Search

International audience; Introduction: Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants but its economic burden is not well documented. Our objective was to describe the clinical evolution and to assess the 1-month cost of a first episode of acute bronchiolitis presenting to the emergency department (ED).Methods: Our study was an epidemiologic analysis and a cost study of the cohort drawn from the clinical trial GUERANDE, conducted in 24 French pediatric EDs. Infants of 6 weeks to 12 months of age presenting at pediatric EDs with a first episode of bronchiolitis were eligible. The costs considered were collected from a societal viewpoint, according to the recommendations of the French National Health Authority.Results: A total of 777 infants were included with a median age of 4 months. A total of 57% were hospitalized during the month following the first consultation in the ED, including 28 (3.6%) in an intensive care unit. The mean length of stay was 4.2 days (SD = 3.7). The average time to relief of all symptoms was 13 days (SD = 7). Average total cost per patient was €1919 (95% confidence interval: 1756-2138) from a societal perspective, mostly due to hospitalization cost. The estimated annual cost of bronchiolitis in infants was evaluated to be between €160 and €273 million in France.Discussion: Bronchiolitis represent a high cost for the health care system and broadly for society, with hospitalizations costs being the main cost driver. Thus significant investments should be made to develop innovative therapies, to reduce the number of hospitalizations and length of stay.

Purpose Some probiotic strains reduce the duration of acute diarrhea. Because of strain and product specificity, each product needs to be supported by clinical data. This study aimed to test the efficacy of the synbiotic food supplement Probiotical (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium infantis, fructo-oligosaccharides) in children with acute gastroenteritis of likely infectious origin. The primary endpoint was the number of children with normal stool consistency during the treatment duration. Methods A total of 46 children (aged 3.6 months to 12 years) with acute gastroenteritis that started less than 48 hours prior to their visit at a hospital-based emergency department were included in this prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. All children were treated with oral rehydration solution and placebo (n=20) or the test product (n=26). Results Significantly more children had a normal stool consistency on days 1 and 2 in the probiotic group: 5 children (20%) on day 1 in the probiotic group compared with none in the placebo group (p=0.046). On day 2, 11 children in the probiotic group (46%) and 3 (16%) in the placebo group (p=0.024) had a normal stool consistency. The mean duration of diarrhea was shorter in the probiotic group compared with that in the placebo group (3.04±1.36 vs. 4.20±1.34 days) (p=0.018). Conclusion The test product was shown to normalize stool consistency significantly more rapidly than the placebo. These data confirm the findings from a previous study in a larger group of children performed in a primary healthcare setting.

Diarrhea in childhood is very frequent (two episodes/year/children less of 5 years), rarely fatale (mostly mild) and not requiring additional exploration. But it can justify a hospitalization in case of dehydration (delay of care) or risk of dehydration. It is mainly of viral origin (rotavirus +++) and it has for main complication dehydration. Diagnosis and evaluation of the dehydration, in percentage of loss of weight, must be fast and lead (drive) to a premature correction of hypovolumic shock (or to an accurate fluid management). Main treatment is oral rehydration solutions (ORS), which considerably upset the morbi-mortality, associated with a premature refeeding. Breast-feeding must not be interrupted. Symptomatic treatments and especially antibiotics are not recommended. In case of failure of the rehydration by ORS, alternative is nasogastric tube or intraveinous infusion. Prevention includes essentially the respect of hygienic rules and antirotavirus vaccine.

Importance Acute bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants. Previous studies, underpowered to examine hospital admission, have found a limited benefit of nebulized hypertonic saline (HS) treatment in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Objective To examine whether HS nebulization treatment would decrease the hospital admission rate among infants with a first episode of acute bronchiolitis. Design, Setting, and Participants The Efficacy of 3% Hypertonic Saline in Acute Viral Bronchiolitis (GUERANDE) study was a multicenter, double-blind randomized clinical trial on 2 parallel groups conducted during 2 bronchiolitis seasons (October through March) from October 15, 2012, through April 15, 2014, at 24 French pediatric EDs. Among the 2445 infants (6 weeks to 12 months of age) assessed for inclusion, 777 with a first episode of acute bronchiolitis with respiratory distress and no chronic medical condition were included. Interventions Two 20-minute nebulization treatments of 4 mL of HS, 3%, or 4 mL of normal saline (NS), 0.9%, given 20 minutes apart. Main Outcomes and Measures Hospital admission rate in the 24 hours after enrollment. Results Of the 777 infants included in the study (median age, 3 months; interquartile range, 2-5 months; 468 [60.2%] male), 385 (49.5%) were randomized to the HS group and 387 (49.8%) to the NS group (5 patients did not receive treatment). By 24 hours, 185 of 385 infants (48.1%) in the HS group were admitted compared with 202 of 387 infants (52.2%) in the NS group. The risk difference for hospitalizations was not significant according to the mixed-effects regression model (adjusted risk difference, –3.2%; 95% CI, –8.7% to 2.2%; P = .25). The mean (SD) Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument score improvement was greater in the HS group (–3.1 [3.2]) than in the NS group (–2.4 [3.3]) (adjusted difference, –0.7; 95% CI, –1.2 to –0.2; P = .006) and similarly for the Respiratory Assessment Change Score. Mild adverse events, such as worsening of cough, occurred more frequently among children in the HS group (35 of 392 [8.9%]) than among those in the NS group (15 of 384 [3.9%]) (risk difference, 5.0%; 95% CI, 1.6%-8.4%; P = .005), with no serious adverse events. Conclusions and Relevance Nebulized HS treatment did not significantly reduce the rate of hospital admissions among infants with a first episode of acute moderate to severe bronchiolitis who were admitted to the pediatric ED relative to NS, but mild adverse events were more frequent in the HS group. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT01777347

From November 2009 to October 2012, implementation of guidelines, unlabeled by the French Agency of Health Products, changed the categories of antibiotics prescribed for acute respiratory tract infections in 7 pediatric emergency departments. During the study, 36,413 acute respiratory tract infections-related antibiotic prescriptions were prescribed. Amoxicillin prescriptions rose from 30.0% to 84.7%, while amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefpodoxime prescriptions decreased to 10.2% and 2.5%, respectively.

Diarrhea in childhood is very frequent (two episodes/year/children less of 5 years), rarely fatale (mostly mild) and not requiring additional exploration. But it can justify a hospitalization in case of dehydration (delay of care) or risk of dehydration. It is mainly of viral origin (rotavirus +++) and it has for main complication dehydration. Diagnosis and evaluation of the dehydration, in percentage of loss of weight, must be fast and lead (drive) to a premature correction of hypovolumic shock (or to an accurate fluid management). Main treatment is oral rehydration solutions (ORS), which considerably upset the morbi-mortality, associated with a premature refeeding. Breast-feeding must not be interrupted. Symptomatic treatments and especially antibiotics are not recommended. In case of failure of the rehydration by ORS, alternative is nasogastric tube or intraveinous infusion. Prevention includes essentially the respect of hygienic rules and antirotavirus vaccine.

Objectif decrire les modalites de prise en charge du nourrisson febrile ≤3 mois et les comparer aux recommandations. Methodes une etude prospective multicentrique incluant des nourrissons ≤3 mois febriles sans point d’appel s’est deroulee dans 15 centres d’urgences pediatriques. La frequence des examens complementaires realises, des antibiotiques prescrits et des hospitalisations etait comparee entre les centres. Les variations par rapport aux recommandations etaient decrites selon differents scenarii et comparees entre les centres. Resultats Parmi les 2204 enfants inclus, les frequences d’examens realises : hemoculture (62%), culture urinaire (68%), ponction lombaire (64%), recherche virale naso-pharyngee (33%) et radiographie de thorax (67%), de prescription d’antibiotiques (42%), et d’hospitalisations (74%) etaient toutes significativement differents entre les centres, meme apres ajustement sur l’âge, l’apparence clinique et la duree de la fievre. Le taux d’adequation aux recommandations etait evalue entre 60 et 80% selon les scenarii de prise en charge, et variait significativement entre les centres. Conclusion la prise en charge du nourrisson febrile ≤ 3 mois varie entre differents centres et par rapport aux recommandations.

Objectif evaluer les performances de la procalcitonine (PCT) pour identifier les infections bacteriennes severes (IBS) et invasives (IBI) chez le nourrisson ≤ 3 mois febrile Methodes une etude prospective multicentrique incluant des enfants febriles sans point d’appel et âges de 7 a 92 jours s’est deroulee dans 15 centres d’urgences pediatriques. Un diagnostic final (IBS, IBI ou absence d’infection bacterienne) etait etabli. La procalcitonine prelevee a l’admission etait dosee quantitativement Resultats la PCT et C-reactive proteine (CRP) etaient connues pour 2047 enfants. Vingt et un (1%) avaient une IBI (13 bacteriemies et 8 meningites) et 124 (6%) une IBS. L’aire sous la courbe (AUC) pour la PCT et la CRP etaient de 0.76 (IC 95% 0.71-0.80) et 0.78 (IC 95% 0.74-0.82) parmi les IBS, respectivement (p=0.3). Parmi les IBI, l’AUC de la PCT (0.92, IC 95% 0.85-0.99) etait plus elevee que celle de la CRP (0.80, IC 95% 0.69-0.91) (p=0.004). Le seuil optimal de la PCT etait calcule a 0.3 ng/mL. Le rapport de vraisemblance negatif, parmi les IBI, etait 0.11 (IC 95% 0.03–0.44) pour la PCT Conclusion les performances de la PCT sont similaires a celles de la CRP pour la detection d’IBS, mais meilleures pour la detection d’IBI

Staphylococcus aureus carrying the Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene could be the source of both recurrent furunculosis or abscesses and severe infections, mainly necrotising pneumonia. We present the case of a young girl from consanguineous parents who died suddenly. The postmortem examination revealed necrotising pneumonia due to a PVL producing Staphylococcus aureus strain, raising the question of the role of the host’s immune status in this infection.

International audience; Objectives: To assess the contribution of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WBMRI) and bone scintigraphy (BS) in addition to skeletal survey (SS) in detecting traumatic bone lesions and soft-tissue injuries in suspected child abuse.Methods: In this prospective, multicentre, diagnostic accuracy study, children less than 3 years of age with suspected physical abuse were recruited. Each child underwent SS, BS and WBMRI. A blinded first review was performed in consensus by five paediatric radiologists and three nuclear medicine physicians. A second review investigated discrepancies reported between the modalities using a consensus result of all modalities as the reference standard. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity and corresponding 95% confidence interval for each imaging modality (SS, WBMRI and BS) and for the combinations [SS + WBMRI] and [SS + BS].Results: One hundred seventy children were included of which sixty-four had at least one lesion. In total, 146 lesions were included. The sensitivity and specificity of each examination were, respectively, as follows: 88.4% [95% CI, 82.0-93.1] and 99.7% [95% CI, 99.5-99.8] for the SS, 69.9% [95% CI, 61.7-77.2] and 99.5% [95% CI, 99.2-99.7] for WBMRI and 54.8% [95% CI, 46.4-63.0] and 99.7% [95% CI, 99.5-99.9] for BS. Sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 95.9% [95% CI, 91.3-98.5] and 99.2% [95% CI, 98.9-99.4] for the combination SS + WBMRI and 95.2% [95% CI, 90.4-98.1] and 99.4% [95% CI, 99.2-99.6] for the combination SS + BS, with no statistically significant difference between them.Conclusion: SS was the most sensitive independent imaging modality; however, the additional combination of either WBMRI or BS examinations offered an increased accuracy.Key points: • SS in suspected infant abuse was the most sensitive independent imaging modality in this study, especially for detecting metaphyseal and rib lesions, and remains essential for evaluation. • The combination of either SS + BS or SS + WBMRI provides greater accuracy in diagnosing occult and equivocal bone injuries in the difficult setting of child abuse. • WBMRI is a free-radiation technique that allows additional diagnosis of soft-tissue and visceral injuries.