Adult height in patients with childhood onset atopic dermatitis

Cross sectional studies have reported impaired growth in children with atopic dermatitis. If this growth impairment is irreversible, it would be expected to adversely influence final height attainment. The standing heights and other anthropometric parameters were assessed in 35 adults with onset of atopic dermatitis before 5 years of age and a control group of 35 adults with adult onset contact dermatitis or psoriasis. There was no significant difference in the standing height SD score, mid-parental height SD score, sitting height SD score, subischial leg length SD score, nor body mass index between the atopic dermatitis and control groups. The standing height SD score was not significantly different among: (a) patients with atopic dermatitis affecting less than 50% of their body surface area and those with greater than 50% affected; (b) patients using the four different potency topical corticosteroids; and (c) patients with atopic dermatitis without asthma and those with coexisting asthma. It is concluded that short stature is not a feature of our group of adult patients with onset of atopic dermatitis before 5 years of age, continuing into adulthood, and severe enough to require specialist care. This suggests that if growth impairment occurs in childhood, it is likely to be temporary and reversible.     

A comparison of oral fluid collection devices for use in the surveillance of virus diseases in children

Three oral fluid collection devices (OraSure, Omni-SAL and Oracol) were compared in terms of the quality of oral fluid collected by each device for antibody testing and their acceptability to participants. Participants (143 children aged 3.5-5 y from North Hertfordshire, UK, who had recently received DTaP and MMR vaccination) were randomised to use one of the three types of collection device. Oral fluid was collected by a parent who completed a short questionaire recording information on ease of use and willingness to use the device again. A matching serum sample was collected by a nurse. Oral fluid samples were screened for total IgG and IgM by ELISA and for rubella specific IgG and parvovirus specific IgG by radioimmunoassay. Serum samples were screened for rubella specific IgG and parvovirus B19 specific IgG by ELISA. 87.4% (125) of participants provided a matching oral fluid and serum sample. Of these, 100% (125) and 10.4% (13) had serum IgG specific for rubella and parvovirus B19, respectively. The Oracol device provided oral fluid samples with the highest geometric mean titres of total IgG and IgM and with rubella specific IgG results which correlated most closely with those of matching sera. A higher proportion of parents found the Oracol and OraSure devices easier to use than the Omni-SAL (P<0.001) and the proportion who would not take another test was higher for the Omni-SAL than for the Oracol or Orasure. Oral fluid samples collected by each of the devices gave qualitative results acceptable for surveillance and epidemiological studies of rubella and parvovirus B19. The highest quality oral fluid sample for antibody testing in terms of total IgG and IgM concentration and rubella specific IgG concentration was collected by the Oracol. The acceptability to participants of both the Oracol and OraSure was high. As the cheapest device available, the Oracol is the preferred oral fluid collection device for studies involving children in the UK.     

The effect of atracurium or fazadinium on intra-ocular pressure. A comparative study during induction of general anaesthesia

The effect of atracurium 0.6 mg/kg (group A; n = 11) and fazadinium 1 mg/kg (group F; n = 11) on intraocular pressure (IOP) was investigated in 22 patients during induction of anaesthesia with thiopentone 4 mg/kg and fentanyl 0.015 mg/kg. IOP was significantly reduced (p less than 0.01) in all patients following induction of anaesthesia. Intubation produced a rise in IOP in all patients but this was not statistically significant and remained below pre-induction values. The changes were similar in each group. Both of these neuromuscular blockers appear suitable relaxants to use for intraocular surgery.     

Visual identification of bacterially contaminated red cells

There have been increasing numbers of reports of transfusion-acquired Yersinia enterocolitica bacteremia (including several fatal cases). Fifteen units of whole blood were inoculated with various concentrations of Y. enterocolitica serotype 0:3 and processed into AS-3 preserved red cells (RBCs). Consistent growth of the organism was found at inoculum concentrations greater than or equal to 10 colony-forming units per mL. In all 13 units of RBCs that supported the growth of Y. enterocolitica, a darkening in color (due to hemolysis and a decrease in pO2) was observed in the bag. The attached sample segments, which were sealed from the main unit, remained sterile and did not darken. This color change was apparent in all the contaminated units by Day 35, which was 1.5 to 2 weeks after the bacteria were first detected in cultures of the blood. Hence, by comparison of the color of the segment tubing with that of the unit itself, units grossly contaminated with Y. enterocolitica can be identified prior to transfusion. Moreover, review of photographs on file at the Centers for Disease Control revealed this dramatic color change in 2 units of blood that caused transfusion-transmitted sepsis (Enterobacter agglomerans and an unidentified gram-negative bacillus, not Yersinia sp.), which demonstrated that the color change was not limited to Y. enterocolitica. This method of visual identification of contaminated units of blood could decrease the incidence of posttransfusion bacterial sepsis.     

Clinical and economic impact of enterovirus illness in private pediatric practice

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the acute clinical course and economic burden of nonpolio enteroviral (NPEV) illness in the summer/fall season as seen in private pediatric practice. METHODS: We prospectively studied 380 children aged 4 to 18 years with systemic NPEV syndromes presenting to private suburban pediatric practices. Seventy-three asymptomatic controls were concurrently enrolled. Clinical diagnosis of NPEV illness was based on the presence of fever plus at least one of the following: headache and stiff neck (n = 2); myalgia and malaise (n = 105); nonpuritic maculopapular rash (n = 10); papulovesicular stomatitis (n = 214); papular rash of the hands, feet, and mouth (H/F/M) (n = 30); or pleurodynia (n = 11). Study participants were enrolled during a 4-month time span (July-October, 1994) and followed daily for 14 days. A parent symptom diary card and twice weekly phone contacts by study nurses characterized the illness to include the frequency of health care contacts, the necessity for laboratory tests, medication use, and school/work absenteeism. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-two (98%) children completed the study; 122 (33%) of the patients were confirmed to be infected with NPEV. Confirmed NPEV infection was more frequently observed in Rochester, NY (85/147 = 58%) than in Scottsdale, AZ (32/224 = 14%). The age group 4 to 12 years comprised 79% to 90% of the enrollees, depending on the syndrome. Median duration of illness and median number of missed days of school/summer camp/work for the enrolled patients was: meningitis (7 days ill, 2 days missed), myalgia/malaise (9 days ill, 3 days missed), rash (6 days ill, 4 days missed), stomatitis (7 days ill, 2 days missed), H/F/M (7 days ill, 1 day missed), and pleurodynia (8 days ill, 3 days missed). Direct medical costs varied from $69 per case to $771 per case and indirect costs, attributable primarily to parent missed work and/or sick-child care, varied from $63 per case to $422 per case for H/F/M and meningitis, respectively. In households, H/F/M spread to 50% of siblings and 25% of parents. CONCLUSIONS: In our study population, NPEV infection: 1) caused sufficient illness to prompt physician visits in summer and fall; 2) occurred more frequently in 4 to 12 year olds than in adolescents; 3) produced various clinical syndromes concurrently during the same months in the same season of a given year; 4) varied in occurrence geographically; 5) was characterized by numerous symptoms of longer duration than previously recognized; and 6) produced a significant economic impact by generating both direct and indirect costs.     

Richter's syndrome with different immunoglobulin light chains and different heavy chain gene rearrangements

In a patient with Richter's syndrome, the chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) expressed lambda, mu, and delta immunoglobulin (lg) chains and the non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) kappa, mu, and delta lg chains. The difference in lg light chain expression suggests that the CLL and NHL are independent malignancies, or that the oncogenic event occurred in a B cell differentiation stage after the heavy chain gene rearrangements but before the selection of the light chain. Analysis of DNA by Southern blotting revealed that the lg heavy chain genes of the two malignancies were rearranged in a different way. We therefore conclude that in this patient the NHL cannot be regarded as a progression of the CLL but should most likely be considered as an independent B cell malignancy, which arose in a susceptible host.