Rotavirus vaccine effectiveness in Hong Kong children.

Background: Rotavirus is a common infectious cause of childhood hospitalisation in Hong Kong. Rotavirus vaccines have been used in the private sector since licensure in 2006 but have not been incorporated in the government's universal Childhood Immunisation Programme. This study aimed to evaluate rotavirus vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation.

Estimates of rotavirus disease burden in Hong Kong: hospital-based surveillance.

Background: We conducted prospective, hospital-based surveillance for rotavirus disease for a 2-year period at 4 of 12 public government (Hospital Authority [HA]) hospitals in Hong Kong. It has been estimated that HA hospitals provide 90% of inpatient care in Hong Kong.

Methods: Information was collected for children <5 years old who had a primary or secondary diagnosis of diarrhea or for whom a stool sample was tested for the presence of rotavirus (by enzyme immunoassay) or bacteria (by culture).

Hospital-based study of the economic burden associated with rotavirus diarrhea in Hong Kong.

Background: Rotavirus infection is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in both developed and developing countries.

Methods: To estimate the economic burden associated with rotavirus infection in Hong Kong, we combined data on the disease burden of rotavirus-associated hospital admissions with detailed cost data for a subsample of 471 children with diarrhea admitted to hospitals.

Results: The annual total social cost and total direct medical cost for rotavirus-associated admissions were calculated as 4.

Factors affecting clinical outcome in gastrostomy-fed children with cystic fibrosis.

In order to assess the effects of gastrostomy feeding on nutritional status, respiratory function, and survival in children with cystic fibrosis (CF), we studied all patients undergoing gastrostomy between 1989-1997 at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. Clinical information was collected from medical records, including serial measurements of weight-for-age standard deviation scores (WAZ) and forced expired volume in 1 sec (FEV1) (percent predicted). Measurements were compared for 2 years before and 2 years after gastrostomy placement.