The investigation of cellular and humoral immunologic parameters (T and B lymphocytes and immunoglobulins) with respect to postoperative infection in children revealed changes in the T lymphocytes in particular. Preoperative complications (ileus, shock, infection), anesthesia and surgery lead to transient immunosuppression. The duration of this T cell suppression is age-dependent; suppression is longest in newborns (up to three weeks on the average) and shortest in older children (one week on the average). IgA and IgG concentrations show only slight abnormal changes; IgM concentrations, however, increase significantly during the postoperative period in all age groups. Prophylactic and therapeutic measures for the prevention of postoperative infections can be considered on the basis of immunologic changes related to surgery.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The Graz SIDS Risk Questionnaire: I. Development and validation].

Based on the results from semistructured interviews with parents of fifty SIDS victims and of fifty matched controls we developed a SIDS risk questionnaire, the so-called SRFB Graz. In a retrospective study this questionnaire was applied to 65 SIDS victims and 195 comparable controls. By statistical analysis a cut point was computed, which discriminates SIDS cases from controls with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 95%.

Austria↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Acoustically evoked brain stem potentials in infants at risk for SIDS with and without aminophylline therapy].

We investigated brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) in 20 infants at risk of SIDS (age 5 days to 4 months) and in 7 control infants (age 5 days to 4 months). 19 infants were diagnosed as having sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), which we consider to be a possible risk factor for SIDS. The diagnosis of SAS was made in general in the presence of clinical symptoms such as apneas, cyanosis during sleep, poorly coordinated sucking, swallowing and respiration and gastro-oesophageal reflux in combination with an abnormal pneumogramm in a one hour oxycardiorespirography. One infant had the history of a near miss event but a normal pneumogramm, 2 infants, both with SAS, were siblings of SIDS infants. We applied BAEP on 12 infants at risk of SIDS with and on 12 infants at risk of SIDS without aminophyllin treatment. 3 infants at risk of SIDS had two BAEP studies, one before and one during aminophyllin treatment. The time interval between these two studies was 1 week to 16 days. Aminophyllin, given only to infants with SAS was administered orally (therapeutic range 4-10 micrograms/ml). All infants at risk of SIDS and all control infants had normal I-V-IPL (below 2 x SD). There was a tendency to longer I-V IPL in infants at risk of SIDS. When infants at risk of SIDS with and without aminophyllin treatment were compared as a group the I-V-IPL was shorter in the infants with aminophyllin. BAEP can be useful in studying disturbances of the autonomic function of brainstem centers but do not allow the prediction of an individual SIDS risk.

Aminophylline↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Early diagnosis of central respiratory disorders in infants to avoid postoperative complications].

Infants with a higher incidence of frequent and prolonged apneas during sleep (sleep apnea syndrome) as a consequence of a delayed maturation of respiratory control, have an increased risk for respiratory problems after anesthesia. In 12 babies (one to five months old) showing visible apneas with cyanosis up to 12 hours after herniotomies, the respiratory pattern was examined by impedance pneumography during spontaneous sleep. The mean apnea duration (M.A. value) amounted to 8,6 +/- 5,96 sec/min, whereas the M.A. value of a comparable control group was significantly lower (2,97 +/- 2,13 sec/min) Aminophylline prophylaxis of risk infants diminished significantly the frequency of postoperative respiratory complications.

Aminophylline↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The Graz SIDS Risk Questionnaire: prospective study of 6,000 infants].

In a prospective study (1988-1990) the SIDS risk questionnaire SRFB was applied to 6000 infants born in the Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Graz. In all infants at an increased statistical risk for SIDS a standardized intervention including pediatric and polysomnographic investigations was performed. As a result the SIDS incidence decreased from an average of 1.92 per thousand lifeborns (1984-1988) to 0.83 per thousand lifeborns (1989-1990) in our test group, which means a striking reduction of the SIDS incidence by 57%. In addition to this effect, the intensified information of parents and physicians about possible signs of an increased risk for SIDS lead to a general reduction of SIDS in Styria.

Austria↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Removal of purgeable organic chlorine compounds by activated carbon adsorption.

The increasing demand for drinking water in the city of Cologne could no longer be met solely by ground water resources. A group of wells was placed in a meander of the Rhine River south of Cologne in order to draw bank-infiltrated ground water from the river. Geohydrological conditions at that location assure that the pumped raw water is mainly bank-infiltrated water from the Rhine River. The relatively long underground passage, of about 600 m, provides significant pretreatment of the river water.

Adsorption↗