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Abstract Neurocysticercosis represents an important cause of seizures in children in endemic countries, such as Latin America, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, while in Europe, especially in Italy, the cases of neurocysticercosis are anectodal. We report the case of a 6 year old boy, born and lived for four years in Cameroon, who presented a right emiconvulsion. The diagnosis was neurocysticercosis. This case accentuates the need to consider neurocysticercosis in a child presenting with non febrile seizures, mainly if he emigrated from an area of high prevalence or if he had long-term stay in endemic regions.

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a major cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) worldwide [...].

Purpose: To investigate the accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) in diagnosing acute appendicitis in children; to evaluate the concordance between PoCUS performed by a pediatric emergency physician (PedEm) and ultrasonography (US) performed by a radiologist; to draw a "learning curve.", Methods: We prospectively enrolled children aged 0-14 years old led to the Emergency Department of Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, from January 2021 to June 2021, with suspected acute appendicitis. PoCUS was performed by a single trained PedEm, blindly to the radiologist's scan. A "self-assessment score" and the "time of duration of PoCUS" were recorded for each patient. Final diagnosis of appendicitis was made by a pediatric surgeon., Results: We enrolled 62 children (2-14 years). Overall sensitivity of PoCUS was 88%, specificity 90%; PPV 90.6%, and NPV 86.6%. Global concordance between the PedEm and the radiologist was good/excellent (k 0.74). The mean duration of PoCUS significantly decreased during the study period, while the self-assessment score increased., Conclusion: This is a preliminary study that shows the effectiveness of PoCUS in diagnosing acute appendicitis; furthermore, it shows how the PedEm's performance may improve over time. The learning curve showed how the experience of the PedEm affects the accuracy of PoCUS., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Drowning is the third leading cause of injury death in the pediatric population worldwide, with incidence peaking among those aged 1-4 years and again in adolescence.The purpose of this commentary is to review the basic pathophysiology of drowninginjury and factors that affect the outcome, such as submersion and hypothermia. We also discuss principles of prehospital and in-hospital management, comprising resuscitation and stabilization, administration of oxygen and intravenous liquids, and central reheating.Even though the mortality rate has decreased in recent years, further investments and safety measures are needed to prevent child drowning deaths., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The majority of internationally adopted children, before adoption, might have experienced malnutrition, exposure to infectious diseases, environmental deprivation, and neglect; they could also develop medical problems such as vitamin D deficiency. Scantly data are available about vitamin D status in internationally adopted children and, to our knowledge, no report exists on Italian adoptees., Methods: We carried out a prospective multicenter study, involving three Pediatric Centers in Piedmont, Italy, to collect information about 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) profile in adoptees, shortly after their arrival in Italy., Results: In 142/158 internationally adopted children 25(OH)D was measured: 75 males and 67 females, with a mean age of 4.22±2.2 years. Fifty-three (37.3%) of them came from Asia, 48 (33.8%) from Africa, 24 (16.9%) from Eastern Europe, and 17 (12%) from Latin America. The median level of 25(OH)D in serum was 21.5 ng/mL (IQR range 14.3-29.7 ng/mL): 26 (18.2%) of the examined children had an insufficiency of 25-OHD, whereas 36 (25.2%) had a deficiency. Adoptees with longer time of institution stay had a significant risk to develop 25(OH)D deficiency. The Asian origin proved to be a risk factor to develop 25(OH)D deficiency, whereas the age >1 year was significantly associated with 25(OH)D insufficiency., Conclusions: Our survey showed that vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, in internationally adoptees, are frequent and relevant health problems.

Background: In Italy, the State Regions Conference on 1 st August 2019 approved the Guidelines for Short-Stay Observation (SSO). At the beginning of 2022, the main Scientific Societies of the pediatric hospital emergency-urgency area launched a national survey to identify the extent to which these national guidelines had been adopted in the emergency rooms and pediatric wards of the Italian Regions., Methods: A survey has been widespread, among Pediatric Wards and Pediatric Emergency Departments (EDs), using both a paper questionnaire and a link to a database on Google Drive, for those who preferred to fill it directly online. Those who did not spontaneously answer, where directly contacted, via email and/or through a phone call and invited to participate. The data collected have been: age of managed children, presence of triage, presence of Sub-intensive Care Unit and Intensive Care Unit and special questions about Pediatric SSO, availability of training courses for workers, number of ED access in the last 4 years., Results: This survey is still ongoing, without a definite deadline, so we presented the preliminary data. Currently, 8/20 Regions have not yet adopted the Guidelines. Till 02 January 2023, data from 253 hospitals were collected. There are currently 180/253 active Pediatric SSO (71.03% of the Hospitals). There are not active SSO in 33.27% of first level ED, in 19.35% of second level ED and in 33.66% of General Hospitals with Pediatric Wards. Active SSO are located mainly (75.97%) within Pediatric Wards. At the moment, the survey has been completed in 16 Regions: in the 8 Regions which are using guidelines, pediatric SSOs are active in all the second level ED (compared to 60.87% of the other 8 regions), in the 91.66% of first level ED (compared to the 33.3%), and in the 97.1% of General Hospitals (compared to 33.3%), with a statistically significance (p < 0.0001). The territorial analysis of these 16 regions highlighted geographical differences in the percentage of SSOs active: 35.22% are active in hospitals in Southern Italy, 88.64% in Central Italy and 91.67% in those of the North., Conclusions: The delay in adopting specific guidelines negatively influences activation of pediatric SSOs in hospital system and prevents the adjustment of welfare level to new needs. To facilitate the activation of SSOs in hospitals, it is also necessary to guarantee adequate economic recognition. It is essential to implement public interventions to overcome the current inequalities in the interest of children and their families: the current delay seriously penalizes emergency pediatric hospital care, especially in the southern Italian Regions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The restrictive measures adopted worldwide against SARS-CoV-2 produced a drastic reduction in respiratory pathogens, including RSV, but a dramatic rebound was thereafter reported. In this multicenter retrospective observational study in 15 Pediatric Emergency Departments, all children <3 years old with RSV infection admitted between 1 September and 31 December 2021 were included and compared to those admitted in the same period of 2020 and 2019. The primary aim was to evaluate RSV epidemiology during and after the COVID-19 pandemic peak. The secondary aims were to evaluate the clinical features of children with RSV infection. Overall, 1015 children were enrolled: 100 in 2019, 3 in 2020 and 912 in 2021. In 2019, the peak was recorded in December, and in 2021, it was recorded in November. Comparing 2019 to 2021, in 2021 the median age was significantly higher and the age group 2-3 years was more affected. Admissions were significantly higher in 2021 than in 2020 and 2019, and the per-year hospitalization rate was lower in 2021 (84% vs. 93% in 2019), while the duration of admissions was similar. No difference was found in severity between 2019-2020-2021. In conclusion, after the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in RSV cases in 2021 exceeding the median seasonal peak was detected, with the involvement of older children, while no difference was found in severity.

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict to declare.

Objectives: Lung ultrasound (LUS) holds the promise of an accurate, radiation-free, and affordable diagnostic and monitoring tool in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. We sought to evaluate the usefulness of LUS in the diagnosis of patients with respiratory distress and suspicion of interstitial severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia, in comparison to other imaging modalities., Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective study. LUS was performed, on Emergency Department (ED) arrival of patients presenting for possible COVID-19 evaluation, by trained emergency physicians, before undergoing conventional radiologic examination or while waiting for the report. Scans were performed using longitudinal transducer orientation of the lung regions. CXR was interpreted by radiologists staffing ED radiology. Subjects were divided into two group based on molecular test results. LUS findings were compared to COVID test results, nonlaboratory data, and other imaging for each patient. Categorical variables were expressed as percentages and continuous variables as median ± standard error., Results: A total of 479 patients were enrolled, 87% diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 by molecular testing. COVID positive and COVID negative patients differed with respect to sex, presence of fever, and white blood cells count. Most common findings on lung point of care ultrasound (POCUS) for COVID-positive patients were B-lines, irregular pleural lines, and small consolidation. Normal chest X-ray was found in 17.89% of cases., Conclusions: This 479 patient cohort, with COVID-19, found LUS to be noninferior to chest X-ray (CXR) for diagnostic accuracy. In this study, COVID-positive patients are most likely to show B lines and sub-pleural consolidations on LUS examination., (© 2022 American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.)

Introduction: Methemoglobinemia (MetHb) is a rare inherited or acquired cause of cyanosis in children. Owing to its rarity, case reports and case series are mostly available in the current literature. This study reports data on a large sample of children with acquired MetHb., Methods: Data on patients admitted for acquired MetHb between January 2007 to December 2020 was extracted from the databases of five Italian pediatric emergency departments (EDs). Demographical and clinical characteristics was reported and discussed., Results: Nineteen cases of acquired MetHb were evaluated. Ten patients (52.6%) were male and 9 (47.4%) were female. The median age was 8.23 months. The median time from trigger to symptom onset was 6 hours. Mostly, the intoxication presumptively occurred by home ingestion of contaminated food, mainly badly preserved vegetable broth. All patients were cyanotic at admission, most patients also presented tachycardia and/or tachypnea, and two patients were comatose. Antidotal therapy with methylene blue was given in 14 patients (73.7%). The median hospital stay was 2 days. All patients survived., Discussion: As MetHb leads to the pathognomonic brown blood discoloration, blood gas analysis is mandatory immediately upon hospital arrival of a cyanotic patient. A correct medical history is crucial to identify the trigger and remove it. In our sample, the age onset was much lower than in the previous literature, and MetHb mainly due to ingestion of contaminated vegetable broth. Methylene blue led to a rapid recovery in all patients. Oxygen therapy may well lead to complete recovery when methemoglobin levels do not exceed 30% in asymptomatic and 20% in mildly symptomatic patients., Conclusions: The diagnosis and management of acquired MetHb in the emergency setting requires acknowledgment of this condition as a cause of cyanosis in the weaning child. Indeed, when promptly recognized and treated, this severe condition rapidly resolves with no significant acute sequelae.

Abstract: The ovarian torsion (OT) represents one of the most misleading and challenging diagnoses for the pediatrician. Symptoms are often nonspecific, including sudden, piercing localized lower abdominal pain and tenderness associated with a palpable mass and peritoneal signs. Although the adnexal torsion is most frequently unilateral, cases of bilateral synchronous or asynchronous have been recorded; in the latter, the OT involved both ovaries at different settings. We reported the case of a 6-year-old girl who presented an asynchronous bilateral OT., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) tend to develop a clinical condition of fluid overload due both to contractile cardiac pump deficit and to endotheliitis with subsequent capillary leak syndrome. In this context, the ability of point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) to simultaneously explore multiple systems and detect polyserositis could promote adequate therapeutic management of fluid balance. We describe the PoCUS findings in a case-series of MIS-C patients admitted to the Emergency Department. At admission 10/11 patients showed satisfactory clinical condition without signs and symptoms suggestive for cardiovascular impairment/shock, but PoCUS showed pathological findings in 11/11 (100%). In particular, according to Rapid Ultrasound in SHock (RUSH) protocol, cardiac hypokinesis was detected in 5/11 (45%) and inferior vena cava dilatation in 3/11 (27%). Peritoneal fluid was reported in 6/11 cases (54%). Lung ultrasound (LUS) evaluation revealed an interstitial syndrome in 11/11 (100%), mainly localized in posterior basal lung segments. We suggest PoCUS as a useful tool in the first evaluation of children with suspected MIS-C for the initial therapeutic management and the following monitoring of possible cardiovascular deterioration., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: COVID-19 pandemic caused huge decrease of pediatric admissions to Emergency Department (ED), arising concerns about possible delays in diagnosis and treatment of severe disorders., Methods: Impact of COVID-19 on Pediatric Emergency Room (ICOPER) was a retrospective multicentre observational study including 23 Italian EDs.All the children <18 years admitted, between March 9th and May 3rd 2020 stratified by age, priority code, cause of admission and outcome have been included and compared to those admitted in the same period of 2019.Our objectives were to assess the characteristics of pediatric admissions to EDs since COVID-19 outbreak until the end of lockdown, and to describe the features of critical children., Findings: 16,426 children were admitted in 2020, compared to 55,643 in 2019 (-70·48%). Higher reduction was reported in hospitals without Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) (-73·38%) than in those with PICU (-64·08%) ( P <0·0001). Admissions with low priority decreased more than critical ones (-82·77% vs. 44·17% respectively; P <0·0001). Reduction of discharged patients was observed both in hospitals with (-66·50%) and without PICU (-74·65%) ( P <0·0001). No difference in the duration of symptoms before admission was reported between 2019 and 2020, with the majority of children accessing within 24 h (55·08% vs. 57·28% respectively; P  = 0·2344)., Interpretation: Admissions with low priority decreased significantly more than those with high priority; we suppose that the fear of being infected in hospital maybe overcame the concerns of caregivers. Compared to 2019, no significant referral delay by caregivers was reported. Our data suggest the need of adaptation of EDs and primary care services to different needs of children during COVID-9 pandemic., Competing Interests: Nothing to disclose., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

From its start in China in December 2019, infection by the new SARS-CoV2 spread fast all over the world. It can present as severe respiratory distress in the elderly or a vasculitis in a child, most of whom are typically completely asymptomatic. This makes infection detection based on clinical grounds exceedingly difficult. Lung ultrasound has become an important tool in diagnosis and follow-up of patient with COVID-19 infection.Here we review available, up to date literature on ultrasound use for COVID-19 suspected pediatric patients and contrast it to published findings in adult patients., (© 2020 American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.)

This study sought to compare point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and conventional X-rays for detecting fractures in children. This was a prospective, non-randomized, convenience-sample study conducted in five medical centers. It evaluated pediatric patients with trauma. POCUS and X-ray examination results were treated as dichotomous variables with fracture either present or absent. Descriptive statistics were calculated in addition to prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, including 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Cohen κ coefficient was determined as a measurement of the level of agreement. A total of 554 examinations were performed with POCUS and X-ray. On physical examination, swelling, localized hematoma and functional limitation were found in 66.73%, 33.78% and 53.74% of participants, respectively. The most-studied areas were limbs and hands/feet (58.19% and 38.27%), whereas the thorax was less represented (3.54%). Sensitivity of POCUS was 91.67% (95% CI, 76.41-97.82%) for high-skill providers and 71.50 % (95% CI, 64.75-77.43%) for standard-skill providers. Specificity was 88.89% (95% CI, 73.00-96.34%) and 82.91% (95% CI, 77.82-87.06%) for high- and standard-skill providers, respectively. Positive predictive value was 89.19% (95% CI, 73.64-96.48%) and 75.90% (95% CI, 69.16-81.59%) for high- and standard-skill providers, respectively. Negative predictive value was 91.43% (95% CI, 75.81-97.76%) and 79.44% (95% CI, 74.21-83.87%) for high- and standard-skill providers, respectively. The Cohen κ coefficient showed very good agreement (0.81) for high-skill providers, but moderate agreement (0.54) for standard-skill providers. We noted good diagnostic accuracy of POCUS in evaluating fracture, with excellent sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value for high-skill providers., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest disclosure The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. There is no funding source for this study., (Copyright © 2020 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective and Design: Risk factors for severe measles are poorly investigated in high-income countries. The Italian Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases conducted a retrospective study in children hospitalised for measles from January 2016 to August 2017 to investigate the risk factors for severe outcome defined by the presence of long-lasting sequelae, need of intensive care or death., Results: Nineteen hospitals enrolled 249 children (median age 14.5 months): 207 (83%) children developed a complication and 3 (1%) died. Neutropaenia was more commonly reported in children with B3-genotype compared with other genotypes (29.5% vs 7.7%, p=0.01). Pancreatitis (adjusted OR [aOR] 9.19, p=0.01) and encephalitis (aOR 7.02, p=0.04) were related to severe outcome in multivariable analysis, as well as C reactive protein (CRP) (aOR 1.1, p=0.028), the increase of which predicted severe outcome (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.67, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.82). CRP values >2 mg/dL were related to higher risk of complications (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.7, p=0.01) or severe outcome (OR 4.13, 95% CI 1.43 to 11.8, p<0.01)., Conclusion: The risk of severe outcome in measles is independent of age and underlying conditions, but is related to the development of organ complications and may be predicted by CRP value., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

We report a case of acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (AHEI) occurred in an 11-month-old male infant after upper respiratory tract infection. The onset was dramatic with petechiae, ecchymosis, and annular, nummular, or targetoid purpuric plaques on the extremities, face, and ears. Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy is a benign form of leukocytoclastic vasculitis that typically affects children between 4 and 24 months of age. The etiology remains still unknown. The potential triggers of AHEI include preceding bacterial or viral infections, immunizations, and drugs. Although the clinical picture is fearful, in the majority of cases, it involves only cutaneous small vessels. Recognizing this as a distinct clinical entity allows to establish an appropriate prognosis for this rare benign disease in children.This report could be a helpful reminder, especially for emergency physicians, to discriminate AHEI from other more severe diseases, such as meningococcal sepsis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a re-emerging health problem in developed countries. This paper is part of large guidelines on the global management of TB in children, by a group of scientific societies. It describes the indications to hospitalization of children with suspected or diagnosed TB, the isolation measures, hospital discharge, and re-admission into the community. Using the Consensus Conference method, relevant publications in English were identified by means of a systematic review of MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from their inception until 31 December 2014. Available data on indications to hospitalization were mainly indirect and largely derived from observational studies. They include: (1) host-related risk factors, the main being age <12 months, immune deficiencies, and malnutrition; (2) TB-related clinical conditions that resemble those of pneumonia but also include drug-resistance; and (3) social and logistic conditions. The latter are based on opinion and depend on local conditions. Analysis of the literature showed that patients hospitalized with suspected pulmonary TB should be put in precautionary respiratory isolation regardless of their age while they await diagnosis. The general conditions for re-admission into the community are at least 14 days of effective treatment and negative microscopic tests of 3 consecutive samples in previously microscopically positive patients. This is the first paper that provides indications to hospitalization of children with TB. Most recommendations are generally applicable in all developed countries. Some might need an adaptation to local setting, epidemiological, parameters, and availability of specific health-care facilities., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

The aim of this survey was to describe the incidence, epidemiology, microbiology, risk factors and outcome of medical care related laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections (LCBIs) observed during a twelve-month prospective study in a Paediatric Teaching Hospital in Turin, Italy. Inclusion criteria were clinical signs of sepsis and positivity of one or more of the following tests: blood culture, polymerase chain reaction for bacterial and fungal DNA on blood, and culture on intravascular device tips. In all, 140 episodes of sepsis were documented in 131 children: 37 (26.4%) were healthcare outpatient-associated, 91 (65.0%) healthcare-associated and 12 (8.6%) community-acquired. The overall incidence of healthcare-associated LCBIs was 13.6/1,000 hospitalized patients and incidence density 1.4/1,000 inpatient days. The overall mortality was 3.9%. Forty-seven (36.7%) episodes involved newborns and 107 (83.6%) episodes were observed in children with an indwelling central venous catheter. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (26.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (15.2%), Escherichia coli (8.7%) and Candida spp. (7.2%) were responsible for the majority of cases. 9.5% of S. aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant and 6.5% of Gram negatives were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing. Incidence and epidemiology of medical care related LCBIs were similar to the existing literature data. LCBIs caused by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms were fewer and mortality rate was lower. Most of the LCBIs recorded involved newborns and oncological children.

Deep neck infection (DNI) is a severe occurrence in children. We've examined the presenting signs and symptoms, the value of single diagnostic procedures, the rate of complications and the impact of the therapeutic options on the final outcome, in children with a DNI. We retrospectively evaluated patients, aged 0-18 years, who were admitted for a DNI, from January 2006 through December 2012, at Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy. We subdivided them on the basis of type of treatment: pharmacological treatment alone or antimicrobial treatment plus surgery. An univariate analysis has been performed to examine the differences between the two groups. Sixty patients (32 males, 28 females) with diagnosis of DNI were enrolled; 33 children only received medical treatment (group 1), whereas 27 patients underwent also surgical interventions (group 2). The mean abscess size was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (p = 0.01). The predominant organisms were Streptococcus sp. (11 cases, 52.4%, mostly Streptococcus pyogenes). The most frequent antibiotic regimen was a β lactam alone (either III generation cephalosporin or amoxicillin/clavulanate). The duration of intravenous antibiotic varied between the two groups, without statistical significance (p = 0.052); whereas the oral antibiotic administration was significantly shorter in group 1 than in group 2 (p = 0.0003). Three patients (5%) developed complications. This research confirms that the medical approach, with high doses of intravenous antibiotics for a minimum of 5 days, could be a tolerable and safe option for the treatment of patients with stable condition and/or small DNIs., (Copyright © 2014 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are one of the major causes of lymphadenitis in children and seldom of deep neck infections. We reported the case of an immunocompetent two-year-old girl with adenitis and retropharyngeal abscess caused by an atypical mycobacterium. She had a positive tuberculin skin test, whereas the Quantiferon TB Gold test was negative. The child underwent a complete nodal excision. The search for acid fast bacilli was positive and Mycobacterium scrofulaceum was isolated from the surgically removed material. The retropharyngeal abscess was treated only with antimicrobial therapy, which resulted in an appreciable size reduction of the abscess. After two months antimicrobial treatment was interrupted, and complete resolution was achieved after twelve months. No relapse of disease or possible long-term complications were observed. The surgical wound healed completely, with normal overlying skin and a good aesthetic result. The clinical management of atypical mycobacteria lymphadenitis and retropharyngeal abscess in children is discussed.

Objective: To report our experience on the safety and tolerability of moxifloxacin for treating children affected by pulmonary TB., Study Design: Children receiving a moxifloxacin-containing anti-TB regimen were included in the study. Their medical records were revised at the end of follow-up., Methods: We describe nine children treated with moxifloxacin for pulmonary TB at Regina Margherita Children's Hospital (Turin, Italy) between 2007 and 2012. Moxifloxacin was administered orally at 10 mg/kg/day once daily (maximum dose = 400 mg/day) following World Health Organization indications. During treatment, patients were systematically assessed for the development of side effects., Results: Eight children were considered cured at the end of treatment; one child was lost to follow-up after 3 months of treatment. Two children had side effects during treatment: one developed arthritis of the ankle; the other had liver toxicity, whose relationship with moxifloxacin could not be ruled out. We did not observe any case of QT prolongation, central nervous system disorders, growth defects or gastrointestinal disturbances., Conclusions: A moxifloxacin-containing regimen might be considered for the treatment of TB in children, especially for drug-resistant and extensive forms. However, vigilance for possible side effects is recommended, especially if other drugs are concomitantly used. Studies on wider populations are needed to better define the impact of long-term treatments with quinolones on children's growth and psychomotor development and to outline regulatory indications on moxifloxacin use in the pediatric setting., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Oral myiasis is a condition in which tissues of the oral cavity are invaded by the larvae of flies. It is a rare disease in humans, often associated with very poor dental and oral hygiene. In children the main predisposing factors are incompetent lips, thumb sucking habits and continuous mouth breathing. The condition has been reported mainly in Asia and South America and rarely in more developed countries. The cases recorded in Italy concern adults with ocular or cutaneous manifestations alone. We describe an unusual infestation of the oral cavity of a five-year-old Italian boy with a severe congenital heart defect. He presented a gingival swelling and, after a few hours, some larvae could be seen moving through his oral cavity. They were removed manually and an oral antibiotic was given to avoid a bacterial superinfection. Three days after, oral examination of the patient revealed a gradual decrease in gingival swelling; complete clinical resolution was achieved about two weeks later. This case is reported as a reminder to consider oral myiasis in the event of suspected gingival swelling in children, especially if they have predisposing factors or if they come from an endemic area.

Objective: To evaluate the risk of upper gastrointestinal complications (UGIC) associated with drug use in the paediatric population., Methods: This study is part of a large Italian prospective multicentre study. The study population included children hospitalised for acute conditions through the emergency departments of eight clinical centres. Patients admitted for UGIC (defined as endoscopically confirmed gastroduodenal lesions or clinically defined haematemesis or melena) comprised the case series; children hospitalised for neurological disorders formed the control group. Information on drug and vaccine exposure was collected through parental interview during the children's hospitalisation. Logistic regression was used to estimate ORs for the occurrence of UGIC associated with drug use adjusted for age, clinical centre and concomitant use of any drug., Results: 486 children hospitalised for UGIC and 1930 for neurological disorders were enrolled between November 1999 and November 2010. Drug use was higher in cases than in controls (73% vs 54%; p<0.001). UGICs were associated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (adjusted OR 2.9, 95% CI 2.1 to 4.0), oral steroids (adjusted OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.7 to 4.8) and antibiotics (adjusted OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.8 to 3.1). The duration of use of these drug categories was short (range 1-8 days). Paracetamol showed a lower risk (adjusted OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.6) compared to ibuprofen (adjusted OR 3.7, 95% CI 2.3 to 5.9), although with partially overlapping CIs., Conclusions: NSAIDs, oral steroids and antibiotics, even when administered for a short period, were associated with an increased risk of UGIC.

Introduction. Invasive bacterial diseases continue to represent a significant burden in paediatric age, and the emergence of previously secondary bacteria and antibiotic-resistant strains requires a continuous surveillance. Materials and methods. A one-year prospective survey on laboratory confirmed community-acquired bloodstream infections (CA-LBSIs) cases admitted to an Italian tertiary specialistic paediatric Hospital. Results. Twelve cases were documented, with an incidence rate of 0.39/1,000 admissions to the Emergency Department, and of 2.9/1,000 hospitalizations to general and specialized wards. Mean age at diagnosis was 5.2 +/- 5.9 years, with 58.3% of episodes regarding children younger than years. Six episodes were caused by Gram positive and six by Gram negative bacteria, with potential vaccine-preventable pathogens responsible of 50% of CA-LBSIs. Empiric antibiotic therapy prescribed at admission was found appropriate to microbiological results in the totality of cases and administered for a mean time of 17.7 +/- 10.1 days. No resistant strains were found. All patients had a good outcome. Conclusions. Prompt collection of samples for microbiological tests together with the rapid institution of empiric antibiotic therapy are essential for the correct management of CA-LBSIs in paediatric patients. Implementation of vaccinations against the major responsible pathogens remains the most important prevention strategy.

Background: This prospective surveillance study was designed to estimate the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and to analyze the risk factors for their development in a pediatric neurosurgical unit., Methods: The study was performed in an Italian teaching hospital from October 2008 through March 2010. All children (0-18 years) undergoing neurosurgery were included and monitored daily for the development of HAIs., Results: The study included 260 patients, with a mean age of 4.3 ± 4.7 years. Thirty-six HAIs were detected in 25 patients; catheter-related infections were the most frequent. Etiological identification was available in 22 cases; Gram-negative bacteria were the most commonly isolated pathogens. The incidence density was 11.0/1,000 patient days, and the incidence rate was 13.8/100 patients. The crude mortality was 0%. The risk of developing HAIs was related to the length of hospital stay, while the higher the age of the patients, the lower the risk of developing HAIs., Conclusion: To our knowledge, this survey is the first study to evaluate the overall incidence of HAIs and to explore the risk factors implicated in their development in neurosurgical pediatric patients. The most effective strategies to prevent these infections are reduction of the length of the hospital stay and improvement in device management., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)