According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonia is the leading killer of children that causes more casualties than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined. Approximately two million pneumonia-related deaths occue each year, accounting for one out of every five child deaths. The annual incidence of pneumonia is estimated at 151 million new cases per year, of which 11'20 million cases accounting for about 7 to 13 percent of lung disease cases are severe enough to require hospitalization. Yet too little is being done to reduce lung disease-related deaths among children.
A study was found that only about one-fifth of caregivers know the ?danger signs? of pneumonia, including its two tell-tale symptoms of fast breathing (17%) and difficult breathing (21%). A little more than half of children sick with pneumonia receive proper care. Antibiotics, the recommended treatment was only given to 1 in 5 children with pneumonia in the early 1990s.
It was found that only a small number within the population existed in the prevalence of pneumonia and in caregivers' knowledge of pneumonia's ? danger signs.? It is also a discouraging fact that there is an unequal care for children with pneumonia. Children from richer families and better educated mothers and those living in urban areas were more likely to receive appropriate medical treatment.
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung, usually caused by an infection. Three common causes are bacteria, viruses and fungi. Most cases of pneumonia among children occur sporadically and not in outbreaks. People most at risk are older than 65 or younger than 2 years of age, or already have health problems. Person-to-person transmission may occur by direct contact with infectious secretions.
Approximately 10 to 20% of all children less than 5 years old in developing countries acquire pneumonia each year. About 1% of pneumonia cases result in bronchiectasis, which increases the risk of recurrent infections. Sometimes, a child's only symptom is rapid breathing. When the pneumonia is in the lower part of the lungs near the abdomen, there may be no breathing problems at all. However, there may be fever and abdominal pain or vomiting.
When pneumonia is caused by bacteria, an infected child usually becomes sick relatively quick. The child may also experience a sudden onset of high fever and unusually rapid breathing. When pneumonia is caused by a certain virus, symptoms tend to appear more gradually and are often less severe than in pneumonia caused by bacteria.
Some types of pneumonia cause symptoms that give important clues about which germs are causing the illness. In older children and adolescents, for example, pneumonia due to Mycoplasma (also called walking pneumonia) is notorious for causing a sore throat and headache in addition to the usual symptoms of pneumonia.
In general, pneumonia is not contagious, but the upper respiratory viruses that lead to it are, so it is best to keep a child away from anyone who has an upper respiratory tract infection.
According to WHO, reducing child deaths from pneumonia requires implementing effective prevention programs. This include promoting breastfeeding, reducing child under-nutrition, encouraging hand washing and raising immunization rates. A pneumococcal vaccine may be available for routine use which would likely have a significant effect in reducing child deaths from pneumonia.
No matter how much you research an employer there is always a risk of jumping into a bad situation. Most of us perform basic due diligence before accepting any new position. You research the financial stability of the company and inquire about any merger possibilities. You ask around about overtime and whether there are any difficult personalities working there. Sadly sometimes this is not enough to prevent a big mistake.
The one thing most people neglect to do while interviewing is actually listen to what is being said. We are so focused on selling ourselves and trying to impress the interviewer we forget to listen. The interview is not just for making a good impression on the employer it is your one opportunity to get an idea of what it will be like working there.
If you listen to what is really said you can get a fairly good idea of the environment. Remember trouble does not usually come out of nowhere and blind side you. There are normally warning signs before any type of terrible situation occurs. The key is to be aware of the signals and disseminate them correctly.
1. How does your prospective boss refer to individuals who have left the company? Some refer fondly to former employees or coworkers. We sure miss Bob since he has been gone. Others have less than cordial things to say. Bob will not be missed. My favorite response is Bob is one of those instances of addition by subtraction. These may be justified comments but you need to decide for yourself if this is a sign of a larger issue. Certain individuals cannot be pleased no matter how hard you work and they take it personally when you move on to something better.
2. How does your prospective boss describe their management style? This may come as a complete shock but not everyone is going to tell you the truth in an interview. Even if they were completely honest with you they will not admit they are a micromanager. People with problems are always the last people to see that they have a problem. You need to pay close attention to how they describe the interaction they have with their direct reports. This will give you an indication of whether they are a micromanager or a control freak.
3. How considerate is your prospective boss during the interview process? Everyone is usually very busy and doe not have much time to allow for interviews. Normally you should be given at least two days notice before an interview. Did your interview last past 5:00? Did they apologize for keeping you late?
You must watch out for people who are inconsiderate with your time during the interview process. Remember this is their best behavior. If they only care about themselves now just imagine how inconsiderate they will act once you have worked there for a while.
4. How do the people you are interviewing with describe the person you will be working for? When people describe someone as intense or a little high strung you better watch out. Comments such as some people are intimidated by him/her are a sign of danger. What they really mean is that your boss is combative and will routinely make you feel like an idiot if you make a mistake regardless of how many people are around.
5. What time does your prospective boss respond to emails or leave you voice mails? Keep a sharp eye for emails or voice mails that are sent late in the evening. This could signal a workaholic. The bad thing about people with no life is they expect everyone else to be like them.
Being aware of the danger signs saved me from making a terrible mistake. A few years ago I interviewed with a company that looked great financially and did not appear to be a merger risk. I was scheduled to meet with the head of the department from 3:00 to 4:00. At around 5:15 he decided I should talk to some of the other team members. He started rushing around searching for anyone he could find. By this time everyone had left for the day. He neglected to thank me for taking time to meet with him did not apologize for keeping me late. His behavior was an indication that he did not care about my time or anyone elses for that matter.
Two days later I received a call requesting to meet him for lunch with 1 ? hours notice. I politely declined the invitation because I ride the bus each day so it is impossible for me to meet someone without at least a days notice. Even if I had not rode the bus it was extremely short notice because it took about 30 minutes to get from downtown to the restaurant he wanted to meet at. This further reinforced my suspicion that he was a very self centered individual.
There was another troubling development that arose out of the interview process. He told me in a very dismissive manner that the person who held the position previously worked only two months had a break down and quit. This comment in conjunction with the other troubling signals was a definite sign of danger.
Sometime after I turned down the position I found out that at least two people required therapy after working for this guy. After all if you returned from lunch ten minutes late to find your boss sitting in your chair with the employee handbook you would have some issues too. Or better yet you arrive to work at 6:30 am only to find your boss asleep in his car waiting to see if you actually come into work this early.
Fortunately for me I had dodged a bullet. Remember watch for the signs!
Both Gayle & Mark Christopher are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gayle has sinced written about articles on various topics from Anger Control, Health and Fitness. DRUGSTORETM is a reputable online drug store. From sexual health to a woman's health, sleeping aids to weight loss pills, our online pharmacy offers convenient customer access to various health medicines, including an array of health product and medicare. Gayle's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.
Mark Christopher has sinced written about articles on various topics from Anger Control. Mark Christopher writes original articles about toxic work environments and provides career information for finance, accounting and tax professionals. See how your boss ranks at. Mark Christopher's top article generates over 720 views. to your Favourites.