Reports summarize life sciences study results from University of Cape Town, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
2007 MAR 26 -- New research, "Determining causes of mortality in children enrolled in a vaccine field trial in a rural area in the Western Cape Province of South Africa," is the subject of a report. "A mortality surveillance system was developed to identify and document causes of death among children enrolled in a tuberculosis vaccine field trial in South Africa. The aims of this study were to describe causes of mortality in children enrolled in a phase IV trial comparing intradermal with percutaneous administration of Bacille Calmette Guerin, and to compare causes of mortality recorded on death certificates with those obtained by clinical record review combined with verbal autopsies (CR/VA)," scientists writing in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health report. "For children who died, certified causes of death were compared with those determined by CR/VA. Among 11677 children enrolled, 177 deaths were notified over 4 years. The incidence rate of death was 6.8/1000 person-years. Follow-up time ranged from 0.03 to 35.3 months (median 4 months; interquartile range 1.4-8.5). The infant mortality rate was 12.5/1000 live births and the neonatal mortality was 3/1000 live births. Pneumonia, gastroenteritis and septicaemia were among top causes of mortality by both methods. 'Sudden unexplained' and 'ill-defined' causes were among top causes of mortality based on CR/VA, while tuberculosis and 'natural causes' were among top causes based on death certificates. Important underlying causes of mortality by CR/VA include HIV/AIDS, prematurity/low birth weight and malnutrition. In 47% of deaths there was agreement on immediate causes of death. This increased to 54% when 'natural causes' and 'sudden unexplained deaths' were included. In this cohort mortality was largely due to infectious diseases," wrote S. Moyo and colleagues, University of Cape Town, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine. The researchers concluded: "While CR/VA provided additional information on most deaths, this was not always sufficient to assign specific causes of death." Moyo and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health (Determining causes of mortality in children enrolled in a vaccine field trial in a rural area in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2007;43(3):178-83). Additional information can be obtained by contacting S. Moyo, University of Cape Town, South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Cape Town, South Africa. The publisher of the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health can be contacted at: Blackwell Publishing Asia, 54 University St., PO Box 378, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia. Keywords: South Africa, Cape Town, Life Sciences, Clinical Trials, Post-Trials Research, Clinical Trial Research, Post-Trial Research, Vaccines, Biotechnology, Child Health, Pediatrics. This article was prepared by Biotech Business Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2007, Biotech Business Week via NewsRx.com.
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