Nasal Carriage, Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile, and Enterotoxin Genes of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Children with Asthma.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects children worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests that Staphylococcus aureus contributes to the pathology of asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nasal carriage, antimicrobial susceptibility profile, and presence of enterotoxin genes from S. aureus isolated from children with asthma. Nasal swab samples were collected from 158 children, including 98 children with asthma and 60 healthy controls. S. aureus isolates were identified using phenotypic methods and the presence of the nuc gene. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed the presence of the mecA gene and enterotoxin genes. The nuc gene was confirmed in 83 isolates, resulting in a nasal carriage of 52.5% (83/158). The nasal carriage of S. aureus was higher among asthma cases (72.4%), with a significant association of S. aureus nasal carriage observed among asthma cases (OR 0.201, 95% CI 0.063-0.645, p = 0.007). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage was 11.4%. The S. aureus isolates showed high resistance to cefoxitin (99%) and penicillin (92%) but were sensitive to gentamicin (25%). Furthermore, 67.5% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant. The staphylococcal enterotoxin c gene (sec) was the most prevalent enterotoxin (19.7%) among cases and controls. These findings highlight the need for improved antibiotic stewardship in paediatric medicine and implementation of infection control policies. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12088-024-01272-z.

Core outcomes and factors influencing the experience of care for children with severe acute exacerbations of asthma: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the outcomes considered important, and factors influencing the patient experience, for parents and caregivers of children presenting to hospital with a severe acute exacerbation of asthma. This work contributes to the outcome-identification process in developing a core outcome set (COS) for future clinical trials in children with severe acute asthma. DESIGN: A qualitative study involving semistructured interviews with parents and caregivers of children who presented to hospital with a severe acute exacerbation of asthma. SETTING: Hospitals in 12 countries associated with the global Pediatric Emergency Research Networks, including high-income and middle-income countries. Interviews were conducted face-to-face, by teleconference/video-call, or by phone. FINDINGS: Overall, there were 54 interviews with parents and caregivers; 2 interviews also involved the child. Hospital length of stay, intensive care unit or high-dependency unit (HDU) admission, and treatment costs were highlighted as important outcomes influencing the patient and family experience. Other potential clinical trial outcomes included work of breathing, speed of recovery and side effects. In addition, the patient and family experience was impacted by decision-making leading up to seeking hospital care, transit to hospital, waiting times and the use of intravenous treatment. Satisfaction of care was related to communication with clinicians and frequent reassessment. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insight into the outcomes that parents and caregivers believe to be the most important to be considered in the process of developing a COS for the treatment of acute severe exacerbations of asthma.

Early detection of infant hearing loss: current experiences of health professionals in a developing country.

AIM AND METHODS: To investigate the experiences of doctors and nurses in infant hearing loss through an open-ended questionnaire in Lagos, Nigeria. RESULTS: Few respondents detected children with hearing loss within the first 6 mo of life. Parental concern was the most significant lead for doctors. Children suspected of hearing loss were often referred to ENT surgeons before objective hearing evaluation was conducted. CONCLUSION: Doctors and nurses should routinely seek objective infant hearing assessment for timely detection of permanent hearing loss.