[Evaluation of epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory factors of hospitalized children with pneumonia]

Pneumonia is one of the major causes of mortality in acute respiratory infections of children. Most of death cases due to pneumonia among children, occurred several days after clinical manifestation which is due to delay of remedy or indiscrimination. Our aim, in this study, is evaluation of epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory factors of hospitalized children with pneumonia. In a cross-sectional study, we evaluated all hospitalized patients with diagnosis of pneumonia, aged 1 month to 12 years in pediatrics ward of Ali ebn-e Abitaleb [AS] Hospital of Zahedan, Iran, during 2005 to 2008. The diagnosis of pneumonia was based on physical examination, laboratory findings and chest radiography. Analysis was done by SPSS ver.15 software. Of 300 evaluated patients, 177 patients [59%] were male and 123[41%] were female. The mean age was 27.39 month. Age in boys was less than girls, but the mean age of boys have no significant difference with girls. Rate of Bacterial pneumonia was 30% and viral was 70%. The blood culture was positive in 11.11% of the cases. The most common bacteria were negative coagolase staphylococcus [8 cases] and streptococcus pneumonia [5 cases]. The most common underlying conditions were failure to thrive [FTT] and congenital heart disease [CHD]. The mortality rate of pneumonia in this study was 1%. Based on the results of our study, the most common pathogen of pneumonia in children was staphylococcus and streptococcus pneumonia. High frequency of FTT in our study can be due to low socio-economic status of families and inattention to contraceptive methods

[Evaluation of serum zinc status in hospitalized children aged 1-4years with pneumonia and gastroenteritis in Zahedan]

Since Zinc deficiency stunts growth of children and increases the incidence of infection specially in young children, we decided to perform this research on the serum level of zincand it's relation with two diseases [Pneumonia, Gastroenteritis] in 1-4 year old children in Ali-Asghar Hospital in Zahedan. The study is a case-control study which performed on 204 children [1-4 y] that divided into 3 equal groups of 68 persons [control, Pneumonia, G.E] through Aban 1381 till Ordibehesht 1382. The control group was selected from healthy children and the cases were selected from admitted children with pneumonia and or gastroenteritis. We excluded the cases which had severe malnutrition, Co-infected with pneumonia and G.E. or co- infected with other diseases or consumed zinc supplement. The serum zinc level was measured by the Atomic Absorption method in chemistry college of S and B University of Zahedan and collected data were analyzed by means of one way analysis of variance and Fisher and Turkey exam using SPSS software. Of 204 studied children, 59% [120] were boy and 41% [84] were girl. The mean age of the children in study was [2.71 +/- 1.38 Y] in control group, [2.55 +/- 1.32 y], in pneumonia group: [2.84 +/- 1.32 Y] in gastroenteritis group. The results of this study revealed that the mean serum zinc level in children with Pneumonia was 70.5 +/- 10.95 microgram/dl, in children with G.E. was 73.12 +/- 9.09 microldl and in control group was 94.9 +/- 11.96 micro/dl. This differences is valuable [P=0.000] in statistical study, also there is no valuable differences in serum zinc level between Pneumonia and G.E. groups and no valuable differences found in sex and age between two groups of case and control group. The findings of this study show that serum zinc level in under 5-years-old children <5 Y] with pneumonia or G.E is low, and zinc deficiency can increase frequency of pneumonia and gastroenteritis and it is expected that intervention programmed with zinc fortified food or zinc supplementations to children under 5Y in areas with zinc deficiency, can decrease rate of pneumonia and G.E.

[Evaluation of knowledge and behavior of parents about vaccination of their under 6 year-old children in Zahedan]

Immunization is the most efficacious and cost effective intervention available to improve the health and wellbeing of children and prevention of infectious disease.The goal of this research was the determination of knowledge and behavior of parents about vaccination of under 6 year-old children in Zahedan. This study was descriptive analytic. The sample size was 1066 persons [father or mother] and the data was collected with a questionnaire containing parents' specifications [gender, age and education level]. The collected data was analyzed with Chi-square test.rom 1066 persons 756 persons [70.9%] had moderate knowledge, and 159 persons [14.9%] had low knowledge about vaccination. 844 persons [79.2%] had performed complete and 222 persons [20.5%] incomplete vaccination for their children. In this study we found significant relation between knowledge and age, as well as educational level and information source of parents [p<0.001]. The relationship between parent's behavior about vaccination and her age [p=0.2], and her education level [p=0.1] was not significant, but relationship between parents behavior and information source was significant [p=0.007]. Parents' information source was Radio, TV, journals, books and newspapers, friends, physicians and health care workers.Parents' knowledge about vaccination is an important factor in prevention of infectious diseases, so it will be rewarding to work on increasing parents' knowledge about vaccination by any available means