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Biomedical subjects

J O Klein

Publications and source records attributed to J O Klein.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Otitis media with effusion during the first three years of life and development of speech and language.

To determine the association between time spent with middle ear effusion and development of speech and language, 205 three-year-old children were studied. Each child had been followed prospectively from birth to record the number of episodes of middle ear disease and to document time spent with middle ear effusion. Standardized tests of speech and language were administered at age 3 years to children who had spent much time with middle ear effusion and to children who had spent little or no time with middle ear effusion. Children who had spent prolonged periods of time with middle ear effusion had significantly lower scores when compared with those who had spent little time with middle ear disease. The correlation was strongest in children from higher socioeconomic strata. Time spent with middle ear effusion in the first 6 to 12 months of life was most strongly associated with poor scores.

Acute Disease↗

Middle ear disease and the practice of pediatrics. Burden during the first five years of life.

To determine the burden on pediatricians imposed by disease of the middle ear, we analyzed data from 2,570 children followed up prospectively since birth. Disease of the middle ear accounted for a large proportion of all visits made during the first five years of life, rising from 22.7% during the first year to about 40% in years 4 and 5. About one visit in three made for illness of any kind resulted in the diagnosis of disease of the middle ear. Approximately three fourths of all visits to follow up any illness were made to follow up disease of the middle ear. Disease of the middle ear was diagnosed at between 5% and 10% of all well-baby visits. Children from private practice averaged fewer visits for all reasons than did children using a large neighborhood health center, but the proportions of visits accounted for by disease of the middle ear were similar in both settings.

Age Factors↗

Management of infections in hospital employees.

Hospital employees are often exposed to infectious diseases, both within and outside of the hospital. Susceptible personnel are at risk of acquiring infection and are a possible source of infection for patients, other employees and members of their households. In recent years epidemics in hospitals due to rubella, pertussis, hepatitis B and Legionnaires' disease have included infection transmitted to and from personnel. A comprehensive plan for management of hospital personnel exposed to communicable diseases should include the following: (1) protocols for the management of each of the common infectious diseases; (2) protocols for employees who are at special risk (pregnant women) and employees who work in areas of risk for certain infectious diseases (newborn nursery, clinical and pathology laboratories, hemodialysis unit); (3) assessment of infectious disease experience of new employees by history, skin test (tuberculosis) and serology (rubella, hepatitis B), and a plan for subsequent tests during employment; (4) continuous program of education of employees in infection control; and (5) coordination of policies among administration, employee health service and infection control officer and committee.

Communicable Disease Control↗

Bacteriology of acute otitis media unresponsive to initial antimicrobial therapy.

To determine the microbiology of acute otitis media unresponsive to initial antimicrobial therapy, we performed tympanocentesis on 43 children. All had failed to improve after at least 36 hours of therapy. Initial therapy was ampicillin or amoxicillin (31), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (5), erythromycin and sulfisoxazole (5), erythromycin (1), and ampicillin and gentamicin (1). Among these children, 19% had isolates from middle ear fluid resistant to initial therapy. Bacteria sensitive to initial therapy were isolated from ten children (24%). The majority of children (57%) had bacteriologically negative middle ear fluid. Resistant isolates from children initially treated with ampicillin or amoxicillin were sensitive to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or to erythromycin and sulfisoxazole, and vice versa. Critically ill children should have tympanocentesis to guide therapy; other children who fail to respond to antimicrobial therapy may receive alternative therapy as indicated by the results of this study.

Acute Disease↗

Disparate cultures of middle ear fluids. Results from children with bilateral otitis media.

Cultures of middle ear fluids (MEFs) are needed to determine both efficacy of antibiotics and vaccines, and microbiologic outcome of otitis media (OM). We reviewed data on 221 children, aged 2 months to 12 years; 122 had acute otitis media (AOM), 99 had asymptomatic MEF. We included only Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Branhamella catarrhalis, and Staphylococcus aureus as pathogens. Of children with AOM, MEF was sterile or contained nonpathogens in both ears in 51, and one or more pathogens in 71. Of these 71, 40 had the same pathogen or pathogens in both ears; 25 patients had a pathogen in one ear and sterile fluid or only nonpathogens in the other; four patients had a different pathogen in each ear; and two patients had two pathogens in one ear and only one in the other. Of those with asymptomatic MEFs, in 80 the effusion was sterile or contained only nonpathogens in both ears, and in 19 contained one or more pathogens. Of these 19, ten had the same pathogen isolated from both ears; nine had a pathogen in one ear and sterile fluid or only nonpathogens in the other. Thus, in 31 children with AOM and nine with asymptomatic MEFs, results of cultures of MEF were different.

Bacteria↗

In vitro studies of moxalactam (LY127935), a new beta-lactam antibiotic with significant activity against gram-negative bacteria.

Moxalactam (LY127935) is a new beta-lactam antibiotic which is chemically related to the cephalosporins. The agent is highly active against the Enterobacteriaceae, with most organisms sensitive to 0.1 mcg/ml or less. It is also active at low concentration against gentamicin-resistant strains of Providencia and Serratia. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of moxalactam for Pseudomonas aeruginosa are approximately four-fold lower than those of carbenicillin for the same isolates. It is highly active against Hemophilus influenzae, including ampicillin-resistant strains, with all strains tested sensitive to 0.1 mcg/ml or less. The majority of strains of Neisseria gonorrheae and Neisseria meningitidis are sensitive to 0.1 mcg/ml or less. Moxalactam is more active against Bacteroides fragilis than cefoxitin. However, activity of moxalactam against gram-positive cocci was uniformly less than cephalothin and other cephalosporins tested. Little effect of inoculum size was observed with moxalactam except for particular strains of gram-negative bacilli. The drug was found to be 40-43% bound to human serum proteins.

Amikacin↗

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole compared with ampicillin in the treatment of acute otitis media.

We treated 132 children with acute otitis media in a randomized trial comparing trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and ampicillin. The antibacterial efficacy of the drugs was assessed primarly from the results of cultures of middle ear aspirates obtained during or after the course of therapy; persistent, recurrent, and new infections of the middle ear were documented in both groups of patients but did not differ significantly. Both drug regimens were well accepted by the patients and were not associated with serious side effects or toxicity. TMP-SMZ is an effective alternate to AMP or to other accepted regimens for initial treatment of acute otitis media.

Acute Disease↗

Persistence of middle-ear effusion after acute otitis media in children.

We observed the frequent occurrence of persistent middle-ear effusion in children with acute otitis media and followed them according to standard procedures for otologic diagnosis. We performed a life-table analysis to identify risk factors for such persistent disease. Sixty-two patients were free of middle-ear effusion at one or more clinic visits two to 13 weeks after presentation and were considered cured; 45 had effusion at all clinic visits during this period and were defined as having persistent effusion. The life-table analysis showed that the relative risk for persistence was 3.8 times higher in children less than 24 months of age as compared with children 24 months of age or older (P less than 0.001) and that this risk was 2.8 times greater for white as compared with black children (P less than 0.01). Other factors examined were not identified as significant risk factors. Persistent middle-ear effusion may be associated with impaired hearing and appears to be the most important sequela of otitis media.

Acute Disease↗

Unsuspected bacteremia due to Haemophilus influenzae: outcome in children not initially admitted to hospital.

Children not initially admitted to the hospital accounted for 42 of 94 episodes of bacteremia due to Haemophilus influenzae. Antibiotics were prescribed for 22 of the 42 children who were initially sent home; at second visit, 17 were improved, including all 13 with pneumonia. No antibiotics were prescribed for 20 children; at second visit, 15 had persistent fever or new focal infection and five had resolution of symptoms. New diagnoses of focal infection were made at second visit in three of the 22 treated and in 11 of the 20 untreated children, including three who had a new diagnosis of meningitis (one treated with antibiotics initially; two not treated). Cultures of blood positive for H. influenzae were obtained at second visit in ten children who were not treated initially; no child who was treated initially had a second positive culture. These findings indicate that although young children with bacteremia due to H. influenzae may be mildly ill at first visit, many are at risk for development of serious focal infection, including meningitis.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗