Personality trait profiles of missionary adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The study objective was to compare the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis secondary population norms for adolescents, to test results of Assemblies of God missionary adolescents, and determine if the mission's experience had significant impact on personality traits. METHODS: A retrospective record review study of Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis test results administered to all missionary adolescents aged 13- to 18-years-old, having attended a yearly school of missions from 1986 to 1994, was performed. A two-sample, two-tailed t-test was used for statistical analysis. Test results were compared with standard adolescent and adult norms. Initial, and second test results when available, were compared for significant personality trait changes in adolescents over a 2-3 year interval, while in the mission's program. Subpopulation norms were calculated for the study group. RESULTS: Initial tests from 438 study group adolescents demonstrated significant differences in 7 of 9 personality trait categories for males, and 8 of 9 for females, compared with test adolescent norms. Initial, and second test comparisons were performed in 67 adolescents, and showed no significant changes in the personality trait scores in males and females. Personality trait profiles for females more closely resembled adult than adolescent norms, with 8 of the 9 personality trait categories showing no significant difference between adult female norms and study females. CONCLUSION: Clinicians and mission's sending agencies should be aware of the unique Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis test patterns for missionary adolescents, and that Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis norm tables for adolescents seem inadequate in evaluating missionary adolescents. Appropriate subpopulation norms are likely necessary. The impact of missions on personality trait categories of missionary adolescents seems negligible, but needs further research with methods that assure follow-up testing. These considerations could apply to other subpopulations and psychological tests.

Inadequate basic preventive health measures: survey of missionary children in sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of basic preventive health measures for missionary children of sub-Saharan Africa. DESIGN: A retrospective survey of the immunization status, water and vegetable treatment, malaria prophylaxis and prevention, fluoride prophylaxis, immune globulin (human) prophylaxis, and preventive education was completed on 35 missionary children, aged 8 months to 17 years (7.3 year average), from several sub-Saharan African countries. RESULTS: Immunizations were incomplete in 91% of the children. Preventive measures were inappropriate for water treatment in 16%, cleaning of vegetables in 35%, malaria prophylaxis and prevention in 81%, fluoride prophylaxis in 84%, and immune globulin (human) prophylaxis in 94% of veteran children. Blood type was unknown in 86% and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase status was unknown in all children. Sixty seven percent of the children recently examined received no preventive education. CONCLUSIONS: Missionary children of sub-Saharan Africa are not provided necessary preventive health services. Physicians and agencies working with these children must provide appropriate preventive health guidance and services.

Correlation of cerebrospinal fluid endotoxinlike activity with clinical and laboratory variables in gram-negative bacterial meningitis in children.

Detection of endotoxinlike activity in cerebrospinal fluid by Limulus amebocyte lysate gelation has been suggested as a useful technique for the diagnosis of gram-negative bacterial meningitis. We prospectively screened 1,503 cerebrospinal fluid specimens with a Limulus amebocyte lysate microassay. The limit of sensitivity of the assay was 0.01 ng/ml. All specimens that were positive for endotoxinlike activity were subjected to confirmatory retesting, after which 38 (86%) remained positive. Comparison with available culture results revealed that 33 of 38 specimens (86%) were culture positive; 3 of the 5 culture-negative specimens were from patients on therapy for gram-negative bacterial meningitis, and 1 was from a neonate. The overall specificity of confirmed positive tests was 99.5%, with a positive predictive value of 97.3%. There was one false-negative specimen, giving an overall sensitivity of 97.3% and a negative predictive value of 99.9%. Endotoxinlike activities of greater than or equal to 150 ng/ml correlated with present illness of less than 2 days' duration (P = 0.024), elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein (P less than 0.05), and seizures (P = 0.004); levels of greater than or equal to 3,000 ng/ml correlated with neutropenia (P = 0.032), and levels of greater than or equal to 3.2 X 10(6) ng/ml correlated with death (P = 0.001). We conclude that the Limulus amebocyte lysate microslide gelation test has prognostic value as a sensitive, specific, simple, inexpensive screening test for gram-negative bacterial meningitis.

Ibuprofen overdose: 126 cases.

In this study of ibuprofen overdose, symptoms developed in 19% of patients (24 of 126)--in 7% of children (6 of 88) and in 47% of adults (18 of 38). Central nervous system depression, seizures, gastrointestinal disturbances, bradycardia, hypotension, apnea, abnormal renal functions, hematuria, nystagmus, and blurred vision were observed. No patients became symptomatic more than four hours after ingestion. There was no significant difference (P greater than .05) between symptomatic and asymptomatic adult groups in either total milligrams or milligram-per-kilogram amounts ingested by history. Pediatric patients who became symptomatic had a mean ingestion by history of 440 mg/kg; those who remained asymptomatic had a mean ingestion by history of 114 mg/kg (P less than .001). No patients ingesting less than 99 mg/kg by history developed any symptoms. Two children had seizures or apnea and one died. Ibuprofen occasionally may cause serious toxicity in overdose.