Cryosurgery in cutaneous leishmaniasis

Thirty patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were treated with cryotherapy using a CO₂ cryomachine and all were cured without noticeable scarring within 4–5 weeks, with no relapse. Histopathological examination showed that cryotherapy eradicated all parasites in less than 1 hour. Leishmania tropica, L. ethiopica and L. brasiliensis are all markedly thermosensitive and thus cryotherapy seems parasiticidal to all types. Adequate cryotreatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis will preclude the development of mucocutaneous extension, and its use in mucocutaneous disease is also recommended.     

Proximal plaque accumulation with two minor connector designs

The relationship of plaque accumulation to two different designs of a proximal minor connector, was studied in twenty-seven removable partial denture wearers. On thirty proximal surfaces adjacent to a closed space design, and on thirty-two surfaces adjacent to an open space design, plaque formation was recorded using a plaque scoring system. Mean plaque scores were calculated separately for the two types of design, and no difference was found between the two sets of scores.     

Control of cerebrospinal meningitis epidemics with sulfadimidine and penicillin; report on an experiment in mass chemoprophylaxis in the Sudan

Four villages in Kordofan Province of the Sudan were selected by the authors to determine the effectiveness of mass prophylactic treatment with sulfa drugs and penicillin in controlling cerebrospinal meningitis epidemics in rural areas with highly primitive living conditions. Sulfadimidine was given orally in two of the villages, and procaine penicillin G in oil with 2% aluminium monostearate (PAM) was given intramuscularly in the other two. The population of the villages was classified by age and by sex and given the following prophylactic doses: in Kaldung village, where 93% of the population was treated, 4 g of sulfadimidine were given to persons over 15 years of age, 2.5 g to those between 15 and 5, and 1.5 g to those under 5; in Korongo Abdulla, the same age-groups received 2.0 g, 1.0 g, and 0.5 g, respectively, and 34% of the population was treated; in El Machicha and Miri Bara villages, PAM was given to 38% and 90% of the respective populations in the dosage of 150,000 units to those over 15 years of age, 100,000 units to those between 15 and 5, and 75,000 to those under 5.     

Qualitative changes in dental plaque formation related to removable partial dentures

A study was performed on the microbial composition of dental plaque developing on fifteen abutment teeth in nine partially edentulous subjects. Bacteria were counted in samples of plaque which had formed on vestibular surfaces, and on proximal surfaces facing edentulous spaces, during a period when dentures were not worn, and then for a period when dentures were being worn. It was found that the presence of removable partial dentures favoured a proliferation of spiral organisms.     

Standardizing the assessment of diarrhea in clinical trials: results of an interobserver agreement study

Interobserver agreement was determined between nurses and parents using a standard method of assessing diarrheal stools. The study population consisted of patients less than three years of age hospitalized at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. Stool samples were independently categorized by observer pairs within minutes of being obtained from children with and without diarrhea as: watery—liquid, no solid elements; loose—liquid with solid elements; pasty—like a paste; formed—normal solid. Watery and loose stools were regarded as abnormal and indicative of diarrhea. Teaching sessions were conducted for nursing shifts, while parents were instructed prior to each observation. In the nurses' agreement study, each stool specimen was examined by the nurse providing care to the patient from whom the stool was obtained and a nurse not looking after the patient. Parents' assessments were also compared with nurses' assessments. Finally, parents' assessments were compared with each other. In the first group, agreement beyond chance for presence or absence of diarrhea measured by kappa was 0.78 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.55–1.0). The observed agreement on 148 pairs of observations between parents and nurses was 75% (kappa = 0.5; 95% CI 0.36–0.64). Between-parent agreement on 30 other paired observations was 77% (kappa = 0.54; 95% CI 0.24–0.84). Teaching parents about the four categories is a potentially useful adjunct for assessment of diarrheal stools in children.