No abstract

No abstract

SUMMARYComparative clinical trials of live attenuated and detergent-split subunit influenza virus vaccines were undertaken with 1048 volunteers in Western Australia. Volunteers were divided into three main groups, each of which received either live virus vaccine or a saline control administered intranasally, or subunit vaccine injected subcutaneously. No differences were recorded between the three groups in their post-vaccination symptoms. Serum samples were collected at various times up to 50 weeks after vaccination, and antibody titres were measured by haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) tests and, for 231 volunteers, by virus neutralization tests. The two vaccines were almost equivalent in inducing seroconversion in vaccinees with pre-trial HI titres of 96 or less, but the subunit vaccine stimulated a higher geometric mean HI antibody titre. The longevity of the HI antibody response was greater for the live virus vaccine. The height of the response and the longevity of neutralizing antibody were the same for both vaccines. Both vaccines provided a high degree of protection against epidemic A/England/42/72 influenza, and some protection against A/Port Chalmers/1/73 influenza.

Screening pediatric inpatients for psychosocial dysfunction offers physicians an opportunity to identify emotional and behavioral problems that might otherwise go unrecognized. In this study, the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), a brief, parent-completed questionnaire, which has been validated in a variety of outpatient settings, was used to screen 98 pediatric inpatients. Results indicated that the PSC can be easily administered in a busy inpatient setting and is well-tolerated by both house staff and patients' parents as a routine part of the admissions process. The percentage of children who screened positive with the PSC in this inpatient setting was similar to the percentages generated by using the PSC in outpatient settings. Routine use of the PSC in inpatient settings serves to heighten house staff awareness of psychosocial concerns and facilitate parent-physician discussion of pediatric mental health issues.