Comparison of the OHIP-14 and GOHAI as measures of oral health among elderly in Lebanon.

BACKGROUND: The respective abilities of the GOHAI and OHIP-14 to discriminate between aged patients with different levels of oral diseases have rarely been studied in developing countries. The aim of this study was to compare the discriminative abilities of the OHIP-14 and the GOHAI in an elderly Lebanese population, and particularly to identify persons with different masticatory function. METHODS: A sample of elderly, aged 65 years or more, living independently was recruited in two primary care offices in Beirut, Lebanon. Data were collected by means of personal interview and clinical examination. The Arabic OHIP-14 and GOHAI questionnaires were used after cultural adaptation for use in Lebanon. The internal consistency, reproducibility and concurrent validity were verified. To test their discriminative abilities, the ADD (GOHAI and OHIP) and SC (GOHAI and OHIP) scores were dichotomized according to the 25th and 75th percentile respectively and logistic regressions were conducted using socio-demographic, clinical and subjective explanatory variables. RESULTS: Two hundred and six participants were included; mean age was 72 years and 60% were women. Good psychometric properties were observed for both questionnaires for internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha>0.88), reproducibility (ICC>0.86) and concurrent validity. Strong correlations were found between GOHAI and OHIP-14 scores but a high prevalence of subjects with no impact was observed using the OHIP-14. Both questionnaires were able to discriminate between participants according to age, perception of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain or functional status as represented by the number of dental Functional Units (FU). GOHAI was more discriminant since it identified participants with high dental care needs: high numbers of decayed teeth, low numbers of teeth and socially deprived status. CONCLUSIONS: Lebanese elderly with high dental care needs and impaired oral health were identified more easily with the GOHAI. These results may guide the choice of dental indicators to use in a national geriatric survey.

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in patients undergoing abdominal and pelvic cancer surgery: adherence and compliance to ACCP guidelines in DIONYS registry.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major health care problem resulting in significant mortality, morbidity and increase in medical expenses. Patients with malignant diseases represent a high risk population for VTE. The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) proposed, since 1986, prophylaxis guidelines that are unequally respected in surgical practice. METHODS: DIONYS is a multinational, longitudinal and non-interventional registry including patients having undergone abdominal or pelvic surgery for cancer in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Patients were evaluated with regard to VTE prophylaxis, during three consecutive visits, for their adherence to ACCP 2008 guidelines. Data were collected on type and duration of VTE prophylaxis, adherence to guidelines, and compliance with prescriptions, complications and possible reasons for omission of prophylaxis. RESULTS: Between 2011 and June 2012, 921 adult patients were included and divided into abdominal (435), pelvic (390) and combined abdominal and pelvic surgery (96), 65.4 % being females. VTE prophylaxis was prescribed to 90 % of patients during hospitalization and to 28.3 % after hospital discharge. Prescriptions adhered to ACCP guidelines in 73.9 % of patients during hospitalization and 18.9 % after discharge. The reason of non-adherence was mainly the clinical judgment by the physician that the patient did not need a prophylaxis. The most commonly prescribed type of prophylaxis was pharmacological (low molecular weight heparin). CONCLUSION: A wide gap exists between VTE prophylaxis in daily practice and the ACCP 2008 guidelines, in abdominal and pelvic cancer surgery. A better awareness of surgeons is probably the best guarantee for improvement of VTE prophylaxis in surgical wards.

The pertinence of oral health indicators in nutritional studies in the elderly.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Studies concerning the more appropriate criteria for evaluating oral health in relation to nutrition in the elderly vary greatly. There is a need to identify the most relevant criteria for classifying dental indicators of mastication in nutritional studies, so these indicators may be considered for epidemiological and clinical purposes. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between nutritional deficit and measures of oral health in a group of elderly. METHODS: A convenience sample of independent elderly aged 65 years or more attending two primary care clinics in Beirut, Lebanon was selected. Data were collected from a questionnaire including the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and questions about perception of xerostomia and chewing problems. The oral examinations recorded decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT), the prosthetic status and the number of functional units (FU). RESULTS: The sample was composed of 121 women (mean age: 71.59 ± 5.97 years) and 80 men (mean age: 72.74 ± 6.98 years). They were allocated to two groups: 85 participants suffering from malnutrition (MNA score < 17, n = 17) or at risk of malnutrition (17 < MNA score < 24, n = 68) and 116 participants with a normal nutritional status (MNA score ≥ 24). Parameters that explain MNA variations were perception of xerostomia (OR = 3.49, 95% CI [1.66-7.34]), number of FU (OR = 2.79, 95% CI [1.49; 5.22]), and GOHAI score (OR = 2.905, 95% CI [1.40; 6.00]). CONCLUSION: Further studies exploring factors affecting nutrition in the elderly should take into consideration perception of xerostomia, number of FUs and GOHAI score.