Dental Core Trainee, Aberdeen Dental Hospital, Department of Restorative Dentistry, UK.
Consultant, Aberdeen Dental Hospital, Department of Restorative Dentistry, UK.
Evid Based Dent. 2021 Jan;22(2):64-65. doi: 10.1038/s41432-021-0182-2.
Design Cross-sectional study.Sample selection This study included 921 children (471 male, 450 female) due to receive either routine dental care involving aerosol generating procedures or comprehensive dental care under general anaesthetic. Data was collected at a paediatric dental clinic associated with the University of Illinois, Chicago. Patients were screened by a telephone questionnaire assessing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Asymptomatic patients and those with no known disease exposure went on to receive a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen for COVID-19. Those displaying symptoms of COVID-19 or who had potentially been exposed to the virus or disease were not included in this study and were referred for onwards medical advice.Data analysis Electronic dental records were accessed to retrieve patient demographics, insurance type, dental diagnosis and past medical history. The percentage of positive SARS-CoV-2 test results was calculated for each category. Positive and negative test results were compared appropriately for both categorical and continuous variables, with significance reached when p <0.05. SPSS version 27 was used for statistical analysis.Results This study found the positivity rate for SARS-CoV-2 to be 2.3% (21/921) in asymptomatic dental patients aged under 18 years. Age, insurance type, medical history and dental diagnosis were comparable in both positive and negative test result groups. The Hispanic/Latinx population had a higher percentage (3.1%) of positive tests than other groups. More male patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (13 male, 8 female), but this was not statistically significant.Conclusions RT-PCR testing identified children carrying SARS-CoV-2 who had been cleared to attend an appointment following a screening questionnaire.
设计 横断面研究。样本选择 本研究纳入了 921 名儿童（471 名男性，450 名女性），他们将接受常规的牙科护理，包括产生气溶胶的程序，或在全身麻醉下进行全面的牙科护理。数据收集于与伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校相关的儿科牙科诊所。通过电话问卷筛查患者，评估其是否患有 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）或严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）感染。无症状患者和无已知疾病接触史的患者继续接受 SARS-CoV-2 的逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测，SARS-CoV-2 是 COVID-19 的病原体。那些出现 COVID-19 症状或可能接触过病毒或疾病的患者不包括在本研究中，而是被转介接受进一步的医疗建议。数据分析 访问电子牙科记录以获取患者人口统计学信息、保险类型、牙科诊断和既往病史。计算了每个类别的 SARS-CoV-2 检测阳性率。对分类和连续变量进行了适当的阳性和阴性检测结果比较，当 p<0.05 时达到统计学意义。使用 SPSS 版本 27 进行统计分析。结果 本研究发现，在年龄在 18 岁以下的无症状牙科患者中，SARS-CoV-2 的阳性率为 2.3%（21/921）。阳性和阴性检测结果组在年龄、保险类型、病史和牙科诊断方面无差异。西班牙裔/拉丁裔人群的阳性检测百分比（3.1%）高于其他人群。更多的男性患者检测出 SARS-CoV-2 阳性（13 名男性，8 名女性），但这没有统计学意义。结论 RT-PCR 检测识别出携带 SARS-CoV-2 的儿童，他们在接受筛查问卷后已获准参加预约。
