Prevalence and severity of periodontal disease among Spanish military personnel.

INTRODUCTION: Periodontal disease ranges from simple gums inflammation to major damage to the periodontal tissues, even losing teeth. Severe periodontitis has a world overall prevalence of 11.2%. These are evaluated with periodontal probes and oral epidemiological indices. Our aim is to estimate the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease of a Spanish military population according to the 2013 WHO criteria. METHODS: Observational study of prevalence carried out in a representative random sample of 221 military staff from the Spanish Army base 'Conde de Gazola'. Prevalence was estimated by calculating the Community Periodontal Index modified, loss of attachment, Plaque Index and Gingival Bleeding Index measured with a third-generation electronic 'Pa-on' periodontal probe. RESULTS: Averages of probing depth, recession and clinical attachment level were 2.17, 0.19 and 2.36 mm. Plaque and gingival bleeding indices were 71% and 40.3%. All subjects bled in some tooth after probing. 3.6% of subjects had no periodontal pockets, 58.8% mild periodontal pockets and 37.1% severe periodontal pockets. All had some loss of attachment, 52% mild loss of attachment and 47.5% severe loss of attachment. Teeth present with and without bleeding were 24.4 (86.5%) and 3.6 (13.1%). 28% of teeth had periodontal pockets and 40.4% loss of attachment. Sextant averages with periodontal pockets and loss of attachment were 2.79 and 3.56. CONCLUSIONS: Our plaque and gingival bleeding indices were high and we found a higher prevalence and severity of periodontal disease than other Spanish and foreign military populations. This could be related to differences in context, life habits and insufficient dental hygiene.

Epidemiological methods used in the periodontal health research in military personnel: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Periodontal disease is a prevalent pathology in military personnel worldwide. The objective is to analyse the methodological features of periodontal health research performed in military personnel in their home countries. METHODS: A PRISMA systematic review of literature was carried out in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases on military periodontal health studies. Study design type, language, publication date, year, country, size and sample selection, age, sex, military, diagnostic procedure, examiners, periodontal, gingival and oral hygiene index were extracted. RESULTS: Eighty-eight out of 5355 studies found were selected, published between 1921 and 2020, with samples ranging from 52 to 16 869 individuals, generally not randomised, and consisting mainly of men with a mean age of 25 years. Predominant studies were cross-sectional descriptive studies, carried out in the Army, on American military personnel, and in the English language. Most of the studies used the WHO periodontal probe handled by two or more examiners. The Löe and Silness gingival index and the Silness and Löe plaque index were the most used indexes to assess gingival condition and oral hygiene, respectively. Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs was the most widely used periodontal index. CONCLUSIONS: Research on periodontal health carried out in military populations from the 1920s to the present has been performed from an almost exclusively descriptive approach. Issues such as the characteristics and representativeness of the samples, the epidemiological design and the different gingival-periodontal indexes used may limit the comparability of the study results.

Improving reproducibility of left ventricular ejection fraction in pediatric oncology patients: less is more.

Reproducible measurement of left ventricular (LV) systolic function by echocardiography is important to detect cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD). We hypothesized that limiting the number of imaging operators and use of a single vendor would improve reproducibility of these measures. A standard operating procedure (SOP) whereby LV measurements were standardized and a cardio-oncology imaging team (5 sonographers, 6 cardiologists) was established. All pediatric oncology patient echocardiograms were acquired on a single vendor platform. In total, 100 consecutive pre-SOP and 100 post-SOP studies were reviewed. LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), posterior wall thickness (PW), shortening fraction (SF), and ejection fraction by Simpson's biplane (EF) were re-measured by 2 blinded readers, and compared to what was originally reported. Image quality was scored by number of LV segments imaged (grades 1-4). Inter-observer reproducibility pre/post-SOP was assessed with intra-class coefficient (α). Reducing the number of imaging operators improved image quality (Grade ≥ 3: 13% vs. 46%, p < 0.001). Reproducibility of PW and LVEDD marginally improved (PW: 0.78 to 0.82; LVEDD: 0.96 to 0.97), and SF improved significantly (α = 0.65 vs. 0.79, p < 0.001). Pre-SOP reproducibility of LV EF was poor (α = 0.65), but improved significantly post-SOP (α = 0.83, p < 0.001). Reproducibility of LV EF improved with higher image quality score. Limiting imaging operators and vendor platform for pediatric oncology echocardiograms improves image quality and reproducibility of LV EF. Establishing an SOP and a cardio-oncology echocardiography team may improve precision of measurements used to detect CTRCD.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in kidney transplant patients: RETENAL study.

Hypertension is common following renal transplantation, affecting up to 80% of transplant recipients. It is generally accepted that hypertension is associated with poor graft survival and reduced life expectancy, contributing to increased cardiovascular risk factors and mortality rates. The aim of the study was to compare the blood pressure (BP) control in kidney transplant patients through the use of ambulatory BP monitoring (ABMP) versus office BP measurements (oBP). A multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in 30 nephrology/kidney transplant units. Eligible patients included hypertensive cadaveric kidney transplant recipients aged <70 years, with a functioning kidney for at least 1 year and with an estimated glomerular filtration ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and a serum creatinine < 2.5 mg/dL. Recorded data included demographic characteristics, oBP, and ABPM and labroatory investigations. The 868 patients showed a mean recipient age of was 53.2 ± 11.6 years and mean follow-up after transplantation, 5.5 ± 2.8 years. Mean systolic and diastolic oBP were 140.2 ± 18 and 80.4 ± 10 mm Hg, respectively. Seventy-six percent of patients had oBP higher than or equal to 130/80 mm Hg. Mean 24 hour ABPM were 131.5 ± 14 and 77.4 ± 8.7 mm Hg for systolic and diastolic BP, respectively. Using the ABPM, we observed that 36.5% of subjects were controlled (mean 24-hour BP < 130/85 mm Hg). The two methods (oBP and ABPM) showed significant agreement. After ABPM, 65% of patients diagnosed as true controlled hypertension were considered to have white-coat RH. In clinical practice ABPM may help for better adjustment of drugs for adequate BP control.

Genotypic shift of porcine circovirus type 2 from PCV-2a to PCV-2b in Spain from 1985 to 2008.

Changes in porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) genotypes were evaluated before, during and after outbreaks of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in (1) a retrospective study using pig sera collected in Spain from 1985 to 2008 and (2) a longitudinal study using pig sera collected from two farms in Spain over periods of 7 and 14 years. In both studies, there was a rapid genotypic shift from PCV-2a to PCV-2b that was related to the peak of PMWS epizootics in Spain and the appearance of PMWS on the two farms studied longitudinally.

[Chronic transplant nephropathy]. / Nefropatía crónica del trasplante.

In 2007 there were important scientific contributions in the field of kidney transplant and specifically in chronic transplant nephropathy (interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy). A new nomenclature and classification of chronic kidney disease was probably the most important contribution in this entity. Use of the C4d stain has allowed the concepts of glomerulopathy to be updated and to reveal the frequency of this entity and its impact in kidney transplant. Finally, two experimental studies provide new perspectives on the treatment of chronic kidney disease such as the use of statins or the use of pyridoxamine to block glycation end products.

Palatal tremor in childhood: clinical and therapeutic considerations.

Palatal tremor (PT) is a rhythmic movement of the soft palate that often causes an ear click. PT can be symptomatic (SPT) or essential (EPT). The symptomatic form usually occurs in adults and the essential form mainly occurs in children. Several different treatments for EPT in children appear in the literature with variable reported efficacy. This report details four paediatric patients with EPT (three males, one female; mean age 6y 4mo [SD 6mo]; age at onset 6-7y) treated with piracetam (2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine acetamide). Piracetam was used to treat EPT because of its antimyoclonic properties. All children showed a good response to doses of 100 to 300mg/kg/day. EPT relapsed on withdrawal of piracetam and remitted on reintroduction. Piracetam's effect on EPT was sustained. It is concluded that piracetam is an effective drug for the treatment of EPT in children.

[Orthodontics and the upper airway]. / Orthodontie et voies aérifères supérieures.

One of the general aims of orthodontic treatment and of the combination of orthodontics and orthognathic surgery is to achieve good occlusion and aesthetic improvement, especially in cases of severe dentoskeletal deformities. However, on many occasions, the parameters of the upper airways are not taken into account when the aims of conventional treatment are fulfilled. Patients with obstructive alterations during sleep represent for the orthodontist a type of patient who differs from the normal; for them, treatment should include the objective of improving oxygen saturation. Here, functional considerations should outweigh purely aesthetic ones. It is important, when making an orthodontic, surgical or combined diagnosis for a patient, to bear in mind the impact that treatment may have on the upper airways. Good aesthetics should never be achieved for some of our patients at the expense of diminishing the capacity of their upper airways.

[Neurological follow-up of very low birth weight newborns at the age of two years (1998-1999)]. / Seguimiento neurológico de recién nacidos menores de 1.500 gramos a los dos años de edad.

BACKGROUND: Because of improved obstetric and neonatal care, there is growing interest in the later outcome of very low birth weight newborns. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival rate of very low birth weight newborns and to identify disabilities at the age of 2 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational, follow-up study was performed of neonates with a birth weight of under 1,500 grams born between 1998 and 1999. The follow-up program included pediatric, maturative, neurological, psychological, ophthalmological, and audiological evaluation. Neurosensorial disabilities were classified as mild, moderate, or severe. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-six very low birth weight newborns were admitted. The survival rate was 77.9 % and 83.9 % completed the follow-up to the age of 2 years. The neurosensorial disability rate was 20.2 %; disability was severe in 9 %, moderate in 1.1 %, and mild in 10.1 %. In patients lost to follow-up, birth weight was higher, gestational age was older, and sonographic findings were more frequently normal. CONCLUSION: Survival in very low birth weight newborns has increased with improved neonatal care. The presence of sequelae was similar to that found in other follow-up studies. A substantial number of patients were lost to follow up, which influenced the disability rates.

[Chronic snoring and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in children]. / Ronchopathie chronique et syndrome de l'apnée-hypopnée obstructive du sommeil chez l'enfant.

The problems children have in sleeping are manifold; the gamut of disorders that have been described ranges from simple, occasional snoring with no accompanying complications, through the syndrome of increased blockage of the upper airways to the obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) where respiratory difficulties accompanied by hypoxemia, hypercapnia and structural sleep difficulties. Mouth breathing and chronic snoring occur frequently in children, with the incidence of snoring, identical for both sexes, varying between 3.2 and 27%. Difficulties in sleeping begin between the ages of the 3 and 9, peaking between 3 and 6. These results demonstrate, in a general way, the disparity between growth of the adenoids and tonsils, and upper airway growth. A differential diagnosis between the various pathological possibilities is based on the observed clinical signs and symptoms, analysis of cephalometric radiographs, polysomnography, a nocturnal cardio-respiratory polygraph and a video film taken during sleep. Snoring is the most characteristic sign of OSAHS in children. We do not yet have available any synthetic study that would sum up results of studies of sleep disorders in children. Nevertheless, we can define obstructive sleep apnea in children as the partial or total cessation of nose and mouth breathing for a period double that of the normal respiratory cycle. Classical treatment of children who suffer from severe respiratory difficulties during sleep, after identification of the etiology of the problem, consists of surgical removal of the adenoids or tonsils and, in certain, continuous positive pressure to assist breathing. The authors of this article have worked with 137 patients between the ages of 6 and 9, 77 of whom were chronic snorers with an average age of 7 years 6 months. The average age of the control group of 60 children was 7 years 2 months. We collected clinical data, medical histories, and distributed a questionnaire to determine individual sleep and vigilance behavior of each child in the sample. To complete our evaluation, we made a cephalometric analysis of facial type, antero-postero skeletal pattern, upper airways, and hyoid bone position. The symptom that we encountered most frequently in young chronic snorers was agitated and uneasy sleep, sometimes accompanied by bed-wetting and cervical hyperextension. We often found daytime symptoms of hyperactivity and personality or behavioral problems. Hypertrophy of the adenoids, the adenoidal fascia, and the tonsils were also frequent clinical signs. The cephalometric analyses often showed the patients to be of the dolichocephalic facial type, often with the mandible rotated posteriorly. The children were as likely to be classified as Class II owing to retrognathic mandibles as to be Class III owing to maxillary deficiencies or mandibular excess. At the level of the upper airways, it appears that the development of snoring can be explained by a reduction in the dimensions of the upper pharynges accompanied by an increase in the dimensions of the middle and lower pharynges.

The use of statins in acute coronary syndromes: the mechanisms behind the outcomes.

Lipid-lowering drugs, in particular statin treatments, have been shown to reduce the incidence of initial and recurrent coronary heart disease (CHD) events within several years of initiating therapy. This effect can be clinically detected within the first 1 to 2 years in randomized trials. Recent observational and clinical trial data suggest that lipid-lowering therapy initiated at the time of an acute coronary event can reduce recurrent events, and possibly all-cause mortality, in a much shorter period of time. The possible mechanisms by which this benefit occurs include the effect of reduced lipoprotein levels, as well as an independent effect of statins on endothelial function. Statins improve endothelial-dependent flow-mediated vasodilation by increasing the bioavailability of nitric oxide. They stabilize the plaque by modulating the inflammatory response within the vessel wall. They also decrease clot formation by decreasing the adherence of platelets to the ruptured plaque and by acting on the extrinsic coagulation cascade pathway. This review examines these effects of statins and lipoproteins on vascular function, as well as the clinical evidence supporting early treatment in acute coronary syndromes.

[Epidemiology of ambulatory neurological diseases at the Baix Camp]. / Epidemiología de la patología neurológica ambulatoria en el Baix Camp (Tarragona) durante 1999.

BACKGROUND: Studies analyzing the incidence of ambulatory neurological diseases are scanty. INTRODUCTION: To describe the first prospective study of incidence of ambulatory neurological diseases at the Baix Camp (Tarragona). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a prospective study of a cohort of consecutive, first visited-patients at the neurology clinic of the Sant Joan Universitary Hospital of Reus. Demographic and clinical variables were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 1330 first visits, but 52 were excluded as they were diagnosed and treated previously at another medical center. So, the final study group included 1278 patients; 790 (61.8%) were woman and 488 (38.2%) men. Mean age was 48.7 years. The incidence ratio was 10.3 new neurological outpatients by 1000 hab./year. Headache was the most frequent symptom (36.5%), followed by focal symptoms and transitory loss of consciousness. The most frequent diagnoses were, by order of frequency, non-tumoral headaches (35.8%), followed by anxiety and depression, neuropathies and epilepsy. Cranial CT and MRI were the complementary exams more solicited. CONCLUSIONS: This epidemiological study corroborates that the most frequent neurological diseases were non-tumoral headaches, neuropathies and epilepsy. The need for specialized assistance could be reduced by better identification of certain diseases from primary medical assistance. This analysis will be actualized every five years.

[Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in childhood. Report of 10 cases]. / Encefalomielitis aguda diseminada en la infancia: presentación de 10 casos.

INTRODUCTION: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a postinfectious encephalitis that is usually preceded by an infectious disease or vaccination. The clinical presentation has a wide spectrum and complementary exams are none specific, except magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings showing multifocal white-matter lesions similar to those seen en multiple sclerosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report 10 children with the diagnosis of ADEM. We describe the clinical course and response to treatment. RESULTS: The prodroms were fever in all cases except one. The most common neurological symptoms were consciousness impairment, headache and seizures. The cerebrospinal fluid examination was abnormal in 9 patients with positive serologic test to enterovirus in one of them. MRI showed hyperintense multifocal subcortical white-matter lesions on T2-mediated images. Treatment with steroids was given to 5 patients, steroids and immunoglobulins to one patient and symptomatic treatment to the rest. From the last group one patient relapsed and then received corticosteroid treatment. The follow up revealed a complete recovery in 6/7 patients that received steroids. Three patients have sequelae and of these, 2 received only symptomatic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of ADEM is based on clinical and radiologic features, once other entities have been excluded. At the moment of suspicious of ADEM a brain-spinal chord MRI should be done, seeing that TAC brings not much information at the beginning. The treatment with steroids seems to be the most effective and the prognosis good, specially in cases that respond rapidly to it.

[Idiopathic epileptic syndromes of the newborn]. / Síndromes epilépticos idiopáticos del recién nacido.

INTRODUCTION: Seizures during the neonatal period are the characteristic clinical expression of dysfunction of the nervous system. Not all the seizures seen during the neonatal period are due to epilepsy which only occurs in 10%. DEVELOPMENT: The aetiology of neonatal seizures is very varied and is mainly due to different types of aggression to the brain during this early stage of life. Epileptic syndromes are very rare during the neonatal period. In general the prognosis is very bad as occurs in infantile epileptic encephalopathy of early onset or myoclonic encephalopathy of early onset. However, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) has identified and recognized some idiopathic epileptic syndromes of the neonatal period with a somewhat better prognosis. Two major groups have been established including the benign neonatal epilepsies (benign idiopathic neonatal epilepsies and benign familial neonatal seizures) and the group of status epilepticus (severe idiopathic status epilepticus). CONCLUSION: We analyze the different types of epilepsy of the newborn, form of onset, current knowledge of molecular biology, treatment and prognosis.