Effect of low-level laser therapy on post-extraction hemostasis in patients with hemophilia - A prospective cohort study.

Dental extraction in hemophiliacs can be complicated by perilous bleeding. Although developments in local hemostatics and factor replacement have made outpatient extraction feasible, there is no standard protocol for preventing hemorrhagic exigency. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has firmly established role in hemostasis due to its ability to seal vessels, but this function has not been conclusively established in hemophiliac patients. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of LLLT as compared with the standard protocol alone in achieving post-extraction hemostasis. A prospective interventional cohort study was designed and consisted of 60 patients with hemophilia A or B, who reported to the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi between October 2021 and March 2022. These were divided equally into test and control groups, both following the standard protocol. In the test group, extraction sockets were exposed to LLLT. The study assessed time required, instance of rebleeding, and additional methods employed for hemostasis in each group. The results showed a 22.42% reduction in average time taken to achieve hemostasis in the test group as compared with the control group. The tranexamic acid pack was replaced in two cases in both groups after 60 min of procedure. Three cases in the control group required suturing, and one case required cauterization. Rebleeding occurred in four cases in the test group and in 13 cases among the controls. Postoperative factor was infused in three and 12 cases in the test and control groups, respectively. The authors believe that perioperative use of LLLT should be encouraged because it demonstrated a significantly reduced time for hemostasis among hemophilia patients.

32P Radiosynoviorthesis in children with hemophilia.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to prospectively evaluate the safety, efficacy, and cost of injecting P-colloid into joints of children with hemophilia and synovitis to decrease the rate of joint bleeding. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligibility included a diagnosis of hemophilia, history of more than six hemorrhages into a joint within a 6-month period, and evidence of synovitis by objective imaging. With written, informed consent, 0.25 to 1.0 mCi of P-colloid was injected into the problem joints. Safety was monitored by external beta-scanning and physical assessment. Efficacy was determined by analysis of the change in joint hemorrhage frequency from 6 months before and up to 96 months after the injection using a signed-rank test. Physical assessment and pain assessment were analyzed similarly using values obtained within 1 week before and 6 months after the radiosynoviorthesis. Cost was modeled using charges from the authors' institution in relation to existing alternative therapies. RESULTS: One hundred injections were given into 91 joints in 59 children. Seven children had high-titer neutralizing antibodies to factor VIII or IX. Nine children were infected with HIV. Joints injected included 44 ankles, 19 knees, 27 elbows, and 1 shoulder. Nine joints required reinjection. All children showed a significant decrease in bleeding rate (P < 0.0001) and pain (P = 0.03), with improved physical function (P = 0.02). In one child acute lymphocytic leukemia developed, but it was judged unrelated to the two P injections that he had received 3 and 10 months before the leukemia diagnosis. There were no cases of bleeding, infection, or inflammation caused by the injection. Cost was substantially less than medical and surgical alternatives. CONCLUSIONS: Radiosynoviorthesis is effective in limiting the frequency of joint hemorrhage, decreasing pain and improving function in children with hemophilia. However, long-term safety studies are needed.