Bloody Diarrhea and Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in Children: Data from the ItalKid-HUS Network.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of an enhanced laboratory-surveillance protocol for bloody diarrhea aimed at identifying children with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection early in the course of the disease toward the early identification and management of patients with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). STUDY DESIGN: The study (2010-2019) involved a referral population of 2.3 million children. Stool samples of patients with bloody diarrhea were screened for Shiga toxin (Stx) genes. Positive patients were rehydrated and monitored for hemoglobinuria until diarrhea resolved or STEC-HUS was diagnosed. RESULTS: A total of 4767 children were screened; 214 (4.5%) were positive for either Stx1 (29.0%) or Stx2 (45.3%) or both Stx1+2 (25.7%); 34 patients (15.9%) developed STEC-HUS (0.71% of bloody diarrheas). Hemoglobinuria was present in all patients with HUS. Patients with Stx2 alone showed a greater risk of STEC-HUS (23.7% vs 12.7%) and none of the patients with Stx1 alone developed HUS. During the same period of time, 95 other patients were diagnosed STEC-HUS but were not captured by the screening program (26 had nonbloody diarrhea, 11 came from areas not covered by the screening program, and 58 had not been referred to the screening program, although they did meet the inclusion criteria). At HUS presentation, serum creatinine of patients identified by screening was significantly lower compared with that of the remaining patients (median 0.9 vs 1.51 mg/dL). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 1% of children with bloody diarrhea developed STEC-HUS, and its diagnosis was anticipated by the screening program for Stx. The screening of bloody diarrhea for Stx is recommended, and monitoring patients carrying Stx2 with urine dipstick for hemoglobinuria is suggested to identify the renal complication as early as possible.

Presepsin (Soluble CD14 Subtype) as an Early Marker of Neonatal Sepsis and Septic Shock: A Prospective Diagnostic Trial.

In the context of suspected neonatal sepsis, early diagnosis and stratification of patients according to clinical severity is not yet effectively achieved. In this diagnostic trial, we aimed to assess the accuracy of presepsin (PSEP) for the diagnosis and early stratification of supposedly septic neonates. PSEP, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) were assessed at the onset of sepsis suspicion (T0), every 12-24 h for the first 48 h (T1-T4), and at the end of antibiotic therapy (T5). Enrolled neonates were stratified into three groups (infection, sepsis, septic shock) according to Wynn and Wong's definitions. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) according to the severity of clinical conditions were assessed. We enrolled 58 neonates with infection, 77 with sepsis, and 24 with septic shock. PSEP levels were higher in neonates with septic shock (median 1557.5 pg/mL) and sepsis (median 1361 pg/mL) compared to those with infection (median 977.5 pg/mL) at T0 (p < 0.01). Neither CRP nor PCT could distinguish the three groups at T0. PSEP's AUC was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.854-0.943) for sepsis and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.885-0.988) for septic shock. Maximum Youden index was 1013 pg/mL (84.4% sensitivity, 88% specificity) for sepsis, and 971.5 pg/mL for septic shock (92% sensitivity, 86% specificity). However, differences in PSEP between neonates with positive and negative blood culture were limited. Thus, PSEP was an early biomarker of neonatal sepsis severity, but did not support the early identification of neonates with positive blood culture.

Family Clusters of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli Infection: An Overlooked Source of Transmission. Data From the ItalKid-Hus Network.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present work was to investigate family clusters of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection among the household members of STEC positive patients, identified within a screening program of bloody diarrhea (BD) for STEC in Northern Italy. METHODS: Stool samples from patients with BD or BD-associated-hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and related households were investigated by molecular and bacteriologic methods to detect and characterize the virulence profile of STEC and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis analysis were done on isolates. RESULTS: Thirty-nine cases of STEC infection (isolated BD in 16, BD-associated-HUS in 23) were considered, and a total of 130 stool samples from 1 to 8 households of the index patient were analyzed. The prevalence of positivity was higher in siblings (34.8%, 8/23) than in mothers (20%, 7/35), grandparents (9.5%, 2/21), fathers (8.8%, 3/34) or other households. In 14 clusters (36%), one or more household shared a STEC with the same virulence profile (stx, eae, serogroup) as the index case. In 7 clusters, STEC strains isolated from at least 2 subjects also shared identical Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis profile. The frequency of household infection does not appear to be associated to the index case's illness (HUS or BD), nor with the serotype or with the virulence profile of the involved STEC (stx2 or stx1-stx2). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that STEC infections, most likely related to human-to-human transmission, are common among households of patients with STEC BD or HUS and underlines the importance of extending the epidemiologic investigations to all family members, as the index case may not always be the primary infection in the family.

A simple prognostic index for Shigatoxin-related hemolytic uremic syndrome at onset: data from the ItalKid-HUS network.

Shigatoxin Escherichia coli-related hemolytic uremic syndrome (eHUS) is a severe thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) burdened by life-threatening complications and long-term sequelae. Since hemoconcentration is associated with worse outcome, we tried to develop a reliable and easy-to-calculate index for predicting complications and sequelae based on hemoglobin (Hb) at presentation. The first laboratory examinations with signs of TMA in eHUS patients were analyzed in relation to the outcomes with the receiver operating characteristic curves and their areas under the curve (AUC) for Hb and creatinine (sCr). A total of 197 eHUS patients were identified of whom 24% did not have anemia at presentation. Hb level was the best predictor of a poor outcome (AUC 0.67) but the combination of Hb with sCr, in the formula [(Hb in g/dL + (sCr in mg/dL × 2)], showed an even better AUC of 0.75. The described scoring system was also strongly associated and predictive of all complications and health care needs (8% of patients with scoring > 13 died or entered a permanent vegetative state compared with 0% of those with ≤ 13).Conclusion: The presented score is a simple and early predictor of both short- and long-term outcomes and identifies patients who should undergo rapid volume expansion to counteract hemoconcentration, the spreading of microvascular thrombosis, and the consequent increased organ damage. What is Known: • In eHUS, hemoconcentration is associated with worse short- and long-term outcome. • A prognostic index to identify patients at higher risk for complications at presentation is not available. What is New: • We developed a simple and early prognostic index for eHUS outcome with the combination of Hb and sCr at onset, in the following formula [(Hb in g/dL + (sCr in mg/dL × 2)]. • The proposed HUS Severity Score can promptly identify patients with good outcome and those with high risk of worse short- and long-term outcome.

Mycoplasma hominis Induces Mediastinitis after a Tonsillar Abscess.

Mycoplasma hominis is commonly involved in genitourinary tract infections. We report a 59-year-old man who developed a M. hominis-associated mediastinitis following acute tonsillar infection.

Early Volume Expansion and Outcomes of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC-HUS) is a severe acute illness without specific treatment except supportive care; fluid management is concentrated on preventing fluid overload for patients, who are often oligoanuric. Hemoconcentration at onset is associated with more severe disease, but the benefits of volume expansion after hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) onset have not been explored. METHODS: All the children with STEC-HUS referred to our center between 2012 and 2014 received intravenous infusion targeted at inducing an early volume expansion (+10% of working weight) to restore circulating volume and reduce ischemic or hypoxic tissue damage. The short- and long-term outcomes of these patients were compared with those of 38 historical patients referred to our center during the years immediately before, when fluid intake was routinely restricted. RESULTS: Patients undergoing fluid infusion soon after diagnosis showed a mean increase in body weight of 12.5% (vs 0%), had significantly better short-term outcomes with a lower rate of central nervous system involvement (7.9% vs 23.7%, P = .06), had less need for renal replacement therapy (26.3% vs 57.9%, P = .01) or intensive care support (2.0 vs. 8.5 days, P = .02), and needed fewer days of hospitalization (9.0 vs 12.0 days, P = .03). Long-term outcomes were also significantly better in terms of renal and extrarenal sequelae (13.2% vs 39.5%, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with STEC-HUS had great benefit from early volume expansion. It is speculated that early and generous fluid infusions can reduce thrombus formation and ischemic organ damage, thus having positive effects on both short- and long-term disease outcomes.

Co-infection in children with bloody diarrhea caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli: data of the North Italian HUS Network.

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is an important cause of acute kidney injury in children often caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) enterocolitis. In a screening program for STEC infection in children with bloody diarrhea in northern Italy for early diagnosis of HUS, co-infection with Salmonella or Campylobacter was documented in as many as 35.6% of Shiga toxin-positive patients. It is speculated that infection by Salmonella or Campylobacter may increase the risk of STEC enterocolitis and therefore of HUS. The isolation of microorganisms (other then STEC) in HUS should not be necessarily regarded as the etiological agent for the thrombotic microangiopathy.

Successful containment and infection control of a Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak in an Italian hospital.

We describe an outbreak of a carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 258 (ST258) clone in an Italian hospital during two months in 2010. The rapid detection and management of the eleven patients colonized and infected with KPC-producing K.pneumoniae curbed the spread of this multidrug-resistant organism.

Risk factors for bacteremia during and after adenoidectomy and/or adenotonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence and persistence of bacteremia in children undergoing adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy for different medical reasons. METHODS: We enrolled 130 children scheduled for adenoidectomy because of recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM, 15) or persistent otitis media with effusion (pOME, 33), or for adenotonsillectomy because of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS, 41) or recurrent tonsillopharyngitis (rTF, 41). Nasopharyngeal aspirates taken just before surgery, swabs of the ablated central adenoidal and tonsillar tissues, and blood samples taken within the first 30s of beginning the operation and 20min after its end were used for bacterial cultures. RESULTS: The incidence of positive blood cultures after the beginning of the operation was significantly higher in the children who underwent adenotonsillectomy than in those who underwent adenoidectomy, and in those with rAOM or rTF than in those with pOME or OSAS. Children with nasopharyngeal colonisation were significantly more likely to have a positive blood culture than those without. Twenty of the 25 children with a positive blood culture (80.0%), had the same bacteria in their nasopharyngeal and adenoidal/tonsillar tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that bacteremia is significantly more frequently associated with adenotonsillectomy than with adenoidectomy, and significantly more frequent in patients with a history of rAOM or rTF.

Evaluation of rapid assay for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae urinary antigen among infants and young children with possible invasive pneumococcal disease.

The usefulness of the rapid assay for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae urinary antigen was evaluated in 155 children ages 1 to 60 months with suspected invasive pneumococcal disease and 200 healthy controls. Although the assay was highly sensitive in the children with invasive pneumococcal disease, it should be interpreted with caution in young patients because a positive urine test result may simply be the result of nasopharyngeal colonization.