The authors report two cases of immotile cilia syndrome occurring in two children without situs inversus. The two boys, 3 and 7 years old, had bronchiectasis, chronic sinusitis and recurrent upper airway infections. In the siblings, we found Kartagener's syndrome (sister of the first boy, and two sibs of the second). The diagnosis in the 2 cases was performed by study of ciliary motion in bronchial brushing. Ultrastructural examination of biopsies from bronchial mucosa showed specific defects of the axoneme.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1982

[Nitroblue tetrazolium test. Neonatal infections and antibiotic therapy].

The authors report the results of a prospective test of NBT carried out by an original method already described, and now used for seventy newborn babies. Eleven of them (group I) were tested by simultaneously taken samples from the cord and the heel in the labour ward. The levels obtained according to the position from which the samples were taken showen no significant difference. In 59 other infants (group 2) three successive tests were carried out in the first two weeks of life. These results were classified according to whether the children were: infected, perhaps infected and non-infected. The results confirm correlations between raised levels and infections. Giving antibiotic therapy does not alter significantly the levels in non-infected babies, nor the high positive scores in infected babies that were revealed in the four days after the start of treatment. Following this delay, levels of infected babies' blood did drop significantly, which was a probable indication of the efficacy of the antibiotic therapy.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1982

[Bronchial fiberscopy in infants and children. Technics. Applications].

Bronchial fiberscopic examinations were conducted in 51 small babies and infants under general (9 cases) or local (42 cases) anesthesia. Most of those performed under general anesthesia employed the Venturi effect for ventilation through the fiberscope. By using this technical artefact it was usually possible to avoid the use of an intubation catheter and thus to employ most technical procedures (aspiration, biopsy, bronchial brushing). Possible complications of the method are described and the relative indications for fiberscopy as against rigid bronchoscopy discussed. Endoscopy employing flexible and rigid tubes should be complementary examinations during endobronchial exploration in infants.

Bronchoscopy↗

PubMed1982

[Acute dilatation of the stomach in children. Apropos of 6 cases].

Six cases of acute gastric dilatation in children are reported. Clinical features of the syndrome are gastric distension, respiratory failure, dehydration and electrolyte disturbances. This potentially lethal pathology is well controlled by elementary therapeutics : gastric fluid suction and rehydration with electrolyte supplementation. Autonomic nervous system seems directly involved in the occurrence of these troubles, but pathophysiology remains unclear. In this way, one should carefully discuss the diagnosis with the aim of precisely discarding any underlying pathology (as in our case n. 6).

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1981

Spontaneous perforation of Meckel's diverticulum in a neonate.

A case of a male newborn infant with spontaneous perforation of Meckel's diverticulum is reported. The clinical course consisted of delayed occlusive disorders and bloody stools following 36 h of normal gastrointestinal transit, without pneumoperitoneum and infection. Pathogenesis of the perforation is discussed and the importance of early diagnosis, especially in maternity hospitals, is emphasized.

Humans↗

PubMed1981

CSF levels of lactate and hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase as indicators of neurological sequelae after neonatal brain damage.

A prospective study was made of levels of lactate and hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of 57 term neonates, in relation to the time elapsed since delivery, neonatal examinations (Apgar score, neurological symptoms and EEG findings) and psychomotor outcome at one year of age. Serum determinations revealed no significant relationship with clinical assessments. CSF measurements showed significant differences near to the time of delivery between the normal and handicapped groups at age one, which supports the hypothesis of a causal link between neonatal brain damage and CSF enzyme levels.

Brain Diseases↗

PubMed1981

Fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products in cerebrospinal fluid as an indicator of neonatal brain damage.

The occurrence of brain damage in 57 full term neonates was investigated. The infants were submitted to a prospective protocol involving clinical (neurological and electroencephalographical) and biological examinations, including the determination of the fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid on D1, D3, D8 and D15. Psychomotor events were followed up for a year. Traumatic lumbar taps did not disturb the results significantly. Blood samples were not found to contain noticeable amounts of FDP. Conversely, the existence of FDP in CSF was not infrequent near to delivery and was shown to be closely related to brain damage as evaluated by the psychomotor events.

Apgar Score↗

PubMed1981

Qualitative cytology of cerebrospinal fluid as an indicator of neonatal brain damage and psychomotor outcome.

The authors report a double blind study on 57 full-term neonates prospectively subjected to clinical, electroencephalographical, cerebrospinal fluid and developmental examinations. Usual neonatal pleiocytosis depends on histiomonocytic cells which probably are a reflection of constant small brain damage during delivery. Infants suffering neurological sequelae at age one are recognizable as early as the 60th to 84th hours of life in view of persisting high histiomonocytic counts greater than 10 M. elements/l) and granulocytic peaks (greater than 2 M. elements/l) in clear samples. This method is then of interest, despite its invasive nature and limits (traumatic punctures, time-limits).

Apgar Score↗

PubMed1981

Enzyme studies and neonatal brain damage.

The authors report a double-blind study of 57 full-term newborn infants prospectively subjected to clinical, electroencephalographical, blood and cerebrospinal fluid, and developmental examinations. Four enzymatic activities were measured in blood and CSF: aminotransferase (ASAT), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LD) and hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD). Close relationships of enzymatic levels with psychomotor outcome are reported. In blood, ASAT and CL seemed to be the most important determinations, allowing threshold-values to be suggested. In CSF, LD and HBD were the determinations the most closely related to psychomotor events at age one. This method seems to be of theoretical as well as practical importance in evaluating neonatal brain injury.

Apgar Score↗

PubMed1981

[Signification of fibrinogen degradation (FDP) product in CSF during the neonatal period (author's transl)].

Results of a prospective study on neonatal brain damage are reported. 57 full term newborns were subjected to clinical examination with a one year follow-up. Blood and CSF were sampled for FDP determinations on days J1, J3, J8 and when necessary, J15. Traumatic punctures do not alter results. FDP measurement were negative in the whole blood samples and most CSF ones. High FDP values in early samples are linked to brain damage and values above 4 micrograms/ml are significantly correlated to neurological sequelae.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗

PubMed1981

[Rapid screening for neonatal infection by employing new techniques for the use of the nitroblue tetrazolium test (NBT) (author's transl)].

A new method for carrying out the nitroblue tetrazolium test (NBT) has been used on micro-specimens taken from 116 newborn infants for the purpose of carrying out a prospective enquiry into neonatal infection. 44 children aged from 1 to 6 days were selected at random from a population that was said to be normal in the maternity unit and were the control group. 72 children of less than 48 hours of age were made to object of a prospective study of neonatal infection, an enquiry that allowed them to be divided into 3 groups: non-infected, infected and suspect. The study showed a very strong correlation between raised scores (higher than 100) and the presence of an infection, whereas scores in the controls and the non-infected infants were low. This test, which is hardly invasive and easy to introduce as a routine when carried out early is a good screening test for infection and can be best used on the newborn population in a maternity unit.

Bacterial Infections↗

PubMed1981

[Maternal treatment with indomethacin and severe neonatal pulmonary hypertension (author's transl)].

The authors report five cases of premature newborns whose mothers had been treated with indomethacin. In all patients, clinical and biological symptoms were those of pulmonary hypertension with persistence of the fetal circulation. In two cases, autopsy showed an important reduction of the lumen of pulmonary arterioles due to a thickening of the tunica media. The role of indomethacin in such respiratory syndrome is very likely. Therefore, indications for that treatment in pregnant women should be reduced.

Female↗

PubMed1980

Teratogenicity of valproic acid.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

PubMed1980

[The prognostic value of factor XIII in Schönlein-Henoch purpura in childhood (author's transl)].

In a prospective study of 19 cases of Schönlein-Henoch purpura, the factor XIII level was compared with 32 normal controls. The study demonstrates that factor XIII levels are of value both in making the diagnosis of Schönlein-Henoch purpura and predicting the outcome. If the factor XIII level is greater than 80% the diagnosis of Schönlein-Henoch purpura is unlikely and if factor XIII level is less than 60% of normal, the risk of complications is high.

Child↗