[Case report of jellyfish injury]. / Fallstudie einer Quallenverletzung.

We are presenting a 47-year-old woman who was stung by jellyfish while bathing in the sea of Thailand. Immediately after the injury she developed sharp pain and urticarial erythema of the skin of the knees accompanied by muscle cramps of the entire body. After a few days a toxic contact dermatitis with edematous swelling and ulcerations developed, which did not respond to topical antibiotics or corticosteroids. Three weeks later the patient presented with a disseminated urticarial eruption, which at first responded well to topical treatment and systemic corticosteroids. Over the next few weeks, however, a relapse of the eruption and the ulcerations occurred. Raised titres of IgG and IgM antibodies against different jellyfish from the Indian and Pacific Ocean were detected in the patient's serum by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibodies against bees (class 1) and wasps (class 4) were found by the radioallergosorbent test. The clinical features and the immunological findings led to the diagnosis of toxic and allergic contact dermatitis to jellyfish venom. First aid and secondary treatment of jellyfish injuries are suggested.

[Sexual abuse of children. A regional study of the prevalence and characteristics]. / Sexueller Missbrauch von Kindern. Eine regionale Studie über Prävalenz und Charakteristik.

BACKGROUND: In contrast to angloamerican countries there are no national figures for the incidence and prevalence of sexual abuse in Germany. Reports based on criminal statistics are inappropriate and are often misinterpreted. METHODS: In this report we present the main results of a regional study of the prevalence of sexual abuse in childhood and compare them with angloamerican studies. RESULTS: Based on replies from 1009 students and apprentices (age > 18y) the prevalence for criminal sexual abuse was found to be 25.2% for females and 6.2% for males. A breakdown of these figures showed that females reported having to experience anal, oral or sexual intercourse (2.3%), physical contact (11.7%), exhibitionism (4.6%) and other sexual behaviour without physical contact (6.6%). For males the prevalence rates for these categories of sexual abuse were 1.5%, 2.4%, 0.9% and 1.5% respectively. All these figures, especially those for males, should be evaluated critically as actual prevalence rates are probably higher. Girls, particularly those aged 6-10 years, are more often involved than boys. Ninety percent of physical abuse happens with persons known to the victim (60% within the family, only 8% with strangers. In general 95% of abusers are male, however in 25% of cases of hands-on-contact with boys the abusers are female. From the relative frequency of reported abuse we estimate the potential incidence to be 1:30 within the family, 1:23 with other acquaintances and 1:6 with strangers. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of regional differences should not be underestimated. These results cannot be generalized for the whole of Germany. Only prevalence studies appropriately reflect the scale of the problem; they are necessary for a broad, a rational and a sufficient planning of strategies designed for prevention, intervention and rehabilitation. More scientifically based epidemiological studies on the extend of sexual abuse are required in Germany.