Oral cancer awareness in patients attending university dental clinics: a scoping review of Australian studies

This scoping review was conducted to evaluate the important role Australian university-based dental teaching clinics and dental students may have in promoting oral cancer awareness in their patients. Four Online database (PubMed, OVID, Scopus and Emcare) were searched for studies that assessed oral cancer awareness amongst patients attending Australian university-associated (teaching) clinics. A total of five articles were retrieved for full-text analysis. All studies showed significant variation in patient awareness and understanding regarding the principal risk factors associated with oral cancer development. Smoking was predominantly identified as a significant risk factor, but alcohol consumption was less frequently recognised as relevant. Non-healing ulceration was most commonly identified as a symptom of concern, whilst red and/or white mucosal patches were infrequently recognised as potentially-malignant conditions. Our review confirms that a significant lack of patient awareness regarding oral cancer risk and the signs /symptoms of early malignancy or potentially malignant disease exist in patients attending dental teaching clinics. Important opportunities exist to involve dental students proactively in raising oral cancer awareness, delivering smoking cessation interventions and safe alcohol consumption advice to their patients. Incorporation of established health educational models may deliver effective support for such student-delivered patient education

A correlational study to assess predictability of diabetes on the basis of different anthropometric and biochemical indicators

Background: Obesity is a complex disorder that involves some degree of over-consumption1 coupled with a metabolic derangement. There are some direct and indirect anthropometric and bio chemical indicators which if measured can provide some clue about development of diabetes among vulnerable group of population.Methods: This observational cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry at MGM Medical College and MY Hospital. All the patients and controls were clinically examined, and routine biochemical tests were analyzed for all subjects.Results: Positive and significant correlation was found between BMI and FBS, HBA1C, Leptin, HOMA IR respectively, whereas negative correlation was found between BMI and adiponectin. Same way positive correlation was found between W/H ratio and Leptin, HOMA IR respectively and negative correlation was found with adiponectin.Conclusions: This is very much evident through this study that various anthropometric and biochemical indicators may be treated as prognostic predictor of diabetes either linked to obesity or not

Body image perception, eating attitude and influence of media among undergraduate students of medical college in Delhi: a cross sectional study

Background: Body image perception is being shaped by unrealistic ideals portrayed in the media. Body dissatisfaction is one of the most consistent and robust risk factors for eating disorders, low self-esteem, depression, and obesity. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to ascertain the body image perception, abnormal eating attitudes and the role of media among undergraduate students of a medical college in Delhi, India.Methods: Cross-sectional study on 370 undergraduate medical students of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India selected using stratified random sampling. India. Students completed a self-administered questionnaire which consist of demographic information, perceived body image, Eating Attitudes test (EAT-26) to assess eating attitudes, Socio Cultural Attitude Towards Appearance Questionnaire 3(SATAQ-3) scale for the role of media on body image perception. Data was analyzed using SPSS v21.Results: A total of 370 students (57.6% males and 42.4% females) aged 17-30 years, mean age of 20.30 years±2.02(SD). Abnormal body image perception was seen in 35.4%, 21.1% had abnormal eating attitude (EAT-26≥20), 36.5%, 40.5% agreed to be influenced by models and athletic figures in media respectively, 42.2% accepted that media was their source of information regarding standards of attractiveness, 27.6% felt pressured to be attractive according to SATAQ-3. Males more than females had disordered eating attitudes and felt media pressure to achieve an ideal body image. Significant association was observed between age and perceived body image (p=0.033), gender and EAT-26 score (p=0.039), EAT 26 and perceived body image (p=0.006), general internalization of media and perceived body image (p=0.003), internalization-general, internalization-athlete, media as source of information and EAT-26 score (<0.001, 0.001, 0.003 respectively).Conclusions: The media should take more responsibility to not represent unrealistic ideals of body image concerning both males and females. Educational and preventive efforts at institutional levels should be made to promote a healthy body image and eating behaviours

Patient Satisfaction and Oral Health-related Quality of Life (ohrqol) of Edentulous People after Mandibular Denture Relining With a Soft-liner Material: A Pilot Study

Background: Oral health-related quality of life indicators have been effectively used to assess the influence of a range of dental treatments and interventions on patient satisfaction and acceptance. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the relining of mandibular dentures with a soft-liner material, using the Oral Health Assessment Index (OHIP-14). Methods: Forty-two full denture wearers were selected from patients who attended 9 private prosthetic clinics in New South Wales, Australia. All participants had their lower dentures relined with a soft-liner material, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Oral health-related quality of life was evaluated before and 1 month after relining using the Oral Health Assessment Index questionnaire. A simple descriptive quantitative analysis of the survey results was undertaken, including a comparison of median scores using the Wilcoxon paired test and binomial probability test. Results: In all the outcome variables measured, there was a noticeable positive effect from the denture relining. Specifically, mandibular denture relining with a silicon-based soft-liner material has a positive impact on patient satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of edentulous patients. Conclusion: Patient satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of edentulous patients can be significantly improved by the use of soft-liner materials

Local delivery of hydrogel encapsulated vascular endothelial growth factor for the prevention of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw

The anti-angiogenic effects of bisphosphonates have been hypothesized as one of the major etiologic factors in the development of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), a severe debilitating condition with limited treatment options. This study evaluated the potential of a gelatine-hyaluronic acid hydrogel loaded with the angiogenic growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), as a local delivery system to aid in maintaining vascularization in a bisphosphonate-treated (Zoledronic Acid) rodent maxillary extraction defect. Healing was assessed four weeks after implantation of the VEGF-hydrogel into extraction sockets. Gross examination and histological assessment showed that total osteonecrosis and inflammatory infiltrate was significantly reduced in the presence of VEGF. Also, total vascularity and specifically neovascularization, was significantly improved in animals that received VEGF hydrogel. Gene expression of vascular, inflammatory and bone specific markers within the defect area were also significantly altered in the presence of VEGF. Furthermore, plasma cytokine levels were assessed to determine the systemic effect of locally delivered VEGF and showed similar outcomes. In conclusion, the use of locally delivered VEGF within healing extraction sockets assists bone healing and prevents MRONJ via a pro-angiogenic and immunomodulatory mechanism

Predicting oral cancer survival—Development and validation of an Asia-Pacific nomogram

Background: Nomograms are graphical calculating devices that predict response to treatment during cancer management. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a lethal and deforming disease of rising incidence and global significance. The aim of this study was to develop a nomogram to predict individualized OSCC survival using a population-based dataset obtained from Queensland, Australia and externally validated using a cohort of OSCC patients treated in Hong Kong. Methods: Clinico-pathological data for newly diagnosed OSCC patients, including age, sex, tumour site and grading, were accessed retrospectively from the Queensland Cancer Registry (QCR) in Australia and the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System (CDARS) in Hong Kong. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression was used to construct overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) prediction models. Nomograms were internally validated using 10-fold cross validation, and externally validated against the Hong Kong dataset. Results: Data from 9885 OSCC patients in Queensland and 465 patients from Hong Kong were analysed. All clinico-pathological variables significantly influenced survival outcomes. Nomogram calibration curves demonstrated excellent agreement between predicted and actual probability for Queensland patients. External validation in the Hong Kong population demonstrated slightly poorer nomogram performance, but predictive power remained strong. Conclusion: Based upon readily available data documenting patient demographic and clinico-pathological variables, predictive nomograms offer pragmatic aid to clinicians in individualized treatment planning and prognosis assessment in contemporary OSCC management

An observational study to compare adenosine deaminase level among diabetes patients

Background: Obesity is a complex disorder that involves some degree of over-consumption1 coupled with a metabolic derangement. As ADA has been putatively associated with inflammation, and adipose tissue inflammation is the hallmark of insulin resistance in obese T2DM patients. This study attempted to compare serum ADA in T2DM subjects.Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry at MGM Medical College and MY Hospital. All the patients and controls were clinically examined, and routine biochemical tests were analyzed for all subjects. ANOVA has been applied to assess the variance between groups.Results: Mean age of controls was 56.91 years where as mean age in the group of a subject with Obesity with diabetes was 40.91 years and with Obesity without diabetes was 48.10 years. ADA level was more among diabetes patients having obesity than diabetes patients having no obesity and controls.Conclusions: This is very much evident through this study that ADA may be treated as prognostic predictor of diabetes either linked to obesity or not, though more studies are warranted in same direction to make this finding conclusive and acceptable biochemical evidence

Adverse drug reaction risk assessment with prescribed renal risk drugs among hospitalized patients attending a teaching hospital in South India

Background: Renal impairment is the primary cause of mortality and morbid conditions in patients. Inappropriate drug use in patients who are with risk of renal damage causes harmful and deleterious effects. Adjusting doses based on renal function is necessary for renal risk drugs, primarily to avoid adverse reactions of medications. Aim of the present study was to assess the risk of incidence on ADRs with drugs lowering the renal function.Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study conducted in General Medicine department. 230 Patients constituted the sample in the study. The study was conducted for a period of one year and prescriptions with renal risk drugs were evaluated. Changes in the renal functional tests were compared to the normal range and adverse drug responses were monitored.Results: A total of 230 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The meanage of the study subjects were 50.9±15.2 respectively. 56.39% patients were men and 43.6% were women. Renal risk drugs included in the study are anti-hypertensive, antibiotics, and analgesics. Paracetamol (24.77%) followed by telmisartan (20.85%) are the predominantly prescribed renal risk drugs with high incidence of adverse drug reactions. Causality assessment by Naranjo ADR probability scale showed out of 211 ADRs, 51.6% were possible, 25.59% were doubtful, 21.8% were probable and 0.94% was definite.Conclusions: The current study signifies that patients under high risk of renal damage require continuous monitoring and optimized therapy for better disease management

Phytochemical screening, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Prunella vulgaris for oral thrush

Plant imitative products have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. In traditional Indian medicine or Ayurveda, Prunella Vulgaris and many other herbs have been used as medicine. Traditional uses of plants have led to investigating their bioactive compounds, which have resulted in the detection of a significant number of therapeutic properties. The aim of present investigation was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of chloroform and hydroalcoholic leaves extracts of Prunella Vulgaris against microbial strains causing oral infections. Both chloroform and hydroalcoholic extracts revealed the presence of carbohydrate, triterpenoids/ steroids, flavonoids, tannin, phenolic compound and saponins were absent in only the chloroform extract. The bioactivities of the leaf extracts were qualified to their phytochemical constituents. Quantitative analysis of phenolic and flavonoids was carried out by Folins Ciocalteau reagent method and aluminium chloride method respectively. The In vitro antioxidant activity of chloroform and hydroalcoholic leaves extracts of Prunella Vulgaris was assessed against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl- hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, reducing power assay using standard protocols. The antimicrobial activity of chloroform and hydroalcoholic extracts of medicinal plants was evaluated using well diffusion method against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. The TPC in chloroform extract was higher than that of the hydroalcoholic extract with concentration being 0.443 mg/g equivalent to gallic acid. The TFC in hydroalcohoilc extract was higher than that of the chloroform extract with concentration being 0.358 mg/g equivalent to rutin.&nbsp; The present study recognized leaves extract of Prunella vulgaris as a promising antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. However, further investigations are needed to understand the mechanistic basis of this effect of the extract and its chemical constituents thereof. Keywords: Prunella vulgaris, Phytochemical, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial activity, Folins Ciocalteau reagent, Quantitative analysi