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Robert Booy

Publications and source records attributed to Robert Booy.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Pericarditis after meningococcal infection: case report of a child with two distinct episodes.

Pericarditis is a recognized consequence of meningococcal disease. The incidence among all age groups is 3 to 19%. Repeated episodes of pericarditis after meningococcal disease have been reported previously in two adults but not in children. We describe the clinical and laboratory features of a child with two distinct episodes of pericarditis after Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

W135 meningococcal pericarditis: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Pericarditis is a rare but recognized complication of meningococcal disease. After the 2000 and 2001 hajj in Saudi Arabia, a worldwide outbreak of meningococcal W135:2a:P1.2,5 (epidemic strain) was reported including the United Kingdom. Cases of meningococcal disease occurred in pilgrims and their household contacts; and community spread occurred among non-Muslims. Between July 2001 and January 2002, 2 children with pericarditis associated with W135 meningococcal disease were admitted to our hospital in east London.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2004

Ethnicity, social deprivation and psychological distress in adolescents: school-based epidemiological study in east London.

BACKGROUND: In adults the prevalence of psychological distress varies in different ethnic groups, and this has been explained by differences in socio-economic status. Is this also the case in adolescents? AIMS: To examine whether ethnic differences in prevalence of psychological distress in adolescents are associated with social deprivation. METHOD: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was used to assess 2790 male and female pupils, aged 11-14 years, from a representative sample of 28 east London secondary schools. RESULTS: Rates of psychological distress were similar to rates in UK national samples in boys and girls. Bangladeshi pupils, although highly socially disadvantaged, had a lower risk of psychological distress (OR=0.63, 95% CI 0.4-0.9). Non-UK White girls had higher rates of depressive symptoms (OR=1.54, 95% CI1.1-2.2). CONCLUSIONS: High rates of depressive symptoms in non-UK White girls may be related to recent migration. Low rates of psychological distress in Bangladeshi pupils in this sample relative to White pupils, despite socio-economic disadvantage, could be associated with cultural protective factors that require further investigation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Effectiveness of meningococcal C conjugate vaccine in teenagers in England.

Meningococcal C conjugate vaccine was introduced into clinical practice in the UK before phase 3 trials had been undertaken. We therefore did a case-control study in teenagers to assess vaccine effectiveness. All cases (n=31) enrolled had laboratory confirmed meningococcal C disease. We also enrolled between one and three controls (n=65) per case, matched by age, sex, and general practitioner. Three patients and 23 controls had been vaccinated. The protective effectiveness of the vaccine, estimated by conditional logistic regression, was 93% (95% CI 39-99), which is similar to screening method estimates. The estimated protective effectiveness varied little when potential confounding risk factors were taken into account. Our findings indicate that the vaccine is highly protective against invasive meningococcal C disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Child vaccination policies in Europe: a report from the Summits of Independent European Vaccination Experts.

Despite the proven safety and efficacy of vaccines, common vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles are not yet controlled in all European countries. This is largely due to three factors. First, vaccination systems differ widely throughout Europe and they vary between highly centralised and totally decentralised systems. Both have advantages and disadvantages, but without doubt they can all work locally. "Harmonisation" in this field is neither a prerequisite nor a guarantee for success. Second, perception of vaccination--and this includes education of the public--is most crucial. In this field the media play an important part, but their ability or will to communicate complicated scientific matters in an appropriate way to the public is often insufficient. Third, political will may be the single most important factor for success in vaccination. Only if the European Union comes up with and implements common vaccination goals with firm deadlines can the best health through vaccination of all Europeans be accomplished. The system as well as the schedule used would then be of minor importance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Influenza A community-acquired pneumonia in East London infants and young children.

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is common in young children, but there are few data in Europe on influenza A virus as a cause of childhood CAP. The aim of this study was to determine the relative contributions of different etiologic agents to CAP in children. METHODS: This was a 6-month prospective study of pediatric accident and emergency and general practice consultations with a diagnosis of CAP. Nasopharyngeal aspirates for viral immunofluorescence and PCR studies and blood cultures for bacterial studies were taken from 51 children with symptoms, signs and chest radiographic features that satisfied a diagnosis of pneumonia. RESULTS: An etiologic agent was isolated from 25 patients (49%). A viral cause was identified in 22 patients (43%), and influenza A virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were detected in 16 and 18% of all cases, respectively. Only four patients (8%) had a positive bacterial blood culture; three had Streptococcus pneumoniae and one had Neisseria meningitidis W135. Mycoplasma pneumoniae was detected in 2 children, and mixed infections were detected in 5 (10%). The use of viral PCR increased the detection rate of influenza A virus by 100%. CONCLUSION: Influenza A virus caused more than one-third of all viral CAP cases, a rate comparable with that of RSV CAP. Viral PCR doubled the diagnostic yield of influenza A virus. The clinical burden of influenza A CAP was comparable with that of RSV CAP, as measured by the duration of fever, hospital stay and total duration of illness.

Age Distribution↗