A Clinical Study of Aseptic Meningitis(1996-2002)

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the epidemiologic features of the patients who were admitted and diagnosed as aseptic meningitis from 1996 to 2002 in Seoul Red Cross Hospital. In this study, we report the time of outbreaks, clinical manifestations, laboratory data and CSF examination results. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical records of 544 aseptic meningitis patients who were admitted to Seoul Red Cross Hospital from 1996 to 2002. We collected the data of the sex, age, clinical manifestations, peripheral blood and CSF examination results of the patients. RESULTS: The ratio of male to female was 2.3 : 1. The majority of the patients were between 1 and 5 years of age. 82.3% of the cases occurred from May to August with a peak incidence rate of 31.4% in June. The clinical manifestations were fever(92.6%), headache(88.9%), vomiting(87.9%), poor oral intake(54.9%), abdominal pain(35.8%) and neck stiffness(65.9%). On the blood examination, leukocytosis(WBC>10,000/mm3) was shown in 57.5%. On the CSF examination, WBC counts were less than 500/mm3 in 89% and protein levels were less than 45 mg/dL in 62.3% and glucose levels were more than 40 mg/dL in 97.1%. We did not isolate the causative viral agents. CONCLUSION: The clinical manifestations, and the blood and CSF profiles of the aseptic meningitis patients in this study showed no great differences compared to those in other aseptic meningitis studies.

Oscillometric Blood Pressure Values of Infants and Children

PURPOSE: Automated oscillometric blood pressure measurement is not used universally, but has a tendency to be used more frequently in pediatric areas. Reference values of blood pressure by this method were not reported on infants and children under 5 years of age in Korea. This study was performed to study normative blood pressure values by using oscillometric method, presenting 95 percentites on Korean infants and children by age, sex, and weight. METHODS: The subjects were 2,989 normal infants and children from birth to 11 years of age. Blood pressure was measured three times by automated oscillometric method. Percentile values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure were presented according to age, sex and weight. RESULTS: There were no differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between male and female in these age groups. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values increased significantly with increasing age and also with increasing weight. Blood pressure was more correlated with weight than with age. CONCLUSION: Oscillometric blood pressure values in infants and children were presented by age, sex and weight. These normal blood pressure values may be useful in identifying hypertension in Korean children.