Epidemiology, clinical features, and outcomes of coronavirus disease among children in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia: A retrospective study.

Background and Objective: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is milder with favorable outcomes in children than in adults. However, detailed data regarding COVID-19 in children from Saudi Arabia are scarce. This study aimed to describe COVID-19 among children in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This retrospective observational study included children <14 years old hospitalized with COVID-19 between May 1, 2020 and July 31, 2020. Clinical data, COVID-19 disease severity, and outcomes were collected. The total number of presenting symptoms and signs were computed by counting those recorded upon presentation. The Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test was used to compare the number of symptoms and signs across all levels of COVID-19 severity. Result: Overall, 106 patients met the inclusion criteria; their ages ranged from 2 weeks to 13 years. Most patients were ≤12 months of age (43.4%). Bronchial asthma was the most common comorbidity (9.4%). Among 99 symptomatic patients, fever was the most common symptom (84.8%); seven patients (7%) were diagnosed with febrile seizure. Most COVID-19 cases were mild (84%); one patient (0.94%) was in critical condition and one patient (0.94%) met the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children criteria. The mean number of symptoms and signs in children with severe or critical COVID-19 was significantly higher than that in children with mild cases or non-severe pneumonia (P < .001). One patient died owing to COVID-19 (0.94%). Conclusions: COVID-19 mortality in children is rare; however, while most children exhibit mild disease with favorable outcomes, children with chronic lung disease may be at higher risk for severe disease.

A Case Report of Complete Resolution of Auricular Mucormycosis in an 18-Month-Old Diabetic Child.

BACKGROUND: One of the most rare but deadly types of infectious fungal infection is Mucormycosis. All the cases reported with this type of infection are immunocompromised individuals. The challenge of early detection and intervention makes it one of the high mortality rates among other infectious diseases. Case Report. We report an 18-month-old girl with undiagnosed diabetes presented with a very aggressive form of necrotic infection of the ear auricle with facial nerve palsy. Using a series of magnetic resonance imaging, antibiotics, and high clinical suspicion, a diagnosis was established, and the patient was sent to the operation theatre for surgical debridement. Monthly follow-ups showed improvement of the facial palsy, and a plan for artificial auricle is set to occur in the following months before the age of five. Discussion. Mucormycosis is considered a very fatal and aggressive infection that has a very high mortality rate in immunocompromised patients. Early detection of such cases with an array of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) is crucial in early treatment. Early aggressive surgical debridement and empirical coverage of bacterial, viral, and fungal infections can also alleviate the chances of preventing any secondary infection to develop in such cases. CONCLUSION: A combination of antifungal, antibiotic, and antiviral with timely surgical intervention improved the patient with complete resolution of the facial nerve palsy and no further recurrence of the infection.

Corrigendum to "A Case Report of Complete Resolution of Auricular Mucormycosis in an 18-Month-Old Diabetic Child".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2021/6618191.].

An Unusual Presentation of Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection in a Child Treated With Linezolid.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is a major public health concern. MRSA isolates are classified into community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) and healthcare-associated MRSA based on their epidemiology, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and molecular characteristics. CA-MRSA typically causes skin and soft tissue infections. However, the incidence of invasive infections has increased in recent years. This paper describes the case of a 12-year-old girl with an unusual presentation of CA-MRSA. The patient presented with right thigh pyomyositis complicated by deep vein thrombosis, septic pulmonary embolism, and necrotizing pneumonia. The MRSA isolate was susceptible to vancomycin but resistant to the other anti-MRSA antibiotics. The patient was successfully treated with linezolid after clinical deterioration with vancomycin. A literature review comparing vancomycin and linezolid in invasive MRSA infections among children indicated that linezolid has better lung and tissue penetration than vancomycin, and an early switch is warranted in the case of deterioration after vancomycin administration and the lack of other alternatives.