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Background: Epidemiology and resistance patterns of bacterial pathogens in pediatric UTI show large interregional variability and rates of bacterial resistances are changing due to different antibiotic treatment. We intended to evaluate data from northern Germany., Patients and Methods: In 100 children (53 female, 47 male, mean age 4.4 +/- 4.2 years) with community acquired UTI, who presented in the emergency department of our medical school from 2000 - 2002, urine cultures were performed. Inclusion criteria were: acute voiding symptoms, significant bacteriuria with growth of at least 10 (5) colony-forming units/ml urine, leukocyturia > 50/ micro l. Exclusion criteria were underlying renal diseases, anatomic abnormalities of the urinary tract, age < 2 months and recurrent UTI., Results: Patients presented with a mean rectal temperature of 38.6 +/- 1.3 degrees C, mean CRP of 66 +/- 68 mg/dl, mean WBC 13 500 +/- 5 600/ micro l and mean urinary leukocytes of 425 +/- 363/ micro l. In urine cultures E. coli was found in 47 % of the cases, Enterococcus faecalis 23 %, Proteus mirabilis 8 %, Klebsiella oxytoca 4 %, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 5 % and others 13 %. In 76 % one and in 24 % two different bacterial species (60 % Enterococcus faecalis) were cultured. Mean resistance rates were in all bacteria (in E. coli): Ampicillin 53 % (69 %), Ampicillin and Sulbactam 51 % (61 %), Cefalosporin 1 (st) generation (Cefaclor) 48 % (24 %), Cefalosporin 2 (nd) generation (Cefuroxim) 40 % (3 %), Cefalosporin 3 (rd) generation (Cefuroxim) 33 % (0 %), Tobramycin 30 % (2 %), Ciprofloxacine 0 %, Cotrimoxazole 40 % (42 %), Nitrofurantoin 12 % (0 %)., Conclusion: The resistance rates to Ampicillin (+/- Sulbactam) did not increase as compared to previous analyses (1990 - 1995), however, resistance rates to Cotrimoxazole and 1 (st) generation Cefalosporines increased about 20 %. We conclude that the policies for treatment of UTI in children should be re-evaluated every 5 years according to local resistance rates.

The Workgroup of the State Measuring Authorities for Chemical Occupational Safety (ALMA) was established in 1987 by the State Committee for Occupational Safety and Safety Technology (LASI) for the purpose of exchanging experiences between the measuring institutes and authorities of the federal states supporting the commercial regulation authorities in the field of dangerous materials. A workgroup was assigned by ALMA in 1995 to determine the theoretical and practical basis for the establishment of an exposure database commonly available to the federal states. In the first stage, the theoretical data structure of the planned database was defined. The purpose of this was to ensure the exchange of exposure data between the federal states in the future and to allow common evaluation of the data. In the second stage, the practical benefits of the database were determined in a trial run. This database makes possible and simplifies the documentation of both the exposure measurements of the state measuring authorities and also those of external (private) measuring bodies.

Renal failure in malaria appears to be a complication less well known than anaemia and cerebral malaria. Thirty-one non-immune patients treated for Plasmodium falciparum malaria at Hannover Medical School were reviewed. Nine patients (29%) had acute renal failure, seven of whom required dialysis, and five patients needed mechanical ventilation. Cerebral symptoms were seen in nine patients, and three of the patients died. In a second series, information about patients who died of malaria in Germany and Austria was gathered. Thirty-six reports were obtained and analysed retrospectively. Thirty-four patients (94%) had acute renal failure. Eighteen patients received dialysis while five other patients with high central venous pressure or hyperkalaemia would have benefitted from dialysis. Cerebral involvement was seen in 34 patients, and 20 patients showed respiratory failure. It was concluded that renal failure in P. falciparum malaria is as common in non-immune adults as cerebral malaria. As untreated renal failure may have a deleterious influence on cerebral and respiratory functions, early dialysis-treatment in patients with severe P. falciparum malaria and signs of deteriorating renal function is recommended.