Infectional disease of pediatric

Pertussis re-emergence is a global public health concern. The reported incidence of pertussis in China from 2018 to 2022 was comparable to that in the late 1980s. In fact, the incidence of pertussis is still significantly underestimated in China, owing to a lack of comprehensive active pertussis surveillance, missed diagnosis of atypical pertussis cases, and the fact that many medical institutions do not perform pertussis laboratory diagnosis. Meanwhile, China is also faced with the clinical issue that Bordetella pertussis is highly resistant to first-line macrolide treatment...

BACKGROUND: Various factors contribute to the development of infection-related acute encephalopathy (AE) in children, such as infectious agents and chronic underlying disorders. We studied underlying disorders in children with AE to identify predisposing factors of AE. METHODS: We investigated underlying disorders or past histories in patients with two types of AE from the database in the Tokai area of Japan between 2009 and 2022: 204 patients with AE with reduced subcortical diffusion (AED) and 137 with clinically mild encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS)...

Neonatal meningoencephalitis caused by human parechovirus infection is being increasingly recognized in recent literature. While most cases are postnatally acquired, intrauterine infection is rare, presents early and has a more severe impact on brain health and development. We discuss here an infant born preterm at 34 weeks gestational age, with neonatal course remarkable for severe encephalopathy presenting on day 2 of life due to human parechovirus meningoencephalitis transmitted in utero. Early magnetic resonance brain imaging detected extensive white matter injury and subsequently evolved into multicystic leukoencephalopathy...

We prospectively analyzed clinical and laboratory characteristics associated with cardiac involvement and severe presentation in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Of 146 patients, 66 (45.2%) had cardiac dysfunction and 26 (17.8%) had coronary artery abnormalities. Lower serum albumin levels, absolute lymphocyte and platelet counts, and elevated ferritin, fibrinogen, d-dimer and interleukin-6 levels were associated with cardiac dysfunction. Possible treatment complications were identified.

INTRODUCTION: Myocardial injury due to COVID-19 infection is associated with higher mortality rates, higher intensive care unit admissions, and greater levels of inflammatory and cardiac markers. However, given the smaller number of papers regarding pediatric patients, there is still scarce data about mortality predictors in this population. This study aims to identify independent predictors of in-hospital death among pediatric patients hospitalized with myocardial injury related to COVID-19...

Nontraumatic pathologic conditions of the craniovertebral junction encompass a range of conditions affecting the complex anatomy of this region without direct physical injury. These conditions include congenital syndromes that predispose individuals to ligamentous laxity, potentially leading to instability. Additionally, rare but noteworthy cases such as Grisel syndrome, a cause of pediatric torticollis, may arise without a traumatic trigger. Inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and crystal deposition, can lead to cervical instability and spinal cord compression...

PURPOSE: Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) from low- to middle-income countries (LMIC) are suspected to have a high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms (ARMOs) carriage, but data are currently lacking. Carriage of ARMOs could impact the post-operative course in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of ARMOs carriage in children with CHD from LMIC and its impact on post-operative outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective monocentric study from 01/2019 to 12/2022...

UNLABELLED: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is an important cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children and young adolescents. Despite macrolide antibiotics effectiveness as a first-line therapy, persistence of fever and/or clinical deterioration sometimes may complicate treatment and may even lead to severe systemic disease. To date, there is no consensus on alternative treatment options, optimal dosage, and duration for treating severe, progressive, and systemic MP pneumonia after macrolide treatment failure...

BACKGROUND: Dengue is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral disease and a major public health problem worldwide. Most primary infections with the four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1-4) are inapparent; nevertheless, prior research has primarily focused on symptomatic infections, which has limited our understanding of the epidemiological burden and spectrum of disease of each DENV serotype. Our study addresses this bottleneck in dengue research by providing a new method and a detailed examination of primary inapparent infections...

BACKGROUND: Obesity is on the rise globally in adults and children, including in tropical areas where diseases such as dengue have a substantial burden, particularly in children. Obesity impacts the risk of severe dengue disease; however, the impact on dengue virus (DENV) infection and dengue cases remains an open question. METHODS: We used 9 years of data from 5,940 children in the Pediatric Dengue Cohort Study in Nicaragua to examine whether pediatric obesity is associated with increased susceptibility to DENV infection and symptomatic presentation...

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to explore the risk factors for the prognosis and recurrence of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). METHODS: The correlation of these variables with the prognosis and recurrence risks was analyzed by binary and multivariate logistic regression. Besides, a nomogram was constructed based on the multivariate logistic regression calculation. After the model was verified by the C-statistic, the ROC curve was plotted to evaluate the sensitivity of the model...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasing around the world, and patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk of obtaining CDI. The data on the incidence rate of CDI in the Asian pediatric IBD population was lacking. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from a tertiary medical center in Taipei, Taiwan. All patients aged 1-18 years old who visited the outpatient department or were admitted to our hospital between 2006 and 2019 were included...

BACKGROUND: An increased incidence of group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections has been observed in pediatric population post-COVID-19 pandemic. While the majority of reports refer to scarlet fever or invasive GAS disease, detailed data on pulmonary manifestations such as complicated community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of GAS to complicated CAP in children during the 2022/2023 infectious season. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the etiology and clinical presentation of complicated CAP patients hospitalized in our tertiary care center in Warsaw, Poland, between August 2022 and May 2023...

BACKGROUND: The prognostic relevance of fetal/early postnatal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI) isolated "minor" lesions in congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is still unclear, because of the heterogeneity of previously reported case series. The aim of this study was to report the imaging and long-term clinical follow-up data on a relatively large cohort of infected fetuses. METHODS: Among 140 CMV-infected fetuses from a single-center 12-year-long fetal MRI database, cases that showed isolated "minor" lesions at MRI, mainly represented by polar temporal lesions, were selected...

BACKGROUND: Virtually all cases of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in children in the United States occur through vertical transmission, but it is unknown how many children are infected. Cases of maternal HCV infection have increased in the United States, which may increase the number of children vertically infected with HCV. Infection has long-term consequences for a child's health, but treatment options are now available for children ≥3 years old. Reducing HCV infections in adults could decrease HCV infections in children...

BACKGROUND: Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) is characterized by excessive dynamic airway collapse. Severe TBM can be associated with substantial morbidity. Children with secondary TBM associated with esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) and vascular-related airway compression (VRAC) demonstrate clinical improvement following airway pexy surgery. It is unclear if children with severe primary TBM, without secondary etiologies (EA/TEF, vascular ring, intrinsic pulmonary pathology, or complex cardiac disease) demonstrate clinical improvement following airway pexy surgery...

Stüve-Wiedemann syndrome (SWS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that is characterized by bowing of long bones, dysautonomia, temperature dysregulation, swallowing and feeding difficulties, and frequent respiratory infections. Respiratory distress and hyperthermic events are the leading causes of early neonatal death, and most patients are not expected to survive past infancy. Here, we report on the survival of a 5-year-old male with SWS, discussing his case presentation, providing a brief clinical course, and discussing the outcome...

BACKGROUND: Galloway-Mowat syndrome (GAMOS) is a rare genetic disease characterized by early-onset nephrotic syndrome and microcephaly with central nervous system abnormalities. Pathogenic variants in genes encoding kinase, endopeptidase, and other proteins of small size (KEOPS) complex subunits cause GAMOS. The subunit TPRKB (TP53RK binding protein) has been reported in only two patients with GAMOS with homozygous missense variants. CLINICAL REPORT: Herein, we described a three-year-old male with GAMOS...

BACKGROUND: As the Omicron variant of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerges, the neurological manifestations correlated with this epidemic have garnered increasing attention. This study was primarily intended to compare seizures in febrile children with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection and to conduct short-term follow-up of the SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients admitted to the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University for fever and seizures between October 1 and December 30, 2022...

Parasitic infections and the medications used to treat them may be unfamiliar to many paediatricians. Parasitic infections, however, are not uncommonly seen in children in the UK. We summarise infections which are commonly seen, currently recommended treatment and practical guidance on formulations, adverse effects and treatment choice.