scholarly journals AN ANALYSIS OF EXPERIENCES AND PROBLEMS FACED BY THE DENTISTS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A QUESTIONNAIRE-BASED SURVEY

Author(s):  
MM Hafeez ◽  
S Javed ◽  
S Hanif ◽  
M Haseeb ◽  
AF Butt ◽  
...  

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 pandemic started in December and spread around the globe in a few months. Nosocomial transmission of this virus shut down the dental clinics and creates many problems for patients. This study was designed to assess the experiences and problems faced by the dentist during the pandemic. The was a cross sectional questionnaire-based survey conducted in different dental sectors of Lahore. The questionnaire was distributed through online Microsoft form and total of seventy-eight complete responses were received out of 156 dentists contacted.69.2 % of participants reported that they stop taking appointments during the peaks of pandemic or have planned to stay at home till the end of the pandemic where 27% claimed to perform only emergency procedures. 86% of dentists reported having difficulty finding PPE and 97% had to buy it at a much higher cost. Dentists (96%) also reported that they are facing a significant decrease in income and needed some other source of income. Regarding financial issues they did not get any government support.The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on dentistry. Most dental clinics remained closed, placing a financial burden on the dental profession. This burden was further increased as a result of the scarcity and high cost of PPE. There is a need for standardized protocols to prevent the spread of infection, and government agencies should also consider private clinics for funding and provision of low-cost PPE.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL3) ◽  
pp. 831-839
Author(s):  
Aksha sharen Arul Edwin ◽  
Lakshmi T ◽  
Karthik Ganesh Mohanraj

In general, one of the convincing methods to tackle an emergency is to be well-organized and prepared priory. The intention of the study is to analyze the availability of medical emergency procedures and equipment in dental clinics. Also, the aim is to determine the level of awareness, knowledge, perceptions, individual experiences and preparedness of the dental practitioners and dental students for the management of medical emergency situations in their hospitals or clinics. A cross-sectional survey based study was done from April to among 100 dental students in Chennai. The self-structured well-designed questionnaire containing the protocols and emergency procedures followed in their clinic. The questionnaire forms were circulated online through Google forms. The data from all the participants were collected and analyzed through SPSS software. In the present study, it was inferred that the majority of the population are aware about the medical emergencies in dental clinics (99%) and the remaining 1% of the population are not aware of it. The conclusion of this study is that the above statistical analysis about knowledge awareness on recent advances in the treatment of medical emergencies in dental clinics has provided an alarming situation about the capability of dentists to deal with such conditions for the betterment of patients .


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameera Begum ◽  
Riaz Abdulla ◽  
Akhter Hussain

UNSTRUCTURED The menace of COVID 19 pandemic has become a major public health concern all over the world. It is a pandemic outbreak that originated from Wuhan, Hubei province of China in December 2019. All healthcare professionals including dental surgeons are in the front line and a high chance of constantly getting infected. Droplet and aerosol transmissions are the utmost concern in dental clinics and dental college hospitals. Hence, COVID 19 has a high risk of spread through droplets and aerosols generated during dental procedures from infected patients. This review article highlights the dental perspective and discusses the various preventive measures undertaken to control the spread of infection in dental clinics and dental college hospital setups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Coke ◽  
Brandon Davison ◽  
Niariah Fields ◽  
Jared Fletcher ◽  
Joseph Rollings ◽  
...  

The novel corona virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the disease it causes, COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019) have had multi-faceted effects on a number of lives on a global scale both directly and indirectly. A growing body of evidence suggest that COVID-19 patients experience several oral health problems such as dry mouth, mucosal blistering, mouth rash, lip necrosis, and loss of taste and smell. Periodontal disease (PD), a severe inflammatory gum disease, may worsen the symptoms associated with COVID-19. Routine dental and periodontal treatment may help decrease the symptoms of COVID-19. PD is more prevalent among patients experiencing metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular risk. Studies have shown that these patients are highly susceptible for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress known to contribute to the development of PD and other metabolic diseases are highly elevated among COVID-19 patients. Periodontal health may help to determine the severity of COVID-19 infection. Accumulating evidence shows that African-Americans (AAs) and vulnerable populations are disproportionately susceptible to PD, metabolic diseases and COVID-19 compared to other ethnicities in the United States. Dentistry and dental healthcare professionals are particularly susceptible to this virus due to the transferability via the oral cavity and the use of aerosol creating instruments that are ubiquitous in this field. In this review, we attempt to provide a comprehensive and updated source of information about SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and the various effects it has had on the dental profession and patients visits to dental clinics. Finally, this review is a valuable resource for the management of oral hygiene and reduction of the severity of infection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Godoi Bernardes Da Silva ◽  
R Dias Santos ◽  
M Sommer Bittencourt ◽  
J.A.M Carvalho ◽  
M Franken ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) was developed in Europe to predict type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk without need of laboratory tests. Small cross-sectional studies analyzed the association between RF with metabolic syndrome (MS) or hepatic steatosis (HS). Our objective was to test the association of FINDRISC with MS or HS, in a transversal and longitudinal way. Methods In 41,668 individuals (age 41.9±9.7 years; 30.8% women) who underwent health evaluation between 2008 and 2016 in a single centre in Brazil, we tested the transversal association between FINDRISC and MS or HS, in multivariate models. The same analyzes were performed longitudinally in non-diabetic subgroups, followed for 5±3 years, to test the predictive value of FINDRISC and the incidental risk of MS (n=10,075 individuals) or HS (n=7,097 individuals), using logistic regression. Models were adjusted for confounders such as sex, use of medications for dyslipidemia, smoking, and baseline plasma levels of glucose, creatinine and lipids. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the discriminative and predictive values of FINDRISC for MS and HS. Results In the cross-sectional analysis, 2,252 (5%) individuals had MS and 14,176 (34%) HS. In the longitudinal analysis, there were 302 cases of incidental MS (2%) and 1,096 cases of HS (15%). FINDRISC was independently associated with MS and HS in the cross-sectional analysis (respectively, OR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.25–1.28, P<0.001; and OR 1.21, 95% CI: 1.20–1.22, P<0.001, per FINDRISC unit) and in longitudinal analysis (respectively, OR of 1.18, 95% CI: 1.15–1.21, P<0.001; and OR of 1.10, 95% CI: 1.08–1.11, P<0.001, per FINDRISC unit). In comparison with individuals with low FINDRISC, those with moderate, high and very high values showed significant and proportional increases of the 12 to 77 fold in the chance of current SM (P<0.001) and 3 to 10 fold in the chance of HS (P<0.001). During follow-up, these increases were 3 to 10 fold in the chance of incidental MS (P<0.001) and 1 to 3 fold in the chance of HS (P<0.001). The AUC from cross-sectional analysis for MS and HS were respectively 0.82 (95% CI 0.81–0.83) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.75–0.76), and in longitudinal analysis 0.73 (95% CI 0.70–0.76) and 0.63 (95% CI 0.61–0.65), respectively. Conclusion FINDRISC was associated with the presence and onset of MS and HS, but it predicted better metabolic syndrome risk than hepatic steatosis. Therefore, this simple, practical and low-cost score can be useful for population screening and identification of subgroups of individuals at higher risk future metabolic diseases. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1348
Author(s):  
Pratibha V. Nerurkar ◽  
Krupa Gandhi ◽  
John J. Chen

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is prevalent not only among the overweight and obese but also normal weight individuals, and the phenotype is referred to as a metabolically unhealthy phenotype (MUHP). Besides normal weight individuals, overweight/obese individuals are also protected from MetS, and the phenotype is known as a metabolically healthy phenotype (MHP). Epidemiological studies indicate that coffee and micronutrients such as plasma folate or vitamin B12 (vit. B12) are inversely associated with MetS. However, correlations among coffee consumption metabolic phenotypes, plasma folate, and vit. B12 remain unknown. Our objective was to investigate the correlation between coffee consumption, metabolic phenotypes, plasma folate, and vit. B12 as well as to understand associations between plasma folate, vit. B12, and metabolic phenotypes. Associations among coffee consumption metabolic phenotypes, plasma folate, and vit. B12 were assessed in a cross-sectional study of 2201 participants, 18 years or older, from 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). MUHP was classified as having > three metabolic abnormalities. Coffee consumption was not associated with metabolic phenotypes, but negatively correlated with several metabolic variables, including BMI (p < 0.001). Plasma folate was positively associated with MUHP (p < 0.004), while vit. B12 was inversely associated with MUHP (p < 0.035). Our results suggest the potential protective impact of coffee on individual components of MetS and indicate a positive correlation between coffee consumption and MUHP among overweight individuals. Identifying possible dietary factors may provide practical and low-cost dietary intervention targets, specifically for early intervention. Larger and randomized intervention studies and prospective longitudinal studies are required to further evaluate these associations.


Author(s):  
Nickolay Gantchev ◽  
Mariassunta Giannetti

Abstract We show that there is cross-sectional variation in the quality of shareholder proposals. On average, proposals submitted by the most active individual sponsors are less likely to receive majority support, but they occasionally pass if shareholders mistakenly support them and may even be implemented due to directors’ career concerns. While gadfly proposals destroy shareholder value if they pass, shareholder proposals on average are value enhancing in firms with more informed shareholders. We conclude that more informed voting could increase the benefits associated with shareholder proposals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-39
Author(s):  
Abir El-Haouly ◽  
Anais Lacasse ◽  
Hares El-Rami ◽  
Frederic Liandier ◽  
Alice Dragomir

Background: In publicly funded healthcare systems, patients do not pay for medical visits but can experience costs stemming from travel or over-the-counter drugs. We lack information about the extent of this burden in Canadian remote regions. This study aimed to: (1) describe prostate cancer-related out-of-pocket costs and perceived financial burden, and (2) identify factors associated with such a perceived burden among prostate cancer patients living in a remote region of the province of Quebec (Canada). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 171 prostate cancer patients who consulted at the outpatient clinic of the Centre Hospitalier de Rouyn-Noranda. Results: The majority of patients (83%) had incurred out-of-pocket costs for their cancer care. The mean total cost incurred in the last three months was $517 and 22.3% reported a moderate, considerable or unsustainable burden. Multivariable analysis revealed that having incurred higher cancer-related out-of-pocket costs (OR: 1.001; 95%CI: 1.001–1.002) private drug insurance (vs. public, OR: 5.23; 95%CI: 1.13–24.17) was associated with a greater perceived financial burden. Having better physical health-related quality of life (OR: 0.95; 95%CI: 0.913–0.997), a university education (vs. elementary/high school level, OR: 0.03; 95%CI: 0.00–0.79), and an income between $40,000 and $79,999 (vs. ≤ $39,999, OR: 0.15; 95%CI: 0.03–0.69) were associated with a lower perceived burden. Conclusion: Prostate cancer patients incur out-of-pocket costs even if they were diagnosed many years ago and the perceived burden is significant. Greater attention should be paid to the development of services to help patients manage this burden.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 205031212110343
Author(s):  
Ayele Mamo ◽  
Mesud M Hassen ◽  
Ahmednur Adem ◽  
Zinash Teferu ◽  
Musa Kumbi ◽  
...  

Background: Coronavirus disease is a highly transmittable and pathogenic viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which poses therapeutic dilemmas. Some suggestions for drug treatment seem problematic. Beliefs about the causes of health problems are determinants of treatment seeking decisions. Hence, one of the alternatives for the solution of health problems is employing traditional medicine to prevent coronavirus disease 19. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and utilization of drugs toward the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic among Bale zone residents. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among the Bale Zone population from May 30 to June 30, 2020. Eight hundred fifty-four participants were selected using a single population formula, and a multistage sampling technique was employed. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive and binary logistic regression was used to analyze the outcomes. A p value ⩽ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of the total 854 respondents, about 534 (62.5%) got information about coronavirus disease 19 from TV/radio. More than two-thirds (71.9%) of the respondents have known that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has no curative drugs, and 65.4% had a more appropriate attitude toward overall drug use in coronavirus disease 19. Level of education and, attitude towards drug use were singnificantly associated with knowledge of drugs, source of information about coronavirus disease 19 and having good practice were significantly associated with atittude toward drug utilization. Conclusion: One out of two study participants have good knowledge regarding drugs to the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic. Illiterate people in the community were identified to have poor knowledge about drugs, hence community educuation program is important to improve the knowledge about drugs towards the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
pp. 096739112110230
Author(s):  
Meltem Sezen ◽  
Busra Tugba Camic

The emphasis of biocompatible polymer applications in medical sciences and biotechnology has remarkably increased. Developing new low-cost, low-toxicity and lightweight composite forms of biopolymers has become even more attractive since the addition of new species into polymer matrices assist to improve biomedical activities of such materials to a higher extend. Developments in nanoscience and nanotechnology recently contribute to controlled fabrication and ultraprecise diagnosis of such materials. This study concerns the observation of solution processing effects in the fabrication of porous PLA/AGNWs bionanocomposite coatings using electron and ion processing based serial cross-sectioning and high-resolution imaging. The nanostructuring and characterization were both performed in a focused ion-beam-scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) platform. HR-SEM imaging was conducted on-site to track solvent based morphological property alterations of PLA and PLA/AgNWs structures. Simultaneous SEM-EDS analyses revealed the elemental distribution and the chemical composition along the cross-sectioned regions of the samples. Accordingly, it was observed that, in case of acetone dissolved materials, both pristine PLA and PLA/AgNWs samples sustained their foamy structure. When chloroform was used as the solvent, the porosity of the polymer matrices was less and the resulting structure was found to be denser than samples dissolved in acetone with a lower surface area ratio inside the material. This can be attributed to the rapid volatilization of acetone compared to chloroform, and hence the formation of interconnected pore network. For both nanocomposite biopolymers dissolved in acetone and chloroform, silver nanowires were homogeneously distributed throughout PLA matrices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Hyeon Choi ◽  
Min Sun Kim ◽  
Cho Hee Kim ◽  
In Gyu Song ◽  
June Dong Park ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The number of technology-dependent children (TDC) is increasing in South Korea, but available healthcare services after their discharge are poor. This study aimed to examine how TDC and caregivers live at home and identify their difficulties and needs regarding home care with few services to support them. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital for children in South Korea. A self-reported questionnaire was completed by primary caregivers of TDC who were younger than 19 years and had been dependent on medical devices for more than 3 months. Technologies included home mechanical ventilation, oxygen supplementation, suction equipment, enteral feeding tube, and home total parenteral nutrition. Patterns of healthcare use and home care of TDC and caregivers’ perception toward child were assessed. Results A total of 74 primary caregivers of TDC completed a self-reported questionnaire. About 60% children were aged under 5 years. There were 31.1% children who required both respiratory and nutritional support. On average, caregivers took care of a child for 14.4 (±6.1) hours, slept for 5.6 (±1.6) hours, and spent 2.4 h per day on personal activities. Children used hospital services for 41.3 (±45.6) days in 6 months, and most (78.1%) were transported through private car/ambulance. Participants (75.6%) reported taking more than an hour to get to the hospital. More than 80% of caregivers responded that child care is physically very burdensome. The only statistically significant relationships was between economic status and financial burden (p = 0.026). Conclusions Caregivers of TDC reported having significant time pressure regarding childcare-related tasks, insufficient time for personal activities, and inefficient hospital use because of inadequate medical services to support them in South Korea. Thus, it is necessary to support caregivers and develop a home care model based on current medical environment.


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