Psychological stress as a factor potentially contributing to the pathogenesis of Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

UNLABELLED: Diabetes mellitus Type 1 (T1D) is an autoimmune disorder attributed to both genetic and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to identify certain stressful conditions potentially associated with the pathogenesis and/or expression of T1D. The study group included 107 children with diabetes (CD) and 153 controls of comparable age and gender distribution at diagnosis of T1D (10.73+/-3.62 yr vs 9.59 +/-3.42 yr, respectively). The parents of both groups completed a questionnaire on socioeconomic status and stressful life events or adverse situations at home and school. RESULTS: Lower social class was more prevalent among the mothers of CD (p=0.002) in comparison with the controls. Stressful life events (parental death, divorce, parental job loss), problems at home (parental abuse, parental dispute) and at school (poor performance) were more frequently observed in the CD group than in the controls (parental death: p=0.05, job loss: p=0.05, parental abuse: p=0.002, quarrels between parents: p=0.05, and among siblings p=0.002, poor school performance: p=0.037). A stepwise logistic regression analysis indicated that lower maternal social class [odds ratio (OR): 3.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.37,10.9], parental dispute or divorce (OR: 2.78, 95%CI: 0.97,7.95), body mass index (OR: 0.87, 95%CI: 0.78,0.97), increasing age (OR: 1.14, 95%CI: 1.02,1.27) were the factors potentially influencing the occurrence of T1D, while the 2-yr period prior to diabetes occurrence emerged as the most important one (OR: 2.49, 95%CI: 1.14,5.42). CONCLUSION: Children with diabetes seem to experience certain stressful conditions with significantly increased frequency compared to controls, especially during the 2 yr preceding the diagnosis of T1D, with a higher clustering in those of lower social class. The resultant stress possibly contributes to the development of T1D in genetically susceptible individuals.

Acute and chronic paediatric intensive care patients: current trends and perspectives on resource utilization.

BACKGROUND: Advances in paediatric critical care have resulted in increased survival of critically ill patients, many of whom require long-term ventilation as a means of life support. AIM: To determine current trends in resource utilization, and problems in the care of acute and chronic paediatric intensive care patients. DESIGN: Open observational study. METHODS: We evaluated consecutive admissions (n = 1629) to a 10-bed paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) over a 5-year period. Three previously defined criteria for resource utilization were used: mean length of stay (LOS); length of mechanical ventilation (LOMV); and LOMV/LOS ratio. RESULTS: A total of 10 310 patient bed days and 5223 ventilator days were used. Mean LOS increased from 5.3 +/- 12 days in 1998 to 8.7 +/- 27 days in 2001 (p < 0.05). Although LOMV/LOS ratio (50.7%) was significantly correlated with Paediatric Risk of Mortality score (p < 0.0001), there was no significant change in mortality rate (12.6% vs. 12%). Patients hospitalized for >2 weeks (n = 320, 20%) used 55% of LOS and 57% of LOMV, in contrast to the 1298 (80%) hospitalized for <7 days, who used only 29% of LOS and 20% of LOMV. Patients hospitalized for >3 months (11, 0.7%) consumed 17% of LOS and 23% of LOMV. Five of these (45%) were eventually discharged home, two on ventilators. CONCLUSION: The increasing trend of occupation of PICU bed and ventilator days by critically ill children may be related to the increasing trend for hospitalization of chronic care patients. Severity scoring systems were predictive of resource consumption, but not of the overall trend in mortality rate.