Bone and joint infections caused by multiply resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Twenty cases of osteomyelitis and/or septic arthritis caused by multiply resistant Staphylococcus aureus were documented in an Australian tertiary neonatal unit between 1981 and 1987. Eighteen (90%) occurred in the 3 years 1985 to 1987, an incidence of 9.6/1000 admissions in that period. All osteomyelitis and/or septic arthritis occurred in sick premature infants requiring intensive support. Eleven (55%) had a birth weight of less than 1500 g. An intravascular device was the most common portal of entry (14 of 20, 70%). Systemic symptoms were prominent at presentation, with local signs developing later in 18 (90%), usually within a week. Radiologic changes were almost always present by 10 days; radionuclide bone scanning was insensitive and did not hasten diagnosis. Osteomyelitis was multifocal in 11 cases (55%), with the long bones, particularly of the upper limb, most commonly affected. Large joint involvement was uncommon (15%). Intravenous vancomycin for a mean of 32 days was associated with low mortality (1 of 20) and toxicity; surgical drainage was not performed. Follow-up at a minimum of 4 months (mean, 25.5 months) showed residual signs in the affected limb in 30%, none with significantly impaired function. Skeletal infection should be searched for rigorously in neonatal multiply resistant S. aureus sepsis. In the absence of large joint disease, vancomycin therapy alone for a minimum of 3 weeks gives good short term results with minimal toxicity.

Asymptomatic giardiasis in children.

Giardia lamblia infection was identified in 33 of 89 (37%) 3-month-old to 3-yr-old children who were followed with monthly stool examinations for up to 12 months in a day care center. The infection was mainly asymptomatic and usually associated with prolonged carriage of the parasite. There were no significant differences for height and weight achievements and mean hemoglobin values between Giardia-positive and Giardia-negative children. However, Giardia-positive children tended to achieve higher weight and height for age than Giardia-negative children; weight for age was above the 50th percentile in 69% of Giardia-positive vs. 40% of Giardia-negative children (alpha = 0.01). Giardia-positive children tended to have fewer symptoms related to the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts as recorded by a weekly questionnaire. Lactase deficiency was detected by breath hydrogen testing in 8 of 26 Giardia-positive vs. only 1 of 21 Giardia-negative children (P less than 0.02). Healthy day care children with asymptomatic Giardia infection show no disadvantage and perhaps even an advantage in nutritional status and freedom from other illnesses.

Transient hyperphosphatasemia of infancy.

Very high serum levels of alkaline phosphatase were found in four children aged 13 to 24 months. No other abnormalities nor explanation for the raised enzyme levels were found. The origins of the elevated enzyme levels were shown by isoenzyme studies to be the liver in one case, the bone in two cases, and undetermined in one case. Serum alkaline phosphatase levels returned to normal after periods of 5 to 20 weeks. Awareness of these benign forms of hyperphosphatasemia will aid the physician in the differential diagnosis of elevated alkaline phosphatase levels.