Quality of life at the Dead Sea region: the lower the better? An observational study.

Background: The Dead Sea region, the lowest in the world at 410 meters below sea level, is considered a potent climatotherapy center for the treatment of different chronic diseases.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of chronic diseases and the quality of life of residents of the Dead Sea region compared with residents of the Ramat Negev region, which has a similar climate, but is situated 600 meters above sea level.

Methods: An observational study based on a self-administered questionnaire.

Clinical outcome in children with culture-negative acute otitis media.

Background: Culture-negative AOM is often milder and associated with lower local/systemic inflammatory responses than culture-positive AOM.

Study Objectives: To compare the clinical outcome of culture-negative AOM with that of culture-positive AOM children.

Patients And Methods: Children aged 3 to 35 months with AOM were enrolled in 11 double-tympanocentesis antibiotic efficacy studies documenting both bacteriologic (days 4-6 of treatment) and clinical outcome (days 11-14, end of treatment).

Is bilateral acute otitis media clinically different than unilateral acute otitis media?

Background: Information regarding the specific characteristics of bilateral acute otitis media (BAOM) versus unilateral acute otitis media (UAOM) is lacking.

Objectives: To compare the epidemiologic, microbiologic, and clinical characteristics of BAOM with UAOM in children.

Patients And Methods: 1026 children aged 3-36 months (61%, <1 year of age) with AOM were enrolled during 1995-2003.

The coagulopathy of sepsis: pathophysiology and management.

Sepsis is an infection-induced inflammatory syndrome that results in a complex network of adaptive and maladaptive alterations in homeostatic mechanisms. Severe sepsis, defined as sepsis associated with acute organ failure, is a serious disease with a mortality rate of 30-50%. The coagulation system, through complex interactions, has an important role in the final outcome of the sepsis-induced inflammatory cascade.

Can acute otitis media caused by Haemophilus influenzae be distinguished from that caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae?

Background: Previous limited data suggest that acute otitis media (AOM) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae can present as a more severe disease than that caused by Haemophilus influenzae or Moraxella catarrhalis, as expressed by both tympanic membrane and systemic findings.

Objectives: To evaluate the severity of disease and impact of various pathogens, age, disease history and previous antibiotic therapy in children with AOM by using a comprehensive clinical/otologic score.

Patients And Methods: The study group consisted of 372 children ages 3 to 36 months with AOM seen at the pediatric emergency room during 1996 through 2001.