Detection of pneumonia among children under six years by clinical evaluation

To determine the most useful clinical symptoms and signs for detection of pneumonia in children, we carried out a prospective clinical study at Queen Alia Hospital, Amman, on 147 children admitted between August 2002 and January 2003 with clinical pneumonia. All the children had chest X-rays, which were read by the same radiologist. The most sensitive and specific signs and symptoms for prediction of pneumonia were coughing, tachypnoea [respiratory rate > 50/min] and chest wall indrawing. We found that presence of tachypnoea and lower chest wall indrawing can detect most cases of pneumonia. If all clinical signs are negative, chest X-ray findings are unlikely to be positive

Effects of passive smoking on children's health: a review

Since the mid-1980s there has been increasing interest in the effects of passive smoking on the health of children. It has been estimated that the total nicotine dose received by children whose parents smoke is equivalent to their actively smoking between 60 and 150 cigarettes per year. This review article considers the evidence for a relationship between passive smoking and disorders such as: prenatal damage to the fetus; poor growth indicators; respiratory illness; atopy and asthma; coronary heart disease; and sudden infant death syndrome. We conclude that paediatricians should not be complacent about the hazards of passive smoking for children and that public health education efforts should be continued