Assessment of Oral Health Conditions Among Physically Disabled Patients in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to assess the oral health status among physically disabled Saudi patients. METHODS: Recruitment took place in the Armed Forces Centre for Health Rehabilitation in Taif, Saudi Arabia. 124 patients living with a physical disability were enrolled and divided into three groups: hemiplegia, paraplegia and quadriplegia. Data was collected on demographics and different oral indices, including the Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, the Mean Decayed Teeth score, the Community Periodontal Index (CPI), the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). RESULTS: High DMFT was observed among the hemiplegia group (mean = 22.61; P-value = .008) with no difference in the Mean Decayed Teeth. All groups showed signs of gingivitis in the form of gingival bleeding. The most compromised periodontal health in the form of pockets 6 mm or deeper was found in the hemiplegia group (53.7%; P-value = .001). This was also reflected in the CPITN (39.0%; P-value = .001), indicating the need for complex treatments in the same group. Regarding oral hygiene, all groups showed a "fair" oral hygiene condition (OHI-S < 3.0), with significantly poorer hygiene (mean = 2.49; P-value = .042) and greater debris accumulation (mean = 1.52; P-value = .024) among the quadriplegia group. In the regression analysis, both age and gender had significant effects on some indices, while disability type showed borderline effects. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate poor oral health in these individuals, mainly due to physical limitations, hindering effective self-care practices. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Oral health is a critical aspect in people with physical disabilities, as it is intrinsically linked to overall health and well-being. Recognizing the clinical importance of oral health among physically disabled patients is essential to improve access and affordability of dental care for this vulnerable group of the population.

Interventions to Reduce Intra-Operative and Post-Operative Pain Associated with Routine Dental Procedures in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: implementing appropriate pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to alleviate pain related to routine dental procedures in paediatric patients could enhance children's ability to manage dental care. The aim of this review was to investigate the effectiveness of and provide recommendations for interventions that can be used to reduce intra-operative and post-operative pain associated with routine paediatric dental procedures. METHODS: A systematic review of randomised controlled clinical trials (RCT) was conducted. Multiple electronic databases were systematically searched. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for RCTs was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. A meta-analysis was performed to determine the effectiveness of the interventions using the Cohen's d standardised mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for continuous outcomes. The GRADE tool was used to assess the certainty of evidence to make recommendations. RESULTS: The review included forty-five RCTs comprising 3093 children. Thirty-seven RCTs were included in the meta-analysis, which showed the effectiveness of behavioural interventions (SMD = -0.50, 95% CI -0.83 to -0.18), mechanoreceptor and thermal receptor stimulation (SMD = -1.38, 95% CI -2.02 to -0.73) for intra-operative pain, and pre-emptive oral analgesics (SMD = -0.77, 95% CI -1.21 to -0.33) for reducing post-operative pain in children receiving routine dental care. CONCLUSION: The GRADE results for these interventions were strong recommendation (IB) for their use, based on moderate evidence and their benefits far outweighing the harm, and they can be delivered readily with minimal training to reduce the pain experience of paediatric patients.

Retraction: Extensive Pulmonary Embolism Following Mild COVID-19 Pneumonia.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.21436.].

Fecal Calprotectin and Organic Gastrointestinal Disease: A Systematic Review.

This review aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of fecal calprotectin (FCP) for identifying organic gastrointestinal disease (OGID) in patients undergoing colonoscopy for gastrointestinal discomfort or active progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Studies published between January 2013 and December 2022 evaluating the clinical efficacy of FCP for differentiating OGID against functional gastrointestinal disease (FGID) were identified using PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus databases. Clinical diagnostic studies involving individuals with lower gastrointestinal symptoms; using FCP as a diagnostic biomarker either in primary, secondary, or tertiary healthcare centers conducted either prospectively or retrospectively using stool samples (index test), contrasting FCP with a reference test, such as colonoscopy, or endoscopy, and assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were reviewed. The included studies were subjected to the revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies for assessing the methodological quality by two independent authors. An initial literature search yielded 545 articles rendering 417 records after removing the duplicate records. After reading the abstracts and titles, 89 articles were eligible for full-text screening. The qualitative synthesis resulted in 20 articles. The efficient use of FCP for differentiating IBD from irritable bowel syndrome was investigated in 15 studies.Two of the included studies assessed the diagnostic ability of FCP to distinguish OGID from FGID, two studies utilized patients with ulcerative colitis, and one study involved patients with Crohn's disease. Overall study quality was high for 65% of studies,moderate for 25% of studies, and low for 10% of studies. The review outlined the diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive FCP assessment for OGID in various clinical scenarios and in individuals of various ages. FCP is used as a tool for screening and monitoring in clinical practice for determining the need of further comprehensive investigations, thereby reducing the redundant use of invasive techniques.

Predictors of Intra-Operative and Post-Operative Pain Associated with Routine Dental Procedures in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Understanding predictors of pain associated with paediatric dental procedures could play an important role in preventing loss of cooperation, which often leads to the procedure having to be performed under general anaesthesia. Aim: We aimed to identify predictors of intra-operative and post-operative pain associated with routine dental procedures in children. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of observational studies was performed using electronic searches on MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Global Health via OVID, PubMed, Scopus, and SciELO. The NIH Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies, which were meta-analysed to estimate the impact of dental procedures and anxiety on children's pain perception. A meta-regression analysis was also performed to determine the relative effect of predictors on children's pain perception measured as mean differences on a visual analogue scale (VAS). Results: The search identified 532 articles; 53 were retrieved for full-text screening; 6 studies were included in the review; and 4 were eligible for the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed the types of procedures that predicted intra-operative pain, with dental extractions being the most painful (Mean VAS Difference [MD] 46.51 mm, 95% confidence interval [CI] 40.40 to 52.62 mm). The meta-regression showed that pain scores for dental extractions were significantly higher than polishing (the least painful procedure (reference category)) by VAS MD = 23.80 mm (95% CI 5.13-42.46 mm, p-value = 0.012). It also showed that highly anxious children reported significantly higher pain scores during dental procedures by a 12.31 mm MD VAS score (95% CI 5.23-19.40 mm, p-value = 0.001) compared to those with low anxiety levels. Conclusions: This systematic review demonstrates that the strongest predictors of intra-operative pain associated with paediatric dental procedures are dental extractions followed by drilling. Children with high anxiety also reported more pain for similar procedures. Tailoring interventions to reduce pain associated with paediatric dental procedures should be a priority for future research, as reducing pain can impact compliance and could reduce the need for general anaesthesia in dental treatment.

Extensive Pulmonary Embolism Following Mild COVID-19 Pneumonia.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and predominantly manifests with respiratory symptoms. However, it may have a wide range of complications, including hematological complications. Several studies demonstrated that patients with COVID-19 exhibit a wide range of complex abnormalities of the coagulation system. We report the case of a 22-year-old man who presented to our emergency department with a cough and fever for one week. His vital signs were normal. Since the patient was young and mildly symptomatic, he was offered the option of home isolation for seven days. Two weeks later, the patient presented to the emergency department complaining of sudden shortness of breath that was associated with chest pain. The oxygen saturation was 92% on room air. The patient underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography. The scan showed a centric filling defect in the main right and left pulmonary arteries representing pulmonary embolism. Further, the scan showed a thrombus in the inferior vena cava that was the source of bilateral pulmonary embolism. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit. He received full anticoagulation with heparin. After recovery, he underwent a thrombophilia screen, which yielded normal findings. The present case demonstrated that thromboembolic events may develop even after the recovery from mild COVID-19 pneumonia. In the appropriate clinical settings, physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion of coagulopathy in any patient with recent COVID-19 pneumonia. Further studies are needed to determine the indication and duration of the thromboprophylaxis following the recovery from COVID-19.