[Blood culture analysis in children with central venous catheter]. / Analiza wyników posiewów krwi u dzieci z zalozonym cewnikiem centralnym.

We analyzed 99 blood cultures taken from 28 children with central venous catheter. Children were hospitalized in pediatric, pediatric surgery and pediatric intensive care department. All samples were collected from peripherial vein. Positive blood cultures were obtained more frequently from children with central venous catheter than from children without central venous catheter (57.5% vs. 7.4%). Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most frequently obtained bacteria. The other bacterial species were obtained less frequently. The highest percentage of multi resistant straines was isolated from blood samples collected from intensive care department patients. In each departments in which coagulase-negative Staphylococci were isolated, metycillin-resistant straines dominated.

[Serum neopterin level in children with lower respiratory tract infections]. / Stezenie neopteryny w surowicy u dzieci z infekcjami dolnych dróg oddechowych.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: was to determinate the serum neopterin concentration in children with lower respiratory tract infections. MATERIAL AND METHODS: eighty-seven children with lower respiratory tract infections, aged from 1 month to 8 years, were analyzed. The control group consisted of 105 children without infection. The serum C-reactive protein level and whole blood count with differential white blood count were estimated The serum neopterin concentration was evaluated using the immunoenzyme assay (ELISA). RESULTS: statistically significantly higher serum neopterin concentration was observed in the studied than in the control group. The sensitivity of serum neopterin concentration evaluation in children with lower respiratory tract infection was 90.5% and specificity 55.2%. No correlation was found between serum neopterin concentrations and commonly evaluated inflammatory markers. CONCLUSIONS: serum neopterin concentration is elevated in children with lower respiratory tract infections and may be of clinical value as the marker of a viral infection.

[The case of gastric and ileal bezoar in a 3 year old boy]. / Przypadek bezouaru zoladka i jelita cienkiego u 3-lentniego chlopca.

The authors report a case of a 3-year-old boy with a gastric and ileal bezoar, in whom severe anaemia and tumor in the epigastrium were the main symptoms. Bezoars are rare foreign bodies of the gut. They contain swallowed hair, different fibres, seeds, nutshells, sweets or drugs. The group of risk factors for bezoar formation includes anatomical defects, motoric disorders of the digestive tract, type of prescribed drugs and other coexisting chronic diseases. Most cases need surgical treatment.

[Prevalence of ESBL strains in urinary tract infections in children in 1996 and 2004]. / Wystepowanie szczepów ESBL w zakazeniach ukladu moczowego u dzieci w latach 1996 i 2004.

Ethiological agents in urinary tract infections and prevalence of bacterial strains producing extended spectrum of beta-lactamases isolated from urine of children with urinary tract infections were compared. Patients were hospitalized in Department of Pediatry, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Oncology of Medical University of Gdansk in 1996 and 2004. Seventy bacterial strains isolated from urine in 1996 and 113 strains isolated in 2004 were analyzed. In both years Enterobacteriaceae were the most frequently encountered with Escherichia coli predominance. Proteus spp. (10.9%), Enterobacter spp. (7.1%), Klebsiella spp. (4.4%), and Enterococcus spp. (9.3%) were isolated rarely. Among bacteria isolated in 1996 there were no ESBL strains while in 2004 ESBL strains accounted for 11.5% of all urinary bacteria. Klebsiella oxytoca (25%) and Klebsiella pneumaniae (20%) produced ESBL most frequently. ESBL production was less frequent in Escherichia coli (13.2%) and Proteus mirablilis (10%). In conclusion, among bacteria isolated from urine of children with urinary tract infections G(-) strains producing ESBL were encountered only in recent years.