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Biomedical subjects

A N Stanton

Publications and source records attributed to A N Stanton.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Meningococcal infections during infancy: confidential inquiries into 10 deaths.

The first 10 deaths from meningococcal infections in children aged under 2 years that were reported to a DHSS multicentre study were reviewed. Confidential inquiries were made of the parents, family doctors, health visitors, and hospital staff concerned with each case, and management was discussed with a paediatrician and pathologist. Diagnosis and treatment were often delayed because doctors did not realise the importance of the purpuric rash. One child died at home, and by the time they were admitted to hospital all the remaining nine were shocked and needed resuscitation. Prodromal symptoms, mainly changes in behaviour, preceded the rash in all cases. These prodromal symptoms should arouse the suspicion of septicaemia and prompt a search for petechiae so that early effective treatment may be started.

Behavior↗
PubMed1978

Terminal symptoms in children dying suddenly and unexpectedly at home. Preliminary report of the DHSS multicentre study of postneonatal mortality.

Terminal symptoms in 145 children who died suddenly and unexpectedly at home were investigated and compared with symptoms in 154 control children. Eighty-five (59%) of the children who died had had terminal symptoms, which in 69 cases (48%) appeared to have been major. Non-specific symptoms were especially common among the children who died. Symptoms were often present for several days before death. Only 12 of the 69 children who died with major symptoms had been seen by a doctor within 24 hours before death. We conclude that many deaths in young children might be prevented if doctors and parents were more aware of the importance of non-specific symptoms as markers of life-threatening illness.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

Respiratory viruses and cot death.

Respiratory viruses and histological appearances of the lung were studied prospectively in an unselected series of 104 children who died between 1 week and 2 years of age. Thirty-one of the cases were cot deaths. Seven of these showed evidence of active virus infection in the lower respiratory tract. Similar evidence was found in two children who died from known causes and did not have a severe respiratory illness terminally. Although in some cases of cot death respiratory viruses may be responsible for a severe and rapidly overwhelming illness, the present results are compatible with an alternative hypothesis-namely, that minor respiratory illness may trigger sudden apnoea.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1978

Evaluation of the Sheffield system for identifying children at risk from unexpected death in infancy. Results from Birmingham and Newcastle upon Tyne.

The "at birth" system which is used in Sheffield to identify children likely to die unexpectedly in infancy, was tested retrospectively in Birmingham (83 cases) and in Newcastle upon Tyne (56 cases). The discrimination between cases and age-matched controls was poor in both cities. Analysis of the 8 factors used in the system showed that only 2 maintained significant case/control differences in Birmingham and Newcastle. Further investigation showed that other factors from maternity records showed significant case/control differences in these cities. Although the system used in Sheffield would not be of use in a prospective prevention programme in either Newcastle or Birmingham, the possibility of evolving an "at risk" system which might apply more widely is discussed.

England↗