AIM: To investigate whether oral motor performance is determinant for the hydration status and the effect of a supplemental oral fluid supply on salivary osmolality.METHODS: The sample consisted of 99 children with cerebral palsy aged 6 to 13 years old. In this study, children participated in 2-day evaluations: 1st day - baseline: saliva collection, caries experience and oral motor performance evaluations; and 2nd day: saliva collection after supplemental fluid supply. Prior to each evaluation, the participants were trained for saliva collection. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected using cotton roll at baseline, with the amount of fluid usually offered by caregivers, and 48 h after baseline, with as much as twice the normal daily fluid intake previously offered. Salivary osmolality was measured using a freezing point depression osmometer. Caries experience index for decayed, missed and filled teeth (DMFT) was evaluated. According to the Oral Motor Assessment Scale, the children were classified into subfunctional or functional groups. Chi-square, Student's t test and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used.RESULTS:The subfunctional group presented a higher percentage of quadriplegic children (p<0.001), with significantly higher values for caries experience (p<0.001) and salivary osmolality (p<0.001), which did not diminish when supplemental fluid supply was offered, compared with the functional group (p=0.001).CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of oral motor performance plays an important role in the hydration status of children with cerebral palsy and those with worse oral motor performance may be at higher risk of oral diseases.

Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is a major public health problem. In Brazil it has been estimated that 2,000,000 people are affected by CAP every year. Of those, 780,000 are admitted to hospital, and 30,000 have death as the outcome. This is an open-label, non-comparative study with the purpose of evaluating efficacy, safety, and tolerability levels of IV azithromycin (IVA) and IV ceftriaxone (IVC), followed by oral azithromycin (OA) for the treatment of inpatients with mild to severe CAP. Eighty-six patients (mean age 56.6 ± 19.8) were administered IVA (500mg/day) and IVC (1g/day) for 2 to 5 days, followed by AO (500mg/day) to complete a total of 10 days. At the end of treatment (EOT) and after 30 days (End of Study - EOS) the medication was evaluated clinically, microbiologically and for tolerability levels. Out of the total 86-patient population, 62 (72.1%) completed the study. At the end of treatment, 95.2% (CI95: 88.9% - 100%) reported cure or clinical improvement; at the end of the study, that figure was 88.9% (CI95: 74.1% - 91.7%). Out of the 86 patients enrolled in the study, 15 were microbiologically evaluable for bacteriological response. Of those, 6 reported pathogen eradication at the end of therapy (40%), and 8 reported presumed eradication (53.3%). At end of study evaluation, 9 patients showed pathogen eradication (50%), and 7 showed presumed eradication (38.89%). Therefore, negative cultures were obtained from 93.3% of the patients at EOT, and from 88.9% at the end of the study. One patient (6.67% of patient population) reported presumed microbiological resistance. At study end, 2 patients (11.11%) still reported undetermined culture. Uncontrollable vomiting and worsening pneumonia condition were reported by 2.3% of patients. Discussion and Conclusion Treatment based on the administration of IV azithromycin associated to ceftriaxone and followed by oral azithromycin proved to be efficacious and well-tolerated in the treatment of Brazilian inpatients with CAP.