Articles: mortality.
-
Bol Med Hosp Infant Mex · Dec 1993
Comparative Study[The validity of the index of pediatric mortality risk (PRISM) in a pediatric intensive care unit].
With the purpose to compare the observed and expected mortality rates (based on the PRISM score) in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of the "Hospital para el Niño Poblano", a prospective study of 92 patients admitted from August to December of 1992 was made. More than five percent of mortality risk was observed among 60.2% of the patients at the PICU admittance. ⋯ We observed that seven of ten patients who died with less than 50% mortality risk, had inotropic treatment previously to PICU admittance, there was no haemodynamic alterations in these patients at the PICU admittance, and the PRISM score was low. We suggest that the PRISM score should be interpreted with caution in those patients whose treatment may change the physiologic variables included in the PRISM score.
-
Comparative Study
Factors affecting immunization coverage levels in a district of India.
Immunization coverage is measured to assess the performance of the Expanded Programme on Immunization. In 1988 we conducted a coverage survey among 12-23 month-old children in the North Arcot District (population 5,007,746) in southern India. In each of the 12 towns a 30-cluster sample survey was conducted. ⋯ In the towns, 25, 66, 67 and 59% of BCG, DPT, OPV and measles vaccines had been provided by private agencies showing that availability of vaccines throughout the week and easy access even in payment terms played an important role in achieving higher levels of coverage compared with rural areas where all vaccines are given by Government agencies, free of charge. In the rural areas, significantly large variations in coverage were seen among panchayats--large and peri-urban panchayats had significantly better coverage than small and more rural panchayats. Within any given block (the population unit consisting of 30-40 panchayats served by a Primary Health Centre), there were large variations in the levels of immunization coverage between panchayats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
-
A case-control study has been undertaken in a rural area of The Gambia to evaluate risk factors for death from acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) in young children. On the basis of a post-mortem interview 129 children aged < 2 years were thought to have died from ALRI. These cases were each matched according to age, sex, ethnic group, time and place of death with a child who had died from a cause other than an ALRI and with two live control children. ⋯ Comparison of children who died from causes other than ALRI with the live controls showed a similar pattern of associations and no significant differences were found in any of the risk factors studied between children whose deaths were attributed to ALRI and those whose death was attributed to another cause. Association of death with exposure to smoke during cooking was the strongest risk factor identified. This risk might be altered by reducing smoke exposure during cooking.