Oral health status of hospitalised patients with mental disorders: Systematic review of the literature

According to the literature, hospitalised patients with mental disorders have a higher risk of developing cavities and periodontal disease than the general population, associated with the motor difficulty to perform adequate oral hygiene, to the adverse effects caused by drugs for the control of psychiatric symptoms, as well as the lack of oral care and clinical care. The aim was to carry out a systematic review of the literature on the oral health status of hospitalised patients with mental disorders (MD). A systematic search of the literature was carried out in PubMed, according to the PRISMA statement methodology, through the MeSh health descriptors "Dental Caries" and "Mental Disorders" in February 2017. According to the different filters that were applied, 14 articles describing the oral health status were obtained-through the DMF-T index (teeth with cavities, teeth with restorations, missing teeth and teeth with necessary extraction)-of hospitalised patients with MD. The recognition of the importance of oral health by health professionals, carers and family members should be promoted; the oral cavity should be explored to determine the state of health in addition to instructing patients and support personnel in oral hygiene; mental health institutions should establish an intervention programme to eliminate oral infectious sites and then implement a multidisciplinary preventive programme to maintain oral health according to the MD diagnosis.

Oral Health Status of Hospitalised Patients with Mental Disorders: Systematic Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

According to the literature, hospitalised patients with mental disorders have a higher risk of developing cavities and periodontal disease than the general population, associated with the motor difficulty to perform adequate oral hygiene, to the adverse effects caused by drugs for the control of psychiatric symptoms, as well as the lack of oral care and clinical care.

AIM

To carry out a systematic review of the literature on the oral health status of hospitalised patients with mental disorders (MD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search of the literature was carried out in PubMed, according to the PRISMA statement methodology, through the MeSh health descriptors "Dental Caries" and "Mental Disorders" in February 2017 RESULTS: According to the different filters that were applied, 14 articles describing the oral health status were obtained - through the DMF-T index (teeth with cavities, teeth with restorations, missing teeth and teeth with necessary extraction)- of hospitalised patients with MD.

CONCLUSIONS

The recognition of the importance of oral health by health professionals, carers and family members should be promoted; the oral cavity should be explored to determine the state of health in addition to instructing patients and support personnel in oral hygiene; mental health institutions should establish an intervention programme to eliminate oral infectious sites and then implement a multidisciplinary preventive programme to maintain oral health according to the MD diagnosis.

Birth defects surveillance: experiences in Argentina and Colombia

Birth defects (BDs) are structural or functional anomalies, sporadic or hereditary, of prenatal origin. Public health surveillance is defined as the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of outcome-specific data for use in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. BD surveillance systems may have different characteristics according to design, coverage, type of surveillance, case ascertainment, case definition, BD description, maximum age of diagnosis, pregnancy outcomes, coding systems, and the location of the coding process (central or local). The aim of this article is to describe and compare methodology, applications, and results of birth defect surveillance systems in two South-American countries: Colombia and Argentina. In both countries, the surveillance systems developed activities in relation to the Zika virus emergency. For most BDs, a statistically significant higher prevalence is observed in Argentina-RENAC than in Colombian registries. This may be due to methodological reasons or real differences in prevalence. The strengths, weaknesses, and the future perspectives of the Argentine and Colombian systems are presented. When developing a surveillance system, the objectives, the available resources, and previous experiences in similar contexts must be taken into account. In that sense, the experience of Argentina and Colombia can be useful for others when developing a birth defect surveillance system.