Lancet
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The outcome of the 159 babies weighing less than 1501 g who were born between 1975 and 1979 to women living in Wolverhampton was studied. 67 of the 68 survivors were assessed between the ages of 3 and 7 years and compared with a control group of 38 normal-birthweight siblings. Of those weighing less than 1501 g 91 (57%) died in infancy, 10 (6%) survived with major or moderate handicap, 15 (9%) had minor handicap, 42 (26%) were normal at follow-up, and 1 was untraced. 49% of the 51 school-age survivors were handicapped or were performing poorly at school, compared with 13% of 31 controls.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Acyclovir versus vidarabine in herpes simplex encephalitis. Randomised multicentre study in consecutive Swedish patients.
127 patients with suspected herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) were entered in a prospective randomised study of acyclovir 10 mg/kg 8-hourly versus vidarabine 15 mg/kg daily for 10 days. The patients were consecutive and nearly all Swedish cases of HSE were included; they were treated in six university infectious diseases departments. The diagnosis of HSE was verified by brain biopsy and/or antibody responses in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. ⋯ The mortality was 19% in the acyclovir-treated group versus 50% in the vidarabine group (p = 0.04). At 6 months of observation 15 (56%) of 27 acyclovir-treated patients had returned to normal life compared with 3 (13%) of 24 vidarabine-treated patients (p = 0.002); and the numbers who died or had severe sequelae were 9 (33%) and 19 (76%), respectively (p = 0.005). No important or new adverse events were recognised.