Design Cross-sectional study. Sample selection This study included 921 children (471 male, 450 female) due to receive either routine dental care involving aerosol generating procedures or comprehensive dental care under general anaesthetic. Data was collected at a paediatric dental clinic associated with the University of Illinois, Chicago. Patients were screened by a telephone questionnaire assessing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Asymptomatic patients and those with no known disease exposure went on to receive a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen for COVID-19. Those displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or who had potentially been exposed to the virus or disease were not included in this study and were referred for onwards medical advice. Data analysis Electronic dental records were accessed to retrieve patient demographics, insurance type, dental diagnosis and past medical history. The percentage of positive SARS-CoV-2 test results was calculated for each category. Positive and negative test results were compared appropriately for both categorical and continuous variables, with significance reached when p <0.05. SPSS version 27 was used for statistical analysis. ResultsThis study found the positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 to be 2.3% (21/921) in asymptomatic dental patients aged under 18 years. Age, insurance type, medical history and dental diagnosis were comparable in both positive and negative test result groups. The Hispanic/Latinx population had a higher percentage (3.1%) of positive tests than other groups. More male patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (13 male, 8 female), but this was not statistically significant.Conclusions RT-PCR testing identified children carrying SARS-CoV-2 who had been cleared to attend an appointment following a screening questionnaire.
Highlights Raise awareness of pseudoaneurysms as an uncommon but important differential diagnosis for masses in the head and neck region. Highlight the importance of excluding pseudoaneurysm prior to diagnosing a simple post traumatic haematoma. Discuss treatment strategies for superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysms.
Radiation caries describes the rapid onset and progression of dental caries in patients who have received radiotherapy to the head and neck. The combination of salivary gland damage resulting in hyposalivation and a cariogenic diet can have catastrophic consequences with a considerable impact on the quality of life of individuals. Caries risk must be managed at all stages of the patient's head and neck cancer journey from the pre-assessment to their lifelong maintenance. This paper provides an overview of the aetiology, presentation and management of radiation caries demonstrated with clinical cases. CPD/Clinical Relevance: With the increasing incidence of head and neck cancer, clinicians should be aware of the significance of radiation caries, understand its specialist management and be able to contribute to the patient's long-term management.
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.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.