Background: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the beta thalassemia trait (BTT) and differentiate it from iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) among blood donors. Methods: A total of 1,000 samples from blood donors were subjected to complete hemogram with red blood cell indices. Further, Mentzer index (MI) was calculated for samples with mean corpuscular volume (MCV) below 80 fL and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) below 27 pg. Samples with Mentzer index ＜12 were subjected to naked-eye single-tube red cell osmotic fragility test (NESTROFT) followed by hemoglobin electrophoresis in positive cases. Serum ferritin was assessed in NESTROFT-negative cases. Results: The prevalence of BTT among blood donors was 3.7% and that of microcytosis among donors was 8.6%. The prevalence of BTT among microcytic donors was 41.8% while that among those with IDA was 11.6%. A value of MI ＜13 was highly sensitive in the diagnosis of BTT. MI ＞13 was found to have both high specificity and high sensitivity for diagnosing IDA. Conclusion A moderately high prevalence of BTT was observed among blood donors. Presently, no screening program is mandatory for screening of BTT among blood donors. Indices like MCV, MCH, and Mentzer Index were thus found to be effective to screen for BTT and IDA among blood donors, and NESTROFT was a cost-effective mass screening method to differentiate BTT and IDA.

PURPOSEOrofacial trauma is becoming a leading medical problem worldwide. Most of the studies pertaining to orofacial trauma have been done in urban areas but very little scientific literature is available for rural areas.

METHODSA prospective medical institute-based study of orofacial injury patients was carried out from May 2013 to April 2016 (36 Months). Data regarding incidence, age and sex distribution, causes, types and site of injury, treatment modalities and trauma associated complications were collected and analysed.

RESULTSA total of 784 patients were studied. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 2.9:1. Age range was 9 months-75 years with the peak incidence in the age-group of 18-34 years. Most injuries were caused by road-side accidents (72.7%), followed by assault and falls in 11.6% and 8% respectively. Soft tissue injuries and mandibular fractures were the most common type of injuries. Head/neck (50.29%) and limb injuries (27.2%) were the most prevalent associated injuries. Surgical debridement and soft tissue suturing was the most common emergency procedure. Closed reduction was performed in 61% of patients and open reduction and internal fixation in 30% of cases and 9% were managed conservatively. Complications occurred in 6.88% of patients, mainly due to infection and malocclusion. The mean duration of hospital stay was (10.12 ± 6.24) days.

CONCLUSIONThis study highlights the importance of department of dental surgery along with other disciplinaries in the management of orofacial injuries. Road-side accident remains the major etiological factor of orofacial injuries in our setting.