Clinical and Evolutive Aspects of Severe Acute Malnutrition in Children Aged 0 - 59 Months at Maroua Regional Hospital in Cameroon’s Far North Region

Introduction: Severe acute malnutrition remains one of the most important causes of under-five mortality. In Cameroon, the northern regions have the highest prevalence, with 1.4% in the Far North in 2021. These children are managed at the Internal therapeutic and Nutrional Centre, one of which is located at Maroua Regional Hospital, the third level referral Hospital. We therefore proposed to carry out a study on the clinical and evolutive aspects of these children. Materials and Methods: it was a descriptive, cross-sectional study from January 2020 to December 2022, at the ITNC (CNTI) of Maroua Regional Hospital. The sample size was obtained from the Lorentz formula. Patient records were used for data collection. We excluded all incomplete records and patients with less than 24 hours of admission. Results: Out of the 873 patients we recruited, the prevalence of severe malnutrition was estimated at 18 %. The average age was 14 months, with a male predominance. The main reasons for consultation were fever (42%) and diarrhoea (35%). Marasmus was the predominant clinical form. The major medical complications were sepsis (32.9%) and malaria (16.8%). HIV prevalence was 2.5% and tuberculosis was 4.9%. Most patients had haemoglobin levels between 7 and 10g/dl. 79.3% were cured and 6.5% died. The main causes of death were sepsis and malaria. Conclusion: Severe acute malnutrition remains a major problem in the Far North region. Several joint actions are needed to break this cycle.

Factors Associated with Acute Respiratory Infections in Children Aged 0 - 5 Years in the Yénawa District of Cotonou (Benin) in 2023

Introduction: Acute respiratory infections remain one of the main causes of mortality in children aged 0 to 5. This work aimed to study the associated factors with the occurrence of acute respiratory infections in children 0 to 5 years old in Yénawa, Cotonou in 2023. Subjects and Method: It was an analytical cross-sectional study of children aged 0 - 5 years and their mothers in Yénawa, selected by four-degree random sampling. The sampling size, calculated using the Schwartz formula, was 126 children and 126 mothers. The dependent variable was the occurrence of acute respiratory infections. The independent variables were classified into four groups: socio-demographic and economic characteristics, behavioral factors, child-related factors, and environmental factors. Data collected by observation and questionnaire survey were analyzed using STATA version 15 software. Associated factors were investigated by bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression, at the 5% significance level. Results: A total of 126 children aged 0 - 5 years and 126 mothers were surveyed, aged 23.5 (11 - 36) months and 30 (18 - 48) years respectively. The prevalence of acute respiratory infections was 74.60% (CI95% = 66.89 to 82.30). The associated factors were the mother’s age between 18 and 28 (OR = 10.77;CI95% = 1.89 to 61.27;p = 0.007), the use of charcoal/wood for cooking (OR = 7.36;IC = 1.99 to 27.10;p = 0.003)), children's poor personal hygiene (OR = 8.87;IC = 2.92 to 26.97;p 0.001)), and cohabitation with domestic animals (OR = 7.27;IC = 1.67 to 31.71;p = 0.015). Conclusion: Communicating with mothers about the factors identified will help reduce the prevalence of acute respiratory infections in children aged 0 to 5.

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Targeted Nursing in Children with Severe Viral Encephalitis Complicated with Respiratory Failure

Objective:To explore and analyze the effectiveness of targeted nursing in children with severe viral encephalitis complicated with respiratory failure.Methods:From April 2021 to April 2023,74 children with severe viral encephalitis complicated with respiratory failure admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of our hospital were selected as the research objects and divided into the target group(n=37)and the reference group(n=37).Targeted nursing was given to the target group,while general nursing was given to the reference group.Physical rehabilitation,motor scores,and lung function were compared between the groups.Results:The recovery time of limb abnormalities,convulsions,abnormal consciousness,and cranial nerve disorders in the target group was significantly better than that in the reference group(P<0.05).The motor function,joint activity and pain,sensory function,and total score of the target group were significantly lower than those of the reference group(P<0.05).After the intervention,lung function indicators including VC(vital capacity),FVC(forced vital capacity),and MVV(maximum voluntary ventilation)of the target group were better than those of the reference group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Targeted nursing can shorten the recovery period of severe viral encephalitis complicated with respiratory failure in children,speed up the recovery of motor function,and improve lung function.This nursing model has a significant application effect in children with severe viral encephalitis complicated with respiratory failure.

Etiology and classification of acute pancreatitis in children admitted to ICU using the Pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA) score

Background:Pediatric acute pancreatitis(AP)is rare but increasing.Severe AP is associated with higher morbidity and mortality.However,there are no universally accepted prognostic criteria for AP.Methods:This retrospective study included children with AP admitted to an intensive care unit(ICU)of our tertiary pediatric center between January 2009 and December 2018.The severity of organ dysfunction in AP was assessed according to the modified Atlanta criteria using the Pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(p SOFA)and Computed Tomography Severity Index(CTSI).Results:Seventy acute episodes of AP were evaluated in 55 children with primary pancreatitis.In addition,secondary AP was diagnosed in 15 patients originally admitted to ICU for different indications.Mild AP[no organ dysfunction,normal computed tomography(CT)finding]was the most prevalent(64/85 episodes in 49 children),followed by moderate AP(15 children;p SOFA 2-9 points,CTSI 3-4 points on admission).Severe AP(p SOFA 4-17 points,CTSI 6-10 points)was diagnosed in 6 children with traumatic or secondary AP.The most frequent etiologies of primary AP episodes were idiopathic(39%)and biliary(31%).Children with idiopathic AP had frequent relapses and comorbidities.Hereditary AP was typically mild,but presented with high pancreatic enzyme levels and recurrence rates.Admission at ICU and an interval without enteral nutrition(EN)were relatively short in drug-induced AP and relatively long in secondary and traumatic AP.Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)was performed in 13 patients with biliary AP and in 4 patients with traumatic AP.No AP-related death was observed.Conclusion:p SOFA score accurately reflects the severity and prognosis of AP in children.

Autoimmune complications and clinical outcomes of herpes simplex encephalitis in children: A case series

Objective:To report the neurologic prognosis and autoimmune complications of 16 cases of childhood herpes simplex virus encephalitis.Methods:The study was conducted atŞanlıurfa Training and Research Hospital,Turkey from June 2017 to August 2019.The study included 16 pediatric patients aged between 6 months and 17 years(median age 77.7 months)who were diagnosed with herpes simplex virus type 1 encephalitis by pediatric infectious disease and pediatric neurology clinics.Patients were followed using patient records,and interviews at the pediatric neurology clinic or via the telephone.Clinical and demographic data,received therapies,neurologic prognosis and complications were evaluated.Results:Patients with and without autoimmune encephalitis were compared in terms of age,sex,symptom duration before treatment,initial cerebrospinal fluid protein,glucose,red blood count and white blood count but no significant difference was found.Autoimmune complications were seen in four patients.N-methyl-D-aspartate encephalitis was observed in three patients and choreoathetosis was seen in one patient.The average follow-up period was 48.3 months.Twenty-five percent of the patients were receiving multiple antiepileptic drug(AED)treatment,43.8%were receiving single AED treatment and 31.3%were not receiving AED treatment at the end of the follow-up.Motor disability was observed in 12.5%and drug-resistant epilepsy was observed in 6.3%who had autoimmune complications.Conclusions:Seizures and movement disorders were controlled with immunotherapy and autoantibodies should be studied routinely.Treatment should be started early upon recognition of autoimmune complications through follow-up by measuring autoantibody levels and clinical examination results.Effective prevention and curative treatment modalities are needed to avoid herpes simplex virus encephalitis complications.

Clinical and Epidemiological Aspects of Severe Acute Malnourished Children from 6 to 59 Months Hospitalized in a Secondary Hospital in Mali

Introduction: Malnutrition acts on the immune system and thus increases susceptibility to infections. Infections can weaken the body and cause malnutrition, so we speak of a vicious circle between malnutrition and infection. Objective: To study the clinical and epidemiological aspects of severe acute malnutrition in children aged 6 to 59 months. Methodology: This was a prospective and descriptive study extending from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. All severely acute malnourished children aged 6 to 59 months were hospitalized at URENI whose parents or careers accepted their participation in the study. Results: Severe acute malnutrition was diagnosed in 398 of the 671 hospitalized children, i.e. 59.3%. The median age was 15.33 months (2 months - 59 months). The sex ratio was 1.03 (M = 50.8 F = 49.2). Eighty-seven percent of mothers were housewives. Parents were uneducated in 49.3% for mothers and 51.8% for fathers. Marasmus represented 93.5% of cases, children diagnosed with HIV+ represented 6.3% with exclusively HIV1 (100%). Pneumopathy was most frequently associated pathology with 33.4%. The duration of hospitalization was less than 7 days in 67.6% of cases and 93.3% of children had been successfully treated. The mortality rate was 4%. Conclusion: Malnutrition still remains a public health problem affecting mainly children aged 13 to 24 months, mainly from low-income families.

Acute Alithiasis Cholecystitis in Children: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach in the Pediatric Surgery Department of the CHU of Conakry

Acute alithiasic cholecystitis (AAC) is the inflammatory disease of the gallbladder in the absence of gallstones. It is a rare pathology in children. The aim was to describe the clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics of this disease. Materials and Method: This was a 3-year retrospective study (January 2008 to December 2010) including 66 patient records collected for CAA. Results: The frequency of AAC was 3.57%, the mean age of the patients was 8 ± 3.52 years, and there were 36 boys and 30 girls. The main clinical features were right hypochondrial pain (66 cases), positive Murphy’s (66 cases), fever (53 cases) and jaundice or sub-jaundice (51 cases). The main ultrasound signs were thickened vesicular wall 50 cas (75.76%), vesicular distension 50cas (75.76%) and positive ultrasound Murphy 47 cas (71.21%). Medical treatment was exclusive in 64 patients (96.97%) and surgical treatment in 2 patients (3.03%). Conclusion: Acute alithiasic cholecystitis is a rare pathology in children, the clinical picture is not very specific and abdominal ultrasound is the key to early diagnosis. Conservative treatment is the first choice in the absence of any complications.

Role of Plain Abdominal X-Ray in the Differential Diagnosis of Common Acute Abdominal Conditions in Children at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria

Background: The plain abdominal x-ray is one of the commonly requested investigations in the children emergency room, paediatric surgical ward and neonatal wards. The short interval required to carry out this investigative procedure and obtain results makes it the first imaging modality used to unravel the different causes of acute abdominal conditions in children. The safety of abdominal x-ray in children makes it attractive for use in paediatric surgical practice as part of routine work-up for undifferentiated acute abdominal conditions and also to diagnose specific causes of acute abdomen in children. Setting: Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State. Objectives: Evaluation of the role of plain abdominal x-ray in diagnosing common acute abdominal conditions in children. Materials and method: Patients admitted to the children emergency room, paediatric surgical wards, children’s ward and neonatal ward who had plain abdominal x-ray as part of their diagnostic work-up were included in the study. They were studied prospectively between March 2011 and April 2021. Results: Three Hundred and Ninety-nine patients who had plain abdominal x-rays as part of their diagnostic work-up were studied. Males were 240 while females were 159, a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. The patients were aged between 1 day to 16 years. Differential diagnoses made with plain abdominal x-ray were intestinal obstruction in 298, perforated viscus 69 patients, intra-abdominal masses 13 patients and location of intra-abdominal foreign body 14. Intestinal obstruction cases in which plain abdominal x-ray played a role in their diagnosis and management included the following: intussusception 66, neonatal sepsis 60, malrotation 48, intestinal atresia 42, anorectal malformation 32, hirschsprung’s disease in 30 cases, pyloric stenosis 24, obstructed hernia 22, post-operative adhesions 16 and intestinal helminthiasis 12. Perforated viscus accounted for 69 indications. Out of these indications, perforated gut in intussusception 19, perforated typhoid ileitis was responsible in 13 cases, gut perforation in blunt abdominal trauma 8, perforation in strangulated hernia 11 cases, perforated gut in malrotation 7, ceacal perforation in hirschsprugs disease 6 and colonic perforation in necrotizing enterocolitis 5 cases. Conclusion: Plain abdominal x-ray remains a role to play in the differential diagnosis and management of common paediatric acute abdominal conditions.

Outcome after Discharge from Hospital of Children with Complicated Severe Acute Malnutrition and Predictors Factors of Non-Response during Outpatient Treatment, in Senegal

Introduction: Malnutrition is a public health problem. It is responsible for high morbidity and mortality in children aged 6 - 59 months. The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of children with complicated severe acute malnutrition after hospital discharge. Methods: This is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study conducted from March 1 to November 31, 2021 at the Albert Royer Children’s Hospital. Children discharged from hospital for complicated severe acute malnutrition were included. Results: A total of 103 children were included. The mean age of children at hospitalization was 16.41 ± 10.11 months and mean duration of follow-up after hospital discharge was 29.63 ± 8.59 months. Three children (2.91%) died after hospital discharge. The mean z-score of the weight-for-current height was -1.34 ± 1.08. Almost a quarter (24.27%) of the children remain acute malnourished with 3.88% of severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The predictors’ factors associated with non-response were weaning before 2 years of age (ORaj: 12.21;95% CI [6.82 - 18.44];p = 0.04) and tuberculosis (ORaj: 21.06;95% CI [12.54 - 41.09];p = 0.03). Conclusion: The rate of recovery of nutritional status in children with complicated severe acute malnutrition is satisfactory. Ablactation before the age of two and the existence of tuberculosis are significantly associated with non-recovery of nutritional status.

Acute Thoracic Syndrome in Children: Epidemiological, Diagnostic and Evolutionary Aspects at the Albert Royer National Children’s Hospital in Dakar Senegal

Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is a serious pulmonary complication of sickle cell disease. It is estimated to be responsible for a quarter of deaths in the pediatric sickle cell population. In Senegal, there are not enough pediatric studies in this area. The objective of our study was to determine the epidemiological, diagnostic and evolutionary characteristics of ATS at the Albert Royer National Children’s Hospital (CHNEAR) in Dakar. This was a retrospective study in patients hospitalized at CHNEAR for ATS from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. We included patients hospitalized and diagnosed with ATS. We had collected 102 patients, i.e. a hospital incidence of 2.96%. The average age of the children was 9 years old;the sex ratio was 1.04. The main symptoms on admission were hypoxemia (97.06%), chest pain (77.45%), dyspnea (77.45%) and fever (65.69%). 52.94% of patients had an associated vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). The chest x-ray was abnormal in 92 patients, a rate of 90.20% and showed images of pneumonia (71%);bronchitis (17.65%) and pleurisy (0.98%). None of the children benefited from a pulmonary ultrasound. The treatment associated with analgesics (100%), broad-spectrum antibiotics (100%), oxygen therapy (100%), hydration (95.09%), transfusion (73.53%), non-ventilation invasive (6.86%), intubation (2.94%) and beta 2 mimetics (12.75%). No patient benefited from incentive spirometry. Almost all of the patients 95.10% (n = 97) had a favorable clinical evolution. However, five children (4.90%) had an unfavorable outcome including one case of complication such as stroke (0.98%) and four (4) cases of death. The average hospital stay was 8 days. ATS is common in children with sickle cell disease in Senegal and its etiologies seem to be dominated by infectious causes in our context.

The acute lymphoblastic leukemia among Afghan children, Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital

Objective:Almost all leukemia patients died,fortunately now with the advancement of medicine and science and with the advent of treatment Chemotherapy,Radiotherapy,and Surgical treatment 75%of patients with leukemia who need treatment for up to 5 years,live longer than patients with leukemia who do not receive treatment.On the one side,in our country,Afghanistan the number of incidents has increased recently,and on the other side,we do not have data at the national level.Therefore,the child health hospital administration considered the necessary and left me to research this case in the last 6 months of 2018.Methods:This is an observational descriptive study,which observed 10,293 patients that come to the pediatric internal which 300 patients who indicate leukemia,and 200 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL),who were admitted to the oncology service of Andhra Gandhi Child Health Hospital in 2018 the study took place.Results:Based on the age we detect less than one year’s 10(5%)patients,1-10 years old 150(75%)patients,and more than 10 years old 40(20%)patients.Based on sex,boys were 120(60%)patients and girls 80(40%)patients.Based on clinical findings,anemia 155(77.5%)patients,fever 130(65%)patients,bleeding 90(45%)patients,spleen thickness 88(44%)patients,liver thickness 73(36.6%)patients,lymph nodes thickness 70(35.55%)patients,great pains 66(33%)patients and nervous system disorders 38(19%)patients.Conclusion:We can say with great conviction that 200 patients out of 10,293 had acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Further studies with prospective nature are required to confirm this observation.

Acute liver failure in Chinese children:a multicenter investigation

BACKGROUND: Currently, no documentation is available regarding Chinese children with acute liver failure(ALF). This study was undertaken to investigate etiologies and outcomes of Chinese children with ALF.METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 32 pediatric patients with ALF admitted in five hospitals in different areas of China from January 2007 to December 2012. The coagulation indices, serum creatinine, serum lactate dehydrogenase,blood ammonia and prothrombin activity were analyzed; the relationship between these indices and mortality was evaluated by multivariate analysis.RESULTS: The most common causes of Chinese children with ALF were indeterminate etiology(15/32), drug toxicity(8/32),and acute cytomegalovirus hepatitis(6/32). Only 1 patient(3.13%)received liver transplantation and the spontaneous mortality of Chinese children with ALF was 58.06%(18/31). Patients who eventually died had higher baseline levels of international normalized ratio(P=0.01), serum creatinine(P=0.04), serum lactate dehydrogenase(P=0.01), blood ammonia(P<0.01) and lower prothrombin activity(P=0.01) than those who survived.Multivariate analysis showed that the entry blood ammonia was the only independent factor significantly associated with mortality(odds ratio=1.069, 95% confidence interval 1.023-1.117,P<0.01) and it had a sensitivity of 94.74%, a specificity of 84.62%and an accuracy of 90.63% for predicting the death. Based on the established model, with an increase of blood ammonia level,the risk of mortality would increase by 6.9%.CONCLUSIONS: The indeterminate causes predominated in the etiologies of ALF in Chinese children. The spontaneous mortality of pediatric patients with ALF was high, whereas the proportion of patients undergoing liver transplantation was significantly low. Entry blood ammonia was a reliable predictor for the death of pediatric patients with ALF.

Acute pancreatitis in children and adolescents

In this Topic Highlight, the causes, diagnosis, and treat-ment of acute pancreatitis in children are discussed. Acute pancreatitis should be considered during the dif-ferential diagnosis of abdominal pain in children and requires prompt treatment because it may become life-threatening. The etiology, clinical manifestations, and course of acute pancreatitis in children are often differ-ent than in adults. Therefore, the specific features of acute pancreatitis in children must be considered. The etiology of acute pancreatitis in children is often drugs, infections, trauma, or anatomic abnormalities. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms(such as abdominal pain and vomiting), serum pancreatic enzyme levels, and im-aging studies. Several scoring systems have been pro-posed for the assessment of severity, which is useful for selecting treatments and predicting prognosis. The basic pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis does not greatly dif-fer between adults and children, and the treatments for adults and children are similar. In large part, our under-standing of the pathology, optimal treatment, assess-ment of severity, and outcome of acute pancreatitis in children is taken from the adult literature. However, we often find that the common management of adult pan-creatitis is difficult to apply to children. With advances in diagnostic techniques and treatment methods, severeacute pancreatitis in children is becoming better under-stood and more controllable.

Risk Factors and Prognostic Factors of Acute Kidney Injury in Children: a Retrospective Study between 2003 and 2013

Summary： Recent report on epidemiology of acute kidney injury （AKI） is lacking for Chinese children. We aimed to investigate the risk factors for stage and prognostic factors for renal recovery in hospital- ized children. Pediatric patients （〈18 years old） admitted during 2003 to 2013 were enrolled in this study. AKI was defined and staged using Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes （KDIGO） crite- ria. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors and prognostic factors. The morbidity of pediatric AKI was 0.31% （205/65 237）. There were 45 （22.0%） cases in stage I, 30 （14.6%） cases in stage II and 130 （63.4%） cases in stage Ill. The majority of etiologies were intrinsic renal defects （85.4%）. Age, weight, vomit, etiology, blood urea nitrogen （BUN） at admission and sev- eral blood gas measurements were associated with AKI stage III. Age （OR=0.894; 95% CI, 0.832- 0.962; P=0.003）, vomit （OR=2.375; 95% CI, 1.058-5.333; P=0.036） and BUN at admission （OR=1.135;95% CI, 1.085-1.187; P〈0.001） were identified as independent risk factors for AKI stage Ill. After treatment, 172 （83.9%） patients achieved complete or partial recovery. The mortality was 3.9%. Variables were found as prognostic factors for renal recovery, such as age, stage, hospital stay, BUN at discharge, white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets （PLTs）, blood pH and urine blood. Among them, AKI stage（stage III vs. stage I ; OR, 6.506; 95% CI, 1.640-25.816; P=0.008）, BUN at discharge （OR, 0.918; 95% CI, 0.856-0.984; P=0.016） and PLTs （OR, 1.007; 95% CI, 1.001- 1.013; P=0.027） were identified as independent prognostic factors. AKI is still common in Chinese hos- pitalized children. Identified risk factors and prognostic factors provide guiding information for clinical management of AKI.

Acute onset of autoimmune hepatitis in children and adolescents

Background: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a rare progressive liver disease, which manifests as acute hepatitis in 40%-50% of pediatric cases. This refers predominantly to spontaneous exacerbations of previ- ously unrecognized subclinical AIH with laboratory and histological signs of chronic hepatitis, or to acute exacerbations of known chronic disease. Only a few of these patients ful ll criteria for acute liver failure (ALF). Methods: Forty children diagnosed with AIH in our center between 2000 and 2018 were included in this study. All of them ful lled revised diagnostic criteria of the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group (IAIHG) for probable or con rmed AIH, and other etiologies of liver diseases were excluded. Patients were divided into two groups: acute AIH (A-AIH) or chronic AIH (C-AIH). Results: Acute onset of AIH occurred in 19/40 children (48%). Six of them ful lled the criteria of ALF with coagulopathy and encephalopathy. Five of 6 children with ALF suffered from exacerbation of previ- ously undiagnosed chronic AIH, among which 4 children were histologically con rmed as micronodular cirrhosis. The remaining one patient had fulminant AIH with centrilobular necrosis, but no histological signs of previous chronic liver damage. We observed signi cantly lower levels of albumin, higher levels of aminotransferases, bilirubin, INR, IgG, higher IAIHG score and more severe histological ndings in A- AIH than in C-AIH. No differences in patient age and presence of autoantibodies were observed between A-AIH and C-AIH. All children, including those with ALF and cirrhosis, were treated with corticosteroids, and are alive and achieved AIH remission. Liver transplant was not indicated in any patient. Conclusion: Rapid and accurate diagnosis of A-AIH may be di cult. However, timely start of immunosup-pressive therapy improves prognosis and decreases number of indicated liver transplantations in children with AIH.

Prevalence of respiratory syncytial virus infection among children hospitalized with acute lower respiratory tract infections in Southern India

BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) is a leading cause of lower respiratory infections among children.AIM To investigate the proportion of RSV and non-RSV respiratory viral infections among hospitalized children ≤ 5 years.METHODS Hospitalized children aged < 5 years, with a diagnosis of acute lower respiratory infections(ALRI), admitted between August 2011-August 2013, were included.Cases were defined as laboratory-confirmed RSV and non-RSV respiratory viruses by direct fluorescence assay from the nasopharyngeal wash.RESULTS Of 383 1-59 mo old children hospitalized with an acute lower respiratory infection, 33.9%(130/383) had evidence of viral infection, and RSV was detected in 24.5%(94/383). Co-infections with RSV and other respiratory viruses(influenza A or B, adenovirus, para influenza 1, 2 or 3) were seen in children 5.5%(21/383). Over 90% of the RSV-positive children were under 2 years of age. RSV was detected throughout the year with peaks seen after the monsoon season.Children hospitalized with RSV infection were more likely to have been exposed to a shorter duration of breastfeeding of less than 3 mo. RSV positive children had a shorter hospital stay, although there were significant complications requiring intensive care. Use of antibiotics was high among those with RSV and non-RSV viral infections.CONCLUSION Our study provides evidence of a high proportion of RSV and other virusassociated ALRI among hospitalized children in India. RSV infection was associated with fewer days of hospital stay compared to other causes of lower respiratory infections. A high level of antibiotic use was seen among all respiratory virus-associated hospitalizations. These results suggest the need for implementing routine diagnostics for respiratory pathogens in order to minimize the use of unnecessary antibiotics and plan prevention strategies among pediatric populations.

Management of complicated acute appendicitis in children:Still an existing controversy

Complicated acute appendicitis(CAA)is a serious condition and carries significant morbidity in children.A strict diagnosis is challenging,as there are many lesions that mimic CAA.The management of CAA is still controversial.There are two options for treatment:Immediate operative management and nonoperative management with antibiotics and/or drainage of any abscess or phlegmon.Each method of treatment has advantages and disadvantages.Operative management may be difficult due to the presence of inflamed tissues and may lead to detrimental events.In many cases,non-operative management with or without drainage and interval appendectomy is advised.The reasons for this approach include new medications and policies for the use of antibiotic therapy.Furthermore,advances in radiological interventions may overcome difficulties such as diagnosing and managing the complications of CAA without any surgeries.However,questions have been raised about the risk of recurrence,prolonged use of antibiotics,lengthened hospital stay and delay in returning to daily activities.Moreover,the need for interval appendectomy is currently under debate because of the low risk of recurrence.Due to the paucity of high-quality studies,more randomized controlled trials to determine the precise management strategy are needed.This review aims to study the current data on operative vs non-operative management for CAA in children and to extract any useful information from the literature.

Comparison of acute pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses in children:a retrospective multi-center cohort study during COVID-19 outbreak

Background:Until January 18,2021,coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19)has infected more than 93 million individuals and has caused a certain degree of panic.Viral pneumonia caused by common viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus,rhinovirus,human metapneumovirus,human bocavirus,and parainfluenza viruses have been more common in children.However,the incidence of COVID-19 in children was significantly lower than that in adults.The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical manifestations,treatment and outcomes of COVID-19 in children compared with those of other sources of viral pneumonia diagnosed during the COVID-19 outbreak.Methods:Children with COVID-19 and viral pneumonia admitted to 20 hospitals were enrolled in this retrospective multi-center cohort study.A total of 64 children with COVID-19 were defined as the COVID-19 cohort,of which 40 children who developed pneumonia were defined as the COVID-19 pneumonia cohort.Another 284 children with pneumonia caused by other viruses were defined as the viral pneumonia cohort.The epidemiologic,clinical,and laboratory findings were compared by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test,t-test,Mann-Whitney U test and Contingency table method.Drug usage,immunotherapy,blood transfusion,and need for oxygen support were collected as the treatment indexes.Mortality,intensive care needs and symptomatic duration were collected as the outcome indicators.Results:Compared with the viral pneumonia cohort,children in the COVID-19 cohort were mostly exposed to family members confirmed to have COVID-19(53/64 vs.23/284),were of older median age(6.3 years vs.3.2 years),and had a higher proportion of ground-glass opacity(GGO)on computed tomography(18/40 vs.0/38,P<0.001).Children in the COVID-19 pneumonia cohort had a lower proportion of severe cases(1/40 vs.38/284,P=0.048),and lower cases with high fever(3/40 vs.167/284,P<0.001),requiring intensive care(1/40 vs.32/284,P<0.047)and with shorter symptomatic duration(median 5d vs.8d,P<0.001).The proportion of cases with evaluated inflammatory indicators,biochemical indicators related to organ or tissue damage,D-dimer and secondary bacterial infection were lower in the COVID-19 pneumonia cohort than those in the viral pneumonia cohort(P<0.05).No statistical differences were found in the duration of positive PCR results from pharyngeal swabs in 25 children with COVID-19 who received antiviral drugs(lopinavir-ritonavir,ribavirin,and arbidol)as compared with duration in 39 children without antiviral therapy(median 10d vs.9d,P=0.885).Conclusions:The symptoms and severity of COVID-19 pneumonia in children were no more severe than those in children with other viral pneumonia.Lopinavir-ritonavir,ribavirin and arbidol do not shorten the duration of positive PCR results from pharyngeal swabs in children with COVID-19.During the COVID-19 outbreak,attention also must be given to children with infection by other pathogens infection.

Acute lobar nephritis in children: Not so easy to recognize and manage

Acute lobar nephritis(ALN) is a localized non-liquefactive inflammatory renal bacterial infection, which typically involves one or more lobes. ALN is considered to be a midpoint in the spectrum of upper urinary tract infection, a spectrum ranging from uncomplicated pyelonephritis to intrarenal abscess. This condition may be difficult to recognize due to the lack of specific symptoms and laboratory findings. Therefore the disease is probably underdiagnosed. Computed tomography scanning represents the diagnostic gold standard for ALN, but magnetic resonance imagine could be considered in order to limit irradiation. The diagnosis is relevant since initial intravenous antibiotic therapy and overall length of treatment should not be shorter than 3 wk. We review the literature and analyze the ALN clinical presentation starting from four cases with the aim to give to the clinicians the elements to suspect and recognize the ALN in children.

Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Characteristics of Acute Respiratory Infections in Children and New Developments in Laboratory Testing

Acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) in children is the most common infectious disease in childhood, and its pathogens include viruses, bacteria and fungi, mycoplasma, chlamydia and rickettsia. In recent years, with the continuous development of pathogen detection methods, the diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory infections has received more and more clinical attention. The clinical diagnosis and treatment characteristics of acute respiratory infections in children and the research of clinical laboratory detection methods have also been continuously developed. The author collected references to review the clinical features and new developments in laboratory testing of acute respiratory tract infection in children.