Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns Among Dental Professionals In Massachusetts.

The purposes of this study were to investigate prescribing patterns of antibiotics for the management of common pediatric oral infections, and to and identify the independent predictors of antibiotic preference across different groups of dental practitioners in Massachusetts, USA. A cross-sectional survey assessed antibiotic prescribing practices of general dentists, pediatric dentists, endodontists, and oral surgeons based on a series of clinical scenarios where antibiotic coverage may be warranted. The appropriate therapeutic management of patients with facial cellulitis occurred across all clinical groups.

Serum citrulline as a biomarker of gastrointestinal function during hematopoietic cell transplantation in children.

Objectives: We sought to determine whether serum citrulline (CIT), an amino acid produced by small bowel enterocytes, was associated with clinical and biochemical markers of gastrointestinal function in children undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT).

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, prospective cohort study of 26 children to define time-related changes in serum CIT during the course of HCT. Markers of gastrointestinal function including oral energy intake, emesis, stool volume, presence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), oral mucositis severity, and cytokine and neurohormone levels were measured.

Acquisition of mutans streptococci and caries prevalence in pediatric sickle cell anemia patients receiving long-term antibiotic therapy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to: (1) evaluate the prevalence of mutans streptococci (MS) and dental caries in sickle cell anemia (SCA) patients receiving long-term prophylactic penicillin therapy; and (2) determine changes in MS colonization and dental caries upon discontinuing the antibiotic.

Methods: Sixty subjects with SCA and 60 age- and race-matched control subjects participated in this study. The SCA subjects were divided into 2 separate age groups: (1) group 1 subjects were under 6 years of age and received penicillin twice a day; and (2) group 2 subjects were 6 to 12 years old and received no daily prophylactic antibiotics, although up to age 6 they had received daily penicillin before it was discontinued.

Proximal segment displacement in mandibular distraction osteogenesis.

Distraction osteogenesis has been advocated for treatment of the mandibular deformity in patients with hemifacial microsomia (HFM). During the active phase, the force of distraction pushes the distal segment of the mandible down, creating a distraction gap. Because of the abnormal temporomandibular joint anatomy in HFM patients, the proximal segment may not seat in the glenoid fossa and thus may be displaced with distraction.