Common Childhood Infectious Diseases Research Articles

Teaching epidemiology in developing countries: a field exercise.

A field exercise demonstrating the principles of a sample survey is described which, in 9 steps carried out over 3-4 days, provides reliable data on selected infectious diseases, vital rates, causes of mortality and other health indicators. Survey design, implementation, analysis and interpretation are applied in a practical and visible way during the exercise. Frequent outbreaks of common childhood infectious diseases in developing countries makes an epidemic tracing and characterisation exercise usually possible during the course of this exercise as well. The resulting data appear to be quite reliable, in contrast to existing data gathered passively through the health services system, and provide a useful indicator of present priorities and needed action in the control of infectious diseases.

Factors affecting pharyngeal Haemophilus influenzae type b colonization rates in children.

Over 1,300 children were studied in an analysis of factors that might affect pharyngeal colonization with Haemophilus influenzae type b. Our semiquantitative methods for the culture of H. influenzae type b, consisting of inoculation of 0.001 ml of throat swab fluid on antiserum agar plates and division of the results into three grades of intensity, showed agreement as to intensity of colonization in over 80% of repeat throat cultures. Our data also suggest that throat swabs are more efficient than nasopharyngeal swabs for detecting colonization, particularly for older children. All 17 H. influenzae type b carriers found with either method were detected with throat swabs, but six had negative nasopharyngeal cultures; four of these six were lightly colonized older children. Furthermore, colony counts were apt to be higher on plates inoculated with throat swab fluids. The frequency of pharyngeal H. influenzae type b colonization in children visiting health department clinics and pediatricians' offices was low during the first 6 months of life (0.7%) but averaged 3 to 5% throughout the rest of childhood. Approximately two-thirds of the carriers were colonized at an intensity too low to be detected by standard laboratory techniques. No influence on colonization rates was found for sex, race, season, economic status, or common childhood infectious diseases such as coryza or otitis media.

Duration and lateralization of febrile convulsions. Etiological factors.

The relationships of certain etiological factors (sex, age, family history of febrile convulsions or epilepsy, term, birth weight, prenatal or perinatal anomalies, temperature, cause of fever) to the duration and localization of the first febrile convulsion (FC) were studied in 402 patients. In patients with prolonged seizures (over 30 min), the mean age was younger, the proportion of girls, common infectious diseases of childhood, and immunization was higher and that of respiratory infections lower than in patients with brief convulsions. In patients with unilateral seizures, the proportion of positive family histories and respiratory infections was lower and that of common infectious diseases of childhood and of immunization was higher than in patients with bilateral convulsions. The association of each of these etiological factors with the duration or lateralization of the first FC was independent of the others.

Epidemiology of rubella.

RUBELLA was first reported to be a distinct disease entity early in the 19th century in Germany. 1 Subsequently, it has become recognized as one of the common infectious diseases of childhood. Outbreaks of rubella have occurred in military recruits, 2,3 in boarding schools, 4 and other confined populations. 5,6 These have proved disruptive but hardly catastrophic. The recognition of the etiologic relationship between rubella and congenital defects by Gregg, 7 in 1941, established the clinical and public health importance of the disease. More recently, documentation of the severe teratogenic impact of the disease has stimulated efforts toward control of rubella. Initially, efforts were directed toward the isolation of rubella virus. This was accomplished in 1962 by Parkman et al 8 at the Walter Reed Hospital and by Weller and Neva 9 at the Harvard School of Public Health. Four years later Parkman, Meyer, and colleagues 10,11 at the National

Metabolic balance studies during induced hyperthermia in man.

ArticleMetabolic balance studies during induced hyperthermia in man.W R Beisel, R F Goldman, and R J JoyW R Beisel, R F Goldman, and R J JoyPublished Online:01 Jan 1968https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1968.24.1.1MoreSectionsPDF (2 MB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat Back to Top Next Download PDF FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Cited ByThermal Physiology in the USA: A 100-Year History of the Science and Its Scientists (1880–1980)23 September 2022Preanalytical Variables and Biological VariationMETABOLIC RESPONSE OF THE HOST TO INFECTIONSPrevalence of Maternal and Neonatal Infections in a Developing Country: Possible Low-Cost Preventive Measures30 May 2008Nutritional and physiological responses of growing pigs exposed to a diurnal pattern of heat stressLivestock Production Science, Vol. 96, No. 2-3Symposium IntroductionThe Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 133, No. 1Herman Award Lecture, 1995: infection-induced malnutrition--from cholera to cytokinesThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 62, No. 4Electrocardiographic Abnormalities in Patients With Heat StrokeChest, Vol. 104, No. 2Effect of different treatments of the endotoxin-induced modifications in serum iron levelsGeneral Pharmacology: The Vascular System, Vol. 17, No. 5Endocrine concomitants of sweating and sweat depressionEuropean Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, Vol. 52, No. 2Effect of ibuprofen on fever and metabolic changes induced by continuous infusion of leukocytic pyrogen (interleukin 1) or endotoxinInfection and Immunity, Vol. 42, No. 3Infection and diabetes: The case for glucose controlThe American Journal of Medicine, Vol. 72, No. 3The contribution of common infectious diseases of childhood to malnutritionTemperature and host defenseMicrobiological Reviews, Vol. 43, No. 2Plasma aldosterone, renin activity, and cortisol responses to heat exposure in sodium depleted and repleted subjectsEuropean Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, Vol. 41, No. 1Metabolic and Nutritional Consequences of InfectionControl of Body Temperature: Relationships with Metabolic ControlA note on the metabolism of ca, P, Mg, Na and K by pigs growing at a high ambient temperature2 September 2010 | Animal Science, Vol. 21, No. 3Changes in blood pH in rats after infection with Streptococcus pneumoniaeInfection and Immunity, Vol. 11, No. 4A Conspectus of Research on Calcium Requirements of ManThe Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 103, No. 7Interrelated changes in host metabolism during generalized infectious illnessThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 25, No. 11Nitrogen Metabolism and Protein Synthesis During Pneumococcal Sepsis in RatsInfection and Immunity, Vol. 6, No. 3ACUTE STRESS AND TRACE ELEMENT METABOLISMInter-Relations between Adrenocortical Functions and Infectious IllnessNew England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 280, No. 11 More from this issue > Volume 24Issue 1January 1968Pages 1-10 https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1968.24.1.1PubMed5635765History Published online 1 January 1968 Published in print 1 January 1968 Metrics

Pertussis

Although in recent years pediatricians have turned their attention away from the common infectious diseases of childhood, pertussis is still a significant and dangerous disease, causing more deaths in the first year of life than measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and poliomyelitis combined. 1,2 In 1955, there were 467 deaths due to pertussis reported in 62,786 cases of the disease in the United States. 2 With the reduction of the danger of secondary bacterial complications through the use of appropriate antibiotics, the mortality rate has been reduced markedly. The symptomatology of pertussis has also been altered significantly by the advent of improved symptomatic care, chemotherapy, and mass immunization. Our study comprises a review of all cases of pertussis admitted to the San Francisco General Hospital during a 10½-year period. We have found no comparable, study in the recent American literature. Clinical Findings During the period from July 1, 1947, to Jan.

PEDIATRIC RESIDENCY PROGRAM

DURING the past 10 to 15 years, the type of practice carried on by pediatricians has been undergoing a change. There are fewer seriously ill children requiring long-term treatment and follow-up since many of the common infectious diseases of childhood are detected early and, because of modern methods of treatment, prevented from becoming serious. Although pediatricians have fewer patients who require hospital care, this is balanced by the fact that there is an increasing use of the pediatrician for health supervision or "well child care." Parents are becoming more aware of the need for supervision of the child's physical and emotional growth and development through the extensive attention given this in popular everyday literature and by the fact the pediatrician himself is now encouraging this more than formerly. This change in pediatric practice is being reflected gradually in the type of preparation given the pediatrician in his residency training. When one thinks of the tremendous amount of knowledge available regarding normal growth and development and of the growing importance of the field it is evident that real knowledge in this area cannot be obtained quickly and without effort. Therefore it is of sufficient importance to be included in routine residency training. There is no question that the resident needs much more of his time spent in the hospital caring for seriously ill children than in the well-child area of pediatrics.