Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis (LETM) and Myopericarditis in a 7-Month-Old Child with SARs-CoV-2 Infection.

INTRODUCTION: In the last few months, some pediatric cases with neurological and neuroradiological pictures related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have been reported, often associated with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). The most frequently encountered pediatric neurological complications seem to be postinfectious immune-mediated acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)-like changes of the brain, myelitis, neural enhancement, and splenial lesions. Concomitant neurological and cardiac involvement has been reported only in MIS-C, although specific clinical details are often not fully available. METHODS: In this case report, a very young child infected with SARs-CoV-2 and diagnosed as longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis with concomitant myo-pericarditis is presented. RESULTS: A previously healthy 7-month-old girl presented with abrupt onset of generalized weakness with inability to sit up. She had had mild respiratory symptoms 1 week earlier. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a T2-hyperintense intramedullary lesion extending from C4 to T2, compatible with acute longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM). Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was negative.Echocardiography and blood tests were suggestive for myo-pericarditis. Real time polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2 on nasopharyngeal swab sample tested positive. She was promptly treated with high dose of steroids and immunoglobulin with satisfactory clinical response. CONCLUSION: To the evolving literature of neurological complications of SARs-CoV-2 infection, we add the youngest patient described to date with isolated LETM and concomitant cardiac involvement. Our case suggests that clinicians should be aware of this association, although difficult to recognize in infants. Practitioners are encouraged to consider aggressive first-line immunotherapies with the final aim to prevent permanent disability.

Experience of an Italian Pediatric Third Level Emergency Department during the 2022-2023 Bronchiolitis Epidemic: A Focus on Discharged Patients and Revisits.

The aim of this study was to describe the 2022-2023 bronchiolitis epidemic season (the second after COVID-19 pandemic and the first without social restriction), focusing on patients discharged home from a pediatric emergency department (PED) and on those revisited within 72 h. We performed a retrospective observational study in an Italian tertiary care children's hospital, reviewing PED accesses from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. The number of hospitalizations for bronchiolitis was extracted from hospital discharge forms. A total of 512 patients diagnosed with bronchiolitis were admitted to PED (2.8% of total admissions). Accesses increased sharply from November to January, with a peak in December, in both admissions and hospitalizations. More than half of the patients (55.5%) were safely discharged home, while 38 (13.4%) came back to PED for a revisit. Overall PED accesses and hospitalizations for bronchiolitis increased since the previous epidemic season, and particularly compared to the pandemic and pre-pandemic eras. Empowering the collaboration between all healthcare provisioners is fundamental to suitable management of patients. Monitoring the epidemiology and seasonality of bronchiolitis is a starting point for an effective internal organization of pediatric departments and to further evaluate its socio-economic burden.

Acquired and Inherited Zinc Deficiency-Related Diseases in Children: A Case Series and a Narrative Review.

Zinc deficiency is a significant global health concern among children, manifesting in various acquired and inherited conditions. This comprehensive overview of acquired and inherited zinc deficiency-related diseases in children aimed to explore the clinical presentations, diagnostic challenges, and management strategies associated with these conditions. This case series elucidates the diverse clinical manifestations of zinc deficiency in pediatric patients, ranging from dermatitis and growth retardation to immune dysregulation and neurological abnormalities, and discusses the underlying genetic mechanisms, clinical phenotypes, and therapeutic interventions. The complexity of zinc deficiency-related diseases in children underscores the need for a multidisciplinary approach involving pediatricians, dermatologists, geneticists, and nutritionists to optimize patient care and outcomes.

Identifying and correcting communication failures among health professionals working in the Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify effective corrective measures to ensure patient safety in the Paediatric Emergency Department (ED). METHODS: In order to outline a clear picture of these risks, we conducted a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and a Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), at a Emergency Department of a Children's Teaching Hospital in Northern Italy. The Error Modes were categorised according to Vincent's Taxonomy of Causal Factors and correlated with the Risk Priority Number (RPN) to determine the priority criteria for the implementation of corrective actions. RESULTS: The analysis of the process and outlining the risks allowed to identify 22 possible failures of the process. We came up with a mean RPN of 182, and values >100 were considered to have a high impact and therefore entailed a corrective action. CONCLUSIONS: Mapping the process allowed to identify risks linked to health professionals' non-technical skills. In particular, we found that the most dangerous Failure Modes for their frequency and harmfulness were those related to communication among health professionals.