Vitamin C and asthma in children: modification of the effect by age, exposure to dampness and the severity of asthma

Retraction: Clinical and Translational Allergy 2012, 2:6BACKGROUND: We previously found a significant benefit of vitamin C supplementation in asthmatic children. PURPOSE: To test whether the effect of vitamin C on asthma is heterogeneous over the participant population. METHODS: Egyptian asthmatic children between 7 and 10 years of age (n = 60) were included in the cross-over trial. They were administered 0.2 grams per day of vitamin C and placebo for separate 6-week periods. The variation in the vitamin C effect on two clinically relevant outcomes was analyzed: the childhood asthma control test (C-ACT), which measures the severity of asthma symptoms (the scale ranges from 0 to 27 points, < 20 points indicating unsatisfactory asthma control), and FEV1. We used linear modeling to examine the variation of the vitamin C effect in the subgroups. RESULTS: The effect of vitamin C on the C-ACT was significantly modified by age and baseline C-ACT levels. In the children aged 7.0-8.2 years with a baseline C-ACT of 18 to 19 points, vitamin C increased the C-ACT score by 4.2 points (95% CI: 3.3-5.3); whereas in the children aged 8.3-10 years who had a baseline C-ACT of 14 to 15 points, vitamin C increased the C-ACT score by only 1.3 points (95% CI: 0.1-2.5). The effect of vitamin C on the FEV1 levels was significantly modified by age and exposure to dampness. In the children aged 7.0-8.2 years with no exposure to dampness, vitamin C increased the FEV1 level by 37% (95% CI: 34-40%), whereas in the children aged 8.3-10 years with exposure to dampness or mold in their bedroom more than one year prior to the study, vitamin C increased the FEV1 level by only 21% (95% CI: 18-25%). CONCLUSIONS: We found strong evidence that the effect of vitamin C on asthmatic children is heterogeneous. Further research is needed to confirm our findings and identify the groups of children who would receive the greatest benefit from vitamin C supplementation.Peer reviewe

Thyrotoxicosis in the Niger Delta region - Port Harcourt experience

No Abstract. Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 49(3) 2006: 59-6

Heart Failure among Paediatric Emergencies in Calabar, South Eastern Nigeria

A study of heart failure among paediatric emergencies in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, was prospectively carried out over a period of 9 months in the Children's Emergency Room (CHER). Two hundred & thirty four out of 1512 admissions presented with heart failure giving a prevalence of 15.5%. The main causes of heart failure among the 234 children were anaemia (73.1%), pneumonia (17.5%) and ventricular septal defect (3,8%). Pneumonia (61% of cases) and ventricular septal defect (78%) of cases) were largely encountered in infants. Majority (69%) of the patients with anaemic heart failure were aged between 1 and 5 years. The main diseases associated with anaemia were malaria (73.9%), sickle cell anaemia (12.5%) and septicaemia (6.3%). Heart failure constituted 1.7% (26 out of 1512) of total deaths in CHER during the period. The fatality rates for patients in whom heart failure complicated anaemia, pneumonia and ventricular septal defect were 9.9%, 12.2% and 44.4% respectively. Most of the deaths (77%) occurred within the first 24 hours of hospitalization. Anaemia and acute respiratory infections, which are the leading causes of heart failure in our children, must be promptly identified, treated and prevented. Key Words: Anaemia, heart failure, paediatric emergencies, pneumonia, prevalence. Mary Slessor Journal of Medicine Vol.4(1) 2004: 58-6