A multicentric study to evaluate efficacy and safety of cefetamet pivoxyl in lower respiratory tract infections in Indian patients.

This multicentric, open label, non-comparative study was designed to evaluate the extended spectrum of third generation oral cephalosporin, cefetamet pivoxyl in the treatment of patients with lower respiratory tract infections. This study was conducted among 111 patients with clinical, radiological and bacteriological findings consistent with the diagnosis. After obtaining written informed consent, patients were given cefetamet 500 mg tablet twice a day for 7 days. Cefetamet consistently decreased all clinical signs and symptoms at post-therapy visit. All the treated patients were either cured or improved. Cefetamet was well tolerated with a low incidence of drug related adverse events. The findings of this study indicate that cefetamet pivoxyl was well tolerated and is suitable option for the treatment of patients with lower respiratory tract infection.

Relation of childhood malnutrition to parental education and mothers' nutrition related KAP.

Severely malnourished children (26), weight for age 55.27 +/- 3.17, were identified in a colony of predominantly Muslim urban slum dwellers of low economic status. An equal number of normally nourished children matched for age, sex and per capita income were identified. A strong relation was found between nutritional status of the subjects and educational level of their mothers (P less than 0.025). Father's education was unrelated to childrens' nutritional status. A thirty seven point questionnaire was administered to the mothers to record their nutritional knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP). Analysis revealed that better KAP in relation to 16 of these 37 questions was not associated with better nutritional status. Seven questions were found to have only a weak association. The remaining 14 questions were identified as important for a nutrition education programme. Comparison of nutritional KAP score based on these 14 questions in case of mothers of normal and severely malnourished children revealed a significantly higher score in the former. Questions related to growth monitoring and breast feeding were not found to be important. No significant association was found between mothers' KAP and educational level. It is concluded that (i) Maternal education and KAP are significantly and independently associated with childrens' nutritional status. (ii) The content areas of knowledge, attitudes and practices significantly associated with nutritional status pertain to nutritional requirements of children, nutritional value of foods, immunisation, hygiene, oral rehydration and diarrhea.

Evolucao da gravidez em adolescentes matriculadas no Servico Pre-natal do Centro de Saude Geraldo de Paula Souza, Sao Paulo (Brasil). / Course of pregnancy in adolescents registered in the Prenatal Service of the Health Center Geraldo de Paula Souza, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Foram estudados 136 casos de gestacoes em mulheres abaixo de 20 anos de idade, matriculadas em um servico de pre-natal. Foi constatada incidencia significativamente mais elevada de prematuridade e de baixo peso ao nascer, quando os resultados foram comparados aos de um grupo de gestantes matriculadas no mesmo servico. Verificou-se ainda que o status socio-economico das gestantes adolescentes foi significativamente mais baixo. A incidencia de cesareas foi, tambem, significativamete menor, porem houve uma incidencia maior de forceps. O peso medio do recem-nascido foi significativamente menor na populacao estudada e, apesar de haver uma grande maioria de primigestas entre as adolescentes, a paridade nao teve influencia no peso do recem-nascido