A study of the outcome of acute encephalitis syndrome in children

Background: Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) is defined as a person of any age, at any time of the year, with acute onset of fever and a change in mental status (including symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, coma, inability to talk) and/or new onset of seizures (excluding simple febrile seizures) [WHO]. Japanese encephalitis (JE) is one of the leading causes of AES affecting children and adolescents in the tropical countries. Objective of the study were to study the outcome of children with AES. The study was conducted in the department of pediatrics, Gauhati medical college and hospital, Guwahati from 1st July 2016 to 30th June 2017.Methods: Patients admitted in the pediatrics department of Gauhati medical college and hospital, Guwahati with diagnosis of AES during the study period were taken into account based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results: It has been observed that age, awareness among caregivers, poor GCS, multiple seizures, shock are important factors in the outcome of AES.Conclusions: From the present study, prognosis of the cases may be predicted and measures taken to improve outcome

Ageism, Personal and Others’ Perceptions of Age Awareness, and Their Interactive Effect on Subjective Accelerated Aging

Ageism has been associated with negative perceptions of the future and the aging process. The current study argues that this connection is affected by the relevance older adults attribute to the cognitive category of age in their own self-appraisal, as well as by how they perceive this awareness in others. Accordingly, we examined the association between ageism and subjective accelerated aging (i.e., the rate the individual feels he or she is aging) and the moderating role of self-age awareness and other-age awareness on this connection. Data were collected from 267 participants (age range = 40–95; M = 64.32, SD = 14.09), using scales assessing ageism, self/other age awareness, and subjective accelerated aging. High ageism levels were associated with increased subjective accelerated aging. Moreover, this connection was moderated by both self- and other-age awareness. The study enhances the importance of personal appraisals of one’s own and others’ behaviors as age-related in this context.

Classic ataxia-telangiectasia: the phenotype of long-term survivors

Objective Patients with classic ataxia–telangiectasia (A–T) generally die in the second or third decade of life. Clinical descriptions of A–T tend to focus on the symptoms at presentation. However, during the course of the disease, other symptoms and complications emerge. As long-term survivors with classic A–T develop a complex multisystem disorder with a largely unknown extent and severity, we aimed to comprehensively assess their full clinical picture. Methods Data from Dutch patients with classic A–T above the age of 30 years were retrospectively collected. In addition, we searched the literature for descriptions of classic A–T patients who survived beyond the age of 30 years. Results In the Dutch cohort, seven classic A–T patients survived beyond 30 years of age. Fourteen additional patients were retrieved by the literature search. Common problems in older patients with classic A–T were linked to ageing. Most patients had pulmonary, endocrine, cardiovascular, and gastro-intestinal problems. All patients had a tetraparesis with contractures. This led to immobilization and frequent hospital admissions. Most patients expressed the wish to no longer undergo intensive medical treatments, and waived follow-up programs. Conclusions Paucity of descriptions in the literature, and withdrawal from medical care complicate the acquisition of follow-up data on the natural history of long-term survivors. Irrespective of these limitations, we have obtained impression of the many problems that these patients face when surviving beyond 30 years of age. Awareness of these problems is needed to guide follow-up, counselling, and (palliative) care; decisions about life-prolonging treatments should be well considered.

Menopausal Experiences among Women in Addis Ababa

The theme of women’s menopausal experience remains to be a focus of scientific inquiry in the western and Asian nations. However, the issue has not been studied in the African (mainly Ethiopia) context. This research endeavored to explore this issue (menopausal age, awareness, attitude, and symptoms) among women in Addis Ababa. A total of 212 women were sampled from heterogeneous settings (health centers, schools, and business centers) to fill in the structured questionnaire. Findings indicated that the mean age at menopause was lower (45.34 years) compared to those reported in other nations and this age was unrelated to age at first menstruation. Participants were with moderate level of awareness as well as attitude about menopause but had experienced fewer menopausal symptoms. The correlation analysis yielded that while menopausal awareness was positively related with attitudes, experience of menopausal symptoms was, however, related neither to awareness nor to attitudes. ANOVA test yielded significant differences among educational, marital, and menopausal groups in menopausal experiences. However, the direction of impact was found varied group-wise for the different kinds of menopausal experiences. A number of inconsistencies were found between findings of the present study and those documented in previous research and this could be because of cultural differences.