Biomedical subjects

Freddy Karup Pedersen

Publications and source records attributed to Freddy Karup Pedersen.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Risk factors for acute respiratory tract infections in young Greenlandic children.

Acute respiratory infections cause considerable morbidity among Inuit children, but there is very little information on the risk factors for these infections in this population. To identify such factors, the authors performed a prospective community-based study of acute respiratory infections in an open cohort of 288 children aged 0-2 years in the town of Sisimiut, Greenland. Between July 1996 and August 1998, children were monitored weekly, and episodes of upper and lower respiratory tract infections were registered. Risk factor analyses were carried out using a multivariate Poisson regression model adjusted for age. Risk factors for upper respiratory tract infections included attending a child-care center (relative risk = 1.7 compared with home care) and sharing a bedroom with adults (relative risk = 2.5 for one adult and 3.1 for two adults). Risk factors for lower respiratory tract infections included being a boy (relative risk = 1.5), attending a child-care center (relative risk = 3.3), exposure to passive smoking (relative risk = 2.1), and sharing a bedroom with children aged 0-5 years (relative risk = 2.0 for two other children). Breastfeeding tended to be protective for lower respiratory tract infections. The population-attributable risk of lower respiratory tract infections associated with passive smoking and child-care centers was 47% and 48%, respectively. The incidence of acute respiratory infections among Inuit children may be reduced substantially through public health measures.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2003

[Reflex dystrophy affects children, too].

Reflex dystrophy or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a neuropathic pain condition in a limb after a trauma. Pain is not limited to one or more dermatomes and there is a disproportion between the intensity of the pain and the eliciting trauma. Among physicians in Denmark it is not common knowledge that CRPS also affects children. It is not described in paediatric textbooks and until 1978 there were only eight published case reports. CRPS is seen in older children and teenagers and the pain is often located in a leg. CRPS is more common among girls than boys (approx. 4:1). Lack of knowledge of CRPS in children often results in a fairly long delay between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis. Physiotherapy is an important part of the treatment of CRPS but concomitant pain treatment is often required in order to make physiotherapy possible. Sympathetic nerve block with intravenous regional guanethedine block or an epidural blockade is used. A number of analgesics may also be used. The treatment should be administered by a multi-disciplinary team. The incidence of CRPS in children in Denmark is unknown but the condition is probably under-diagnosed. Early diagnosis and active treatment may reduce the duration of the condition considerably.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Ocular complications and visual outcome in juvenile chronic arthritis: a 25-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of longterm ophthalmic outcome in juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) with emphasis on visual acuity and identification of disease-related parameters associated with rheumatic eye affection. MATERIAL: Sixty-five adults (52 females, 13 males) with a history of or still active JCA were assessed an average of 26.7 years after disease onset. METHODS: Cross-sectional, longterm, follow-up study including complete ophthalmological and rheumatological examinations. RESULTS: Evidence of ocular complications was found in 13 subjects (20%): 10 had had recurrent iritis, two band keratopathy, and one diplopia due to rheumatoid eye muscle involvement. The three single eyes with poor sight (<0.1) were all in the complication subgroup. Binocularly, all but one patient scored at least 6/9 as best corrected visual acuity; one, however, had severe glaucoma-impaired visual fields. The refractive range was -8.12 to +6.0 D. There were no cases of keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Iritis was associated with early disease onset (p = 0.02), longer disease duration (p = 0.02) and a positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Ophthalmic complications were recorded in 20% of the study group, primarily in ANA positive patients with pauciarticular onset JCA. In addition to the two patients with severely affected bilateral visual status (3%), one of the 65 patients had acquired unilateral blindness. Half of the complications were late in that they were first recorded after the age of 16 years. Otherwise, the findings were in keeping with other studies of visual prognosis using non-selected series.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Population-based study of acute respiratory infections in children, Greenland.

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are frequent in Inuit children, in terms of incidence and severity. A cohort of 294 children <2 years of age was formed in Sisimiut, a community on the west coast of Greenland, and followed from 1996 to 1998. Data on ARI were collected during weekly visits at home and child-care centers; visits to the community health center were also recorded. The cohort had respiratory symptoms on 41.6% and fever on 4.9% of surveyed days. The incidence of upper and lower respiratory tract infections was 1.6 episodes and 0.9 episodes per 100 days at risk, respectively. Up to 65% of the episodes of ARI caused activity restriction; 40% led to contact with the health center. Compared with studies from other parts of the world, the incidence of ARI appears to be high in Inuit children.

Acute Disease↗