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Biomedical subjects

E F Crain

Publications and source records attributed to E F Crain.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

A prospective study of recurrent febrile seizures.

BACKGROUND: Febrile seizures occur in about 2 to 4 percent of all children, approximately one third of whom will have recurrent febrile seizures. Little is known about predictors of recurrence. METHODS: In this prospective study, we identified 347 children (1 month to 10 years of age) who presented with a first febrile seizure at one of four pediatric emergency departments. Information about these children was collected from medical records and interviews with the parents, and the children were followed for a median of 20 months to ascertain whether febrile seizures recurred. RESULTS: Recurrent febrile seizures occurred in 94 of the 347 children (27 percent) with a cumulative risk of 25 percent at one year and 30 percent at two years. The duration of fever before the initial seizure was associated with the risk of recurrence at one year: for fever lasting less than 1 hour, the risk of recurrence was 44 percent; for fever lasting 1 to 24 hours, 23 percent; and for fever lasting more than 24 hours, 13 percent (P less than 0.001). With each degree of increase in temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit), from 101 degrees F (38.3 degrees C) to greater than or equal to 105 degrees F (40.6 degrees C), the risk of recurrence at one year declined, from 35 percent to 30, 26, 20, and 13 percent (P for trend = 0.024). An age of less than 18 months and a family history of febrile seizures were also associated with an increased risk of recurrence. A family history of epilepsy, complex febrile seizures, and neurodevelopmental abnormalities did not increase the risk of recurrent febrile seizures. CONCLUSIONS: A shorter duration of fever before the initial febrile seizure and a lower temperature are associated with an increased risk of recurrence in children who have febrile seizures.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Neurologic disorders and dermatologic manifestations in HIV-infected children.

Cutaneous manifestations of HIV infections in childhood are common but are not the dermatologic lesions associated with HIV infection in adults. For example, Kaposi's sarcoma, a common finding in adults with AIDS, is rare in children. Other cutaneous manifestations, including bacterial and fungal lesions and viral exanthems, are common in children with AIDS and can be atypical and severe. Because 90% of the pediatric AIDS population acquires the virus via maternal transmission to the fetus, a dysmorphic syndrome associated with intrauterine infection has been described. Physicians caring for and evaluating pediatric patients at risk for AIDS should be aware of these dermatologic manifestations, so that early detection and treatment can be instituted to reduce the morbidity of the complication of HIV infection.

HIV Infections↗
PubMed1991

Is a chest radiograph necessary in the evaluation of every febrile infant less than 8 weeks of age?

This study was designed to examine the relationship between respiratory signs and the likelihood of having an abnormal chest radiograph in a sample of febrile infants less than 8 weeks of age. The sample consisted of 242 infants who were admitted during a 3-year period with temperatures greater than or equal to 38 degrees C (100.4 degrees F) and had a chest radiograph. The house officer recorded the presence of respiratory signs and symptoms including rhinorrhea, tachypnea, cough, rales, wheezes, retractions, and rhonchi. Each chest radiograph was reviewed independently according to predetermined criteria by a senior radiology resident and an attending pediatric radiologist. Interobserver agreement was 91%. Both observers were blind to the infants' respiratory signs. The chest radiograph interpretations were compared with the presence of respiratory signs. Of the 242 cases, 228 had chest radiographs available for interpretation. Of these, 27 chest radiographs (12%) were identified as abnormal, including 6 where there was initial disagreement as to the presence of an abnormality. Twenty-five (31%) of 80 infants with any respiratory signs had an abnormal chest radiograph, whereas only 2 (1%) of 148 asymptomatic infants did. The sensitivity of respiratory signs was 93% (confidence interval = 76% to 99%). These findings suggest that in the absence of respiratory signs, febrile infants are unlikely to have an abnormal chest radiograph.

Fever↗
PubMed1990

Urinary tract infections in febrile infants younger than 8 weeks of age.

In this prospective study of 442 infants younger than 8 weeks of age who attended a pediatric emergency department with temperature greater than or equal to 100.6 degrees F (38.1 degrees C), urinary tract infections (UTIs) were found in 33 patients (7.5%), 2 of whom were bacteremic. Clinical and laboratory data were not helpful for identifying UTIs. Of the 33 patients with UTIs, 32 had urinalyses recorded; 16 were suggestive of a UTI (more than five white blood cells per high-power field or any bacteria present). Of the 16 infants with apparently normal urinalysis results, three had an emergency department diagnosis suggesting an alternative bacterial focus of infection. If the physician had decided on the basis of apparently normal urinalysis results to forgo obtaining a urine culture, more than half of the UTIs would have been missed. Bag-collected specimens were significantly more likely to yield indeterminate urine culture results than either catheter or suprapubic specimens. In addition, uncircumcised males were significantly more likely to have a UTI than circumcised boys. These results suggest that a suprapubic or catheter-obtained urine specimen for culture is a necessary part of the evaluation of all febrile infants younger than 8 weeks of age, regardless of the urinalysis findings or another focus of presumed bacterial infection.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1988

Which febrile infants younger than two weeks of age are likely to have sepsis? A pilot study.

During a 7-year period we prospectively studied 46 infants younger than 2 weeks of age with rectal temperatures of 100.6 degrees F or higher. Before performing a full laboratory evaluation for sepsis, house officers recorded their impressions of whether the infants were likely to have sepsis. Using the combination of impression of sepsis, white blood cell count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, infants were assigned to one of two sepsis risk groups (high or low). All patients were hospitalized and treated with parenteral antibiotics. Sepsis or meningitis was diagnosed in 8.7% of the patients. Thirty-five of the 46 infants had sufficient data for risk group assignment. Sepsis or meningitis was diagnosed in 3 of 11 high risk infants vs. 0 of 24 low risk patients (P = 0.025). Of the 21 infants initially admitted without an identified bacterial source, 4 subsequently developed a bacterial complication, i.e. a bacterial focus that, although present at the time of admission, became apparent only after hospitalization. A bacterial complication was identified during the hospital course in 3 of 4 high risk infants vs. 1 of 17 low risk patients (P = 0.012).

Bacteria↗
PubMed1987

Dose-related effects of nebulized metaproterenol in asthmatic children.

The dose-related effects of inhaled 5% metaproterenol solution in asthmatic children between the ages of six and 12 years with acute bronchospasm were evaluated. Tests included FEV1.0, FEF25-75, and PEFR. For entry into the study, subjects were required to have an FEV1.0 or an FEF25-75 less than 80% of the child's predicted normal value based on height and race. Sixty children were randomly assigned in double-blind fashion to receive one of four different doses of 5% metaproterenol inhalant solution: 0.0 ml (placebo), 0.1 ml, 0.2 ml, or 0.3 ml. Drug efficacy was assessed by spirometry using a DeVilbiss Surveyor I spirometer. Spirometry was performed prior to inhalation of the test dose (baseline) and four times after inhalation: immediately after and 15, 30, and 60 minutes after inhalation. Patients in the three treated groups had significantly higher peak post-dose FEV1.0 and FEF25-75 than the placebo group but were not significantly different from one another. There was a significant relationship between dose and incidence of side effects. These results suggest that 0.1 ml (5 mg) of nebulized metaproterenol may provide as much bronchodilatation as higher doses with fewer side effects.

Acute Disease↗