Patients' Evaluations of Complete Denture Therapy and Their Association with Related Variables: A Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Patient satisfaction is an important goal in complete denture therapy, and many factors influence this parameter. This study aimed to evaluate expectations before and satisfaction after therapy with complete dentures. As a secondary objective, other variables that may interfere with patient satisfaction were also evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A representative sample of 99 patients assigned visual analog scale (VAS) scores to their expectations before and satisfaction after therapy regarding chewing, esthetics, comfort, and phonetics. Demographic data and answers to a questionnaire concerning the dentists' conduct were recorded. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the association among studied variables and patients' expectation and satisfaction with their dentures. RESULTS: The average VAS scores were high for both expectations and satisfaction, and satisfaction exceeded expectations. Patients' expectations about esthetics and comfort were associated with age and self-reported time of using complete dentures. Patient satisfaction regarding chewing was associated with the number of postdelivery adjustments. Also, patient satisfaction regarding esthetics was associated with gender and esthetic expectations. In regard to phonetic satisfaction, associations were verified among self-reported time of using complete dentures, comfort and phonetics expectations, and dentists' explanations. Comfort satisfaction was associated only with educational level. CONCLUSIONS: Patient satisfaction regarding complete dentures exceeded expectations and an expressive majority of positive evaluations of the dentists was noticed. Many patient-related variables seemed to influence their evaluations of their dentures.

Leukocyte metabolism in obese type 2 diabetic individuals associated with COVID-19 severity.

Recent studies show that the metabolic characteristics of different leukocytes, such as, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages, undergo changes both in the face of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) condition. Thus, the objective of this review is to establish a correlation between the metabolic changes caused in leukocytes in DM2 and obesity that may favor a worse prognosis during SARS-Cov-2 infection. Chronic inflammation and hyperglycemia, specific and usual characteristics of obesity and DM2, contributes for the SARS-CoV-2 replication and metabolic disturbances in different leukocytes, favoring the proinflammatory response of these cells. Thus, obesity and DM2 are important risk factors for pro-inflammatory response and metabolic dysregulation that can favor the occurrence of the cytokine storm, implicated in the severity and high mortality risk of the COVID-19 in these patients.

Analysis of variables that can interfere with clinical outcomes of patients presented with vocal or swallowing complaints / Análise das variáveis que podem interferir no desfecho de casos clínicos de pacientes com queixas de voz ou deglutição

ABSTRACT Purpose: to analyze sociodemographic variables that may interfere with the clinical outcome of patients with voice or swallowing complaints. Methods: a descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study in which the medical records of patients above 18 years old treated at the Voice Clinic of the Speech-Language-Hearing Service of the Rio de Janeiro University Hospital between 2010 and 2018, were analyzed, including 81 medical records - 47 from females and 34 from males. Patients were divided according to three types of outcomes, namely: discharge, dismissal, and abandonment. The sociodemographic variables were sex, marital status, education level, income, whether they were occupational voice users, and the main complaint. The relative and absolute frequencies were calculated to analyze the results, and the Pearson´s chi-square test was used for inferential analysis (significance level of 5%). Results: sociodemographic variables were not significantly associated with the outcomes when the type of complaint (voice or swallowing) was not considered, separately. The study found a significantly higher frequency of patients with voice complaints who were discharged from speech-language-hearing therapy (p = 0.020). The higher frequency of such patients who abandoned therapy was significantly associated with an income of up to one minimum wage (p = 0.041). People with swallowing complaints were not significantly associated with sociodemographic variables. Conclusion: the most frequent outcome was treatment abandonment. In this study, low family income was associated with treatment abandonment by patients with voice complaints. Patients with swallowing complaints had a lower frequency of treatment abandonment and discharge than patients with voice complaints.

RESUMO Objetivo: analisar as variáveis sociodemográficas que podem interferir no desfecho de casos clínicos de pacientes com queixas de voz ou deglutição. Métodos: estudo observacional, transversal, descritivo e retrospectivo. Foram analisados os prontuários de pessoas maiores de 18 anos atendidas na Clínica de Voz do Serviço de Fonoaudiologia do Hospital Universitário do Rio de Janeiro de 2010 a 2018. Foram incluídos 81 prontuários, sendo 47 de participantes do gênero feminino e 34 do masculino. Os pacientes foram divididos quanto a três tipos de desfecho: alta, desligamento e abandono. As variáveis sociodemográficas estudadas foram gênero, estado civil, escolaridade, renda, ser ou não profissional da voz e queixa principal. Para análise dos resultados, foram contabilizadas as frequências relativa e absoluta e, para análise inferencial, foi utilizado o teste Qui-Quadrado de Pearson (nível de significância de 5%). Resultados: as variáveis sociodemográficas não estiveram significantemente associadas aos desfechos estudados quando não se considerou o tipo de queixa (de voz ou de deglutição) de forma separada. Especificamente, observou-se uma frequência significativamente maior de pacientes com queixa de voz e que receberam alta fonoaudiológica (p=0,020). Nestes pacientes, houve associação significativa entre a frequência maior de pacientes que abandonaram a terapia e que possuíam renda de até um salário-mínimo (p=0,041). Não houve associações significativas nas pessoas com queixas de deglutição e as variáveis sociodemográfica estudadas. Conclusão: o desfecho mais frequente foi o abandono ao tratamento. Neste estudo, a baixa renda familiar esteve associada ao abandono do tratamento por pacientes com queixa de voz. Pacientes com queixas de deglutição apresentaram menor frequência de abandono ao tratamento e menos alta do que pacientes com queixas de voz.