Seasonal variation in hospital admissions for community-acquired pneumonia: a 5-year study.

Objectives: We conducted a retrospective analysis of computerized hospitalization and regional meteorological and geophysical data in a university hospital in southern Israel. The aim of the study was to determine and depict the seasonal variation in hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP-H) and the factors affecting it, for all age groups combined and by age group, over a 5-year period.

Methods: All cases of CAP-H over the period from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1994 were studied by season of the year and age group.

Geriatric Depression Screening Scale (GDS) in patients hospitalized for physical rehabilitation.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of symptoms of depression and the factors affecting their presence in an elderly population at the start of rehabilitation. To assess changes in the severity of these symptoms during rehabilitation and the correlation between these changes and corresponding changes in the patient's functional state.

Design: A population-based prospective study.

The effect of adenotonsillectomy on serum insulin-like growth factor-I and growth in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children is frequently associated with growth interruption. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of OSAS and adenotonsillectomy on the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) axis in children.

Study Design: Thirteen prepubertal children (mean age, 6.

Pneumonia with serological evidence of acute infection with the Chlamydia-like microorganism "Z".

"Z" is a recently discovered microorganism that may belong to a new genus in the family Chlamydiaceae. Using an ELISA test we developed, we measured levels of serum antibody against "Z" for 308 paired sera obtained from adult patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In 114 patients (37%), serological evidence of past infection with "Z" was found.

IL-1beta and IL-6 in community-acquired pneumonia: bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia versus Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.

Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in 20 patients with bacteremic Streptococcus pneumoniae community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were compared with these cytokine levels in 20 patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae CAP. All 40 patients survived hospitalization and underwent a follow-up examination one month later. Serum IL-1beta and IL-6 levels were determined by the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) method using commercial kits.

Seasonal variation in community-acquired pneumonia.

Seasonal variation in the incidence of disease in general, and of infectious diseases in particular, is vitally important information for epidemiologists and for clinicians who deal with these diseases. In relation to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the seasonal distribution of the disease and, in particular, of each of the specific aetiological agents is important. All 346 adult patients who were admitted to a regional hospital in southern Israel for CAP over a period of 1 year were included in a prospective study.

Demographic data from a hospital case series of endoscopically-diagnosed benign peptic ulcer in southern Israel, 1989-1990.

Background: A knowledge of the clinical and epidemiological features of duodenal and gastric ulcer is of importance to clinicians and other health care providers. These aspects of ulcer disease have not been studied previously in the Negev region of southern Israel, which is home to 300,000 Jews and 60,000 Bedouin Arabs.

Methods: Clinical, demographic and risk factors were analyzed in a case series of benign duodenal and gastric ulcers (first or recurrent attack) diagnosed at endoscopy at the Soroka Medical Center in the years 1989-1990.