Adults remember their birth weight, an important anamnestic item for cardiovascular and renal disease risk stratification.

To assess how many adults remember their own birth weight, an important anamnestic item for cardiovascular and renal disease risk stratification, we conducted an inquiry among all employees of public hospitals of Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC) in Ticino region (Southern Switzerland). The results show that the vast majority of adults remember their own birth weight. Hence, it is reasonable to include this information in the stratification of risk for cardiovascular and renal diseases.

Atypical primary varicella rash: Systematic literature review.

AIM: In previously healthy subjects, primary varicella presents with a distinctive vesicular rash that is more intense on the trunk and head than on the extremities. However, an atypical presentation may occasionally develop. We aimed at systematically assessing the characteristics of cases affected by atypical primary varicella rash. METHODS: The United States National Library of Medicine, Excerpta Medica and Web of Science databases were reviewed, without date or language restrictions. Articles were eligible if reporting previously healthy and immunocompetent subjects with a primary varicella rash (i.e., a photo-localised primary varicella or skin inflammation-associated primary varicella). RESULTS: Thirty-eight reports providing information on 59 cases of atypical primary varicella were identified. Twenty-four cases (median 8.5 years of age, 19 females) were photo-localised and 35 (median 4.8 years of age, 15 females) were associated with pre-existing skin inflammation (including cast occlusion, diaper irritation, operative sites, burns, insect bites, vaccinations or pre-existing skin disease). The skin rash was monomorphic and without a "starry sky" appearance. CONCLUSION: Primary varicella may have a modified presentation in areas of irritation such as sun exposure or pre-existing inflammation. There is a need for a wider awareness of these modulators of varicella rash.

Arterial hypertension and posterior reversible cerebral edema syndrome induced by risperidone.

Posterior reversible cerebral edema syndrome is a generally reversible neurologic condition that is diagnosed based on distinctive clinical and radiologic findings. The condition, which is mostly associated with severe arterial hypertension, has also been reported to be induced by several medications. We made the diagnosis of hypertension with posterior reversible cerebral edema syndrome in a lean 12-year-old girl treated with the second-generation antipsychotic risperidone. We applied the Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale and the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre system for causality assessment to the present case. Both scales indicated that a relationship to risperidone was likely. Second-generation antipsychotic agents may occasionally induce an increase in blood pressure even in the absence of overweight. Given this possibility, we recommend routine monitoring of blood pressure during therapy with these agents.

Symptomatic fever management among 3 different groups of pediatricians in Northern Lombardy (Italy): results of an explorative cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: In the care of feverish children, symptomatic management is pivotal. Thus, the Italian Pediatric Society has recently published guidelines on fever management in children. Our aim was to investigate whether pediatric hospitalists, community pediatricians and pediatric residents differ in their every-day clinical practice with respect to symptomatic management of feverish children. METHODS: 79 out of 118 physicians involved in pediatric care in an area of Northern Lombardy (Italy) filled in a modified version of the questionnaire derived from the Swiss national survey on symptomatic fever management. RESULTS: Pediatric hospitalists (N = 29), community pediatricians (N = 30) and pediatric residents (N = 20) did not differ with respect to temperature threshold for symptomatic fever treatment, role of general appearance in modulating the threshold for fever management, first choice antipyretic drug, frequency of ibuprofen prescription, prescription of physical antipyresis, influence of exaggerated fear of fever on its management and potential to reassure families about this fear.On the other side, some significant differences were found. Pediatric residents more frequently lower the treatment threshold in children with a past history of febrile seizures (P < 0.001) and prescribe an aggressive treatment for fever not responding to the first antipyretic drug (P < 0.01) than their more experienced colleagues. Community pediatricians represent the unique investigated group using homeopathic remedies, both in the acute setting (P < 0.001) as well as a prophylaxis (P < 0.0001). Finally, paediatric residents less often (P < 0.05) stated to encounter exaggerated fear of fever among parents than their more experienced colleagues. CONCLUSIONS: The present explorative inquiry globally shows limited discordance among pediatric residents, community pediatricians and pediatric hospitalists with respect to symptomatic fever management.

Episodic idiopathic systemic capillary leak syndrome in a girl.

Episodic idiopathic systemic capillary leak syndrome is a rare disorder that presents with attacks of circulatory shock due to plasma leakage into the extravascular space. Reported here is the case of a girl who had recurrent circulatory shock. The diagnosis of episodic idiopathic systemic capillary leak syndrome was made following the fourth episode. The course was favorable following acute i.v. cristalloids and methylprednisolone.

A thiazide test for the diagnosis of renal tubular hypokalemic disorders.

Although the diagnosis of Gitelman syndrome (GS) and Bartter syndrome (BS) is now feasible by genetic analysis, implementation of genetic testing for these disorders is still hampered by several difficulties, including large gene dimensions, lack of hot-spot mutations, heavy workup time, and costs. This study evaluated in a cohort of patients with genetically proven GS or BS diagnostic sensibility and specificity of a diuretic test with oral hydrochlorothiazide (HCT test). Forty-one patients with GS (22 adults, aged 25 to 57; 19 children-adolescents, aged 7 to 17) and seven patients with BS (five type I, two type III) were studied; three patients with "pseudo-BS" from surreptitious diuretic intake (two patients) or vomiting (one patient) were also included. HCT test consisted of the administration of 50 mg of HCT orally (1 mg/kg in children-adolescents) and measurement of the maximal diuretic-induced increase over basal in the subsequent 3 h of chloride fractional clearance. All but three patients with GS but no patients with BS and pseudo-BS showed blunted (<2.3%) response to HCT; patients with BS and the two patients with pseudo-BS from diuretic intake had increased response to HCT. No overlap existed between patients with GS and both patients with BS and pseudo-BS. The response to HCT test is blunted in patients with GS but not in patients with BS or nongenetic hypokalemia. In patients with the highly selected phenotype of normotensive hypokalemic alkalosis, abnormal HCT test allows prediction with a very high sensitivity and specificity of the Gitelman genotype and may avoid genotyping.

Cardiac arrhythmias due to severe hypokalemia in a patient with classic Bartter disease.

We report a young girl with classic Bartter disease (type III) with severe hypokalemia (< or = 2.0 mmol/l) who developed a prolonged heart rate-corrected QT interval of 510 ms (upper reference 430 ms) and ST segment depression in all leads. Holter electrocardiography was performed (with a plasma potassium level of 2.0 mmol/l) and it disclosed a stable sinus rhythm, a prolonged correct QT interval, more-evident ST segment depression during an increase in heart rate, a few single premature ventricular complexes, and nocturnal conduction abnormalities such as second-degree atrioventricular block 2:1. In the light of these results, the treatment was modified by increasing indomethacin from 1.5 to 3 mg/kg per day and adding spironolactone at a dose of 5 mg/kg per day. After 10 days, plasma potassium levels increased to 2.7 mmol/l and electrocardiographic abnormalities regressed. No other cardiac abnormalities were noted when the serum potassium was maintained > 2.5 mmol/l. In conclusion, this case report supports the link between arrhythmic events and chronic renal hypokalemic alkalosis in renal tubular disorders. We highlight the importance of standardizing the use of rest electrocardiography and 24-h Holter monitoring to diagnose arrhythmic events in children with severe hypokalemic renal disorders, especially in those with a plasma potassium < 2.5 mmol/l. The importance of beginning early medical treatment, to improve plasma potassium levels and reverse cardiac abnormalities, is emphasized.