[Family impact of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children under two years]. / Impacto familiar de la gastroenteritis por rotavirus en menores de dos años.

INTRODUCTION: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in infants has a significant impact on the quality of life of their parents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study on the sociological family impact related to rotavirus AGE in children under 2 years. The study was carried out in 25 hospitals and 5 primary care centres in Spain. Sociodemographic, epidemiological and clinical data were recorded, as well as the symptomatology of AGE and its severity measured by the Clark scale. Stool samples were tested to determine rotavirus positive (RV+) or negative (RV-). The parents were asked to complete a a family impact questionnaire. RESULTS: Stool specimens were tested in 1087 AGE cases (584 RV+ vs 503 RV-). The 99.5 % of parents whose children were RV+ reported more worries vs. the 97.7 % of RV-, and RV+ had a higher importance score (p < 0.05). A higher percentage of RV+ parents and those with a high importance score reported more time dedicated to dehydration treatment (p < 0.05). The 82.5 % vs. 73.9 % had disruption of their household tasks, with more importance scores (p < 0.05). RV+ had a higher percentage and importance score than RV- ones in all aspects of their child's AGE symptoms, except loss of appetite. CONCLUSION: AGE produces important dysfunctional experiences in daily family life. According to parental perceptions, RV+ produces greater worries and dysfunctions in child behaviour.

[Isolation of Ureaplasma urealyticum in respiratory samples from two patients with bronchiolitis]. / Aislamiento de Ureaplasma urealyticum en las muestras respiratorias de dos pacientes con bronquiolitis.

We report the cases of two patients, 5 and 4 months of age, without clinically important antecedents, that were hospitalized with a bronchiolitis syndrome. In the respiratory samples (nasopharynx aspirates) of both patients we isolated Ureaplasma urealyticum in pure culture and with a quantitative count > 10(3) cfu/ml. Vaginal cultures of mothers were negative. The patients were treated with fluid therapy and salbutamol, and after the respiratory cultures were reported positive, with erythromycin for 7 days. Because of the age of the patients (not in the neonatal period) and the type of respiratory syndrome (bronchiolitis), it is very difficult to evaluate the real clinical significance of these isolations. We review the respiratory pathology caused by U. urealyticum during the neonatal period and we recommend the need for a multicenter study about the clinical significance of this microorganism in children under one year of age.

[Infection with hepatitis B virus in the children and husbands of mothers who are chronic carriers of HbsAg]. / Infección por virus de la hepatitis B en hijos y cónyuges de madres portadoras crónicas del HBsAg.

Among relatives of parturients of Majorca island a statistically higher prevalence of HBV markers was found among children (22.8%) and husbands (43.8%) of 49 HBsAg chronic carriers as compared to 2.7% and 19.2%, respectively, among the corresponding relatives of 79 susceptible controls. Prevalence of the carrier state was 0% among both children and husbands of susceptible women, 2.1% (NS) and 11.4% (p less than 0.0001) among husbands and children, respectively, of chronic carrier parturients with a proportion of chronic antigenemia among subjects with HBV markers, that reaches 50% in children and only 4.8% (p less than 0.01) in adults. Following active-passive immunization, an active response of anti-HBs (3.4%), and HBsAg (1.7%), was achieved, after 12 months of follow-up, in 59 newborns of chronic carrier parturients. Detection of HBsAg prior to delivery as well as immunization both of newborns and susceptible household contacts of chronic carrier mothers should become general.