehabilitation is the primary goal of the treatment of crown‐root‐fractured tooth. For this purpose, reattachment of the fragment to its original position is a good choice. This paper reports a case of an adhesive fragment reattachment of a complicated crown‐root fracture with intentional replantation in a 9‐year‐old girl patient and 36‐month follow‐up.     

In vitro comparison of two different materials for the repair of urethan dimethacrylate denture bases

PURPOSE

The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the flexural properties of a recently introduced urethane dimethacrylate denture base material (Eclipse) after being repaired with two different materials.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two repair groups and a control group consisting of 10 specimens each were generated. The ES group was repaired with auto-polymerizing polymer. The EE group was repaired with the Eclipse. The E group was left intact as a control group. A 3-point bending test device which was set to travel at a crosshead speed of 5 mm/min was used. Specimens were loaded until fracture occurred and the mean displacement, maximum load, flexural modulus and flexural strength values and standard deviations were calculated for each group and the data were statistically analyzed. The results were assessed at a significance level of P<.05.

RESULTS

The mean "displacement", "maximum load before fracture", "flexural strength" and "flexural modulus" rates of Group E were statistically significant higher than those of Groups ES and EE, but no significant difference (P>.05) was found between the mean values of Group ES and EE. There was a statistically significant positive relation (P<.01) between the displacement and maximum load of Group ES (99.5%), Group EE (94.3%) and Group E (84.4%).

CONCLUSION

The more economic and commonly used self-curing acrylic resin can be recommended as an alternative repair material for Eclipse denture bases.     

Thiol/disulphide homeostasis in manic episode and remission phases of bipolar disorder

Abstract

Purpose: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronical psychiatric disorder of which pathophysiology was demonstrated to be related with oxidative stress. Thiol–disulphide homeostasis is an indicator of oxidative balance. This study aims to investigate thiol–disulphide homeostasis in BD.

Materials and methods: 27 patients in manic episode (MA), 29 patients in remission (RE) and 60 healthy participants (HC) were included to the study. Serum native thiol and total thiol levels were measured with a novel colorimetric, automated method. The disulphide levels and disulphide/native thiol ratios were also calculated from these measured parameters.

Results: Native thiol levels and total thiol levels of both MA and RE groups were lower than HC. No significant difference detected between MA and RE in terms of native thiol levels and total thiol levels. Disulphide levels and disulphide/native thiol ratio was detected statistically similar between three groups.

Conclusion: Our results support the oxidative imbalance theory in pathophysiology of BD. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed for being able to understand these pathways in detail and use them as a target of treatment.