Patients with thalassemia major are at high risk for hearing impairment. The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence, grade and type of hearing impairment according to brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) investigation in thalassemia major. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted between December 1999 until August 2000 in 72 thalassemic patients between 3 and 18 years of age. Only 65 patients were evaluated, because of time limitation. The results showed the prevalence of hearing impairment in thalassemia major was 29.2%. Most of them were moderate to severe unilateral sensorineural hearing impairments. Mild sensorienural hearing impairment occured in only 12.3%. Conductive hearing impairment was only found in 1 patient. Hearing impairment was frequently found between 7 to 12 years of age (41.5%). Conclusion: the prevalence of hearing impairment in thalassemia major according to BAEP investigation is high and BAEP examination should be done regularly in all of thalassemic patients to investigate early detection and treatment of hearing impairment.

We reviewed the results of arterial blood gas analysis in 127 patients with neonatal tetanus on admission, and in 52 of such patients on the day before they died. All patients were hospitalized at the Department of Child Health, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta. On admission, most patients showed uncompensated metabolic acidosis. The mortality of patients wjth pH ofless than 7 was 100%. There was no significant difference between the mortality of patients with pH 7.35-7.45 and those with pH of less than 7.35. Analysis of acid-base balance indicated that ventilatory fw1ure was the most common finding in 52 patients who subsequently died. We recommend using intravenous fluid containing a combination of 5% dextrose and sodium bicarbonate with 4 : 1 (vol/vol) ratio from the fust day of hospitalization to reduce the possibility of the development of ongoing metabolic acidosis in patients with neonatal tetanus. Maintaining adequate ventilation is mandatory ln such patients.

During 4 years, 20 patients with brain abscesses were hospitalized in the Departement of Child Health, Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, jakarta. Of those 20 patients 11 were males and 9 were females. The youngest patient was 2 months old and the oldest was 12 years old. The important signs and symptoms in making diagnosis were the sign of injection, increased intracranial pressure, and focal neurological disorders. Laboratory examinations were of little value in establishing the diagnosls of brain abscess. By performing head CT Scan the diagnosis of brain abscess will be confirmed accurately. Of the 20 patients, 15 (75 %) suffered from single abscess and 5 (25 %) suffered from multiple abscesses. The results of treatment by surgical intervention were better than nonsurgical treatment. The high mortallty of the nonsurgical patients was caused by the severity of the disease due to the ignorancy of their parent.