Ítalo de Macedo Bernardino

Facial trauma as physical violence markers against elderly Brazilians: A comparative analysis between genders

The aim of this study was to characterize the profile of elderly Brazilians with injuries resulting from physical violence and identify victimization differences. A descriptive and exploratory study was conducted involving the analysis of medico-legal and social records of 259 elderly victims of physical violence treated at an Institute of Forensic Medicine and Dentistry over four years (from January 2008 to December 2011). The forensic service database was evaluated by researchers properly trained and calibrated to perform this function between January and March 2013. Socio-demographic variables of victims, aggression characteristics, aggressors profile and types of lesions were evaluated. Descriptive and multivariate statistics using Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) were performed. The prevalence of facial trauma was 42.9%. Based on the MCA results, two groups with different victimization profiles were identified: married men aged 70-79 years, victims of community violence at night, suffering facial injuries; and single, widowed or separated women aged 60-69 years, victims of domestic violence during the day, suffering trauma in other areas of the body. The results suggest that there is a high prevalence of facial injuries among elderly Brazilians victims of physical violence and there are important differences related to victimization characteristics according to gender.

Characteristics of Brazilian Offenders and Victims of Interpersonal Violence: An Exploratory Study

The aim of this study was to characterize the profile of Brazilian offenders and victims of interpersonal violence, following a medicolegal and forensic perspective. A cross-sectional and exploratory study was performed in a Center of Forensic Medicine and Dentistry. The sample was made up of 1,704 victims of nonlethal interpersonal violence with some type of trauma. The victims were subject to forensic examinations by a criminal investigative team that identified and recorded the extent of the injuries. For data collection, a specific form was designed consisting of four parts according to the information provided in the medicolegal and social records: sociodemographic data of the victims, offender’s characteristics, aggression characteristics, and types of injuries. Descriptive and multivariate statistics using cluster analysis (CA) were performed. The two-step cluster method was used to characterize the profile of the victims and offenders. Most of the events occurred during the nighttime (50.9%) and on weekdays (66.3%). Soft tissue injuries were the most prevalent type (94.6%). Based on the CA results, two clusters for the victims and two for the offenders were identified. Victims: Cluster 1 was formed typically by women, aged 30 to 59 years, and married; Cluster 2 was composed of men, aged 20 to 29 years, and unmarried. Offenders: Cluster 1 was characterized by men, who perpetrated violence in a community environment. Cluster 2 was formed by men, who perpetrated violence in the familiar environment. These findings revealed different risk groups with distinct characteristics for both victims and offenders, allowing the planning of targeted measures of care, prevention, and health promotion. This study assesses the profile of violence through morbidity data and significantly contributes to building an integrated system of health surveillance in Brazil, as well as linking police stations, forensic services, and emergency hospitals.

Quality of life related to oral health of patients undergoing hemodialysis and associated factors: QUALITY OF LIFE, ORAL HEALTH AND HEMODIALYSIS

PURPOSE To evaluate quality of life related to oral health (QoLROH) of Brazilians undergoing hemodialysis and to identify associated factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with 226 patients undergoing hemodialysis at two reference medical centers. Participants answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Brazilian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Descriptive and multivariate statistics using Decision Tree Analysis by the Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) algorithm, as well as Ordinal Logistic Regression analyses were performed. RESULTS The Decision Tree revealed that the impact on QoLROH could be explained by age (p = 0.002), tooth pain in the last 6 months (p = 0.026), and region of residence (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that being older, living in rural areas, and reporting tooth pain in the last 6 months may influence the QoLROH of patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Violência interpessoal, circunstâncias das agressões e padrões dos traumas maxilofaciais na região metropolitana de Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brasil (2008-2011)

RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar as circunstâncias das agressoes e os padroes dos traumas maxilofaciais entre vitimas de violencia interpessoal. Tratou-se de um estudo transversal e exploratorio feito a partir da analise de 7.132 registros medico-legais e sociais de vitimas de violencia interpessoal atendidas em um Centro de Medicina Legal e Odontologia Forense. Foi feita estatistica descritiva e multivariada, usando Analise de Correspondencia Multipla. Tres grupos com perfis distintos de vitimizacao foram identificados. O primeiro grupo foi formado majoritariamente por homens, de diferentes faixas etarias, vitimas de violencia comunitaria, resultando em fratura de ossos faciais ou fratura dentoalveolar. O segundo grupo foi composto essencialmente por adolescentes (10-19 anos), de ambos os sexos, vitimas de violencia interpessoal e que nao apresentaram um padrao especifico de trauma. O terceiro grupo reuniu mulheres, adultas (≥ 20 anos), vitimas de violencia domestica, resultando em lesao de tecidos moles da face ou em outras regioes do corpo. Os resultados sugerem que as caracteristicas sociodemograficas e circunstanciais sao fatores importantes na vitimizacao por traumatismo maxilofacial e violencia interpessoal.The aim of this study was to determine the circumstances of aggressions and patterns of maxillofacial injuries among victims of interpersonal violence. This was a cross-sectional and exploratory study conducted from the analysis of 7,132 medical-legal and social records of interpersonal violence victims seen in a Forensic Medicine and Dentistry Center. Descriptive and multivariate statistics were performed using Multiple Correspondence Analysis. Three groups with different victimization profiles were identified. The first group was mainly composed of men of different age groups, victims of community violence that resulted in facial bones or dentoalveolar fracture. The second group was mainly composed of adolescents (10-19 years) of both sexes, victims of interpersonal violence and without specific pattern of injuries. The third group was composed of adult women (≥ 20 years) victims of domestic violence that resulted in injuries of soft tissues of face or other body regions. The results suggest that sociodemographic and circumstantial characteristics are important factors in victimization by maxillofacial injuries and interpersonal violence.

Head and neck cancer, quality of life, and determinant factors: a novel approach using decision tree analysis

OBJECTIVE The goal of the present study was to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients under treatment for head and neck cancer and to identify the associated factors. STUDY DESIGN A cross-sectional study was conducted with 102 patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer at 2 medical centers. Participants answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Brazilian versions of the Medical Outcomes Study 36 (SF-36) and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaires to assess HRQoL and OHRQoL, respectively. Clinical aspects, cancer staging, and treatment approach were also investigated. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed by using decision tree analysis with the Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) algorithm. RESULTS The decision tree revealed that reduced quality of life is associated with the clinical staging (adjusted P value = .035), patients gender (adjusted P value = .028), and treatment approach (adjusted P value = .032). Female patients who are diagnosed with advanced head and neck cancer and undergo radiotherapy or chemotherapy are more likely to exhibit lower rates of quality of life. CONCLUSIONS The results suggested that sociodemographic characteristics, clinical staging, and treatment approach can exert a significant influence on the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer.

Intimate partner violence against women, circumstances of aggressions and oral-maxillofacial traumas: A medical-legal and forensic approach

INTRODUCTION Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem that frequently results in oral-maxillofacial traumas, generating high social and economic costs. The aim of this study was to describe the profile of women victims of IPV and determine the pattern of oral-maxillofacial traumas, according to a medical-legal and forensic perspective. An exploratory study of 1361 suspected cases of women victims of IPV was carried out based on database of an Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Dentistry of Northeastern Brazil during a period of 4 years. Medico-legal and social records of victims were searched for information related to sociodemographic data, circumstances of aggressions and trauma patterns. Descriptive and multivariate statistics and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) were performed. MAIN RESULTS Almost half of victims exhibited some oral-maxillofacial trauma resulting from IPV (45.8%). Lesions affecting more than one third of the face (41.3%), especially in soft tissues (96.1%) were the most common. Based on the MCA results, two distinct victimization profiles (P1 and P2) have been identified. P1 was mainly characterized by women aged less than 28 years, living in the urban area, with higher education and working. They were assaulted using physical force in community settings perpetrated by former partner or ex-boyfriend during the night and weekends, resulting in oral-maxillofacial traumas. P2 was mainly composed of women aged over 28 years, living in the suburban or rural areas, with low schooling and who did not work. They were assaulted by firearm or weapon in their own home, perpetrated by their partner or boyfriend during the day and weekdays, resulting in trauma to other body parts. CONCLUSIONS Oral and maxillofacial traumas are very common among women victims of IPV who searched for medical-legal service. In this context, forensic dentists can play a key role during the diagnostic process and should always work together with medical, biochemical and toxicological experts. The findings of this study may contribute to the formulation of evidence-based policies.

Non-syndromic tooth agenesis patterns and their association with other dental anomalies: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and the factors associated with non-syndromic tooth agenesis, besides identifying its pattern of occurrence. STUDY DESIGN Pre-orthodontic exams of 3400 subjects, aged 8-30 years, were selected from a radiographic center in Brazil. Panoramic and periapical radiographs were analyzed to verify the presence of tooth agenesis and other six dental anomalies. Descriptive statistics were calculated using the Tooth Agenesis Code tool and, to evaluate significant associations, a negative binomial regression model was constructed. Besides, unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated for the bivariate and the multivariate analysis. RESULTS Prevalence of tooth agenesis was 3.0% (n = 68) and 41 different phenotypic patterns were observed. Teeth most often symmetrically missing were maxillary lateral incisors (13.2%) and mandibular second premolars (8.8%). Females (PR = 3.49, CI 95% = 1.96-6.19) presented more tooth agenesis. Other dental anomalies, such as palatal displacement of maxillary canine and infraocclusion of primary molar were significantly more frequent (p < 0.001) in subjects with agenesis. CONCLUSION There was a strong relationship between tooth agenesis and gender and the association with other dental anomalies was significant, with the exception of the supernumerary teeth, which seems to be independent.

MAXILLOFACIAL TRAUMA, ETIOLOGY AND PROFILE OF PATIENTS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the profile of patients with facial trauma admitted in a hospital located in a metropolitan area of Northeast Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional and exploratory study was performed. A total of 244 cases were in agreement with the eligibility criteria. The variables include the sociodemographic characteristics of patients, etiology, type of trauma, treatment modalities, length of stay in a hospital and quarter of care. Descriptive statistics and Cluster Analysis were performed. Results: The average age of patients was 31.16 years (SD = 15.17 years) and average hospitalization was 6.32 days (SD = 7.75 days). It was verified the automatic formation of four clusters with different profiles of patients. The variables which most contributed to the external differentiation between clusters were: length of stay in a hospital (p <0.001), etiology (p <0.001), type of facial trauma (p <0.001), presence of associated trauma (p <0.001), treatment modalities (p <0.001) and quarter of care (p <0.001). Conclusion: The most of patients were men, victims of traffic accidents, which suffered fracture of zygomatic complex and underwent surgery. Level of Evidence III, Retrospective Study.

Violência contra mulheres em diferentes estágios do ciclo de vida no Brasil: um estudo exploratório

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the profile of violence against women in different life cycles, according to the sociodemographic characteristics of the victims and offenders. Methods: A cross-sectional and exploratory study was performed based on 1,388 police reports during a four-year period, in a metropolitan area of Northeast Brazil. The dependent variable was the type of aggression suffered by the victims. The independent variables were sociodemographic characteristics of the victims and offenders. Statistical analysis included the χ2 test (p < 0.05) and the decision tree analysis, through the Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) algorithm. Results: Cases of physical abuse (n = 644) were the most common, followed by threat (n = 415) and verbal aggression (n = 285). The violence profiles could be explained by the relationship between victims and offenders (p < 0.001) and age of the victims (p = 0.026 in Node 1; p = 0.019 in Node 3). Conclusion: It was observed that women in different stages of life are more exposed to different types of violence.

Ground transportation accidents involving two categories of motorcyclists who transport passengers

Objective: The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to analyze the occurrence of ground transportation accidents involving two categories of motorcyclists who transport passengers in a city located in northeastern Brazil: those who work for city hall and those who work for a private transportation firm. Methods: Interviews were held with the aid of a questionnaire administered to a probabilistic sample of 210 individuals (125 from city hall and 85 from the private firm). Results: A high number of motorcyclists in both categories combined (78.6%) suffered traffic accidents in the 12 months prior to the inquiry. Collisions with automobiles constituted the most frequent type of accident (43.6%). Accidents were more associated with motorcyclists working for city hall (p < 0.05), due mainly to the fact that these individuals had been employed for a longer period of time (p < 0.001). The occurrence of bodily injuries was high in both categories (63.6%). Facial injuries were the least frequent in both categories due mainly to the use of protection equipment (98.2%). Conclusion: The occurrence of traffic accidents was high in the two motorcycle passenger transportation categories analyzed, demonstrating that motorcycles are used to transport passengers in a risky manner.