Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infection in infants and children

In the past 10 years, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infection in infants and children has not been decreased in Japan. Clinical manifestations may include history of diarrhea, a visibly bloody stool, fever, and abdominal tenderness those last for about 2 weeks and restore naturally. However, if the patients suffer from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) that may be fatal infrequently. The major treatment for EHEC infection and HUS have been therapies for these symptons. Therefore new therapeutic agents for vero toxin (VT) have been developed, but that is still experimental. We describe the latest clinical researches and treatment strategies in this paper.     

Single-dose pharmacokinetics of ceftibuten (SCH 39720) in infants and children.

Ceftibuten (CFB), a new broad-spectrum cephalosporin for oral administration, possesses potent activity in vitro against a wide range of gram-negative and certain gram-positive pathogens frequently encountered in pediatric patients. Its antimicrobial spectrum and dosage formulation suggest a use for CFB in the treatment of otitis media and upper and lower respiratory and urinary tract infections in infants and children. To assess the pharmacokinetic characteristics of CFB in pediatric patients, we completed a multicenter investigation of 49 children (26 females) between the ages of 6 months and 17 years who had normal hepatic and renal functions and no evidence of chronic disease. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined from repeated blood samples (n = 12) and, when possible, quantitative urine collections (n = 7) obtained over a 12- to 24-h period following a single oral CFB dose of either 4.5 or 9.0 mg/kg of body weight. CFB was quantitated from plasma and urine samples by using a sensitive, microanalytical high-pressure liquid chromatography method. The drug was rapidly absorbed (mean time to maximum concentration in serum = 140 min) and produced apparent peak concentrations in plasma (Cmax) ranging from 5.0 to 19.0 mg/liter. Average CFB pharmacokinetic parameters (+/- standard deviations) were as follows: apparent elimination half-life, 2.0 +/- 0.5 h; mean residence time, 3.9 +/- 1.1 h; apparent steady-state volume of distribution, 0.4 +/- 0.2 liter/kg; and apparent total plasma clearance (CL/F), 2.5 +/- 0.9 ml/min/kg. No significant differences in any of the pharmacokinetic parameters were observed between the two dosing groups. Significant (P < 0.05) negative correlations were found between patient age and CFB elimination half-life and CL/F and between the estimated creatinine clearance and renal clearance and CL/F. Apparent age dependence of CFB disposition was also reflected by a greater CL/F in children from 0.5 to less than or equal 5 years of age (3.1 +/- 1.1 ml/min/kg) than in children > 10 years of age (2.0 +/- 0.6 ml/min/kg; P < 0.005). The increased CL/f for CFB (3.0 +/- 0.5 ml/min/kg) was corroborated by a validation study performed with 11 infants (1.0 +/- 0.5 ml/min/kg) with CL/F for 19 subjects suggested that appreciable nonrenal clearance (1.3 +/- 0.6 ml/min/kg) of CFB occurred in children, a finding different from preliminary data for adults.     

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in infants and children: report of nine cases

We report here nine children with AIDS. The risk factors of these patients were hemophilia in one, blood transfusions in four, maternal intravenous drug use in three and paternal AIDS in one. One baby was also of Haitian parentage. The major clinical symptoms included failure to thrive, hepatomegaly, lymphadenopathy, interstitial pneumonia, recurrent bacterial and viral infections and persistent oral thrush. Three infants had chronic recurrent parotitis. Five infants developed opportunistic infections primarily Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and all five died of bacterial sepsis. None of the infants were lymphopenic but all had reversed T4/T8 ratios and poor in vitro lymphocyte responses to pokeweed mitogens. Although many of the clinical and laboratory features of pediatric and adult AIDS are similar, there are some unique features for pediatric AIDS such as the absence of lymphopenia and the high prevalence of recurrent bacterial infections and sepsis.     

Pneumonia in infants and children

The diagnosis of pneumonia in infants and children is commonly made despite the lack of a definitive test or screening procedure to aid the clinician. Treatment decisions are usually based upon the knowledge of the most likely causative pathogens important in the individual patient's age group. Morbidity due to pneumonia is, in most cases, mild, so that most children can be managed at home.