NEUTROPENIC ENTEROCOLITIS IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

Neutropenic enterocolitis is an acute, life-threatening inflammation of the small and large bowel, often seen in children with malignancies during periods of prolonged or severe neutropenia. During the period 1990-1995, 180 children were treated at the authors' center for acute lymphoblastic leukemia using a standard chemotherapy protocol. Among them, 11 children (6.1%) aged 4 to 12 years, were diagnosed clinically to have neutropenic enterocolitis. Eight had severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < 10⁸/L and 5 had prolonged neutropenia (> 7 days duration). The symptoms included diffuse abdominal pain (10 children), oral mucositis (7), hematochezia (7), diarrhea (6), hematemesis (5), and right lower quadrant tenderness (4). Three children had radiological evidence of free intraperitoneal gas and an additional 3 children were found on surgical exploration to have cecal perforation. Laparotomy was performed on 8 children (73%), 4 of whom survived. Among the 3 children managed conservatively, 1 died awaiting surgical exploration, while the other 2 did well. The overall survival was 55%. The authors recommend an approach to management that respects the heterogeneity of the disease.     

Gastrointestinal and feeding issues for infants <25 weeks of gestation

Appropriate nutrition is essential for optimal development and growth of preterm infants. Infants less than 25 weeks corrected gestational age are frequently the most difficult group for which to provide adequate nutrition due to minimal energy stores and high fluid losses. Nutrient delivery becomes an integral, but also very challenging part in their management. Early administration of intravenous nutrients provides a critical bridge to full enteral nutrition. However, enteral feeding is challenging due to immaturities of the intestinal tract, feeding intolerance and the risk of catastrophic gastrointestinal disease such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Decreased gastric acid production, increased gut permeability, reduced immunoglobulins, immature intestinal epithelia and a decreased mucin barrier all contribute to weakness to gastrointestinal insult. This review aims to illustrate the importance of enteral feeding and the common challenges and approaches in the nutrition of infants born at this age.     

Nutritional management of cow's milk allergy in children: An update

Cow's milk is one of the most common foods responsible for allergic reactions in children. Cow's milk allergy (CMA) involves immunoglobulin E (IgE)- and non-IgE-mediated reactions, the latter being both variable and nonspecific. Guidelines thus emphasize the need for physicians to recognize the specific syndromes of CMA and to respect strict diagnostic modalities. Whatever the clinical pattern of CMA, the mainstay of treatment is the elimination from the diet of cow's milk proteins. The challenge is that both the disease and the elimination diet may result in insufficient height and weight gain and bone mineralization. If, during CMA, the mother is not able or willing to breastfeed, the child must be fed a formula adapted to CMA dietary management, during infancy and later, if the disease persists. This type of formula must be adequate in terms of allergic efficacy and nutritional safety. In older children, when CMA persists, the use of cow's milk baked or heated at a sufficient temperature, frequently tolerated by children with CMA, may help alleviate the stringency of the elimination diet. Guidance on the implementation of the elimination diet by qualified healthcare professionals is always necessary. This guidance should also include advice to ensure adequate bone growth, especially relating to calcium intake. Specific attention should be given to children presenting with several risk factors for weak bone mineral density, i.e., multiple food allergies, vitamin D deficiency, poor sun exposure, steroid use, or severe eczema. When CMA is outgrown, a prolonged elimination diet may negatively impact the quality of the diet over the long term.     

24-hour and 30-day perioperative mortality in pediatric surgery

Purpose

The low perioperative mortality rate in pediatric surgery precludes effective analysis of mortality at individual institutions. Therefore, analysis of multi-institutional data is essential to determine any patterns of perioperative death in children. The aim of this study was to determine diagnoses associated with 24-hour and 30-day perioperative mortality.

Autistic enterocolitis: Fact or fiction?

Autism spectrum disorder refers to syndromes of varying severity, typified by impaired social interactions, communicative delays and restricted, repetitive behaviours and interests. The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has been on the rise, while the etiology remains unclear and most likely multifactorial. There have been several reports of a link between autism and chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. Endoscopy trials have demonstrated a higher prevalence of nonspecific colitis, lymphoid hyperplasia and focally enhanced gastritis compared with controls. Postulated mechanisms include aberrant immune responses to some dietary proteins, abnormal intestinal permeability and unfavourable gut microflora. Two autism spectrum disorder patients with chronic intestinal symptoms and abnormal endoscopic findings are described, followed by a review of this controversial topic.     

早产大鼠坏死性小肠结肠炎三种常用模型的建立及评价

目的 用人工喂养+缺氧+冷刺激、缺氧-复氧及腹腔注射内毒素(lipopolysaccharides,LPS)等国内外常用方法建立早产大鼠坏死性小肠结肠炎(necrotizing enterocolitis,NEC)模型,并进行比较和评价. 方法 A组早产大鼠(n=10)采用代乳品人工喂养,并给予100%氮气缺氧90 s,4℃冷刺激10 min,每天2次,连续2 d;B组早产大鼠(n=10)给予100%氮气5 min,100%氧气5 min,每天2次、连续3 d;C组早产大鼠(n=10)给予腹腔注射LPS 5 mg/kg;D、E、F组为相应正常对照组,每组10只.HE染色后光镜下观察肠道、肝、肺及肾组织病理改变,并对肠组织损伤情况进行病理评分,评分≥2分确定为NEC. 结果 A、B、C组均出现不同程度的活动减少,腹胀腹泻,肠道扩张充血.A至F组的肠组织损伤病理评分结果分别为(3.13±0.64)分、(1.40±0.52)分、(2.00±0.42)分、(0.30±0.48)分、(0.30±0.48)分和(0.40±0.52)分,模型组与相应对照组比较,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);模型组内B组与A组比较,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);C组与A组比较,差异亦有统计学意义(P＜0.05).A、B、C组的NEC发生率分别为6/8、20%(5/10)和4/8,对照组的NEC发生率均为0.C组的肝脏、肾脏和肺脏损伤较A、B组严重,而对照组各重要脏器均未见异常. 结论与缺氧-复氧和腹腔注射LPS等单因素的建模方法相比,综合运用人工喂养+缺氧+冷刺激更接近新生儿NEC的病因,且其发生率高,重复性好,特异性强,是一种较为理想的NEC建模方法.     

Impact of human milk banking on neonatal mortality,necrotizing enterocolitis,and exclusive breastfeeding – experience from a tertiary care teaching hospital,south India

Objective: The objective of this study is to study the impact of a Human Milk Bank (HMB) on neonatal mortality, incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and rate of exclusive breastfeeding.

Methods: This pre–post intervention study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching institute in south India. Data regarding neonatal mortality, incidence of NEC, and exclusive breastfeeding rates were collected for a period of 6 months before and after establishing a modern HMB and compared.

Results: The number of deliveries, live births, and incidence of preterm and VLBW neonates during pre- and post-HMB periods were comparable. Neonatal mortality was 11.32/1000 live births pre-HMB compared with 10.77/1000 live births post HMB. The incidence of NEC was 1.26% of live births pre-HMB compared with 1.07% post-HMB. Exclusive breastfeeding rate pre-HMB was 34% compared with 74% post HMB (p?Conclusion: There is a decreasing trend in neonatal mortality and incidence of NEC after establishing a HMB. Human milk banking significantly improved exclusive breastfeeding rate in the population studied.     

Endoscopic evaluation of immunotherapy-induced gastrointestinal toxicity

Immunotherapy is any treatment aimed at boosting or enhancing the immune system. It includes a wide range of options, from vaccines to treatment for conditions such as allergy and cancer. In the case of cancer, unlike other available treatments, immunotherapy is not aimed at destroying the tumor cells but at stimulating the patient's immune system so that it attacks the tumor. In cancer,immunotherapy provides a series of advantages. Nevertheless, immunotherapy administered for treatment of cancer is associated with immune-mediated enterocolitis. Colitis mediated by monoclonal anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 and to programmed cell death protein 1 and its ligand PDL1 shares characteristics with chronic inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), and similar findings have been reported for both the endoscopy images and the segment involved. The most frequent lesions on endoscopy are ulcer and erythema, and the most frequently affected site is the sigmoid colon. A segmental pattern has been reported to be slightly more frequent than a continuous pattern.In addition, upper gastrointestinal lesions have been reported in up to half of patients, with the most frequent findings being gastritis and erosive duodenitis.As is the case in IBD, systemic corticosteroids and immunosuppressive treatment(anti-TNF agents) are the approaches used in patients with a more unfavorable progression. Immunotherapy must be suspended completely in some cases.     

胎膜早破与晚发型败血症和(或)新生儿坏死性小肠结肠炎的临床观察

目的探讨胎膜早破(PROM)与晚发型败血症(LOS)和(或)新生儿坏死性小肠结肠炎(NEC)的临床特点及其发病特征,为早期识别和诊断PROM与LOS和(或)NEC提供理论依据。 方法选择2015年6月至2017年6月,在安徽医科大学第一附属医院分娩并且诊断为PROM与LOS、或PROM与NEC、或PROM与LOS及NEC的62例患儿为研究对象,并纳入重症感染组。选取同期于本院分娩,诊断为PROM且无感染性疾病的62例新生儿为对照组。采用回顾性分析方法,采集2组患儿的就诊时日龄、性别、娩出方式等一般临床资料,PROM孕妇的破膜时间、新生儿出生体重、出生胎龄,以及其母亲产前激素使用情况,妊娠期糖尿病、妊娠期高血压疾病发生情况等临床指标。采用Wilcoxon秩和检验,对2组患儿就诊时日龄、PROM孕妇的破膜时间进行比较。采用成组t检验,对2组患儿的出生体重、出生胎龄进行比较。采用χ²检验,对2组患儿性别、娩出方式构成比及小于胎龄儿发生率进行比较。采用Spearman秩相关性分析,对重症感染组患儿LOS和(或)NEC发病日龄与PROM孕妇的破膜时间的相关性进行分析。本研究遵循的程序符合安徽医科大学第一附属医院人体试验委员会制定的伦理学标准,得到该伦理委员会批准。 结果①2组患儿就诊时日龄及性别、娩出方式构成比等一般临床资料比较,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。②重症感染组PROM孕妇的破膜时间为72 h (36～102 h),长于对照组的48 h (18～72 h),2组比较,差异有统计学意义(Z＝2.072,P＝0.040)。重症感染组与对照组患儿出生体重分别为(1 562.2±487.7) g与(1 967.6±582.8) g,出生胎龄分别为(30.9±2.3)周与(32.9±2.5)周,2组患儿出生体重、出生胎龄分别比较,差异均有统计学意义(t＝4.790、5.172,P<0.001)。重症感染组患儿小于胎龄儿发生率为16.1%(10/62),明显高于对照组的3.2%(2/62),并且差异有统计学意义(χ²＝5.905,P＝0.015)。③重症感染组和对照组患儿出生胎龄构成比比较,差异有统计学意义(χ²＝30.75,P<0.001)。④重症感染组患儿LOS和(或)NEC发病日龄为1～42 d,中位发病日龄为13.5 d (9.8～18.0 d) 。重症感染组患儿LOS和(或)NEC发病日龄与PROM孕妇的破膜时间呈正相关关系(r_秩＝0.327,P＝0.009)。 结论PROM孕妇分娩新生儿合并LOS和(或)NEC的破膜时间较长,新生儿出生胎龄更小,小于胎龄儿发生率更高。临床对于破膜时间≥72 h、出生胎龄<34周及小于胎龄的PROM孕妇分娩的新生儿,应予以高度重视。