The use of the Tempa.Dot thermometer in routine clinical practice

SIR—The Tempa.Dot single-use thermometer has been in use in the UK for over 10 years and in the USA for nearly 30 years. Over the last 7 years it has been marketed by 3M Health Care Limited. Its use in the NHS followed the European Union Directive to reduce the medical use of mercury. It also has the advantages of lack of cross-infection risk and more rapid recordings. A sensor matrix at the tip of the thermometer consists of 50 temperature-indicating dots, each with a melting point separation of 0.1 °C. At any given temperature within the range 35.5–40.4 °C, all dots with a melting point at or below that temperature change colour from beige to bright blue. Temperature readings are indicated by the number on the thermometer that corresponds with the row of the last blue dot plus 0.1 °C for every blue dot in that row greater than one. Tempa.Dot complies with European published standard EN-12470- 02(P2). This requires the mean accuracy to be within 0.1 °C for each do

Appropriate use of anti-thrombotics in patients in atrial fibrillation

Meeting abstract P25

Mouth and dental disorders

Summary This chapter contains sections titled: • Introduction • Periodontal disease • Dental caries • Odontogenic infections • Alveolar osteitis • Xerostomia and hyposalivation • Candidiasis • Angular cheilitis • Denture stomatitis • Burning mouth syndrome • Recurrent aphthous stomatitis • Recurrent herpes simplex • Oral lichen planu

Effects of folic acid supplementation on psychomotor performance and hemorheology in healthy elderly subjects

Cognitive impairment is associated with increased blood concentrations of homocysteine and high blood viscosity. Previous studies have shown that vitamin B supplementation reduces homocysteine and enhances cognitive function in patients with mild dementia and low serum folic acid. However, whether folic acid enhances cognitive function in elderly subjects without dementia and normal serum folic acid is unknown. Twenty-four healthy elderly subjects (age 73.0+/-5.6 years, mean+/-S.D.) with normal serum folic acid (6.3+/-2.4 microg/l) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) >27/30 were randomized to 4-week treatment with folic acid 5mg/day or placebo in a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. Continuous Attention Test (CAT), Four-Choice Reaction Time (FCRT), Digit-Symbol Substitution (DSS), Scanning Memory Sets (SMS), and blood viscosity for different shear rates were measured before and after treatment. Folic acid supplementation induced a significant increase in serum folic acid levels (+13.8 versus +1.6 microg/l, p<0.001) and fall in homocysteine levels (-1.91 versus -0.41 micromol/l, p=0.05) compared to placebo. However, there was no significant change in CAT, FCRT, DSS, SMS, and blood viscosity between the two groups. Short-term folic acid supplementation does not enhance psychomotor performance or reduce blood viscosity in healthy elderly subjects with normal serum folic acid levels and preserved cognitive function