Dengue Infection in Children in Ratchaburi, Thailand: A Cohort Study. II. Clinical Manifestations

Dengue infection is one of the most important diseases transmitted to human by mosquito bite. The disease may be mild or severe. This study reveals the occurrence and clinical features of diseases caused by dengue infection in a 3-year follow-up in school-children aged 3–14 years in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand using an active surveillance for the episodes of fever. Children who had fever were laboratory tested for the evidence of dengue infection and recorded for clinical features. It was found that most of dengue infected patients had headache, anorexia, nausea/vomiting, and muscle ache. About half of the patients had clinical symptoms that closely mimic other diseases, especially respiratory tract infection, and were incorrectly diagnosed by pediatricians. Only 11% of the patients had more a severe disease called “dengue hemorrhagic fever.” This severe disease may be predicted by the presence of anorexia, nausea/vomiting, and abdominal pain after the second day of illness. This study provides better understanding in this disease

Application of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by the Croatian Constitutional Court

U radu se analiziraju odluke koje se odnose na upravnu materiju u kojima je odlučivao Ustavni sud Republike Hrvatske od 1999. do rujna 2015. Ta je analiza relevantna jer pokazuje u kojoj mjeri javnopravna tijela te Ustavni sud u Republici Hrvatskoj vrednuju Europsku konvenciju za zaštitu ljudskih prava i temeljnih sloboda. Drugim riječima, ispituju se modeli primjene Europske konvencije za zaštitu ljudskih prava i temeljnih sloboda od Ustavnog suda u upravnim područjima te se pokušava odgovoriti na pitanje može li se govoriti o primjeni Europske konvencije za zaštitu ljudskih prava i temeljnih sloboda u pravom smislu riječi ili je prisutno tek puko pozivanje na pojedine njezine odredbe bez ulaska u dubinu i prijeko potrebnu analizu prakse ESLJP-a.Implementation of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the case law of the Croatian Constitutional Court in the period 1999-2015 is analysed. Several models of implementation are outlined. All respective constitutional court cases are systematised into five categories: a) implementation through direct application of the Convention or its individual provisions, b) implementation through application of the European Court of Human Rights’ case law, c) implementation through application of an individual provision of the Convention and the Court’s case law, d) implementation on the basis of four main criteria, length of the proceedings, work of the competent bodies, applicant’s behaviour, and case complexity, and e) implementation in cases in which only applicants allege violation of the Convention while the Constitutional Court has not explicitly mentioned the Convention in its decision. The coherence of the Croatian Constitutional Court’s case law with the case law of the ECtHR can be best observed in the category of implementation based on four main criteria (d). Almost identical decisions about reasonable length of the proceedings indicate that the Croatian Constitutional Court has harmonized its practice with the European Convention

Predictive model for bacterial late-onset neonatal sepsis in a tertiary care hospital in Thailand

Background Early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is essential to prevent severe complications and avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics. The mortality of neonatal sepsis is over 18%in many countries. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for the diagnosis of bacterial late-onset neonatal sepsis. Methods A case-control study was conducted at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, Bangkok, Thailand. Data were derived from the medical records of 52 sepsis cases and 156 non-sepsis controls. Only proven bacterial neonatal sepsis cases were included in the sepsis group. The non-sepsis group consisted of neonates without any infection. Potential predictors consisted of risk factors, clinical conditions, laboratory data, and treatment modalities. The model was developed based on multiple logistic regression analysis. Results The incidence of late proven neonatal sepsis was 1.46%. The model had 6 significant variables: poor feeding, abnormal heart rate (outside the range 100–180 x/min), abnormal temperature (outside the range 36o-37.9 °C), abnormal oxygen saturation, abnormal leucocytes (according to Manroe’s criteria by age), and abnormal pH (outside the range 7.27–7.45). The area below the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve was 95.5%. The score had a sensitivity of 88.5% and specificity of 90.4%. Conclusion A predictive model and a scoring system were developed for proven bacterial late-onset neonatal sepsis. This simpler tool is expected to somewhat replace microbiological culture, especially in resource-limited settings

Predictive model for bacterial late-onset neonatal sepsis in a tertiary care hospital in Thailand

AbstractBackgroundEarly diagnosis of neonatal sepsis is essential to prevent severe complications and avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics. The mortality of neonatal sepsis is over 18%in many countries. This study aimed to develop a predictive model for the diagnosis of bacterial late-onset neonatal sepsis.MethodsA case-control study was conducted at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, Bangkok, Thailand. Data were derived from the medical records of 52 sepsis cases and 156 non-sepsis controls. Only proven bacterial neonatal sepsis cases were included in the sepsis group. The non-sepsis group consisted of neonates without any infection. Potential predictors consisted of risk factors, clinical conditions, laboratory data, and treatment modalities. The model was developed based on multiple logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe incidence of late proven neonatal sepsis was 1.46%. The model had 6 significant variables: poor feeding, abnormal heart rate (outside the range 100–180 x/min), abnormal temperature (outside the range 36o-37.9 °C), abnormal oxygen saturation, abnormal leucocytes (according to Manroe’s criteria by age), and abnormal pH (outside the range 7.27–7.45). The area below the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve was 95.5%. The score had a sensitivity of 88.5% and specificity of 90.4%.ConclusionA predictive model and a scoring system were developed for proven bacterial late-onset neonatal sepsis. This simpler tool is expected to somewhat replace microbiological culture, especially in resource-limited settings.</jats:sec

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and vaccine acceptance towards seasonal influenza vaccination among international travelers: a cross-sectional survey in Thailand

Background: Influenza is a common but preventable disease. International travelers encounter significant risks in contracting influenza. Methods: The cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted on international travelers while visiting the Thai Travel Clinic at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Bangkok, Thailand. Results: From May to November 2024, 250 Thai and 229 non-Thai international travelers were enrolled. Most participants reported sufficient knowledge about influenza, with 86.4 % achieving a score of ≥60 % while expressing mild concern of infection [mean perceived risk score of 3.1 ± 2.4 (range from 0 to 10)]. When regarding preventive measures, 72.2 % reported regular hand hygiene, while only 19.4 % regularly wore masks in public. Influenza vaccine acceptance was 38.2 %. The most influential reason for vaccination was healthcare personnel's advice. In the multivariable analysis, the independent factors which affected vaccine acceptance were travelers' nationality, age, purpose of travel, destination country, and perceived risk score. Conclusion: International travelers had sufficient influenza knowledge but low awareness relating to influenza prevention methods and influenza vaccinations. Low vaccine acceptance rates were observed among international travelers. Travel consultations should focus on influenza awareness while traveling and associated preventative measures