The increased focus on the physical health of people with SMI should encompass oral health. Possible interventions could include oral health assessment conducted using standard checklists that can be completed by non-dental personnel, help with oral hygiene, management of iatrogenic dry mouth, and early dental referral.
Patients with substance use disorders have greater and more severe dental caries and periodontal disease than the general population, but are less likely to have received dental care.
These findings highlight the importance of collaboration between dental and medical practitioners. Dentists may be the first clinicians to suspect an eating disorder given patients' reluctance to present for psychiatric treatment, whereas mental health clinicians should be aware of the oral consequences of inappropriate diet, psychotropic medication and self-induced vomiting.
Background
Ingestion of dental instruments is rare during dental surgery but can result in serious complications. Here we describe a case in which an endodontic hand file was accidentally misplaced in situ during endodontic (root canal) therapy. Plain radiographs were used to identify its location, and serial imaging was used to monitor passage of the endodontic file through the gastrointestinal tract, and it ultimately passed without intervention. We conclude by describing methods for surveillance and management of ingested dental instruments.
Case report
A 62-year-old Caucasian male presented to the Emergency Department approximately 2 hours after suspected ingestion or inhalation of an endodontic hand file. He had experienced two episodes of excessive coughing and dyspnea while undergoing endodontic therapy, and was promptly referred by his dentist for further investigation. On admission, plain abdominal radiographs confirmed the position of the file in the duodenum, and serial radiographs were used to monitor its transition and clearance through the gastrointestinal tract. During this time, the patient did not demonstrate any clinical signs of bowel perforation, nor was there any radiographic evidence of pneumoperitonium. The patient was discharged after a final radiograph confirmed the absence of the foreign body.
Conclusion
Ingestion and inhalation of dental instruments can be life threatening and should be managed cautiously, with early input from general surgeons, gastroenterologists, or respiratory physicians for possible endoscopic retrieval, emergent laparotomy, or surgical intervention. Imaging studies are useful for discerning the position of the foreign body and to determine whether retrieval is possible, and the management will ultimately depend on the position and characteristics of the foreign body, as well as risk factors from the patient which may increase the likelihood of perforation, obstruction, or impaction.
Objective
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are found in the blood of patients with cancer, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). The aim is to review the most up‐to‐date status of CTCs for applications in patients with HNSCC.
Data Sources
English articles in PubMed.
Review Methods
All the studies on CTCs in HNSCCs in the literature were reviewed.
Conclusions
There is emerging information on the diagnostic and prognostic value of CTCs in HNSCCs. Evidence also highlights the advantages of various downstream analysis approaches over circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), such as single‐CTC analysis, ex vivo, and in vivo expansion of CTCs. Multiple phenotypic surface markers (cytokeratins, EpCAM, vimentin, etc.), used for CTCs characterization using different immunoassays, could predict disease progression as well as patients' response to treatment efficacy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors' status in CTCs could also provide better insight into treatment. Clonal expansion of CTCs and single‐cell analysis of CTCs are the most emerging fields nowadays which may offer an understanding of the mechanism of tumor evolution as well as therapeutic efficacy. Although several clinical trials are ongoing, limitations still exist in the detection and characterization of CTCs. Due to the lack of a gold standard protocol, the sensitivity and specificity of CTC enumeration methods vary.
Implications for Practice
Prospective clinical trials are still needed before CTCs can be employed as diagnostic and prognostic markers in the clinical management of patients with HNSCC.
Hibernoma is a rare benign tumour that was first described by Merkel in 1906. It arises from remnants of brown fat and has a differential diagnosis of lipoma and liposarcoma. This is a case report of a 31-year-old male with a slow-growing mass in the left flank that produced constant pain radiating to the groin. Computerised tomography localised the mass within the external oblique muscle, which showed some heterogeneity and low attenuation. The mass appeared hypodense to muscle on T1 and hyperdense to muscle on T2 weighted magnetic resonance images. Prominent vascularity of the mass was noted. Finally, the lesion was found to be a ‘typical’ hibernoma on core-needle biopsy. It was surgically resected with a cuff of muscle. He recovered without complication, and there is no clinical evidence of recurrence at 6 months.
Objective:
The objective of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of perioperative prophylactic tranexamic acid for reducing blood loss in orthognathic surgery in healthy patients.
Introduction:
Orthognathic surgery can cause significant hemorrhage, which requires postoperative blood transfusions. The most widely studied pharmaceutical adjunct for reducing blood loss is tranexamic acid, a synthetic amino acid that reversibly inhibits plasminogen activation. It is widely used and validated in other surgical procedures to limit blood loss; however, it is not a gold standard in orthognathic surgery.
Inclusion criteria:
We will include clinical trials comparing tranexamic acid to appropriate controls. The primary outcomes are intraoperative blood loss, change in hematocrit/hemoglobin level, and need for blood transfusion. Secondary outcomes include operating time, length of hospital stay, and adverse reactions. Studies of patients with pre-existing coagulopathies and those undergoing only minor orthognathic surgery (eg, genioplasty) will be excluded.
Methods:
We will search 3 electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) from database inception. Titles, abstracts, and full-text papers will be assessed against the inclusion criteria by 2 independent reviewers. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Data will be extracted by 2 independent reviewers. Meta-analysis will be conducted for all outcomes where appropriate, with weighted mean differences used for intraoperative blood loss, changes in hematocrit/hemoglobin levels, operation time, and length of stay; and risk ratio for transfusion rates and adverse outcomes. Certainty of the evidence will be presented using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.
Systematic review registration number:
PROSPERO CRD42022314403
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