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J C Casterán

Publications and source records attributed to J C Casterán.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

[Risk factors for home deaths due to pneumonia among low socioeconomic level Chilean children, Santiago de Chile (1994)].

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is the main cause of late infant mortality in Chile. Over 60% of these deaths occur at home. The lack of hospital beds and the inadequate outpatient management are contributing factors. AIM: To assess risk factors for home deaths due to pneumonia in Chilean children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical and environmental histories of 53 (39 male) children that died due to pneumonia in their homes were analyzed. The cause of death was confirmed by necropsy with histopathological studies in all cases. These cases were compared with 88 control children of similar age, gender, socioeconomic status and living in the same geographical area of Metropolitan Santiago. RESULTS: Fifty four percent of deceased children were of less than 3 months of age and only 3 cases and their controls were above 1 year old. Identified risk factors for death were malnutrition with an odds ratio of 30.6 (CI 3.9-64.8, p < 0.001), low birth weight with an odds ratio of 5 (CI 1.8-14.1, p < 0.001), previous admissions to hospitals with an odds ratio of 5.79 (CI 2-17.1, p < 0.001), congenital malformations (mainly cardiac) with an odds ratio of 8.4 (CI 2-39.9, p = 0.001) and a history of bronchial obstruction with an odds ratio of 5.68 (p < 0.001). Identified maternal risk factors were smoking with an odds ratio of 4.13 (CI 1.6-10.7 p < 0.001) and being a teenager with an odds ratio of 4.3 (CI 1.7-11, p < 0.001). Malnutrition, low birth weight, history of previous hospital admissions and having a teenager or smoker mother were considered as independent risk factors using a stepwise analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Chilean low income children have identifiable risk factors for death at their homes due to pneumonia, that can be preventively managed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical epidemiological findings in infants who were dead on arrival to hospital].

Some clinical and social aspects of 262 infants who were considered to be dead on arrival to the emergency care room of a suburban hospital at south east metropolitan Santiago, Chile, in the last five years were analysed. This figure amounts for 24% of infant mortality rate of that area. Males under age 6 month were more frequently affected (61.2%) than any other group; low birth weight was present in 25.4% of the cases and previous hospital admission in 41.7% incidence of death before hospital admittance was more frequent in spring and summer than in autumn and winter (22.9 vs. 77.1%); monthly family income was under U$50 in 58% of cases, 30% of mothers were under age twenty year, and 43% of patients had been reared by maritally unstable couples. Previous denial of care was reported in only four cases. Body temperature was recorded at hospital arrival in 72.5% of dead on arrival infants and it was above 40 degrees C in 20% of them. Preventive measures to control family based infant mortality should probably include education of mothers at the well baby clinic on risk factors, early consultation, appropriate initial management of fever and other emergencies at home, together with measures to provide easy access for everybody to timely an efficient medical care.

Adolescent↗