Encefalopatía hiponatrémica como consecuencia de la utilización de fluidos hiposódicos. ¿Pudo haberse evitado en este caso? / Hyponatremic encephalopathy resulting from the use of hyponatremic fluids. Could it have been avoided in this case?

La hiponatremia dilucional yatrogénica es una entidad clínica infradiagnosticada y evitable, que puede tener consecuencias mortales, como el edema cerebral agudo. La administración de fluidos intravenosos hiposódicos de mantenimiento, según la pauta clásica de Holliday y Segar, es un factor determinante para la aparición de dicha entidad o para el agravamiento de las formas leves de hiponatremia, sobre todo en los pacientes pediátricos tras cirugía o ingresados por patologías agudas, cuyo riñón es incapaz de excretar agua libre por un exceso de hormona antidiurética (ADH). Los fluidos isonatrémicos pueden prevenir la aparición de la citada hiponatremia y sus temibles complicaciones. Presentamos un caso de evolución satisfactoria, con objeto de concienciar al personal sanitario de la necesidad de abandonar los fluidos hiposódicos y utilizar como fluidos de mantenimiento aquellos con un contenido de sodio más próximo al del plasma (AU)

The dilutional and iatrogenic hyponatremia is an underdiagnosed and avoidable situation, that can result in a life threatening condition, such as cerebral edema. The intravenous administration of hyponatremic fluids, as a maintenance fluid therapy according to Holliday & Segar, has been related with this entity or the worsening of mild hyponatremia in acute ill pediatric patients and also postoperative pediatric patients. These patient's kidneys are unable of excrete free water because of an excess of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) effect. Best evidence at the present time says that isonatremic maintenance fluids can prevent hyponatremia and its health threatening consequences. We report a case of successful development and deeply insist on the necessary changes that paediatricians must do on using intravenous isotonic saline solutions instead of hyponatremic fluids (AU)

Herpes zóster en pediatría. Revisión de la bibliografía a propósito de un caso / Herpes zoster in pediatrics. Case report and review of the literature

El herpes zóster está producido por la reactivación del virus de la varicela zóster tras una primoinfección varicelosa. Es infrecuente en pediatría. En la mayoría de las ocasiones que aparece en niños, tiene unas manifestaciones benignas en comparación con los adultos. El diagnóstico es clínico y los estudios de laboratorio no suelen ser necesarios. El tratamiento debería ser sintomático en la mayoría de los pacientes, reservándose el aciclovir oral o intravenoso para situaciones de riesgo. Respecto a otros antivirales empleados en adultos, debido a la falta de estudios al respecto, no existe consenso sobre su uso en niños. Aprovechamos la comunicación de un caso clínico para hacer una revisión y actualización del tema, incidiendo sobre todo en los aspectos diagnósticos y terapéuticos (AU)

Herpes zoster or shingles is caused by reactivation of varicella-zoster virus long time after the primary infection, varicella. It is unusual in pediatrics. Contrary to the way it can affect adults zoster manifestation is mild if it appears in children. Diagnosis is based on distinctive clinical appearance and laboratory tests are not usually required. Symptomatic treatment of skin lesions should be the best choice to take while systemic oral or intravenous acyclovir should be restricted only to special cases. Regarding other antiviral drugs of proved efficacy in adults, no evidence is gathered for their use in children. To sum up, our main aim is to review and update this subject stressing diagnosis and treatment (AU)

Crisis cerebelosas: ¿se puede hablar de ellas? / Cerebellar seizures: can we speak of such a thing?

No disponible

Crisis convulsivas afebriles benignas en gastroenteritis por rotavirus / Benign afebrile convulsions due to rotavirus gastroenteritis

No disponible

[Effect of inhaled nitric oxide on the first 24 hours of assisted respiration in the critically ill child]. / Efecto del óxido nítrico inhalado sobre las primeras 24 horas de asistencia respiratoria en el niño críticamente enfermo.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to analyze if inhaled nitric oxide (NO) allows a reduction in respiratory assistance during the first 24 hours of treatment of children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARD) and/or pulmonary hypertension (PHT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 53 children with ARDS and/or PHT refractory to conventional therapy who were treated with inhaled nitric oxide at least 24 hours at 1.5 to 45 ppm. We compared respiratory assistance (peak pressure, PEEP and FiO2) and oxygenation parameters (PaO2/FiO2 ratio and oxygenation index) before and after 6 and 24 hours of treatment. RESULTS: In 45 of 53 children NO improved oxygenation (increase of PaO2/FiO2 > 20%). At six hours of treatment the PaO2/FiO2 ratio increased 31 points, the oxygenation index diminished 4.5 points, and the FiO2 was decreased 11 points without significant changes in peak pressure and PEEP. At 24 hours the PaO2/FiO2 ratio was increased 4 points, the oxygenation index diminished 7.3 points and the FiO2 decreased 18 points in relationship to the initial parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of inhaled nitric oxide on oxygenation remains during the first 24 hours and permits a decrease in the FiO2.

[Acute effects of inhaled nitric oxide in children]. / Respuesta aguda a la administración de óxido nítrico en niños.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze the therapeutic response to inhaled nitric oxide (NO) in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and/or pulmonary hypertension (PHT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied prospectively 25 children, 14 boys and 11 girls, between 15 days and 16 years of age. Seventeen patients were diagnosed with ARDS and 8 with PHT, four of which had secondary ARDS. All patients presented hypoxemia and/or PHT refractory to conventional therapy. We analyzed the PaO2/FiO2 ratio, oxygenation index and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP)/mean systemic arterial pressure (mSAP) before and after treatment with inhaled nitric oxide. Patients were treated with inhaled NO at 1.5 to 45 ppm between 45 minutes to 47 days. RESULTS: NO improved oxygenation, increasing by greater than 15% the PaO2/FiO2 ratio in 84% of the patients. In those patients which improved, PaO2 increased from 87.4 +/- 57.7 mmHg to 133.6 +/- 60.1 mmHg (p < 0.001), the PaO2/FiO2 ratio from 95.4 +/- 60.9 to 157.5 +/- 86.8 (p < 0.0001) and the oxygenation index diminished from 25.6 +/- 15.6 to 17 +/- 12.4. The PAP/SAP ratio diminished by greater than 15% in 66% of the patients, decreasing from 59.9 +/- 24.5% to 42.6 +/- 14.1% (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Inhaled NO improved oxygenation and decreased pulmonary hypertension in an important number of children with ARDS and/or PHT.