COVID-19 - What does a paediatrician need to know?

COVID-19 is a coronavirus responsible for a global pandemic that started in China in December 2019 and has quickly spread to almost all countries. Approximately 2% of cases are diagnosed in children. There is increasing evidence for transmission by asymptomatic or presymptomatic adults and children. The clinical features do not differ from those of other respiratory viral infections, although rare cases manifest an unusual rash involving the digits. Disease is generally mild in children but deaths have been reported. Risk groups for severe disease in children are yet to be delineated. All treatments remain experimental.

Association of cerebrospinal fluid parameters with treatment and complications among children with cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil percentage, protein concentration, and glucose level are typically measured at diagnosis and serially during the treatment of CSF shunt infections. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to describe the longitudinal profile of CSF parameters in children with CSF shunt infections and assess their association with treatment and outcome. METHODS: Participants were children treated at 11 tertiary pediatric hospitals in Canada and the United States for CSF shunt infection, from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2019, with hardware removal, external ventricular drain placement, intravenous antibiotics, and subsequent permanent shunt reinsertion. The relationship between CSF parameters and a complicated course (a composite outcome representing children with at least one of the following: contiguous soft-tissue infection, worsening hydrocephalus, CSF leak, intracranial bleed, brain abscess, venous thrombosis, reinfection after insertion of the new shunt, other complication, ICU admission, or death) was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 109 children (median age 2.8 years, 44% female) were included in this study. CSF pleocytosis, elevated protein, and hypoglycorrhachia had sensitivities of 69%, 47%, and 38% for the diagnosis of culture-confirmed CSF shunt infection, respectively. The longitudinal profile of the neutrophil percentage followed a monotonic trend, decreasing by 1.5% (95% CI 1.0%-2.0%, p < 0.0001) per day over the course of treatment. The initial WBC count differed significantly between pathogens (p = 0.011), but the proportion of neutrophils, protein concentration, and glucose level did not, and was lowest with Cutibacterium acnes. The duration of antibiotic treatment and the time to shunt reinsertion were longer in patients with a higher initial neutrophil percentage. Fifty-eight patients (53%) had one or more complications during their admission. A neutrophil percentage > 44% (Youden index) in the initial CSF sample was associated with a 1.8-fold (95% CI 1.2- to 2.8-fold) higher relative risk of a complicated course. In a random-intercept, random-slope linear mixed-effects model, the longitudinal neutrophil trajectory differed significantly between patients with and without complications (p = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: A higher proportion of neutrophils in the CSF at diagnosis was associated with a complicated clinical course. Other CSF parameters were associated with treatment and outcome; however, wide variability in values may limit their clinical utility.

Duration of Antibiotic Therapy and Timing of Shunt Reimplantation in Pediatric CSF Shunt Infections: A Retrospective Multicenter Case Series.

In this retrospective multicenter series of 154 children with cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections, the median (interquartile range) duration of antibiotic therapy was 18 (14-26) days. The time to shunt replacement was 14 (10-19) days. Management appeared to potentially differ according to the targeted pathogen and site.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Infections: A Multicenter Pediatric Study.

BACKGROUND: Infections complicate 5%-10% of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts. We aimed to describe the characteristics and contemporary pathogens of shunt infections in children in Canada and the United States. METHODS: Descriptive case series at tertiary care hospitals in Canada (N = 8) and the United States (N = 3) of children up to 18 years of age with CSF shunt infections from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2019. RESULTS: There were 154 children (43% female, median age 2.7 years, 50% premature) with ≥1 CSF shunt infections. Median time between shunt placement and infection was 54 days (interquartile range, 24 days-2.3 years). Common pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci (N = 42; 28%), methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (N = 24; 16%), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (N = 9; 5.9%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (N = 9; 5.9%) and other Gram-negative bacilli (N = 14; 9.0%). Significant differences between pathogens were observed, including timing of infection (P = 0.023) and CSF leukocyte count (P = 0.0019); however, differences were not sufficient to reliably predict the causative organism based on the timing of infection or discriminate P. aeruginosa from other pathogens based on clinical features. Empiric antibiotic regimens, which included vancomycin (71%), cefotaxime or ceftriaxone (29%) and antipseudomonal beta-lactams (33%), were discordant with the pathogen isolated in five cases. There was variability between sites in the distribution of pathogens and choice of empiric antibiotics. Nine children died; 4 (44%) deaths were attributed to shunt infection. CONCLUSIONS: Staphylococci remain the most common cause of CSF shunt infections, although antibiotic resistant Gram-negative bacilli occur and cannot be reliably predicted based on clinical characteristics.

Treatment strategies for cerebrospinal shunt infections: a systematic review of observational studies.

OBJECTIVE: A systematic review was conducted of studies comparing time to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sterilisation or rate of recurrence with different treatment strategies for CSF shunt infections. METHODS: A librarian-directed search was conducted of Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid Medline Daily and Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Wiley Cochrane Library, CINAHL Plus with Full Text via EBSCOhost, Scopus Advanced Search, and Web of Science Core Collection from 1990 to May 2019. Studies of any design that compared outcomes in groups of any age with different management strategies were included. Studies that compared complete versus incomplete shunt removal were excluded. Quality assessment was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: The search identified 2208 records, of which 8 met the inclusion criteria. All were cohort studies of moderate quality. Four studies compared the duration of antibiotics; none demonstrates that a longer course prevented recurrences. Two studies analysed addition of rifampin, with one showing a decrease in recurrences while the other had a small sample size. No studies analysed the addition of intraventricular antibiotics, but one showed equally good results with once versus twice daily administration. One study reported no difference in recurrences with placement of antibiotic-impregnated catheters. Recurrence rates did not differ with shunt replacement minimum of 7 days vs less than 7 days after CSF became sterile. There were no recurrences in either group when shunt replacement was performed after sterile CSF cultures were obtained at 24 vs 48 hours after antibiotics were discontinued. A new shunt entry site did not decrease recurrences. DISCUSSION: The main limitations are the lack of high-quality studies, the small sample sizes and the heterogeneity which precluded meta-analysis. Addition of rifampin for staphylococcal infections may decrease relapse but requires further study.