Journal of tropical pediatrics
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Out of 252 patients with undescended testes admitted under our care between January 1984 and September 1992, 70 had bilateral undescended testes and 182 had unilateral undescended testes. Fifty-one (20 percent) patients had at least one associated anomaly. Thirteen (25 percent) patients had more than one anomaly. ⋯ In addition there were 11 patients with intersexual disorders, six patients with autosomal disorders and six patients with well-recognized syndromes. We found that the incidence of intersexual disorders among the patients with undescended testes was 4.6 percent, but the incidence was much higher (55 percent) in the group of patients with both undescended testes and hypospadias. Patients with bilateral undescended testes had a much higher incidence (46 percent) of associated anomalies than those with unilateral undescended testes (10 percent).
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Amanita phalloides is responsible for about 90 per cent of all fatal cases of mushroom intoxication. The amatoxins, the main toxic component of these fungi, are responsible for gastro-intestinal symptoms as well as hepatic and renal failure. Three brothers with Amanita phalloides poisoning were admitted with gastro-intestinal symptoms beginning 12 h after ingestion. ⋯ Liver enzymes that showed a marked increase on the second day of therapy decreased to normal levels on the 28th day. All of our patients survived. This life saving role of early haemoperfusion in Amanita phalloides poisoning is emphasized.
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A prospective cohort study was carried out at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia, to investigate the prevalence of neonatal hypothermia, type of infant care and incidence of mortality. Two-hundred-and-sixty-one infants, aged 0-7 days, admitted to the pediatric unit during the 'warm' season were recruited to the study. Forty-four per cent of the infants were hypothermic (< 36 degrees C) on admission, and admission hypothermia correlated to admission weight and home delivery in the youngest age group (0-24 hours). ⋯ Mean time to reach a body temperature above 35.9 degrees C did not differ between infants kept in a cot and in an incubator. Total numbers of death was 82 (31 per cent) and the mortality was higher in infants who were hypothermic at admission compared to those who were not. This study demonstrates that a change of existing care routines is needed.