Flaccid paralysis of the limbs after an asthmatic attack.

Acute exacerbations of asthma are common in children, but limb weakness after such exacerbations is very unusual. Hopkins' syndrome, a poliomyelitis-like illness associated with asthma, is seldom reported in the literature. We describe a child with weakness of the lower limbs after an asthmatic attack.

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.