The epidemiology and economic impact of varicella-related hospitalizations in Turkey from 2008 to 2010: a nationwide survey during the pre-vaccine era (VARICOMP study).

Varicella can cause complications that are potentially serious and require hospitalization. Our current understanding of the causes and incidence of varicella-related hospitalization in Turkey is limited and sufficiently accurate epidemiological and economical information is lacking. The aim of this study was to estimate the annual incidence of varicella-related hospitalizations, describe the complications, and estimate the annual mortality and cost of varicella in children. VARICOMP is a multi-center study that was performed to provide epidemiological and economic data on hospitalization for varicella in children between 0 and 15 years of age from October 2008 to September 2010 in Turkey. According to medical records from 27 health care centers in 14 cities (representing 49.3% of the childhood population in Turkey), 824 children (73% previously healthy) were hospitalized for varicella over the 2-year period. Most cases occurred in the spring and early summer months. Most cases were in children under 5 years of age, and 29.5% were in children under 1 year of age. The estimated incidence of varicella-related hospitalization was 5.29-6.89 per 100,000 in all children between 0-15 years of age in Turkey, 21.7 to 28 per 100,000 children under 1 year of age, 9.8-13.8 per 100,000 children under 5 years of age, 3.96-6.52 per 100,000 children between 5 and 10 years of age and 0.42 to 0.71 per 100,000 children between 10 and 15 years of age. Among the 824 children, 212 (25.7%) were hospitalized because of primary varicella infection. The most common complications in children were secondary bacterial infection (23%), neurological (19.1%), and respiratory (17.5%) complications. Secondary bacterial infections (p < 0.001) and neurological complications (p < 0.001) were significantly more common in previously healthy children, whereas hematological complications (p < 0.001) were more commonly observed in children with underlying conditions. The median length of the hospital stay was 6 days, and it was longer in children with underlying conditions (<0.001). The median cost of hospitalization per patient was $338 and was significantly higher in children with underlying conditions (p < 0.001). The estimated direct annual cost (not including the loss of parental work time and school absence) of varicella-related hospitalization in children under the age of 15 years in Turkey was $856,190 to $1,407,006. According to our estimates, 882 to 1,450 children are hospitalized for varicella each year, reflecting a population-wide occurrence of 466-768 varicella cases per 100,000 children. In conclusion, this study confirms that varicella-related hospitalizations are not uncommon in children, and two thirds of these children are otherwise healthy. The annual cost of hospitalization for varicella reflects only a small part of the overall cost of this disease, as only a very few cases require hospital admission. The incidence of this disease was higher in children <1 year of age, and there are no prevention strategies for these children other than population-wide vaccination. Universal vaccination is therefore the only realistic option for the prevention of severe complications and deaths. The surveillance of varicella-associated complications is essential for monitoring of the impact of varicella immunization.

Children and adolescents with obesity and the metabolic syndrome have high circulating cortisol levels.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the varying degrees of obesity and blood glucocorticoid levels in obese children and adolescents with and without metabolic syndrome features. METHODS: We studied 241 obese children and adolescents aged between 2 and 17.6 years; 127 boys and 114 girls. All children underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. Measurements included blood pressure, cortisol, ACTH, and lipid profiles. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria adapted from World Health Organisation and National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel-III guidelines. RESULTS: Blood cortisol and ACTH levels were higher in patients with MS than without MS (p = 0.02). ACTH levels increased with weight (r = 0.13, p = 0.02), systolic blood pressure (r = 0.21, p = 0.002), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.17, p = 0.01), fasting glucose (r = 0.17, p = 0.01). Cortisol production was only correlated with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.12, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results from the present study indicates that there may be a link between cortisol production and the metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents.

Parapneumonic empyema in children: conservative approach.

Forty-nine patients, aged 3 months to 13 years, were studied to determine the clinical presentation, bacteriology, treatment and outcome of empyema complicating pneumonia in children. There were 28 (57.2%) males and 21 (42.8%) females in the study, with a male/female ratio of 1.3/1. We found malnutrition in 15 (30.6%) patients. The most common symptoms at presentation were fever (93.8%) and cough (85.7%). Radiography demonstrated minimal effusions (6 patients, 12.2%), moderate effusions (23 patients, 46.9%), and massive effusions (20 patients, 40.9%). The pleural fluid was on the right side in 26 (53.1%) cases, the left side in 17 (34.6%) cases, and bilateral in 6 (12.3%) cases. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated microorganism in pleural fluid. No organism was recovered in 33 (67.3%) patients. Most cases were treated with a combination of intravenous antibiotics and chest tube drainage. Decortication was carried out in only two patients. The hospitalization period was 28.02 +/- 10.18 days (11 to 57 days). There was one death due to widespread Staphylococcus aureus septicemia. All patients who were followed-up showed complete or near complete resolution of the chest radiography at six months, regardless of severity of disease or treatment modality. Children with pleural empyema can be successfully treated with appropriate antimicrobial therapy and adequate closed chest tube drainage. Further surgical intervention is rarely required.

Meningitis caused by Neisseria Meningitidis, Hemophilus Influenzae Type B and Streptococcus Pneumoniae during 2005-2012 in Turkey. A multicenter prospective surveillance study.

Successful vaccination policies for protection from bacterial meningitis are dependent on determination of the etiology of bacterial meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were obtained prospectively from children from 1 month to ≤18 years of age hospitalized with suspected meningitis, in order to determine the etiology of meningitis in Turkey. DNA evidence of Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis), Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae), and Hemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was detected using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In total, 1452 CSF samples were evaluated and bacterial etiology was determined in 645 (44.4%) cases between 2005 and 2012; N. meningitidis was detected in 333 (51.6%), S. pneumoniae in 195 (30.2%), and Hib in 117 (18.1%) of the PCR positive samples. Of the 333 N. meningitidis positive samples 127 (38.1%) were identified as serogroup W-135, 87 (26.1%) serogroup B, 28 (8.4%) serogroup A and 3 (0.9%) serogroup Y; 88 (26.4%) were non-groupable. As vaccines against the most frequent bacterial isolates in this study are available and licensed, these results highlight the need for broad based protection against meningococcal disease in Turkey.

Distinguishing between bacterial and aseptic meningitis in children: European comparison of two clinical decision rules.

BACKGROUND: Clinical decision rules (CDRs) could be helpful to safely distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningitis (AM). OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance of two of these CDRs for children: the Bacterial Meningitis Score (BMS) and the Meningitest. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of retrospective multicentre hospital-based cohort study. SETTING: Six paediatric emergency or intensive care units of tertiary care centres in five European countries. PATIENTS: Consecutive children aged 29 days to 18 years presenting with acute meningitis and procalcitonin (PCT) measurement. Intervention None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The sensitivity and specificity of the BMS (start antibiotics in case of seizure, positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Gram staining, blood neutrophil count ≥10 ×10(9)/l, CSF protein level ≥80 mg/dl or CSF neutrophil count ≥1000 ×10(6)/l) and the Meningitest (start antibiotics in case of seizure, purpura, toxic appearance, PCT level ≥0.5 ng/ml, positive CSF Gram staining or CSF protein level ≥50 mg/dl) were compared using a McNemar test. RESULTS: 198 patients (mean age 4.8 years) from six centres in five European countries were included; 96 had bacterial meningitis. The BMS and Meningitest both showed 100% sensitivity (95% CI 96% to 100%). The BMS had a significantly higher specificity (52%, 95% CI 42% to 62% vs 36%, 95% CI 27% to 46%; p<10(-)8). CONCLUSION: The Meningitest and the BMS were both 100% sensitive. This result provides level II evidence for the sensitivity of both rules, which can be used cautiously. However, use of the BMS could safely avoid significantly more unnecessary antibiotic treatments for children with AM than can the Meningitest in this population.

Neonate with meroacrania: radiological findings and review of the literature.

Acrania is a developmental abnormality characterized by a partial or complete absence of calvaria with complete but abnormal development of brain tissue. Acrania is a relatively common malformation and affects about 1 in 1000 newborns. Meroacrania refers to absence of the cranium with the exception of the occipital bone. Brain stem and cerebellum develop normally, but cerebral parenchyma tissue is covered with a thin membrane and severely dysmorphic supratentorial brain is also seen. The other system findings are normal. Magnetic resonance imaging findings of one neonate with meroacrania have been reported in medical literature. Other radiographic and computed tomography findings have not yet been reported. We report a female neonate with meroacrania with discussion of etiology, pathogenesis, radiological findings, and differential diagnosis.

Serum procalcitonin level and other biological markers to distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningitis in children: a European multicenter case cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To validate procalcitonin (PCT) level as the best biological marker to distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningitis in children in the emergency department. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of retrospective multicenter hospital-based cohort studies. SETTING: Six pediatric emergency or intensive care units of tertiary care centers in 5 European countries. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive children aged 29 days to 18 years with acute meningitis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Univariate analysis and meta-analysis to compare the performance of blood parameters (PCT level, C-reactive protein level, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count) and cerebrospinal fluid parameters (protein level, glucose level, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count) quickly available in the emergency department to distinguish early on between bacterial and aseptic meningitis. RESULTS: Of 198 patients analyzed, 96 had bacterial meningitis. Sensitivity of cerebrospinal fluid Gram staining was 75%. The PCT level had significantly better results than the other markers for area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-0.99; P = .001). At a 0.5-ng/mL threshold, PCT level had 99% sensitivity (95% confidence interval, 97%-100%) and 83% specificity (95% confidence interval, 76%-90%) for distinguishing between bacterial and aseptic meningitis. The diagnostic odds ratio between high PCT level and bacterial meningitis was 139 (95% confidence interval, 39-498), without significant heterogeneity between centers. CONCLUSIONS: The PCT level is a strong predictor for distinguishing between bacterial and aseptic meningitis in children in the emergency department. Its combination with other parameters in an effective clinical decision rule could be helpful.

Severe protein S deficiency associated with heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation in a child with purpura fulminans.

Homozygous or compound heterozygous protein S (PS) deficiency is very rare in the population; only 8 patients from 6 different families have been reported. On the other hand, the factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation is a frequent cause of inherited prothrombotic disorder. Here the authors report a case of patient with severe PS deficiency associated with the FVL mutation who has had purpura fulminans since the age of 10 days. She is the first child of a consanguineous marriage. Her father is double heterozygous for PS deficiency and FVL mutation and has recurrent thrombosis. This is the first case of severe PS deficiency combined with the FVL mutation. This suggests the need for complete evaluation of patients with purpura fulminans for thrombotic factors.