Diarrhea remains a major health issue in developing countries, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Determining the incidence of acute diarrhea in children and its associated factors is crucial to the planning of preventive approaches. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of diarrhea and to assess some relevant associated factors to it in children younger than 40 months living in two slums of Salvador, Brazil. This is the first prospective cohort, community-based study that was performed in two periurban slums of Salvador, Brazil. Eighty-four children younger than 40 months were randomly selected and visited every other day for one year. The chi-square test was used to evaluate the occurrence of diarrhea and its associated factors. During the surveillance period, 232 diarrhea episodes were identified, resulting in an incidence rate of 2.8 episodes/child/year. In average (mean value of 84 children),each child suffered 11.1 days of diarrhea per year, yielding an average duration of 3.9 days per episode. The highest incidence rates were found among children under one year old. Early weaning, male sex, malnutrition, having a mother younger than 25 years or who considered her child malnourished, missed immunizations and previous pneumonia were associated factors for suffering diarrheal episodes. The rates of incidence and duration of diarrhea that we found are in accordance to those reported by others. Additionally, our results reinforce the importance of environmental and health-related associated factors to the onset of diarrhea.

Knowledge about hepatotropic viruses is crucial for pediatricians because of the high prevalence of viral hepatitis during childhood. The multiplicity of hepatotropic viruses, the spectrum of acute and chronic infections, and the sequels of viral hepatitis result in a need for physicians to better understand the clinical and epidemiological context of patients with viral hepatitis, as well as the importance of prevention measures for hepatitis. A descriptive cross-sectional study was made of pediatrician's knowledge about viral hepatitis, through questionnaires to 574 pediatricians, with no obligation of identification. The pediatricians were recruited among those who attended a national Congress of Pediatrics in Brasília, Brazil. Among these pediatricians, 50.1% frequently treated cases of hepatitis, and 74.7% indicated that they had knowledge of the existence of five hepatotropic viruses; 14.5% knew about at least four types of hepatitis complications, while only 7.7% and 4.3% were able to correctly diagnose viral hepatitis A and B, respectively. Many (28.4%) did not know how to treat the patients adequately. Only 37.5% had already recommended vaccination against hepatitis B. Only 50.2% of the pediatricians had been vaccinated against hepatitis B. We concluded that it is crucial to make pediatricians more knowledgeable about viral hepatitis, through continued education programs, especially emphasizing prevention procedures.

Hepatitis A is one of the most frequent infectious liver diseases affecting children worldwide. The disease is usually mild and self-limited, and complications are very rare. Nevertheless, hepatitis A can sometimes cause acute liver failure (ALF), a severe, life-threatening condition. Herein is reported a case of a child who presented ALF during a course of hepatitis A. The need for early identification of possible ALF cases among hepatitis A patients, and for effective ways of evaluating such a possibility, are discussed. We also emphasize the importance of prevention measures, especially vaccination.

The authors propose a new instrument of communication to the anesthesia recovery room, in a governmental hospital in the state of São Paulo. Their objective is to improve the assistence given to the pacient, during the post anesthesic period, in order to have a more individualized treatment. Also it proposed to help the nurses who work on the surgical unities, the nurses staff, the anesthesiologist from surgical unities. These necessities came out from a survey carried out on the nursing field, with the people above related.

Os autores propõem um novo instrumento de comunicação para a Sala de Recuperação Anestésica de um hospital governamental do Estado de São Paulo com o objetivo de melhorar a assistência prestada ao paciente no pós-anestésico tornando-a cada vez mais individualizada, preenchendo assim, as necessidades das enfermeiras que atuam nas unidades cirúrgicas, equipe de enfermeiras e anestesistas do Centro Cirúrgico e Recuperação Anestésica da referida instituição. Essas necessidades foram detectadas através de trabalhos de pesquisa de campo realizados com esses elementos. A nova ficha de Recuperação Anestésica foi estruturada a partir de dados já existentes associados às conclusões obtidas nos trabalhos de pesquisa mencionados e a uma crescente evolução na prestação de cuidados ao paciente nessa fase de alto risco da assitência. Essa ficha será testada e os resultados publicados posteriormente.

Os autores propõem um novo instrumento de comunicação para a Sala de Recuperação Anestésica de um hospital governamental do Estado de São Paulo com o objetivo de melhorar a assistência prestada ao paciente no pós-anestésico tornando-a cada vez mais individualizada, preenchendo assim, as necessidades das enfermeiras que atuam nas unidades cirúrgicas, equipe de enfermeiras e anestesistas do Centro Cirúrgico e Recuperação Anestésica da referida instituição. Essas necessidades foram detectadas através de trabalhos de pesquisa de campo realizados com esses elementos. A nova ficha de Recuperação Anestésica foi estruturada a partir de dados já existentes associados às conclusões obtidas nos trabalhos de pesquisa mencionados e a uma crescente evolução na prestação de cuidados ao paciente nessa fase de alto risco da assitência. Essa ficha será testada e os resultados publicados posteriormente.

The authors propose a new instrument of communication to the anesthesia recovery room, in a governmental hospital in the state of São Paulo. Their objective is to improve the assistence given to the pacient, during the post anesthesic period, in order to have a more individualized treatment. Also it proposed to help the nurses who work on the surgical unities, the nurses staff, the anesthesiologist from surgical unities. These necessities came out from a survey carried out on the nursing field, with the people above related.