Parental and primary care physicians' views on the management of chronic diseases: a study in Italy. The Italian Collaborative Group on Paediatric Chronic Diseases.

A survey on the burden and quality of care and the parental and primary care physicians' views on management of eight chronic illnesses and disabilities was conducted from 1990 to 1993. Data were collected on 993 children and adolescents from family interviews and physicians' postal questionnaires. Approximately 70% of patients used two or more services for care management and 149 children were treated outside their region. Only 36% of the physicians were case managers and half of these agreed that better communication with other care providers could facilitate their role. A wide difference in parental satisfaction was found between medical and disabling conditions. Approximately 90% of the parents expressed satisfaction with care for children with coeliac disease (112/120), asthma (80/89) and diabetes (98/111), whereas approximately one-third of parents of children with cerebral palsy and Down's syndrome were dissatisfied (88/242 and 72/189, respectively). Primary care physicians expressed similar satisfaction with case management. Distance from hospital, the need for more information on disease management and financial aid were the sources of greatest dissatisfaction. Children with disabling diseases had more problems integrating at school than children with other chronic disorders. Closer interaction between health services, providers and families is necessary to manage the needs of disabled (Italian) children better.

[Hospital admissions in a pediatric department]. / Percorso dei ricoveri ospedalieri in una divisione pediatrica.

Admission of 429 children in Pediatric Department were examined. 249 children had been taken to emergency ward by parents, 131 had been hospitalized by other physician. 175 children had been examined before admission by panel doctor who decided admission of 114 in Pediatric Department. Parents decided admission of 30 children. The necessity of admission in Department was only in 33 per cent of children admitted.

[Airborne pollen on the Romagna coast]. / Studio dei pollini aerodiffusi nella costa Romagnola.

Data are reported of a study on airborne pollen diffusion carried out in the area of Cesena (Emilia Romagna) during the years 1984-85-86 to create a pollen calendar. The seasonal trend of Graminacee, Fagacee, Betulacee, Chenopodiacee, Urticacee, Oleacee, Composite, Plantaginacee, Salicacee concentration has been investigated using the method of daily, weekly and mobile mean which provides the elimination of interferences brought about by atmospheric phenomena.

Correlation between dosage and antipyretic effect of aspirin in children.

One hundred and forty-five children aged 3 months to 11.5 years, with rectal temperatures greater than 38.9 degrees C, were randomly treated with aspirin 5, 10 or 15 mg/kg p.o. Temperatures were recorded just before medication, every 30 min thereafter for 4 h and subsequently hourly up to 6 h. In all dosage regimens the average temperature was significantly reduced in the time interval 1-6 h after drug administration; the antipyretic effect, however, was significantly greater with the 10 and 15 mg/kg doses. Both had significantly better and comparable clinical efficacy, defined as reduction in fever below 38.9 degrees C. The duration of the clinical effect was not dose-related. A dose of 10 mg/kg appears rational for the treatment of children with fever.

[Antibiotic treatment of lung disease in cystic fibrosis]. / Il trattamento antibiotico della pneumopatia nella fibrosi cistica.

Patients suffering from chronic lung infections are a major problems in therapy of cystic fibrosis (CF). Resistance frequently occurs with great rapidity among isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonal aeruginosa. The rational for the use of frequent antibiotics (reduction of bacterial count), and the principle to follow while using antibiotics in CF patients are discussed. Research on amikacin peak levels and its average levels in serum, saliva and sputum is presented.

[Hypertrophic exudative gastropathy in a child. A case report]. / La gastropathie hypertrophique et exsudative de l'enfant. Description d'un cas.

Case report of a four-year-old atopic boy with protein-losing hypertrophic gastropathy. The diagnosis was confirmed radiologically and with radioisotope examinations. Already after one week of a high protein diet, spontaneous remission occurred, accompanied by an asthmatic attack.

Neonatal haemophilus aphrophilus meningitis.

Case report of a neonatal meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae. The treatment with ampicillin was ineffective because of insensitivity. This case demonstrates the importance of a proper bacteriological identification in order to avoid ineffective or delayed treatment.