Management of patients with sickle cell disease in oral surgery. Literature review and update

Malnutrition in sickle cell anemia: Prevalence, impact, and interventions: A Review

Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) is a hereditary hemoglobinopathy characterized by chronic hemolytic anemia, vaso-occlusive events, and a wide range of clinical complications. Malnutrition, often an underexplored aspect of this complex condition, plays a critical role in disease management and overall patient well-being. This publication provides a comprehensive review of the prevalence, impact, and interventions related to malnutrition in individuals with SCA. A thorough literature review reveals the multifaceted challenges faced by SCA patients in maintaining adequate nutrition. The pathophysiology of SCA, involving chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and hypermetabolism, contributes to increased nutritional requirements and altered dietary patterns. Factors such as reduced appetite, nutrient malabsorption, dietary restrictions, and socioeconomic disparities further exacerbate the risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition is a prevalent issue among individuals with SCA, affecting patients of different age groups and disease severities. Nutritional deficiencies, including vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients, are common in this population. The impact of malnutrition on disease outcomes is significant, with associations between nutrient status and complications such as pain crises, infections, and impaired quality of life. This paper also reviews nutritional interventions aimed at addressing malnutrition in SCA patients. While dietary counseling, supplementation, and personalized nutrition plans have shown promise in improving nutritional status, challenges such as patient adherence and access to healthcare must be addressed to optimize their effectiveness.

Predictors of dental complications post-dental treatment in patients with sickle cell disease

Objective

Our aim was to explore potential medical or dental indicators associated with dental complications and the utilization of emergency services in sickle cell disease (SCD), especially that clinical reports on adverse outcomes post‐dental treatment are scarce.

Materials and methods

A retrospective analysis of dental treatments of 47 eligible adults with confirmed SCD between May 2016 and October 2019. Logistic regression analysis was used whether clinical outcomes, course of dental treatment, and regularity of dental care are associated with dental complications after dental procedures and/or resulted in emergency care or hospital admissions.

Results

We identified a new, statistically significant association (p‐value = .01) between the number of prescription medications taken and complications (10%) after dental procedures. The most frequent dental procedures were tooth extractions (36%) and pain management (28%) during a non‐scheduled dental encounter (68%). The majority of cases did not participate in regular recall exams and periodical oral hygiene maintenance.

Conclusions

A higher number of prescription medications was associated with an increased risk of post‐dental complications in SCD patients. A thorough medical history, including a list of prescribed medications, and collaboration with the patient medical team are important to assess the risk of complications post‐dental procedures and the need for antibiotic prophylaxis according to the case complexity.

Evidence-based dental management in the new era of sickle cell disease: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an emerging global health issue with rapid progress in therapy especially since 2017. However, systematic reviews found no clinical trials on dental treatment of SCD.

TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED

Using a scoping review approach, the authors examined citations from 13 national SCD guidelines and 10 books spanning 4 decades. The authors also searched the following databases: PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, ScienceDirect, Scientific Electronic Library Online, and GoogleScholar. Eligibility criteria included SCD, oral health care and dental treatment, related to oral and systemic health, original data, or observations.

RESULTS

Systemic treatment of SCD might have opposing effects on caries, perhaps explaining the conflicting results published. Malocclusion correlates with marrow expansion. Other unusual orofacial findings reflect ischemia. Of 86 full-text articles examined, only 1, a Brazilian esthetic dentistry study, was a randomized clinical trial. No disease-specific data were found on risk of developing bacterial endocarditis, safety of inhaled nitrous oxide, safety of epinephrine with local anesthetic, or the benefit of comprehensive oral health care.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

In SCD, oral health and systemic health could be strongly linked. Penicillin, vaccines, and hydroxyurea might impact caries and bone. The interaction of SCD treatments and oral health merit study.

Perioperative care of children with sickle cell disease: A systematic review and clinical recommendations

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) require specific perioperative care, and clinical practice in this area remains poorly defined. We aimed to conduct a systematic, PRISMA-based review of the literature, available clinical guidelines and practice recommendations. We also aimed to extract any valuable information for the "best of available-evidence"-based prevention of perioperative adverse events in children with SCD, and highlight the most urgent priorities in clinical research. As data sources, US National Library of Medicine, Medline, National Guideline Clearinghouse, International Guideline Network, TRIP databases were searched for any content until January 2019. We also included institutional, consortia and expert group guidelines. Included were reports/guidelines in English, French, German, and Italian. Excluded were reports on obstetrical and fetal management. We identified 202 reports/guidelines fulfilling the criteria outlined above. A majority focused on visceral, cardiovascular and orthopedic surgery procedures, and only five were multicenter randomized controlled trials and two prospective randomized studies. After grading of the quality of the evidence, the extracted data was summarized into clinical recommendations for daily practice. Additionally, we designed a risk-grading algorithm to identify contexts likely to be associated with adverse outcomes. In conclusion, we provide a systematic PRISMA-based review of the existing literature and ancillary practice and delineate a set of clinical recommendations and priorities for research.