Background Rapid Diagnostic Clinics (RDC) are being expanded nationally by NHS England. Guy’s RDC established a pathway for GPs and internal referrals for patients with symptoms concerning for malignancy not suitable for a site-specific 2WW referral. However, little data assessing the effectiveness of RDC models are available in an English population. Methods We evaluated all patients referred to Guy’s RDC between December 2016 and June 2019 (n = 1341) to assess the rate of cancer diagnoses, frequency of benign conditions and effectiveness of the service. Results There were 96 new cancer diagnoses (7.2%): lung (16%), haematological (13%) and colorectal (12%)—with stage IV being most frequent (40%). Median time to definitive cancer diagnosis was 28 days (IQR 15–47) and treatment 56 days (IQR 32–84). In all, 75% were suitable for treatment: surgery (26%), systemic (24%) and radiotherapy (14%). Over 180 serious non-neoplastic conditions were diagnosed (35.8%) of patients with no significant findings in two-third of patients (57.0%). Conclusions RDCs provide GPs with a streamlined pathway for patients with complex non-site-specific symptoms that can be challenging for primary care. The 7% rate of cancer diagnosis exceeds many 2WW pathways and a third of patients presented with significant non-cancer diagnoses, which justifies the need for rapid diagnostics. Rapid Diagnostic Centres (RDCs) are being rolled out nationally by NHS England and NHS Improvement as part of the NHS long-term plan. The aim is for a primary care referral pathway that streamlines diagnostics, patient journey, clinical outcomes and patient experience. This pilot study of 1341 patients provides an in-depth analysis of the largest single RDC in England. Cancer was diagnosed in 7% of patients and serious non-cancer conditions in 36%—justifying the RDC approach in vague symptom patients.

Background/purpose Teledentistry has emerged as a new communication tool in various dental disciplines around the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability and reliability of teledentistry in the field of diagnostic dentistry and explore the perception of Saudi dentists of its benefits and concerns. Materials and methods An electronic survey with 40 questions was developed, validated and distributed electronically by email and social media channels to dentists from different specialty in Saudi Arabia. Collected data were analyzed for statistical significance. Results A total of 148 dentists completed the survey. The current data demonstrated that 50% of study participants have had applied teledentistry in their clinical practice. Out of all, 90% have computers in their dental offices and 72% have been using electronic medical records in which radiographs and clinical images are uploaded. Most participants had smart phones (91%), in which they were used more commonly (74.3%) than conventional cameras (54.1%) to capture and share patients' clinical images over communication applications (74.3%) and less likely through emails (62.2%). Overall, 83% were confident that teledentistry can improve daily dental practice, specifically in the fields of oral radiology followed by endodontics and oral medicine. Conclusion Teledentistry is an emerging tool with potential to improve the delivery of diagnostic dental care for communities with limited or no access to dental specialists. As of today, teledentistry has not been truly implemented by the Saudi dental community. Development of national programs to educate the public and promote teledentistry among dental practitioners are warranted.

Introduction Natural oil-based nanoemulsions (NEs) have been widely investigated in many diseases that affect the oral cavity. NEs are delivery systems that enhance the solubility of lipid therapeutics and improve their delivery to target sites; they are known as self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDSs). The current investigation’s aim was to produce an oregano essential oil-based nanoemulsion (OEO-SNEDD) that would have antibacterial and antifungal effects against oral microbiota and improve oral health. Methods Several OEO-SNEDDSs were developed using different percentages of OEO (10%, 14%, and 18%), percentages of a surfactant mixture Pluracare L64:Lauroglycol FCC (18%, 32%, and 36%), S mix ratios (1:2, 1:1, and 2:1), and hydrophilic-lipophilic balances (HLBs) of the surfactant mixture (8, 10, and 12) using the Box‒Behnken design. The optimized concentration of excipients was determined using a pseudoternary phase diagram to obtain the NEs. The formulations were evaluated for their droplet size, stability index, and antibacterial and antifungal activities. Results The NEs had a droplet size of 150 to 500 nm and stability index of 47% to 95%, and the produced formulation reached antibacterial and antifungal inhibition zones of up to 19 and 17 mm, respectively. The Box‒Behnken design was adopted to get the optimum formulation, which was 18% OEO, 36% S mix , 10.29 HLB of S mix , and a 1.25:1 S mix ratio. The optimized formulation had a lower ulcer index compared with various other formulations evaluated in rats. Conclusion This study illustrated that OEO-SNEDDSs can provide good protection against oral microbial infections.

IgG and IgA antibodies may provide a suitable diagnostic marker in MMP. Assay of salivary IgA antibodies to NC16a offers a similar diagnostic predictive value to serum.