Comparison of radiologic findings between SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory tract viruses in critically ill children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background/aim: This study was planned because the radiological distinction of COVID-19 and respiratory viral panel (RVP)-positive cases is necessary to prioritize intensive care needs and ensure non-COVID-19 cases are not overlooked. With that purpose, the objective of this study was to compare radiologic findings between SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory airway viruses in critically ill children with suspected COVID-19 disease. Materials and methods: This study was conducted as a multicenter, retrospective, observational, and cohort study in 24 pediatric intensive care units between March 1 and May 31, 2020. SARS-CoV-2- or RVP polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive patients' chest X-ray and thoracic computed tomography (CT) findings were evaluated blindly by pediatric radiologists. Results: We enrolled 225 patients in the study, 81 of whom tested positive for Coronovirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The median age of all patients was 24 (7-96) months, while it was 96 (17-156) months for COVID-19-positive patients and 17 (6-48) months for positive for other RVP factor (p < 0.001). Chest X-rays were more frequently evaluated as normal in patients with SARS-CoV-2 positive results (p = 0.020). Unilateral segmental or lobar consolidation was observed more frequently on chest X-rays in rhinovirus cases than in other groups (p = 0.038). CT imaging findings of bilateral peribronchial thickening and/or peribronchial opacity were more frequently observed in RVP-positive patients (p = 0.046). Conclusion: Chest X-ray and CT findings in COVID-19 patients are not specific and can be seen in other respiratory virus infections.

A Rare Presentation of Neurobrucellosis in a 6-Year-Old Pediatric Patient with Sagittal Sinus Thrombosis.

Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonosis worldwide. It is still endemic in many regions of the world. A 6-year-old female was admitted to the emergency department (ED) due to a sudden change in consciousness, urinary incontinence, vomiting, and difficulty in walking. Neurological examination demonstrated abducens nerve paralysis, mild-to-moderate motor deficit in hemiparesis in the left arm. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a hemorrhagic focus at the right frontal lobe and thrombosis in the superior sagittal sinus of the brain. The diagnosis of neurobrucellosis was confirmed by identifying Brucella spp. in the blood culture on the day 6 of pediatric intensive care unit admission; thus, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and rifampicin, and ceftriaxone were promptly initiated. Despite neuroprotective management and acetazolamide, the patient's neurological problems and high intracranial pressure (ICP) persisted. An external ventricular drainage tube and a Codman ICP monitor were placed to be on the consent vigilance of the patient's neurological condition. The patient's ICP continued to increase despite the current treatment regimen; therefore, a decompressive bitemporal craniectomy was performed. The ICP level of the patient returned to its normal range immediately after the craniectomy. The patient did not have any notable neurologic sequelae at the first-year follow-up. Neurobrucellosis is a rare complication of systemic brucellosis and may present as meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, radiculitis, and/or neuritis. Herein, we describe a six-year-old girl with brucellosis complicated with cerebral vein thrombosis. This case illustrates the need for close monitoring of patients with unexplained neurological signs or symptoms for brucellosis in endemic areas.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Children With In-Hospital and Out-of-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Arrest: Multicenter Study From Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the causes, location of cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) in children, and demographics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in Turkish pediatric emergency departments and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and to determine survival rates and morbidities for both in-hospital and out-of-hospital CPA. METHODS: This multicenter descriptive study was conducted prospectively between January 15 and July 15, 2011, at 18 centers (15 PICUs, 3 pediatric emergency departments) in Turkey. RESULTS: During the study period, 239 children had received CPR. Patients' average age was 42.4 (SD, 58.1) months. The most common cause of CPA was respiratory failure (119 patients [49.8%]). The location of CPA was the PICU in 168 (68.6%), hospital wards in 43 (18%), out-of-hospital in 24 (10%), and pediatric emergency department in 8 patients (3.3%). The CPR duration was 30.7 (SD, 23.6) minutes (range, 1-175 minutes) and return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 107 patients (44.8%) after the first CPR. Finally, 58 patients (24.2%) were discharged from hospital; survival rates were 26% and 8% for in-hospital and out-of-hospital CPA, respectively (P = 0.001). Surviving patients' average length of hospital stay was 27.4 (SD, 39.2) days. In surviving patients, 19 (32.1%) had neurologic disability. CONCLUSION: Pediatric CPA in both the in-hospital and out-of-hospital setting has a poor outcome.

The role of plasma exchange in acute liver failure of autoimmune etiology.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is characterized by increased immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels, the presence of autoantibodies, and various degrees of lymphocyte predominant inflammation and fibrosis histologically. Immunosuppressive therapy induces remission in approximately 80% of those affected. However, liver transplantation is indicated in patients with acute liver failure with encephalopathy at presentation. Liver supporting systems, including plasma exchange (PE) allow bridging patients to transplantation or spontaneous recovery in the setting of liver failure. The role of these systems has not been assessed in children with liver failure of autoimmune etiology. CASE: Herein, we report three cases of AIH with fulminant presentation, with marked symptom resolution with PE as an adjunct therapeutic option to immunosuppressive treatment. CONCLUSION: In the setting of AIH, PE may have a special therapeutic role by removing autoantibodies and cytokines, therefore preventing further liver damage and decompensation, and allowing time for recovery.

A case of steroid-resistance Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with sensorimotor polyneuropathy.

Emeksiz S, Kutlu NO, Alaçakir N, Çaksen H. A case of steroid-resistance Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Turk J Pediatr 2018; 60: 310-314. Hashimoto`s encephalopathy (HE) is a rare, auto-immune disease characterized by symptoms of acute or subacute encephalopathy associated with increased anti-thyroid antibody levels. The course of most HE cases is relapsing and remitting, which is similar to that of vasculitis and stroke. Steroids are the first line treatment in HE. In steroid non-responders other immunomodulatory therapies or plasmapheresis could be applied. We report a case of steroid-resistance HE with sensorimotor polyneuropathy, as a rare presentation of this disorder. Our case showed that HE may present with sensorimotor polyneuropathy; therefore HE should be considered in the differential diagnoses of polyneuropathy.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in children: a case series.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is characterized by hypertension, seizure, headache, clouding of consciousness, and visual disturbance, and is diagnosed in the presence of typical lesions on magnetic resonance imaging. We retrospectively evaluated five patients who were diagnosed as having posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and followed up in Meram Medical Faculty, Pediatric Intensive Care and Hematology wards, between January 2010 and January 2014. We reviewed the demographic and clinical data, and neuroimaging findings. The primary diseases of the subjects included acute lymphocytic leukemia (n=2), Henoch-Schönlein purpura (n=1), systemic lupus erythematous (n=1), and acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (n=1). The mean age was 10±4.58 years (range, 5-14 years). Acute elevation of blood pressure was found in all patients (n=5). Initial neurologic manifestations included seizure, clouding of consciousness, headache, and visual disturbance. After the diagnosis was made through clinical evaluations and magnetic resonance imaging, complete clinical recovery was obtained in all patients with the appropriate therapeutic approach. In conclusion, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who present with encephalopathy and underlying diseases such as nephritis, vasculitis, malignancy accompanied by hypertension, and a history of use of medication.

Clinical Significance of Human Metapneumovirus in Refractory Status Epilepticus and Encephalitis: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Encephalitis is a complex neurological disease that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and the etiology of the disease is often not identified. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a common cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in children. Few reports are available showing possible involvement of hMPV in development of neurologic complications. Here, we describe an infant, the youngest case in literature, with refractory status epilepticus and severe encephalitis in whom hMPV was detected in respiratory samples and review diagnostic workup of patient with encephalitis.

Buccal midazolam for treatment of prolonged seizures in children.

Midazolam is a relatively new anticonvulsive agent in the benzodiazepine group. It has a short onset of duration and is practical for use, providing several alternatives such as intravenous, intramuscular, and intranasal routes. The buccal route could be an alternative choice for seizure control in an emergency setting. However, no sufficient reports are available on buccal midazolam administration. The present study was designated to examine the efficacy of buccal midazolam in children at different ages with seizures of more than 5 min duration. Nineteen previously unreported children, aged from 1 month to 15 years, were treated with a 0.3 mg/kg dose of buccal midazolam; 13 had prolonged seizures, and six had status epilepticus, with a duration of 5-45 min (mean 22 min). Sixteen of 19 seizures (84.2%) stopped within 10 min of buccal midazolam being given. The drug efficacy in patients with status epilepticus was 50%. However, all patients with convulsions shorter than 30 min showed a perfect response (100%). Convulsion episodes stopped within 3.89+/-2.22 min (median time 3 min). Seizure duration was correlated with cessation of seizure (r=0.76, P<0.001). No clinically important side effects were seen in any patient. On the basis of this experience, we concluded that a 0.3 mg/kg dose of buccal administration of midazolam might offer an effective treatment in all ages of children.

Hypomelanosis of ito with trisomy 13 mosaicism [46, XY, der (13;13) (q10;q10), +13/46,xy].

The term hypomelanosis of Ito (HI) has been used as a diagnosis for individuals with swirly hypopigmentation or depigmentation distributed along the lines of Blaschko. HI should be appropriately evaluated for a possible association with chromosomal or genetic mosaicism or chimerism. We report a six-month-old severely motor and mental retarded boy with these typical cutaneous lesions associated with extracutaneous features, including facial dysmorphism, polydactyly, and inguinal hernia. The cytogenetic examination of lymphocytes demonstrated a mosaicism of 46, XY, der (13;13) (q10;q10), +13/46, XY. This is the first case reported in the literature showing an association between phylloid pigmentary pattern of hypomelanosis of Ito and trisomy 13 mosaicism.

Malignant melanoma of the soft parts showing calciphylaxis.

Calciphylaxis is a poorly understood and highly morbid syndrome of vascular calcification and skin necrosis. Hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and secondary hyperparathyroidism are the factors implicated in the pathogenesis of calciphylaxis, which is generally identified in patients with hyperparathyroidism secondary to end-stage renal disease. It has also been observed in primary hyperparathyroidism, end-stage liver disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, in the absence of renal disease. There are few case reports of calciphylaxis occurring in hypercalcemia of malignancy. An unusual case is reported of calciphylaxis associated with malignant melanoma of the soft parts in the absence of renal or parathyroid disease. This is the first reported case of this soft tissue sarcoma showing calciphylactic changes.

The effects of androstenediol and dehydroepiandrosterone on the immune response to BCG at puberty.

In order to assess the effects of age-related changes of serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and androstenediol (AED) concentrations on BCG vaccination throughout the puberty period, we matched 41 prepubertal (mean age 8.63 +/- 1.36 years, range 8-14 years) and 43 pubertal (mean age 13.8 +/- 1.31 years, range 10-16 years) schoolchildren who were PPD negative and free of disease or medication known to affect immune function. The tuberculin test was performed 8 weeks after vaccination and tuberculin response and hormone levels were compared between prepubertal and pubertal subjects. We found a higher tuberculin response in the pubertal group when compared with the prepubertal ones. The pubertal children had 79.1 per cent tuberculin positivity compared with 46.4 per cent of prepubertal children (p < 0.05). Diameters of induration of the tuberculin test among prepubertal students vs. pubertal students were 9.5 +/- 3.8 mm and 11.9 +/- 3.7 mm, respectively (p < 0.005). Pubertal stage, testis volume, and pubic stage were also found to have significant effects on tuberculin test results. No difference was observed between both sexes with regard to responses of the tuberculin test in either the prepubertal or the pubertal group (p > 0.05). DHEAS and AED levels in the tuberculin-positive subjects were found to be significantly higher than tuberculin-negative ones (p = 0.040 and p = 0.046, respectively). Among both these hormones, only AED levels were correlated with tuberculin test responses. These results suggest that AED may play a role in the immunity to BCG vaccination and further immunological investigations are warranted to provide support for this idea.

Effect of water extract of Turkish propolis on tuberculosis infection in guinea-pigs.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H(37)R(v))-infected guinea-pig model was used to investigate the effect of water extract of propolis (WEP). After subcutaneous inoculation of tubercle bacilli, each animal received oral WEP (n=9), isoniazid (n=5) or saline (n=6) as placebo and were sacrificed 30 days later. Formation of necrosis was less prominent in the group treated with WEP, but was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The granuloma formation in the same group was more prominent than the placebo and isoniazid groups; however, this finding failed to reach statistical significance by the Kruskal-Wallis test (P>0.05). These findings suggest that Turkish WEP may have a limited effect on the development of tuberculosis infection in this guinea-pig model.

Interhospital transport of pediatric patients requiring emergent care: current status in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the current situation of interhospital transport of pediatric patients requiring emergent care. METHODS: Using a clinical prospective and multicenter design, 1,666 interhospital transports of pediatric patients were evaluated in 18 centers. Non-emergency transports and newborn transports were not included, so 854 transports were eligible for evaluation. Data were collected by means of a comprehensive form filled by a physician at the receiving hospital. RESULTS: The physicians who gave the decisions for the transports were pediatricians in 60%, general physicians in 15.4%, and residents in 6%, while no identification existed in 159 transports (18.6%). The receiving hospitals were not notified prior to the transport in 79.3%. Pretransport information about the patients were adequate in 26.1% and inadequate in 31.8%; no information was available in 42.1%. Ambulances were used in 64.4% of the transports, of which only 16.2% was fully equipped. Unqualified or inexperienced personnel were in charge in 42.8% of the transports. In 26.3% of the transports, the patients arrived at the receiving hospital in an agonized state. CONCLUSION: It appears that there are no established guidelines for the emergency transport of pediatric children in Turkey.