Pediatric adverse drug reactions collected by an electronic reporting system in a single tertiary university hospital

PURPOSE: The incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is increasing. However, studies on the prevalence of ADRs in children are rare. The aim of this study was to investigate the causative drugs and clinical features of ADRs for children in a tertiary university hospital of Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively collected ADRs by a computerized self-reporting system in Asan Medical Center. ADRs of children under the age 18 were collected from January 2005 to August 2015, and we analyzed only ADRs containing current symptoms among total ADR data. RESULTS: A total of 1,408 ADR cases were reported, There were 764 male (54.3%) and 644 female patients (45.7%), and the mean age was 11.5±5.8 years (range, 0–18 years). Antibiotics (n=479, 34.0%) were the most common causative drugs, followed by tramadol (n=173, 12.3%), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) and acetylsalicylic acid (n=103, 7.3%), narcotics (n=91, 6.5%), antineoplastics (n=87, 6.2%), and sedatives (n=82, 5.8%). The most common clinical features were skin manifestations (n=500, 34.4%). Gastrointestinal symptoms (n=435, 29.9%) were the second most common clinical features, followed by neuropsychiatric symptoms (n=155, 10.7%) and respiratory symptoms (n=123, 8.5%). Among antibiotics, glycopeptides (n=110, 23.0%), third-generation cephalosporins (n=83, 17.3%), and penicillin/β-lactamase inhibitors (n=60, 12.7%) were the most frequently reported causative drugs. CONCLUSION: Antibiotics were the most reported common causative drugs of ADRs in children, followed by tramadol, NSAID, and narcortics. Compared with adults, the prevalence of contrast medium-induced ADR was lower in children with a higher prevalence of sedative-associated ADR. Greater attention to possible ADRs in children is needed among medical personnel.

High degree of supervision improves adherence to inhaled corticosteroids in children with asthma / 소아과

PURPOSE: Adherence to treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is a critical determinant of asthma control. The objective of this study was to assess factors that determine adherence to ICS therapy in children with asthma. METHODS: Fifty-eight children with asthma, aged 5 to 16 years, used ICS with or without a spacer for 3 months. Adherence rates as measured from questionnaires and canisters, asthma symptom scores, and inhalation technique scores were assessed every 30 days. The degree of supervision by caregivers was assessed at day 30. RESULTS: Adherence rates measured using canisters were lower at day 60 than at day 30 (P=0.044) and did not change thereafter (74.4%+/-17.4% at day 30, 66.5%+/-18.4% at day 60, and 67.4%+/-22.2% at day 90). Adherence rates at days 60 and 90 and during the total study period were significantly different when measured by using questionnaires versus canisters (P<0.001, P=0.022, and P=0.001, respectively). In the comparison of adherence rates repeatedly measured at days 30, 60, and 90 and adherence rates during the total study period among the 3 groups, adherence rates in the high-degree supervision group were significantly higher than those in the low-degree supervision group (82.0+/-16.0 vs. 66.1+/-14.5, 75.4+/-14.4 vs. 56.2+/-18.4, 75.0+/-18.3 vs. 55.0+/-19.7 [P=0.027]; 77.9+/-12.2 vs. 59.1+/-11.4 [P=0.021]) after adjustment for sex and age. CONCLUSION: The level of caregiver supervision is an important factor affecting adherence to ICS therapy in children with asthma. Therefore, a high degree of supervision may be required to increase adherence to ICS therapy in children with asthma.

The Characteristics of Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis I Detected from School Urine Screening

PURPOSE:In Korea, the school urine screening program is a useful tool for screening urine abnormalities. It is particularly useful in early detection of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis(MPGN) I, which frequently progresses to chronic renal failure. In this study, we studied the medical history, laboratory findings, and histologic findings of MPGN I to gain helpful information on early detection and treatment. METHODS:The subjects were 19 children, who were diagnosed with MPGN I from kidney biopsies that were performed in ten nationwide university hospitals because of abnormal urine findings from school urine screening programs conducted from July 1999 to April 2004. We divided the patients into 2 groups, a nephrotic range proteinuria group(n=8) and a non- nephrotic proteinuria group(n=11), and retrospectively analyzed the clinical features, laboratory findings, histologic findings, treatment, and clinical course. RESULTS:The mean age at the first abnormal urinalysis was 10.6+/-2.2 years in the nephrotic proteinuria group and 9.6+/-3.2 years in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group. The mean age at the time of kidney biopsy was 11.3+/-2.3 years in the nephrotic range proteinuria group and 10.4+/-3.2 years in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group respectively. There was no significant difference in the mean age and sex between the two groups. In the nephrotic proteinuria group, 6 children had a low plasma C3 level and in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group, 8 children had a low plasma C3 level, but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. There was no significant difference in the laboratory test results(including WBC count, RBC count, platelet count and other serologic tests) between the 2 groups except for 24 hour urine protein secretion. There was no difference between the 2 groups with regard to the acute and chronic changes in the glomerulus on light microscopic findings, IgG, IgA, Ig M, C1q, C3, C4, fibrogen deposition on immunofluoroscence findings, and mesangial deposits, subendothelial deposits, and subepithelial deposits on electron microscopic findings. The children were treated with corticosteroids, ACE(angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, dipyridamole and other immunosuppressive agents. During the course of treatment, there were no children whose clinical condition worsened. Among 19 children, 3 children went into remission (2 in the nephrotic proteinuria group, 1 in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group) and 9 children went into a partial remission(4 in the nephrotic proteinuria group, 5 in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group) on urinalysis. There was no significant difference in the treatment results between the two groups. CONCLUSION:The 73.7% of children who were incidentally diagnosed with MPGN I by the school urine screening program had reduced C3. 42.1% of the children had nephrotic range proteinuria. There were no significant differences in clinical features, laboratory test results, light microscopic, immunofluorescence microscopic, and electron microscopic findings between the nephrotic proteinuria group and the non-nephrotic proteinuria group except for the 24 hour urine protein secretion. Therefore, for early detection of MPGN I during the school urine screening program, we strongly recommend a kidney biopsy if children have abnormal urine findings such as persistent proteinuria and persistent hematuria, or if the serum C3 is reduced.

A Case of Neonatal Bartter Syndrome

Bartter and Bartter-like syndromes, which include classic Bartter syndrome(type III), neonatal Bartter syndrome(type I, II or IV) and Gitelman syndrome, are autosomal - recessively inherited renal tubular disorders characterized by hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, salt wasting and normal to low blood pressure. Neonatal Bartter syndrome is characterized by intrauterine polyhydramnios, premature delivery, life-threatening episodes of fever and dehydration, subsequent failure to thrive, and severe hypercalciuria with nephrocalcinosis and osteopenia. It is caused by mutations in NKCC2(type I), ROMK(type II) or BSND(type IV) genes. If diagnosed and treated early, the progression to renal failure can be prevented and catch-up growth and normal development are achieved. We report here a 6 month-old infant with neonatal Bartter syndrome who presented with hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, polyhydramnios and premature delivery, persistent high fever and dehydration, failure to thrive, hypercalciuria, and nephrocalcinosis. He received indomethacin and potassium chloride per os and showed catch-up growth and normal developmental profile at 19 months of age.

A Case of Scrub Typhus with Acute Respiratory Distress Symdrome and Meningoencephalitis / 결핵

Scrub typhus is an acute, febrile disease of humans that is caused by Orentia Tsutsugamushi. It is transmitted through the bite of chiggers. The spectrum of the clinical severity for scrub typhus ranges from mild to sever e with fatal complication such as meningoencephalitis, pneumonitis, myocarditis. Severe pulmonary involvement e.g. acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) and meningoencephalitis have rarely been obseved since the introduction of specific antibiotic therapy. We experienced a case of scrub typhus manifested with ARDS and meningoencephalitis. The patient was treated with doxycycline, anticonvulsant and mechanical ventilator thrapy.

The Programming of Chemotherapy Order System / 대한의료정보학회지

As a part of plan to construct a multifunctional hospital information system, We planned to develop a chemotherapy order system. First, a software developing team was established which is composed of hematooncology staffs, special pharmacists and programmer who are responsible for OCS. We set up an outline of this system after collecting various kinds of sources such as foreign examples, gathered protocol that are used for chemotherapy, and organized these protocol in programming the chemotherapy order system. This project is expected to provide accurate prescription, to shorten the time to prepare prescription, to standardize the protocol of chemotherapy within the medical center, to manage an effective dispensing schedule and to be used as a source for education and research.