Greenville, SC (PRWEB)--AidJoy is assisting in the donation of 20,000 toothbrushes that will be delivered to children in need in the Peruvian side of the Amazon rainforest. The generous gift, donated by the ADEC Group, will help improve the lives of children in remote villages of Peru. AidJoy is seeking a shipping partner to transport the brushes from Greenville, SC to Miami, FL.

For most of us, a toothbrush is a pretty simple necessity. "We take them for granted, but elsewhere around the world, it can be life changing,” says Jonathan Shanin, founder and Executive Director of AidJoy, a Greenville, South Carolina based non-profit group.

One of the primary health problems for children in this remote region of Peru is the lack of basic dental care. "Most people only earn $300 or $400 a year to take care of their whole family," says Shanin, "Spending $2 or $3 on a toothbrush is a considerable expense."

When a cavity goes untreated, the decay eats into the center of the tooth, and eventually enters the nerves and blood vessels. From that point, bacteria can move into the bloodstream and travel throughout the body. By gaining access to basic dental care, like a toothbrush, these children can drastically reduce their chances for severe dental disease and potentially life-threatening infections.

To help prevent such illness, AidJoy is searching for a partner to transport these 20,000 toothbrushes to Miami, their waypoint before moving on to Peru. The 114 boxes of toothbrushes are contained on two pallets, and ready to be shipped. If you or your firm can assist us in getting these simple, but potentially life-saving items, into the hands of children in need, please contact (864) 246-8123 or help(at)aidjoy(dot)org.

For more information about the donation of the toothbrushes, please view the CBS news report on the story: https://vimeo.com/aidjoy/toothbrushes.

About AidJoy:

AidJoy, a U.S. based non-profit, helps charities with the tools and training they need to achieve their long-term vision. We are devoted to making lasting changes and that takes time; our programs typically last 18 to 22 months. AidJoy's expertise is applied to a select group of unsung charities fighting to solve one of the world's dire problems. The net effect alleviates suffering, and saves lives in your community and abroad.

(PR Web)--Being at the peak of the summer weather, parents and children often take advantage of the warm season by enjoying more recreational sports and outdoor activities, which can increase injury potential for the teeth and mouth. For safe oral health all year long, and especially during this season, CDA is offering helpful tips to avoid oral injuries and dental emergencies.

While enjoying popular summer activities like swimming, biking or playing soccer, and to prevent dental accidents — including teeth that have been knocked out, broken or forced out of position — CDA suggests wearing a mouthguard.

“Accidents happen. But there are a number of things you can do to help prevent them. Wearing a mouthguard is a great example,” said CDA President Lindsey Robinson, DDS, a pediatric dentist.

If a dental emergency does occur, CDA suggests the following tips for the best possible outcome.

If a tooth is knocked out, attempt to find the tooth and immediately call your dentist for an emergency appointment. Handle the tooth gently and, being careful not to damage the surface of the root, place the tooth in a Save-A-Tooth kit or immerse in milk for transport to the dentist.

“If a tooth is knocked out, do not try placing the tooth back into the socket. This could cause more damage to the injury,” Robinson said. “If it’s within about 30 minutes of the injury, it may be possible to re-implant the tooth. And knowing what to do in a dental emergency can be the difference between losing a tooth and being able to save it.”

Should a tooth be pushed out of place, reposition it to its normal alignment with very light finger pressure, do not force the tooth into the socket. Instead, hold the tooth in place with a moist tissue or gauze and get to your dentist as quickly as possible.

For a broken or fractured tooth, rinse the area with warm water and use cold compresses on the injury to keep any swelling down.

“Treatment for a fractured tooth will depend on the severity of the fracture,” said Robinson. “Regardless of the damage, you should consult your dentist as soon as possible to determine appropriate treatment.”

If there’s an injury to the soft tissues of the mouth, including the cheek, lips or tongue, clean the wound right away and get to the emergency room for necessary suturing and wound repair. Bleeding from a tongue laceration can be reduced by pulling the tongue forward and using gauze to place pressure on the wound area.

Keep teeth healthy throughout the year by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste for two minutes, twice a day, avoiding sugary drinks like soda, flossing daily and visiting a dentist for a complete dental checkup on a regular basis.

About the California Dental Association

The California Dental Association is the non-profit organization representing organized dentistry in California. Founded in 1870, CDA is committed to the success of our members in service to their patients and the public. CDA also contributes to the oral health of Californians through various comprehensive programs and advocacy. CDA’s membership consists of more than 25,000 dentists, making it the largest constituent of the American Dental Association. For more information, visit cda.org.  

Washington, DC, -- A moderate increase in vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at one hospital can lead to a nearly 3 percent increase in VRE in every other hospital in that county, according to a study in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

VRE is one of the most common bacteria that cause infections in healthcare facilities.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC), University of Pittsburgh, and University of California, Irvine created the Regional Healthcare Ecosystem Analyst (RHEA), a mathematical and computational model, to track the movement between hospitals of VRE-colonized patients (patients carrying the organism but not yet infected) over the course of a year in Orange County, Calif. Using this model, they were able to assess how increases or decreases in one hospital's VRE affected neighboring hospitals.

Not only did the investigators find that a moderate increase in VRE at any one hospital caused an average 2.8 percent increase throughout the county (range: 0 percent to 61 percent), they also discovered that hospitals in the most populated area of the county had an even greater likelihood of spreading VRE throughout the network. Additional modeling identified a potential for "free-riders"—hospitals that will experience decreases in VRE incidence due to other hospitals' infection control efforts without initiating any infection prevention measures of their own.

The study points to the underutilization of patient-sharing data between regional hospitals, the importance of inter-hospital communication and collaboration in decreasing VRE rates, and the scope of variables that must be considered in analyzing the outcome of any one infection prevention initiative.

"Our study demonstrates how extensive patient sharing among different hospitals in a single region substantially influences VRE burden in those hospitals," states Bruce Y. Lee, MD, MBA, lead author and Associate Professor of International Health and Director of Operations Research, International Vaccine Access Center, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Lowering barriers to cooperation and collaboration among hospitals, for example, developing regional control programs, coordinating VRE control campaigns, and performing regional research studies, could favorably influence regional VRE prevalence."

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci are resistant to vancomycin, the drug often used to treat serious infections for which other medicines may not work. VRE can live in the human intestines and female genital tract without causing disease. However, sometimes they can cause infections of the urinary tract, the bloodstream, or of wounds associated with catheters or surgical procedures. There are an estimated 20-85,000 cases of VRE each year in U.S. hospitals. 

The American Association of Dental Office Managers presents a free webinar entitled "Ten Winning Ways to Wow Your Boss - and Accelerate Your Career." In a thriving dental practice, it’s easy to get caught up in your multitude of tasks and overlook some of the valuable best practices that can make a huge difference. Your doctor depends on you to be fuel that keeps the office engine running. To wow your boss and get ahead, you have to do the unexpected — not just what’s expected of you. Join Dentrix Office Manager Dayna Johnson for an interactive session highlighting ten ways to impress the boss, gain the respect of your team and accelerate your career in the process. Register today – one lucky attendee will win an iPad mini. The course, which is at 1 pm EST on July 31, is approved for 1 CE credit toward the AADOM's Fellowship Program.  For information, click here.

(HealthDay News) -- Young women who are vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) not only protect themselves from cervical cancer, but from throat cancer as well, a new study suggests.

Read full report here. 

ANNAPOLIS, MD—July 25, 2013— As the world braces to understand the impact of emerging infectious diseases, the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) is developing instructional tools to ensure the dental community is equipped to respond to these threats.

A leader in infection control and patient and provider safety, OSAP has created free web-based toolkits available for download at www.OSAP.org. These toolkits provide targeted and resource-rich education for the dental field, designed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

“OSAP is positioned to create rapid-response dental resources in this new era of outbreaks, infection breaches and emerging diseases,” said Therese Long, OSAP executive director. “These free toolkits on our website are just another example of this rapid-response, and showcase the most up-to-date and relevant information to ensure the dental community is prepared.”

The new toolkits offer materials on Avian Influenza A (H7N9), Novel Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The user-friendly toolkits draw on OSAP’s vast resources across the scientific, governmental and practitioner communities to provide best practices for the safe and infection-free delivery of oral healthcare. 

To access the new toolkits, visit www.OSAP.org under Knowledge Center and Emerging Diseases. The Knowledge Center also contains a members-only area where OSAP members can click on the latest infection control trends, practice tips, an extensive collection of Infection Control in Practice newsletters for download, a library of microsites on infection control and safety issues and more. Additionally, OSAP offers a complete line of infection control and safety training products including videos, workbooks and other courseware for dental practices and educational programs.

OSAP Board member, Karen Gregory, RN, will present on OSAP's behalf at a lecture entitled "Common Barriers to Infection Prevention" on Saturday, November 2 from 1 pm to 4 pm at the American Dental Assistants Association program held in conjunction with the American Dental Association Annual Session.   While definite standards are outlined for infection control practices, there seems to be at times a "that is the way we have always done it" response. This interactive session will include discussion around common misconceptions of appropriate infection control as well as patient safety standards. Check the ADAA/ADA websites for additional details.

In 2000, Oral Health America made a commitment to America's Promise Alliance to seal 1 million teeth by 2010. OHA achieved that goal. 

To continue to reach more children across the country with needed oral health care and education, OHA aims to seal 2 million teeth for 500,000 children by 2020. Please let OHA know that it can count on you to help it achieve this ambitious new goal. Click here to donate now and participate in OHA's Seal Two Million campaign.

Using an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to automate the immunization data shared between health providers and public health agencies enables physicians to assist individual patients faster and more effectively, while also providing more immediate, cohesive community data to the agencies tasked with promoting public health.

Those are the findings of a new study conducted by researchers from Columbia University School of Nursing and partner institutions. The researchers also found that automated reporting reduced the lag time historically associated with data submitted on vaccinations and, in some cases, reduced the paperwork and staff time traditionally devoted to managing these required submissions. In short, a robust records automation program increased knowledge about both individuals and communities, allowing medical and public health officials at all levels to make more informed decisions.

"The efficiency offered by automation has significant implications for managing public health, whether it is by informing a local physician on the health of an individual or informing policymakers on health trends within a whole community," said lead researcher and CU Nursing professor Jacqueline Merrill, RN, MPH, DNSc. "For example, EHRs greatly enhance our ability to help at-risk populations for whom up-to-date immunizations are critical, such as children, immunosuppressed individuals, or the chronically ill. Before automated registries, reporting was less structured and data submittal was less consistent."

Currently, health officials in the U.S. recommend that the public be immunized against 17 vaccine-preventable diseases. However, tracking vaccinations is difficult, especially among underserved populations whose care is often managed by multiple providers. Various state and local health agencies set up immunization registries to consolidate scattered patient records and thus reduce unnecessary vaccinations; however, registries frequently report slow and incomplete data submission by health providers, who in many areas still submit information via paper files. Automated reports via EHRs provide readily available immunization histories and thus can help officials and providers determine which patients have been adequately immunized. Registries also track and provide the basis for decisions on vaccine formulations, vaccine supplies and delivery schedules.

The study analyzed 1.7 million records submitted by 217 primary care practices to the NY Citywide Immunizations Registry between January 2007 and June 2011 – both before and after the launch of automated reporting via an EHR. The study examined differences in records submitted by day, by lag time, and by documentation of eligibility for subsidized vaccines.

Among the findings: although mean submissions per day did not change, the patterns of submission changed significantly. Automated submissions of new and historical records increased by 18% and 98%, respectively. The number of submissions within 14 days (as required in NYC) also increased, as did the number of submissions within 2 days. Median lag time was reduced from 13 to 10 days.

These findings give an idea of the benefits of health information technology. The launch of automated reporting via an EHR prompted significant improvements in use of the registry and in the efficiency of reporting from the field.

"Automating the process appears very successful," said Merrill. "In fact, it's so successful that we believe it would be beneficial to retrofit data from the past so it can also be included in the EHR."

The process of setting up healthcare data so it can be exchanged electronically is well underway in NYC and in NYS. It is, in fact, integral to the technology transformation occurring within health reform – activities intended to make healthcare more efficient for patients and providers and to help the overall system create better conditions for keeping people healthy.

Merrill's current research focuses on understanding the processes of public health organizations, and this is one of the first (if not the first) studies of registry efficiency and EHR-based reporting. The article, which appears as a "Case Report" in the journal Applied Clinical Informatics, documents the efficiencies provided by automated reporting to a registry that tracks immunizations for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The study was conducted by researchers from Columbia University, MGH Institute of Health Professions, and Weill Cornell Medical College. 

GOJO Industries, a leader in hand hygiene and skin health and inventors of PURELL® Hand Sanitizer, conducted an independent research study at the John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas to determine the impact on hand hygiene compliance rates when the hospital hand hygiene program included an electronic compliance activity monitoring system. The compliance technology system used in the study was the GOJO SMARTLINK Activity Monitoring System.

Results of the study were presented at the APIC 2013 Conference. The authors concluded that during the study period of June to September 2012, there was a 92 percent increase in hand hygiene compliance rates (from 16.5 percent at baseline to 31.7 percent) when an electronic monitoring system was included in a hand hygiene program. During the post-study period the rate decreased to 25.8 percent still significantly above baseline.

“Through the study, we found that implementation of an electronic hand hygiene compliance monitoring system as part of a clinical hand hygiene program can significantly increase hand hygiene compliance,” said Sarah Edmonds, GOJO scientist and lead author of the study. “We also are aware that additional data is needed to better understand the impact of electronic compliance monitoring programs on clinical outcomes, such as infection rates.”

During the study, the GOJO SMARTLINK Activity Monitoring System was installed to monitor all patient room entries and exits and all hand hygiene events from GOJO touch-free soap or PURELL® hand sanitizer dispensers. Compliance was measured as number of events in contrast to number of opportunities, and included the entire community, not only healthcare workers. The study duration was three months during which a comprehensive hand hygiene program for healthcare workers, patient and visitors was implemented. Additional education was established including the development of a hand hygiene improvement goal, leadership support and feedback opportunities for the staff.

Other products reviewed at APIC included i-Scrub, a free application for Apple devices used to electronically collect observed hand hygiene events and SMARTWATCH™, a free web-based tool that allows users to automatically upload, visualize and analyze their data straight from i-Scrub.

“SMARTWATCH was developed by the University of Iowa Computational and Epidemiology department with support from GOJO,” said Rich Clark, Operations Director, GOJO Compliance Business. “SMARTWATCH is a huge time-saver. It automatically collects and organizes observational data which allows infection preventionists to spend time coaching their staff rather than manually creating spreadsheets and reports.”

Hand hygiene is the most important intervention for preventing the spread of disease. Use of electronic monitoring can be a valuable tool for educating healthcare workers on their hand hygiene performance, and tracking hand hygiene performance improvements. GOJO Industries has installed SMARTLINK™ Activity Monitoring System at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, JPS Health Network and many other hospital systems and is actively preparing for compliance installation at other hospital systems throughout the country. Through the SMARTLINK systems installed at hospitals, GOJO is approaching two million hand hygiene events recorded, which is based on the average rate of events recorded every five seconds.