Comparison of health conditions treated with traditional and biomedical health care in a Quechua community in rural Bolivia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective of the present study was to reveal patterns in the treatment of health conditions in a Quechua-speaking community in the Bolivian Andes based on plant use data from traditional healers and patient data from a primary health care (PHC) service, and to demonstrate similarities and differences between the type of illnesses treated with traditional and biomedical health care, respectively.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A secondary analysis of plant use data from semi-structured interviews with eight healers was conducted and diagnostic data was collected from 324 patients in the community PHC service. Health conditions were ranked according to: (A) the percentage of patients in the PHC service diagnosed with these conditions; and (B) the citation frequency of plant use reports to treat these conditions by healers. Healers were also queried about the payment modalities they offer to their patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Plant use reports from healers yielded 1166 responses about 181 medicinal plant species, which are used to treat 67 different health conditions, ranging from general symptoms (e.g. fever and body pain), to more specific ailments, such as arthritis, biliary colic and pneumonia. The results show that treatment offered by traditional medicine overlaps with biomedical health care in the case of respiratory infections, wounds and bruises, fever and biliary colic/cholecystitis. Furthermore, traditional health care appears to be complementary to biomedical health care for chronic illnesses, especially arthritis, and for folk illnesses that are particularly relevant within the local cultural context. Payment from patients to healers included flexible, outcome contingent and non-monetary options.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Traditional medicine in the study area is adaptive because it corresponds well with local patterns of morbidity, health care needs in relation to chronic illnesses, cultural perceptions of health conditions and socio-economic aspects of health care. The quantitative analysis of plant use reports and patient data represents a novel approach to compare the contribution of traditional and biomedical health care to treatment of particular health conditions.</p

Criteria for age estimation in living individuals

This paper presents updated recommendations of the Study Group on Forensic Age Diagnostics for age estimations in living individuals in criminal proceedings. In order to increase the diagnostic accuracy and to improve the identification of age-relevant developmental disorders, a physical examination, an X-ray examination of the left hand, as well as a dental examination including the determination of the dental status and an X-ray of the dentition should be performed in each case. If the skeletal development of the hand is completed, an additional radiological examination of the clavicles should be carried out. Minimum requirements for reference studies are defined and recommendable studies are listed. Instructions for the examination and the preparation of expert reports are presented. The committee of the study group organizes annual proficiency tests for quality assurance

Alteração da inclinação dos incisivos inferiores e ocorrência de recessão gengival Changes in lower incisor inclination and the occurrence of gingival recession

OBJETIVOS: o objetivo deste estudo foi investigar se alterações na posição vestibulolingual dos incisivos inferiores em adolescentes podem predispor ao desenvolvimento de recessões gengivais. MÉTODOS: documentações de 189 adolescentes leucodermas (107 meninos e 81 meninas) pré e pós-tratamento ortodôntico foram selecionadas. Os pacientes apresentavam uma idade média de 11,2 ± 1,9 anos nos exames iniciais e 14,7 ± 1,8 anos nos exames finais. A presença de recessão gengival foi avaliada em modelos de estudo e em fotografias. A inclinação dos incisivos inferiores, em relação ao plano mandibular (IMPA) foi medida nos cefalogramas laterais pré e pós-tratamento e os casos foram divididos em proclinados, retroinclinados e inalterados. RESULTADOS: não foi observada associação significativa entre a alteração da inclinação dentária e a presença de recessões gengivais, utilizando o teste do qui-quadrado (p = 0,277). Foi observado que 107 pacientes (56,6%) apresentaram os incisivos proclinados; 64 pacientes (33,9%) com incisivos retroinclinados; e 18 pacientes (9,5%) não apresentaram alteração na inclinação. Nos casos em que novas recessões gengivais ocorreram, 64,9% foram vestibularizados, 26,3% foram lingualizados e 8,8% não apresentaram alteração na inclinação. No grupo de pacientes que apresentou migração coronal da margem gengival, 60% foram movimentados para lingual, 30% foram vestibularizados e 10% não alteraram de posição. CONCLUSÕES: apesar de a porcentagem de casos que foram vestibularizados apresentar um maior número de novas recessões, esse não foi estatisticamente significativo.<br>OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate whether altering the labial-lingual position of lower incisors in adolescents might predispose to the development of gingival recession. METHODS: Records from 189 Caucasian adolescents (107 female and 81 male) pre and post orthodontic treatment were selected. Patients yielded mean ± SD values of initial records age 11.2 ± 1.9 years and final records age 14.7 ± 1.8 years. The presence of gingival recession was evaluated in models and photographs. The inclination of lower incisors to the mandibular plane angle (IMPA) was measured on lateral cephalograms, pre and post treatment. RESULTS: No significant association was observed between changes in tooth inclination and the presence of gingival recessions, based on chi-square analysis (p = 0.277). Data demonstrated that in 107 patients (56.6%) incisors were proclined, in 64 patients (33.9%) incisors were retroinclined and 18 patients (9.5%) did not show any changes in tooth inclination. In the cases where new gingival recessions occurred, 64.9% had been moved buccally, 26.3% had been moved lingually and 8.8% did not change inclination. In the group of patients that displayed coronal migration of the gingival margin, 60% were moved lingually, 30% were moved buccally and 10% did not change inclination. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the percentage of cases where teeth were proclined showed a larger number of new gingival recessions, it was not statistically significant