Nationally representative hospital data indicate that ovarian torsion is uncommon but occurs in all ages and is typically associated with normal ovaries or benign lesions. Improved awareness of the epidemiology may help to guide management. Ongoing analysis to identify factors that are associated with successful conservative management is warranted.

A retrospective epidemiological study of cleft lip and palate in King County, Washington, between 1956 and 1965 is reported. Multiple sources of ascertainment were employed, and particular attention was given to obtaining information concerning other associated malformations. Occurrences of cleft lip (CL), cleft lip and palate (CL + P), and cleft palate (CP) were analyzed by separate categories, depending on the presence or absence of associated major or minor malformations. The results strongly indicated that clefts with associated malformations are different epidemiological entities from pure clefts. Sex-ratio reversals occurred for some categories with associated malformations. In contrast to the usual male excess of CL f P, there was a female excess of CL f P with major associated malformations. In contrast to the usual female excess of CP, 49% of children with CP with associated malformations were male. No maternal-age effect was observed for any "pure" cleft category, but significant "U-shaped maternal-age distributions were seen for CL + P with associated major malformations, CP with associated major malformations, and CP with all associated malformations. Increased frequency of low birth weight and infant mortality were confined to categories with associated malformations. No significant birth order, season, secular change, or time-space clustering effects were observed. The incidence rate for all clefts was 1.84/1000 live births.

Noninvasive bedside measurement of EtCO2 values among children with acute asthma is feasible. EtCO2 values did not distinguish children with mild disease from those with more severe disease. Further data are needed to clarify the association between EtCO2 values and other indicators of disease severity, particularly in children with more severe disease.

No abstract