[Neonatal viral meningitis. The importance of the polymerase chain reaction in their diagnosis]. / Meningitis viricas neonatales. Importancia de la reaccion en cadena de la polimerasa en su diagnostico.

INTRODUCTION: The different types of viral meningitis constitute a condition that is relatively frequent in newborn infants, although in many cases they are underdiagnosed due to the absence of pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). AIMS: To describe the clinical features and laboratory findings of newborn infants with viral meningitis and to highlight the importance of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the CSF to diagnose this condition. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of the medical records of newborn infants hospitalised in the neonatology section who had been diagnosed with viral meningitis between May 2014 and May 2017. RESULTS: Altogether 17 cases of viral meningitis were registered (15 caused by enterovirus and two due to parechovirus), which accounts for 14.8% of all newborns hospitalised owing to febrile symptoms. All of them had fever (100%), and other notable symptoms were irritability (76%) and rejection of feeding (65%). Normal cellularity was found in the CSF without high protein levels in 88% of them, and without hypoglycorrhachia in all of them (100%), which meant that many of these children had previously been left with a diagnosis of a febrile syndrome with no focus. These data stress the need to perform the PCR in the CSF of newborn infants who have a fever without a focus, due to the normal status of the results of the complementary tests in most cases. Subsequent neurological follow-up was performed in 64.7% of the children in the neurology service, without any neurological sequelae being found, except in one case. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple PCR in the CSF has become an essential diagnostic technique in cases of newborn infants with a suspected infection, and replaces viral culture as the reference test due its being quicker and more sensitive.

TITLE: Meningitis viricas neonatales. Importancia de la reaccion en cadena de la polimerasa en su diagnostico.Introduccion. Las meningitis viricas representan una entidad relativamente frecuente en los recien nacidos, aunque en muchos casos infradiagnosticadas, ante la ausencia de pleocitosis en el liquido cefalorraquideo (LCR). Objetivos. Describir las caracteristicas clinicas y los hallazgos de laboratorio de neonatos con meningitis viricas y destacar la importancia de la reaccion en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) en el LCR para diagnosticar esta patologia. Pacientes y metodos. Revision retrospectiva de historias clinicas de neonatos ingresados en la seccion de neonatologia diagnosticados de meningitis virica entre mayo de 2014 y mayo de 2017. Resultados. Se registraron 17 casos de meningitis virica (15 causadas por enterovirus y dos por parechovirus), que constituyen el 14,8% de los neonatos ingresados por sindrome febril. Todos manifestaron fiebre (100%), y otros sintomas destacados fueron irritabilidad (76%) y rechazo de la ingesta (65%). El 88% curso con celularidad normal en el LCR y sin hiperproteinorraquia, y el 100%, sin hipoglucorraquia, por lo que previamente muchos de estos niños quedaban con el diagnostico de sindrome febril sin foco. Estos datos resaltan la necesidad de realizar la PCR en el LCR a neonatos con fiebre sin foco, debido a la normalidad de las pruebas complementarias en la mayoria de los casos. El 64,7% de los niños recibio seguimiento neurologico posterior en consulta de neurologia, sin objetivarse secuelas neurologicas, salvo en uno de ellos. Conclusiones. La PCR multiple en el LCR se ha convertido en una tecnica diagnostica imprescindible en el recien nacido con sospecha de infeccion y sustituye al cultivo viral como prueba de referencia por su mayor rapidez y sensibilidad.

[Necrotizing entercolitis and intestinal perforation in very low weight premature infants: which is the best surgical option?]. / Enterocolitis necrotizante y perforaciones intestinales en prematuros de muy bajo peso. Cuá1 es la mejor opción quirúrgica?

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and isolated intestinal perforation (IP) are common diseases in very low birth weight infants (VLBW) and require surgery in 20-40% of cases. We have performed a retrospective review of VLBW infants with NEC or IP who underwent a surgical procedure between 2000 and 2010, either initial laparotomy (group 1), peritoneal drain placement and subsequent laparotomy (group 2) or peritoneal drainage (group 3). Of 487 VLBW infants admitted to our hospital in the last ten years, 80 patients had NEC or IP, out of these, 31% (n=25) were treated surgically. The study population consisted of 14 girls and 11 boys with a mean gestational age of 26+3 weeks and mean birth weight of 801.4 g (range 460 to 1490 g). Pneumoperitoneum was seen in 48% of cases (n=12). Twelve patients underwent initial laparotomy, 10 patients were treated with peritoneal drainage and subsequent laparotomy and in 3 patients a peritoneal drainage was placed. Mean time between drainage and laparotomy was 69.6 hours. Sixty-eight percent of patients had NEC and thirty-two percent were IP. Survival rate was higher in the group who underwent initial laparotomy (p = 0.001) with an overall mortality of 32% (8 deaths). Optimal surgical procedure must be decided upon clinical condition of individual patients. We consider that initial laparotomy should be the treatment option in VLBW infants with intestinal perforation due to NEC or IP.

[Oxygen transport and consumption and oxygen saturation in the right atrium in an experimental model of neonatal septic shock]. / Transporte y consumo de oxígeno y saturación de oxígeno en aurícula derecha en un modelo experimental de shock séptico neonatal.

UNLABELLED: Mixed venous oxygen saturation monitoring is useful to know about the balance of oxygen supply and consumption in patient with shock as well as a form of assessing the effects of different therapeutic maneuvers. Because of newborn peculiarities this measurement is difficult and therefore, the monitoring of the shock state is limited. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the validity of central venous oxygen saturation at right atria as a reflection of mixed venous oxygen saturation in an experimental model of neonatal sepsis. METHODS: In six newborn piglets septic shock was induced by 180 minutes continuous infusion of Group B Streptococcus. Blood samples were obtained from aortic and pulmonary arteries and from right atrium at baseline and at 30-minutes intervals after the bacterial infusion was begun. Changes in arterial pressures, vascular resistances, cardiac index, oxygen delivery and consumption and the oxygen extraction index were also analyzed. RESULTS: Group B Streptococcus infusion induced significant decreases versus baseline situation of both, oxygen delivery and oxygen tissular extraction index, without changes in oxygen consumption, at 30 minutes of bacterial infusion, with a significant correlation between mixed venous and central venous oxygen saturations. Mixed venous oxygen saturation significantly correlates with right atrium oxygen saturation, r2 = 0,88, along all the period of study. CONCLUSIONS: Mixed venous oxygen saturation is a useful measurement of the oxygen delivery and consumption state in the critically ill newborn infant, and central venous oxygen saturation at the right atrium can be a sure, efficient and easy alternative for the neonatal patient.