Fatal cases in pediatric patients after post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies:A report of two cases

Rationale:Rabies is a zoonotic disease with a high mortality,primarily transmitted through the bite of infected mammals,particularly dogs and cats.Despite being a well-known disease since ancient times,it continues to cause a significant number of human deaths worldwide,with approximately 65000 fatalities reported annually.Patient concerns:We present two fatal cases of rabies in a 12-year-old immigrant boy and a 7-year-old boy.The first case was subject to a 24-hour delay in receiving appropriate medical attention and rabies preventive measures due to the lack of awareness among emergency hospital staff,leading to the administration of wound dressing only.The second case received timely rabies immunoglobulin administration;however,there was a 4-day delay in administering the fourth dose of the rabies vaccine,despite presenting evident symptoms of rabies.Diagnosis:Postmortem examination of brain samples from both patients confirmed the presence of rabies virus.Interventions:Post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies.Outcomes:Both patients were admitted to the hospital after the manifestation of rabies-related symptoms,with the 12-year-old child seeking medical care 47 days after the animal bite and the 7-year-old child seeking medical care 58 days after the exposure.Finally,the first patient died after 27 days and the second patient died after 40 days of hospitalization.Lessons:There is an urgent need for heightened awareness and education among both healthcare professionals and the public regarding the urgency of seeking immediate medical attention after potential rabies exposure.Timely recognition and initiation of post-exposure prophylaxis are pivotal in preventing the progression of the disease.Strengthening surveillance and reporting systems,coupled with continuous training for healthcare professionals,can contribute to early detection and management of rabies cases.

Comparison of Propofol and Fentanyl for Preventing Emergence Agitation Following Sevoflurane Anesthesia in Pediatric Patients: A Single-Center Study in Bangladesh

Background: Emergence agitation (EA) is a common phenomenon observed in pediatric patients following general anesthesia. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of propofol and fentanyl in preventing EA and to compare their associated complications or side effects. Methods: This prospective randomized observational comparative study was conducted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital from July 2013 to June 2014. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of propofol and fentanyl on EA in children aged 18 to 72 months undergoing circumcision, herniotomy, and polypectomy operations. Ninety children were included in the study, with 45 in each group. Patients with psychological or neurological disorders were excluded. Various parameters including age, sex, weight, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, duration of anesthesia, Saturation of Peripheral Oxygen (SPO2), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score, duration of post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay, incidence of laryngospasm, nausea, vomiting, and rescue drug requirement were compared between the two groups. Results: Age, sex, weight, ASA class, and duration of anesthesia were comparable between the two groups. Perioperative SpO2 and HR were similar in both groups. However, the PAED score was significantly higher in the fentanyl group during all follow-ups except at 30 minutes postoperatively. The mean duration of PACU stay was significantly longer in the fentanyl group. Although the incidence of laryngospasm was higher in the fentanyl group, it was not statistically significant. Conversely, nausea or vomiting was significantly higher in the fentanyl group. The requirement for rescue drugs was significantly higher in the fentanyl group compared to the propofol group. Conclusion: Both propofol and fentanyl were effective in preventing emergence agitation in pediatric patients undergoing various surgical procedures under sevoflurane anesthesia. However, propofol demonstrated a better safety profile with fewer incidences of nausea, vomiting, and rescue drug requirements compared to fentanyl.

Time to recovery from severe pneumonia and its predictors among pediatric patients admitted in Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital,South West Ethiopia,2022

Objective:Despite trials and programs for the prevention of childhood mortality due to pneumonia,Ethiopia is among the top five countries with the highest number of deaths due to pneumonia.Although the prevalence of pneumonia has increased in the abovementioned trials,little is known about the recovery time from severe pneumonia and its predictors in the study area.Therefore,this study aimed to assess the time to recovery from severe pneumonia and its predictors among pediatric patients admitted to Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital,Ethiopia,in 2022.Methods:A total of 591 children admitted for severe pneumonia were selected using simple random sampling.Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.4.2.1 and expor ted to STATA version 14 for analysis,and the assumptions of Cox propor tional hazard models and goodness of fit were assessed through Shoenfeld residual and Cox-Snell residual,respectively.Bivariate and multivariable Cox regression models were used to identify the predictors of mor tality.Results:This study revealed that 91.54%(95%confidence interval[CI]:89.00–93.53)of participants recovered with an incidence rate of 24.10(95%CI:22.15–26.21)per 100 person-day–observations.The hmedian recovery time of children was 4 days(95%CI:2–6).Children who were not exclusively breastfed(AHR=1.3;95%CI:1.03–1.66),who had a history of inability to suck/feed(AHR=0.81;95%CI:0.65–0.99)were independent predictors of the time to recovery.Conclusions:Children with severe pneumonia who had not exclusively breastfed and who had a history of inability to suck/feed were independent predictors of time to recovery.Therefore,all stakeholders and concerned health care providers should focus more on early diagnosis and management and hasten early recovery based on the identified factors.

Is it a normal phenomenon for pediatric patients to have brain leptomeningeal contrast enhancement on 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging?

Determining whether sevoflurane sedation in children leads to“pseudo”prominent leptomeningeal contrast enhancement(pLMCE)on 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging will help reduce overdiagnosis by radiologists and clarify the pathophysiological changes of pLMCE.

Phakic posterior chamber intraocular lens for unilateral high myopic amblyopia in Chinese pediatric patients

AIM： To assess the outcomes of posterior chamber implantable collamer lens （ICL） implantation in Chinese pediatric patients with unilateral high myopic amblyopia.METHODS： Eleven eyes of 11 amblyopic patients aged 11.02±3.34y underwent ICL （model V4, Staar Surgical Inc.） implantation to treat unilateral anisometropia were studied. Visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, contrast sensitivity, stereopsis, intraocular pressure （IOP）, vaulting, corneal endothelial cell count and complications were evaluated. Patients completed follow-up at 3d, 1, 3mo and the last follow-up time （mean 8.18±2.82mo） after surgery.RESULTS： The mean myopic anisometropia was -13.70±3.25 D preoperatively and ＋0.69±2.63 D at 8mo postoperatively. The logMAR corrected distance visual acuity （CDVA） of the amblyopic eye was 1.51±0.72 preoperatively and 0.75±0.40 at 8mo postoperatively. The logMAR CDVA at 3d, 1, 3 and 8mo postoperatively improved by a mean of 0.64, 1.55, 1.82 and 2.64 lines and gained more than 2 lines accounted for 18%, 45%, 45%, 64%, respectively. The contrast sensitivity of 0.5, 1 and 2 cpd in amblyopic eyes was significantly increased after surgery. No patient had near stereopsis recovery. The vaulting at 3 and 8mo was significantly lower than that at 1mo postoperatively. No other intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed, except an acute pupillary block glaucoma happened in a patient at two weeks postoperatively.CONCLUSION： This short-term results indicate that ICL implantation can be a promising alternative therapy for high myopic anisometropic amblyopia in pediatric patients who have failed with conventional treatments and not suitable to corneal refraction surgery.

Anesthesia management in a pediatric patient with Becker muscular dystrophy undergoing laparoscopic surgery:A case report

BACKGROUND Patients with Becker muscular dystrophy(BMD)have a high risk of developing hyperkalemia,rhabdomyolysis,and malignant hyperthermia when exposed to volatile anesthetics and depolarizing muscle relaxants.Patients with BMD are also prone to respiratory depression after general anesthesia.Thus,it is extremely challenging for anesthesiologists to manage anesthesia in BMD patients,particularly in pediatric BMD patients.Here,we present successful anesthesia management using transversus abdominis plane block(TAPB)combined with total intravenous anesthesia(TIVA)in a pediatric BMD patient undergoing laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.CASE SUMMARY A 2-year-old boy,weighing 15 kg,with BMD,was scheduled for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.TIVA was used for induction,and continuous infusions of short-acting intravenous anesthetics combined with TAPB were performed for anesthesia maintenance.Moreover,TAPB provided good postoperative analgesia.The patient underwent uneventful surgery and anesthesia,and over the 17 mo follow-up period showed no anesthesia-induced complications.CONCLUSION TAPB combined with TIVA,using short-acting intravenous anesthetic agents,can provide safe and effective anesthesia management in pediatric BMD patients undergoing short-term abdominal surgery.

Microsatellite instability and expression of DNA mismatch repair genes in malignant astrocytic tumors from adult and pediatric patients

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is used as a molecular marker for defective DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes.We report here alterations of MSI in 15 malignant astrocytomas (WHO grade Ⅲ) and glioblastomas (GBM; WHO grade Ⅳ) of pediatric patients (2-21 years) and 12 GBM from adults (44-68 years) by comparative analysis of BAT25/BAT26 loci and 10 other microsatellite markers. High-level microsatellite instability (MSI-H) occurred in 4 of the 15 pediatric cases (26.7%) and in 1 of the 12 adult GBM cases (8.3%). Low-level mi-

Evaluation of Predictors of Suicidal Re-Attempt in Pediatric Patients in the Emergency Department

Background: Suicidal attempt in children is a serious public health problem. A proper identification of features of suicide-related behavior may help physicians to develop an accurate approach. The aim of this study was to clarify the characteristics of children with poisoning due to suicidal attempt and to determine the risk factors of suicidal re-attempt in the Emergency Department (ED) via a simple questionnaire. Methods: We collected medical data of patients under 18 years who were admitted to our ED with intoxication due to suicidal attempt, retrospectively. General characteristics of patients were evaluated. Patients were divided into 2 groups as 1) High risk: patients with repetitive suicide attempt;2) Low risk: patients with first time suicidal attempt. Results: A total of 57 patients were included in this study. The mean age was 15.91 ± 0.97. Majority of the patients were female (73.7%). Analgesics were the most frequent abused drugs with a ratio of 51.1%. It is determined that the most important variables affecting the risk of suicidal re-attempt are “idea about the suicide” and “purpose”. It was determined that patients with an idea of repetitive suicide (I will try again) and whose purpose was to die (I wish I have died) were in the most risky group with a history of previous suicidal attempt. Conclusion: This study suggests that answers of the pediatric patients to some question have a potential to predict the high risk patients. The risk of suicidal re-attempt may be predicted by the answers given to these questions: 1) What is your idea about suicide? 2) What was your purpose?

Theatment strategies for pediatric patients with primary cardiac tumors

Objective To analyze the experience of treatment strategies for pediatric patients with primary cardiac tumors. Methods The clinical data of 27 patients with primary cardiac tumors which detected by echocardiography from May 1999 to May 2009 was analyzed retrospectively. There were 20 male and 7 female patients,aged from 24 d to 12. 6 years. There were 59. 2% less than 1 year old at the time of diagnosis. A single tumor were present in 22 cases and multiple in 5 cases. Surgery was performed on 22 patients due to the varied

More common RNAemia in the early stage of severe SARS-CoV-2 BF.7.14 infections in pediatric patients

The risk factors of severe infections in children during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS‐CoV‐2)outbreak in Beijing remain elusive.SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive children admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU)with collected plasma specimens were enrolled and screened for common pathogens using capillary electrophoresis‐based multiplex PCR from December 12,2022,to January 24,2023.The SARS‐CoV‐2 subvariants were identified using next‐generation sequencing.Plasma was positive for two(positive;P),one(suspicious;S),or no(negative;N)SARS‐CoV‐2 genes were classified as plasmatic RNA‐positive(RNAemia;P+S)or without RNAemia(N).Clinical and laboratory data of the enrolled cases were then collected and analyzed.The 34 enrolled children included 26 males and 24 younger than three years.All were negative for other respiratory pathogens.BF.7.14(18/29)was the predominant subvariant.Viral loads in respiratory specimens,hours from symptom onset to the first respiratory specimen collection(time‐variable),with comorbidities and BF.7.14 and BA.5.2 distributions were significantly different in P vs.N and RNAemia vs.without RNAemia group.Among most cases,the T lymphocyte ratios decreased,while the cytokine level and the B lymphocyte ratio increased.The time variables were 2.22±2.05 and 4.00±2.49 days in BF.7.14 and BA.5.2 infections,respectively.In conclusion,SARS‐CoV‐2 was more likely to cause severe infections among males aged≤3 years old with comorbidities during the SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak in Beijing,while RNAemia is more common in children at the early stage of severe BF.7.14 infections,and most had high cytokine levels and B‐cell activation.

Patient Safety Risks and Measures for Pediatric Neurosurgery Nursing

The aim of this study was to determine the patient safety risks and measures for pediatric neurosurgery nursing.A total of 564 pediatric patients admitted to the hospital from June 2020 to June 2023 under the neurosurgery department were included in this study.We analyzed the safety incidents in pediatric neurosurgery nursing and their causes and proposed corresponding measures for pediatric neurosurgery nursing in hope to reduce the occurrence of patient safety incidents in pediatric neurosurgery nursing and establish harmonious nurse-patient relationships.

Investigation of the status of interhospital transport of critically ill pediatric patients

Background:With the unequal distribution of medical resources in developing countries,critially ill children need to be transferred to tertiary hospitals from primary hospitals with limited resources.Although a large number of critically ill children are transferred each day in China,the standard process of inter-hospital transport is not formulated.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the data collected during transport.A total number of 9231 patients(≤14 years)who had been transferred to the Hunan Children's Hospital by a specialized team from primary hospitals from January 1,2009 to June 30,2012 were included in the study.Results:Nearly half of the critically ill children were neonates(48.72%)and two thirds of the children were suffering from respiratory,neurological and cardiac diseases.Multivariate adjusted odds ratios(OR)and 95%confidence intervals(CI)were calculated using unconditional logistic regression.Mobilization time in non-working hours was longer than the working hours(OR=1.186,95%CI=1.059-1.329).Our study showed that mobilization time for neonates was shorter than that for older children(OR=0.801,95%CI=0.692-0.928).The mobilization time of referral cases was shorter in areas within a radius of 50 km than in those within a radius of over 250 km(OR=0.427,95%CI=0.350-0.521).Referred patients in summer needed a significantly shorter mobilization time than in winter(OR=0.705,95%CI=0.616-0.806).Conclusion:Standardized processes and guidelines for inter-hospital transport would be essential to ensure effective transport of patients and reduce the mobilization activation time.

Clinical Characteristics, Imaging Findings and Surgical Outcomes of Chiari Malformation Type I in Pediatric and Adult Patients

A growing number of children and adolescents are being diagnosed as Chiari malformation type I （CM- I ） for behavioral disorders, developmental delay, seizures, or abnormal orpharyngeal function. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics, imaging findings and surgical outcomes of CM- I in pediatric and adult patients. Between January 2014 and June 2017, 84 patients with CM- I underwent surgical treatment in our department. We divided the patients into two groups： pediatric group （n=l 1, age 〈18 years） and adult group （n=73, age 〉18 years）. Data on clinical characteristics, imaging findings, surgical outcomes, and prognosis were retrospectively reviewed and compared between these two groups. For clinical presentation, scoliosis （36.4%） and developmental delay （36.4%） were more common in pediatric patients, whereas, sensory disturbance （58.9%） and motor weakness （41. 1%） were more common in adult patients. Imaging findings showed that the incidence of hydrocephalus and craniovertebral junctional abnormalities was significantly higher in pediatric group than in adult group （P〈0.05）. Compared to adult group, pediatric group showed a better improvement or resolution of syrinx and tonsillar herniation after surgical treatments （P〈0.05）. The total Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale （CCOS） score in pediatric patients at the last follow- up was significantly higher than that in adult patients （P=0.002）. In conclusion, the clinical characteristics and imaging findings appeared to be different in pediatric and adult patients with CM- I. The surgical outcomes of pediatric patients were shown to be significantly better than those of adult patients.

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Pediatric and Adult Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Shenzhen,China

Objective Here we aimed to investigate the difference in clinical characteristics and outcomes between pediatric and adult patients with COVID-19.Methods A total of 333 consecutive patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection treated in the departments of Internal medicine of Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital from January 11 th to February 10 th,2020 were included.The data were obtained from electronic medical records.The epidemiological data,clinical characteristics,length of hospital stays,and outcomes of pediatric and adult patients were compared.Results Compared with adult patients,pediatric patients had a shorter time of symptom onset to hospitalization than adults[median time,1(IQR,1.0-1.0)d vs.3(IQR,2.0-6.0)d,P<0.001],milder or fewer symptoms,less severe chest CT findings.The clinical severity classification of children was less severe than adults.Up to 15 th March,the end of the follow-up,33(100%)children and 292(97.3%)adult patients had been discharged from hospital.Only 2(0.7%)adult patients died,with an overall case mortality of 0.6%.The median length of hospital stay of pediatric patients was shorter than that of adult patients[19(95%CI:16.6-21.4)d vs.21(95%CI:19.9-22.1)d,P=0.024].Conclusion Pediatric patients with COVID-19 had milder or less clinical symptoms,less evident pulmonary imaging changes,better prognosis,and shorter length of hospital stay.

Clinical and immunological features of convalescent pediatric patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in Tianjin, China

COVID-19 has spread surprisingly fast worldwide, and new variants continue to emerge. Recently, the World Health Organization acknowledged a new mutant strain “Omicron”, with children were accounting for a growing share of COVID-19 cases compared with other mutant strains. However, the clinical and immunological characteristics of convalescent pediatric patients after Omicron infection were lacking. In this study, we comparatively analyzed the clinical data from pediatric patients with adult patients or healthy children and the effects of SARSCoV-2 vaccine on the clinical and immune characteristics in convalescent pediatric patients. Our results indicated that convalescent pediatric patients had unique clinical and immune characteristics different from those of adult patients or healthy children, and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination significantly affected on the clinical and immune characteristics and the prevention of nucleic acid re-detectable positive(RP) in convalescent patients. Our study further deepens the understanding of the impact of Omicron on the long-term health of pediatric patients and provides a valuable reference for the prevention and treatment of children infected with Omicron.

Effect of human rhinovirus infection in pediatric patients with influenza-like illness on the 2009 pandemic influenza A（H1N1） virus

Background Some research groups have hypothesized that human rhinoviruses （HRVs） delayed the circulation of the 2009 pandemic influenza A（H1N1） virus （A（H1N1）pdm09） at the beginning of Autumn 2009 in France.This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between HRV and A（H1N1）pdm09 in pediatric patients with influenza-like illness in Beijing,China.Methods A systematic analysis to detect A（H1N1）pdm09 and seasonal influenza A virus （FLU A） was performed on 4 349 clinical samples from pediatric patients with influenza-like illness during the period June 1,2009 to February 28,2010,while a one-step real-time RT-PCR （rRT-PCR） assay was used to detect HRV in 1 146 clinical specimens selected from those 4 349 specimens.Results During the survey period,only one wave of A（H1N1）pdm09 was observed.The percentage of positive cases for A（H1N1）pdm09 increased sharply in September with a peak in November 2009 and then declined in February 2010.Data on the monthly distribution of HRVs indicated that more HRV-positive samples were detected in September （2.2％） and October （3.3％）,revealing that the peak of HRV infection in 2009 was similar to that of other years.Among the 1 146 specimens examined for HRVs,21 （1.8％） were HRV-positive,which was significantly lower than that reported previously in Beijing （15.4％ to 19.2％） （P ＜0.01）.Overall,6 samples were positive for both A（H1N1）pdm09 and HRV,which represented a positive relative frequency of 1.60％ and 2.08％ HRV,considering the A（H1N1）pdm09-positive and-negative specimens,respectively.The odds ratio was 0.87 （95％ CI 0.32; 2.44,P=0.80）.Conclusions HRVs and A （H1N1）pdm09 co-circulated in this Chinese population during September and October 2009,and the HRV epidemic in 2009 did not affect A（H1N1）pdm09 infection rates in Beijing,China as suggested by other studies.However,the presence of A（H1N1）pdm09 might explain the unexpected reduction in the percentage of HRV positive cases during the period studied.

Pharmacokinetic variability of factor VIII concentrates in Chinese pediatric patients with moderate or severe hemophilia A

Importance:The use of factor VIII(FVIII)concentrates under pharmacokinetic(PK)guidance has become the main approach for treatment of hemophilia.However,limited PK research has been conducted in Chinese pediatric patients.Objective:To investigate the PK parameters of various FVIII concentrates in Chinese pediatric patients.Methods:Seventy-nine patients were enrolled(28 treated with Kogenate FS^(®),23 treated with Advate^(®),and 28 treated with GreenMono^(™)).All enrolled patients participated in single-dose PK analysis after at least a 3-day washout period.Blood samples were collected predose,as well as at 1 h,9 h,24 h,and 48 h after infusion;FVIII levels were measured using a one-stage clotting assay,von Willebrand Factor Antigen(VWF:Ag)levels and blood types were also determined.PK parameters were evaluated by WAPPS-Hemo.Results:Mean values of terminal elimination half-life time(t_(1/2))for the Kogenate FS^(®),Advate^(®),and GreenMono^(™)FVIII groups were 12.24 h,10.18 h,and 9.62 h;median clearance values were 4.16,6.23,and 5.11 mL kg^(-1)h^(-1);and median in vivo recovery values were 1.97,1.55,and 1.61 IU/dL per IU/kg.Longer t_(1/2),higher in vivo recovery,and lower clearance were observed in patients with higher VWF:Ag level who were treated with recombinant concentrates.Interpretation:Chinese pediatric patients with hemophilia had FVIII PK characteristics similar to those previously observed in non-Chinese children,including large variation among individuals.VWF:Ag level and FVIII brand were associated with differences in FVIII PK.Thus,PK-guided dosing should be used to optimize individualized therapy in Chinese children.

CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF 22 PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE MANAGED WITH MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY SUPPORT AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY

Objective To investigate the clinical outcomes of children with congenital heart disease （CHD） requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation （ECMO） and left ventricular assist device （LVAD） support after cardiac surgery. Methods A total of 22 patients with CHD who required postcardiotomy mechanical circulatory support between March 2004 and March 2011 （85 months ） were analyzed retrospectively. Median age of the patients was 420 d （ 15 d - 4 years） and median weight was 3.4 kg （ 2 - 14. 5 kg ）. Eight patients were put on ECMO, while 14 patients were placed on LVAD. Results Thirteen （59%） patients died and 9 （41% ） survived to discharge. In survivals, the duration of LVAD and the duration of ECMO were both shorter than those of nonsurvivals （P 〈 O. 05）. The main complication was bleeding. Conclusion The earlier treatment and application of more advanced cardiac support devices for CHD patients are key factors for reducing complications.

Ultrastructure of oval cells in children with chronic hepatitis B,with special emphasis on the stage of liver fibrosis:The first pediatric study

AIM:To investigate the ultrastructure of oval cells in children with chronic hepatitis B,with special emphasis on their location in areas of collagen fibroplasia. METHODS:Morphological investigations were conducted on biopsy material obtained from 40 children,aged 3-16 years with chronic hepatitis B. The stage of fibrosis was assessed histologically using the arbitrary semiquantitative numerical scoring system proposed by Ishak et al. The material for ultrastructural investigation was fixed in glutaraldehyde and paraformaldehyde and processed for transmission-electron microscopic analysis. RESULTS:Ultrastructural examination of biopsy specimens obtained from children with chronic hepatitis B showed the presence of two types of oval cells,the hepatic progenitor cells and intermediate hepatic-like cells. These cells were present in the parenchyma and were seen most commonly in areas of intense periportal fibrosis (at least stage 2 according to Ishak et al) and in the vicinity of the limiting plate of the lobule. The activated nonparenchymal hepatic cells,i.e. transformed hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells were seen in close proximity to the intermediate hepatic-like cells. CONCLUSION:We found a distinct relationship between the prevalence of oval cells (hepatic progenitor cells and intermediate hepatocyte-like cells) and fibrosis stage in pediatric patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Usefulness of the Pediatric Appendicitis Score and Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio for Assessing the Complicated Appendicitis in Children

Introduction: Acute appendicitis (AA) is a common surgical disease which occurs in almost all age groups, and especially in childhood. Acute appendicitis is one of the most common causes of acute abdomen. The lifetime occurrence of this disease is approximately 7%, with perforation rate of up to 20%. In spite of the well-known classical symptoms and clinical findings of acute appendicitis, early diagnosis can be sometimes challenging. For the treatment of simple appendicitis (SA) in children, the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment has been reported. We aimed to determine predictive value of combination NLR and PAS in pediatric patients with clinical suspicion of acute appendicitis and complicated appendicitis Methods: Our study was performed on 480 children admitted for suspected acute appendicitis and underwent appendectomy at the MNCMCH, Ulaanbaatar Mongolia, between May 2019 and December 2019. White blood count (WBC), Neutrophil, NLR and PAS were compared between groups. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV of PAS + NLR for differentiating complicated and noncomplicated appendicitis were 86.8%, 89.4%, 92.1% and 76% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV of PAS + NLR for diagnosis of acute appendicitis were 90.5%, 68.1%, 97.68% and 32.6% respectively. Conclusion: In the era of conservative antibiotic-based management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis, we advocate that combination of NLR and PAS is a useful aid in predicting complicated appendicitis.