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Objectives Osteoarticular infections are infrequent in pediatric patients, although their incidence seems to be increasing. They usually affect children younger than 5 years and tend to localize in the lower limbs. Because of their nonspecific symptoms, especially at onset, a timely diagnosis is difficult to achieve, with the subsequent risk of a delay in treatment. We hereby report the management of osteoarticular infections in our pediatric emergency department. Methods This is a retrospective descriptive study of patients diagnosed with osteoarticular upper limb infection in the pediatric emergency department of a tertiary hospital from January 2011 to December 2016. Results From an initial global sample of 170 patients diagnosed with osteomyelitis or septic arthritis at any location at the pediatric emergency department, 32 children (18.82%) with upper limb involvement were included in the study. Of them, 22 were male and the mean age at diagnosis was 14.5 months (interquartile range, 2-106). Eighteen patients (56%) were diagnosed with septic arthritis, and 14 (44%) had a diagnosis of osteomyelitis.The most frequent symptom was pain (50%). More than one third of patients (11) had received a different diagnosis in a previous hospital visit. A traumatic etiology was suspected in 7 cases (21%).Regarding acute phase reactants, the mean value for C-reactive protein was 21.3 mg/L, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated in 27 cases (84%). In 28 patients, blood cultures were obtained, 24 of which came back negative. All children received antibiotic treatment and achieved a full recovery. Conclusions One third of patients were misdiagnosed at the first consultation, which stresses the importance of a high clinical suspicion to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment of osteoarticular infections. This study also shows a lower mean age of children with upper limb infection as compared with those with lower limb infection. All patients recovered fully with oral antibiotics.

This study aims to describe the clinical presentation and outcome of patients diagnosed with acute ileitis in our pediatric emergency department.We performed a retrospective study of all patients diagnosed with terminal ileitis by abdominal ultrasonography findings in our pediatric emergency department, over the years 2013 and 2014. Patients with previous diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were excluded. Data collected were clinical, radiological, and laboratory data at diagnosis; outcome including hospitalization care; and outpatient follow-up in pediatric gastroenterology and/or primary care.A total of 20 cases were retrieved and studied. All of them presented with abdominal pain, 65% located in the right lower quadrant. Leukocyte count, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen levels (means, 12,889; 4/μL; 50.1 mg/L; and 575 mg/dL, respectively) were above normal range. Hemoglobin and platelet count were normal. A microbial cause of ileitis was found in 3 cases (Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter jejuni, and Adenovirus). Nine patients were referred to a pediatric gastroenterology unit. No cases of IBD were found.Acute ileitis is a rare and benign cause of abdominal pain in the pediatric emergency department. The main intervention on initial assessment is to rule out potentially severe causes of abdominal pain that could benefit of an emergency surgical procedure. In contrast with adults and adolescents, acute ileitis in children does not have a clear association with development of IBD.