title: [Epidemiology of infectious diseases in children in the old states of the Federal Republic of Germany].
abstract: This study was done to describe the epidemiology of infectious diseases in children living in the old countries of the Federal Republic of Germany. After an intensive search for literature, data about notifiable diseases, data from insurance agencies and a random test from 700 charts of a general pediatrician were reviewed and analysed in a standardized way for their validity. No single review article on this topic was found. Estimates about the frequency of some specific infectious diseases as well as data about notifiable diseases proved to be unreliable and not useful from a scientific point of view. Published insurance data suggested, that infectious diseases may contribute comparatively little to the morbidity of the population. In contrast, chart analysis revealed that every second visit at a pediatrician's office was prompted by an infectious disease. It is concluded, that there are only insufficient and unreliable data about the epidemiology of infectious diseases in children in the western part of the FRG and that this unsatisfying situation could be changed by using the technique of representative evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Kinderklinik Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005860:Germany, West / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008499:Medical Records; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011331:Private Practice; D011996:Records; D012042:Registries
vernacular_title: Epidemiologie von Infektionskrankheiten bei Kindern in den alten Ländern der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.