Clinical and laboratory features associated with mortality in children with severe malnutrition in Papua New Guinea.

The World Health Organization has a clinical and syndromic approach to the management of severe acute malnutrition which recognises that laboratory investigations are often not possible where children with severe malnutrition present. In low- and middle-income countries including Papua New Guinea, rates of death from severe malnutrition in many hospitals remain 10% or more. To evaluate the clinical predictors of death and the association between disturbances of electrolytes and haematological investigations in children with severe malnutrition and the risk of mortality.

Rubella control in Papua New Guinea: age-specific immunity informs strategies for introduction of rubella vaccine.

Aim: To determine the age specific immunity profile for rubella from three discrete study populations in Papua New Guinea, and to inform policy regarding the possible introduction of rubella vaccine.

Background: In 2005, the Western Pacific Region (WPR), of which Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a member state, declared the goal of regional measles elimination by 2012. Recently, WPR has incorporated an accelerated control goal for rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).

Immune response to measles vaccine in 6 month old infants in Papua New Guinea.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of the current measles immunization schedule in Papua New Guinea, which is to give the first dose at 6 months of age and the second at 9 months.

Methods: Humoral immune response study of 140 Papua New Guinean infants at 6 months of age, measuring measles IgG antibodies by enzyme immunoassay before and 85 days after the 6-month dose of measles vaccine.

Results: After vaccination at 6 months, 35.

Management of meningitis in children with oral fluid restriction or intravenous fluid at maintenance volumes: a randomised trial.

A multi-centre randomised open trial was done to determine whether moderate oral fluid restriction or intravenous fluid at full maintenance volumes would result in a better outcome for children with bacterial meningitis in Papua New Guinea, and what clinical signs could guide fluid management. Children with clinical signs and cerebrospinal fluid suggestive of bacterial meningitis received either breast milk by nasogastric tube at 60% of normal maintenance volumes (n = 172) or intravenous half-normal saline and 5% dextrose at 100% of normal maintenance volumes (n = 174) for the 1st 48 hrs of treatment. An adverse outcome was death or severe neurological sequelae, and a good outcome was defined as intact survival or survival with at worst mild-to-moderate neurological sequelae.