Severe imported malaria involving hyperparasitemia (≥ 10%) in non-immune children: Assessment of French practices.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium falciparum hyperparasitemia (over or equal to 10%), isolated or associated with other severity criteria, should be managed in a pediatric intensive care unit according to the French pediatric guidelines. The main objective of our study was to describe the management and course of these special cases. POPULATION AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study in eight French hospital facilities from January 2007 to December 2014. We reviewed the management of non-immune children aged 0-15 years, assessing the following: clinical and paraclinical data, type of care unit, treatment initiated, initial and long-term course. Data were analyzed for the whole population and for two groups according to the place of first-line management: group A (in pediatric intensive care unit), and group B (other places). RESULTS: A total of 61 children were included, 14 (23%) of whom were initially admitted to the intensive care unit (group A), all with neurological or hemodynamic disorders. Only 23 children (38%) overall received intravenous antimalarial treatment and the other patients received exclusively oral treatment. No deaths were reported. Median parasitemia was comparable in the two groups. In group B (n = 47/61, 77%), isolated hyperparasitemia, jaundice, and renal failure were predominant. The children who underwent initial intravenous treatment (n = 5/47, 11%) all progressed favorably, as did 92% of the children who received oral treatment (n = 42/47, 89%). CONCLUSION: A majority of children with Plasmodium falciparum hyperparasitemia were managed outside the pediatric intensive care unit via the oral route, against the French pediatric guidelines except when neurologic or hemodynamic disorders were present. Initial clinical evaluation and hospital supervision are essential for the best management of these patients.

Acute gingivostomatitis in children: Epidemiology in the emergency department, pain, and use of codeine before its restriction.

Acute gingivostomatitis is relatively frequent in children; of viral origin, its diagnosis is usually straightforward. Acute gingivostomatitis is very painful and for many years, codeine, whose use was restricted in 2013, was widely employed in this context. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of acute stomatitis in pediatric emergency care, to evaluate the pain caused by stomatitis, and to determine the analgesic resources deployed both in the emergency department and at discharge, over the 5-year period preceding restriction of the use of codeine. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted in a pediatric emergency department (PED) of a university hospital between August 2008 and June 2013. RESULTS: A total of 702 children (372 herpetic gingivostomatitis [HGS], 149 herpangina [H], 181 hand, foot, and mouth disease [HFMD]) were included. Over the 5 years, one case of gingivostomatitis was identified for 303 visits to the PED. A total of 548 (78.1%) children were aged less than 36 months and the median age was 22 months. For 501 of 702 (71.4%) children, parents reported pain and/or feeding difficulties; in the HGS group, 314 of 372 (84.4%) patients had these symptoms. Of the 702 children, 48 (6.8%) were admitted to hospital. Overall, 457 (65.1%) of 702 children were given codeine before the PED visit, during the PED visit, or as a medication to take after discharge. The corresponding figures were 314 of 372 (84.4%) for the HGS group, 67 of 149 (45.0%) for the H group, and 76 of 181 (42.0%) for the HFMD group, P<0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Acute gingivostomatitis is a relative frequent reason for PED visits, and the pain and feeding difficulties that it elicits are a real challenge. Before codeine restriction, this medication played a major role in the analgesic strategy for this disease. It is essential that analgesic regimens at least as effective as codeine replace it. Morphine combined with paracetamol or the association of ibuprofen with paracetamol are options that are recommended by the French National Health Authority (HAS).

Carbon monoxide poisoning from waterpipe (narghile) smoking in a child.

Shisha smoking has spread to many countries since the 1990s and is now a global phenomenon among adolescents. Notwithstanding the connotations of conviviality of shisha smoking, it is in fact highly dangerous since the smoke inhaled contains toxic substances. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning carries a high risk of neurological and neuropsychological sequelae such as memory loss, impaired concentration, mood disorders, and various other symptoms. We report a case of severe CO poisoning in a 13-year-old boy after smoking shisha that caused loss of consciousness and seizure. To our knowledge, there have as yet been no reports of cases involving children. We present some epidemiological data on shisha smoking in adolescents as well as on CO intoxication.

Children and screens: Groupe de Pédiatrie Générale (Société française de pédiatrie) guidelines for pediatricians and families.

The Groupe de Pédiatrie Générale (General Pediatrics Group), a member of the Société française de pédiatrie (French Pediatrics Society), has proposed guidelines for families and doctors regarding children's use of digital screens. A number of guidelines have already been published, in particular by the French Academy of Sciences in 2013 and the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2016. These new guidelines were preceded by an investigation into the location of digital screen use by young children in France, a survey of medical concerns on the misuse of digital devices, and a review of their documented benefits. The Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (Higher Council on Audiovisual Technology) and the Union Nationale de Associations Familiales (National Union of Family Associations) have taken part in the preparation of this document. Five simple messages are proposed: understanding without demonizing; screen use in common living areas, but not in bedrooms; preserve time with no digital devices (morning, meals, sleep, etc.); provide parental guidance for screen use; and prevent social isolation.

[Pediatrician's experience in announcing bad news]. / Le vécu par le pédiatre de l'annonce d'une « mauvaise nouvelle ¼ à l'enfant et à l'adolescent.

Few studies are available on pediatricians' experience with announcing bad news. Announcing bad news is an important component of medical practice and is even more complex in pediatrics because parents must be associated. We had 20 hospital pediatricians complete a questionnaire containing 30 questions about their own experience announcing bad news to a child or a teenager. In spite of their experience and the time they have spent practicing medicine, there are many limitations stemming from different factors concerning children, teenagers, their families, and themselves. The difficulties encountered by pediatricians are mainly related to the timing of the announcement, the location, the choice of the words used, and the poor understanding of children and families, due to intellectual, cultural, or psychological limitations. Pediatricians question their own capacity to make such an announcement, wondering if the information has actually been well understood. They indicate that they are themselves affected. Most of them develop and implement strategies to refute the emotional instability caused by the announcement of bad news. Yet many of them feel weak, even talking about a deep sense of loneliness and guilt.

Nefropatía por mieloma múltiple / Nephropathy due to multiple myeloma

Resumen Gran parte de los pacientes con mieloma múltiple inician con signos y síntomas relacionados con la infiltración de células plasmáticas o el exceso de cadenas ligeras kappa. La enfermedad renal es común con enfermedad heterogénea que puede involucrar diferentes mecanismos. Se comunica el caso de un paciente con sospecha de mieloma múltiple debido a la existencia de lumbalgia, insuficiencia renal, anemia e hipercalcemia; con electroforesis de proteínas séricas negativa para hipergammaglobulinemia, en quien se confirmó el diagnóstico al demostrar la existencia de cadenas ligeras kappa en tejido renal; se realiza una revisión de la bibliografía actual.

Abstract Much of the patients with multiple myeloma present with signs and symptoms related to plasma cells infiltration or by the excess of kappa light chains. Kidney disease is common and has a heterogeneous pathophysiology that may involve different mechanisms. We present the case of a patient with suspected multiple myeloma because of low back pain, renal failure, anemia and hypercalcemia; without hipergammaglobulinemia in the electrophoresis, in whom the diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of kappa chains light in renal tissue; a review of current literature is made.

[Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in critically ill neonates and children]. / Place de l'assistance respiratoire et circulatoire extracorporelle de courte durée (ECMO), post-cardiotomie exclue, dans la prise en charge des défaillances graves du nouveau-né et de l'enfant.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is used as a last resort during neonatal and pediatric resuscitation in case of refractory circulatory or respiratory failure under maximum conventional therapies. Different types of ECMO can be used depending on the initial failure. The main indications for ECMO are refractory respiratory failure (acute respiratory distress syndrome, status asthmaticus, severe pneumonia, meconium aspiration syndrome, pulmonary hypertension) and refractory circulatory failure (cardiogenic shock, septic shock, refractory cardiac arrest). The main contraindications are a gestational age under 34 weeks or birth weight under 2kg, severe underlying pulmonary disease, severe immune deficiency, a neurodegenerative disease and hereditary disease of hemostasis. Neurological impairment can occur during ECMO (cranial hemorrhage, seizure or stroke). Nosocomial infections and acute kidney injury are also frequent complications of ECMO. The overall survival rate of ECMO is about 60 %. This survival rate can change depending on the initial disease: from 80 % for meconium aspiration syndrome to less than 10 % for out-of-hospital refractory cardiac arrest. Recently, mobile ECMO units have been created. These units are able to perform ECMO out of a referral center for untransportable critically ill patients.

[Evaluation of pre-travel prevention and morbidity in child travelers]. / Enquêtes auprès des familles d'enfants voyageurs : évaluation des conseils de prévention et prévalence des maladies rencontrées lors d'un séjour hors d'Europe.

UNLABELLED: International travel is growing, but few data exist on prevention for children traveling. The aim of this study was to describe a population of children traveling from France to countries outside Europe and to evaluate the quality of prevention and healthcare services provided for these travelers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective epidemiological study in three pediatric emergency departments in Paris from August to October 2009 and 2012. Data were collected retrospectively from anonymous questionnaires proposed to families consulting emergency services, irrespective of their reason, who had recently traveled (in the year preceding travel outside the European Union). RESULTS: Of the 166 children included, who for the most part had traveled to visit relatives and friends in Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa, 76% of their families were from the destination countries, 78% had received prevention counseling, mostly with their doctor. They had been vaccinated against yellow fever, but the hepatitis A vaccine was neglected. The preventive measures had been difficult to achieve in practice. During travel, 54% of children had health problems (39% diarrhea, 29% vomiting, 31% fever) prompting medical care in 28%, 5% were admitted to a hospital, and 4% had return to France earlier than planned. In epidemic areas, 13% of children had malaria. CONCLUSION: There is poor counseling on basic prevention (hygiene, diarrhea, malaria, immunization). Time constraints in pediatricians and competing priorities could explain this problem. The challenge for healthcare providers to reduce these pathologies is to provide services of sufficient quality and clarity. All medical stakeholders have an important role to play.

[Sedation and analgesia practices among Spanish neonatal intensive care units]. / Manejo de la sedación y la analgesia en unidades de cuidados intensivos neonatales españolas.

INTRODUCTION: Pain management and sedation is a priority in neonatal intensive care units. A study was designed with the aim of determining current clinical practice as regards sedation and analgesia in neonatal intensive care units in Spain, as well as to identify factors associated with the use of sedative and analgesic drugs. METHOD: A multicenter, observational, longitudinal and prospective study. RESULTS: Thirty neonatal units participated and included 468 neonates. Of these, 198 (42,3%) received sedatives or analgesics. A total of 19 different drugs were used during the study period, and the most used was fentanyl. Only fentanyl, midazolam, morphine and paracetamol were used in at least 20% of the neonates who received sedatives and/or analgesics. In infusions, 14 different drug prescriptions were used, with the most frequent being fentanyl and the combination of fentanyl and midazolam. The variables associated with receiving sedation and/or analgesia were, to have required invasive ventilation (P<.001; OR=23.79), a CRIB score >3 (P=.023; OR=2.26), the existence of pain evaluation guides in the unit (P<.001; OR=3.82), and a pain leader (P=.034; OR=2.35). CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of the neonates admitted to intensive care units receive sedatives or analgesics. There is significant variation between Spanish neonatal units as regards sedation and analgesia prescribing. Our results provide evidence on the "state of the art", and could serve as the basis of preparing clinical practice guidelines at a national level.

[Pain in neonatology. Non-pharmacological treatment]. / Douleur en néonatologie. Traitements non médicamenteux.

Diagnostic and therapeutic skin-breaking procedures have become ubiquitous in current medical practice and neonatology does not constitute an exception. One of the main sources of neonatal pain is procedure-induced pain. It has recently become clear that pain prevention must be a health care priority. Non-pharmacological approaches constitute a first option for the analgesia of common procedures performed in neonatology. This article reviews the non-pharmacological treatments most frequently used in this context: swaddling, tucking, containment, sweet solutions, non-nutritive sucking (NNS), breastfeeding analgesia, breast milk and music. In practice, the dose of 1 to 2mL of 24% or 30% sucrose solution or 30% glucose solution immediately followed by NNS can be given for minor painful procedures in term neonates or those weighing more than 2500g. In the preterm, 0.3mL of a sweet solution (sucrose or glucose) can be given for infants weighing less than 1500g and 0.5mL for those weighing between 1500 and 2500g. The synergistic effect of sweet solutions and NNS has been clearly shown and thus their association is largely justified in practice. For breast-fed term neonates, breastfeeding can be given to sooth procedure-induced pain. All these non-pharmacological options can be effective to relieve pain from minor or moderate procedures. However, when more painful procedures are performed, stronger analgesics must be used.

[VRS bronchiolitis with severe hyponatremia leading to acute seizures: a report of three cases]. / Convulsions hyponatrémiques et bronchiolite à VRS : à propos de 3 cas.

Acute bronchiolitis due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can present with extrapulmonary manifestations, notably severe hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is caused by excess secretion of antidiuretic hormone and can be exacerbated by intravenous infusion of hypotonic solutions. We report three cases of infants admitted for acute bronchiolitis and hyponatremia leading to acute seizures. We describe how hyponatremia was corrected and analyze the management aspects that might have worsened the magnitude of hyponatremia. We underline the basic principles of water and electrolyte management of bronchiolitis.

Case report: boldo (Peumus boldus) and tacrolimus interaction in a renal transplant patient.

INTRODUCTION: Boldo is an extract of a Chilean tree leave (Peumus boldus mol) that have been traditionally employed in folk medicine. We have presented a case of subtherapeutic tacrolimus levels in a renal transplant patient while taking boldo. In the literature search, no interaction has been reported between boldo and tacrolimus. CASE REPORT: A 78-year-old Hispanic man with history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and deceased donor renal transplant in 2005 presented to the renal clinic for regular follow-up on September 1, 2010. No complaints were reported and physical examination was unremarkable. Laboratory tests taken on July 26, 2010, were significant for tacrolimus level of <3 ng/mL (measured by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry) and serum creatinine of 1.2 mg/dL (106 µmol/L). Medications included tacrolimus 2 mg bid and mycophenolate 500 mg bid. On further inquiry, the patient admitted taking herbal medication, boldo 300 mg bid, for the last few weeks. There was no change in his regular medications. He was adherent to his medication. He had been taking tacrolimus from the same company and pharmacy since August 2009. The last dose of boldo was on September 1, 2010. One week after he stopped taking boldo, tacrolimus level was 6.1 ng/mL (9/8/2010) on the same tacrolimus dose of 2 mg bid. Tacrolimus dose was increased to 3 mg bid (9/9/2010), awaiting tacrolimus levels. Subsequent levels (ng/mL) were 8.6 and 9.5, which made us resume the prior tacrolimus dose (2 mg bid). CONCLUSIONS: We have reported a case of an allograft renal transplant recipient who presented to the clinic with subtherapeutic levels of tacrolimus while taking the herbal remedy boldo. Tacrolimus levels rose to the intended target after discontinuation of boldo. Although it is a single case report, our observation suggests a possible herb-drug interaction.

[Neonatal suppurative parotidis: a case report and review of the literature]. / Parotidite aiguë néonatale suppurative : revue de la littérature à propos d'une observation.

Suppurative parotidis is an uncommon disease in newborns, with limited information available on its pathogenesis and management: approximately 50 cases have been reported in the literature. Diagnosis is based on clinical signs. The predominant organism is Staphylococcus aureus. The administration of empiric antimicrobial therapy is an essential part of the management in very young patients. Prognosis is good and recurrence of the disease is unusual. We describe a 21-day-old newborn who presented with fever and unilateral swelling of the parotid region, and provide a literature review.

[Enterocolitis as a complication of late-diagnosed Hirschsprung disease]. / Entérocolite compliquant une maladie de Hirschsprung diagnostiquée tardivement.

Enterocolitis is the most serious complication of Hirschsprung disease. Early management of these patients can decrease the severity of this complication. Hirschsprung disease is more common in patients with trisomy 21 than in the general population. Furthermore, the risk of developing enterocolitis is higher in this population. We report on an infant with trisomy 21 who developed enterocolitis as a complication of Hirschsprung disease that was diagnosed late when the infant presented with septic shock leading to death of the patient.

[Traumatic lacerations: wound closure]. / Traitement des plaies « simples ¼ : choix des différentes sutures.

The suture, when possible, is the best method to close a simple wound. It must be preceded by debridement and performed with great care. A rigorous technique applied in the best possible environment is necessary but not always sufficient to achieve a good cosmetic result.

[Pain in neonates: pharmacological treatment]. / Douleur du nouveau-né: traitement pharmacologique.

Pain causes numerous physiological changes in neonates. All invasive procedures induce undesirable stress responses; theses responses can, however, be eliminated or reduced by a judicious use of analgesia. Even though a large number of analgesics and sedatives are currently available, most of them have not been studied in the neonate. At present, a precise understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms of analgesics is difficult because many interactions still remain unknown in the term and premature neonate. This article describes the main analgesics and sedative agents used in the neonate: morphine, fentanyl, sufentanil, alfentanil, nalbuphine, ketamine, midazolam, propofol, acetaminophen, and Emla cream. After a review of the literature regarding these drugs, some practical advices and suggestions for the treatment of procedure-induced pain, and background sedation/analgesia for ventilated neonates are given. It is also stated in this article that the best way to soothe pain in neonates is to combine non pharmacological and pharmacological strategies. At the national level, written guidelines should be prepared in order to improve pain management in the neonate.