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Objective: Any component of the urinary system can get infected with bacteria, which is known as a urinary tract infection (UTI). It is one of the most common bacterial diseases in children. The study's objectives included identifying the clinical symptoms of UTI in children between the ages of one month and fifteen, as well as the bacteria responsible for the illness and their sensitivity to various medicines. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the CMH Rawalpindi, Pakistan from January to June of 2022. Our analysis comprised 137 strongly suspected instances of UTI in children (1 month to 15 years old). Results: A total of 137 urine samples from paediatric patients suspected of having UTI were obtained in which the 93 samples (67.88%) generated significant bacteria. The two most common clinical symptoms of UTI patients in our research were fever and dysuria. E. coli was the most prevalent isolate in cases with paediatric UTI. Ampicillin, Ciprofloxacin, and cotrimoxazole were the medications that were most effective against E. coli and Klebsiella, respectively. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of identifying the clinical symptoms, bacteria causing urinary tract infections (UTIs), and their drug sensitivity patterns in children. The findings emphasize the need for early detection through urine culture sensitivity tests and provide valuable insights for clinicians to effectively manage UTI cases in children, including selecting appropriate empirical antibiotic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To validate a clinical scoring system for defining the severity of ailment that will assist in developing strategies for management prioritisation. Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Paediatric Department, Combined Military Hospital Lahore, Pakistan, form Jan 2020 to Jul 2021. Methodology: The paediatric patients who reported to the Medical Reception Centre and were admitted to an Inpatient Facility were enrolled. Demographic profile, temperature, oxygen saturation, pulse, respiratory rate, seizures, and sensorium labelled as "TOPRS" score was recorded with "0 - Normal" and "1 - Abnormal" and scores calculated for each patient with the incorporation of systemic inflammatory response and advanced paediatric life support criteria. Results: A total of 300 paediatric patients with an age range of 1-18 years (mean: 3.86±5.43) were included. Of 300 patients, 237(79%) were discharged after improvement, and the mortality rate was 63(21%). A significant association with the mortality rate was deciphered with temperature, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate variables. In contrast, pulse rate, sensorium, and seizures were concluded to have an insignificant association. Score "0" mortality was associated with the 4.4% mortality, whereas score "5" enumerated an 80% death rate. Conclusion: The TOPRS clinical scoring system has significant value in the diagnosis of mortality and morbidity of paediatric patients and, hence, can assist in early recognition and triage of patients, consequently aiding in the provision of prioriti sation protocols and management in a befitting manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the pSOFA score in predicting mortality in critically ill pediatric patients. Study Design: Cross-sectional validation study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Paediatrics, Pak-Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, Aug 2021 to Feb 2022. Methodology: We studied 76 critically ill paediatric patients. All patients underwent pSOFA scoring on admission and then at 72 hours post-admission and were followed up till discharge or till mortality occurred. A pSOFA score of >10 was considered a high mortality risk. The two-by-two table was constructed to calculate the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of the pSOFA score in predicting the occurrence of death. Results: The pSOFA score had a sensitivity of 88.9% at Day-0, which improved to 100% by Day-7 in predicting whether mortality occurred. The specificity was 80.6% on Day-0 and 97.0% on Day-7. The diagnostic accuracy of pSOFA in predicting mortality was 81.6% when performed on the day of admission, which increased to 90.8% when calculated on Day 3 and was the highest on Day-7 when it was 97.4%. Conclusion: The pSOFA score has good diagnostic accuracy in predicting the occurrence of mortality in paediatric patients admitted to intensive care, which increases as the length of stay increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 Virus disease in the pediatric population in Pakistan. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Mar 2020 to Jan 2021. Methodology: All children presenting to the department with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 disease were tested for the virus. Patients who tested positive on the PCR were included in the study. Patients with nonconsistent symptoms of COVID-19 and those who tested negative on the PCR were excluded from the study. All clinical data, including the age of the child, the onset of symptoms, the gap between the onset of symptoms and presentation as well as clinical symptoms, were documented on a predefined proforma. Results: A total of 106 patients were enrolled on the study. The mean age of patients was 5.6±2.5 years. The most frequent symptoms were fever (63, 59.6%) and cough (49, 46.2%). There were 3(2.9%) cases with severe or critical illness. The most frequent abnormal laboratory findings were leukopenia (29, 27.4%) and increased creatine kinase (38, 36.0%). Groundglass opacities were observed in the HRCT chest of 17(65.3%) cases, out of 26 children diagnosed with pneumonia. The majority (70, 66%), had a positive exposure history. 88(83%) cases did not abide by the precautionary measures against the COVID-19 disease. Conclusions: The current study indicates that children usually present with mild symptoms but can present as severe diseases, as observed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]