Examination of Early Endotracheal Aspirate Cultures in Children with Acute Respiratory Failure Due to Presumed Acute Respiratory Tract Infection.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the yield of early endotracheal aspirate cultures in mechanically ventilated pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure due to acute respiratory tract infection and endeavor to guide antibiotic choice in acute respiratory failure with concern for infectious etiology. RESULTS: One-hundred ten admissions were included. Of those samples, 61 percent (67 out of 110) had bacterial growth in tracheal aspirate samples. Ninety percent (99 out of 110) patients have received antibiotics and in 47 percent (53 out of 110) antibiotics were optimized or discontinued according to the culture results. There were no difference in duration of mechanical ventilation or PICU stay in patients with positive versus negative cultures (p: 0.613, P: 0.337). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a high yield of positive tracheal aspirate cultures in infants, children and adolescents with acute respiratory failure. The cultures identify common organisms, helps to guide initial antibiotics choice, as well as later optimization or antibiotic discontinuation.

Human and Animal Bites.

In the United States, nearly 56% of households owned a pet in 2011 according to the 2012 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook by the American Veterinary Medical Association. The survey also reports that approximately 70 million dogs and 74 million cats lived in households in the United States during the same year. (1)Human and animal bites are a frequent cause of primary care and emergency department visits for children. It is estimated that 250,000 human bites, 400,000 cat bites, and 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States each year in both adults and children. (2) In the United States, approximately 10% of all human bites will become infected in a child with a bite wound. The infection rate of dog bites in children is 20%. Cat bite infection rates in children vary but can be up to 50%. Each type of bite wound has a predisposition for sex and/or age. Infected bite wounds manifest with swelling, erythema, and tenderness with or without drainage of the affected site and can lead to serious complications. Most animal bite wounds are polymicrobial in nature. Pasteurella species (spp.) is the most common organism isolated from both cat and dog bites. The microbiology of human bites consists of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.Basic medical management of bite wounds includes thorough cleansing and debridement. Irrigation, closure, and need to obtain culture depend on the type of bite wound, the appearance of the wound, the and timing of medical evaluation after the initial injury. Amoxicillin-clavulanate is the antibiotic of choice for prophylaxis and empirical therapy for children who are not allergic to penicillin. With most animal bites being preventable injuries, healthcare providers caring for children have an important role discussing pet safety with the child and the family.

Salmonella Infections in Childhood.

Salmonella are gram-negative bacilli within the family Enterobacteriaceae. They are the cause of significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Animals (pets) are an important reservoir for nontyphoidal Salmonella, whereas humans are the only natural host and reservoir for Salmonella Typhi. Salmonella infections are a major cause of gastroenteritis worldwide. They account for an estimated 2.8 billion cases of diarrheal disease each year. The transmission of Salmonella is frequently associated with the consumption of contaminated water and food of animal origin, and it is facilitated by conditions of poor hygiene. Nontyphoidal Salmonella infections have a worldwide distribution, whereas most typhoidal Salmonella infections in the United States are acquired abroad. In the United States, Salmonella is a common agent for food-borne­associated infections. Several outbreaks have been identified and are most commonly associated with agricultural products. Nontyphoidal Salmonella infection is usually characterized by a self-limited gastroenteritis in immunocompetent hosts in industrialized countries, but it may also cause invasive disease in vulnerable individuals (eg, children less than 1 year of age, immunocompromised). Antibiotic treatment is not recommended for treatment of mild to moderate gastroenteritis by nontyphoidal Salmonella in immunocompetent adults or children more than 1 year of age. Antibiotic treatment is recommended for nontyphoidal Salmonella infections in infants less than 3 months of age, because they are at higher risk for bacteremia and extraintestinal complications. Typhoid (enteric) fever and its potential complications have a significant impact on children, especially those who live in developing countries. Antibiotic treatment of typhoid fever has become challenging because of the emergence of Salmonella Typhi strains that are resistant to classically used first-line agents: ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and chloramphenicol. The choice of antibiotics for the management of typhoid fever should be guided by the local resistance pattern. Recommendations include using an extended spectrum cephalosporin, azithromycin, or a fluoroquinolone. Fecal carriage of Salmonella is an important factor in the spread of the organism to healthy individuals. The most important measures to prevent the spread and outbreaks of Salmonella infections and typhoid fever are adequate sanitation protocols for food processing and handling as well as hand hygiene. In the United States, 2 vaccines are commercially available against Salmonella Typhi. The WHO recommends the use of these vaccines in endemic areas and for outbreak control.