Review and case report demonstrate that spontaneous spinal epidural abscesses are rare but dangerous in childhood.

AIM: A spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare paediatric bacterial infection, with possible devastating neurological sequelae. We explored localisation in the cervical segment, which is unusual, but more dangerous, than other SEAs. METHODS: We describe 22 cases (12 male) of paediatric SEAs without risk factors: 21 from a literature search from 2000 to 2017 and a 30-month-old boy with a spontaneous cervical SEA due to Group A Streptococcus. RESULTS: The average age was eight years and the symptoms were mainly fever, back pain and motor deficit, with an aetiological diagnosis in 68%. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in six patients, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in two, Staphylococcus aureus with unknown susceptibility patterns in three and Group A Streptococcus in four. All patients underwent gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and most abscesses were localised in the thoracic and lumbar areas. More than half (59%) underwent surgery to remove pus and granulation tissue and nine were just treated with antimicrobial therapy for an average of 5.3 weeks. Most patients had good outcomes. CONCLUSION: SEAs were underestimated in children due to the rarity and spectrum of differential diagnoses. Timely diagnosis, immediate antibiotics, spinal magnetic resonance imaging and prompt neurosurgical consultations were essential for favourable outcomes.

Susceptibility patterns of uropathogens identified in hospitalized children.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common serious bacterial infection in childhood. The aim of the present study was therefore to identify the organisms responsible for community-acquired febrile UTI in children, to investigate their susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics, and to identify possible risk factors for antibiotic resistance. METHODS: A total of 284 children (male, 38%; female, 62%), who were hospitalized due to a community-acquired UTI over a 5 year period in a general district hospital of southern Greece, were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: Escherichia coli was the leading uropathogen followed by Klebsiella spp. (9.15%) and Proteus spp. (5.28%). E. coli isolates were most commonly resistant to ampicillin (41.8%), followed by piperacillin (40.3%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (28.6%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (17.8%), while 27 strains (12.6%) were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Of the E. coli strains, 4.21% were producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. Parenteral second- and third-generation cephalosporins, the most commonly used antibiotic agents (81.3%) in the present cohort, remained highly active against E. coli and other urinary isolates, given that >95% of E. coli strains were susceptible to cefuroxime and cefotaxime. Vesicoureteral reflux was a significant risk factor for MDR (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Contrary to current local practice, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid may not be the best option for the empirical treatment of community-acquired UTI in southern Greece.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis and septic arthritis in neonates: diagnosis and management.

Acute osteomyelitis (AO) in neonates, although rare, represents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. A high index of suspicion is necessary to make an early diagnosis, and the observation of clinical signs is crucial. The increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging problem in pediatrics. In neonates, MRSA infections can cause a wide spectrum of diseases including bone and joint infections. We report two cases of AO in full-term neonates, with no risk factors, due to MRSA.

Rhodotorula species fungemia: a threat to the immunocompromised host.

Members of the genus Rhodotorula, family Cryptococcaceae, are common airborne fungi showing remarkable ubiquity. In the recent past they were considered nonvirulent saprophytes. However, during the last two decades they have emerged as opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients. A review of the English literature covering the period 1960-2001 disclosed 47 reported cases of Rhodotorula spp fungemia. The great majority of these infections has been reported after 1990, were catheter-related, and diagnosed in patients with cancer. The treatment of Rhodotorula fungemia remains controversial. Resolution of coexistent neutropenia is essential for recovery. Removal of the central venous catheter is usually sufficient and treatment with systenic antifungals may not be required. If catheter removal is undesirable or impossible or when the infection persists, treatment with amphotericin B is the treatment of choice. Rhodotorula is a fungus with a low virulence and fatality rate. Hence, most patients with Rhodotorula fungemia reported in the literature survived with or without administration of antifungal agents.

Antimicrobial resistance of urinary tract pathogens in children in Crete, Greece.

The aim of the present study was to identify the organisms responsible for community acquired febrile UTI in children and to investigate their susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics. A 5-y prospective analysis was performed in children hospitalized for a first episode of UTI, in Crete, Greece. A total of 262 children, 40.1% males and 59.9% females, aged 0.08 to 13 y, were enrolled in the study. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was the leading uropathogen. Antimicrobial resistance of E. coli isolates was most commonly to ampicillin (56.4%) followed by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) (27.3%), cefaclor (22.5%), amoxicillin-clavulanate (15.5%), gentamicin (4.9%), cefuroxime (3.1%), nitrofurantoin (2.6%), and ceftriaxone (1.6%). Interestingly, a significant decrease in E. coli resistance to TMP-SMX was observed during the study period. Resistance to ampicillin, TMP-SMX and cefaclor was noted for 61%, 28% and 27% of the total uropathogens, respectively, making these agents inappropriate for empirical treatment of febrile UTI in our region. A larger number of pathogens may be empirically treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate. More than 90% of the uropathogens are susceptible to cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, gentamicin, and nitrofurantoin. In conclusion, several of the first-line agents for empirical treatment of childhood UTI seem to have become ineffective in the area of this study.

Urinary tract infection caused by Shigella sonnei.

This report describes a case of urinary tract infection caused by Shigella sonnei in a 6-y-old girl with vesicoureteric reflux and a preceding history of gastroenteritis. The strain was resistant to ampicillin and cotrimoxazole, and treatment with cefotaxime eradicated the infection. The role of Shigellae as urinary tract pathogens is reviewed and possible sources of infection are discussed.