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Biomedical subjects

O Linna

Publications and source records attributed to O Linna.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Congenital subglottic stenosis in two unrelated pairs of siblings.

UNLABELLED: Subglottic stenosis in infants is mostly acquired (secondary) and caused by granulation tissue or submucosal mucous gland hyperplasia after prolonged endotracheal intubation. Subglottic stenosis may also be congenital (primary), and it usually occurs sporadically. There are some reports of its association with inherited anomalies, but there are no previous reports of its familial occurrence in otherwise healthy children. This report describes two pairs of siblings referred for acute inspiratory stridor in whom subglottic stenosis was diagnosed by endoscopy. They were all born at term, and their parents were unrelated. One child had an anteriorly located anus but no other abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Without any surgical intervention all had normal breathing at rest, but inspiratory stridor during respiratory infections and upon physical exercise at follow-up 4-9 y later.

Female↗
PubMed2004

Do inhaled steroids differ from cromones in terms of hospital admission rates for asthma in children?

AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of hospital admissions in two child populations receiving different types of drugs as their regular medication for steady-state asthma. METHODS: Annual data on children aged under 16 y treated for asthma, including consumption of regular medication for asthma, numbers of hospital periods, lengths of hospitalizations and annual proportions of readmissions, were collected using patient-specific medical records from 1995 to 1999. In the Kuopio province, on average, 35.6-36.7/1000 children were on maintenance for asthma, of which 23% were receiving cromones, 51% were taking inhaled steroids and 26% were treated with cromones plus intermittent steroids. In the Oulu province, the respective prevalence was 32.7-34.9/1000, and the respective proportions were 5%, 93% and 2%. RESULTS: Total and first admissions, as well as hospital days were clearly less in the Oulu province. In the children aged > or = 6y, the average annual total admissions were 0.3/1000 (Oulu) vs 1.2/1000 (Kuopio) (p < 0.001). Similarly, the first admissions were 0.2/1000 vs 1.0/1000 (p < 0.001), proportions of readmissions 6.3% vs 19.3% (p < 0.05), and numbers of hospital days 0.7/1000 vs 3.8/1000 (p < 0.001). The differences were in the same direction, though less prominent, also among children 2-5 y of age. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that inhaled steroids are better than cromones in preventing admissions for asthma when two provinces with different practices for maintenance medication of steady-state asthma were compared.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2002

Treatment of pectus excavatum with bioabsorbable polylactide plates: Preliminary results.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Pectus excavatum usually is corrected by thoracoplasty using metal plates. Recently bioabsorbabe polylactide plates have been developed. The aim of this study was to compare outcome after use of metal and bioasorbable plates in thoracoplasty performed for correction of pectus excavatum. METHODS: Eighty-three children (<16 years old) underwent thoracoplasty (Sulamaa's technique). In 75 patients, metallic plates, and in 8 patients, self-reinforced poly-L-lactide (SR-PLLA) plates, were used. Seven patients in the SR-PLLA group and 13 patients in the metal plate group were assessed 0.5 to 13 years postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean operating time was 121 minutes in the metal plate group, and 87 minutes in the SR-PLLA plate group. In the metal plate group, complications were pain caused by instability of the metal plates (n = 17), wound infection (n = 3), recurrence of deformity (n = 3), postoperative pain (n = 3), pneumothorax (n = 1), and nonspecific postoperative fever (n = 1). Thirteen patients underwent reoperation to refix the position of the metallic plates. In the SR-PLLA group, one case of pneumothorax occurred, and plate fragment palpability caused local pain in one patient. Cosmetic results and lung function values were similar. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results show that bioabsorbable plates are a useful option in the treatment of pectus excavatum in children.

Absorbable Implants↗
PubMed2002

Central airways stenosis in school-aged children: differential diagnosis from asthma.

UNLABELLED: This study assessed the value of spirometry and chest X-rays in the diagnosis of airways stenosis in the tracheal or laryngeal regions at school age. A series of 14 patients was studied. Six of them had vascular ring anomalies, four subglottic stenosis, two aberrant innominate artery, one tracheal stenosis and one a laryngeal web. Four patients were suffering from chronic cough and ten from dyspnoea, noisy breathing and cough upon physical exercise. Two had had their symptoms since infancy and five since 3-6 y of age, whereas seven had had their first symptoms at school age. Nine patients had previously been suspected of having asthma, and five of them had been using inhaled corticosteroids, one inhaled sodium cromoglycate and one peroral terbutaline without any effect. The ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) to peak expiratory flow (PEF) was abnormally high in most of the patients. All six children with vascular ring anomalies also had an abnormal aortic configuration on a chest X-ray, and narrowing of the trachea was seen in two of the four with subglottic stenosis. Two children had both chest X-rays and spirometry values within the normal limits. CONCLUSION: The results show that children with stenosis in the laryngeal or tracheal region may not have their first symptoms until school age. Many patients are falsely suspected of having asthma. Simple spirometry and chest X-rays will help the physician to make the correct diagnosis in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Inpatient resource utilisation in younger (2-5 yrs) and older (6-14 yrs) asthmatic children in Finland.

Asthma is the most common chronic disorder among Finnish children, however, the economic burden of paediatric asthma in Finland has not yet been comprehensively evaluated. The objective of this study was to compare inpatient resource utilisation between younger (2-5 yrs) and older children (6-14 yrs) with asthma in Finland. A national database of inpatient resource utilisation was applied to determine use of hospital services among children with asthma in 1999. Regional estimates of charges were combined with hospitalisation episodes to determine total inpatient cost. The results indicate that younger asthmatic children consume 3-times more inpatient resources per capita. Incidence of first admissions because of asthma was 3-times higher in younger children. Hospitalisation and rehospitalisation rates were also 3- and 4-times higher, respectively. The total annual inpatient cost of asthma in children aged 2-5 and 6-14 yrs was Euro 1.98 million with each group accounting for Euro 1.12 million and Euro 0.86 million, respectively. Regional and age-related differences in hospitalisation rates and costs were likely related to variable clinical practice on the primary level, difficulties with diagnosis and compliance among younger children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Sensitivity of peak expiratory flow rate for diagnosing bronchial obstruction on methacholine inhalation challenge in school-aged asthmatic children.

To study whether forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) for the diagnosis of bronchial reactivity by means of the methacholine inhalation challenge test could be appropriately replaced by simple measurements of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), 75 consecutively referred asthmatic children aged 6-15 y were examined during a symptom-free period. Their baseline FEV1 and PEFR values ranged from 70 to 130% (mean 99.1) and from 77 to 122% (mean 101.4) of those predicted, respectively. The methacholine inhalation challenge was performed with stepwise doubled cumulative doses and both FEV and PEFR were measured at each step. Of the 67 children who had a 20% reduction in either test, the fall in FEV was achieved after a lower dose of methacholine than the 20% fall in PEFR in 49 cases, after a higher dose in 15 and after the same dose in 3. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.56, p < 0.001) between the changes in FEV1 and PEFR, although considerable scatter was found in the results. The 64 children who had a reduction of 20% in FEV showed a corresponding drop in PEFR that varied from 1.8 to 28.8% (mean 15.3), including 9 children for whom this drop was less than 10%. The results indicate that if the challenge test were based on PEFR measurements, the reference values for the test would have to be different.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Spirometry, bronchodilator test or symptom scoring for the assessment of childhood asthma.

The value of spirometry, the bronchodilator test and 2 weeks' symptom scoring for the assessment of the severity of childhood asthma was studied in a series of 65 consecutively referred school-aged asthmatic children, with the diurnal peak expiratory flow (PEF) variability in home recordings serving as a golden standard. The amplitude of the peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) variation could be best predicted by the baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and the past history of the symptom rate, the correlation with FEV1 being -0.48, p < 0.001. Although the baseline forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of the forced vital capacity (FEF25-75%) and the responses of FEV1 and FEF25-75% to salbutamol also showed significant correlations with the diurnal PEFR variability (r = -0.43, r = 0.47 and 0.41, p < 0.001, respectively), these variants did not improve the regression model. The baseline FEV1. FEF25-75% and PEFR and their responses to salbutamol also had a slight but statistically significant correlation with the methacholine threshold, but the symptom score on the diary card did not show comparable correlations with either the diurnal PEFR variability or the methacholine threshold (r = 0.09, NS, and r = 0.05, NS, respectively). These results indicate that both baseline lung function and the response to the bronchodilator test correlate with the severity of childhood asthma more appropriately than does the symptom score on a diary card. Since many of these correlations were rather weak, however, the assessment of the severity of childhood asthma cannot be reliably based solely on spirometry in all patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The state of childhood asthma in young adulthood.

We investigated whether patients with childhood asthma had improved when reaching adulthood. We also evaluated factors which might influence the course of the disease. The study included a group of 108 asthmatics, diagnosed and monitored throughout childhood at the out-patients clinics of Oulu University Central Hospital. At the age of 20-24 yrs of age they were evaluated for the clinical state of their disease, ventilatory lung function and hyperreactivity of the airways. In the interval 30 (28%) had become totally free of symptoms, whilst 24 (22%) continued to have symptoms weekly, or more often. A quarter of the patients continued to use prophylactic medication, half still suffered from allergic rhinitis, and one third had atopic dermatitis. Skin prick tests showed at least one positive result in 86% of the patients, most often to animal danders. Ventilatory lung function tests showed forced vital capacity (FVC) to be within normal limits, but forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/FVC values less than -2 SD predicted were found in 18%. Forty eight percent of the asthmatics reacted to methacholine at a dose of 0.8 mg or lower, and the degree of airway reactivity showed a significant correlation with the current attack rate. The compliance to treatment of asthma was not adequate, as one third smoked and 81% lacked proper check-ups. Concomitant atopic dermatitis, severe early disease and impaired ventilatory lung function at school age, were observed to be significant risk factors for a severe asthma outcome as a young adult.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Ten-year prognosis for generalized infantile eczema.

Forty children treated in our hospital for generalized infantile eczema were re-examined at 11-13 years of age. In 7 (18%) children the eczema had disappeared and in 26 (65%) it had become less severe. Unrelated to dermatological status or gender, allergic rhinitis was diagnosed in 31 (78%) and asthma in 21 (53%) children. Only 8 children continued without either of these two conditions. All 32 children with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma showed at least one positive skin test reaction in a test panel of 11 common inhalant and food allergens compared with only 4 of 8 children without either allergic rhinitis or asthma (p < 0.001). Our results showed an improvement of dermatological status in most children with generalized infantile eczema but there was a high risk of a concomitant respiratory allergy and development of allergic rhinitis or asthma.

Asthma↗
PubMed1992

A 10-year prognosis for childhood allergic rhinitis.

The prognosis of allergic rhinitis was studied in 154 children aged 3-17 years at diagnosis by means of a detailed questionnaire administered 8-11 years later. The symptoms had completely disappeared in only 15 (10%) patients. The conjunctival symptoms, however, had disappeared or were controlled successfully by topical drug therapy in almost all, and 77 (50%) were managing without medication for allergic rhinitis. Twenty-five (23%) of the 110 children with seasonal allergic rhinitis had a perennial disease at follow-up, in contrast to seven (16%) of 44 with perennial allergic rhinitis originally who had only seasonal symptoms at follow-up. Asthma or wheezing had developed in 29 cases (19%) and was more common (p less than 0.01) among those with perennial allergic rhinitis (15 of 44) than among those with seasonal allergic rhinitis (14 of 110). No significant association was found between age at onset of symptoms, family history of atopic disease or type of treatment for allergic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis still present at follow-up or development of asthma during the observation period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Intussusception in infancy and childhood.

Experiences of the diagnosis and treatment of 41 patients with intussusception are presented. The most common signs and symptoms upon presentation were vomiting (83%), colicky pain (83%), rectal bleeding (66%) and abdominal mass (51%). All four features occurred together in only 20% of cases. Ultrasound was the primary mode of investigation in four children, giving a finding characteristic of intussusception. 27 patients were examined with barium enema, and hydrostatic reduction was tried. A barium enema gave the correct diagnosis on all cases and a successful reduction of sign and symptoms in 12 patients (44%). In the other 29 cases laparotomy was performed to achieve reduction, primarily in 14 patients and after an unsuccessful barium edema in 15.84% of the patients presenting after a delay of more than 24 hours needed surgery, compared with 59% of those presenting earlier.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Problematic diagnosis of bronchial foreign bodies in children.

Bronchial foreign bodies by children are dangerous and require immediate therapeutic measures. Findings and significance of chest film in the diagnosis of bronchial foreign bodies in 24 children were analysed. All patients were symptomatic. 18 patients had an abnormal and 6 normal auscultation finding. In three cases the physician did not suspect aspiration, and the diagnosis was delayed, which caused the death of one child. Roentgenpositive foreign bodies were found in 8 and -negative in 16 cases. Secondary changes (obstructive emphysema, atelectasis, pneumonia) were seen in 16 cases. In emergency cases the chest films were analysed by physician and later by a radiologist, who found 88% of them to be abnormal. Fluoroscopy of expiratory chest film helps to detect the unilateral emphysema more distinctly. The diagnosis must always be confirmed with bronchoscopy and extraction thereby is the adequate treatment of bronchial bodies.

Adolescent↗