Prevalence of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in
Schoolchildren in Ecuador
ABSTRACT
The prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in children in Ecuador is unknown. We describe a survey study in 2 schools in Quito, Ecuador, using a Spanish translation of the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III Version (QPGS-RIII). A total of 417 children (51% boys) with a mean age of 12.0 years were included. FGIDs were present in 95 children (22.8%) and occurred in 25% of girls and in 20.7% of boys (P¼0.296). Functional defecation disorders were found in 12.0% of children, 9.4% had an abdominal pain-related FGID and 3.8% was diagnosed with a vomiting or aerophagia FGID.
Effects of moderate doses of vitamin A as an adjunct to the
treatment of pneumonia in underweight and normal-weight children:
a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
ABSTRACT
Background: Randomized controlled trials have shown inconsistent responses of childhood pneumonia to the use of vitamin A as an adjunct to the standard treatment of pneumonia. Objective: We evaluated the effect of a moderate dose of vitamin A as an adjunct to standard antimicrobial treatment on the duration of respiratory signs in children with pneumonia.
Design: Children, aged 2–59 mo, with pneumonia and weight-forage 50th percentile who had been admitted to the Baca Ortíz Children’s Hospital in Quito, Ecuador, were randomly assigned to receive 50 000 IU (aged 2–12 mo) or 100 000 IU (aged12–59 mo) vitamin A or a placebo.
Results: Of the 287 children enrolled, 145 received vitamin A and 142 received placebo.Nooverall differences were observed between the 2 groups in the duration of signs of pneumonia. Multiple linear regression showed a significant interaction between basal serum retinol concentration and vitamin A group for the time (in h) to remission of respiratory signs (3.57, SE 1.09, P 0.001). Duration of clinical signs was less in children with basal serum retinol concentrations 200 g/L who received vitamin A supplements than in children with similar concentrations who received placebo (69.949.9 h compared with 131.3143.9 h; P0.049).
Conclusions: Overall, we found no effect of a moderate dose of vitamin A supplementation on the duration of uncomplicated pneumonia
in underweight or normal-weight children aged 5 y. However, a beneficial effect was seen in children with high basal serum retinol concentrations.
Emergency room visits for respiratory conditions in children
increased after Guagua Pichincha volcanic eruptions in April 2000 in
Quito, Ecuador Observational Study: Time Series Analysis
Abstract
Background: This study documented elevated rates of emergency room (ER) visits for acute upper and lower respiratory infections and asthma-related conditions in the children of Quito, Ecuador associated with the eruption of Guagua Pichincha in April of 2000.
Methods: We abstracted 5169 (43% females) ER records with primary respiratory conditions treated from January 1 – December 27, 2000 and examined the change in pediatric ER visits for respiratory conditions before, during, and after exposure events of April, 2000. We applied a Poisson regression model adapted to time series of cases for three non-overlapping disease categories: acute upper respiratory infection (AURI), acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI), and asthma-related conditions in boys and girls for three age groups: 0–4, 5–9, and 10–15 years.
Results: At the main pediatric medical facility, the Baca Ortiz Pediatric Hospital, the rate of emergency room (ER) visits due to respiratory conditions substantially increased in the three weeks after eruption (RR = 2.22, 95%CI = [1.95, 2.52] and RR = 1.72 95%CI = [1.49, 1.97] for lower and upper respiratory tract infections respectively. The largest impact of eruptions on respiratory distress was observed in children younger than 5 years (RR = 2.21, 95%CI = [1.79, 2.73] and RR = 2.16 95%CI = [1.67, 2.76] in boys and girls respectively). The rate of asthma and asthma-related diagnosis doubled during the period of volcano fumarolic activity (RR = 1.97, 95%CI = [1.19, 3.24]). Overall, 28 days of volcanic activity and ash releases resulted in 345 (95%CI = [241, 460]) additional ER visits due to respiratory conditions.
Conclusion: The study has demonstrated strong relationship between ash exposure and respiratory effects in children.