Background:The use of jargon has become very common in the healthcare field, especially in medical/dental records. Although the use of standard medical jargon can be seen as professional, efficient shorthand, a lack of awareness regarding the standard medical abbreviations and incessant and overzealous use of slang among the healthcare professionals can act as a barrier to effective communication and understanding among patients and peers. The aim of this study was to assess the acceptance and use of jargon in case history taking among clinical dental students and dental teaching faculty members of dental colleges in Ernakulam and Idukki districts of Kerala.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out, consisting of 15 questions, to assess the objectives of the study. The study was conducted among clinical dental undergraduate students, house surgeons, postgraduate students and teaching faculty members of five dental colleges in Ernakulam and Idukki districts, Kerala. The results were expressed as a number and percentage of response for each question and Chi-squared test was used for inferential statistical analysis.Results:All the 549 respondents used jargon in case history taking. Approximately 22.4% of the respondents admitted that they always used jargon and 55.8% admitted of using jargon only when there was a lack of time. The majority of the respondents (71.4%) learned the jargon from their colleagues. Approximately 50% of the respondents admitted use of jargon in a history section and about 32% of the respondents in all the sections of case history taking. Approximately 74% were of the opinion that abbreviations should be permitted in case history taking.Conclusion:This study showed widespread use of jargon/abbreviations in case history taking among the respondents. There is a lack of knowledge regarding standard medical abbreviations. Although the majority of the respondents were comfortable with the use of jargon, the majority of the postgraduates and faculty members felt the use of jargon should be stopped.
Background: Chengannur, a town in the south Indian state of Kerala, was 1 of the worst affected towns during the floods of 2018. Post-flood, Kerala state was under the threat of many infectious diseases including leptospirosis, but did not report any leptospirosis infections. Objectives: This study was conducted with the following objectives: (1) Assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding the prevention of leptospirosis among the flood affected population and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) of Chengannur; and (2) Analyze the factors responsible for and contributing to leptospirosis control in the area post flood. Methodology: A cross-sectional questionnaire based observational study was conducted among 2 groups: the flood affected population, and ASHA. The questionnaire was divided into 3 parts. Part A contained the socio-demographic information. Part B contained questions on assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding the prevention, and control of leptospirosis. Part C was only for the ASHA involved. Results: The final sample size was 331 (244 from the general population and 87 ASHAs). With respect to knowledge, attitude, and practice, the responses were dichotomized into correct and wrong responses. The mean knowledge score was 9.01 ± 1.08 (maximum score of 10), mean attitude score was of 3.61 ± 0.55 (maximum score of 4) and the mean practice score was 4.12 ± 1.05 (maximum score of 5). Conclusion: Knowledge and attitude scores did not significantly differ between the general population and ASHA, but the practice score showed a higher score among the ASHA, all of which could have probably contributed to the prevention of a leptospirosis outbreak in the region.
Objectives: The medical officers play a major role in certification of death. In the year 2014, the Dental Council of India revised the Dentist’s (Code of Ethics) Regulation that enables a dentist to issue a death certificate if a patient dies during procedure. This survey was undertaken to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding clinical diagnosis and certification of death by clinical dental student, dental house surgeons, postgraduate students, and dental faculty. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out in two dental colleges in central Kerala. A prefabricated validity tested questionnaire consisting of 16 questions assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice was used for the study. Results were expressed as number and percentage of respondents for each question and were analyzed using the SPSS Version 17 software. Chi-square test was used for inferential analysis. Results: The total sample size was 329. About 53% knew that dentists could certify death, of whom 9% knew that was the only circumstance for a dentist to certify death. About 13% of the respondents knew the criteria of clinical diagnosis as outlined by the WHO criteria. About 92% opined that there is a need for dentists to be trained on this topic. Only 20% felt that the present undergraduate curriculum is competent enough to enable dentist to certify death. Conclusion: The study reveals the lack of knowledge among the dental fraternity regarding the clinical diagnosis and certification of death. With dental undergraduate curriculum competent enough to provide the dentists with knowledge regarding its allied aspects, incorporation of the same in the present curriculum could play a significant role in enabling dentists to clinically diagnose and certify death.
Background: Drinking fluoride-contaminated water is a severe health hazard problem. Fluorosis -both skeletal and dental- is an important clinical and public health problem in about 24 countries including India. The best method to overcome the problem of excess fluoride in drinking water is defluoridation. Adsorption methods are simple, economical, and globally pursued techniques. Thirst-quenching herbal products locally called ‘Dahashamini’ are plant parts that are used during boiling drinking water. Possessing a defluoridation potential is an added benefit. Methods: Two grams of each of dried and ground Zingiber officinale, Elettaria cardamomum, Eugenia caryophyllus, Coriandrum sativum, Acacia catechu, Caesalpinia sapans, Vetiveria zizanioides, Cuminum cyminum, and Hemidesmus indicus, were added to 100 millilitres of fluoridated water of baseline concentrations of 5 and 10 ppm, boiled till its boiling point, and cooled. The samples were then filtered and analyzed for fluoride content using fluoride ion specific electrode method. Statistical analysis was done using one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s post hoc test for pair-wise comparison. Results: Caesalpinia sapans, Vetiveria zizanioides, Acacia catechu, Eugenia caryophyllus, and Coriandrum sativum, had a significant ability to adsorb fluoride from fluoridated water, with an efficiency ranging from 12% to 56% (at a baseline concentration of 10 ppm) and 19% to 82% (at a baseline concentration of 5 ppm). Conclusion: The study indicates the possibility of the use of five ingredients in developing a cost-effective and acceptable method of defluoridation based on the adsorption method.
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