Effectiveness of a training program for the nursing staff on the oral health of institutionalised aged. Randomised trial / Efectividad de un programa de entrenamiento al personal de enfermería, sobre la salud bucal de adultos mayores institucionalizados. Ensayo Aleatorizado

Background: it has been suggested that nursing-staff' should be educated in maintaining the oral health (OH) of institutionalised elder people. Objective: this work aimed for measuring the effectiveness of a 3-hour oral health training-programme (OHTP) provided to nursing-staff by assessing the residents' OH gains. Materials and methods: this was a one-year longitudinal-controlled-interventional study evaluated via a nursing-staff' questionnaire and residents' oral examinations. Managers of 30 nursing homes in Granada, Spain, were contacted and offered three oral examinations for their residents and an OHTP for the nursing-staff; nine of them consequently agreed to participate for all consenting people. 269 residents were examined at baseline and 12 months. After the baseline examination, the nursing homes were randomised into an intervention or control group; the OHTP was then carried out on the intervention group. Results: the residents' denture hygiene (p=0.03) and wearing of dentures at night (p=0.003) improved significantly in the intervention group; caries prevalence increased in both groups. Conclusions: the OHTP was effective for improving caregivers' knowledge and OH care routines, but the improvements were not enough to improve residents' overall OH.

Introducción: se ha sugerido que el personal de enfermería debe ser educado en el mantenimiento de la salud bucal (SB) de los adultos mayores institucionalizados. Objetivo: el presente trabajo buscó medir la efectividad de programa de tres horas de entrenamiento en salud bucal (PESB) al personal de enfermería, mediante la medición de los cambios en la SB de adultos mayores residentes en instituciones geriátricas. Materiales y métodos: se realizó un estudio longitudinal a un año, controlado, evaluado mediante un cuestionario al personal de enfermería y exámenes bucales a los residentes. Se contactó a los directores de 30 instituciones geriátricas de la Provincia de Granada ­ España y se les ofreció un PESB para su personal de enfermería y tres exámenes bucales para sus residentes, nueve aceptaron participar, con todos aquellos residentes que consintieran. Se examinaron 269 residentes al inicio y a los 12 meses. Después del examen inicial, las instituciones fueron asignadas aleatoriamente en un grupo control y en un grupo de trabajo que recibió el PESB. Resultados: la higiene protésica (p=0.03) y el uso nocturno de las prótesis (p=0.003) mejoraron significativamente en el grupo de trabajo, mientras que la prevalencia de caries aumentó en ambos grupos. Conclusiones: el PESB fue efectivo para el mejoramiento del conocimiento y las rutinas de SB del personal de enfermería, pero estas mejoras no fueron suficientes para mejorar globalmente el estado de SB de los residentes.

Evolución de la patología oclusal: una revisión de literatura / Evolution of occlusal pathology: a literature review

Introducción: Muchos de los lineamientos sobre oclusión y de las alternativas de tratamiento en paciente dentado y parcialmente edéntulo, se basan en conceptos planteados en los inicios de la profesión. La diversidad de escuelas de oclusión ha hecho que, algunos de esos conceptos se tornen complejos para su entendimiento y aplicación. Esta diversidad hace que la compresión de la fisiología oclusal y sus alteraciones sea difícil, obstaculizando el entendimiento de la patología oclusal, su correcto diagnóstico y manejo. Objetivo: Es por esto que se realizó una revisión bibliográfica sobre fisiología y patología oclusal, con el propósito de recopilar información basada en la evidencia científica, que permitiera esclarecer conceptos y homogenizar el conocimiento acerca de los cambios en la fisiología y morfología del sistema estomatognático, asociados a las alteraciones oclusales, permitiendo a futuro la estandarización del proceso de diagnóstico oclusal en la Facultad de Odontología de La Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Metodología: Se realizó una búsqueda en bases de datos MedLine, PudMed, Ovid, Ebsco, ScienceDirect y Hinari- Healthinternetwork mediante los términos Mesh “Dental Occlusion”- “Stomatognathic System”- “Masticatory System” – Temporomandibular Joint y las palabras de texto libre pertinentes, así como las bibliografías de los trabajos y artículos de revisión que tuvieran relación directa con el tema; no se tuvo en cuenta la fecha de publicación. Resultados: Se obtuvo un total de 79 artículos, 10 textos y 7 páginas web. Conclusión: La patología oclusal es un proceso evolutivo que puede afectar cualquiera de los componentes del sistema estomatognático en su forma y/o función. La armonía oclusal es un estado en el que cada una de las partes del sistema funciona coordinadamente para cumplir las funciones de masticación, fonación y deglución; la rehabilitación oral debe encaminarse hacia la obtención de una oclusión armónica.

Introduction: Many of the guidelines on occlusion and treatment alternatives in dentate and partially edentulous patients, are based on concepts raised in the beginning of dentistry. The diversity of the occlusion schools has become some of these concepts complex to understand and apply. This diversity makes difficult the compression of the occlusal physiology and its disorders, hindering the understanding of the occlusal pathology and its proper diagnosis and management. Objective: This is why we conducted a literature review about oclusal physiology and pathology, in order to gather information based on scientific evidence, which in order to clarify concepts and homogenize knowledge about physiological and morphological changes of the stomatognathic system, associated to occlusal alterations, allowing the future standardization of the occlusal diagnostic process at the Faculty of Dentistry of the National University of Colombia. Methodology: A search was conducted in MedLine, PubMed, Ovid, Ebsco, ScienceDirect and Hinari-Healthinternetwork using the Mesh terms: "Dental Occlusion" - "Stomatognathic System" - "masticatory System" - Temporomandibular Joint and the bibliographies of papers and review articles that had direct relationship to the topic; the publication deadline was not taken into account. In total, 79 articles, 10 texts and 7 websites were obtained. Conclusion: Occlusal pathology is an evolutionary process that might affect the form and/or function of any of the components of the stomatognathic system. Occlusal Harmony is a state in which each part of the system works in concert with the others to fulfill the functions of mastication, speech and swallowing; oral rehabilitation should be directed toward obtaining a harmonious occlusion.

Description of Lutzomyia (Helcocyrtomyia) tolimensis, a new species of phlebotomine sandfly (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Colombia

A description is presented of Lutzomyia tolimensis sp. nov., a new species of the subgenus Helcocyrtomyia, series sanguinaria. It was collected in dwellings, peridomestic environment and in nearby forest patches located in the foothills of the Andean Central Cordillera, where in 2004-2006 occurred the largest epidemic ever recorded of leishmaniasis in Colombia. The male of this species is differentiated from other members of the series sanguinaria based on the following combination of characters: (i) base of coxite with 0-3 subequal setae, (ii) spines of gonostyle organized in positions 2.1.2, (iii) spines inserted on distal half of gonostyle and (iv) relationship of alar indices. The female is recognized principally by the following characters: (i) palpomere V longer than III, (ii) length of labro-epipharynx and (iii) relationship of the alar indices.

Description of Lutzomyia (Helcocyrtomyia) tolimensis, a new species of phlebotomine sandfly (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Colombia.

A description is presented of Lutzomyia tolimensis sp. nov., a new species of the subgenus Helcocyrtomyia, series sanguinaria. It was collected in dwellings, peridomestic environment and in nearby forest patches located in the foothills of the Andean Central Cordillera, where in 2004-2006 occurred the largest epidemic ever recorded of leishmaniasis in Colombia. The male of this species is differentiated from other members of the series sanguinaria based on the following combination of characters: (i) base of coxite with 0-3 subequal setae, (ii) spines of gonostyle organized in positions 2.1.2, (iii) spines inserted on distal half of gonostyle and (iv) relationship of alar indices. The female is recognized principally by the following characters: (i) palpomere V longer than III, (ii) length of labro-epipharynx and (iii) relationship of the alar indices.

Phlebotomine vector ecology in the domestic transmission of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Chaparral, Colombia.

Phlebotomine vector ecology was studied in the largest recorded outbreak of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia in 2004. In two rural townships that had experienced contrasting patterns of case incidence, this study evaluated phlebotomine species composition, seasonal abundance, nocturnal activity, blood source, prevalence of Leishmania infection, and species identification. CDC miniature light traps were used to trap the phlebotomines. Traps were set indoors, peridomestically, and in woodlands. Natural infection was determined in pools by polymerase chain reaction-Southern blot, and blood sources and species identification were determined by sequencing. Large differences were observed in population abundance between the two townships evaluated. Lutzomyia longiflocosa was the most abundant species (83.1%). Abundance was higher during months with lower precipitation. Nocturnal activity was associated with human domestic activity. Blood sources identified were mainly human (85%). A high prevalence of infection was found in L. longiflocosa indoors (2.7%) and the peridomestic setting (2.5%). L. longiflocosa was responsible for domestic transmission in Chaparral.

Environmental risk factors for the incidence of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in a sub-Andean zone of Colombia (Chaparral, Tolima).

Environmental risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis were investigated for the largest outbreak recorded in Colombia. The outbreak began in 2003 in Chaparral, and in the following five years produced 2,313 cases in a population of 56,228. Candidate predictor variables were land use, elevation, and climatic variables such as mean temperature and precipitation. Spatial analysis showed that incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis was higher in townships with mean temperatures in the middle of the county's range. Incidence was independently associated with higher coverage with forest or shrubs (2.6% greater for each additional percent coverage, 95% credible interval [CI] = 0.5-4.9%), and lower population density (22% lower for each additional 100 persons/km(2), 95% CI = 7-41%). The extent of forest or shrub coverage did not show major changes over time. These findings confirmed the roles of climate and land use in leishmaniasis transmission. However, environmental variables were not sufficient to explain the spatial variation in incidence.

[Trypanosoma rangeli parasite-vector-vertebrate interactions and their relationship to the systematics and epidemiology of American trypanosomiasis]. / Interacción tripanosoma-vector-vertebrado y su relación con la sistemática y la epidemiología de la tripanosomiasis Americana.

INTRODUCTION: Trypanosoma rangeli is a species of trypanosome second to T. cruzi, that is infective to humans in Latin America. Variability in the biological, biochemical and molecular characteristics between different isolates isolates of this parasite have been recorded. OBJECTIVE: Morphological and molecular characteristics were recorded from strains of T. rangeli that were isolated from different species of Rhodnius and maintained in different vertebrate species. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nineteen strains of T. rangeli were isolated from R. prolixus, R. pallescens and R. colombiensis in Colombia, R. ecuadoriensis in Peru and R. pallescens in Panama. Polymorphism of blood trypomastigotes in ICR mice was evaluated and pleomorphism of P53 strain of T. rangeli KP1(-) inoculated in mouse, marsupial and canine was studied. RAPD analysis (randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis) of 12 strains isolated from four species of Rhodnius was performed. RESULT: Based on the total length of blood trypomastigotes, three discrete groups were observed. The P53 strain showed significant differences in the size of blood trypomastigotes in mouse, marsupial and canine. RAPD analysis showed that the strains segregated into two branches corresponding to strains of T. rangeli KP1(+) and T. rangeli KP1(-). All strains of T. rangeli KP1(-) clustered according to the species of Rhodnius from which they were isolated. CONCLUSION: These data reveal, for the first time, a close association amongst T. rangeli strains and Rhodnius species, confirming that each species of Rhodnius transmits to vertebrate hosts a parasite population with clear phenotypic and genotypic differences. This is further evidence that supports the concept of clonal evolution of these parasites.