Melanic pigmentation results from melanin produced by the melanocytes present in the basal layer of the oral epithelium. One of the most common causes of oral pigmentation is smoker melanosis, a condition associated with the melanocyte stimulation caused by cigarette smoke. This paper aims to illustrate the use of a carbon dioxide laser in the removal of the gingival melanic pigmentation for aesthetic reasons in a 27-year-old female patient with history of a smoking habit. The carbon dioxide laser vaporisation was performed on the gingival mucosa with effective and quick results and without any complications or significant symptoms after the treatment. We conclude that a carbon dioxide laser could be a useful, effective, and safe instrument to treat the aesthetic complications caused by oral smoker melanosis.
In a study of 357 first time mothers in a squatter community of Recife it was found that 1 in 10 were less than 15 years old and 60 per cent less than 20 at the time of their first delivery. Two groups of mothers were distinguished, viz. adolescent mothers with a mean (SD) age at first delivery of 16.7 (0.78) years and older mothers with a mean (SD) age at first delivery of 25 (0.79). More than a third were living in common-law union. Of the adolescent mothers only 58 per cent were living with the child's father. A further 23 per cent had received financial support from their own parents during the pregnancy. The rest were expelled from home. The adolescent mothers were generally worse off with a per capita income generally half of that of older mothers. About a quarter of all children studied were below the 10th centile of NCHS standards (23 per cent by weight/age; 28 per cent by height/age). The undernourished first born was 2.5 times more likely to have an adolescent mother, four times more likely to be in a household with low income, and two times more likely to have an illiterate mother as compared to the first borns who remain well nourished. The implications of these findings for urban primary health care programmes are further discussed.
ObjectiveTo measure the concentration of cefazolin in the anterior mediastinal adipose
tissue of patients undergoing cardiac surgery, determining the variation of
cefazolin concentration.MethodsTwo samples of approximately 1g of subcutaneous tissue were collected from 19
patients who underwent surgery in December 2015: the first sample was
collected right after sternotomy and the second one, before sternal
synthesis with steel wires. Antibiotic dosage was administered through high
performance liquid chromatography.ResultsWe observed a positive and statistically significant correlation between time
1 and cefazolin concentration (r=0.489 and P=0.039). For
time 2 and cefazolin concentration, there was a negative and statistically
significant correlation between both variables (r=-0.793 and
P<0.001). A negative correlation was also observed
between body mass index and cefazolin concentration at time 2 (r=-0.510 and
P=0.031). The regression model showed that every
1-minute increase in time 1 corresponded to an increase of 0.240
µg/dL in cefazolin concentration, whereas every 1-minute increase in
time 2 corresponded to a reduction of 0.046 µg/dL in cefazolin
concentration. As for body mass index, every 1 kg/m2 increase
corresponded to a reduction of about 0.510 µg/dL in cefazolin
concentration.ConclusionThere was a positive and significant correlation between the initial time of
surgery and cefazolin level in the first dosage. The evaluation of the
second dosage showed a negative and significant correlation between
cefazolin level and the second time of dosage. The concentration of
cefazolin is under the influence of body mass index.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.