Sports Related Facial Injuries:Alarming rise in Ludhiana

Survey conducted by Dr. H.S.Sethi
Ludhiana//10th December, 2011//Shalu Arora

Sports– related facial injuries have been found to be on an alarming rise in the recent past. This was reported based on a survey conducted by Dr. Harsimran Singh Sethi of the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Christian Dental College, CMC Ludhiana. The study was carried out under the able guidance of Prof (Mrs).Namita Singh and Prof. Abi M. Thomas.
The survey conducted among 2000 athletically active school children aged 8 – 11 years selected from various schools of Ludhiana revealed a sports related facial injury occurrence of 26.65%.The survey further found that out of the 1162 injuries encountered among 533 injured participants, 55% involved bruising of face followed by dental injuries (30%) and cuts (15%). It was seen that 14% of the involved participants suffered dental (teeth) injuries including fractured, loosened and completely knocked out teeth.
Teeth are supposed to be the hardest structure of the whole body and an injury especially to the front teeth creates a feeling of symbolic loss which the child has to carry on with him for the rest of the lifetime. So the doctors recommend use of properly fitting dentist-made protective equipment i.e. mouthguards especially among children involved in high risk contact sports. The doctors further recommended the sports instructors in the schools to make the children and the parents aware of such protective devices so that the incidence of such injuries can be reduced or at least decreased in severity and the children can safely enjoy the healthy benefits of sports activities.
In another study conducted by Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Assistant Professor, Christian Dental College, to know the awareness of school teachers to manage injuries happening to the oral structures in the schools,it was found that nearly 90% of the teachers were not aware of the first aid treatment in such cases.
Following this, Dr. Rajesh Kumar and others did a commendable job of educating teachers and physical health instructors of 10 schools in Ludhiana in the first aid management of such injuries including sports injuries.
According to Dr. Laxman Kumar, Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, “any trauma which involves facial region, if not attended in time, will have long term effects in appearance and in function (chewing and speech)”.
Dr. Abi M. Thomas, Principal, Christian Dental College emphasized that after first aid treatment, it is very important to refer the patient to a specialized dental setup like Christian Dental College, where a highly qualified team of specialist dental personnel’s is available for management of such cases including specialists in other areas of dental concern.

A Christmas tree lighting ceremony

Yokota residents attend a Christmas tree lighting ceremony Nov. 30, 2011, at the traditional chapel at Yokota Air Base, Japan. The event kicked off the holiday season. 






















(U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe/Released)

A wounded U.S Service member

A wounded U.S Service member assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego participates in the obstacle course at the Naval Special Warfare Center at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Calif., Dec. 2, 2011 In addition to tackling the obstacle course, 12 wounded Service members toured the Basic Underwater Demolition/Sea Air and Land training facilities during their visit. 
















(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kyle D. Gahlau/Released)

During an urban setting weapons qualification

U.S. Navy Operations Specialist 3rd Class Marcelo Martis, right, fires an M9 Beretta pistol as Chief Master-at-Arms Jeffrey Barnes observes during an urban setting weapons qualification course aboard guided missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68) in the Atlantic Ocean Dec. 3, 2011. Anzio was deployed in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian M. Brooks, U.S. Navy/Released)

During a village veterinary outreach program

A coalition Special Operations Forces veterinarian gives medication to a donkey during a village veterinary outreach program in Gizab district, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, Dec. 2, 2011. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Brandenburg, U.S. Navy/Released)

U.S. Troops Combat Floods in Thailand

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matheus J. Hernandez
Marine Corps Bases JapanBANGKOK, Dec. 9, 2011 - U.S. Marines, airmen and sailors worked in tandem with their Thai military counterparts to provide flood relief late last month at the Don Mueang International Airport here..

Marines with the 3rd Marine Logistics Group prepare to pump flood water from affected areas at the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Nov. 29, 2011. The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force's flood relief command element directed personnel assisting the Thai government with flood-relief efforts. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matheus J. Hernandez

The U.S. service members and Royal Thai soldiers and airmen transported equipment from the Laem Chabang port to fight flooding at the water-inundated airport Nov. 29.
Marines and sailors assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 3, part of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force's 3rd Marine Logistics Group, performed water removal operations with the Thai air force. Before the operation, Thai airmen placed sandbags as barriers around the airport's four flooded maintenance facilities.

"The Marines were tasked to drain a specific area of the airport that the Royal Thai Air Force had isolated," said Marine Corps Maj. Jonathan A. Derosier, engineering officer for the 3rd MEF's flood relief command element. "They had a mission, which was to drain a specific targeted area, and that was within the scope of our capability."

U.S. forces provided equipment to assist in draining the area, including hose-and-reel systems, 600-gallon-per-minute fuel pumps and vehicles to transport the equipment.

"They wanted to accelerate the natural drainage of the flood water, and to do that we deployed the hose reel to pump the water from the isolated area and routed it through the hose down to a drainage canal," Derosier said. "That was going to allow the water to naturally flow [from the canal]."

U.S. Marine Corps and Army engineers and civil engineers with the U.S. Air Force's 36th Contingency Response Group worked with Thai service members, officials said, to determine how to conduct the flood-relief operations, including routing flood water to minimize the length of hose needed, and determining the amount of water to be moved.

Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer Julio C. Dominguez, the engineering detachment officer in- charge with the logistics regiment, said the American and Thai service members worked diligently during the successful operations.

"The Marines were able to adapt to the environment and complete their mission," Dominguez said. "Completing our mission allowed the Thai people to get back to work by gaining access to their buildings."
�

Salute

 U.S. Airmen with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) salute Brig. Gen. Kurt Neubauer, the 332nd AEW commander, as his aircraft taxis following his final flight as commander at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Nov. 30, 2011. Neubauer relinquished command Dec. 4, 2011. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Amber Kelly-Herard, U.S. Air Force/Released)