Spiritual care of the school-age child with a chronic condition.

Chronic conditions present many challenges to the school-age child and the family that may create physical, psychosocial, and spiritual disruptions. The spiritual well-being of the child and family greatly influences coping and condition management. Therefore, spiritual assessment becomes an integral part of nursing care for these families. A case study describes the spirituality of the school-age child and the family within the context of having a chronic condition. Therapeutic play, bibliotherapy, and use of self are discussed, using the nursing process, as strategies to meet the spiritual needs of child and family.

Benign chronic bullous disease of childhood in an Indian child.

An Indian atopic child presented with benign chronic bullous disease of childhood (BCBDC). HLA grouping did not show the typical finding of HLA B8 which questions the value of HLA typing in this condition.

Another hazard of gold therapy?

A patient with seropositive rheumatoid developed a bullous eruption localised to the jewellery areas 12 hours after a test dose of sodium aurothiomalate (Myocrisin). Investigation showed that she was allergic to nickel rather than gold. Small quantities of nickel were found in the Myocrisin solution after a short contact with a metal needle, suggesting an explanation for the reaction.

Influence of retinoid Ro 10-9359 on cell-mediated immunity in vivo.

26 patients with psoriasis and 23 patients with other dermatoses were treated for 28 days with oral retinoid Ro 10-9359. Intradermal tests to seven recall antigens were carried out before and after therapy. Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) sensitization was started at the initiation of retinoid therapy and challenge tests made after 28 days. There was a significant increase in the reactions to recall antigens in all groups after 28 days' retinoid therapy. The reaction to DNCB was increased only in the non-psoriatic group compared with controls. These results demonstrate that the retinoid Ro 10-9359 stimulates cell-mediated immunity in vivo.

Vomiting as a diagnostic aid in acute ischaemic cardiac pain.

The incidence of vomiting before the administration of analgesics was studied in 109 patients admitted to hospital as emergencies with prolonged ischaemic cardiac pain. In transmural myocardial infarction (58 patients) the incidence was 43% (anterior infarction 58%, inferior infarction 41%). Of the 23 patients with myocardial necrosis but without transmural infarction (that is, those with diffuse or subendocardial necrosis) and the 28 with coronary insufficiency but no necrosis, only one patient in each group experienced vomiting. When vomiting occurs early in association with cardiac pain transmural infarction may be expected in 90% of patients.

Bone formation in a cutaneous pyogenic granuloma.

Bone formation in angiomatous naevi such as strawberry naevi is recorded (Rook, 1972) but as far as we are aware ossification in a cutaneous pyogenic granuloma has not been reported.