Accidental contamination of a German town's drinking water with sodium hydroxide.

Case report of a very serious drinking water incident putting up to 50,000 inhabitants of a town near Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at risk. A concentrated solution of highly alkaline water by sodium hydroxide was accidentally washed into the town's drinking water at a pumping station and increased the pH-value of the water to 12. Residents who came into contact with the contaminated water immediately had a toxic reaction.

Changes in lymphocyte subsets after cardiac surgery in children.

Unlabelled: Children undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) operations have an increased risk of developing severe infections. Impairment of the immune system may contribute to the development of sequelae such as capillary leaks, pulmonary dysfunction and auto-immune reactions. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of cardiac surgery with CPB on the immune system of infants and young children.

Biodegradation of tungsten embolisation coils used in children.

Background: It has been suggested that tungsten coils (TCs) may corrode 30 months after transcatheter embolisation (TCE). The aim of this study was to follow up children after TCE of aorto-pulmonary collaterals (APCs) with TCs.

Materials And Methods: Successful TCE of 99 APCs was performed in children using 152 TCs.

[Transcatheter occlusion of the persisting arterial duct].

Background: Transcatheter occlusion of the persisting arterial duct (PDA) is feasible using different techniques like coil-embolization (CE), Rashkind PDA occluder (Rash), Amplatzer Duct Occluder (ADO). Comparative studies with this devices in relation to the size of the PDA and the device are missing. Aim of this study was to evaluate the different systems at the own patient population.

Normal values of M mode echocardiographic measurements of more than 2000 healthy infants and children in central Europe.

Objective: To obtain normal M mode (one dimensional) echocardiographic values in a substantial sample of normal infants and children.

Design: Data were obtained over three years from a single centre in central Europe.

Patients: 2036 healthy infants and children aged one day to 18 years.