Green Tobacco Sickness: A Review

It is still an unknown fact among many that tobacco harvesters are at a potential at a risk of suffering from “Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS)”, with its prevalence seen mostly among Asian and South American tobacco harvesters. These harvesters working in hot, wet conditions are likely to develop GTS, as in such climatic conditions, the wetness and high humidity causes nicotine to reside on the surfaces of the leaves, while the high ambient temperature increases skin absorption, thereby increasing plasma nicotine concentrations by 30-45%. Patients suffering from GTS report nausea, vomiting, pallor, dizziness, headaches, increased perspiration, chills, abdominal pain, diarrhea, increased salivation, prostration, weakness, cough with or without expectoration, breathlessness and occasional reduction in blood pressure or heart rate. GTS is self-limiting and of short duration and hence treatment is not always necessary and not often sought by the harvesters. This review educates readers about GTS as well as encourages their participation in making tougher regulations in their respective countries for the control of this disease.

5-HT3 Antagonist for Pregnancy Associated Nausea and Vomiting

5-HT3 antagonists appear to be an effective treatment option in the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy. Literature suggests an increased risk of congenital defects in fetuses exposed to ondansetron during pregnancy, especially during first trimester. Health authorities now suggest that this drug should not be used during this period. However, this decision is debatable and whether ondansetron can be used in pregnant women is still controversial.

A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess Awareness and Practices Related to Prevention of COVID-19 Amongst Local Vendors around Medical and Dental Establishments

INTRODUCTION: Even as the world is returning to normalcy after COVID-19, there is still a need to be cautious and adopt proper hygiene practices and social distance norms. AIM: To assess the awareness and practices related to prevention of Covid-19 amongst local vendors around medical and dental establishments in Northern India. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of one month using a pre-tested and pre-validated questionnaire. Vendors near ten medical and dental establishments in north India were contacted by standardized volunteers to prevent bias. They were located within the range of 250 meters on both sides of these facilities through convenience sampling. Data was coded, entered in MS excel, descriptive statistics were applied. Statistical tests included the student’s independent t-test and multiple logistic regression. P value was kept significant at <0.5 and software used was SPSS version 23.0. RESULTS: Most vendors were males (76.7%), were operating shops on rent (47.7%) and had passed middle school (40.2%). A Majority of them were aware of common symptoms (99.4%), while 90.1% were aware about the mode of transmission. All vendors knew about the availability of the vaccine (100%). and 78.2% of the vendors were fully vaccinated, while 04 (1.3%) were not vaccinated yet. However, only 60% (p=0.03) of the vendors practised hand washing, distancing from sick, no handshake, use a cloth while coughing/sneezing as preventive measures. CONCLUSION: There is still a need for continuous education of the food vendors regarding proper and hygienic practices as well as mask wearing to fight off this dreaded pandemic and return to normalcy as soon as possible.

Artificial Intelligence in Public Health Dentistry

The educational needs must drive the development of the appropriate technology”. They should not be viewed as toys for enthusiasts. Nevertheless, the human element must never be dismissed. Scientific research will continue to offer exciting technologies and effective treatments. For the profession and the patients, it serves to benefit fully from modern science, new knowledge and technologies must be incorporated into the mainstream of dental education. The technologies of modern science have astonished and intrigued our imagination. Correct diagnosis is the key to a successful clinical practice. In this regard, adequately trained neural networks can be a boon to diagnosticians, especially in conditions having multifactorial etiology.

Curious Case of Rodent Poison: A Case Report

Osteonecrosis was first described as a consequence of ionizing radiation used in the treatment of malignant tumors but later a variety of causes for osteonecrosis were found which include, Medication induced, radiation induced, chemical induced and infection induced. Terms such as: bisphosphonate osteonecrosis (BON), Bisphosphonate Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (BONJ), Bisphosphonate Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws (BRONJ), Antiresorptive Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ARONJ) and Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) have all had proponents and all continue to be utilized. However, Migliorati first proposed a designation of the disease as osteochemonecrosis. This case report is about a chemical induced osteonecrosis patient who placed rat poison inside the mouth.

What’s in a Name?

Guest Comment by Dr. Manisha Lakhanpal Sharma, Professor & Head, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, ITS Dental College, Hospital and Research Centre, Greater Noida

An Overview of HIV on World AIDS Day: A Short Commentary

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV infections cause a gradual decrease in CD4+ cells and these cells are an indicator of the immune system including the body’s natural defense system against pathogens and illness.1 AIDS is defined as the advanced stage of HIV infection with CD4 cell count less than 200/mm3. AIDS is characterized by immunosuppression which can result in several opportunistic infections, tumors, and cancers.

Time to be Alert!! Stay Safe from the Omicron Variant of COVID-19

Editorial Comment By Dr. Sahil Thakar on Behalf of the Editorial Board, IHRJ

Preterm Labor and Treatment Efficacy-Safety

With medical sciences on the verge of advancement, preterm labor still remains a bothersome issue in modern obstetrics. A few therapeutic agents that suppress uterine contractile activity have gained success up to some extent. Tocolytics are medications used to suppress premature labor. These drugs can decrease the strength and frequency of uterine contractions and help in delay the onset of labor but are not able to prolong pregnancy to full-term. Presently, the choice of a best tocolytic drug remains debatable. This review discusses efficacy and safety of various useful agents which have been used so far. Further clinical trials are required to select an effective, and most importantly, safe therapy for the threatened preterm labor.

Morbidity, its Patterns and Associated Factors among School Children Residing in a North Indian City

INTRODUCTION: Children are the pillars of the future of a country shall rest, are no less than a treasure and need to be as healthy as possible. AIM: To assess the health status of school children in various areas of Una city, Himachal Pradesh, India. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The present study was conducted among school children aged 7-18 present on the day of the study. Data collected was cross-sectionally using a pre-validated and pre-tested questionnaire duly standardized prior to commencement of the study. The first section of the questionnaire contained details about the demographic profile, and in the second, the examiners recorded the presence or absence of common childhood diseases, namely pallor, lymphadenopathy (L.N.), Bitot spots, Worm infections, Scabies, Ear discharge, Dental caries and Fluorosis. Statistical analysis included the Shapiro-wilk test to check for data normalcy, followed by descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation. Significance value (p) was kept significant at ≤0.5. RESULTS: Most children belonged to the age group of 12-15 years (42.8%), followed by 7-11 years(34.3%) and 16-18 years(22.9%). Majority of the students were girls (61.5%) and most them belonged to the age group of 12-15 years(41.0%). Disease in any from was observed in 813 (76.2%) of the children, with the most prevalent disease observed being dental caries (32.3%), followed by fluorosis (20.5%) and pallor (14.3%). Pearson’s correlation revealed a strong, positive association between the disease status and age (0.7) and gender (0.8). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate the need to have various specific programmes to reduce the burden of various diseases, namely dental caries and pallor among school children through efforts of various programmes.