July 25, 2012 Clippings

Premature babies likelier to survive in neonatal ICUs

Premature babies have greater chances of surviving in high-level neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) than in general hospitals, and this benefit is considerably larger than previously reported. The likelihood that an extremely premature baby will survive if born in a high-technology, high-volume hospital unit was already known, but the current study, the largest to date, revealed a stronger effect.

“Prior studies from the early 1990s found increased survival rates of 30 to 50 percent among preterm infants delivered at high-level NICUs, compared to preterm infants delivered elsewhere,” said study leader Scott A. Lorch, neonatologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. ”However, our research found rates as high as 300 percent improvement, when our study design controlled for the effect of sicker patients who typically deliver at high-level NICUs.” Complication rates were similar for both types of hospitals,” added Lorch.

Paediatric researchers who analyzed more than 1.3 million premature births over a 10-year span found that the survival benefits applied not only to extremely preterm babies, but also to moderately preterm newborns, the journal Paediatrics reports. The research team from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia performed a retrospective study of all hospital-based deliveries of infants with a gestational age between 23 and 37 weeks in Pennsylvania, California and Missouri, a total of over 1,33 million births. The study focused on preterm deliveries in high-level NICUs, compared to preterm deliveries at all other hospitals, according to a Children’s Hospital statement.

Premature babies are those born before 37 weeks gestational age (full term is 40 weeks). In this study, the researchers defined extremely preterm infants as those born before 32 weeks and moderately preterm infants as those born between 32 and 37 weeks.

Source: http://health.india.news

25.07.2012

Hepatitis could kill 5 mn in Southeast Asia: WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Tuesday said that over five million people are likely to lose life over the next decade due to viral hepatitis in Southeast Asia region.

The inflammatory disease of the liver affects 100 million with chronic hepatitis B infection in the region, WHO said ahead of the World Hepatitis Day July 28.

"WHO estimates that more than five million people in the Southeast Asia region will die from the consequences of viral hepatitis in the next 10 years. There are an estimated 30 million people with chronic hepatitis C infection in the region," WHO said.

While the UN health agency is focusing on increasing awareness about the disease, it is also aiming at increasing surveillance and resources. "Viral hepatitis must be given greater priority in terms of both resources and effort. Good surveillance is essential," said Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO's regional director for Southeast Asia.

"Infant immunisation coverage for hepatitis B must reach levels greater than 95 percent. It should be mandatory for all blood and blood products to be screened for hepatitis B and C," Plianbangchang added. The most common causes of the viral infection are hepatitis virus A, B, C and E. The infection can cause acute illness with symptoms such as nausea, dark urine, vomiting and abdominal pain.

"About 65 per cent of those with hepatitis B and 75 per cent of those with hepatitis C do not know they are infected. An effective vaccine has been available to prevent hepatitis B since 1982," the WHO said.

The UN health agency added that it is developing a strategy to prevent and control viral hepatitis in the region.

WHO is bringing health experts from 11 countries who will help finalise the strategy addressing areas of policy, planning and resource mobilisation, surveillance, prevention and control, education, medical care and treatment and research.

"The quality of hepatitis testing in public and private laboratories needs to be monitored. We need widespread public awareness campaigns, targeted at health and social workers as well as the general public, to increase awareness about the risk of viral hepatitis," Plianbangchang said.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

25.07.2012

A weak man has doubts before a decision, a strong man has them afterwards

Karl Kraus