[Utilization of a continuing care center by the child population, assessing the need of care delivered by pediatricians]. / Utilización de un punto de atención continuada por la población infantil, valorando la necesidad de atención prestada por pediatras.

OBJECTIVE: To discover the paediatric demand at a child health clinic (CHC) and its hourly spread. Based on this, to see if the attendance of paediatricians is justified during the hours covered by the CHC. To evaluate, too, whether consumers properly use the CHC. DESIGN: Descriptive, crossover, non-random study. SETTING: Primary Care. PARTICIPANTS: All children under 14 attended at Soria's urban Primary Care centre between 31 January and 31 March, 1991, by the paediatricians and general practitioners. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Paediatricians attended 49.8% of the consultations, which covered 17.7% of the weekly opening-time. Nine per cent of children were breast-fed. The most common reasons for attending were: temperature (48%) and cough (20%). The most common diagnoses were tonsillitis (29.4%), Acute Respiratory Infection (16%) and otitis (12.3%). Emergency treatment was given in 4.5% of cases. Prescriptions were given for 94.7% of cases and 1.6% were referred to hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric demand is to a high degree occasioned by infectious, respiratory and ENT conditions. The proportion of referrals to hospital and the application of treatment in the Primary Care centre indicate insufficient use by the consumer. On the basis of the present study, we are unable to determine whether the presence of paediatricians is justified or not.

[Measles-related appendicitis. A report of a new case]. / Apendicitis sarampionosa. Aportación de un nuevo caso.

We present a case of "Measles Appendicitis" treated recently in our unit. We point out the lack of bibliographic references on this pathology, despite its relatively high rate of incidence. The possible coexistence of appendicitis and measles; along with the possibility of a bacterial superinfection of the obliterated appendix due to submucous lymphoid hyperplasia, in our opinion, justifies an initial surgical approach in patients with measles who suffer from bouts of diagnostically uncertain pain in the lower right abdomen.