Comparison of pneumonia features in children caused by SARS-CoV-2 and other viral respiratory pathogens.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is a frequent manifestation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hospitalized children. METHODS: The study involved 80 hospitals in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spanish Pediatric National Cohort. Participants were children <18 years, hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We compared the clinical and radiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-associated CAP with CAP due to other viral etiologies from ValsDance (retrospective) cohort. RESULTS: In total, 151 children with SARS-CoV-2-associated CAP and 138 with other viral CAP were included. Main clinical features of SARS-CoV-2-associated CAP were cough, fever, or dyspnea. Lymphopenia was found in 43% patients and 15% required admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Chest X-ray revealed condensation (42%) and other infiltrates (58%). Compared with CAP from other viral pathogens, COVID-19 patients were older, with lower C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, less wheezing, and greater need of mechanical ventilation (MV). There were no differences in the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or HVF, or PICU admission between groups. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2-associated CAP in children presents differently to other virus-associated CAP: children are older and rarely have wheezing or high CRP levels; they need less oxygen but more CPAP or MV. However, several features overlap and differentiating the etiology may be difficult. The overall prognosis is good.

Combined therapy of Xiaoer Feire Kechuan oral liquid and azithromycin for mycoplasma Pneumoniae pneumonia in children: A systematic review & meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) has high morbidity with an increased global burden. Xiaoer Feire Kechuan (XEFRKC) oral liquid comprises multiple herbal medicines and possesses numerous broad-spectrum antibacterial activities for MPP. Therefore, treatment options with XEFRKC to provide new clinical evidence for children with MPP needs to be explored. PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of combined treatment of XEFRKC with azithromycin (XEFRKC + azithromycin) for treating the MPP in children. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search in 7 databases to find the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of XEFRKC + azithromycin treatment. Two researchers independently review the retrieval, extraction, and quality assessment of the dataset. In addition, we conducted the effect model to analyze the data and performed the meta-regression with sensitivity analysis to assess the heterogeneity and stability. RESULTS: A total of 30 RCTs with 2997 participants were included in this review. The results of primary outcomes showed that the XEFRKC + azithromycin therapy was significantly different with the azithromycin in response rate (RR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.22), fever disappearance time (MD = -1.01, 95% CI: -1.18 to -0.84), cough disappearance time (MD = -2.18, 95% CI: -2.69 to -1.67), and pulmonary rales disappearance time (MD = -1.3, 95% CI: -1.71 to -0.88). For secondary outcomes and safety as well, XEFRKC + azithromycin had a significant difference compared with azithromycin. Meta-regression results showed that multiple covariables were not the source of heterogeneity. Moreover, sensitivity analysis showed that the stability of the meta-analysis results remained robust. CONCLUSIONS: For MPP in children, the XEFRKC + azithromycin therapy may be the better option compared with azithromycin alone. However, the accuracy of safety needs to be confirmed and verified with more high-quality RCTs.

Indoor air pollution from solid fuel on children pneumonia in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

An updated systematic review was conducted to assessing on the association between indoor air pollution caused by household energy consumption and childhood pneumonia in low- and middle-income countries. We performed a meta-analysis from the electronic databases of PubMed, Cochrane library, Web of Science, EMBASE. Studies were selected when they reported childhood pneumonia or ALRI in relation to indoor air pollution resulted from solid fuel. Studies must provide results on exposure prevalence of children aged below 5 years from Asia or Africa. We devoted ourselves to identifying randomized controlled experiments and observational epidemiological researches, which revealed the relation between household usage of solid fuel and childhood pneumonia. Among 1954 articles, 276 were reviewed thoroughly and 16 conduced to such a meta-analysis. It was found that there is a significant relationship between the solid fuel combustion and increasing risk of childhood pneumonia (OR = 1.66, 95%CI 1.36-2.02). The summary odds ratios from biomass use and mixed fuel use were, respectively, 1.86 (95%CI 1.15-3.02) and 1.58 (95%CI 1.38-1.81), with substantial between study heterogeneity (I2 = 87.2% and 29.2%, respectively). According to the subgroup analysis along with the meta-regression analysis, the risk of using solid fuel in Asian regions is higher than that in African regions. Studies based on non-hospital participates (I2 = 49.5%) may also a source of heterogeneity. We found that indoor air pollution generated by the usage of solid fuel might be a significant risk factor for pneumonia in children and suggested improving the indoor air quality by promoting cleaner fuel will be important in undeveloped countries.

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of mycoplasma pneumonia complicated with myocardial damage in children in Qinghai area / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics and risk factors of myocardial damage in children with mycoplasma pneumonia in Qinghai area, and to provide evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods A total of 328 children diagnosed with mycoplasma pneumonia in Qinghai region from June 2016 to June 2020 were selected as the research subjects. According to whether they were complicated with myocardial damage, they were divided into the control group (no myocardial damage, n=185) and the experimental group (complicated with myocardial damage, n=143). The data of the children were collected by using a questionnaire made by our hospital. These included gender, age, fever duration, initiation time of macrocyclic esters and fever degree, etc., and the levels of CK-MB, CK, CTNNI, NT-proBNP, CRP, LDH and RDW were determined. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age, gender and complications between the two groups (P>0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the use time, fever duration and fever degree between the two groups (P<0.05). In terms of laboratory indicators, there were statistically significant differences in the levels of CK-MB, CK, cTNnI, NT-probNP, CRP, LDH and RDW between the two groups (P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that the duration of fever (OR=3.105), the start time of macrolides (OR=1.457), the degree of fever (OR=2.495), CRP(OR=1.853) and RDW(OR=1.358) were the risk factors for myocardial damage in children with mycoplasma pneumonia in Qinghai area (P<0.05). Conclusion The duration of fever, the initiation time of macrolide drugs, the degree of fever, CRP and RDW are independent risk factors for myocardial damage in children with mycoplasma pneumonia in Qinghai area. The early use of macrolide drugs can prevent myocardial damage, improve the treatment effect and improve the prognosis of children.

Randomized， Double-blind， Single-simulation， Placebo-controlled， Multicenter Clinical Trial of An'erning Granules in Reducing Use of Antibiotics for Children's Community-acquired Pneumonia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of An'erning granules in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in children. MethodA randomized， double-blind， single-simulation， placebo-controlled trial was designed in this study. The children were randomly assigned into an observation group （An'erning granules combined with ceftriaxone sodium） and a control group （An'erning granules placebo combined with ceftriaxone sodium） according to the ratio of 2∶1. The disease cure rate was taken as the main indicator of efficacy， and the safety of An'erning granules was observed. ResultA total of 206 children （137 in the observation group and 69 in the control group） were included in this study. Before treatment， the age， sex， body height， body weight， diagnosis time of pneumonia， and symptom and sign scores had no significant differences between the two groups. After 8 days of continuous medication， the observation group［70.80%（97/137）］ had higher cure rate than the control group［56.52%（39/69）］（χ2=4.17，P<0.05） and total effective rate of chest X-ray ［97.98%（97/99）］ than the control group［86.27%（44/51）］ （χ2=12.98，P<0.01）. The observation group was superior to the control group in the alleviation of TCM syndrome under the condition of 0-3 g dose stratification on day 3 of medication （P<0.01）. The recovery time， time to complete fever abatement， time to fever abatement and expectoration alleviation， rate of conversion to severe case， and reduction in the frequency of antibiotic use showed no significant differences between the two groups. In terms of safety， 13 and 7 adverse events occurred in the observation group and control group， respectively， which were relieved or disappeared after drug withdrawal or symptomatic treatment and showed no significant difference between the two groups. ConclusionIntravenous drip of ceftriaxone sodium combined with An'erning granules is effective in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in children. It can accelerate the absorption of pulmonary inflammation， alleviate the clinical symptoms in a short time for young children or the children with mild symptoms， and is safe in clinical application.

Randomized， Double-blind， Single-simulation， Placebo-controlled， Multicenter Clinical Trial of An'erning Granules in Reducing Use of Antibiotics for Children's Community-acquired Pneumonia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of An'erning granules in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in children. MethodA randomized， double-blind， single-simulation， placebo-controlled trial was designed in this study. The children were randomly assigned into an observation group （An'erning granules combined with ceftriaxone sodium） and a control group （An'erning granules placebo combined with ceftriaxone sodium） according to the ratio of 2∶1. The disease cure rate was taken as the main indicator of efficacy， and the safety of An'erning granules was observed. ResultA total of 206 children （137 in the observation group and 69 in the control group） were included in this study. Before treatment， the age， sex， body height， body weight， diagnosis time of pneumonia， and symptom and sign scores had no significant differences between the two groups. After 8 days of continuous medication， the observation group［70.80%（97/137）］ had higher cure rate than the control group［56.52%（39/69）］（χ2=4.17，P<0.05） and total effective rate of chest X-ray ［97.98%（97/99）］ than the control group［86.27%（44/51）］ （χ2=12.98，P<0.01）. The observation group was superior to the control group in the alleviation of TCM syndrome under the condition of 0-3 g dose stratification on day 3 of medication （P<0.01）. The recovery time， time to complete fever abatement， time to fever abatement and expectoration alleviation， rate of conversion to severe case， and reduction in the frequency of antibiotic use showed no significant differences between the two groups. In terms of safety， 13 and 7 adverse events occurred in the observation group and control group， respectively， which were relieved or disappeared after drug withdrawal or symptomatic treatment and showed no significant difference between the two groups. ConclusionIntravenous drip of ceftriaxone sodium combined with An'erning granules is effective in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in children. It can accelerate the absorption of pulmonary inflammation， alleviate the clinical symptoms in a short time for young children or the children with mild symptoms， and is safe in clinical application.

Quantitative evaluation and significance of ultrasound in bronchoalveolar lavage for lung consolidation in children with severe mycoplasma pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lung ultrasound on bronchoalveolar lavage in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children. METHODS: Thirty children with mycoplasma pneumonia who were treated with medication and bronchial lavage were selected. We collected the results of laboratory and imaging examinations after admission, and the changes in lung consolidation area were examined by ultrasound before, immediately upon completion, and at 1, 3, and 7 days after bronchoalveolar lavage. The effective factors affecting bronchial lavage were analyzed through logistic regression. RESULTS: Univariate regression analysis showed significant differences in the lung consolidation area at admission, before, immediately upon completion, and at 1 and 7 days after lavage, as well as in the disease course and atelectasis (or not). Multivariate analysis showed that there were statistical differences in the lung consolidation area at admission, atelectasis (or not), and disease course: lung consolidation area at admission [odds ratio (OR): 2.31512, 95% confidence interval (CI): (0.00182, 0.031775), P=0.029474], atelectasis [OR: 2.695742, 95% CI: (0.079281, 0.597218), P=0.012629], and disease course [OR: -2.43347, 95% CI: (-0.02568, -0.00211), P=0.022773]. CONCLUSIONS: Lung ultrasound can evaluate the effect of bronchial lavage through lung consolidation and atelectasis, which can provide a reference for clinical treatment.

The therapeutic effects of naringenin on bronchial pneumonia in children.

Bronchial pneumonia in children is a common infectious disease in toddlers and infants, which may cause hyperpyrexia, pulmonary moist rales, and even respiratory failure. Traditional drugs for bronchial pneumonia in children often lead to drug resistance and side effects. Recently, naringenin has been reported to be a potential treatment for several airway inflammatory diseases due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities. The current clinical study aimed to evaluate the safety and therapeutic effect of naringenin in treating bronchial pneumonia in children. A total of 180 eligible patients were randomly assigned into naringenin (NAR) group and azithromycin (AZI) group. All participants were required to follow a 5-day oral administration, and their serum cytokine levels were measured during the clinical intervention. After the treatment, the disappearance time of clinical symptoms, and the incidences of complications and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Naringenin was able to inhibit inflammation, shorten the disappearance time of clinical symptoms, reduce the incidences of bronchial pneumonia complications and related adverse reactions, and improve the health conditions of the patients. Our results suggested that naringenin was safe and beneficial to children with bronchial pneumonia, providing new insights into the clinical application of naringenin.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Oral Liquids Combined With Azithromycin for Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia in Children: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) causes flu-like symptoms in children, increasing the burden on the health and education systems. In China, traditional Chinese medicine oral liquids (TCMOLs) combined with azithromycin (TCMOLs + Azithromycin) is commonly used to treat MPP in children. However, TCMOLs with the optimal clinical applicability remain unknown. Here, we evaluated the clinical effectiveness and safety of TCMOLs + Azithromycin in children with MPP. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Ovid, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and VIP information resource integration service platform databases for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from database inception to October 2020. Two reviewers independently performed data extraction and risk of bias assessment. After Bayesian random effect modeling and surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) scoring, we ranked each intervention. We assessed heterogeneity using multivariate meta-regression for potential modifiers and used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation to rate pooled evidence's certainty. Results: In the 63 included RCTs with 6,410 children, five different TCMOLs were combined with azithromycin. TCMOLs + Azithromycin had significantly better primary outcomes than did azithromycin alone. Of all TCMOLs, Xiaoer Xiaoji Zhike (XEXJZK)+Azithromycin showed the best effectiveness with respect to the response rate (odds ratio [OR] = 6.5, 95% credible interval [CrI] = 4.3-10; low certainty) and pulmonary rales disappearance time (mean difference [MD] = -2.1, 95% CrI: -2.9 to -1.2; low certainty) with SUCRA 85 and 80%, respectively. Pudilan Xiaoyan + Azithromycin showed the highest effectiveness with respect to cough disappearance time (MD = -2.6, 95% CrI: -3.4 to -1.7; very low certainty) and fever disappearance time (MD = -1.8, 95% CrI: -2.3 to -1.3; very low certainty) with SUCRA 87 and 87%, respectively. The difference in the adverse effects between TCMOLs + Azithromycin and azithromycin alone was nonsignificant. Conclusion: Of the different TCMOLs, XEXJZK may be the best option to combine with azithromycin to treat children with MPP. However, our results should be interpreted with caution due to the low certainty of evidence. In general, TCMOLs' safety remains unclear because of a lack of evidence. More high-quality RCTs are needed to further evaluate efficacy and safety of these TCMOLs.

Neumonía adquirida en la comunidad por pacientes entre 1 mes y 18 años de edad / Community-acquired pneumonia by patients from 1 month to 18 years old

Introducción: La neumonía adquirida en la comunidad continúa siendo un problema de salud global. Objetivo: Caracterizar desde la óptica clínico-epidemiológica la neumonía adquirida en la comunidad en la edad pediátrica. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal y prospectivo de pacientes entre 1 mes-18 años, no vacunados con antineumocócica, ingresados en el Hospital Pediátrico Centro Habana, enero 2018-julio 2019 con diagnóstico confirmado por radiología de neumonía adquirida en la comunidad. Los pacientes no presentaban enfermedades crónicas, exceptuando el asma. Los padres o tutores dieron su consentimiento. Se evaluaron variables demográficas y clínicas, factores de riesgo, evolución y complicaciones según grupo de edad. Resultados: Se estudiaron 277 enfermos, predominaron los niños entre 1 a 4 años de edad (39,4 por ciento), superioridad del sexo masculino (55,2 por ciento). Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron: fiebre (98,9 por ciento), disnea (99,3 por ciento), tos (98,9 por ciento) y disminución del murmullo vesicular (96,4 por ciento). Como factores de riesgo predominaron la asistencia a círculos infantiles (31,8 por ciento), lactancia materna inadecuada (23,8 por ciento) y el tabaquismo pasivo (16,6 por ciento). Hubo complicaciones en 110 niños (39,7 por ciento) con predominio de derrame pleural, sobre todo en prescolares y asociación significativa entre complicaciones y edad. No hubo fallecimientos. Conclusiones: Es importante la vigilancia de las neumonías y su desarrollo clínico epidemiológico, para la prevención y diagnóstico en esa etapa previa a la introducción de la vacuna antineumoccócica. En población no vacunada contra el neumococo, es estrategia significativa reducir los factores de riesgo modificables como la insuficiente lactancia materna, el tabaquismo pasivo y la malnutrición(AU)

Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia continues to be a global health problem. Objective: Characterize from the clinical-epidemiological perspective community-acquired pneumonia in the pediatric ages. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional and prospective study of patients from 1 month to 18 years old not vaccinated with pneumococcal vaccine, admitted in Centro Habana Pediatric Hospital from January 2018 to July 2019 with diagnosis confirmed by radiology of pneumonia acquired in the community. Patients did not have chronic diseases, except for asthma. Parents or guardians consented. Demographic and clinical variables, risk factors, evolution and complications were assessed according to the age group. Results: 277 patients were studied, children from 1 to 4 years old predominated (39.4 percent); there was male superiority (55.2 percent). The most common symptoms were fever (98.9 percent), dyspnea (99.3 percent), cough (98.9 percent) and decreased vesicular murmur (96.4 percent). As risk factors, attendance to nurseries (31.8 percent), inadequate breastfeeding (23.8 percent) and passive smoking (16.6 percent) predominated. There were complications in 110 children (39.7 percent) with prevalence of pleural effusion, especially in pre-schoolers and significant association among complications and age. There were no deaths. Conclusions: Monitoring of pneumonia and its epidemiological clinical development is important for prevention and diagnosis at this stage prior to the introduction of the pneumococcal vaccine. In populations not vaccinated against pneumococcus, it is a significant strategy to reduce modifiable risk factors such as insufficient breastfeeding, passive smoking and malnutrition(AU)

Effect of bronchoalveolar lavage on the clinical efficacy, inflammatory factors, and immune function in the treatment of refractory pneumonia in children.

BACKGROUND: Refractory pneumonia is a special type of pneumonia in children. This study aimed to analyze the effect of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on the clinical efficacy, inflammatory factors, and immune function in the treatment of pediatric refractory pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 196 children with refractory pneumonia admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to January 2020 were enrolled and allocated to a study group (n=99) and a control group (n=97). The study group was treated with BAL treatment plus conventional treatment, and the control group was treated with conventional treatment. The clinical efficacy, time of fever regression, time of cough relief, and length of hospital stay were compared between groups. Changes in inflammatory factors, immune function, pulmonary ventilation function, and complications were analyzed. The levels of inflammatory factors in BAL fluid were compared. RESULTS: The times of fever remission, cough relief, and hospital stay of the study group was shorter than those of the control group, and the total clinical effective rate of the study group was higher. At any time after treatment, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the study group were lower than the control group. After 3-day of treatment, IL-6, CRP and TNF-α in BAL fluid in the study group were significantly decreased compared with before treatment. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in the study group were higher than those in the control group at any time after treatment, and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels were lower than in the control group. The levels of oxygenation index (OI), lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn), and work of breathing (WOB) in the study group were higher than those in the control group at any time after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: BAL treatment can effectively relieve the inflammatory response, improve immune function and lung ventilation function in children with refractory pneumonia. The clinical effect is remarkable and worthy of promotion.

Meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of β- lactams combined with macrolides in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in children / 药学实践杂志

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of β - lactams alone and the combination of β - lactams with macrolides in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia(CAP) in children. Methods PubMed, CNKI and VIP databases were searched by computer. RCT on children with CAP treated by β-lactams and macrolides were collected. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to July 2020. Literatures were selected and data was extracted according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The risk of bias was evaluated, RevMan 5.3 software was used for Meta-analysis. Results Thirteen articles with 1788 patients were included in the study. The results showed that the clinical efficacy of the combination therapy in the experimental group was better than that in the control group [RR = 1.11, CI = 1.07–1.15, P < 0.000 01]. The time for fever returning to normal was shorter in the experimental group than that in the control group [MD = −1.31, CI =−1.58– −1.05, P < 0.000 01]. The disappearance time of pulmonary rales was shorter in the experimental group than that in the control group [MD = −1.75, CI = −2.13– −1.37, P < 0.000 01], There was no statistically significant difference in adverse reactions between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion The combination therapy of β - lactams and macrolides is better than β-lactams alone in children with CAP with no significant difference in adverse reactions. Limited by the quantity and quality of the included studies, the conclusions from this study need to be further verified by large samples of high-quality RCT.

[Acupuncture at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) as adjuvant treatment for pneumonia of phlegm-heat blocking lung type in children: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) as adjuvant treatment for pneumonia of phlegm-heat blocking lung type in children. METHODS: A total of 80 children with pneumonia of phlegm-heat blocking lung type were randomized into an observation group (40 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (40 cases). In the control group, routine anti-infection and symptomatic and supportive treatment were given. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, acupuncture was applied at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) in the observation group, once every 2 days, 4 times were required. Before and after treatment, the score of clinical symptoms and signs and level of serum hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were observed in the two groups. The antifebrile time, lung moist rale disappearance time, duration of antibacterial drugs and hospital stays were recorded, and the clinical therapeutic effect was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of clinical symptoms and signs and levels of serum hs-CRP were reduced in the two groups (P<0.01), and the changes of scores of fever, cough and lung moist rale, secondary symptom score, total score of clinical symptoms and signs and level of serum hs-CRP in the observation group were larger than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The antifebrile time, lung moist rale disappearance time, duration of antibacterial drugs and hospital stays in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 87.2% (34/39) in the observation group, which was superior to 65.0% (26/40) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) as adjuvant treatment can relieve clinical symptoms, shorten duration of antibacterial drugs and hospital stays for children with pneumonia of phlegm-heat blocking lung type.

Influence of pneumococcal vaccination on the hospitalization of healthy pediatric patients due to typical Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most frequent causes of hospital admission in children. Our objective is to measure the impact of the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on the hospitalization of previously healthy children due to CAP. METHOD: From 2011 to 2016, a partially retrospective, prospective, and descriptive study was carried out on healthy pediatric patients (3 months-14 years old) with CAP, who required hospital admission. Clinical, epidemiological, and demographic characteristics were collected, and vaccination status was obtained from medical records. RESULTS: A total of 292 cases were included, with a mean age of 33.4 months, 54% males. There was a progressive and significant 42% decrease in the number of admissions each year, without significant changes in the annual percentage of parapneumonic pleural effusion (PPE). Fifty-six percent of patients were immunized with a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). The percentage of children who were not vaccinated decreased by 14%, and the coverage with PCV-13 increased by 46%. This revealed a significant increase of PPE in vaccinated patients with PCV-7 (63%) compared with unvaccinated (45%) and with PCV-13 (57%), without association with the presence of severe PPE. Moreover, no significant differences in severity or hospital stay were observed in unvaccinated patients, compared to those who were vaccinated. In >2-year-olds, we observed a significant increase in PPE (59%) compared to 45% in younger children. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in vaccination coverage with PCV-13 resulted in a decrease in hospitalizations due to CAP and PPE. Vaccination with PCV-7 is associated in our sample with an increase in PPE but not with severe PPE nor an increase in the hospital stay. There was an epidemiological shift of severe forms of pneumonia and empyema at later ages (>2 years).

Progress on the relationship between vitamin A and E deficiency and pneumonia in children / 国际儿科学杂志

Pneumonia is the highest mortality rate of children under 5 years old,and vitamin A deficiency is one of the four major nutritional deficiencies.Recent studies have shown that vitamin A plays an important role in maintaining epithelial cell integrity and regulating immune function.Vitamin E has antioxidant effect and regulates the release of immune system and inflammatory factors.Vitamin A and vitamin E deficiency are related to pneumonia.This article reviews the research progress of the relationship between vitamin A and vitamin E deficiency and pneumonia in children.

Clinical Efficacy of Modified Weijingtang and Maxing Shigan Tang Combined with Half-dose Hormones on Refractory Mycoplcasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia in Children Caused by Toxic Heat Closing Lung / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To observe the clinical efficacy of modified Weijingtang and Maxing Shigan Tang combined with half-dose hormones in the treatment of mycoplcasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children caused by toxic heat closing lung. Method::Totally 120 cases were randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 60 cases in each group. In addition to the basic therapy, control group was given Lianhua Qingwen granules + methanilone (10 mg·kg-1, 2 times/day), while observation group was given modified Weijingtang and Maxing Shigan Tang + methanilone (10 mg·kg-1, 1 time/day) for 14 days. Lung function indicators [maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), time of peak tidal expiratory flow (TPTEF), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), volume peak time expiratory flow (VPTEF)], plasma myocardial enzyme profile [creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CKMB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), hydroxybutyric acid dehydrogenase (HBDH)], immune function [immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), erythrocyte immune complex (RBC-ICR), erythrocyte C3b receptor (RBC-C3bR)], inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), gamma-interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-13 (IL-13), interleukin-17A (IL-17A)], clinical efficacy and adverse reactions were observed before and after treatment. Result::Four cases fell off during the study period. The total effective rate in observation group was 96.6%(57/59), which was higher than that in control group 84.2%(48/57, P<0.05). Compared with control group after treatment, lung function, RBC-C3bR and IL-13 were increased in observation group (P<0.05), while myocardial enzyme spectrum, IgG, IgM, RBC-ICR, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17A were decreased in observation group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in observation group was, lower than that in control group(P<0.05). Conclusion::Modified Weijingtang and Maxing Shigan Tang combined with half-dose hormones can improve lung function, myocardial enzyme profile, immune function and inflammatory factor levels of refractory mycoplasma pneumoniae in children caused by toxic heat closing lung, with a incidence of adverse reactions.

Efficacy of Loulu Shengma Tang Combined with Azithromycin in Treating Children with Mycoplasma Pneumonia with Obstruction of Lung by Pathogenic Heat and Its Effect on Treg and Foxp3 mRNA / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of Loulu Shengma Tang combined with azithromycin in the treatment of pediatric mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia（MPP） with obstruction of lung by pathogenic heat， and its effect on inflammatory factors， treg and Foxp3 mRNA. Method:Totally 274 children with MPP were divided into observation group （137 cases） and control group （137 cases）. Observation group was treated with Loulu Shengma Tang combined with azithromycin dry suspension， while control group was treated with azithromycin dry suspension alone. The changes of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） syndrome score of pathogenic-heat obstruction in the lung， serum inflammatory cytokines ［interleukin-6 （IL-6），interleukin-10 （IL-10），tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α），C-reactive protein （CRP）］， CD4+CD25+Treg， CD4+Foxp3+Treg and Foxp3 mRNA expressions were observed after treatment. The clinical efficacy and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared between two groups. Result:The total effective rate of observation group was 94.16%（129/137） after treatment， which was significantly higher than 77.37% （106/137）of observation group （P<0.05）. The disappearance times of cough， lung rale， fever and lung shadow in observation group were shorter than that in control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， TCM syndrome score of pathogenic-heat obstruction in lung was significantly higher than those in control group （P<0.05）， serum IL-6， IL-10， TNF-α and CRP levels in observation group were significantly lower than those in control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while CD4+CD25+Treg， CD4+Foxp3+Treg and Foxp3 mRNA expressions were significantly higher than those in control group （P<0.05）. The incidence of adverse reactions in observation group was 7/137 （5.11%）， which was significantly lower than 16/137 （11.68%） in control group. Conclusion:The clinical efficacy of Loulu Shengma Tang combined with azithromycin dry suspension in the treatment of pediatric MPP and its effect on serum inflammatory factors （IL-6， IL-10， TNF-α， CRP）， regulatory T cells and Foxp3 mRNA expressions were better than those of azithromycin dry suspension alone. The incidence of adverse reactions of Loulu Shengma Tang was lower than that of azithromycin dry suspension alone.

Effect of pidotimod combined with azithromycin on children with mycoplasma pneumonia and the expression levels of IL-10 and G-CSF in serum.

This study explored the effect of pidotimod combined with azithromycin on children with mycoplasma pneumonia and the expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in serum. The clinical data of 149 children with mycoplasma pneumonia from May 2014 to May 2018 in Zhangqiu District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital were collected. Among them, 70 children treated with azithromycin sequential therapy were the control group, and 79 children treated with the combination of pidotimod and azithromycin were the observation group. Double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the expression levels of IL-10 and G-CSF in serum before and after treatment. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between IL-10 and G-CSF in serum. The total effective rate in the observation group (94.94%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (81.43%) (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression levels of IL-10 and G-CSF between the two groups before treatment (P>0.05). The expression levels of IL-10 and G-CSF in the two groups after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, the expression levels of IL-10 and G-CSF in serum in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group. There was a significant positive correlation between the expression levels of IL-10 and G-CSF before and after treatment in the observation group (P<0.05), and a significant positive correlation between the expression levels of IL-10 and G-CSF before and after treatment in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with sequential treatment with azithromycin alone, pidotimod combined with azithromycin significantly reduced the expression levels of IL-10 and G-CSF in serum of children with mycoplasma pneumonia, improved the curative effect and reduced the occurrence of adverse reactions, which has high application value in clinic.

Comparative efficacy of Chinese herbal injections combined with azithromycin for mycoplasma pneumonia in children: A Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: An increasing macrolide resistance leads to complex clinical treatment schemes in mycoplasma pneumonia in children. Chinese herbal injection (CHI) is widely used to treat it and may provide a new treatment regimen. This study was conducted to systematically evaluate the efficacy of CHIs combined with azithromycin for treating mycoplasma pneumonia in children by Bayesian network meta-analysis. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CHIs combined with azithromycin for mycoplasma pneumonia in children were searched in electronic databases and related references from initiation to 30 October 2018. Two researchers conducted data extraction and risk of bias assessment. WinBUGS software and STATA software were adopted to analyse the data. RESULTS: A total of 167 RCTs were included with 5 CHIs involving 16 144 patients. All CHIs combined with azithromycin had superior effects than azithromycin only among overall outcomes. Yanhuning injection combined with azithromycin ranked highest in four different outcomes and second in two based on surface under the cumulative ranking probabilities (SUCRA). Meanwhile, the results of MD and 95% CIs of concerned outcomes indicated that only Yanhuning injection combined with azithromycin had better response than other CHIs combined with azithromycin. Moreover, cluster analysis results revealed Reduning injection combined with azithromycin was associated with a positive effect on the three group outcomes. Similarly, it was found to be the top three ranking in all outcomes based on SUCRA. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Yanhuning injection combined with azithromycin and Reduning injection combined with azithromycin were found to be preferable treatments based on the data of this study.

Application value of neutrophil elastase and fibrinogen combined with tumor necrosis factor-α in the prognosis prediction of severe pneumonia in children / 中国中西医结合急救杂志

Objective To study the application value of neutrophil elastase (NE), fibrinogen (Fib) combined with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the prognosis prediction of severe pneumonia in children. Methods Eighty-two children with severe pneumonia who were admitted into the Yuhang District Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province from July 2016 to September 2018 were treated as a severe group, and the children with severe pneumonia were subdivided into a survival group (70 cases) and a death group (12 cases) according to the prognosis; another 90 children with common pneumonia who were treated in our hospital at the same time were selected as a general group; and 85 normal children who received physical examinations at the same time as a healthy control group. The levels of serum NE, Fib and TNF-α in the three groups were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the pneumonia severity index (PSI) was calculated in the severe group and the general group; Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between NE, Fib, TNF-α and PSI;the NE, Fib and TNF-α levels were evaluated to predict the prognosis of children with severe pulmonary disease;the receive operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the prognostic value of NE, Fib, TNF-α in children with severe pulmonary disease. Results The expression levels of serum NE, Fib and TNF-α in the severe group were higher than those in the general group and the healthy control group [NE (μg/L): 127.5±12.3 vs. 75.1±6.6, 24.3±5.9, Fib (g/L): 6.9±1.2 vs. 5.1±0.7, 2.8±0.8, TNF-α (μg/L): 98.3±6.9 vs. 63.1±6.8, 30.2±2.1, all P <0.05]. Serum levels of NE, Fib and TNF-α in the death group were higher than those in the survival group [NE (μg/L):141.2±14.9 vs. 80.3±7.4, Fib (g/L): 7.6±1.5 vs. 5.7±1.0, TNF-α (μg/L): 105.4±7.8 vs. 68.2±4.6, all P < 0.05]. It was shown by ROC curve analysis that NE, Fib, TNF-α have some value in predicting the prognosis of children with severe pneumonia, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were 0.889, 0.809, 0.803, 0.961, 95% confidence internal (95%CI) were 0.817-0.968、0.706-0.909、0.702-0.891、0.908-1.000, the sensitivity were 71.2%, 62.7%, 64.9%, 92.3%, the specificity were 73.5%, 68.3%, 74.5%, 90.9%, all P = 0.000. The PSI of severe pneumonia group was significantly higher than that of the general group (97.4±12.1 vs. 76.4±9.6), the PSI of the death group was obviously higher than that of the survival group (100.8±13.1 vs. 87.3±10.5), and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.01). Spearman correlation analyses showed that serum NE, Fib, TNF-α and PSI were significantly positively correlated in children with severe pneumonia respectively (r = 0.767, 0.734, 0.673, all P < 0.05), and there were positive correlations between NE and Fib (r = 0.655,P = 0.000), NE and TNF-α (r = 0.530,P = 0.000), Fib and TNF-α (r = 0.522,P = 0.000). Conclusion The combined detections of NE, Fib, and TNF-α levels can help clinicians determine the changes in the condition of children with severe pneumonia and evaluate their prognoses, combined detection has high sensitivity and specificity.