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Biomedical subjects

J Amir

Publications and source records attributed to J Amir.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

A randomized, double-blind study comparing cefixime and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the treatment of childhood shigellosis.

We compared the clinical and bacteriologic response of 5-day treatment with cefixime, 8 mg/kg per day, with the response to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), 10-50 mg/kg per day, the currently recommended therapy. Of the assessable children with acute, culture-proven shigellosis, 38 received cefixime and 39 received TMP-SMX. Pretreatment data on the two study groups were similar. In the first group, all isolates were susceptible to cefixime; in the TMP-SMX group, 32 isolates were resistant and 7 were susceptible to TMP-SMX. Clinical response (day 5) showed cure, improvement, and failure in 89%, 8%, and 3%, respectively, of the cefixime group, and in 25%, 44%, and 31%, respectively, of the TMP-SMX-resistant group (p < 0.001). Bacteriologic cure (day 3) occurred in 78% and 23% of the cefixime and TMP-SMX-resistant groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Clinical or bacteriologic relapse (day 12) was infrequent in both groups. The response to treatment of the cefixime and the TMP-SMX-susceptible groups was similar. No significant side effects were noted. We conclude that cefixime is superior to TMP-SMX in the treatment of suspected shigellosis in areas with a high rate of resistance to TMP-SMX.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Why do asthmatic children need referral to an emergency room?

Asthmatic attacks continue to be a major cause of referral to the emergency room (ER), despite currently available effective treatments. We have prospectively evaluated 100 consecutive children who were referred to the ER with acute asthma and were followed by their primary physicians. Only 46% were able to recognize acute attacks, and 26% had the knowledge and skills for self-management. The prophylactic therapy recommended was usually appropriate, but the compliance was poor and mean serum theophylline levels (STL) was 6.8 micrograms/ml, with subtherapeutic values (< 10 micrograms/ml) in 44 (88%). We studied an additional group of 50 consecutive children who were on a routine follow-up in the hospital asthma clinic. All were examined periodically and were instructed on the disease. The compliance of these children was much better and STL were within the therapeutic range in 73%, significantly higher than in the ER patients (p < 0.001). Their need for ER treatment or hospitalization was much lower than the former group. Poor compliance is a major factor causing referral of asthmatic children to ER, and careful education can improve patient compliance with reduced referral and subsequent hospitalization.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Mumps-associated acute cerebellar ataxia.

During a mumps outbreak between 1987 and 1988, six children presented with symptoms of acute cerebellar involvement as the sole neurologic complication. The neurologic symptoms followed parotitis and lasted for up to 3 weeks. Serologic evidence was suggestive of recent mumps infection. Symptoms spontaneously resolved in all patients without any residual signs or symptoms during 2- to 2.5-year follow-up.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalopathy as a nonmetastatic complication of small cell lung cancer.

A 52-year-old man who presented symptoms compatible with paraneoplastic limbic encephalopathy (PLE) was found to have small cell lung cancer. Antineoplastic therapy resulted in complete remission. Because the neuropsychiatric symptoms are potentially reversible, it is important to recognize these symptoms as a manifestation of malignancy so that treatment can be instituted.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1992

Postcircumcision urinary tract infection.

The possible association of urinary tract infection (UTI) with ritual circumcision on the eighth day of life was studied by analyzing the epidemiology of urinary tract infections during the first year of life in 169 children with UTI (56 males and 113 females) born in Israel from 1979 to 1984. Forty-eight percent of the episodes of UTI occurring in males appeared during the 12 days following circumcision, and the increased incidence during that period was highly significant. The median age of the males at the time of the UTI was 16 days, compared with seven months in females. Ritual Jewish circumcision as practiced in Israel may be a predisposing factor for UTI during the 12-day period following that procedure.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1992

Prevalence of asthma in Israeli schoolchildren. A comparative study of Jewish and Arab populations.

The prevalence of asthma in 2,160 schoolchildren from Arab and Jewish rural and urban communities in central Israel, was determined by means of questionnaire. For the purposes of the study, asthmatic children were defined as those suffering from two or more asthmatic episodes which had been diagnosed by their physicians and had necessitated anti-asthmatic therapy. Doubtful cases were classified after personal interviewing and physical examination. The overall prevalence of asthma was 6.38%. In the Arab rural sample, it was 2.86%, significantly lower than the other groups studied: Arab urban 6.63% (P < 0.001), Jewish urban 9.2% and Jewish rural 8.66% (P < 0.001). The relatively low prevalence in the Arab rural sample is in accordance with the rarity of asthma reported from less advanced societies in other countries. The reasoning for the low asthmatic morbidity found in this group is not clear.

Asthma↗
PubMed1991

Breast mild jaundice: natural history, familial incidence and late neurodevelopmental outcome of the infant.

Jaundice associated with breast feeding is a frequent problem facing the paediatrician. Despite numerous reports on this subject, the natural history, familial occurrence and late neurodevelopment of children with breast milk jaundice remain unclear. The follow up of 60 infants with breast milk jaundice showed that there are two bilirubin peaks, on the 4th and 5th day and on the 14th-15th day of life. In the infants with uninterrupted breast feeding, the hyperbilirubinaemia disappeared slowly and could still be detected 12 weeks after birth. The familial incidence of 13.9%, indicating that in some cases a unique genetic factor is expressed. Late neurodevelopment or hearing defects were not observed, thus enabling the paediatrician to encourage continuation of breast feeding in most cases of healthy infants with breast milk jaundice.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1991

Kingella kingae intervertebral disk infection.

Disk inflammation in children is believed to result from infection, and Staphylococcus aureus is reported to be the organism most commonly isolated from cases of intervertebral disk infection. A case of disk inflammation caused by the unusual pathogen Kingella kingae is described. The antibiotic susceptibility of other K. kingae isolates and the clinical features of 11 other previously reported cases of disk infection caused by this microorganism are reviewed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1990

Bactericidal and opsonic activity of IgG1 and IgG2 anticapsular antibodies to Haemophilus influenzae type b.

Complement-mediated bactericidal and opsonic activity of IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies to Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide (polyribosyl ribitol phosphate [PRP]) were investigated. The antibody sources were IgG1 or IgG2 subclass polyclonal antibody fractions prepared by immunoabsorption of sera from adults immunized with PRP or PRP-diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine or clonally purified anti-PRP antibodies from eight adults immunized with PRP vaccine. In bactericidal assays using an inoculum of 3 x 10(3) colony-forming units (cfu)/ml, twofold lower concentrations of IgG1 compared with IgG2 antibody were required for 50% killing. With approximately 10(6) cfu/ml, IgG1 antibody killed 3 logs more of bacteria than were killed by comparable concentrations of IgG2 antibody. The IgG1 antibody also required lower concentrations of complement than did the IgG2 antibody for comparable bacteriolytic activity. Clonally purified IgG1 and IgG2 anti-PRP antibodies from most individuals showed similar relative differences in bactericidal activity. IgG1 anti-PRP antibody was also more efficient than IgG2 anti-PRP antibody in enhancing the uptake of radiolabeled type b H. influenzae by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the presence of complement and in protecting infant rats from developing bacteremia. However, the differences in opsonic or protective activity of the two subclasses were smaller than the differences in bactericidal activity. Thus, IgG1 anti-PRP antibody is functionally more effective than IgG2 antibody, but it is likely that both subclasses can confer protection against disease.

Animals↗