Usefulness of adhesive strapping for umbilical hernias of infants.

BACKGROUND: Using a controlled trial, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of adhesive strapping to improve the natural healing rate of umbilical hernia. METHODS: This prospective, observational study included 128 patients from Kumamoto, Japan (97 in the adhesive strapping group, and 31 in observation group), from 2012-2015. The duration from first hospital visit to the hernia orifice closure was compared between the two groups. RESULT: Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the probability of umbilical hernia in the adhesive strapping group was lower until approximately 200 days, but it was not statistically significant in the log rank test. According to multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, the hazard risk of umbilical hernia in the adhesive strapping group was significantly higher within 0-60 days after adjusting for confounding factors such as hernial cavity and hernia orifice area (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Adhesive strapping of umbilical hernia was significantly associated with earlier closure of the hernia orifice from baseline until at least 60 days.

Airborne water droplets in mist or fog may affect nocturnal attacks in asthmatic children.

Our study objectives were to evaluate whether or not airborne water droplets in mist or fog affect the occurrence of nocturnal attacks of asthmatic children using a retrospective study. This study included 971 visits by children with bronchial asthma to the emergency department at nighttime (from 18:00 to 09:00) during a 3-year period (April 1, 1998-March 31, 2001). Meteorological data were checked at a local fire station and regional meteorological observatory. We divided nighttime into five 3-hour periods to evaluate the relationship between chronological changes in the frequency of the emergency department visits of asthmatic children and of meteorological conditions. In four of five periods of nighttime, multivariate analysis showed that mist or fog, average atmospheric temperature, and barometric pressure were related to the number of emergency department visits (n=1096, r=0.165-0.263, p<0.0001). We divided the year into four seasons to eliminate differences between atmospheric temperature and barometric pressure on clear nights and on misty or foggy nights; we also found the mean number of emergency department visits was higher on misty or foggy nights than on clear nights in each seasonal period (p<0.01). In addition, average atmospheric temperature on misty or foggy nights with the emergency department visits was higher than that on misty or foggy nights without any visits (p<0.01). Asthmatic children frequently visited the emergency department on misty or foggy nights, especially during midnight to dawn periods with high atmospheric temperature. Because a higher atmospheric temperature on misty or foggy nights indicates a larger saturated amount of airborne water droplets, our results suggest that mist and fog, in particular a saturated amount of airborne water droplets, may be a stimulus for bronchoconstriction.

High frequency of emergency room visits of asthmatic children on misty or foggy nights.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine whether or not the presence of mist or fog affects respiratory conditions in asthmatic children. DESIGN: A retrospective study. PREPARATION AND METHODS: There were 754 visits by children with asthma to the emergency room at night (between 18:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.) during a two-year period. Meteorological data were checked at a local fire station and regional meteorological observatory. We evaluated the relation between meteorological data and the number of emergency room visits of asthmatic children. RESULTS: The mean number of asthmatic children who visited the emergency room was higher on misty or foggy nights than on clear nights (1.2 +/- 1.2 people/night vs. 0.8 +/- 0.9 people/night, p<0.0001). Mist and fog had an increased odds ratio (OR) of emergency room visits of asthmatic children (1.74, p<0.001). In addition, increased OR was found for high atmospheric temperature (4.39, p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed mist and fog (p<0.0001), average atmospheric temperature (p<0.0001), and day-to-day change of temperature (p<0.05) were related to the number of asthmatic children (n=731, r=0.428, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the presence of mist and fog causes the exacerbation of asthma in children. It is not clear which is related to the high frequency of emergency room visits of asthmatic children, airborne water droplets or the meteorological condition that causes mist or fog, but the prophylaxis for exacerbation may decrease the frequency of emergency room visits.