A 2.5-year retrospective study of pyogenic meningitis in hospitalized children in Kelantan was carried out with regard to aetiology, clinical features, investigation, treatment and outcome. There were 58 children with 43 cases (74.1%) occurring below the age of 1 year. Frequent presenting symptoms included fever (98.3%), fits (77.6%), anorexia (39.7%), vomiting (34.5%) and drowsiness (12.1%). On admission, 37 (63.7%) had neck stiffness, 10 (17.2%) had Kernig's sign and 32 (55.2%) had coma. CSF cultures were positive for Haemophilus influenzae in 29 (50%), Streptococcus pneumonia in 13 (22.4%) and Neisseria meningitidis in 3 (5.2%). The antibiotic sensitivity profiles showed that the three main organisms were 100% sensitive to Chloramphenicol, Streptococcus pneumoniae was 100% sensitive to penicillin, Neisseria meningitidis was 100% sensitive to penicillin and ampicillin, and Haemophilus influenzae was 90% sensitive to penicillin and ampicillin. The total hospital mortality was 18.9%. All but two of the eleven deaths occurred in children younger than 1 year. Nineteen of the 35 (54.3%) survivors attended for at least one follow-up after discharge from hospital. Of these 19 children, 47.4% had neurological sequelae.

Objective To (1) determine how intended users interact with and use the BD Odon Device in simulation, (2) use these findings to alter progressively the design of the BD Odon Device and (3) validate that these changes have improved the ability of practitioners to use the BD Odon Device.Design Human factors evaluation study.Setting Simulation suite designed to mimic delivery room.Population or sample Three hundred and ninety simulated operative births, performed by 100 practising clinicians.Methods Simulated operative vaginal births performed using the BD Odon Device and the device Instructions for use were subjected to three formative human factors evaluations and one human factors validation test. Following each evaluation, findings were reviewed and the design of the BD Odon Device and Instructions for use were modified.Main outcome measures Successful performance of an operative vaginal birth using the BD Odon Device in accordance with provided training and Instructions for use.Results Using version two of the BD Odon Device, and following exposure to face-to-face training and written instructions, 25% of accouchers were able successfully to perform a simulated operative vaginal birth. In the final evaluation, following device design and training material alterations, all accouchers were able successfully to perform a simulated operative vaginal birth using version four of the BD Odon Device.Conclusions Human factors evaluations have enabled a multiprofessional device and training materials design team to alter the design of the BD Odon Device and the Instructions for use in an evidence-based fashion. This process has resulted in a device which has a predictable and likely safe pattern of use.Keywords BD Odon Device, human factors, improvements, use.

Benzylidene polyester was successfully synthesized and highly intense fluorescence of a Cu2+–benzylidene complex was observed. The reason for the significantly enhanced fluorescence “turn on” was elucidated for efficient and effective detection of Cu2+ ion.

A homologous series of soluble photoluminescent polyesters, namely poly{bis(4-hydroxybenzylidene)acetone-5-(m-alkyloxyisophthalate)}, PAI1-PAI5 were designed and synthesized via polycondensation reaction. The branches of these polyesters consisted of flexible alkyloxy chains with different chain lengths in order to investigate their influence toward thermal stability as well as the photocrosslinking property. It was found that increasing length of the flexible chain would reduce the thermal stability of the polyesters. Irradiation of these polyesters under UV light induced photocrosslinking and showed fascinate enhancement in their photoluminescence property with greater emission intensity. This was evidenced visually from the transformation of a weak greenish blue emission to highly intense cloudy blue emission. The photocrosslinking system was further confirmed using spectroscopic methods. Morphology analysis using SEM showed that the photocrosslinked polyesters have a fiber-like or thread-like texture with more voids as compared to the virgin polyesters. This was because of the formation of cyclobutanes through photodimerization involving 2p 1 2p cycloaddition.