[Child hospital admissions associated with influenza virus infection in 6 Spanish cities (2014-2016)]. / Hospitalizaciones infantiles asociadas a infección por virus de la gripe en 6 ciudades de España (2014-2016).

INTRODUCTION: There are only a limited number of studies on the impact of influenza in the Spanish child population. The present work intends to increase this knowledge by studying some key aspects, such as the incidence of hospital admissions, clinic variables, comorbidities, and the vaccination status in the hospitalised children. METHODS: A retrospective, observational study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of children under 15 years and hospitalised due to community acquired influenza confirmed microbiologically, during 2́flu seasons (2014-2015 and 2015-2016). The study was carried out in 10 hospitals of 6cities, which represent approximately 12% of the Spanish child population. RESULTS: A total of 907 children were admitted to hospital with main diagnosis of influenza infection (447 <2 years), estimating an average annual rate of hospitalisation incidence of 0.51 cases / 1,000 children (95% CI; 0.48-0.55). Just under half (45%) of the cases had an underlying disease considered a risk factor for severe influenza, and most (74%) had not been vaccinated. The percentage of children with underlying diseases increased with age, from 26% in children <6 months to 74% in children >10 years. Admission to the PICU was required in 10% (92) of the cases, mainly due to acute respiratory failure. CONCLUSION: Influenza continues to be an important cause of hospitalisation in the Spanish child population. Children <6 months of age and children with underlying diseases make up the majority (> 50%) of the cases. Many of the severe forms of childhood influenza that occur today could be avoided if current vaccination guidelines were met.

Physicochemical factors of the urine of children with hypercalciuria. / Características de los factores fisicoquímicos que componen la orina de los niños con hipercalciuria.

OBJECTIVE: Hypercalciuria is a common lithogenic risk factor. The aim of this study was, first, to study the characteristics of urine biochemical factors of children with hypercalciuria (HC) and compare them with those of children without hypercalciuria. Second, to analyze the differences between children with HC and lithiasis (HCL) and children with HC and no lithiasis (HCNL). METHODS: The sample was composed by 111 cases with HC, divided into 2 groups: HCNL group, consisting of 93 cases with no personal history of kidney stones, and HCL group, 18 cases with personal history of kidney stones. As a cohort control group, 113 healthy children were used. Creatinine, urea, sodium, potassium, chlorine, uric acid, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and osmolality: blood and 24-hour urine following parameters were determined. Oxalate and citrate were determined in urine. RESULTS: The mean values of natriuresis, uricosuria, phosphaturia, magnesuria, citraturia, calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate saturation were higher in HCNL than in control group. The HCL group had phosphaturia, calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate saturations more elevated compared with the control group. There were no significant differences in urinary excretion of various parameters when the groups HCL and HCNL were compared. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that children with hypercalciuria without lithiasis associated show an increase in natriuresis, phosphaturia, uricosuria, magnesuria and citraturia. We found no differences between these urinary abnormalities when compared hypercalciuric children without lithiasis with those with hypercalciuria and urolithiasis.

[The shuttle run test is not valid for the detection of asthma in school physical education programs]. / La prueba course-navette no es válida para detectar asma en programas de educación física escolar.

OBJECTIVE: Certain sporting activities may trigger asthma exacerbations of varying intensity in children. Such exacerbations may lead to limitations in and rejection of such activities. During school hours, teachers are in a good position to observe these phenomena. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the shuttle run, a test of physical fitness used in school physical education programs, as a way of detecting asthma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional observational study of school children between the ages of 6 and 12 years using the asthma symptom questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), a shuttle run test, and a free running test at maximum effort in order to study bronchial hyperresponsiveness. The principal measure of bronchial hyperresponsiveness used in both physical fitness tests was peak expiratory flow rate as measured with a peak flow meter. In comparing the results of the shuttle run test with those of the free running test and the ISAAC questionnaire we used the chi(2) test to measure association and the Cohen kappa coefficient to measure agreement. RESULTS: We distributed the ISAAC questionnaire (n=919) to 460 (50.1%) boys and 459 (49.9%) girls between the ages of 6 and 12 years. All the tests were completed by 826 children. The level of agreement between the shuttle run test and free running test was positive but low for decreases in peak expiratory flow rate compared to baseline of 15% (chi(2)=5.6; P< .05; kappa=0.093; SE, 0.042) and of 20% (chi(2)=4.5; P< .05; kappa=0.08; SE, 0.046). For 10% decreases association was not significant and agreement was low (kappa=0.05; SE, 0.04). There was no agreement between the ISAAC questionnaire and the shuttle run test (kappa=0.095; SE, 0.63). CONCLUSIONS: The shuttle run test using peak expiratory flow rate as the principal measure of bronchial hyperresponsiveness is not valid for the detection of asthma in schoolchildren.