Archives of Disease in Childhood articles from May 2002

Archives of Disease in Childhood archives from May 2002

Paediatric mastocytosis: an unusual disease in infants and children. (Immunology).
May 1, 2002... Mastocytosis in infants and children is an unusual disease characterised by an excess of mast cells in body tissues. The phenotypic expression of the disease is dependent on the pattern of localisation of the mast cells to specific organs and...

Precocious puberty: a parent's perspective; how bad can it get? (Endocrinology).
May 1, 2002... We are writing as parents of a young girl who "suffers" from precocious puberty and we use the word suffers without reservation despite the fact that: * Puberty is a normal process * No underlying cause triggering her puberty has been...

In sickness and in health: the importance of translational regulation: an important mechanism for regulating protein expression. (Genetics).
May 1, 2002... In 2001, the first draft of the human genome was published. (1 2) Paediatricians from all disciplines can look forward to important and novel insights into the genetic basis for numerous diseases that affect children and their families. The...

Coping and health service utilisation in a UK study of paediatric sickle cell pain. (Original Article).(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Aims: To assess sickle cell pain and coping in children and to examine the relation between these factors and the utilisation of health services. Methods: Cross sectional study involving 67 children with sickle cell disease attending three...

A scoring system for bruise patterns: a tool for identifying abuse. (Original Article).(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Aims: To determine whether abused and non-abused children differ in the extent and pattern of bruising, and whether any differences which exist are sufficiently great to develop a score to assist in the diagnosis of abuse. Methods: Total...

Obesity and asthma. (Archivist).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Both obesity and asthma have increased in prevalence in children in the UK and America in recent decades and it has been suggested that the two might be causally related. Now US data have confirmed an association between body mass index (BMI)...

Convulsions and retinal haemorrhage: should we look further? (Original Article).
May 1, 2002... Background and Aims: The prevalence of retinal haemorrhages after convulsions is not well established. As these haemorrhages are considered characteristic of child abuse, we investigated their occurrence after convulsive episodes to see whether...

Deaths from pertussis are underestimated in England. (Original Article).(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Aims: To improve estimates of deaths from pertussis in England and to identify reasons for under ascertainment. Methods: Comparison of deaths identified from enhanced laboratory pertussis surveillance, hospital episode statistics (HES), and...

Hepatitis C-Z: recent advances. (Recent Advances).
May 1, 2002... In this review, recently identified hepatitis viruses (hepatitis C, hepatitis D, hepatitis E, hepatitis F, hepatitis G, transfusion transmissible virus) are described, and the implications for paediatric liver disease discussed. **********...

Unilateral exophthalmos in a 2 1/2 year old girl. (Images in Paediatrics).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A 2 1/2 year old girl with cystic fibrosis (CF) was seen with painless exophthalmos of the left eye with increased tearing and redness. She had severe pulmonary exacerbations and had been colonised by Pseudomonas aeruginosa since the age of 4...

Liver disease in transfusion dependent thalassaemia major. (Original Article).(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Aims: To study the prevalence and severity of liver diseases of transfusion dependent thalassaemia major patients, and correlate the histological and biochemical changes of iron overload in liver with the peripheral blood markers. Method:...

Protect the unborn child. (Archivist).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... HIV therapy and folate antagonists in the first trimester can lead to birth defects, a UK study has found. With HIV increasing among women, more are taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) and other drugs with the potential for causing birth...

Hirschsprung's disease: functional and psychological follow up comparing total colonic and rectosigmoid aganglionosis. (Original Article).
May 1, 2002... Aims: To compare the long term functional and psychosocial outcomes following surgical treatment for total colonic aganglionosis (TCA) with those in an age and gender matched group of patients with rectosigmoid aganglionosis (RSA). ...

Presentation and outcome of severe anticholinesterase insecticide poisoning. (Original Article).
May 1, 2002... Aims: To document the patterns of presentation and outcome of severe anticholinesterase insecticide poisoning in children requiring intensive care. Methods: Retrospective case note review of all 5541 children admitted to the paediatric...

Beneficial effect of long term intravenous bisphosphonate treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta. (Original Article).
May 1, 2002... Aim: To find an effective symptomatic treatment far osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Methods: In a prospective observational study disodium pamidronate (APD) was given as monthly intravenous infusions to 28 children and adolescents (aged...

Amplifying the error. (Archivist).(misdiagnosis of ventricular fibrillation)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The automatic gain feature of defibrillators can mask ventricular standstill--a crucial message for all practitioners who use rhythm display fibrillators for heart monitoring. This wake up call comes from a case report of a 5 year old girl...

The effect of brief neonatal exposure to cows' milk on atopic symptoms up to age 5. (Original Article).
May 1, 2002... Aims: To determine the effect of brief early exposure to cows' milk on the expression of atopy during the first five years of life. Methods: Follow up analysis of a double blind, placebo controlled, randomised feeding intervention trial...

Propranolol after severe burns. (Archivist).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... After severe burns there is an initial phase of hypoperfusion followed by a postinjury response of fever, hyperdynamic circulation, and protein catabolism. Muscle proteolysis continues for 9 months or more. The underlying mechanisms are complex...

Bronchiolitis hospitalisations in the Netherlands from 1991 to 1999. (Short Report).
May 1, 2002... In order to analyse trends in the bronchiolitis hospitalisations in the Netherlands from 1991 to 1999 for children aged 0-4 years, the notional number of bronchiolitis hospitalisations were compared with those of asthma and pneumonia...

Rapid painless diagnosis of viral respiratory infection. (Short Report).(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... The concordance of nasal compared with nasopharyngeal swabs was assessed for the diagnosis of respiratory viral infections, and the degree of discomfort associated with each procedure was compared. The use of nasal swabs was shown to be as...

Tailoring treatment for retinoblastoma. (Archivist).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Primary chemotherapy is more effective in retinoblastoma tumours in the macula and if children are over 2 months old, according to a study by at the Ocular Oncology Service at St Bartholomew's and Moorfields Hospitals, London, UK. Noting...

Randomised trial of the effects of structuring clinic correspondence. (Short Report).
May 1, 2002... We performed a randomised controlled crossover trial of clinic letters. Structured letters were compared with conventional letters containing problem lists. There were 32 participants; 25 preferred the structured letter. Median rating and items...

Antioxidant enzymes in blood of patients with Friedreich's ataxia. (Original Article).(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Background and Aims: Increased generation of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction may underlie the pathophysiology of Friedreich's ataxia, the most common inherited ataxia, due to GAA expansion in a gene coding for a...

A touch of the 'flu. (Archivist).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... When I sat my final M.B. written exams one of the questions was, "Discuss the uses and abuses of the word influenza". I didn't know then what the examiners were getting at and I still don't now although I know considerably more about influenza...

Towards evidence based medicine for paediatricians. (Archimedes).
May 1, 2002... In order to give the best care to patients and families, paediatricians need to integrate the highest quality scientific evidence with clinical expertise and the opinions of the family. (1) Archimedes seeks to assist practising clinicians by...

Fame, power, and Asperger's syndrome. (Archivist).
May 1, 2002... Do all emotionally cold, single minded, autocratic odd bods suffer from Asperger's syndrome? A professor of child psychiatry at Trinity College, Dublin (Michael Fitzgerald. Journal of Medical Biography 2001;9:231-5) has described these...

Letter.
May 1, 2002... If you have a burning desire to respond to a paper published in ADC or F&N, why not make use of our "rapid response" option? Log on to our website (www.archdischild.com), find the paper that interests you, click on "full text" and send your...

Paediatric Respiratory Examiniation.
May 1, 2002... C O'Callaghan, W Stannard. Produced by N Blackwell. OCB Media. ISBN 1-904039-00-6 If there were an award for teaching material, this CD would win hands down, It is truly outstanding. That said, my heart sank when I was asked to review the...

Clinical Infectious Diseases. (Lucina).(connection between rotavirus and encephalitis in children)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Could rotavirus cause encephalitis in children? In California (Clinical Infectious Diseases 2001;33:932-8) two children with rotavirus diarrhoea developed encephalopathy and had rotavirus RNA in their cerebrospinal fluids. Whether the virus was...

Lancet. (Lucina).(obesity and endothelial dysfunction in children)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Very obese children have stiff arteries and evidence of endothelial dysfunction. In Paris (Lancet 2001;358:1400-4) 48 children (aged 4-16 years) with severe obesity (body mass index 3-8 SDs above the mean) were compared with 27 control...

Nature Medicine. (Lucina).(metapneumovirus)
May 1, 2002... Metapneumovirus is a genus of the subfamily Pneumovirinae (which includes the respiratory syncytial virus) of the family Paramyxoviridae. Until recently there has been only one known metapneumovirus, the avian pneumovirus which causes...

B-cell deficiency and hypogammaglobulinaemia. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Six children aged 7-35 months with refractory autoimmune haemolytic anaemia were treated with intravenous infusions of rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against CD2O (Lancet 200l;358:1511-3). All responded and were in complete remission 15-22...

Vitamin D. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Vitamin D affects cell differentiation and proliferation and is immunosuppressive in vitro. A study in northern Finland (Lancet 2001;358:1500-3; see also Commentary, ibid: 1476-8) has added to evidence that vitamin D deficiency in infancy may...

King's College Hospital. (Lucina).(new first trimester ultrasonographic marker for trisomy 21)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... A study at King's College Hospital, London (Lancet 2001;358:1665-7; see also Commentary, ibid: 1658-9) has demonstrated a new first trimester ultrasonographic marker for trisomy 21. Fetal nasal bone was undetectable on ultrasound screening at...

Journal of Pediatric Surgery. (Lucina).(hemidiaphragm abnormalities)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Congenital agenesis of hemidiaphragm is a rare anomaly with a relatively poor prognosis, Conventional repair is with a synthetic patch but recurrent herniation, chest wall deformity, and poor lung function are common sequelae. Now surgeons in...

Journal of Pediatrics. (Lucina).(exercise and bone composition in girls)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Even fairly small amounts of exercise can improve bone composition in adolescent girls but the timing of the exercise in relation to puberty may be important. In Texas (Journal of Pediatrics 2001; 139:494-500) 30-40 minutes of resistance...

Pediatrics. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Extensive toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is life-threatening. In Galveston, Texas (Pediatrics 2001;108:1162-8) eleven children with severe drug induced TEN (>30% surface area involved) were treated with early debridement and human skin...

New England Journal of Medicine. (Lucina).(HIV infection therapy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Combination antiretroviral treatment including a protease inhibitor is effective for children and adolescents with HIV-1 infection just as it is for adults. In a large multicentre American trial including patients up to the age of 20 years (New...

Asthma. (Lucina).(asthmatics should have influenza vaccine)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Asthma is one of the stated indications for immunisation against influenza but take up has been low and the safety of the vaccine in people with asthma has been questioned. In a US crossover trial (New England Journal of Medicine...