Adolescent health screening questionnaire.

Adolescent screening questionnaire is a set of questions made on determinants of adolescent health and used to screen adolescents exposed to health risk environment to offer preventive and promotional health care . Most evidence based questionnaire (GAPS) was developed by American Medical Association. Subsequently American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Bright Future (BF) developed questionnaire. All of them were developed to serve American and Western society needs. Format of Adolescent Preventive Services (FAPS) questionnaire was prepared by Adolescent Health Clinic of Calcutta Medical College to suit Indian adolescents, having a different cultural background, with technical support from WHO. National consultations on this questionnaire was supported by WHO and GOI. It was field tested and its validity and reliability were assessed among adolescents of six school students. Use of this tool helps identification of adolescents exposed to high-risk environments and use of necessary early intervention to prevent morbidity and mortality in adolescents. The available software version of FAPS can be used in the computer class to screen all school adolescents regularly.

Efficacy of oral rehydration therapy in dehydrating diarrhoea of children.

Establishment of diarrhoea treatment and training units (DTTUs) in all major health facilities for promotion of appropriate oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is an important strategy for control of diarrhoeal diseases (CDD) in children in this country. Univariate analysis of mortality experiences of a random sample of 225 diarrhoea cases among children treated at DTTU in the department of paediatric medicine, RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata revealed that case fatality rate (CFR) of diarrhoea was much higher among children treated with parenteral fluid therapy with or without drugs (20.6% and 20.9% respectively), compared to those treated with oral rehydration solution (ORS) only (0.75%). Certain child care practices, like immunisation, breastfeeding and use of ORS at home also favourably influenced survival of children suffering from diarrhoea. The CFR of diarrhoea cases did not depend on type of diarrhoea or nutritional status of the child. Thus, promotion of correct practice of ORT merits attention through all possible means.