Albendazole Monotherapy for Pediatric Cystic Echinococcosis: A Case Series.

BACKGROUND: Data regarding albendazole monotherapy for cystic echinococcosis (CE) are scarce, especially in children. We report our experience treating CE in children with albendazole monotherapy. METHODS: A retrospective case series, 2005-2021, assessing factors leading to albendazole monotherapy, demographic, clinical, duration of treatment and follow-up, and outcome (changes in cyst size and side effects) characteristics. RESULTS: Overall, we identified 18 patients with 31 cysts; liver: 68% (n = 21), lungs: 29% (n = 9), and kidney: 3% (n = 1). Mean cyst size was 4.5 ± 2.6 cm. Reasons for administrating albendazole monotherapy were small (< 4 cm) cyst size (56%), difficulty to operate (33%) and comorbidity (22%). Duration of treatment (range 1-32 months) was 1, 2-3, 4-6 and > 6 months in 28% (n = 5), 39% (n = 7), 17% (n = 3) and 17% (n = 3) of children, respectively. Duration of follow up (range 1-87 months) was 1, 2-3, 4-6 and > 6 months in 11% (n = 2), 11% (n = 2), 17% (n = 3) and 61% (n = 11) of children, respectively. Overall, 83% (n = 15) of patients experienced lack of cyst growth, and 72% (n = 13) experienced reduction in cyst size, while 44% (n = 8) experienced reduction larger than 50%. Full resolution was noted in 22% (n = 4) of patients. In three cases (17%) treatment failure was recorded: one (6%) recurrence, and two cases (11%) of cyst growth. Neutropenia was recorded in two patients (11%), and liver enzymes elevation was recorded in six patients (33%). CONCLUSIONS: Albendazole monotherapy may be an adequate treatment for selected cases of CE disease in children, especially in CE with small, hepatic cysts.

Neurologic Manifestations of Influenza in Children.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the neurologic manifestation of influenza among hospitalized children with influenza (neuro-flu), comparing their demographic and clinical characteristics to hospitalized children without neurologic manifestation (classic-flu). METHODS: A retrospective, cohort study. All children with laboratory confirmed influenza (PCR), admitted to the Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC) between 2016 and 2019 were included. RESULTS: Overall, 951 patients were identified: 201 with neuro-flu, and 750 with classic-flu. Seizures (n = 125) were the most common neurological manifestation of neuro-flu (seizure-flu): 73 simple febrile seizures, 45 atypical febrile seizures, and 7 afebrile seizures. Neurological comorbidities rates were significantly higher in neuro-flu versus classic-flu (13.0% vs. 6.0%), while respiratory and cardiac comorbidities were less common in neuro-flu (4.5% and 0.5% vs. 8.0% and 4.5%, respectively). Neuro-flu (compared with classic-flu) was associated with leukocytosis (21.0% vs. 13.0%, P < 0.001) and lower C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (2.4 ± 4.1 vs. 3.3 ± 5.4, P = 0.03). Notably, patients with classic flu had a more prominent respiratory disease, as they had more chest radiographs (CXR) performed (60.5% vs. 45.0%, P < 0.001), higher rates of pneumonia (27.0% vs. 12.0%, P < 0.001), and antibiotic (antibacterial) treatment (60.0% vs. 42.0%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Influenza can appear as a neurologic disease, manifested mainly with febrile seizures. Children with neuro-flu have more neurologic comorbidities, suggesting that neuro-flu is mainly driven by host-factors, rather than by pathogen-factors. The relatively lower rates of pneumonia in neuro-flu suggests that these patients are admitted in the early stage of the influenza infection, which triggers the neurologic response.

Urinary tract infections in children < 2 years of age hospitalized in a tertiary medical center in Southern Israel: epidemiologic, imaging, and microbiologic characteristics of first episode in life.

The objectives of the study were to describe the epidemiologic, microbiologic, and imaging characteristics of first 44 UTI episode in hospitalized infants and children < 2 years of age. A UTI episode was diagnosed based on suprapubic aspiration or urinary catheterization and report of a significant bacterial growth of true uropathogens. Two thousand two hundred ninety-four UTI episodes were recorded during 2009-2013 in 1694 patients; 1350 (79.7%), 223 (13.2%), and 66 (3.9%) had one, two, and three episodes, respectively. Of 1955 pathogens isolated, the most frequent were E. coli, Klebsiella spp., and Enterococcus spp. (56.9%, 14.1%, and 11%, respectively). E. coli percentages increased with increase in patient age while Klebsiella spp. and Enterococcus spp. decreased with decrease in age. 136/344 (39.5%) renal ultrasound examinations performed were reported abnormal. The percentages of abnormal ultrasound examinations in Enterococcus spp.-UTI were higher than in E. coli and Klebsiella spp.-UTI (P < 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively). The E. coli nonsusceptibility to ampicillin, TMP/SMX, ceftriaxone, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime, and gentamicin was 71%, 31%, 14.9%, 14.7%, 7%, and 4.4%, respectively. Nonsusceptibility of Klebsiella spp. to ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, TMP/SMX, ceftriaxone, gentamicin, and cefuroxime was 98.7%, 10.4%, 9.5%, 8.4%, 4.8%, and 4.3%, respectively. E. coli nonsusceptibility to amoxicillin/clavulanate, TMP/SMX, and ciprofloxacin decreased during the study period. E. coli percentages increased and those of Klebsiella spp. and Enterococcus spp. decreased with increase in patient age. Enterococcus. spp.-UTI was associated with older age and more severe findings on renal ultrasound. E. coli and Klebsiella spp. nonsusceptibility to amoxicillin/clavulanate, TMP/SMX, cefuroxime, and ceftriaxone was low.