Qualitative assessment of tongue drive system by people with high-level spinal cord injury.

The Tongue Drive System (TDS) is a minimally invasive, wireless, and wearable assistive technology (AT) that enables people with severe disabilities to control their environments using tongue motion. TDS translates specific tongue gestures into commands by sensing the magnetic field created by a small magnetic tracer applied to the user's tongue. We have previously quantitatively evaluated the TDS for accessing computers and powered wheelchairs, demonstrating its usability. In this study, we focused on its qualitative evaluation by people with high-level spinal cord injury who each received a magnetic tongue piercing and used the TDS for 6 wk. We used two questionnaires, an after-scenario and a poststudy, designed to evaluate the tongue-piercing experience and the TDS usability compared with that of the sip-and-puff and the users' current ATs. After study completion, 73% of the participants were positive about keeping the magnetic tongue-barbell in order to use the TDS. All were satisfied with the TDS performance and most said that they were able to do more things using TDS than their current ATs (4.22/5).

Seroepidemiology of chronic hepatitis B and C in the French Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and C was evaluated some twenty years ago among specific populations in Guadeloupe. The present study was designed to update these data and determine epidemiological features of chronic hepatitis B and C infections in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. FINDINGS: The present study was carried out at the Sainte Genevieve Health and Prevention Center (Guadeloupe), between May 2006 and July 2007. This is a medical center where patients can attend a free medical check-up paid for by the Social Security system. Data on hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) status and epidemiological factors were collected for this study.A total of 2,200 patients were included in the study. The prevalence of HBV surface antigen was 1.41% (95% CI: 1.0-2.0), and 0.55% (95% CI: 0.28-0.96) for HCV. The vaccination rate against HBV was 42.0%. HBV transmission was associated with piercing (12.9%, p = 0.014) and familial exposure (6.4%, p < 0.001) and HCV transmission with gynecological surgery (50.0%, p = 0.01). The HBV profile was generally hepatitis B e antigen-negative (94.5%). No hepatitis delta was found. For HCV, genotype 1 was predominant (80%). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study on the prevalence of HBV and HCV among a general clinic based population in Guadeloupe and the Caribbean islands. This study reveals that Guadeloupe is an area of low endemicity for HBV and low HCV prevalence. The reasons for these low prevalence rates are mainly related to the vaccination campaigns carried out during the past twenty years for HBV and the decrease of nosocomial transmission for HCV.

Health considerations for oral piercing and the policies that influence them.

With the increase in popularity of piercings, the health care professional needs to be aware of the complications that can occur due to lack of regulations of the piercing establishments. Due to lack of training of piercing professionals and lack of enforcement of sterilization procedures, infection and life threatening complications can arise. Complications include, but are not limited to, hemorrhage, nerve damage, gingival recession, HIV, tongue swelling, tooth fracture, Bactermia, Ludwigs angina, increase salivary flow, jewelry aspiration, and localized infection. Texas requires an individual to be 18 years of age to receive a piercing. However, Texas does not regulate the piercing establishment or the artist providing the services. Oral health care providers should be aware of the lacking regulations of piercing studios so they can be more vigilant of oral complications that may occur.

[The new IADT guidelines for dental trauma management: an introduction for the Israeli dentist].

Dental trauma is, unfortunately, not uncommon in the Israeli population. High risk populations include children, sport participants, military personnel and patients with oral (tongue) and/or lip piercing. In 2007, the International Association of Dental Trauma (IADT) updated the guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries. This paper is aimed to discuss and present the new guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries and to offer some highlights to the Israeli dental population. Good prognosis of injured teeth largely depends on prompt and appropriate management. Thus, it is important for healthcare-givers, especially dental practitioners, to maintain an adequate level of updated knowledge.

Laying down the knife may decrease risk of HIV transmission: cultural practices in Cameroon with implications for public health and policy.

The risk of HIV transmission may be increased by certain cultural practices. In Cameroon, these practices include group circumcision of boys using unsterile knives during rites of passage, skin cutting or tribal markings, group breast feeding practices and nose shaving rituals. Since traditional healers and circumcisers have a vital role in these practices at the village level, their collaboration is needed by government and biomedical communities to engage in health education and prevention efforts to stem HIV incidence and prevalence. Such efforts should include comprehensive education on HIV counseling, testing, condom use and male circumcision in health centers, clinics and hospitals. As more people emigrate to the U.S. from sub-Saharan countries where such cultural practices (including female circumcision) are endemic, health care providers need to identify and follow up potential health problems of these immigrants.

Body piercing: psychosocial and dermatologic aspects.

Piercing, a self-provoked body modification, is the insertion of one or more objects through one or more perforating wounds on the skin or mucosa in exposed and covered areas. It is currently more and more frequent, especially in adolescents and young adults, most commonly on the ears and lips. Risks, more common in self-piercers, include infections, allergic sensitization, and traumatic lesions. Calm conversation between the individual and a physician, particularly a dermatologist with experience in medical psychology, can clarify the risks and lead to better understanding of the motivations for such behavior.

Body piercing in school children: a review of the issues.

Over recent years piercing of parts of the body other than the earlobes has become more common among school children. This article seeks to explore the issues raised by the practice, particularly for the school nurse, who may be involved in the management of children with body piercing in school. An overview of the different types of body piercing is provided, as well as a discussion of the legal aspects of body piercing in children under the age of 18. The infectious and non-infectious complications that may arise are examined. The article also addresses some of the psychological issues around body piercing, in particular exploring what motivates children to have a piercing done, and looks at the evidence that associates body piercing with high risk behaviours in this age group. Finally, the article provides practical guidance to healthcare professionals about managing children with body piercings, looking in particular at steps that can be taken to promote safe healing and the avoidance of complications.

Assessment of the alveolar bone surrounding the mandibular anterior teeth of individuals wearing a tongue stud.

PURPOSE: One of the latest trends in ornamental body piercing focuses on the oral cavity, with the most common piercing site being the tongue. Oral health care professionals are anecdotally reporting the incidence of radiographically detectable alveolar bone abnormalities surrounding the mandibular anterior teeth in patients who wear tongue studs. This research study was conducted to assess the frequency and extent of bone abnormalities in the supporting alveolar bone adjacent to the mandibular anterior teeth in individuals wearing tongue studs. METHODS: With the use of convenience sampling, periapical radiographs were taken of the mandibular anterior teeth of individuals wearing tongue studs and compared to the radiographs of individuals who had never worn tongue studs (N = 46). Additionally, a self-report questionnaire was used to gather demographic data on participants and specific information related to their piercings. A periodontist conducted blind evaluations of the radiographs. RESULTS: With an alpha level of .05, a one-tailed t test indicated a significant difference between the two groups, t44 = 1.902, P = .032. However, the correlation coefficient comparing length of time to presence of alveolar bone abnormalities was 0.216, indicating a weak relationship between the amount of time that the tongue stud had been worn and the development of abnormalities in the alveolar bone. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that individuals wearing a tongue stud for any length of time are at risk for developing abnormalities in the alveolar bone surrounding the mandibular anterior teeth.

Self-reported characteristics of women and men with intimate body piercings.

AIM: The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study exploring factors associated with female and male intimate body piercing, with particular emphasis on health issues. BACKGROUND: Nipple and genital piercings (intimate piercings) have become common types of body art. Scant medical and nursing literature is available, leading to little understanding of these body modifications by health care providers. METHOD: A convenience sample of intimately pierced individuals (63 women and 83 men) from 29 states in the United States of America was surveyed via an author-developed questionnaire. Questions focused on demographic characteristics, decision factors and health problems related to intimate piercings. Self-reported characteristics were compared between female and male participants, and participants were compared demographically to United States general population. RESULTS: Participants reported wearing nipple piercings (43%), genital piercings (25%) and both types (32%). Respondents were significantly younger, less ethnically diverse, better educated, less likely to be married, more often homosexual or bisexual and they initiated sexual activity at a younger age than the US population. Deliberate, individual decisions for procurement of the intimate piercings were made. Average purchase consideration was at age 25 (nipple) and 27 (genital); average age to obtain the piercing was 27 (nipple) and 28 (genital) years. Purposes for obtaining the piercings included uniqueness, self-expression and sexual expression. Most participants still liked their piercing (73-90%). Health concerns related to intimate piercings were described by both those with nipple piercings (66%) and with genital piercings (52%) and included site sensitivity, skin irritation, infection and change in urinary flow (male genital). Few STDs (3%) were reported and no HIV or hepatitis. Usually non-medical advice was sought for problems -- often from the body piercer. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding client rationale is not a necessary prerequisite for providing quality patient care; however, awareness of purposes and decision-making in intimate piercing can help nurses to be sensitive to client needs and plan appropriate health education.