Control of diarrhoeal disease in Tonga 1978-83

Tonga, like many developing countries, suffers from a shortage of medical staff and a high morbidity and mortality from paediatric diarrhoeal disease. In 1980 a programme was started to train medical assistants and village administrators in the correct use of oral rehydration salt solution for rehydration. The effect on morbidity, mortality, and admission to hospital over the six years 1978-83 was assessed. After the introduction of the scheme the number of deaths due to diarrhoea fell considerably and the state of hydration in children admitted to hospital with diarrhoea greatly improved. It is recommended that similar programmes be adopted where clinical problems of diarrhoea with dehydration persist. Instruction in the use of oral rehydration fluid was most effectively given by non-medical staff to groups of mothers, rather than by paediatricians in their inevitably brief, although important, explanation given in hospital.     

Acute asthma attack in children presenting to the emergency department. Survey of 96 cases

Throughout a 2-year period, children who presented at H?tel-Dieu de France emergency department (ED) with acute asthma were analyzed prospectively and data on their environment, family and personal history as well as treatment were recorded. Treatment delivered at the ED, response and further outcome were analyzed. Out of 2024 children aged less than 15 years, 96 (5%) had acute asthma attack. Their median age was 4 years and M/F ratio was 2:1. Median age at onset of asthma was 2 years. Only 66 patients were recognized as asthmatics and 20% were given regular inhaled daily treatment. Current attack was mild in 45%, moderate in 45% and severe in 10% of cases. Home treatment before ED admission was often inadequate. Nine patients required hospital admission after failure of treatment at the ED. Within a median follow-up of 12 months, half of the patients experienced further attacks sometimes requiring ED care (27%) or hospital admission (8%). These data highlight the fact that asthma in our country is still largely under recognized and inadequately treated.     

Nalidixic acid in diarrhoea

In a private practice set-up from June 21, 1982 to December 31, 1984, 109 children who were admitted to the hospital with acute bacterial diarrhoea diagnosed on the basis of clinical findings and faecal leucocytes over 10/high power field, were treated with nalidixic acid 55 mg/kg in 4 divided doses to find out its effectiveness. The youngest in this study group was of 18 days, the oldest was of 16 years and the mean age was 2.61 years. In this group 72 were male children and 37 female. The average duration of stay in hospital was 2.71 days. Before admission 40 children (36%) had prior antimicrobial treatment elsewhere. These children were re-evaluated 14 hours after treatment and clinical improvement was observed in most of the cases. It was found that nalidixic acid was an effective and safe antimicrobial agent in acute infectious diarrhoea. It cut down the days of hospitalisation and cost. It was well tolerated even in children less than 3 months.     

2. Acute infectious diarrhoea and dehydration in children

Gastroenteritis in children is still a common reason for consulting a general practitioner and for hospital admission. Rotavirus is the most common cause of gastroenteritis in children and accounts for half of all hospital admissions for severe acute infectious diarrhoea. Most children with gastroenteritis do not develop dehydration and can be treated at home. Children with mild to moderate dehydration should be treated with low osmolarity oral rehydration solutions, and those with severe dehydration or shock need to be admitted for administration of intravenous fluids. Lactose-free feeds should not be routinely used after acute gastroenteritis, but there is some evidence that a lactose-free diet may reduce the duration of diarrhoea. Antimotility drugs are rarely indicated in children with gastroenteritis, as the potential risks outweigh the benefits. The development of a rotavirus vaccine would provide huge public health benefits and cost savings. Other preventive strategies include educating people about personal and food hygiene and encouraging breastfeeding.     

Acute admissions of patients with sickle cell disease who live in Britain

All acute admissions of patients with sickle cell disease who lived in the London borough of Brent and attended this hospital were analysed for a period of one year. Sixty three of the 211 patients who were followed up by the haematology department required 161 acute admissions during the year. Most admissions (126) were for the 42 patients with homozygous sickle cell disease; 147 (91%) were for vaso-occlusive episodes, 142 of which were for painful crises, three for cerebrovascular accidents, and two for renal papillary necrosis. Preschool children with sickle cell disease were admitted predominantly with limb pain, whereas in schoolchildren and adults the incidence of trunk pain was higher. Twenty four of the 93 episodes of trunk pain culminated in an episode of severe visceral sequestration usually affecting the lungs, the liver, or the mesenteric circulation. Two patients died: an 18 month old baby with an acute splenic sequestration crisis and a 19 year old man with a severe girdle syndrome (sickling in the mesenteric circulation, liver, and lungs). Infective episodes were rare (11 episodes) but severe: one haemophilus meningitis, two salmonella infections, and three aplastic crises due to parvovirus infections. The average duration of the hospital stay was 7.4 days per admission. It is concluded that because sickle cell disease causes appreciable morbidity in older children, adolescents, and adults a systematic approach to management is needed to deal with acute episodes such as sequestration syndromes.     

Pre-admission management of acute gastroenteritis in children: too much or too little?

Two hundred and ninety five children admitted with acute gastroenteritis from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1996 to the Paediatric unit, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, were reviewed. Eighty-nine percent of children received treatment before admission. Information regarding the type of treatment received were available in 152 (52%) cases. Eighty percent of them were prescribed medications, 40% were prescribed glucose-electrolyte mixtures, and 13% were advised a change of formula. Only 18 children (12%) were advised to take glucose-electrolyte mixtures alone. The four most common prescribed drugs were: antibiotics (43%), antipyretics (39%), antidiarrhoeal agents (30%), and antiemetics (24%). The use of antibiotics, antiemetics and antidiarrhoeal drugs for children with acute gastroenteritis among primary care doctors appears to be common. The use of glucose-electrolyte mixtures was uncommon.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of evidence-based guidelines for the use of spacer devices in children with acute asthma

OBJECTIVE: To change standard practice from using nebulisers to metered dose inhalers and holding chambers (spacers) in children presenting with mild to moderate acute asthma. DESIGN: A before-after comparison of children with acute asthma presenting to the emergency department (ED) between August and October 1999 with those presenting between June and August 1997. SETTING: A tertiary care metropolitan children's hospital. INTERVENTIONS: Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for using spacers were developed by a local multidisciplinary consensus process. A multifaceted guideline implementation program was used in 1999. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physician prescribing practices (spacer use); clinical outcomes (need for hospitalisation, admission to intensive care unit, and length of stay [LOS]). RESULTS: 75 of 247 children (30%; 95% CI, 25%-36%) required hospital admission in 1999. This was similar to the 1997 study period, when 95 of 326 (29%; 95% CI, 24%-34%) children were admitted. Of those with mild to moderate asthma, 160 (68%) received bronchodilators in the ED; 151 (94%) were initially treated with a spacer device in 1999. In 1997, no children were initially treated with spacers in the ED. The median (range) LOS in hospital for children with asthma of all severities was 1.7 (0.5-19.8) days in 1999 and 1.7 (0.2-7.6) days in 1997 (P=0.85). CONCLUSIONS: We successfully changed standard practice from using nebulisers to spacers for bronchodilator delivery in children with mild to moderate acute asthma, with no difference in the need for or duration of hospitalisation.     

Do young adults with uncomplicated dengue fever need hospitalisation? A retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory features

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 80 percent of all notified cases of dengue infections in Singapore were hospitalised from 2000 to 2005. We aimed to determine if hospitalised dengue patients had significant morbidity and mortality, and if admissions were in accordance with previously-published admission criteria. METHODS: The medical records of the first 20 patients with laboratory-confirmed dengue from two consecutive months in three time periods were retrospectively reviewed. Demographical, clinical and laboratory data on admission, during hospitalisation and on discharge, were compared. RESULTS: There were 120 patients with a mean age of 35 years. Males comprised 77 percent and foreign workers 51 percent. Of the published admission criteria, 33 percent had vomiting, 22 percent diarrhoea, 13 percent abdominal pain, 18 percent bleeding and one patient had hypotension. 30 percent were above the minimum platelet threshold of 80,000/microL, but 50 percent had safe levels of platelets between 50,000 and 80,000/microL. Dengue haemorrhagic fever occurred in 4 percent with no death. After admission, platelet nadir was below 20,000/microL in only 9 percent and below 10,000/microL in only 2 percent of cases. Bleeding did not correlate with platelet count. Medical referral to the hospital was significantly associated with thrombocytopenia, while self-referral was significantly associated with vomiting. CONCLUSION: Severe adverse outcome among young adults with uncomplicated dengue fever is rare. Instead of hospitalisation, daily outpatient monitoring with symptomatic treatment and medical leave may be a safe and feasible alternative.     

Features associated with underlying HIV infection in severe acute childhood malnutrition: a cross sectional study

Introduction

Up to half of all children presenting to Nutrition Rehabilitation Units (NRUs) in Malawi with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are infected with HIV. There are many-similarities in the clinical presentation of SAM and HIV. It is important to identify HIV infected children, in order to improve case management. This study aims to identify features suggestive of HIV in children with SAM.

Methods

All 1024 children admitted to the Blantyre NRU between July 2006 and March 2007 had demographic, anthropometric and clinical characteristics documented on admission. HIV status was known for 904 children, with 445 (43%) seropositive and 459 (45%) seronegative. Features associated with HIV were determined.

Results

Associations were found for the following signs: chronic ear discharge (OR 14.6, 95%CI 5.8–36.7), lymphadenopathy (6.4, 3.5–11.7), clubbing (4.9, 2.6–9.4), marasmus (4.9, 3.56.8), hepato-splenomegally (3.2, 1.8–5.6), and oral Candida (2.4, 1.8–3.27). Any one of these signs was present in 74% of the HIV seropositive, and 38% of HIV uninfected children. A history of recurrent respiratory infection (OR 9.6, 4.8–18.6), persistent fever, recent outpatient attendance, or hospital admission were also associated with HIV. Persistent diarrhoea was no more frequent in HIV (OR 1.1). Orphaning (OR 2.1,1.4–3.3) or a household contact with TB (OR 1.7,1.1–2.6), were more common in HIV. Each of these features were present in > 10% of seropositive children. HIV infected children were more stunted, wasted, and anaemic than uninfected children.

Conclusions

Features commonly associated with HIV were often present in uninfected children with SAM, and HIV could neither be diagnosed, nor excluded using these. We recommend HIV testing be offered to all children with SAM where HIV is prevalent.     

早期积极液体复苏对初始评估未达到重型标准的急性胰腺炎患者的影响研究

背景　液体复苏是急性胰腺炎（AP）早期治疗的关键环节，但目前关于初始评估未达到重型标准的AP患者的液体复苏方案研究较少，而早期积极液体复苏对非重型AP向重型AP转化及预后的影响尚无定论。目的　探讨早期积极液体复苏对初始评估未达到重型标准的AP患者的影响。方法　选取成都市第三人民医院消化科2018-01-01至2018-12-31收治的初始评估未达到重型标准的AP患者219例，根据入院后24 h液体复苏总量分为对照组118例（液体复苏总量<3 200 ml）和观察组101例（液体复苏总量≥3 200 ml）。在常规治疗基础上，对照组患者采用常规液体复苏，观察组患者采用积极液体复苏。比较两组患者入院后24、48、72 h液体复苏总量，临床转归，治疗后3、7 d液体复苏达标率及转为重型AP者所占比例，并进行亚组分析。结果　观察组患者入院后24 h液体复苏总量大于对照组，禁食水时间长于对照组，治疗后3、7 d液体复苏达标率高于对照组，全身炎症反应综合征（SIRS）发生率及治疗后3、7 d转为重型AP者所占比例低于对照组（P<0.05）。亚组分析结果显示：采用积极液体复苏方案治疗的轻型AP患者禁食水时间长于采用常规液体复苏方案治疗者，SIRS发生率高于采用常规液体复苏方案治疗者（P<0.05）；采用常规液体复苏方案治疗的中度重型AP患者禁食水时间、住院时间长于轻型AP患者，行机械通气者所占比例、行有创/介入治疗者所占比例、转重症监护室（ICU）者所占比例及治疗后3、7 d转为重型AP者所占比例高于轻型AP患者（P<0.05）；采用积极液体复苏方案治疗的中度重型AP患者禁食水时间长于轻型AP患者，治疗后7 d转为重型AP者所占比例高于轻型AP患者（P<0.05）。结论　早期积极液体复苏（入院后24 h液体复苏总量大于入院后48 h液体复苏总量的1/2或≥3 200 ml）有利于改善初始评估未达到重型标准的AP患者临床转归，提高液体复苏达标率，降低重型AP进展风险，且与初始AP严重程度（轻型或中度重型）无关。     

Respiratory morbidity in central Australian Aboriginal children with alveolar lobar abnormalities

OBJECTIVES: To describe the short-term outcomes in Aboriginal children admitted to hospital with radiological alveolar lobar changes; and determine whether predischarge chest radiography can predict respiratory morbidity found at follow-up. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS, SETTING: Prospective cohort study of Aboriginal children admitted to Alice Springs Hospital between October 2000 and April 2001 with alveolar lobar abnormalities (area of consolidation, > or = 1 cm) on chest radiographs. Participants were to have a predischarge radiograph and be followed up for 12 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comorbidities, follow-up rate, and new respiratory disease found at follow-up. RESULTS: Of 113 children hospitalised with radiological alveolar lobar changes, 109 were Aboriginal. Their median age was 1.8 years (range, 0.2 months-13.3 years), and 124 episodes were recorded. Comorbidities were common in these children (anaemia, 51.5%; suppurative otitis media, 37.3%). The follow-up rate one year after admission was 83.1% of episodes. New treatable chronic respiratory morbidity was found in 20 (25.6%) of the 78 children with completed follow-up. Predischarge chest radiographs were predictive of all chronic respiratory morbidity when they showed no or minimal resolution (0-20% resolution) (relative risk, 7.43; 95% CI, 2.07-26.60). CONCLUSIONS: Central Australian Aboriginal children admitted to hospital with alveolar changes on chest radiographs have a substantial burden of chronic respiratory illness, and should be clinically followed up for early detection and management of chronic respiratory morbidity. A predischarge radiograph is useful, and patients whose radiograph shows no or minimal resolution should have a follow-up x-ray film.     

APACHEⅡ、MODS、SOFA和LODS评分系统对重症急性胰腺炎预后评估的比较

目的比较研究急性生理和慢性健康状况评分(APACHEⅡ)、多脏器功能不全评分(MODS评分)、序贯性脏器衰竭评价评分(SOFA评分)和Logistic脏器功能不全评分(LODS评分)4种评分系统对重症急性胰腺炎患者院内病死率的预测能力。方法根据诊断标准将91例ICU重症急性胰腺炎患者纳入本研究,记录初始APACHEⅡ(24h)、MODS、SOFA、LODS评分,同时记录ICU期间最高MODS、SOFA、LODS评分,计算出各自预期病死概率并与实际死亡情况比较。然后绘制ROC曲线,通过比较ROC曲线下面积(AUC)来比较分析4个评分系统的预测能力。结果 MODS、SOFA、LODS初始AUC(分别为0.785±0.049、0.850±0.040、0.886±0.036)和最高AUC(分别为0.891±0.037、0.939±0.028、0.943±0.025)值均高于APACHE的AUC(0.758±0.052)。所有最高MODS、SOFA、LODS评分都优于初始MODS、SOFA、LODS评分(P<0.05)。在初始值评分中,初始LODS评分优于APACHEⅡ评分(P<0.05),而MODS、SOFA、LODS之间差别无统计学意义(P>0.05)。在最高评分系统的比较中,最高SOFA评分优于MODS评分系统(P<0.05),而SOFA与LODS评分、LODS与MODS评分间则无统计学差异(P>0.05)。结论在运用评分系统对重症急性胰腺炎预后预测中,器官功能不全评分要好于APACHEⅡ评分系统;而在器官功能不全评分中,最高值评分预测能力高于初始值,尤其是最高SOFA、LODS。     

Preadmission screening of Medicare patients. The clinical impact of reimbursement disapproval

The clinical impact of a statewide Medicare preadmission certification program was assessed with a retrospective survey of Connecticut physicians. In a three-month period, only 100 (0.37%) of 28,450 Medicare admission requests were disapproved for reimbursement. Following disapproval, 22 patients were admitted immediately, 44 received outpatient care, and eight additional outpatients were not evaluated or treated. The remaining 26 patients subsequently were admitted with preadmission approval due to changed clinical condition or failed outpatient plan. Although some patients had minor problems that their physicians believed would have been avoided by immediate admission, no severe morbidity resulted from admission delay. Many physicians expressed concern about preadmission certification program-related patient anxiety and inconvenience. Although this limited survey provides preliminary evidence that preadmission certification programs can be implemented without major deleterious short-term medical effects, continued monitoring of physicians and patients involved in disapproved admissions is necessary to evaluate potential medical and psychosocial problems.     

Emergency management of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia managed by emergency and acute general physicians. There is increasing evidence that selected patients with acute atrial fibrillation can be safely managed in the emergency department without the need for hospital admission. Meanwhile, there is significant variation in the current emergency management of acute atrial fibrillation. This review discusses evidence based emergency management of atrial fibrillation. The principles of emergency management of acute atrial fibrillation and the subset of patients who may not need hospital admission are reviewed. Finally, the need for evidence based guidelines before emergency department based clinical pathways for the management of acute atrial fibrillation becomes routine clinical practice is highlighted.     

C反应蛋白及血细胞比容检测在预测重症急性胰腺炎中的临床价值

目的 评价入院24 h内C-反应蛋白(CRP)、血细胞比容(HCT)对预测重症急性胰腺炎(SAP)的临床意义.方法 回顾性分析急性胰腺炎(AP)住院患者入院24 h内CRP、HCT数值,比较轻症急性胰腺炎(MAP)和SAP两组CRP、HCT的变化,建立ROC曲线,评估早期CRP、HCT变化对预测SAP的诊断效率.结果 ...     

Sugar chromatography of urine and faeces in acute gastroenteritis

Sugar chromatography was performed on urine and faecal specimens obtained at admission from 482 children under the age of five years admitted to hospital because of acute gastroenteritis. The sensitivity of the chromatography was such that 2 μg of the various sugars could be detected, which is equivalent to 5 mg per g of stool, and this level was considered a positive result. Fifty-nine (12·2%) children without any clinically apparent milk intolerance had sugar chromatographic abnormalities, in 32 of whom a disaccharide was found in the urine and/or faeces. Twenty-one children, all under the age of nine months, developed a relapse of their diarrhoea when full strength milk was reintroduced. In only one of these cases, a two-month-old boy with sucrose in his urine, was a disaccharide found on chromatography.     

病毒性脑炎患儿体内蛋白C水平的测定与临床研究

目的:探讨病毒性脑炎患儿体内蛋白C水平的变化及其临床意义.方法:选择2013年10月至2015年12月我院收治的102例病毒性脑炎患儿为观察组,另外同期随机选择我院100例因头痛症状就诊最终诊断为上呼吸道感染儿童为对照组.于入院24h内(急性期)和临床治疗1周后(恢复期)采集患儿静脉血与脑脊液标本用于检测蛋白C水平;采集并检测对照组健康儿童静脉血与脑脊液样本中蛋白C水平.结果:观察组患儿急性期血清与脑脊液中蛋白C水平均较恢复期及对照组健康儿童低,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组中急性期轻症患儿血清和脑脊液中蛋白C水平高于重症患儿,差异有统计学意义(t=2.542、2.115,P<0.05).结论:蛋白C水平可用于病毒性脑炎的早期诊断和感染严重程度的判断,对诊断病情和指导治疗有重要的临床价值.     

儿童肺泡灌洗液RT-PCR检测对支原体感染的辅助诊断价值探讨

目的 探讨支原体感染儿童肺泡灌洗液RT-PCR检测的早期诊断和病情评估.方法 选取2016年1月至12月安徽省儿童医院收治的235例感染肺炎支原体(MP)的患儿,检测重症肺炎和轻症肺炎肺泡灌洗液MP-DNA和血清MP-IgM,根据2项指标的差异和MP-DNA拷贝量的高低,分析MP-DNA与病情的关系.结果 男患儿MP-IgM阳性率低于女患儿,>3~14岁患儿MP-DNA阳性率高于1~3岁患儿,入院前病程≤7 d患儿MP-IgM阳性率低于入院前病程>7 d患儿,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05).重症肺炎患儿中,MP-DNA高拷贝量占85.71%,高于轻症肺炎患儿,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);重症肺炎的MP-DNA拷贝量高于轻症肺炎患儿,差异有统计学意义(P <0.05).结论 RT -PCR 法检测支原体肺炎患儿肺泡灌洗液MP-DNA拷贝量可为快速确诊和判断患儿病情提供参考.     

重症急性胰腺炎早期目标指导的液体治疗

目的探讨重症急性胰腺炎(severe acute pancreatitis,SAP)早期2种不同液体治疗策略对患者预后的影响。方法回顾性分析首都医科大学宣武医院2000年1月至2010年1月期间收治的80例SAP患者,2000年1月至2004年12月期间收治的患者采用传统液体治疗方法(简称传统治疗组,n=34),2005年1月至2010年1月期间收治的患者采取早期目标指导的液体治疗策略(简称早期目标治疗组,n=46),比较2组间急性生理与慢性健康状况评分(APACHEⅡ)、器官功能不全评分(Marshall)、多器官功能不全综合征(multiple organ dysfunction syndrome,MODS)发生率、胰腺感染率和病死率的差异。结果与传统治疗组相比,早期目标治疗组患者液体治疗第3天的APACHEⅡ和Marshall评分有显著降低(分别为APACHEⅡ:8.22±3.89 vs 11.35±4.27,P=0.017;Marshall:4.48±2.21 vs 6.82±3.15,P=0.021)。另外,早期目标治疗组患者入院1周内MODS发生率、胰腺感染率和住院病死率也较传统治疗组有所降低(分别为MODS:52%vs 62%,P=0.393;胰腺感染率:37%vs 44%,P=0.653;病死率:17%vs 24%,P=0.576),但其差异无统计学意义。结论本研究有限的病例结果提示,早期目标指导的液体治疗可在一定程度上缓解SAP病情,但能否改善SAP患者预后有待临床进行前瞻性随机对照研究。