Technology-enhanced and game based learning for children with special needs: a systematic mapping study.

Technology-based education of children with special needs has become the focus of many research works in recent years. The wide range of different disabilities that are encompassed by the term "special needs", together with the educational requirements of the children affected, represent an enormous multidisciplinary challenge for the research community. In this article, we present a systematic literature review of technology-enhanced and game-based learning systems and methods applied on children with special needs. The article analyzes the state-of-the-art of the research in this field by selecting a group of primary studies and answering a set of research questions. Although there are some previous systematic reviews, it is still not clear what the best tools, games or academic subjects (with technology-enhanced, game-based learning) are, out of those that have obtained good results with children with special needs. The 18 articles selected (carefully filtered out of 614 contributions) have been used to reveal the most frequent disabilities, the different technologies used in the prototypes, the number of learning subjects, and the kind of learning games used. The article also summarizes research opportunities identified in the primary studies.

Is honey an effective treatment for acute cough in children? / ¿Es la miel un tratamiento efectivo para la tos en población pediátrica?

Cough represents one of the most common reasons for pediatrician consultations. There are many available treatments for symptomatic relief, including honey. Despite its wide availability, there is little knowledge about its benefits. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 30 databases, we identified three systematic reviews including three randomized trials. We combined the evidence using meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table following the GRADE approach. We concluded the use of honey probably decreases the severity and frequency of cough, improves the quality of parent's and patient's sleep, and does not have side effects.

La tos es un motivo de consulta frecuente en la población pediátrica. Existen variados tratamientos para su alivio sintomático, dentro de los cuales se encuentra la miel. A pesar de su amplia disponibilidad, existe escaso conocimiento sobre sus reales beneficios. Utilizando la base de datos Epistemonikos, la cual es mantenida mediante búsquedas en 30 bases de datos, identificamos tres revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyen tres estudios aleatorizados pertinentes. Realizamos un metanálisis y tablas de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Concluimos que el uso de miel probablemente disminuye la severidad y frecuencia de la tos, así como mejora la calidad del sueño de pacientes y cuidadores, y no se asocia a efectos adversos.

Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children.

Acute otitis media is one of the most common infectious diseases diagnosed in children. Antibiotic treatment use remains controversial. This summary aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of antibiotics in children with acute otitis media. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 30 databases, we identified six systematic reviews including 18 randomized trials. We combined the evidence using meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table following the GRADE approach. We concluded antibiotics reduce pain at 48-72 hours and reduce the risk of tympanic perforations in children with acute otitis media, but they do not reduce late recurrences and increase the risk of side effects (rash, vomiting and diarrhea).

La otitis media aguda es una de las enfermedades infecciosas más comunes diagnosticadas en niños. Con respecto a su tratamiento, el uso de antibióticos sigue siendo controvertido. Utilizando la base de datos Epistemonikos, la cual es mantenida mediante búsquedas en 30 bases de datos, identificamos seis revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyen 18 estudios clínicos aleatorizados. Realizamos un metanálisis y tablas de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Concluimos que los antibióticos disminuyen el dolor a las 48-72 horas y reducen el riesgo de perforación timpánica en niños con otitis media aguda, sin embargo no disminuyen el riesgo de recurrencia tardía y aumentan el riesgo de efectos adversos (rash, vómitos y diarrea).

[Clinical and epidemiological description of severe outbreak of foodborne infection by Salmonella Enteritidis]. / Descripción clínica y epidemiológica de un grave brote de salmonelosis transmitida por alimentos.

BACKGROUND: Foodborne diseases have increased considerably. AIM: To report a foodborne outbreak, remarking the importance of early notification to activate the epidemiological surveillance system. RESULTS: During February 2011 we observed a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak. 31.6% of the cases were seen in the same Emergency Care Unit where all required intravenous fluid rehydration, and 41.7% were hospitalized because of severe dehydration. In the Emergency Room 45.5% of cases required a second visit to be diagnosed correctly. DISCUSSION: Physicians under report the cases of this disease, delaying the activation of the epidemiological surveillance system. CONCLUSIONS: Besides providing good treatment to patients, physicians need to be qualified to recognize foodborne diseases and communicate early the suspicion of an outbreak to the epidemiological surveillance system in order to prevent new cases of disease in the community.

Descripción clínica y epidemiológica de un grave brote de salmonelosis transmitida por alimentos / Clinical and epidemiological description of severe outbreak of foodborne infection by Salmonella Enteritidis

Background: Foodborne diseases have increased considerably. Aim: To report a foodborne outbreak, remarking the importance of early notification to activate the epidemiological surveillance system. Results: During February 2011 we observed a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak. 31.6% of the cases were seen in the same Emergency Care Unit where all required intravenous fluid rehydration, and 41.7% were hospitalized because of severe dehydration. In the Emergency Room 45.5% of cases required a second visit to be diagnosed correctly. Discussion: Physicians under report the cases of this disease, delaying the activation of the epidemiological surveillance system. Conclusions: Besides providing good treatment to patients, physicians need to be qualified to recognize foodborne diseases and communicate early the suspicion of an outbreak to the epidemiological surveillance system in order to prevent new cases of disease in the community.

Introducción: Las enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos (ETA) han aumentado considerablemente. Objetivo: Reportar un grave brote de ETA destacando la importancia de la notificación precoz para la activación del sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica. Resultados: Durante febrero de 2011 se observó un brote de Salmonella Enteritidis. Un 31,6% de los casos fueron atendidos en un mismo servicio de urgencia, donde todos requirieron la administración de fluidos endovenosos y 41,7% fueron hospitalizados por deshidratación grave. El 45,5% de los casos necesitó de una segunda consulta para ser diagnosticados correctamente. Discusión: La identificación de pacientes integrantes de un brote de ETA es difícil en los servicios de urgencia y los médicos sub-reportan los casos, retrasando al sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica. Conclusiones: Junto con brindar un adecuado tratamiento, los médicos deben estar capacitados para reconocer las ETA y comunicar tempranamente la sospecha de un brote para prevenir nuevos casos en la comunidad.

[Evaluation of molecular and immunoenzymatic assays for detecting Enterohemorrhagic E coli in food borne outbreaks]. / Evaluación de técnicas moleculares e inmunoenzimáticas para la detección de E coli enterohemorrágico en brotes de toxi-infecciones alimentarias.

BACKGROUND: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), is an emergent pathogen that causes sporadic infections and outbreaks of gastroenteritis associated with consumption of contaminated food products. Because detection of EHEC in diarrhea patients is not routinely performed, infection is most probably underestimated. AIM: To compare three techniques to detect EHEC: Colony hybridization with DNA probes, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of stx1 and stx2 genes and immunoenzymatic detection by ELISA (Premier EHEC) of Stx1 and Stx2 toxins. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four outbreaks of food-borne gastroenteritis were studied including 16 patients and 78 strains of E coli. Twenty-one (26.9%) strains, hybridized with the stx1 probe, 1 (1.3%) hybridized only with the stx2 probe and 36 (46.1%) with both probes. PCR amplification for cytotoxin genes was observed in 6 strains (7.7%) from the second outbreak studied. The immunoenzymatic assay detected the cytotoxins in 18 (23.0%), of the 78 studied strains. Agreement between probes and ELISA was 44.8%, between PCR and probes 34.7% and 82.4% between ELISA and PCR. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate a variable yield among different EHEC detection techniques. Considering PCR as the gold standard, ELISA technique showed a better sensitivity and specificity than probes.

[Epidemiological situation of foodborne diseases in Santiago, Chile in 1999-2000]. / Situación epidemiológica de las enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos en Santiago de Chile. Período 1999-2000.

BACKGROUND: Foodborne diseases are becoming an important cause of morbidity in Chile. In the Metropolitan Region of Chile, the Environmental Health Service started a surveillance program for foodborne diseases in 1994. In 2000, this program was complemented with an etiologic study of individuals involved in outbreaks. AIM: To report the incidence of foodborne outbreaks in the Metropolitan Region of Chile and its causative agents. RESULTS: One hundred ninety outbreaks of foodborne diseases were reported in 1999 and 260 in 2000. The Southern Metropolitan health service had the higher incidence rates (7.5 in 1999 and 8.2 in 2000). The mean attack rates were 25% in both periods, affecting 1248 individuals in 1999 and 1774 in 2000. In 18% of outbreaks, a pathogen was identified; the most frequent agents were Salmonella Spp, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella. In 15% of subjects, the cause was histamine or chemical agents. In the rest of the cases, the cause was not identified. The foods with higher risk of causing foodborne diseases were hot prepared dishes, home made goat cheese and meats. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence rates of foodborne disease in Metropolitan Area of Chile are high and maybe underestimate, only in a low rate of outbreaks was possible to have samples for etiologic studies. For a better understanding of this problem, timely notification of foodborne diseases must be encouraged and educational campaigns about the proper manipulation of food items must be implemented.