Taste test: children rate flavoring agents used with activated charcoal.

OBJECTIVE: To compare flavoring agents added to activated charcoal (AC) to determine which mixture is most palatable to children. DESIGN: Healthy volunteers between the ages of 3 and 17 years participated in a prospective masked trial. Five identical pitchers were prepared containing AC alone, AC with chocolate milk, AC with Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola Corp, Atlanta, Ga), AC with cherry-flavored syrup, and AC with sorbitol. Subjects tasted all 5 substances in random order. Children younger than 8 years rated taste on a 10-point Faces Scale. Children 8 years and older used a 100-point visual analog scale to rate taste and, separately, ease of swallowing. All children were asked which mixture was best. Ratings were compared using 1-way analysis of variance, and comparisons for all pairs were made using the Tukey test. P<.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Mean age among the 53 children enrolled was 8.3 years; 23 children were younger than 8 years. Girls made up 52% of the group. Taste scores for chocolate milk, Coca-Cola, and cherry-flavored syrup were significantly better than those for no flavoring agent. The scores for ease of swallowing for Coca-Cola, chocolate milk, and cherry-flavored syrup were significantly better than those for either no flavoring agent or sorbitol. When asked to choose a single best flavoring agent, 39% chose chocolate milk, 23% picked Coca-Cola, and 23% chose cherry-flavored syrup. CONCLUSION: The addition of chocolate milk, Coca-Cola, or cherry-flavored syrup to AC improves palatability for children and is favored over no flavoring agent or sorbitol.

Analysis of school injuries resulting in emergency department or hospital admission.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of school injuries resulting in emergency department (ED) visits, hospital admission, or death. METHODS: Utah statewide school injuries from 1992 to 1996 were probabilistically linked to statewide ED records (1996 only), inpatient hospital records (1992-1996), and death certificate records (1992-1996). RESULTS: There were 43,881 school injuries for the years 1992 through 1996. In 1996, 1,534 of 6,354 total school injuries (17.5%) resulted in ED evaluation. Between 1992 and 1996, 354 school injuries (0.8%) necessitated hospital admission. The overall rates of school injuries (per 1,000 students) of primary (kindergarten-grade 6) and secondary (grades 7-12) school students requiring ED evaluation were 3.29 and 3.28, respectively; for hospital admission, 0.165 and 0.139. Abbreviated Injury Scale-1990 (AIS-90) regions identified in ED patients were the upper extremity (39.2%), face (20.8%), and lower extremity (17.1%), while AIS regions among inpatients were lower extremity (29.1%), upper extremity (26.6%), and head (22.6%). There were a total of 1,123 hospital days, and total charges of $2.16 million. The ED charges totaled $545,000. Median length of hospital stay was 1 day, and median hospital charge was $3,080. There were four fatalities. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the significance of school injuries and the need for interventions to prevent these injuries

The clinical presentation of pediatric pelvic fractures.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have addressed the presentation and clinical impact of pediatric pelvic fractures. We sought to describe pediatric blunt trauma patients with pelvic fracture (PF) and to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of physical examination at presentation for diagnosis. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all PF and control (NPF) patients from our pediatric institution over an 8-year period. RESULTS: A total of 174 patients (88 PF, 86 NPF) were included. Median patient age was 8 years (range, 3 months to 18 years), with 54% males. The most common mechanisms of injury for PF patients were automobile-related accidents (75%). There were 140 patients (87%) who were transported by air or ground medical services. At presentation, approximately 16% of PF patients had a Glasgow Coma score of <15, a mean Revised Trauma Score of 7.49, and a median Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 9. Thirty-one PF patients (35%) had an ISS of >15 indicating severe, multiple injuries. Sixty-eight PF patients (77%) had severe isolated injuries (Abbreviated Injury Scale 1990 value of >3); 11% of PF patients required transfusions, and 2% died. Fifteen PF patients (17% ) had no pelvic ring disruption; 39 (43%) had a single pelvic ring fracture, 22 (2%) had two pelvic ring fractures, 2 (2%) had acetabular fractures, and 10 (11%) had a combination of pelvic fractures. An abnormal physical examination of the pelvis was noted in 81 patients with PF (92% sensitivity, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.89-0.95), 15 NPF patients had an abnormal examination (79% specificity, 95% CI = 0.74-0.84). The positive predictive value of the pelvis examination was 0.84, and the negative predictive value was 0.89. The most common abnormal pelvis examination finding was pelvic tenderness in 65 PF patients (73%). A total of seven PF patients had a normal examination of the pelvis; four had a depressed level of consciousness (defined as GCS <15), and six patients had a distracting injury. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric blunt trauma patients with pelvic fracture represent a severely injured population but generally have lower transfusion rates and mortality than noted in adult studies. The pelvis examination appears to be sensitive and specific in this retrospective study. However, an altered level of consciousness and/or distracting injuries may affect examination sensitivity and specificity. Based on this retrospective study, we cannot advocate eliminating pelvic radiographs in the severely injured, blunt trauma patient. Prospective studies are recommended.

Injuries sustained by students in shop class.

OBJECTIVE: Injuries in the school environment are a serious public health problem. Injuries occurring within the school shop class are a part of this problem that has received little to no attention. The purpose of our study was to describe the epidemiology of shop class injuries in Utah public schools for the years 1992-1996. METHODS: Utah statewide grades 7 through 12 school injury data for 1992-1996 were used. The data were generated from a standardized Student Injury Report form completed by school personnel immediately after the occurrence of an injury on school premises that: 1) caused loss of at least one half of a day of school; and/or 2) warranted medical attention and treatment. Shop injuries were defined as injuries that occurred in industrial art classes, vocational educational classes, or automotive classes. To determine the medical outcome and hospital charges associated with shop class injuries, we linked the Student Injury Report database to Utah statewide emergency department (ED) records (available for 1996 only), and to Utah statewide hospital inpatient discharge records (1992-1996). RESULTS: During 1992-1996, 14 133 students in grades 7 through 12 were injured at school, of which 1008 (7.1%) were injured during a shop class. The majority (88. 4%) of shop injuries involved equipment use. Equipment was misused in 37.9% and malfunctioned in 3.5% of the incidents. The leading injuries reported for shop equipment were lacerations (70.9%), burns (6.0%), and abrasions (4.6%), whereas the leading for nonequipment injuries were lacerations (45.4%), fractures (9.2%), and pain/tenderness (6.7%). In 1996, 167 students were injured in a shop class and 45 (26.9%) visited an ED as a result of the shop injury. Equipment was a factor in 88.9% of the shop injuries admitted to the ED. Table saws (15.0%), other saws (15.0%), and band saws (12.5%) were involved in nearly one half of the equipment injuries. Equipment was misused in 44.7% and malfunctioned in 10.5% of the incidents resulting in an ED visit. The majority (64.4%) of students sustained an open wound injury. The total ED charges were $16 571. For 1992-1996, 1008 students were injured in a shop class, 7 (.7%) required inpatient hospital care. Six of the students were injured using a table saw and 1 sustained injuries attributable to automotive cleaning fluid. Equipment was used improperly in 4 of the table saw injuries. Six of the students sustained hand injuries, with 3 suffering a traumatic amputation of a finger or thumb. The total inpatient charges were $26 747. CONCLUSION: School shop injuries have a great impact on students, their families, and schools because of the loss of productivity for the student and the financial impact. Many of the injuries are preventable. These findings stress the need for school administrators, teachers, and students to develop and improve safety policies and practices in school shop classes. In addition, the findings may provide useful information to pediatricians and enable them to better inform patients of risks in school shop classes.

Familial systematized epidermal nevus syndrome.

Epidermal nevi are typically congenital but rarely familial. We report on a family in which 3 relatives have systematized epidermal nevi. The propositus also has evidence of a hemangioma and a hemangioendothelioma. Peripheral blood and skin fibroblast karyotypes of the propositus did not show evidence of mosaicism. Epidermal nevi have been associated with nondermatologic pathology, involving the nervous, vascular, and skeletal systems in sporadic cases. This report demonstrates that nondermatologic pathology can be also be associated with systematized epidermal nevi in a familial setting. The apparent skipping of generations may be explained by autosomal dominant inheritance with decreased penetrance.

Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV I-II) infection among patients in an inner-city emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the seroprevalence and epidemiologic features of human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV I-II) among an emergency department patient population with a high rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection. DESIGN: Prospective survey using identity-unlinked consecutive sampling during a 6-week period in 1988. SETTING: Inner-city teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Sequential sample of 2544 adult patients with sufficient excess sera for analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-eight (1.1%) (95% CI, 0.7% to 1.5%) serum samples were seropositive for HTLV I-II whereas 152 (6.0%) (CI, 5.1% to 6.9%) were seropositive for HIV-1. The age distribution of HTLV I-II was similar to the study population while HIV-1 was concentrated among younger (25 to 44 years) age groups (P less than 0.05). Only 16 (57.1%) HTLV I-II infected patients had identified risk factors; 11 were intravenous drug users, 4 received transfusions, and 1 had heterosexual exposure to a high-risk partner. None of 39 identified homosexual men had HTLV I-II antibodies although 29 (74.3%) were HIV-1 seropositive. CONCLUSION: HTLV I-II infection may be more prevalent among certain segments of the U.S. population than previously realized and appears to have a different demographic distribution than HIV-1 infection. Although HTLV I-II may represent a nosocomial risk to health care providers, the risk of occupational transmission is probably less than for hepatitis B virus and even HIV-1. Adherence to universal precautions should minimize the risk.

Adherence to Universal (barrier) Precautions during interventions on critically ill and injured emergency department patients.

In a study undertaken to determine compliance with Universal Precautions, we observed 129 personnel performing 1,274 interventions on 151 consecutive critically ill and injured patients in an emergency department setting in July 1988. Barrier precautions were fully adhered to 44.0% of the time. During interventions in patients with profuse bleeding, adherence was only 19.5% in contrast to 44.7% for those who were not bleeding. Adherence was 56.4% during minor interventions but only 16.7% during major procedures. Adherence rates varied among health care providers: residents, 58%; emergency staff physicians, 38%; consultant physicians, 43%; emergency nursing staff, 44%; paramedics, 8%; radiology technicians, 14%; and housekeeping, 91%. In a follow up questionnaire that ascertained reasons for lack of compliance, 47% of providers indicated that there was not always sufficient time to put on protective material, 33% felt that precautions interfered with skillful performance of procedures, and 23% stated that materials were uncomfortable. Only 2.7% felt that Universal Precautions did not work. Since there is no proven postexposure prophylaxis for human immunodeficiency virus, Universal Precautions must be rigorously followed until such time as they are shown not to be effective or an alternate approach is developed. Strategies to improve compliance and improvements in barrier technology need to be developed.

Organohalogen residues in human adipose autopsy samples from six Ontario municipalities.

Human adipose tissue samples obtained during autopsies in 6 Canadian Great Lakes municipalities were analyzed for chlorobenzenes, polychlorobiphenyls, and organohalogen pesticide residues. The frequency of occurrence and the range and mean for 28 organohalogen residues are reported for male and female donors in each municipality. Overall mean residue values in females were significantly higher than those in males for hexachlorobenzene, beta-HCH, p,p'-DDE,p,p'-DDD + o,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDT. The means and ranges of residue values were similar to those reported in previous Canadian surveys.

A comparison of organochlorine residues in human adipose tissue autopsy samples from two Ontario municipalities.

Human adipose tissue samples obtained during autopsies in a Canadian Great Lakes community, Kingston, Ontario, and a second community, Ottawa, Ontario, were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides, polychlorobiphenyls, chlorobenzenes, and chlorophenols. Significantly different levels of Dichlorodiphenyl -dichloroethane, mirex, hexachlorobenzene, and 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol were found in Kingston adipose tissues compared to Ottawa tissues. Residue levels of oxychlordane , mirex, and polychlorinated biphenyls were significantly different in Kingston males versus Kingston females. The means and ranges of residue levels were contrasted with those reported in previous Canadian surveys.