Pilot study on nocturnal monitoring of crackles in children with pneumonia

BackgroundThe clinical diagnosis of pneumonia is usually based on crackles at auscultation but it is not yet clear what kind of crackles are the characteristic features of pneumonia in children. Lung sound monitoring can be used as a “longtime stethoscope”. Therefore, it was the aim of this pilot study to use a lung sound monitor system to detect crackles and to differentiate between fine and coarse crackles in children with acute pneumonia. The change of crackles during the course of the disease shall be investigated in a follow-up study.Patients and methodsCrackles were recorded overnight from 22.00 to 06.00 h in 30 children with radiographically confirmed pneumonia. The data of a total of 28 800 recorded 30-second-epochs were audiovisually analysed for fine and coarse crackles.ResultsFine crackles and coarse crackles were recognised in every patient with pneumonia but the number of epochs with and without crackles varied widely among the different patients: Fine crackles were detected in 40% (mean, sd 22), coarse crackles in 76% (sd 20). The predominant localisation of crackles as recorded during overnight monitoring was in accordance with the radiographic infiltrates and the classical auscultation in most patients. The distribution of crackles was fairly equal throughout the night. However, there were time periods without any crackle in the single patients so that the diagnosis of pneumonia might be missed at sporadic auscultation.ConclusionNocturnal monitoring can be beneficial to reliably detect fine and coarse crackles in children with pneumonia.

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Effects of a Stimulant Drug on Extra Version Level in Hyperactive Children

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1978.46.1.88 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 88-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Donald L. McManis ◽

Mike McCarthy ◽

Randy Koval

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Vigilance Task ◽

Lemon Juice ◽

Reactive Inhibition ◽

Stimulant Drug ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Hyperactive Children ◽

Visual Motor

7 hyperactive children in a pilot study, and 15 hyperactive and 15 non-hyperactive control children in a later study, were assessed for salivation to lemon juice stimulation, reactive inhibition on an audio-vigilance task, and visual-motor maze errors. Hyperactive children were tested under stimulant drug and nondrug conditions and nonhyperactive children twice under nondrug conditions. Pilot study hyperactive children displayed significantly fewer maze errors and somewhat greater salivation and lesser reactive inhibition levels under the drug than the nondrug conditions. Follow-up study control children did not differ significantly between test occasions on any measure, while the hyperactive children displayed significantly fewer maze errors, mote salivation, and less reactive inhibition under the stimulant drug, indicating significant decreases in extraversion after the stimulant drug.

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Follow-up study of suicide attempters who were given crisis intervention during hospital stay: Pilot study

Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences ◽

10.1111/j.1440-1819.2008.01912.x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 122-123 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Hospital Stay ◽

Crisis Intervention ◽

Suicide Attempters ◽

Follow Up Study

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Characteristic features of drug addiction in adolescents with behavioural disorders (follow-up study)

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/0924-9338(96)89003-1 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

pp. 322s

Author(s):

E.V. Melnik ◽

V.S. Bitenskiy

Keyword(s):

Drug Addiction ◽

Behavioural Disorders ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Characteristic Features

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Effectiveness of Online Training and Supervisor Feedback on Safe Eating and Drinking Practices for Individuals With Developmental Disabilities

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ◽

10.1352/1934-9556-58.2.111 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 111-125

Author(s):

Emaley McCulloch ◽

Audra Cuckler ◽

Elise Valdes ◽

M. Courtney Hughes

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Developmental Disabilities ◽

Online Training ◽

Direct Care ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Impact

Abstract Dysphagia is common in individuals with developmental disabilities. Little research exists on the impact of trainings aimed at improving Direct Care Staff's (DCS) use of safe eating and drinking practices. This article presents two studies using pre-and postexperimental design, evaluating online training to improve DCSs' knowledge and ability to identify nonadherence to diet orders. A pilot study (n = 18) informed improvements to the intervention. The follow-up study (n = 64) compared those receiving training with those receiving training plus supervisor feedback. There was no significant difference between groups after training. Both groups increased in knowledge and identification of nonadherence to diet orders. Online training may be an effective tool for training DCS in safe eating and drinking practices.

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New Scheme of Intermittent Benznidazole Administration in Patients Chronically Infected with Trypanosoma cruzi: a Pilot Short-Term Follow-Up Study with Adult Patients

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.00745-15 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 60 (2) ◽

pp. 833-837 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

María Gabriela Álvarez ◽

Yolanda Hernández ◽

Graciela Bertocchi ◽

Marisa Fernández ◽

Bruno Lococo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Adverse Effects ◽

Liver Enzymes ◽

Main Criterion ◽

Short Term ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

End Of Treatment ◽

Chronic Chagas Disease

ABSTRACTThere is a clinical need to test new schemes of benznidazole administration that are expected to be at least as effective as the current therapeutic scheme but safer. This study assessed a new scheme of benznidazole administration in chronic Chagas disease patients. A pilot study with intermittent doses of benznidazole at 5 mg/kg/day in two daily doses every 5 days for a total of 60 days was designed. The main criterion of response was the comparison of quantitative PCR (qPCR) findings prior to and 1 week after the end of treatment. The safety profile was assessed by the rate of suspensions and severity of adverse effects. Twenty patients were analyzed for safety, while qPCR was tested for 17 of them. The average age was 43 ± 7.9 years; 55% were female. Sixty-five percent of treated subjects showed detectable qPCR results prior to treatment of 1.45 (0.63 to 2.81) and 2.1 (1.18 to 2.78) parasitic equivalents per milliliter of blood (par.eq/ml) for kinetoplastic DNA (kDNA) qPCR and nuclear repetitive sequence satellite DNA (SatDNA) qPCR, respectively. One patient showed detectable PCR at the end of treatment (1/17), corresponding to 6% treatment failure, compared with 11/17 (65%) patients pretreatment (P= 0.01). Adverse effects were present in 10/20 (50%) patients, but in only one case was treatment suspended. Eight patients showed mild adverse effects, whereas moderate reactions with increased liver enzymes were observed in two patients. The main accomplishment of this pilot study is the promising low rate of treatment suspension. Intermittent administration of benznidazole emerges a new potential therapeutic scheme, the efficacy of which should be confirmed by long-term assessment posttreatment.

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