Management of a Pediatric Burn Center During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of an algorithm that was created to prevent coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) transmission during the management of children with burns in a tertiary pediatric burn center. Children admitted to the burn center between May 2020 and November 2020 were prospectively evaluated for cause, burn depth, TBSA, length of stay, symptoms suggesting COVID-19, suspicious contact history, history of travel abroad, and COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results. Patients were divided into two groups: unsuspected (group 1) and suspected (group 2), depending on any history of suspicious contact, travel abroad, and/or presence of symptoms. A total of 101 patients were enrolled in the study, which included 59 boys (58.4%) and 42 girls (41.6%). Group 1 included 79 (78.2%) patients, and group 2 consisted of 22 (21.8%) patients. The most common cause of the burns was scald injuries (74.2%). The mean age, TBSA, and length of stay were 4.5 years, 12.0%, and 13.2 days, respectively. Four patients (3.9%) had a positive PCR test (two patients in each group). Comparing groups, males were more commonly found in group 2 (P = .042), but no differences were found for the other variables. No patients or burn center staff members developed COVID-19 during the course of hospitalization. In conclusion, every child should be tested for COVID-19 upon admission to a burn unit, and a modified algorithm should be constructed for the handling and management of pediatric burn patients.

Isolated middle sacral artery rupture after blunt abdominal trauma in a pediatric patient.

Blunt abdominal aortic injuries are very rare in childhood. In these injuries, abdominal aorta and intra-abdominal organs can be damaged to various degrees. In this article, we report a unique pediatric case of isolated middle sacral artery injury following trauma.

Importance of Hypomagnesemia on New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus in Pediatric Renal Transplant Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Hypomagnesemia is considered as an independent risk factor for new-onset diabetes mellitus after kidney transplant. New-onset diabetes mellitus is an important comorbidity associated with allograft failure. In this study, our aim was to investigate the correlation between hypomagnesemia and preva-lence of posttransplant diabetes mellitus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 189 pediatric renal transplant recipients who underwent their first renal transplant. A patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus before transplant was excluded from the analysis. Hypomagnesemia was defined as having serum magnesium levels lower than 1.7 mg/dL. Diabetes was defined according to American Diabetes Association criteria. Serum magnesium and glucose levels at month 1 after transplant were recorded. RESULTS: We evaluated the records of 188 patients. New-onset diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in 7 patients (3.7%). Hypomagnesemia was shown in 50% of patients (64/120). Mean glucose levels were higher in those with hypomagnesemia than in patients without hypomagnesemia (119.2 vs 91.56 mg/dL, respectively; P = .01) A significant negative correlation was observed between serum magnesium and glucose levels (r = -0.53; P < .05). Mean serum magnesium level in patients with new-onset diabetes mellitus was lower than in patients without diabetes (1.56 ± 0.21 vs 1.75 ± 0.26 mg/dL; P = .052). CONCLUSIONS: Hypomagnesemia is a common problem in pediatric renal transplant. The relationship between serum magnesium and glucose levels suggests that hypomagnesemia plays a role in the development of new-onset diabetes mellitus after transplant. Compre-hensive studies are needed to support this association.