A cross-sectional survey by interviewing 1599 mothers having children under 5 years old was carried out at 4 provinces of the Mekong Delta, South of Vietnam, in June 1996. The results: the proportion of using health services at commune health stations was nearly similar with this at private sectors. The reasons for not seeking the commune health stations were far from the household, poor attitude of health workers, prolonged recovery time, lacking the diagnosis and treatment facilities, long waiting time. The rate of pregnant women having 3 prenatal checkups was low. 79.5% of children under 3 years old were followed up to measure weight and height. 64.5% of mother have used ORS packets when their children get diarrhoea.
Delivery of Health Care, Child, Mothers

Aims: Developing HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) in yogurt and soy milk-making process at 4 kitchens of Hoa Hong, Hoa My, Anh Sao and Hoa Mai kindergartens, based on 7 principles of FAO/WHO. Subject: yogurt and soy milk making process at each place. Result: HACCP had benefits for food hygiene and safety activities of kindergartens and help its food to be safer: 100% of yogurt samples met requirements and there was only 1/17 of soy milk samples contaminated with microorganism. Difficulty: All kitchen staffs access to HACCP in the first time, therefore the external support is needed to develop HACCP.
Technology ; Research

A retrospective study concerming the women’s reproductive health and the familial planing in Tan Binh commune and Tan Hoa commune, Tan Phong district, Thai Binh province in 2001-2003 year period. 50-60% of women aged 15-49 years old had been using various contraceptive methods, 60% using IUD, all women received good care in pregnancy, 100% had got pregnant examinations at least 3 times during their gestation and received the immunization enough for antitetanus. The increase of women who received gynecological sonsultation and the decrease of the incidence of gynecologicals diseases were notified.
Reproductive Medicine ; Family Planning Services ; Women

Background: Thoracoscopy has used for lots of thoracic disorders. Pneumothorax may be ideally suited for thoracoscopic management. Objective: To study the value of thoracoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of pneumothorax. Subjects and method: From September 2003 to October 2006, 30 patients with pneumothorax were treated by thoracoscopy at Department of Respiratory of Bach Mai Hospital. This was a longitudinal, retrospective and prospective study. Prospective study included 15 patients from September 2005 to October 2006. Retrospective study included 15 patients from September 2003 to August 2005. Results: In 30 patients, primary spontaneous pneumothorax accounted for 80%, secondary spontaneous pneumothorax 13.3%, catamenial pneumothorax 3.3% and iatrogenic pneumothorax 3.3%. Mean age of patients was 34\xb115 years (ranged from 17 to 77 years). 90% of cases were male. Bullea was found in 70% by thoracoscopy. Patients were in stage I 13.3%, stage II 20%, stage III 33.3%, and stage IV 33.3%. There were 3 procedures with ligation, 11 procedures with coagulator, 25 procedures with talc poudrage; mean dose of talc was 8.2\xb12.2 g. The success rates of procedures with talc poudrage were 80% and 100% after supplemental pleurodesis. Complications and side effects were subcutaneous emphysema 46.7%, empyema 3.3%, high fever 3.3% that we thought was nosocomial infections, bleeding in pleural cavity 3.3%, chest pain 96.7%, fever 63.3%, dyspnea 10%. After a mean follow up of 14.1\xb110.4 months, the recurrent rate was 3.3%. Conclusions: Medical thoracoscopy achieved a high success rate in the diagnosis and treatment of pneumothorax.
Pneumothorax/ diagnosis ; therapy ; Thoracoscopy

Background: A pleural effusion is an abnormal collection of fluid in the pleural space resulting from excess fluid production or decreased absorption. It is the most common manifestation of pleural disease. Objective: To evaluate the etiological, clinical, subclinical characteristics and treatment results of patients with pleural effusions. Subjects and method: This was a retrospective, descriptive study on 768 patients with pleural effusion, who were treated in Department of Respiratory of Bach Mai Hospital, from January 2001 to October 2003. The information was taken from clinical records of patients. Results and conclusions: The causes of pleural effusion were tuberculosis 37.6%, lung cancer 23.8%, pneumonia or lung abscess 8.0%, chronic heart failure disease 7.1%, liver cirrhosis 3.5%, others causes 6.7% of cases. The patients presented with chest pain 81.6%, dyspnea 75.1%, cough 43.8%, expectoration 29.7%, and fever 54.8%, pleural effusion syndrome 92.2% of cases. On chest X-ray images, 75.3% of cases had Damoiseau curve. Pleural ultrasound demonstrated free pleural effusion in 63.8% of cases, loculated pleural effusion and pleural compartmentalization in 19.8%. Rivalta test of pleural fluid was positive in 83.7% of cases, negative in 13.7%. Malignant cells found in pleural fluid of 21.2%. Histology of pleural biopsies demonstrated malignant in 17.4% of cases; in which mesothelioma 4.0%, pleural tuberculosis 30.5%; others 52.1%. After the treatment, recovery accounted for 6.3% of cases, amelioration 58.3%, and no amelioration 37.4%. 66.9% of cases were performed therapeutic thoracocentesis, 2.7% were performed pleural lavage.
Pleural Effusion/ therapy ; pathology ; diagnosis

Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis is a contagious bacterial infection that mainly involves the lungs, but may spread to other organs. Most people who develop symptoms of a tuberculosis infection first became infected in the past. However, in some cases, the disease may become active within weeks after the primary infection. Objective: To evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Subjects and method: A retrospective study included 196 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis hospitalized in Department of Respiratory of Bach Mai Hospital in 2 years (2002 - 2003). Patients\ufffd?information of medical records was collected. Results and conclusions: 60.7% of patients were male and 39.3% were female. Tuberculous pleurisy was 59%, parenchymal lung tuberculosis 36%, and the others 5%. Clinical signs and symptoms included chest pain 67.9%, dyspnea 61.2%, cough 72.9% (nonproductive cough: 42.3%; productive cough: 30.6%), fever 61.2%. Dull to flat percussion, decreased to absent breath sound and fremitus 65.3% (89% tuberculous pleurisy). 27.6% of patients had positive AFB evident (smear, bronchial lavage fluid). The first line drugs were usually used in treatment of tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis ; Pulmonary/ diagnosis ; therapy

Background: Rotavirus is the main cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old. The virus leads to over 600000 children deaths a year in the world, 80% of which occur in the developing countries. In Viet Nam, 50%-70% the children\u2019s hospitalizations for acute diarrhea were resulted from rotavirus infection. Objective: To sequence nucleotides and amino acids of VP4, VP7, NSP1, and NSP4 genes of 5 passages of human rotavirus strain G1P8. Materials and method: A study was conducted in rotavirus sample of 5 passages of human rotavirus strain G1P8: B17A3; B17.3; B17.3 pp32vero15; B17.3 pp36TKP2; B17.3 pp43.7vero in Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, United State. Methods: using NucliSen Kit for detection of ARN; RT-PCR; sequencing genes by ABI 3100 machine. Results and Conclusion: Sequencing nucleotides and amino acids of VP4, VP7, NSP1, and NSP4 genes of 5 passages of human rotavirus strain G1P8 showed that: the number of nucleotide mutations ofVP4, VP7, NSP4 genes occurring among the passages were 3 (at nucleotit 175, 419, 790), 1 (at nucleotit 644), 3 (at nucleotit 134, 254, 482), respectively. All these mutations resulted in changes in amino acid composition. No mutation was found in NSP1 gene.
Rotavirus ; Genes ; Nucleotides/ genetics ;

Background: Standard treatment for pleural infection includes of drainage and antibiotics. Chest tube drainage often fails if the fluid is loculated by fibrinous adhesions. Intrapleural fibrinolysis may facilitate pleural drainage. Objective: To evaluate the role of Streptokinase (STK) in the treatment of empyema and exudative pleural effusions. Subjects and method: A study included 34 patients (21 patients with exudative pleural effusions, 13 patients with empyema), aged 15-77 years. All patients received intrapleural STK daily with dose of 300.0000-500.000 UI for empyema and 300.000 UI for exudative pleural effusions. Response was assessed by clinical outcome, pleural fluid drainage, chest radiography, pleural ultrasound. Results: Mean pleural fluid drainage after STK instillation was higher in all patients. Pleural fluid drainage was 640 \xb1 494 ml before STK instillation and 823 \xb1 755 ml after STK instillation for empyema; 765 \xb1 691 ml before STK instillation and 1,033 \xb1 757 ml after STK instillation for exudative pleural effusions. The success rate of clinical outcome was 100%. Only 2 patients required decortications. Fever occurred in 3 patients (8.8%) and allergy in 1 patient (3%). Conclusions: Intrapleural STK was safe and effective in the treatment of empyema and exudative pleural effusions. STK prevents pleural adhesions and reduces the risks for surgery.
Streptokinase/ therapeutic use ; Empyema ; Pleural/therapy ; Pleural Effusion/ therapy

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a major public health problem. It is the fourth leading cause of chronic morbidity and mortality in the United States, and is projected to rank fifth in 2020 in burden of disease caused worldwide. Objective: To research the epidemiology of COPD in the population of Bac Giang city and finding out the risk factors of COPD. Subjects and method: Cross-sectional survey of general population sample of 2,104 men and women with the age \ufffd?0 years in 30 wards of 11 communes of Bac Giang city. Data on respiratory symptoms, diseases, and risk factors were collected. Lung function tests were performed with Spiroanalyzer snoo, Japan. Results and conclusions: The incidence of COPD was 2.3%; in men 3.0% and in women 1.7%. The incidence of simple chronic bronchitis was 6.4%. People who smoked had higher rate of COPD than the others (OR = 2.8). The incidence of smoking in COPD was 55.9%. The three most important risk factors of COPD was the age \ufffd?0; smoking >15 pack/year and medical history of asthma.
Pulmonary Disease ; Chronic Obstructive/ epidemiology

Background: Bronchoscopy is an essential technique for diagnosis of some lung diseases by taking samples for histological and cytological tests. Objective: To assess the role of transbronchial lung biopsy procedure in diagnosis some parenchymal pulmonary diseases. Subjects and method: A retrospective study conducted in 50 patients with diffuse and localized lung diseases, who were admitted to the Department of Respiratory in Bach Mai Hospital, from January 2003 to December 2005. Results: Transbronchial lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis in 30 of 50 (60%) cases; with localized malignant lesions (12%), diffuse lung disease (16%), tuberculosis (28%), and cystic fibrosis (4%). Following transbronchial lung biopsy, two patients had pneumothorax (1 patient had chest tube drainage) and five patients had hemoptysis but no of them required further treatment. Conclusions: Transbronchial lung biopsy offer good diagnostic accuracy and low complication rate.
Bronchoscopy/ contraindications ; Lung Diseases/ diagnosis