Acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy due to Clostridioides difficile infection in a 15-year-old boy

Acute gastroenteritis is commonly seen in pediatric clinical practice. It is a largely self-limited disease with a benign course. We present a case of teenager with gastroenteritis resulting in severe acute kidney injury. The decline in glomerular filtration was so significant that renal replacement therapy had to be initiated. We had to continue in intermitent hemodialysis for seven days until sufficient improvement in renal function. Clostridioides difficile was identified as a cause of vomiting, bloody diarrhea and subsequent dehydration. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of C. difficile-associated diarrhea accompanied by acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy in a child.

COVID-19 associated Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS) in children.

The clinical course of the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection (COVID-19 disease) in paediatric patients is predominantly mild. However, in a small percentage of paediatric patients, the COVID-19 could lead to the development of with the Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS) presenting as high fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, neurological symptomatology and even as multiorgan dysfunction. These three cases represent the first published report of critically ill paediatric patients with PIMS in the Czech Republic.

Clostridium difficile infection and colonisation in children under 3 years of age: prospective comparative study.

AIMS: Despite an increasing trend in Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) and high C. difficile colonization rate especially among younger children, infants remain quite resistant to the disease. The goals of this study were to distinguish whether there exists a difference in CDI between children with or without diarrhoea, ascertain the prevalence of CDI, and assess CDI severity in children under 3 years with diarrhoea in our institution. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted from May 2015 to June 2016. Children 3 years of age or younger were enrolled and into two groups. Every faecal sample was tested using a diagnostic two-step screening algorithm including an immunochromatographic test and polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The study enrolled 147 children with diarrhoea and 75 control patients. The prevalence of CDI in children with diarrhoea was 2% (3/147), the prevalence of toxigenic C. difficile in the diarrhoeal group compared to the control group was 11.6 % (17/147) vs. 10.6% (8/75) (p.

Clinical and microbiological characteristics of Clostridium difficile infection in children hospitalized at the Departement of Paediatric Infectious Diseases in Brno between 2013 and 2017.

AIMS: Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) plays a minor but important role in paediatrics. The aims of this study were to objectivise data, to show their significance in clinical practice, and to present our experience with the treatment of paediatric patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in patients (0-19 years of age) hospitalized for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, University Hospital in Brno between 2013 and 2017. Each patient was tested using a two-step diagnostic screening algorithm including immunochromatography and polymerase chain reaction assays. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients with a median age of 10.3 years (range 1-17.5 years) were enrolled in the study. Almost 70% of patients were aged between 6 and 19 years. No risk factor was identified in one patient, 41.6% of cases were patients with malignancy or inflammatory bowel disease, and 2.5% of patients had short bowel syndrome. After targeted CDI treatment, the median time to resolution of diarrhoea was 2.5 days. Metronidazole was used in more than half of cases. Five patients received fidaxomicin, which was well tolerated. Metronidazole failed in three cases. Recurrence after incomplete treatment with metronidazole occurred in one patient. Health care-associated CDI was recorded in 86% of cases. Recurrent CDI was reported in four children (two with malignancy, one with inflammatory bowel dissease, and one with short bowel syndrome). CONCLUSIONS: The course of CDI is generally mild in the paediatric population. CDI without a risk factor is rare. Paediatric patients respond well to metronidazole. Fidaxomicin was well tolerated by all patients. We prefer the treatment with fidaxomicin in high-risk groups (immunocompromised condition, inflammatory bowel disease, and short bowel syndrome).

Assessment of antibodies against surface and outer membrane proteins of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis paediatric patients.

To examine evidence of positive antibodies against immunogenic proteins of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in patients with other tick-borne infections and to diagnose possible co-infections, 412 serum specimens were tested by immunoblotting using three specific Anaplasma antigens: surface proteins p44 and Asp62 and outer membrane protein A (OmpA). In total, 284 serum samples from children with Lyme borreliosis and 12 serum samples from children with tick-borne encephalitis were tested. Sera from patients with viral aseptic meningitis (n = 47) and from blood donors (n = 69) were used as controls. Among all serum specimens from patients with tick-borne infections submitted for this study, six samples (2·0%) showed positive IgM reactions and seven samples (2·4%) were IgG positive for A. phagocytophilum by immunoblot. Borderline reactivity was found in 30 samples (10·14%) for IgM and 36 samples (12·2%) for IgG. The difference between patients and blood donors was statistically significant for IgM (P = 0·006) and for IgG (P = 0·0007) antibodies. A statistically significant result was obtained for IgG (P = 0·02) but not for IgM between patients and children with aseptic meningitis. Immunoblot using three specific antigens provides novel information about the positivity of antibodies to A. phagocytophilum in children with other tick-borne infections. Taking into account clinical and laboratory findings of children despite antibody positivity, no case of human granulocytic anaplasmosis was demonstrated.

[The role of permanent brachytherapy in the treatment of localized prostate carcinoma]. / Místo permanentní brachyterapie v lécbe lokalizovaného karcinomu prostaty.

The popularity of permanent brachytherapy is now growing dramatically. The development of several new technologies has led to an improvement in dose distribution and results and can also return the patients to normal daily activities. The role of permanent brachytherapy in the treatment of localized prostate carcinoma is described in the present article. Indications and contraindications and a comparison of the results with other modalities of treatment are discussed. Emphasis is also placed on the morbidity of the treatment and the quality of life, which plays a very important role in the process of making a decision as to which therapy should be applied. Permanent brachytherapy is most often used separately, but in certain cases may be combined with external radiotherapy and hormonal treatment.

[The role of interstitial brachytherapy in multimodality management of solid tumors]. / Role intersticiální brachyterapie v multimodalitní lécbe solidních tumoru.

Although being used for several decades, interstitial brachytherapy remains a modern radiotherapeutic method. Over the time, it has been highly improved, including the latest technologies. Its broad use has been facilitaed by the use of high dose rate (HDR) afterloadings. The method is fast and fairly inexpensive. Its prons include, in particular, a possibility to apply a dose, in addition to external radiotherapy, directly into the tumor region or its focus, which may improve treatment success rates in patients with localized tumors. The commonest diagnoses, where interstitial brachytherapy is employed, include the following: breast carcinomas, soft tissue sarcomas, head and neck tumors, gynaecological tumors, penile and anal tumors and prostate tumors. In the article, the authors aimed to highlight potential and benefits of intersitital brachytherapy in individaual diagnoses. Only multidisciplinary management of these patients may improve their prognosis or quality of life.

Acute toxicity of conformal high dose interstitial brachytherapy boost in prostate cancer.

Over the past few years, brachytherapy has become more and more common in the treatment of prostate cancer, largely thanks to the reduced amount of acute and chronic side effects. At the same time, brachytherapy also allows dose escalation, resulting in significant improvements in the treatment results. From August 2004 to June 2005, we irradiated 40 patients suffering from T1c-T3a prostate cancer. All of the patients underwent external beam radiotherapy with a median dose of 45-50.4 Gy and a conformal high dose interstitial brachytherapy boost (two fractions, 8 Gy per fraction). The patients were divided into three groups: low risk of recurrence (11 patients - 27.5%), intermediate risk (14 patients - 35%) and high risk (15 patients - 37.5%). The medium age of the patients was 68.7 years (between 55 and 77). Hormonal treatment was carried out 17 patients (42.5%). We evaluated the quality of each implantation, including the maximum urethral and rectal dose. The calculated doses were compared with measurements by in vivo dosimetry. Acute toxicity was evaluated in all of the patients according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scale. Each of the patients completed an International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire. Acute genitourinary morbidity grade 1 was recorded in 37.5% of patients; grade 2 in 15% of patients. Urine retention in one of the patients resulted in the need to perform an epicystostomy. According to the IPSS score, the majority of patients (90%) experienced an improvement in symptoms related to quality of life. Grade 1 acute gastrointestinal toxicity was recorded in 40% of the patients. Grades 2-4 were not recorded. Here, we show that the combination of external beam radiotherapy and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy in the treatment of early prostate cancer to be feasible and well tolerated. Acute toxicity was low and scarcely influenced the quality of life. Among the risk factors of genitourinary toxicity was the volume of the prostate. For gastrointestinal toxicity, risk factors included the combination of HDR brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy to the pelvis, as well as hormonal treatment.

[Acute adverse effects of high dose brachytherapy in combination with external radiotherapy in localized prostate cancer]. / Akutní nezádoucí ucinky brachyterapie s vysokým dávkovým príkonem v kombinaci se zevní radioterapií u lokalizovaného karcinomu prostaty.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few years, brachytherapy has become more and more common in the treatment of prostate cancer. Part of the reason behind this growth in the use of brachytherapy for the treatment of organ-confined prostate cancer is the reduced amount of acute and chronic side effects. On the other hand, brachytherapy allows for dose escalation, resulting in significant improvements in the treatment results. METHOD AND RESULTS: From August 2004 to June 2005, we irradiated 40 patients with T1c-T3a prostate cancer. All of the patients underwent transperineal transrectal guided high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy (two fractions, 8 Gy per fraction) and course of external beam radiotherapy with a median dose of 45-50.4 Gy. The patients were classified into three groups: low risk of recurrence (11 patients - 27.5%), medium risk (14 patients - 35%) and high risk (15 patients - 37.5%). The medium age of the patients was 68.7 years (range of between 55 and 77). Hormonal treatment was carried out with 17 of the patients (42.5%). We evaluated the quality of each implantation, including the maximum urethral and rectal dose. The calculated doses were compared with measurements by in vivo dosimetry. Acute toxicity was evaluated in all of the patients according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scale. Each of the patients completed an International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire. Acute genitourinary morbidity grade 1 was recorded in 37.5% of patients, and grade 2 in 15% of patients. Urine retention in one of the patients resulted in the need to perform an epicystostomy. According to the IPSS score, the majority of patients (90%) experienced an improvement in symptoms related to quality of life. Grade 1 acute gastrointestinal toxicity was recorded in 40% of the patients. Grades 2-4 were not recorded. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that the combination of external beam radiotherapy and HDR brachytherapy in the treatment of early prostate cancer to be feasible and well tolerated. Acute toxicity was low and scarcely influenced the quality of life. Among the risk factors of genitourinary toxicity was the volume of the prostate. For gastrointestinal toxicity, risk factors included a combination of HDR brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy to the pelvis, as well as hormonal treatment.

On the micro-space theory of osmosis osmofiltration, "active" water-flow in membrane-gaps.

The author revised the conclusion drawn from his former experiments and recognized a complex phenomenon that he named osmofiltration. This phenomenon occurs by way of the inhibition of the diffusion within a micro-gap bordering the experimental membrane in the model. It may have a significance as a basic biological phenomenon in similar biological membranous structures, and even, it may have a medical importance. The author discusses his working hypothesis about the micro-space theory of osmosis.