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BACKGROUND: A cohort study of children with pharyngitis aged two to 16 years was conducted to assess the role of microbial and host factors in group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) microbiological treatment failure. METHODS: GABHS-infected children had pharyngeal swabs repeated two to five days after completing a 10-day course of penicillin V. M and T typing, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis were performed on the isolates, and the isolates were evaluated for tolerance. Patient characteristics and clinical features were noted and nasopharyngeal swabs for respiratory viruses were taken at enrolment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Of 286 patients enrolled, 248 (87%) could be evaluated. GABHS was cultured from 104 patients (41.9%), of whom 33 (33.7%) had microbiological treatment failures on follow-up. Although there was a trend toward failure for younger children (mean 6.5±2.4 years versus 7.3±2.4 years, P=0.07) and M type 12 (24% versus 10%, P=0.08), no factors were associated with treatment failure.

There has been much media attention in the past few years to the condition dubbed 'flesh-eating disease', which refers, primarily, to a form of invasive group A beta hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection that leads to fascia and muscle necrosis. In 1999, the Canadian Paediatric Society issued a statement on the state of knowledge and management of children, and close contacts of persons with all-invasive GABHS disease (1). The present note is intended to deal specifically with necrotizing fasciitis (NF) by providing an update on the limited current state of knowledge, diagnosis and management. Surveillance to establish actual national rates and epidemiology of NF through the Canadian Paediatric Society is proposed.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of routine stool examination for all pathogens in paediatric nosocomial diarrhea (NAD) and community-acquired diarrhea (CAD) over a two-year period at Alberta Children’s Hospital and current practices in other Canadian hospitals. A secondary objective was to characterize features that may predict NAD or CAD etiology.STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study and telephone survey.SETTING: Alberta Children’s Hospital (retrospective review) and Canadian tertiary care paediatric centres (telephone survey).METHODS: The health and microbiological records of all children with an admission or discharge diagnosis of diarrhea were reviewed using a standardized data collection form. In addition, a telephone survey of laboratories serving all paediatric hospitals in Canada was conducted using a standard questionnaire to obtain information about practices for screening for pathogens related to NAD.RESULTS: Four hundred and thirty-four CAD episodes and 89 NAD episodes were identified. Overall, rotavirus and Clostridium difficile were the most commonly identified pathogens. Bacterial culture was positive in 10.6% CAD episodes tested, with Escherichia coli O157:H7 identified as the most common non-C difficile organism. In NAD, no bacteria were identified other than C difficile (toxin). Screening for ova and parasites had negligible yield. Viruses were more frequent in the winter months, while bacterial pathogens were more common in the summer and fall months. Over 50% of Canadian paediatric hospitals still routinely process NAD specimens similarly to CAD specimens.CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for the re-evaluation of routine ova and parasite screening, and bacterial culture in nonoutbreak episodes of NAD in children.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical course of children admitted for varicella zoster virus (VZV) infections to a pediatric hospital before the release of VZV vaccine in Canada.DESIGN: Retrospective case series.SETTING: Tertiary pediatric hospital. Population studied was children aged 18 years or younger admitted to hospital between 1983 and 1992 who were discharged with a diagnosis of varicella or zoster. Of the 201 children who were identified, 36 were excluded, leaving 165 for analysis.RESULTS: There was a male:female ratio of 1.5:1 and a median age of 5.3 years (range two weeks to 18 years). The group included those who were previously healthy (70, 42.4%), immunocompromised (60, 36.4%), and those with nonimmunocompromising conditions (35, 21.2%). Comparison of immunocompetent and immunocompromised children revealed that complication of VZV infection was a more common reason for admission among the former (86 of 105, 81.9%, P<0.001), whereas treatment with acyclovir to limit dissemination was the most common reason in the latter (53 of 60, 88.3%, P<0.001). Skin and soft tissue infections were the most common complications in immunocompetent children (36 of 98) and those younger than five years (26 of 53), whereas pulmonary complications predominated among immunocompromised patients (eight of 98) and neurological complications in five- to 10-year-olds (16 of 36). Only one death (0.6%) occurred in an immunocompetent patient. Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus caused equal numbers of secondary infections (92% of all isolates).CONCLUSIONS: Complications of VZV infections and secondary prophylactic antiviral treatment of immunocompromised children explain the majority of hospitalizations in this institution, and can be monitored after VZV vaccine introduction. Complications vary significantly with underlying healthy status and age.

To compare the yield of two aerobic and an anaerobic BACTEC blood culture media in detecting bacteremia in ambulatory and hospitalized care settings at a children’s hospital, a prospective cohort study was completed. Over an 18-month period, equal blood volumes (minimum of 1 mL/bottle) were inoculated into a three-bottle culture set including aerobic BACTEC NR 6A, aerobic BACTEC PEDS Plus and anaerobic NR 7A broths. Chart reviews were completed on all children with bacteremia to determine whether the isolate was clinically significant based on predefined criteria. Among 5328 evaluable blood culture sets, 323 clinically significant organisms (110 from ambulatory and 213 from hospitalized children) were isolated. Most Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus species, and Neisseria or Moraxella species were recovered from children attending the emergency department or out-patient clinics. Important isolates in hospitalized children included most of the staphylococci and Enterobacteriaceae, and all group D enterococci, Gram-negative nonfermentative bacilli and all Candida species. Overall, significantly more isolates were detected only in the anaerobic bottle from ambulatory children (P<0.0001), including 13 of 54 (24%) patients with S pneumoniae bacteremias presenting to the emergency department. This study indicated that different BACTEC blood culture media combinations are needed in ambulatory and hospitalized pediatric care settings to ensure the optimal recovery of all types of isolates. Whereas aerobic blood culture bottles are adequate for detection of bacteremia in hospitalized children, the common occurrence of fastidious organisms mandates the need for a combined aerobic/anaerobic culture set in ambulatory pediatric care settings.