ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This follow-up study was undertaken in an effort to ascertain the morbidity in the survivors of infants < or = 2000 g birthweight cared for in the two Rockhampton intensive care nurseries. METHODOLOGY: The records of all infants < or = 2000 g delivered in or transferred to Rockhampton during the 11 year period 1979 through 1989 inclusive were extracted. Efforts were made to contact and examine all of these children. Those found to be disabled were assessed as being mildly, moderately or severely affected. RESULTS: Of the 482 infants of birthweight < or = 2000 g treated in the period under review, 393 survived to be discharged from hospital. Eight were known to have died subsequently. Of the remaining 385 children, 288 (74.8%) were able to be contacted and their health status determined. A total of 36 infants were found to have significant disabilities. Twenty-four were mildly affected, five moderately and seven severely affected. Severe disability in infants of < or = 1000 g was 16% (3/19). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of disability was established in 74.8% of the surviving population. It was not dissimilar to the incidence of disability in similar birthweight groups in some Australian tertiary centres for the years under study. It is emphasized that the follow-up was incomplete and recognized that the survival rates and incidence of disability in survivors has improved in tertiary centres since the time frame of this study.
Subject(s)
Disabled Persons/statistics & numerical data , Infant, Low Birth Weight , Survivors/statistics & numerical data , Cerebral Palsy/epidemiology , Developmental Disabilities/epidemiology , Follow-Up Studies , Hearing Disorders/epidemiology , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Very Low Birth Weight/growth & development , Morbidity , Queensland/epidemiology , Severity of Illness Index , Treatment Outcome , Vision Disorders/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The survival of low birthweight infants < or = 2000 g born in the central Queensland area during the years 1979 to 1991 was examined. Five hundred and sixty such infants were either delivered at one of the two Rockhampton obstetric units (Rockhampton Base Hospital and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital) or retrieved from outlying central Queensland areas. Both hospitals had intensive care nurseries capable of ventilation and infants were transferred to tertiary centres only for cardiac or surgical treatment. The study involved all liveborn infants, including those with lethal malformations and all deaths up to the time of discharge. Survival rates were as follows: < or = 500 g 0%, 501 < or = 750 g 30%, 751 < or = 1000 g 51%, 1001 < or = 1500 g 79%, 1501 < or = 2000 g 93%. The survival of Aboriginal infants and outborn infants were found to be essentially the same as the overall group.
Subject(s)
Infant Mortality , Infant, Low Birth Weight , Intensive Care, Neonatal , Birth Weight , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Premature , Queensland/epidemiology , Survival RateSubject(s)
Breast Feeding , Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Body Weight , Female , Humans , InfantABSTRACT
Survival figures over a five-year period of low-birthweight infants (2000 g or less at birth) in two intensive care nurseries in Rockhampton , Queensland, are presented. The units were level 2 nurseries with some level 3 amenities . All live-born infants born in Rockhampton and infants retrieved from outlying areas were included in the study. The survival rate was nil for infants of less than 501 g at birth, 40% for those weighing between 500 and 751 g, 45% for those weighing 750 to 1001 g, 85% for those weighing 1001 to 1501 g and 91% for those weighing 1500 to 2001 g at birth. These results compare favourably with those for some level 3 intensive-care units.
Subject(s)
Infant Mortality , Infant, Low Birth Weight , Intensive Care Units, Neonatal , Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care , Australia , Birth Weight , Critical Care , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Premature, Diseases/mortality , Infant, Premature, Diseases/therapy , Intensive Care Units, Neonatal/classification , WorkforceABSTRACT
A case of a near-fatal sea snake bite, believed to the the first such case in Australia, is presented. The two-year-old girl victim became unconscious and apnoeic soon after envenomation by an Astrotia stokesii, and required artificial ventilation for 22 hours. She regained consciousness 4 1/2 hours after the administration of antivenom. The recovery phase was marked by hallucinations and tonic spasms. The patient made a full recovery before discharge from hospital.
Subject(s)
Snake Bites/epidemiology , Australia , Child, Preschool , Elapid Venoms/toxicity , Female , Humans , Snake Bites/diagnosis , Snake Bites/therapyABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to determine the outcome of infants delivered at the Royal Hospital for Women during the years 1971 to 1975 who weighed 1500 g or less at birth and who survived the first 28 days of life. Of the 104 neonatal survivors, 79 were seen by one of the writers, nine were seen by other medical practitioners, four had died after the neonatal period, the parents of two children could not be induced to bring their child to be examined, and the remaining ten could not be traced. Abnormalities were found in 15 of the 88 children examined. Three had major physical handicaps (problems causing a restriction of normal lifestyle), 11 had minor handicaps (problems which did not restrict normal lifestyle), and eight had evidence of developmental delay. Infants who were small for gestational age tended to be below the 10th percentile for height or weight at follow-up more often than infants of the appropriate weight for gestational age.
Subject(s)
Infant, Low Birth Weight , Infant, Newborn, Diseases/epidemiology , Infant, Small for Gestational Age , Australia , Body Constitution , Cerebral Palsy/epidemiology , Congenital Abnormalities/epidemiology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Growth , Growth Disorders/epidemiology , Humans , Infant Care , Infant Mortality , Infant, Newborn , Male , Retinopathy of Prematurity/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This paper presents two cases of neonatal paroxysmal atrial tachycardia originating in the same country area, and in fact, presenting to the same general practitioner within a month of each other. Both cases were complicated by cardiac failure, and various forms of treatment were employed with variable success.
