Management of febrile seizures in a developing country

In the analysis of 128 patients with febrile convulsions, we identified hazards not encountered in the western world, which could alter the ultimate management of the child. These include administration of home remedies during the seizures, detrimental cultural beliefs and poor socio-economic conditions. All complex seizures in our series were initial seizures. Recurrent benign febrile seizures did not predispose to a complex seizure. Behaviour disorders were the most prominent side effect following long term phenobarbitone administration.     

Seasonal variation in etiology of travelers' diarrhea. Finnish-Moroccan Study Group.

The etiology of travelers' diarrhea was studied in 579 adult Finnish tourists participating in two packaged tours to Morocco in the winter (n = 233) and fall (n = 346) of 1989. A research team accompanied the travelers, and a laboratory for enteric pathogens was established in Agadir. At least one pathogen was found in 62% of the 60 diarrhea cases in winter and in 58% of the 111 diarrhea cases in fall. Multiple pathogens were found less often in winter (8%) than in fall (21%, P less than .05). Campylobacter strains were the leading cause of travelers' diarrhea in winter, found alone or with other pathogens in 28% of the cases (but in only 7% in fall), whereas enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was the most common pathogen in fall, present in 32% of the cases (8% in winter). Both differences are highly significant (P less than .001). Salmonella enterica was almost as common as ETEC in fall (25% of diarrhea cases) but rare in winter (10%, P less than .05). Thus, the etiology of travelers' diarrhea varied according to the season in the same tourist destination. This finding has relevance to both antimicrobial treatment and prophylaxis.     

Diabetes in the elderly in a developing country.

In developing countries diabetes in the elderly is thought to be uncommon and is consequently ignored by health planners. We assessed the prevalence of complications of diabetes mellitus and frequency of hospital admissions in patients aged 60 and over in a hospital diabetic clinic in Sri Lanka. Elderly diabetic patients, though comprising only 23% of clinic patients, accounted for 46% of admissions. The prevalence of coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension and visual handicap was increased in the diabetic patients when compared to age and gender matched controls. We conclude that diabetes in the elderly is a significant cause of morbidity in Sri Lanka.     

Community-acquired bacterial bloodstream infections in developing countries in south and southeast Asia: a systematic review

Information about community-acquired bacteraemia in developing countries in south and southeast Asia is scarce. We aimed to establish the case fraction of bacteraemia in febrile patients admitted to hospital. We searched four databases and identified studies of south and southeast Asia published between 1990 and 2010 that prospectively assessed patients admitted to hospital and from whom a blood culture was taken. We reviewed 17 eligible studies describing 40,644 patients. Pathogenic organisms were isolated from 3506 patients (9%; range 1-51%); 1784 (12%) of 14,386 adults and 1722 (7%) of 26,258 children. Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi was the most common bacterial pathogen, accounting for 532 of 1798 (30%) isolates in adults and 432 of 1723 (25%) in children. Other commonly isolated organisms in adults were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and other gram-negative organisms, and in children were Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. A substantial case fraction of bacteraemia occurs in patients admitted to hospital with fever in this region. Management could be improved if diagnostic microbiology facilities were more widely available. The prevailing organisms causing bacteraemia and their susceptibility patterns could inform empirical treatment regimens and prevention strategies.     

Ceftazidime-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection in children with febrile neutropenia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate prevalence of ceftazidime-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) in the pediatric oncology unit of University Hospital, Kuala, Lumpur, and to identify differences between febrile neutropenic pediatric patients with CRKP and ceftazidime-sensitive K. pneumoniae (CSKP) bacteremia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Febrile neutropenic patients treated between January 1996 and December 1997 at the pediatric oncology unit of University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, were prospectively studied. Empirical antibiotic therapy consisted of ceftazidime and amikacin. Those who developed K. pneumoniae bacteremia were identified, and clinical features analyzed. Ceftazidime-resistance was documented via disk-diffusion testing. Production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) was inferred on the basis of synergy between ceftazidime and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. The different features between the two groups and variables associated with the development of CRKP bacteremia were analyzed using chi-square and t-tests and calculation of odds ratios. A multivariate analysis was used to identify independent factors for CRKP development. RESULTS: Ceftazidime-resistance was seen in 51.6% of all K. pneumoniae isolates, and all these isolates were inferred to be ESBL producers. All isolates were sensitive to imipenem. Susceptibility to gentamicin was 90.5%. The mean continuous hospital stay prior to the detection of bacteremia was 13.7 days overall, but significantly longer in the CRKP group (21.9 d) compared to the CSKP group (4.3 d) (P = 0.003). Children with CRKP were more likely to have received antibiotics in the 2 weeks prior to detection of bacteremia (87.5% of cases) than the CSKP group (20.0% of cases) (P = 0.0008). Sepsis-related mortality was higher in those with CRKP (50.0%) than in the CSKP group (13.3%) (P = 0.02). Patients who did not receive CRKP-directed antibiotics within 48 hours of admission were more likely to have a fatal outcome than those who did (P = 0.009). Logistic regression analysis identified use of third-generation cephalosporins 2 weeks prior to presentation and a hospital stay of 2 weeks or more as independent risk factors for development of CRKP. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of total K. pneumoniae isolated from blood cultures in the unit were ceftazidime-resistant. Children with febrile neutropenia with prolonged hospital stay and recent prior antibiotic exposure are at high risk of developing CRKP bacteremia. Mortality was significantly higher in this group. Early commencement of appropriate antibiotics (e.g., imipenem with or without gentamicin), according to susceptibility study results, may be beneficial in such circumstances.     

Status epilepticus in central nervous system infections: an experience from a developing country

Objective

There is a paucity of comprehensive study in status epilepticus in central nervous system infections. This observational study evaluated the response to antiepileptic drugs in patients with status epilepticus and central nervous system infection.

Methods

The study took place at a tertiary care teaching hospital in India. A total of 37 of 93 adult patients (39.8%) with status epilepticus had central nervous system infection, and they underwent clinical evaluation, including status type and duration. Magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analyses were performed. Patients were categorized into encephalitis, meningitis, and granuloma groups. The response to antiepileptic drugs was noted, and the status was considered refractory if seizures continued after the second antiepileptic drug. Refractory status epilepticus and mortality were correlated with the type of infection and various clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings.

Results

The median age of the patients was 37 years (16-78 years), and 17 patients were female; 35 patients had convulsive status epilepticus, and 2 patients had nonconvulsive status epilepticus. Twenty patients had encephalitis (Japanese 4, herpes simplex 3, nonspecific 12), including 1 patient with malaria, 9 patients with meningitis (tubercular 5, pyogenic 3, fungal 1), and 7 patients with granuloma (tubercular 5, neurocysticercosis 2). The mean duration of status epilepticus was 19.6 hours (0.25-72 hours). Magnetic resonance imaging results were abnormal in 66.7% of patients. In 67.6% of patients, status epilepticus was controlled after the first antiepileptic drug. Some 24.3% of patients were refractory to the second antiepileptic drug, and 10.8% of patients did not respond to the third antiepileptic drug. Patients with encephalitis had an insignificantly poor response. Eleven patients (29.7%) died, and mortality was higher in patients with refractory status epilepticus.

Conclusion

Of patients with status epilepticus and central nervous system infection, 24.3% had a refractory status that was associated with a high mortality. Their response to an antiepileptic drug in encephalitis was insignificantly poorer.     

A hospital-based study of bloodstream infections in febrile patients in Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Teaching Hospital, Nepal

The etiology of bloodstream infections in febrile patients remain poorly characterized in Nepal. A retrospective study of febrile patients presenting to Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Teaching Hospital from July 2002 to June 2004 was performed to evaluate the etiology of bloodstream infections and the drug sensitivity patterns of cultured organisms. The medical and laboratory records of all febrile patients with an axillary temperature > or = 38 degrees C who had a blood culture taken (n = 1,774) were retrieved and analyzed. Of these, 122 (6.9%) patients had positive blood cultures, of which 40.1% were age 11 to 20 years. The male to female ratio was 1.7:1. Antibiotics had been taken prior to hospital presentation by 39 (32%) patients. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and serovar Paratyphi A were isolated in 50 (41.0%) and 13 (10.7%) cases, respectively. All S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone, while susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol was recorded in 94.8% and 94.5% of cases, respectively. Cephalexin and amoxicillin had the lowest rates of susceptibility (64.2% and 54.1%, respectively). Salmonella spp were usually sensitive to chloramphenicol. These findings provide clinicians in this region of Nepal with a better understanding of the spectrum of pathogens causing bloodstream infections and will help guide empiric antibiotic choice.     

Clinical audit in a developing country

The advantages of health care audits in developing countries with severe resource constraints are discussed, citing examples from Malawi. Measuring quality in health care raises the standard of care through decreased uncertainty in health care provision, rationalized choice, appropriate direction of limited resources, increased job satisfaction and improved ethical standards.     

Paediatric anaesthesia in a developing country

A suitable anaesthetic technique was needed for oral surgery in infants in a developing country. As an air compressor was present, and oxygen accessible, a continuous flow technique was chosen. Two Boyle's machines--useless due to lack of soda lime and nitrous oxide--were converted without increasing susceptibility to technical and supplemental deficiencies. The challenge to simplify techniques without reducing patient safety is discussed, and the solutions in an Ethiopian hospital are presented.     

Magnitude of the disease burden from neurocysticercosis in a developing country.

Cysticercosis contributes to higher epilepsy rates in developing countries than in industrialized ones, yet no estimate exists for the associated burden of disease. We used epidemiological data on neurocysticercosis in Peru to calculate the burden of disease and applied our model to the other countries of Latin America where neurocysticercosis is endemic to determine a regional estimate. Analysis of 12 population-based community studies demonstrated that neurocysticercosis was endemic in highland areas and high jungles, with seroprevalences from 6% to 24%. In one community, the adult seizure disorder rate was 9.1% among seropositive persons versus 4. 6% among seronegative persons; we used this difference for estimates. On the basis of average prevalence rates in areas of endemicity of 6%-10%, we estimated that there are 23,512-39,186 symptomatic neurocysticercosis cases in Peru. In Latin America, an estimated 75 million persons live in areas where cysticercosis is endemic, and approximately 400,000 have symptomatic disease. Cysticercosis contributes substantially to neurological disease in Peru and in all of Latin America.     

A hospital-based prevalence survey of bloodstream infections in febrile patients in Malawi: implications for diagnosis and therapy

The etiology of bloodstream infections (BSIs) in febrile (> or =37.5 degrees C) adults (> or =18 years old) in one Malawi hospital were determined during August and September 1997. After clinical evaluation, blood was drawn for comprehensive culture, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 testing, and malaria smear. Of 233 patients, 173 (74%) were HIV-1 infected, and 70 (30%) had BSI. BSI pathogens included 25 (33%) Streptococcus pneumoniae and 21 (28%) Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nine patients (4%) had malaria parasitemia. BSIs were more likely in HIV-1-positive than in -negative patients (62/173 vs. 8/60, P<.01). Clinical predictors of BSI included HIV-1 infection and altered mental status. Mortality among inpatients with BSI was higher than among those without BSI (P<.001). In conclusion, S. pneumoniae and M. tuberculosis are frequent causes of BSI in febrile adults. Similar surveys, performed periodically in developing countries, may assist in the identification of clinical predictors of BSI and in planning appropriate therapy.     

Prospective assessment of the etiology of acute febrile illness after a tick bite in Slovenia.

A prospective study established the etiology of febrile illnesses in residents of Slovenia that occurred within 6 weeks after a tick bite. A combination of laboratory and clinical criteria identified 64 (49.2%) of 130 patients as having confirmed, probable, or possible cases of tickborne disease during 1995 and 1996. Of the 130 patients, 36 (27.7%) had laboratory evidence of tickborne encephalitis, all of whom had clinically confirmed disease. Evidence of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was identified in 26 patients; 10 (7.7%) had confirmed Lyme borreliosis. Of 22 patients with evidence of Ehrlichia phagocytophila infection, 4 (3.1%) had confirmed ehrlichiosis. Infection by multiple organisms was found in 19 (14.6%) of 130 patients. Patients with meningeal involvement (43 [72.3%] of 59) were more likely to have confirmed tickborne disease than were patients with illness of undefined localization (18 [26.5%] of 68; P<.0001). Tickborne viral and bacterial infections are an important cause of febrile illness in Slovenia.     

Seasonal variation of Acinetobacter infections: 1987-1996. Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System.

To determine whether nosocomial infections due to Acinetobacter species have increased over the past 10 years and whether infections continue to have a pronounced seasonal variation, we analyzed infections reported by hospitals in the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System that performed adult and pediatric intensive care unit surveillance from 1987 through 1996. Overall, 3447 nosocomial acinetobacter infections were reported during 5,596, 156 patient-days. There was a yearly median of 7.2 infections (range, 5.0-10.5) per 10,000 patient-days and a downward trend in the rate of acinetobacter infections overall (P<.05) and of 2 major types of infection (P<.05): bloodstream infections (yearly median, 1.6 per 10, 000 central venous catheter-days; range, 1.3-2.9) and pneumonia (yearly median, 7.6 per 10,000 ventilator-days; range, 6.5-12.0). Throughout this period, average rates were significantly higher during July-October than during November-June for acinetobacter infections overall (8.0 vs. 5.2; P<.01) and for bloodstream infections (2.0 vs. 1.2; P<.01) and pneumonia (9.7 vs. 6.6; P<.01).