Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0020672 (hypothermia)
 17,327 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

To focus attention on the problem of infant mortality in Lebanon, data were compiled on infant mortality from 1978 to 1986 at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. Causes of death are analyzed for 602 males and 398 females. 54.9% deaths occurred at 1 month of age and 77.4% died within the 1st year. Autopsies were performed on .7%. 37.7% of all neonatal deaths were due to neonatal diseases such as hyaline membrane disease, asphyxia neonatorum, immaturity, necrotizing enterocolitis, hemorrhage, hemolysis, meconium aspiration, and kernicterus. Better prenatal care would reduce this group, or the administration of corticosteroids to the mother 24-48 hours prior to delivery, as well as rapid resuscitation at birth and prevention of the 5 curses: hypoxemia, hypoglycemia, hypothermia, hypotension, and acidosis. Although unavailable in Lebanon, administration of surfactants through an endotracheal tube would also help. Infections constitute 25.1% of deaths; many are preventable through adequate public health measures and strict personal hygiene, i.e., diseases such as sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, encephalitis, and 1-2 cases of the following: diphtheria, measles, peritonitis, tetanus, tuberculosis, cytomegalis inclusion, herpes, parathyphoid, pertussis, poliomyelitis, and shigellosis. Congenital diseases were 21.6%. In utero diagnosis could prevent some diseases and in utero treatment is possible for hydrocephalus and hydronephrosis. Screening programs postnatally could lead to treatment. 5.9% were malignancies such as leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors, histocytosis, Wilm's tumor, Ewing sarcoma, and Hodgkin's disease. Early diagnosis is critical if mortality is to be reduced in this group, but medical advances are still needed. 2.9% are miscellaneous diseases such as poisoning, rheumatic diseases, marasmus, Reye's syndrome, nephrosis, rickets, and epilepsy. Most of these diseases are preventable, except for rheumatic inflammation of the heart. Recommended necessary steps to reduce infant mortality are: prenatal care, diagnosis and screening, intrauterine surgery; resuscitation and intensive care centers with modern equipment and trained personnel; national vaccination and screening programs; adequate public health measures and hygiene; parental education; and well-equipped hospitals to serve all regardless of income level.
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PMID:Pediatric mortality: an avoidable tragedy. 251 28

Severe malnutrition in children results in severe wasting and/or edema (swollen limbs). Severely malnourished children often are very ill and have complications. Health workers need to follow 10 steps first to stabilize these children and then to move them into a rehabilitation phase. During days 1-2 of the stabilization phase, health workers need to treat and/or prevent hypoglycemia (blood sugar 3 mmol/l), hypothermia (35 degrees Celsius [underarm]), and dehydration. Children with hypoglycemia should receive 50 ml of 10% glucose solution or sugar water then be fed every 2 hours round-the-clock. Health workers should either feed or start rehydration of children with hypothermia immediately, place the child on the mother's bare chest or abdomen, and cover them. They must use a modified oral rehydration salts solution and encourage feeding to rehydrate the severely malnourished child. During days 2-14 and stopping at day 14, health workers need to give broad-spectrum antibiotics to all severely malnourished children and a measles vaccine to non-immunized children and to start cautious feeding practices whereby the frequency of feeding decreases and the volume increases. Conditions that need to be addressed throughout the stabilization and rehabilitation phases include electrolyte imbalance and micronutrient deficiencies. Health workers must never treat electrolyte imbalance with a diuretic. They should not provide iron during the stabilization phase and not until a good appetite has returned and the child begins to gain weight. Health workers need to encourage sensory stimulation (tender, loving care; structured play and physical activity; stimulating environment; and mother's involvement) throughout both phases. They must focus on rebuilding tissues (catch-up growth) and preparing for follow-up during the rehabilitation phase (weeks 2-6). Once the child's appetite has returned, health workers must make a gradual transition from starter to catch-up formula and encourage continued breast feeding if the child is breast fed. They should prepare the child and parents for discharge through education on a healthy diet and eating patterns.
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PMID:Ten steps to recovery. 1229 67