Objective: The Syrian civil war since 2011 has led to one of the most complex humanitarian emergencies in history. The objective of this study was to document the impact of the conflict on the familial, educational, and public health state of Syrian children. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in May 2015. Health care workers visited families with a prospectively designed data sheet in 4 Northern Syrian governorates. Results: The 1001 children included in this study originated from Aleppo (41%), Idleb (36%), Hamah (15%), and Lattakia (8%). The children's median age was 6 years (range, 0-15 years; interquartile range, 3-11 years), and 61% were boys. Almost 20% of the children were internally displaced, and 5% had deceased or missing parents. Children lacked access to safe drinking water (15%), appropriate sanitation (23%), healthy nutrition (16%), and pediatric health care providers (64%). Vaccination was inadequate in 72%. More than half of school-aged children had no access to education. Children in Idleb and Lattakia were at greater risk of having unmet public health needs. Younger children were at greater risk of having an incomplete vaccination state. Conclusions: After 4 years of civil war in Syria, children have lost parents, live in substandard life quality circumstances, and are at risk for outbreaks because of worsening vaccination states and insufficient availability of health care providers. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:874-882)

BackgroundThe civil war in Syria including the deliberate targeting of healthcare services resulted in a complex humanitarian emergency, seriously affecting children's health. The objectives of this study are to document diagnoses and disease categories in Northern Syrian children after four years of conflict, and to document infectious diseases and injuries in this vulnerable population.MethodsIn a prospective cross-sectional observational sample study conducted in May 2015, healthcare workers registered demographics, comorbidities, and diagnoses (categorised according to the International Classification of Diseases version 10) in children visited at home and in internally displaced persons camps in four Syrian governorates.ResultsOf 1080 filled-out records, 1002 were included. Children originated from Aleppo (41%), Idleb (36%), Hamah (15%) and Lattakia (8%). Median age was 6 years (0–15; IQR 3–11), 61% were boys, 40% were younger than 5 years old. Children suffered from respiratory (29%), neurological (19%), digestive (17%), eye (5%) and skin (5%) diseases. Clinical malnutrition was seen in 4%, accidental injury in 3%, intentional injury in 1%, and mental disorders in 2%. Overall, 64% had features of infectious diseases (OR 0.635; CI 0.605–0.665). Most common comorbidities were chronic respiratory diseases (14, malnutrition (5%), acute flaccid paralysis (5%), and epilepsy (4%). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the risk for children to have communicable diseases was higher in Aleppo than in Idleb (OR 1.7; CI 1.2–2.3), Hamah (OR 4.9; CI 3.3–7.5), or Lattakia (OR 5.5; CI 3.3–9.3). Children in Aleppo and Lattakia were more at risk to be injured than in Idleb (OR 5.6; CI 2.1–14.3), or in Hamah (OR 5.9; CI 1.4–25.6), but more often from intentional violence in Lattakia. Mental problems were more prominent in Hamah.ConclusionsFour years far in the conflict, 64% of the studied children in four Northern Syrian governorates suffer from infections, mostly from respiratory, neurological and digestive origin, while 4% was injured or victim of intentional aggression. Substandard living conditions and the lack of paediatric healthcare put Syrian children at risk for serious infections, epidemics and morbidity, and ask for urgent international humanitarian relief efforts.

Objective: The traditional approach for acid base interpretation is based on Handerson-Hasselbalch formula and includes Base Excess (BE), bicarbonate (HCO 3 ), albumin corrected anion gap. The Physicochemical approach is centered on the Carbon Dioxide tension (PCO 2 ), the strong ion difference (SID), strong ion gap (SIG) = SID apparent-SID effective and totally weak acids (Atot). The study aims to compare between the traditional approach and the physicochemical approach in acid base disorder interpretation. Design: Prospective observational study in an adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) recruiting six hundred and sixty one patients. Methods: Arterial blood samples were analyzed to measure pH, PaCO 2 sodium, potassium, chloride and lactate. Venous blood samples were analyzed to measure ionized calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and albumin. These samples were interpreted by both techniques. Results: Normal HCO 3 and BE were detected by traditional approach in 49 cases of which SIG acidosis was detected in 22 cases (46%) and Hyperchloremic acidosis was detected in 29 cases (60%) by physicochemical method. SIG was elevated in 72 cases (58%) of 124 cases with high anion gap acidosis. SIDeff and BE were strongly correlated, r = 0.8, p < 0.0001, while SIG and Albumin corrected Anion Gap (ALAG) were moderately correlated r = 0.56, p < 0.0001. Conclusion: Both approaches are important for interpretation of the acid base status. Traditional approach identifies the diagnostic description without many calculations and detects body compensatory response to acid base disorders. Physicochemical approach is essential to identify the exact causation and the severity of the acid base disorders.

Background: The tremendous increase in disasters in the Middle East whether natural or man-made is unforeseen in its characters and/or catastrophic effects to the communities and infrastructure, thus making public awareness is a mandate to plan, respond and mitigate the community. Methods: We run Public Awareness program targeting non-medical university students, aiming at raising their knowledge about first aid and response during disasters by designing and conducting hands on First Aid and disaster preparedness course, pretest and post-test was done, graded from 0 to 10 for evaluation of the candidates and their level of knowledge, aiming at achieving 3 grades or above change in the candidates knowledge. Results: Of 95 candidates attended the course, 84 pre and dost were complete and included in this study. More than half of them were male (n = 55; 65%). There was a significant difference in the candidates grades in the pre and post-test, with near 95% achieved the goal and almost 90% was satisfied by the program. Discussion and conclusion: The surge in disasters over the last decades is unforeseen, in order to meet that threat national disaster plans should focus on effective disaster public awareness programs, targeting especially the most active and largest part of the community, which is university students.