D. Amital, H. Amital, G. Shohat, Y. Soffer and Y. Bar-Dayan
Background: On 4 February 2008, two terrorists armed with suicide bombs arrived at the open market in the southern Israeli city of Dimona. One detonated his bomb at approximately 10:30 a.m. causing multiple casualties. Short-term emotional effects and acute stress reactions usually appear among survivors after such incidents.
Objectives: To compare the differences in emotions and in disturbances of daily life activities that emerge a couple of days following such an event and to identify patterns of stress development among resilient and low-resilient members of the population in Dimona and in the general population of Israel.
Methods: A telephone survey of two randomly selected representative samples of adults (428 Israeli residents and 250 Dimona residents) was conducted 2 days after the event.
Results: A higher prevalence of stress and fear and a lower prevalence of joy were reported among the population of Dimona compared to the general population in Israel (P < 0.05). Differences were also recorded when the population of Dimona was categorized by their personal degree of resilience (P < 0.05). A higher prevalence of disturbances in daily life activities and changes in leisure activity was found in the low-resilient population in Dimona (P < 0.01).
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that following a public terror event, self-reported low-resilient subjects have a higher prevalence of disturbances in daily life activities, as well as adverse emotional responses. These differences must be addressed by the relevant social service agencies for immediate public intervention
A. Zamora-Ustaran, R.O. Escarcega-Alarcón, M. Garcia-Carrasco, E. Faugier, S. Mendieta-Zeron, C. Mendoza-Pinto, Á. Montiel-Jarquin, M. Muñoz-Guarneros, A. Lopez-Colombo and R. Cervera
Background: Data on pediatric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are very sparse.
Objectives: To describe the main clinical characteristics, laboratory data and complications of pediatric APS patients, and to analyze the differences between primary APS and APS associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical and laboratory data of 32 children at “Federico Gomez,” the children’s hospital of México. Nineteen patients had SLE, 12 (37.5%) had primary APS and 1 (3%) had immune thrombocytopenic purpura. We collected information on sociodemographic variables, vaccinations, age at onset, and family history of rheumatic disease, hematological disorders, skin disorders and non-thrombotic neurological disorders. Immunological features included immunoglobulin (Ig) G and M aCl antibodies, IgG and IgM b2 glycoprotein I, lupus anticoagulant, anti-dsDNA and antinuclear antibodies.
Results: The patients included 24 females and 8 males. The most common thrombotic events were small vessel thrombosis (44%), venous thrombosis (28%) mainly deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in lower extremities, and arterial thrombosis (25%). The most common clinical non-thrombotic manifestations were hematological (53%) and neurological disorders (22%). There were no significant differences between groups with regard to the site of thrombosis, non-thrombotic clinical manifestations or laboratory features.
Conclusions: There were some important differences between the clinical manifestations of APS in children compared with adults, but we found no significant differences between patients with primary and APS associated with SLE. Larger studies in Latin American APS children are necessary to determine whether there are differences between ethnic groups.
D. Antonelli, D. Peres and Y. Turgeman
Background: Alcohol consumption in Israel has increased over the last 20 years. Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who present at a hospital enable early intervention. Objectives: To examine, for the first time, the characteristics of AUD patients in an Israeli general hospital, including whether their alcohol use is documented in their file.
Methods: A group of 178 consecutive patients referred for psychiatric consultation was compared to a second group of 105 hospitalized patients who were not referred. These two groups were studied to compare risk factors for AUD. Patients in both groups were prospectively interviewed using a CAGE questionnaire, demonstrated as an effective screening instrument for AUD. Patients’ files in both groups were examined for documentation of alcohol use.
Results: There was no significant difference between the prevalence of AUD in the two groups. The groups were then merged since no significant difference in the risk factor effects between the two groups was found. The risk factors for AUD in the final statistical analysis were lower educational status, living alone, being born in the Former Soviet Union and weaker religious observance. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cigarette smoking and substance use were found to be independent risk factors. Soldier status was associated with significant alcohol misuse and AUD (CAGE1–4). Alcohol consumption was documented in the files of AUD patients in 48% of the first group and 21% of the second.
Conclusions: Physicians often neglect to take a history of alcohol consumption. Routine use of the CAGEquestionnaire is recommended in Israeli general hospitals. Special attention should be given to PTSD patients and to soldiers.