Lorena Marques da Nóbrega

Characterization of victims of aggression and transportation accidents treated at the Forensic Medicine and Dentistry Institute - Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil - 2010

The objective of this cross-sectional census study was to characterize agression and land-based transport accidents in a city in the Northeast of Brazil. Data was analyzed from live victims who were treated at a forensic service (N = 2.379). In the descriptive analysis, the majority of events were represented by aggression (71.6%); which occurred on weekdays (65%), with 35.1% at night. Trauma occurred to the whole body (63.6%) and to soft tissue (74.2%). On the basis of multiple correspondence analysis, two dimensions were formed: the first dimension (internal reliability = 0.654) was formed by the cause of the event, the trauma and the age group and the second dimension (reliability = 0.514), by age group, occupation and civil status. Three groups with distinct profiles were formed for accidents and aggression: young women who suffered aggression, with trauma to the face and soft tissues during the evening and at weekends; adult men who suffered car accidents, in the morning and on work days; and retired elderly widowers, who were run over.

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.

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.

Tomada de decisão de estudantes frente a um case scenario de Endodontia

This cross-sectional study evaluates the decision-making process of students in the 4th and 5th years of the Dentistry course of a public university in the Northeast region, facing a case scenario of Endodontics. The sample consisted of 80 students, who, in view of the described scenario and radiographic image presented, answered a questionnaire about the probable reason for rarefaction, clinical conduct and decision making. For data analysis, absolute distributions, uni, and bivariate percentages were obtained. The majority of respondents were female (55.0%). Analyzing the probable cause of periapical rarefaction, 43.8% of respondents believe that it is due to the apical limit of obturation. Anamnesis, clinical examination, and radiography were mentioned by 95% of the students as the means indicated for the treatment decision-making in the case presented. The majority (60%) decided for endodontic retreatment using intracanal medication. It is concluded that the students consider the undesirable apical limit of obturation as a reason for apical rarefaction; that anamnesis, clinical examination, radiographic examination are indicated for decision making and have chosen endodontic retreatment. The students of the 5th year, with more clinical experience than those of the 4th, presented a more conservative therapeutic decision.

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.

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.

Formação e perspectiva do mercado de trabalho sob o olhar de alunos de odontologia

Objective: To identify the socioeconomic profile of undergraduate dental students of a public Dental School at the State of Paraiba, Brazil and their expecta...