Incidence of serious infection in infants under age two months with fever

Infants less than eight weeks of age in a busy urban emergency department were prospectively reviewed during a six-month period, from October 1, 1981 to March 31, 1982. An axillary temperature of 37.8 degrees C or higher was arbitrarily defined as significantly elevated. A total of 1,655 young infants were seen during this time period, with 122 having temperatures of 37.8 degrees C or higher (7%). Four percent of the febrile patients were bacteremic. The degree of temperature elevation was not proportional to the severity of the illness. Total white blood cell count was less than 4,000/mm3 in two of the bacteremic patients. Cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis was present in 13% of the patients undergoing lumbar puncture.     

A score identifying serious bacterial infections in children with fever without source

The objective of the study was to develop a simple clinical tool to identify serious bacterial infection (SBI) in children with fever without a source. For each child, a clinical assessment, a white blood cell count, a urine analysis, a determination of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and appropriate cultures were performed. Two hundred two children were studied of whom 54 (27%) had SBI. In the multivariate analysis, only procalcitonin [odds ratio (OR): 37.6], C-reactive protein (OR: 7.8), and urine dipstick (OR: 23.2) remained significantly associated with SBI. The sensitivity of the score for the identification of SBI was 94% and the specificity 81%. In the validation set the sensitivity of the score was 94% and the specificity 78%.     

Clinical characteristics of children with fever and transient neutropenia who experience serious bacterial infections

A review of consecutive previously healthy children with fever and newly discovered neutropenia without underlying malignancy, evaluated during a three-year period, was performed. A total of 68 episodes occurred in 68 patients; blood culture was performed on each. Of 17 patients who appeared compromised (ill, irritable, toxic) on presentation, five (30%) had either bacteremia or bacterial meningitis. All five patients had clinical evidence of a fulminant disease process on examination. By contrast, all 51 patients who appeared to be well on presentation were culture-negative. Fever and new-onset neutropenia in children is a heterogeneous disorder with several outcomes. Any child with fever and newly discovered neutropenia who appears ill should be presumed to be at high risk for systemic bacterial infection and receive hospitalization for parenteral antibiotic therapy. By contrast, the previously healthy child older than two months of age with fever and new-onset neutropenia who appears to be well, and whose clinical evaluation does not indicate a serious underlying disease process, is at low risk for accompanying systemic bacterial infection; hospitalization with empiric antibiotic therapy pending culture results is not warranted for the majority of such children. Close outpatient monitoring with serial evaluation of the peripheral blood absolute neutrophil count to document bone marrow recovery is recommended for such cases.     

Incidence, clinical spectrum, and outcome of intrauterine infections in neonates

A prospective study was undertaken on the incidence of intrauterine infections by screening 1302 cord blood samples for total IgM by radial immunodiffusion. Specific IgM against cytomegalovirus (CMV), rubella and Toxoplasma were estimated in cord blood samples found to contain total IgM > 20 mg/dl. All these neonates were examined at birth and at discharge. Cord blood samples with total IgM > 20 mg/dl were further screened for specific IgM against rubella, CMV and Toxoplasma. Neonates found to have positive specific IgM were followed-up for hearing, opthalmological and developmental assessment. Raised cord blood (IgM > 20 mg/dl) was found in 270/1302 (20.6 per cent). Mean birth weight was comparable in babies with raised (> 20 mg/dl) or low (< 20 mg/dl) cord blood total IgM. Incidence of prematurity and low birth weight were not statistically different in babies with raised cord blood IgM when compared to those with low cord blood IgM levels. Similarly, incidence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) idiopathic was similar in two groups. Specific IgM for rubella was found to be positive in eight (0.6 per cent). Of these, three had symptomatic rubella infection. Two mothers of these symptomatic babies had exanthematous viral illness during first trimester. Specific IgM for CMV was found to be positive in 23 (1.8 per cent) while two infants had symptomatic CMV disease. None of the babies was found to have specific IgM against Toxoplasma. One baby with symptomatic CMV disease and one with rubella died. Another baby with symptomatic CMV disease developed neonatal hepatitis which improved on follow-up but the infant went on to develop sensorineural deafness. All other asymptomatic babies with specific IgM positive against rubella and CMV were found to have normal vision, hearing and development on follow-up.     

Correlating reported fever in young infants with subsequent temperature patterns and rate of serious bacterial infections

A retrospective study was performed of 292 infants younger than 2 months of age with a history of fever who received a standardized evaluation and were admitted to the hospital for possible sepsis. The purpose was to correlate the presence of this symptom with subsequent temperature patterns and the rate of serious bacterial infections (SBI). Caretakers reported fever per rectum via thermometer in 244 infants and tactile fever in 48 infants. Of 244 infants with reported fever per rectum, 224 (92%) had fever on presentation or during the subsequent 48 hours of hospitalization; by contrast, only 22 of 48 infants (46%) with reported tactile fever had fever on presentation or during the subsequent 48 hours of hospitalization (P less than 0.0001). Of 26 infants with tactile fever who were afebrile on presentation, none had subsequent fever during hospitalization and only 1 (3.8%) had SBI (urinary tract infection); of 40 infants with reported fever per rectum who were afebrile on presentation, 8 (20%) had subsequent fever during hospitalization and 4 (10%) had SBI (meningitis, bacteremia, osteomyelitis and urinary tract infection). There were a total of 19 infants (6.5%) with SBI; although 5 (27%) were afebrile on presentation (4 with reported fever per rectum, 1 with tactile fever), all 19 exhibited abnormal clinical and/or laboratory features on evaluation which were suggestive of underlying serious infection. Management decisions for young infants with reported fever should be based on both clinical findings and temperature-pattern profiles.     

Reasons for the absence of a history of recurrent genital infections in mothers of neonates infected with herpes simplex virus

Thirty-one cases of neonatal herpes simplex (HSV) infection were evaluated to determine how often mothers of infected infants lacked a history of recurrent genital infections and the reasons for its absence. A history of recurrent genital infections was elicited from eight (26%) of the mothers. Nine (29%) of the mothers had primary infections; three of these were oral and six were genital. The mother was not the source of infection in three (9.6%) cases. In eleven (35%) cases, the mother had antibody to HSV but did not have a history or findings of primary or recurrent infection. Two of these mothers had positive cervical or vaginal cultures, but neither had genital lesions typical of HSV in the perinatal period. Two mothers had recurrent HSV infections documented later. The source of the HSV infection remained uncertain in 23% of cases including two in which only the father had a history of recurrent genital infection. When mothers with primary infections in the perinatal period were excluded, the HSV neutralization titers of the mothers of infected infants were similar to the titers of the mothers with recurrent genital infections whose infants were not infected. In contrast, the infected infants had titers fourfold lower than their mother's titer as well as fourfold lower than the 16 infants exposed to HSV who remained uninfected. This discrepancy suggests that the mothers may have had a rise in titer late in pregnancy or that placental transport of antibody was limited. Although 26% of the mothers of infected infants had recurrent genital infections, only three (9.6%) had an easily elicitable history.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

降钙素原对不同热程不明原因发热儿童严重细菌感染诊断价值的Meta分析

目的 探讨降钙素原（PCT）对不同热程不明原因发热儿童严重细菌感染(SBIs)的诊断价值。方法 计算机检索获得PCT对不明原因发热儿童SBIs诊断价值的文献,检索时间为建库至2014年7月,按照QUADAS标准对纳入文献进行质量评估。使用MetaDisc 1.4软件进行Meta分析,对不同平均热程（<24、～48和>48 h）PCT、WBC和中性粒细胞绝对计数（ANC）诊断SBIs的敏感度、特异度等指标进行汇总,并进行异质性检验,绘制综合受试者工作特征曲线（SROC）,计算曲线下面积（AUC）。使用Stata 12.0软件判断发表偏倚并绘制漏斗图。结果 初检到442篇文献,11篇文献符合纳入标准进入Meta分析（中文1篇,英文10篇）。①平均热程<24 h对SBIs的诊断价值：PCT的汇总敏感度和特异度分别为0.75（95％CI：0.69~0.80）和0.80（95％CI：0.77~0.83）,SROC AUC为0.870（95％CI：0.817~0.923）;WBC的汇总敏感度和特异度分别为0.48（95％CI：0.41~0.55）和0.54（95％CI：0.51~0.58）,AUC为0.484（95％CI：0.440~0.663）;ANC的汇总敏感度和特异度分别为0.30（95％CI：0.21~0.40）和0.78（95％CI：0.73~0.83）。②平均热程24~48 h对SBIs的诊断价值：PCT的汇总敏感度和特异度分别为0.86（95％CI：0.79~0.91）和0.63（95％CI：0.60~0.67）,AUC为0.857（95％CI：0.761~0.953）;WBC的汇总敏感度和特异度分别为0.54（95％CI：0.44~0.65）和0.46（95％CI：0.41~0.51）,AUC为0.558（95％CI：0.479~0.636）;ANC的汇总敏感度和特异度分别为0.47（95％CI：0.28~0.66）和0.12（95％CI：0.08~0.17）。③平均热程>48 h对SBIs的诊断价值：PCT 的汇总敏感度和特异度分别为0.83（95％CI：0.75~0.90）和0.55（95％CI：0.50~0.59）,AUC为0.816（95％CI：0.596~0.996）;2篇WBC文献的敏感度分别为0.69（95％CI：0.41~0.89）和0.34（95％CI：0.28~0.41）,特异度分别为0.81（95％CI：0.69~0.91）和0.29（95％CI：0.24~0.35）;ANC的敏感度和特异度分别为0.87（95％CI：0.75~0.95）和0.40（95％CI：0.34~0.46）。结论 对不明原因发热儿童诊断SBIs的价值,发热<24 h检测PCT有较高的特异度;发热24~48 h检测PCT有较高的敏感度。     

Enterovirus infections in neonates

Enteroviruses, which include echoviruses, coxsackie A and B viruses, polioviruses and the ‘numbered’ enteroviruses, are among the most common viruses causing disease in humans. A large proportion of enteroviral infections occur in neonates and infants. There is a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations that can be caused by enterovirus infection with varying degrees of severity. In the neonatal age group, enteroviral infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly when infection occurs antenatally. This review provides a detailed overview of the epidemiology and clinical features of enterovirus infections in the neonatal period. In addition, laboratory features and diagnostic investigations are discussed. A review of the currently available data for prophylactic and therapeutic interventions, including antiviral therapy, is also presented.     

Relationship of fever magnitude to rate of serious bacterial infections in infants aged 4-8 weeks

We correlated the height of fever with underlying infectious etiology in 683 consecutive febrile infants aged four to eight weeks who received outpatient evaluation for sepsis during a five-year period. The relative number of infants with fever was inversely proportional to fever height, as 51% had a temperature 38.1-38.9 degrees C, 45% had a temperature 39-39.9 degrees C, and 4% had a temperature greater than or equal to 40 degrees C [hyperpyrexia]. There were 34 cases of serious bacterial infections [SBI], including 16 cases of urinary tract infection, 8 cases of bacteremia, 6 cases of bacterial meningitis, and 4 cases of Salmonella enteritis. The rate of SBI increased in direct proportion to fever height, being 3.2% in those with a temperature 38.1-38.9 degrees C, 5.2% in those with a temperature 39-39.9 degrees C, and 26% in those with a temperature greater than or equal to 40 degrees C. The 6.8% rate of SBI in those with fever greater than or equal to 39 degrees C was significantly greater than the 3.2% rate in those with fever less than 39 degrees C [p less than 0.035]; and the 26% rate of SBI in those with hyperpyrexia was significantly greater than the 4.1% rate in those with fever less than 40 degrees C [p less than 0.000004]. In identifying those with SBI, the presence of hyperpyrexia had a sensitivity of 21%, specificity of 97%, positive-predictive value of 25%, and negative-predictive value of 96%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Incidence of hereditary spherocytosis in a population of jaundiced neonates

As most of hereditary spherocytosis-affected individuals experience jaundice at birth, it seemed of interest to evaluate the proportion of hereditary spherocytosis in 402 severely jaundiced neonates with a bilirubinemia level prompting phototherapy. Red cell dehydration, a hallmark of spherocytosis whether constitutional or acquired, was demonstrated in 74 of them, among whom 23 disclosed a typical pattern of spherocytosis upon red cell deformability studies. Acquired spherocytosis of immune origin was diagnosed in 19/23 and hereditary spherocytosis in 4, making the proportion of hereditary spherocytosis-affected individuals among a severely jaundiced population of neonates amount to 1%, an incidence at least 30-fold that of the overall population.     

Outpatient therapy of serious pediatric infections with ceftriaxone

Convalescent outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone was evaluated in an uncontrolled study of 101 children with documented serious bacterial infections, including meningitis. Criteria for outpatient therapy were established to assure that risks of complications from the illness were minimal at the time of discharge from the hospital. Daily physician visits and motivated, capable parents were considered essential in outpatient management. Ceftriaxone was given once daily to children with non-central nervous system infections and once or twice daily intravenously to children with meningitis. The mean durations of therapy for children with non-central nervous system infections and with meningitis were 2.4 and 4.6 days, respectively. No child enrolled in this study was readmitted to the hospital for medical or social reasons. Probable complications of treatment included diarrhea in 13% of children with meningitis and in 6% of children with non-central nervous system infections. One child with meningitis developed pseudomembranous colitis. For children who are infected with bacteria that are highly susceptible to ceftriaxone, single daily dose outpatient therapy is a reasonable option for management if a good clinical response to initial treatment is demonstrated and the risks of complications of the disease process are negligible.     

Chitotriosidase in neonates with fungal and bacterial infections

Increased plasma and/or urine chitotriosidase activity was found in neonates with fungal infection changing in parallel with their clinical condition. Increased levels were also found in neonates with bacterial infection. Chitotriosidase activity increase is not a response specific to fungi, but serial assays could monitor the course of neonatal fungal infection.