[Frequency of giardiasis in children with chronic abdominal pain coming from North-East Poland]. / Rozpowszechnienie zarazenia pier wotniakiem Giardia lamblia u dzieci z przewleklymi bólami brzucha w pólnocno-wschodniej Polsce.

Chronic or recurrent abdominal pain constitutes a serious diagnostic and therapeutic problem in childhood. The gastrointestinal, biliary tract or renal lesions often produce the chronic abdominal pain in children. Among causative factors of the chronic abdominal pain the infection with Giardia lamblia is more and more often taken into account. The sample of 112 patients hospitalized during the period from 1992 to 1993 in two departments of the University School of Medicine in Bialystok and in three pediatric wards of the Municipal Hospital in Bialystok, was assessed. In all children the duodenal aspiration was performed. The following questions were evaluated: 1. What is the frequency of giardiasis in children coming from north-east Poland and presenting chronic abdominal pain? 2. Is there any specific spectrum of symptoms of giardiasis in children? Based on the results of the duodenal fluid examination, the infection with G. lamblia was diagnosed in 77 (67.75%) children. The analysis of the clinical symptoms indicated that only failure to thrive and recurrent episodes of the loose stools were significantly more frequent in infected children compared with uninfected. The frequency of the other symptoms like nausea, headache, vomiting, constipation, fever or allergic skin lesions was similar in both study groups.

[A case of encephalitis of mixed Coxsackievirus B4 and rubella viral etiology in a 9-year old boy]. / Przypadek zapalenia mózgu o mieszanej etiologii wirusowej Coxackie B4 i rózyczkowej u 9-letniego chlopca.

A nine-old boy was presented with encephalitis of mixed viral etiology Coxsackie B4 and rubella virus. The beginning of disease was enough sudden with convulsion and lost of consciousness. Further development of disease mild-the patients was discharged home in good general condition but with nervous super-excitability symptoms. It was the first case of children's mixed viral encephalitis recognized and treated in our Clinic.

[Early central nervous system complications following purulent meningitis and encephalitis in children from 1 month to 2 years of age according to the etiological factor]. / Wczesne powiklania ze strony osrodkowego ukladu nerwowego u dzieci w wieku od 1 miesiaca do 2 lat w przebiegu ropnego zapalenia opon mózgowo-rdzeniowych i mózgu w zaleznosci od czynnika etiologicznego.

Open anterior fontanel cerebral ultrasonography was performed in 113 children aged between 1 month and 2 years, infants with purulent meningitis and encephalitis. It revealed early CNS complications in 50 patients (44.2%). The treatment protocol was adjusted for different types of complications. All children were discharged home and referred for further care to paediatricians and neurologists. Transfontanel ultrasonography is of great value for evaluating different types of complications following CNS infections.

[Adverse events following immunization: AEFI in 17 children between 0 and 2 years of age]. / Niepozadane odczyny poszczepienne u dzieci w wieku od 0 do 2 lat.

Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) are disadvantageous side effects of preventive vaccination. In 1993 we found 17 cases of AEFI out of 1440 children between 0 and 2 years of age who had received BCG, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, measles or poliomyelitis vaccine. They were classified as reactions in 14 children (0.9%) or complications in 3 children (0.2%). Twelve adverse reactions followed DTP vaccination (0.8%), two followed BCG vaccination (0.14%), another two measles vaccination (0.14%) and one followed poliomyelitis vaccination (0.07%). Both generalized and local symptoms were present and they regressed with no further complications. Two children who had received BCG were noted to have a deeply placed abscess at the injection site remaining scar as well as axillary, submandibular and cervical lymph nodes enlargement within 6 months. In a 3 months old child, after the first injection of DTP vaccine, convulsions and consciousness disorder occurred. Transfontanel ultrasonography revealed intraventricular haemorrhage. After one year of intensive neurological care child's health state was improved. In spite of using still more and more safe vaccines none of them is the ideal one--the one with no adverse events following vaccination. Vaccination technics, distribution and storage of vaccines are to be improved which may result in decrease number of AEFI.

[Evaluation of phenol and formaldehyde concentrations in air of certain newly built houses on the terrain of Bialystok]. / Ocena stezen fenolu i formaldehydu w powietrzu niektórych mieszkan nowego budownictwa na terenie Bialegostoku.

Phenol and formaldehyde concentrations have been assayed in the air of 125 apartments in newly constructed houses in Bialystok. Xylamide and Solfotox have been used as constmetion materials preservatives in these buildings. Control group consisted of 125 apartments built traditionally. Phenol concentration in the air of the control apartments has not exceeded acceptable values whereas it has been over acceptable values in 80% of the apartments, in which above mentioned preservatives have been used. Formaldehyde concentration in the air of control apartments and 101 apartments of tested group has been within the range of acceptable values. It was much higher in 6 apartments. No apartment exposed to chemicals has been free from formaldehyde.

[Biopsy examinations of small intestinal mucosa in malabsorption syndrome of childhood]. / Badania bioptyczne blony sluzowej jelita cienkiego w diagnostyce zespolu zlego wchlaniania u dzieci.

The results of bioptic mucosal specimens examination are discussed. Samples of the small intestine were collected from 211 children with malabsorption syndrome of various etiology such as cow milk protein intolerance, gluten intolerance, spontaneous diarrhoea and other. The results obtained with microscopic examination scored with Shmerling scale were compared with those of light microscopic examination of histological preparations. The difficulties connected with proper sampling and handling of the bioptic specimen are discussed. Technical errors very often are the cause of the diagnostic failure.