Comparative Analysis of Pediatric Patients with Different Involvements of Brucellosis.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that mimics many other diseases, making diagnosis difficult in pediatric patients. If the clinical signs of the disease are not well known and there is a delay in diagnosis and treatment, complicated brucellosis involving different body sites can develop. This study aimed to analyze the demographics, clinical information, laboratory test results, and imaging findings of children with brucellosis. Particular attention was paid to the involvement of organs and potential complications. Pediatric patients diagnosed with brucellosis at the Sanliurfa Training and Research Hospital in Turkey were retrospectively evaluated. In total, 101 patients diagnosed with brucellosis were included in this study. Bone-joint involvement was observed in 21 (20.7%) patients. High Brucella Coombs gel test (CT) titers (≥1/640) and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were significant in the bone-joint brucellosis group (P = 0.022 and P = 0.0205, respectively). Fourteen (13.9%) patients had at least one organomegaly in which Brucella CT titers and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were substantially higher than those in patients without organomegaly (P = 0.02 and P = 0.0049, respectively). Anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia were observed in 36 (35.6%), 10 (9.9%), and 4 (3.9%) patients, respectively. At least one elevation in liver function test (LFT) results was observed in 32 (31.7%) patients. High acute-phase reactants, such as ESR, CRP levels, and Brucella CT titers, may help identify complicated brucellosis. This study highlights that pediatric brucellosis can lead to cytopenia and elevated LFT results and should therefore be considered as a differential diagnosis.

Generalized tetanus: a pediatric case report and literature review.

Pediatric tetanus is a rare and forgotten disease in countries with high childhood tetanus toxoid vaccination rates. Therefore, the clinical manifestations, treatment and management of this potentially life-threatening disease are not well known. With a literature review and discussion of tetanus management in pediatric patients, we describe a clinical course of a rare and fatal but vaccine-preventable disease, the generalized tetanus, in an adolescent who was successfully treated.

Use of Herbal Tea/Herbal Preparations for Children with Symptoms of Viral Upper Respiratory Infections.

Objectives: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are common in children. To treat the symptoms of simple health problems, individuals look for natural healing methods that can be easily prepared at home. The aim of this study was to determine the plants and herbal products used by the parents of children suffering from viral upper respiratory tract symptoms by questionaire. In the study, applications and products, other than plants used by families for their children were also investigated. Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional survey conducted at Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University (Ankara, Türkiye). A questionnaire form was used by scanning the existing literature and reviewed with the patients face to face by the researchers. The data obtained from the study were analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical program. Results: About half of the participants reported that they used non-chemical drug practices for their children with upper RTIs. The most common practice was to prepare herbal tea (30.5%), followed by mandarin/orange and/or their juice (26.9%) for oral application. The most used herbal tea for upper RTIs is with linden (Tilia sp.). Patients who used linden usually prepared it as tea, in other words by infusion, and served their children 1-2 cups/1-3 times a week. Except for herbal tea, the participants mostly used honey (19.0%) for their children's symptoms. Conclusion: Where available, appropriate doses and dosage forms of herbal supplement products with scientifically proven efficacy and safety should be determined for the pediatric population. Parents should use these products based on the recommendations of their pediatrician.

Toxoplasmosis: A Timeless Challenge for Pregnancy.

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women, as well as the general characteristics, clinical and laboratory findings, and pregnancy and fetal outcomes of pregnant women diagnosed with acute toxoplasma infection (ATI). The toxoplasma IgM, IgG, and IgG avidity test results of pregnant women who applied to our referral hospital between January 2016 and June 2022, and among them, those diagnosed with ATI, were analyzed. The 119 patients diagnosed with ATI during this time period were included for further analysis. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women was found to be 46.2%, and the rate of ATI was 4%. The total mother-to-child transmission rate was 5% (5/101). Congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) was observed in 1 (1.1%) child of the 87 pregnant women who received spiramycin prophylaxis, though it was found in 4 (30.8%) of the children of the 13 untreated mothers. With respect to prenatal treatment, CT rates were significantly higher in the children born to untreated mothers (p = 0.001). In conclusion, although toxoplasma seroprevalence was found to be high in our region, there was a paucity in diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment. Our findings support that prenatal spiramycin prophylaxis is effective in preventing the transmission of parasites from mother to child.

Generalized tetanus: a pediatric case report and literature review

ABSTRACT Pediatric tetanus is a rare and forgotten disease in countries with high childhood tetanus toxoid vaccination rates. Therefore, the clinical manifestations, treatment and management of this potentially life-threatening disease are not well known. With a literature review and discussion of tetanus management in pediatric patients, we describe a clinical course of a rare and fatal but vaccine-preventable disease, the generalized tetanus, in an adolescent who was successfully treated.

Vertical transmission of SARS CoV-2: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to review the current evidence on the vertical transmission of SARS CoV-2. METHODS: Combination of the following keywords; COVID-19, SARS CoV-2, placenta, vertical transmission, intrauterine infection, breast milk were searched in databases. RESULTS: In the 50 studies included, 17 newborns testing positive for SARS CoV-2 by RT-PCR were reported. In three neonates, SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM levels were elevated. Eight placental tissues testing positive for the virus were reported. Three positive RT-PCR results of test of breast milk have been reported recently. One amniotic fluid testing positive was reported. CONCLUSION: Possible vertical transmission of SARS CoV-2 has been observed in some studies currently. More RT-PCR tests on amniotic fluid, placenta, breast milk and cord blood are required.

Thoracic Air Leak Syndrome, Pulmonary Aspergillosis, and COVID-19 Pneumonia After Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in a Child With Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Thoracic air leak syndromes (TALS) are very rare among the noninfectious pulmonary complications (PCs). They can either be idiopathic or have several risk factors such as allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), graft versus host disease and rarely pulmonary aspergillosis. We present a 14-year-old girl with hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome who developed graft versus host disease on day 60, TALS on day 150, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome on day 300, pulmonary aspergillosis on day 400 and COVID-19 pneumonia on day 575 after allo-HSCT. This is the first report of a child who developed these subsequent PCs after allo-HSCT. Therefore, the manifestations of these unfamiliar PCs like TALS and COVID-19 pneumonia, and concomitant pulmonary aspergillosis with management options are discussed.

From asymptomatic to critical illness - different clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in children

The global pandemic infectious disease that was named the new coronavirus disease (COVID 19), spread throughout the world, causing a major public health emergency. The causative virus of COVID-19, called SARS CoV-2, can infect all age groups. Various clinical signs and symptoms have been observed in neonates, children, and adolescents during the COVID-19 outbreak. The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 might be different due to the medical conditions and comorbid status in elderly and pediatric patients. The rise in cases among children has been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although infected children generally appear to be asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms, COVID-19 in children may also involve a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic carriers to life-threatening and fatal diseases, as COVID-19 is a systemic disease that can affect multiple organs. Due to the lack of knowledge in the current literature, it is necessary to describe the atypical clinical features, including extrapulmonary manifestations, in pediatric patients with COVID-19. This review is conducted to identify knowledge gaps regarding the broad spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms of children with COVID-19.

Pulmonary Mycobacterium abscessus Infection in an 11-Year-Old Child, Successfully Treated with Inhaled/Parenteral Amikacin: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Mycobacterium abscessus appears to be increasing cause of pulmonary infection in children with underlying risk factors including cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease and immunodeficiency syndromes. We present a case of pulmonary M. abscessus infection in a pediatric patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia and he was successfully treated with parenteral amikacin, linezolid and oral clarithromycin combined with inhaled amikacin. Clinical improvement was observed after adding inhaled amikacin to the treatment.

Intraventricular treatment of paediatric meningitis due to extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria: two case reports and review of the literature.

Nosocomial meningitis caused by Gram-negative bacteria is associated with increasingly common neurosurgical procedures in children, with an increase in incidence recently reported. These infections are associated with an increased risk of mortality, prolonged hospitalisation, and increased costs. In this report, we describe two paediatric cases with central nervous system infections caused by extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria that were successfully treated with intraventricular colistin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive review and discussion of intraventricular antimicrobial therapy in a paediatric population. Based on our comprehensive review of the relevant literature, it appears that intraventricular administration of colistin may be a promising and effective option in the treatment of central nervous system infections in children who do not respond to other treatment options.

Bilateral ocular involvement in congenital toxoplasmosis: A case report and literature review.

We report a case of neuro-ophthalmological complications of congenital toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondi. Its congenital form occurs either as a primary infection or as reactivation of the same due to immunosuppression during pregnancy. With an incidence rate of 1.5/1000 live births, this disease is an important cause of visual loss from chorio-retinal lesions in >82%. Recent studies have shown that treatment given in utero and in the first year of life can reduce ophthalmological complications.