Stevens-Johnson syndrome during anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy in HIV-seropositive patients: report on six cases.

Hypersensitivity reactions may occur during antituberculous chemotherapy. Severe reactions are rare, and in the three years 1983-86 during which we have both worked in Africa managing large numbers of patients with tuberculosis we only saw one or two cases with severe and generalised cutaneous hypersensitivity. In the last 12 months, however, there have been a number of cases with severe Stevens-Johnson syndrome which developed during antituberculous chemotherapy and has invariably been associated with seropositivity to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).

Acute gastroenteritis: the need to remember alternative diagnoses.

Five hundred and ninety-four patients were consecutively admitted to an infectious disease unit over a 2-year period with a referral diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis or food poisoning. In 175 (29%) patients, gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with a condition other than gastrointestinal infection. Non-infective gastrointestinal disease was present in 90 patients, systemic infection in 50 and systemic disease in 35.

Medical admissions to Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi in 1986: comparison with admissions to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre in 1973.

A retrospective survey was carried out on adult medical admissions to Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi during the period January to December 1986, and results compared with those obtained in Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre in 1973. There were 4700 admissions which was more than twice the number seen in Blantyre. However, the age distribution, the pattern of disease and the overall hospital mortality were similar.

Intestinal helminthiasis in ex-patriates returning to Britain from the tropics. A controlled study.

A retrospective study was performed of clinical features in expatriates attending the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, with a sole diagnosis of ascariasis (100), trichuriasis (100), hookworm (75), and strongyloidiasis (36). Results were compared with a control group of 100 ex-patriates attending the same hospital in whom no diagnosis was made and in whom stool microscopy and peripheral blood eosinophil counts were normal. Almost one half of all patients with intestinal helminthiasis were asymptomatic.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding in Malawian adults and value of splenomegaly in predicting source of haemorrhage.

Fibreoptic endoscopy was carried out on 100 Malawian adults consecutively admitted to the department of medicine, Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The principal causes of haemorrhage were oesophageal varices (45%), duodenal ulcer (16%), gastritis/erosions (9%) and gastric ulcer (7%). 69% of 29 patients with oesophageal varices who were investigated had S.

Plasma and urine electrolyte concentrations and vasopressin levels in patients admitted to hospital for falciparum malaria.

Vasopressin levels, together with plasma and urinary electrolytes, were measured in the acute and convalescent stages of 17 patients with malaria and 11 patients with other febrile illnesses. There was a significantly lower serum sodium in the acute stages of both groups (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.

Nutritional status in Malawian patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and response to chemotherapy.

Anthropometric measurements, hand-grip dynamometry and serum albumin determinations were performed on 122 (73 m, 49 f) Malawian patients, aged 16-68 years, who were consecutively admitted to the chest wards, Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, with sputum-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Nutritional findings were compared with those obtained in healthy age- and sex-matched controls, and were also related to clinical and radiographic features. All patients received chemotherapy under supervision in hospital for 8 weeks, and nutritional status was monitored at 4-week intervals.

Anaesthesia for extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. A comparison of propofol and methohexitone infusions during high frequency jet ventilation.

A continuous infusion of propofol 2.0-2.5 mg/kg for induction followed by 9 mg/kg/hour for the first 30 minutes and 6 mg/kg/hour thereafter, was compared with methohexitone 1.

Malaria prophylaxis amongst British residents of Lilongwe and Kasungu districts, Malawi.

Questionnaires on various aspects of malaria prophylaxis were distributed to all British residents (adults and children) of Lilongwe and Kasungu districts, Malawi, and were completed and returned by 293 (response rate 89%). Almost all residents used some measures to reduce mosquito contact, and 96% used chemoprophylaxis. Eight different chemoprophylactic regimens were used.

Fenoterol solution via nebuliser--optimum dosage.

We report the results of a double-blind controlled study of 20 asthmatic patients to determine the optimum dose of fenoterol given by nebuliser. Lung function was monitored after four different doses (0.5 mg, 1.