A multi-site service evaluation of silver diamine fluoride use for children

Introduction The use of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is relatively new to the UK. It is unknown how it is being used and for what indications in UK paediatric dental services.Aim To: 1) establish how SDF is being used across different paediatric dental settings in the UK; and 2) consider parental and patient views on the treatment experience and side effect of discolouration.Method A multi-site service evaluation was carried out across six paediatric dentistry units covering hospital and community services. Data were collected prospectively from 17/02/2020 to 02/03/2022. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data.Results Data were collected for 54 patients. The included patients had an age range of 2-13 years, with a mean of 4.9 years. The reason SDF was chosen was reported as: to avoid general anaesthetic (n = 25); to avoid extractions (n = 8); stabilisation (n = 25); acclimatisation (n = 24); and insufficient cooperation for other treatment (n = 17). In total, 42 cases had SDF applied to the primary dentition. This was in the anterior dentition for 18 patients and the posterior dentition for 15, with nine patients having SDF applied both anteriorly and posteriorly. The majority of children and parents were accepting of the technique and immediate aesthetic outcome.Conclusion In the services involved in this multi-site service evaluation, SDF is used for young patients in the primary dentition for the purpose of caries arrest. The technique was viewed positively by the majority of parents and children.

First time and repeat cardioversion of atrial tachyarrhythmias - a comparison of outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Repeat cardioversion may be necessary in over 50% of patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), but identifying responders remains challenging. This study evaluates the long-term success of direct current cardioversion (DCCV) and the clinical and echocardiographical parameters that influence them, in over 1000 sedation-cardioversion procedures undertaken at Eastbourne General Hospital between 1996 and 2006.

METHODS

A total of 770 patients of mean age (SD) 70.1(10.1) underwent 1013 DCCVs (first n = 665, repeat n = 348) for atrial tachyarrhythmias from 1996 to 2006. Time to persistent arrhythmia recurrence was compared between first and multiple DCCV, and the effect of age, gender, presence of heart disease, left atrial size, fractional shortening, arrhythmia duration, anti-arrhythmic drug therapy (AAD) and other concomitant cardiac medication was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's Proportional-hazards model.

RESULTS

In all, 33% of first and 29% of repeat DCCVs were in sinus rhythm (SR) at 12 months (m). There was no difference in median time to arrhythmia recurrence (SE) between first and multiple procedures: 1.5 +/- 0.1 m (1.3-1.7) and 1.5 +/- 0.0 m (1.4-1.6) respectively, p = 0.45. AAD use was significantly higher, arrhythmia duration shorter and more diabetic patients underwent repeat procedures. Amiodarone, OR 0.56, p = 0.04, sotalol, OR 0.61, p = 0.02 and arrhythmia duration, < 6 m, OR 0.72, p = 0.03 were independent predictors of improved outcome in first procedures only. In patients undergoing first procedures on amiodarone or sotalol, median time to arrhythmia recurrence was longer and 12 m SR rates higher, 6.0 +/- 2.4 m (42%) than those who had a repeat procedure on the same medication, 1.5 +/- 0.1 m (33%), p = 0.06.

CONCLUSIONS

The efficacy of first and subsequent DCCV procedures is similar, achieving a similar proportion of SR maintenance at 1 year. However, the benefits of AAD therapy are the greatest following first time procedures. Concomitant AAD therapy should be considered for all first time procedures for persistent AF.

Teicoplanin compared to flucloxacillin for antibiotic treatment of neutropenic patients

Ninety-eight neutropenic patients were randomized to receive piperacillin and gentamicin in combination with either teicoplanin or flucloxacillin. Sixty-seven of these patients, most of whom had myeloma, were given this combination as prophylaxis 5 d after high dose chemotherapy, 35 receiving flucloxacillin and 32 receiving teicoplanin. Of 31 patients with leukaemia who were febrile and neutropenic following induction chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation, 18 received flucloxacillin and 13 received teicoplanin. For those given flucloxacillin, the mean number of days to change of antibiotics was 7.8 in the prophylaxis group and 5.1 in the treatment group. In the teicoplanin arm, the mean number of days to change antibiotics was 6.8 in the prophylaxis group and 6.1 in the treatment group. Two patients in the flucloxacillin arm developed drug rashes. Four patients developed rigors after teicoplanin administration and one asthmatic became wheezy. One patient had a progressive rise in creatinine, but overall the patients having teicoplanin did not have any appreciable increase of renal toxicity compared to the flucloxacillin arm. Blood cultures were positive prior to commencement in the treatment group in nine patients, and during treatment in six patients. Organisms grown were Gram-positive in 14 patients. Teicoplanin appears to be as effective as flucloxacillin when each is used in combination with piperacillin and gentamicin in the treatment of neutropenic patients, with similar rates of toxicity.

Surgical treatment of saphenous varices, with preservation of the main great saphenous trunk

A review of the important steps required in the surgical procedure for treatment of varicose veins suggests a protocol in which all damaged veins are removed by the stab avulsion technique, only veins with incompetent proximal valves are ligated, and the long saphenous vein is never removed unless it is too damaged to use for arterial grafting. With this protocol of selective conservation it is possible to preserve valuable undamaged major leg veins and at the same time treat varicose veins efficiently. A 3-year postoperative review of 171 patients with 295 affected limbs treated in this way was done by independent observers. They found a recurrence rate of only 10.5%. There is evidence to suggest that Doppler testing for proximal valve competence will further improve results in the future.

A conflict in vascular surgery

It is believed that many surgeons, by adopting 'stripping' as the routine surgical treatment of significant varicose veins may be sacrificing many major leg veins which could be potentially valuable arterial grafts. A protocol of surgery is suggested which replaces stripping by the stab-avulsion technique. Thus all varices are removed and distal incompetent perforators controlled. Freed from an inevitable 'high ligation', it enables selective ligation at proximal valves, only when they are incompetent. It is suggested that this protocol treats varices effectively whilst preserving undamaged veins. The results presented show a 3 year recurrence rate of about 10%, but evidence is offered that better results will be obtained, now that Doppler equipment is readily available.

Changes in capillary distribution in rat fast muscles following nerve crush and reinnervation

The recovery of muscle weight and contraction tension was measured in rat anterior tibialis muscle following unilateral crushing of the lateral popliteal nerve. Muscle twitch and tetanic tensions and muscle weight had recovered to control values within 6-8 weeks after the nerve was crushed. Capillary supply to each of the four types of muscle fibre present in the intact muscle, and within the groups of adjacent fibres of similar histochemical reaction for succinate dehydrogenase and myofibrillar actomyosin ATPase found in the reinnervated muscle, was computed by the method of Gray & Renkin (1978). Capillary area density (capillaries/mm2) within the grouped regions of the reinnervated muscle was not significantly different from the supply to the same fibre type in intact contralateral muscles. Capillary/fibre ratio for the more glycolytic fibre types (alpha W, alpha?) was lower than in intact muscle, while the values for both alpha R and beta R oxidative fibres agreed closely with control values. It seems that selective growth and loss of capillaries occurs during reinnervation, adjusting capillary supply to meet the changed metabolic demands of the individual fibres following regrouping.

Doppler testing as an important conservation measure in the treatment of varicose veins

While it is rational to ligate incompetent proximal saphenous valves, when treating varicose veins, it is hard to justify ligation if they are competent. Accurate diagnosis of competence by clinical tests have proved less than satisfactory. Doppler testing, with a simple blood flow indicator, is suggested as a sound basis on which to make decisions regarding 'selective ligations' of incompetent proximal valves.