Category Archives: AMM 2012, Volume 58, Number 5

Quality of Life in Cervical Cancer Survivors

Boicea Ancuța1, Nemes R2, Scurtu S2, Shencker M4, Iliescu D3

1 Department of Ocupational Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova
2 Department of General Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova
3 Department of Gynecology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova
4 Department of Oncology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a public health problem, in Romania 5 women die every day and 8 are diagnosed each day with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer survivors experience a complexity of problems – physical, psychological and sexual-related to the consequences of disease and treatment. Quality of life in cervical cancer patients, as in all cancer diagnosed patients as well, depends on multiple variables. Aim: to determine the emotional and social impact of cervical cancer diagnoses and cancer-related quality of life.
Material and method: study was made over one year, between 2010 and 2011, on 50 patients who accepted to enter in our study, within a 3 year interval from diagnose to actual study.
Results: 60% presented anxiety and 80% distress. Weakness, fatigue was present in about 25% of patients. Sexual life was affected in 40% from cases.
Conclusion: quality of life in cervical cancer patients, as in all cancer diagnosed patients as well, depends on multiple variables; treatment present many side-effects and capacity to work can be affected as well.

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Clinical Study on the Prevalence of Tooth Decay in a Group of Children in First Year at Elementary School in Tîrgu Mureș

Bereşescu Liana1, Păcurar Mariana2, Petcu Blanka1, Kovács Mónika3

1 Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
2 Department of Pedodontics-Orthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
3 Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of caries in a group of 7 year-old schoolchildren.
Methods: We carried out a survey on a group of 385 children, all pupils in first year at elementary school in Tîrgu Mureş. For the assessment of dental health we used the DMF index: DMF for permanent teeth, and dmf for temporary teeth.
Results: The average value of dmf index was 4.81 (SD 2.82) and the average value of DMF index was 0.92 (SD 1.05).
Conclusions: This study shows that in Tîrgu Mureș the actual level and pattern of dental caries development is extremely severe and there is an urgent need to improve and provide oral health through a preventive program.

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Smoking Related Habits and Attitudes of Dental Students

Benedek (Bukhari) Csilla1, Kerekes-Máthé Bernadette2, Borș Andreea2, Kovács Mónika1, Pop M1, Fazakas Zita3, Székely Melinda2

1 Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
2 Department of Morphology of Teeth and Dental Arches, Technology of Dental Prosthesis and Dental Materials, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
3 Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania

Objective: It has been established that smoking causes four million deaths each year worldwide. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the students’ smoking habits and their attitude towards smoking cessation.
Methods: The survey conducted in 2011 was based on a questionnaire filled in anonymously by dental students from each year of study at the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Tîrgu Mureș. Six-hundred ninety-two students (454 female, 238 male) aged 18 to 30+ years were questioned. The statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney test.
Results: 35.25% of the participants were smoking. Statistically significant differences could not be observed in gender distribution of the smokers group (p=0.728). The majority of subjects were smoking less than one cigarette/day, however significant differences were found in student’s smoking habits (p=0.006). 38.11% of the smokers have already tried to quit smoking more than five times without success and 32.37% never tried to quit smoking in the last year. 94% of the participants agreed that both the active and the passive smoking is harmful for the general health. The dental students explained very rarely the risks of tobacco smoking to their smoking patients: 30.78% ignored it and 15.17% of students did not respond this question.
Conclusions: The prevalence of smoking was high in the surveyed students, however the majority of the smokers had tried to quit smoking. The results call for relevant educational measures for smoking prevention and cessation.

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The Show Goes On

Copotoiu Sanda-Maria

Editor-in-chief

The pick of the last two months focuses on an anesthesia related article, to put it better, on a perioperative intensive care approach. The article published by Manolescu Rely et al investigates the possible myocardial protection due to sevoflurane anesthesia delivered to cardiac patients submitted to non-cardiac, that is to elective abdominal surgery [1]. They assessed cardiac patients using the Lee’s cardiac score. All the patients scored in excess of 3 points. An impressive number of markers were monitored immediately following intubation, but before actually performing the incision: cardiac biomarkers – troponin I, the precursor of the brain natriuretic peptide – proBNP, and the myocardial creatine kinase – CKMB. A panel of inflammatory markers was concomitantly followed: the high sensitive C-reactive protein CRP, the fibrinogen – FBG and interleukin 6 – IL 6. There were five times sampling points including at 24 and 48 hours post surgery for all the markers. Two groups of patients were anaesthetized either with sevoflurane or with total intravenous targeted to propofol serum concentration anesthesia, TIVA-TCI. The patients were carefully assessed preoperatively and invasively monitored during and following surgery. The variations due to different surgical or anesthesia teams were excluded since the same team was involved with all the patients. [More]

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Obesity and Calcium Oxalate Renal Stones

Nicola Th1, Dobreanu Minodora2, Buda Brîndușa3, Oșan V4, Gliga Florina3, Satan Edit1

1 Department of Laboratory Medicine, County Emergency Clinical Hospital, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
2 Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
3 Department of Pathophysiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
4 Department of Urology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Introduction: Kidney stones are a major cause of morbidity. The lifetime prevalence of symptomatic renal stones is approximately 10% in men and 5% in women. The rate of backsliding for calcium oxalate stones is 10% in one year, 30% in 5 years and 50% in 10 years. Urine pH is one of the important factors for urinary stone formation.
Material and methods: We studied 283 renal stone formers (131 men, 152 female), divided according to their BMI (body mass index) in normal body weight (BMI <25 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 25–30 kg/m2) and obese (BMI >30 kg/m2).
Results: Urine pH is inversely related to BMI among patients with urolithiasis (higher BMI will have lower urine pH). The mean urine pH of the normal body weight, overweight, and obese groups was 6.1, 5.5 and respectively 5.7 (p <0.0001).
Conclusions: Obesity is associated with both hypercalciuria and with proteinuria, demonstrated factors in the etiology of urolithiasis, and urinary pH is inversely related to BMI in patients with urinary stones.

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