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According to parental reports, about 10% of children are believed to be allergic to at least one antibiotic, leading to the prescription of second line medications. This incurs higher costs, results in less effective treatments, and contributes to global concern of antibiotic resistance. De-labeling programs could mitigate these problems. The primary objectives of this study were to assess the proportion of children that tolerate the suspected antibiotic well through allergy testing and, secondly, to examine which information in their medical history correlates with a positive test result. Children with a history of antibiotic allergy were categorized into high- and low-risk groups for immediate allergic reaction. The latter underwent oral provocation testing (OPT), while the high-risk group underwent the test only after negative skin tests (STs). In total, 76.8% of children tolerated the tested antibiotic well. Among children with positive OPT, two (8.0%) had to receive adrenaline for symptom resolution. Children who had exhibited suspected symptoms within one hour after antibiotic administration, and those with a history of asthma or food allergy, had an increased risk of positive allergic testing (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the adoption of a standardized protocol for an antibiotic allergy de-labeling program is essential for every allergy department.

Background/Objectives: Vaccination of pregnant and postpartum women for pertussis, influenza and COVID-19 not only protects themselves but also offspring. Despite the benefits of this approach, vaccination uptake remains suboptimal in pregnancy. Where the opportunity to be vaccinated in pregnancy is missed, the offer of vaccination in the post-partum period may be an alternative strategy. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the impact of interventions to increase vaccination uptake in the postpartum period on vaccination uptake. Methods: A literature search was performed in MEDLINE, including interventional studies promoting vaccination uptake in postpartum women published between 2009 and 2024. The search was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO. Results: We finally included 16 studies in the review, and the primary outcome was vaccination uptake in the postpartum period. The most significant factors for increasing uptake were recommendation from healthcare providers, type of interventions used, and delivery of vaccines in the maternity wards or the community. Conclusions: In conclusion, maternal vaccination rates in the postpartum period may increase with targeted education by healthcare professionals and positive reinforcement. The interventions described in these studies could be applied in the healthcare systems worldwide.

Summary: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection carries a significant burden with a 0.64% global prevalence and a 17–20% chance of serious long-term effects in children. Since the last guidelines, our understanding, particularly regarding primary maternal infections, has improved. A cCMV guidelines group was convened under the patronage of the European Society of Clinical Virology in April 2023 to refine these insights. The quality and validity of selected studies were assessed for potential biases and the GRADE framework was employed to evaluate quality of evidence across key domains. The resulting recommendations address managing cCMV, spanning prevention to postnatal care. Emphasizing early and accurate maternal diagnosis through serological tests enhances risk management and prevention strategies, including using valaciclovir to prevent vertical transmission. The guidelines also strive to refine personalized postnatal care based on risk assessments, ensuring targeted interventions for affected families.

Primary cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy has a high risk of vertical transmission, with severe fetal sequelae mainly associated with first-trimester infections. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 200 IU/kg cytomegalovirus-specific hyperimmune globulin (HIG), used in first-trimester maternal primary infections for congenital infection prevention. The primary outcome was vertical transmission, defined as neonatal viruria or positive amniocentesis if pregnancy was discontinued. HIG, initially administered monthly and since 2019 biweekly, was discontinued in negative amniocentesis cases. Women declining amniocentesis and positive amniocentesis cases with normal sonography were offered monthly HIG until delivery as a treatment strategy. The total transmission rate was 29.9% (32/107; 10 pregnancy terminations with positive amniocentesis, 18 completed pregnancies with positive amniocentesis and 4 declining amniocentesis). Maternal viremia was the only factor associated with fetal transmission (OR 4.62, 95% CI 1.55–13.74). The transmission rate was not significantly different whether HIG was started during the first or second trimester (28.2% vs. 33.3%; p = 0.58), or between monthly and biweekly subgroups (25.7% vs. 37.8%, p = 0.193). Pre-treatment maternal viremia could inform decisions as a predictor of congenital infection.

IntroductionCytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most frequent cause of congenital infection worldwide causing severe morbidity in newborns, infants, and children. Despite the clinical importance of congenital CMV (cCMV) infection, studies conducted so far indicate that there is limited awareness in the medical community in the field. The aim of this study was to assess Greek medical students’ knowledge on cCMV infection.MethodsWe performed a questionnaire-based nationwide cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of medical students from seven medical schools was enrolled.ResultsOf the 562 respondents, 54,8% considered themselves undereducated on cCMV infection. However, almost half of the participants could correctly recognize some basic principles of cCMV infection including ways of transmission, diagnosis and treatment, while there were aspects of cCMV infection with knowledge deficit. The year of study had a positive impact on the level of knowledge with students of higher years of study being of more sufficient education on the specific topic.ConclusionOverall, our study indicates a discrepancy between self-reported awareness and the level of knowledge among medical students in Greece. Further educational opportunities about cCMV should be offered, particularly in areas of the curriculum involving the care of women and children. Establishing medical students’ solid background on the disease burden and educating them about preventative strategies for at-risk populations, should be the main pillars of such efforts in order to promote confidence in managing these cases in their future professional careers.

Abstract Background Since child abuse and neglect (CAN) is prevalent worldwide, medical students should acquire basic knowledge, skills, and confidence in identifying and addressing CAN. Although significant educational efforts have been previously described, none has focused on using participatory methods to teach medical students CAN. Purpose To: 1) develop a participatory educational workshop in CAN for medical students, 2) gather, train, and establish a peer-to-peer teaching group, and 3) assess the effectiveness of the workshop in gain of knowledge and improvement of self-confidence for participants. Methods A two-hour workshop was created with role-playing, the use of mannikins and peer-to-peer teaching. A 15-item knowledge and a 9-item self-confidence questionnaire were used before, right after, and six months after each workshop. Results Nine workshops in two academic pediatric departments with a total attendance of 300 6th year medical students were conducted. For the 69 students who completed the questionnaires at all three times, there were statistically significant gains in knowledge right after (p

Measles is an important vaccine preventable disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Although measles vaccine is a safe and effective vaccine available worldwide for more than 50 years, still immunization efforts have not successfully reached the WHO goal of 95% vaccination coverage. Hesitancy is especially increased amongst parents of children with chronic conditions. Contraindications for measles-containing vaccines are well defined and include history of anaphylactic reactions to neomycin, history of severe allergic reaction to previous vaccination, pregnancy, and severe immunosuppression. Concurrently, precautions for measles-containing vaccines include amongst other, history of thrombocytopenia or thrombocytopenic purpura and personal or family history of seizures of any etiology. This article aims to address misconceptions on measles vaccine safety and review data on adverse events among special groups of subjects at increased risk following measles immunization.

Background Aiming to the containment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, governments worldwide have implemented a series of non-pharmaceutical interventions. Many of them and especially school closures have impacted the circulation of multiple airborne pathogens among children and adolescents. This study investigates the incidence of influenza and invasive meningococcal disease among children aged 0–14 years in Greece during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods Data regarding the number of influenza-like illness cases, influenza-related paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions and invasive meningococcal disease cases among children 0–14 years old were obtained from the National Public Health Organization. The incidence of the two diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020/2021) was compared with that of the six preceding seasons (2014–2019).Results A notable decrease was observed in both influenza and invasive meningococcal disease cases during the period 2020/2021 compared with the years 2014–2019. The mean annual rate of influenza-like illness cases and influenza-related PICU admissions in children 0–14 years old has reduced by 66.9% and 100%, respectively, while the mean annual invasive meningococcal disease rate has declined by 70%. Both weekly influenza-like illness and monthly invasive meningococcal disease rates were significantly decreased.Conclusions The activity of influenza and invasive meningococcal disease in the children and adolescents of Greece has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Reduced transmission is likely related to the public health measures that were implemented to control the pandemic. The value of these measures may have relevance to the future management of influenza or invasive meningococcal disease epidemics.

We present an adolescent girl with severe kyphoscoliosis and inability of walking due to progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia (PPD) who was initially misdiagnosed as juvenile idiopathic arthritis for 9 years. The lack of inflammatory joint involvement and inflammatory laboratory parameters, along with the characteristic radiological findings should raise suspicion for PPD.

BackgroundThe role of partially hydrolyzed formulas (pHF) as part of nutritional interventions to prevent the development of allergic manifestations (AM) is questioned, and efficacy of each specific pHF should be substantiated.ObjectiveTo investigate the risk-reduction effect of a whey-based pHF on the development of cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) and atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants at high-risk for allergy within the first 6 months of life.Materials and MethodsIn a multicenter double-blinded randomized controlled setting, healthy non-exclusively breastfed full-term infants, received either a specific whey-based pHF or a standard cow's milk-based formula (SF) and were clinically assessed for AM at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, supported by the objective scoring tools SCORAD and CoMiSS. CMPA was confirmed by open food challenge. Intention-to-Treat (ITT) and Per-Protocol (PP) analyses were performed.ResultsOf 331 randomized subjects (ITT analysis set), 160 received the pHF and 171 the SF. Six (3.8%) infants in the pHF and 12 (7%) in the SF group developed CMPA (p = 0.186). AD incidence was significantly lower in those receiving pHF as compared to SF (10.6% vs. 18.7%, p = 0.024) with a relative risk (RR, 95% CI) of 0.54 (0.32, 0.92), in particular when adjusting for family history of AD [6.5% vs. 27.3%, RR 0.24 (0.07, 0.78), p = 0.018] representing a risk reduction of 76%. The PP analysis showed similar results.ConclusionThis specific whey-based pHF reduced the risk of AD development, particularly in those with a family history of AD, and tended to reduce the development of CMPA in non-exclusively breastfed infants at high-risk for allergy. The A.R.T. study suggests that this particular pHF may contribute to measures aimed at prevention of allergic manifestations. However, further studies are needed to confirm this risk-reduction effect.

Loss-of-function mutations of IGSF1 are an X-linked cause of central hypothyroidism (CeH) and hypoprolactinemia. A boy who is now 15.2 years old presented at the age of 7.69 years for evaluation of obesity. Previous thyroid function evaluation suggested CeH [FT4 0.6 ng/mL, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 2.2 mIU/L] but his physician took no action. At presentation he was clinically and biochemically euthyroid, prepubertal and obese. Serum prolactin (PRL) was undetectable. Biochemistry was normal except for mild hypercholesterolemia, total cholesterol 198 mg/dL. Subsequently FT4 and TSH levels fluctuated between 0.72-0.95 ng/dL (normal 0.8-2.0) and 1.94-5.77 mIU/L (normal 0.3-5.0), respectively. Sequencing of IGSF1 gene revealed a novel genetic change c.3805C>T in exon 19; substitution of amino acid Arginine at position 1269 with a premature «stop» codon resulting in an altered protein product. The patient additionally presented delayed adrenarche, low height velocity that resolved spontaneously and normal pubertal onset associated with increased FSH levels. At 14 years-of-age, while the patient was at Tanner stage 4, PRL levels became detectable, rising gradually to 2.3 ng/mL at last examination. Thyroxine replacement therapy resulted in decrease in total cholesterol 103 mg/dL. A high index of suspicion for the disorder is needed since several measurements of thyroid function may be required for CeH to be disclosed. The patient’s normal FT4 levels and normal intelligence would have resulted in a missed diagnosis if the serum PRL levels had not been measured. This case highlights the importance of measuring PRL in a boy with low normal FT4 and normal TSH levels.

In childhood, a multitude of causes lead to pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP), an excessive surfactant accumulation in the alveolar space, limiting gas exchange. Autoantibodies against granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) causing autoimmune PAP, the principal aetiology in adults, are rare. In this first case series on autoimmune PAP, we detail the presentation and management issues of four children. Whereas three children presented insidiously with progressive dyspnoea, one was acutely sick with suspected pneumonia. During management, one patient was hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019, noninvasively ventilated, and recovered. All treatment modalities known from adults including whole-lung lavage, augmentation of GM-CSF by inhaled GM-CSF, removal of neutralising antibody by plasmapheresis and interruption of antibody production using rituximab were considered; however, not all options were available at all sites. Inhaled GM-CSF appeared to be a noninvasive and comfortable therapeutic approach. The management with best benefit-to-harm ratio in autoimmune PAP is unknown and specialised physicians must select the least invasive and most effective treatment. To collect this cohort in a rare condition became feasible as patients were submitted to an appropriate registry. To accelerate the authorisation of novel treatments for autoimmune PAP, competent authorities should grant an inclusion of adolescents into trials in adults.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pregnancy is associated with a higher risk for severe morbidity and mortality when compared with infection in non-pregnant women of childbearing age. An increasing number of countries recommend immunization against SARS-CoV-2 in pregnant women. Recent studies provide preliminary and supportive evidence on safety, immunogenicity and effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in pregnant women; however, important knowledge gaps remain which warrant further studies. This collaborative consensus paper provides a review of the current literature on COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women, identifies knowledge gaps and outlines priorities for future research to optimize protection against SARS-CoV-2 in the pregnant women and their infants.

Introduction: Acute bronchiolitis is one of the most common respiratory infections in infancy. Although most infants with bronchiolitis do not get hospitalized, infants with hospitalized bronchiolitis are more likely to develop wheeze exacerbations during the first years of life. The objective of this prospective cohort study was to develop machine learning models to predict incidence and persistence of wheeze exacerbations following the first hospitalized episode of acute bronchiolitis.Methods: One hundred thirty-one otherwise healthy term infants hospitalized with the first episode of bronchiolitis at a tertiary pediatric hospital in Athens, Greece, and 73 age-matched controls were recruited. All patients/controls were followed up for 3 years with 6-monthly telephone reviews. Through principal component analysis (PCA), a cluster model was used to describe main outcomes. Associations between virus type and the clusters and between virus type and other clinical characteristics and demographic data were identified. Through random forest classification, a prediction model with smallest classification error was identified. Primary outcomes included the incidence and the number of caregiver-reported wheeze exacerbations.Results: PCA identified 2 clusters of the outcome measures (Cluster 1 and Cluster 2) that were significantly associated with the number of recurrent wheeze episodes over 3-years of follow-up (Chi-Squared, p < 0.001). Cluster 1 included infants who presented higher number of wheeze exacerbations over follow-up time. Rhinovirus (RV) detection was more common in Cluster 1 and was more strongly associated with clinical severity on admission (p < 0.01). A prediction model based on virus type and clinical severity could predict Cluster 1 with an overall error 0.1145 (sensitivity 75.56% and specificity 91.86%).Conclusion: A prediction model based on virus type and clinical severity of first hospitalized episode of bronchiolitis could predict sensitively the incidence and persistence of wheeze exacerbations during a 3-year follow-up. Virus type (RV) was the strongest predictor.

The aim of the present study was to assess the psychological impact of hospitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic on parents and their offspring. We performed a nationwide cross-sectional study in Greece based on an Internet questionnaire survey. A convenience sample of parents whose offspring had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 (including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, MIS-C), diagnosed with COVID-19 but not hospitalized, and hospitalized for another reason during the pandemic were enrolled. Parental stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R) tools, and childhood mental wellbeing with the Children’s Revised Impact of Event 13 (CRIES-13) scale. Out of 214 received responses, stress levels were significantly higher in parents whose children had been admitted for COVID-19 or MIS-C versus those not admitted or admitted for other reasons (p < 0.001, for PSS/IES-R). Parental and childhood stress levels were correlated. In the multivariable linear regression analysis, children’s hospitalization because of COVID-19 or MIS-C, younger parental age, the existence of comorbidities, and another family member’s hospitalization because of COVID-19 were independent factors for higher stress. In light of the above, stricter hospital admission criteria for COVID-19 could be implemented, and psychological support for eventually admitted families may be beneficial.

Background and objective: Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are the most frequent pediatric hospital-acquired infections and are associated with significant morbidity and healthcare costs. The aim of our study was to determine the attributable length of stay (LOS) and cost for CLABSIs in pediatric patients in Greece, for which there is currently a paucity of data. Methods: A retrospective matched-cohort study was performed in two tertiary pediatric hospitals. Inpatients with a central line in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, hematology/oncology units, and a bone marrow transplantation unit between June 2012 and June 2015 were eligible. Patients with confirmed CLABSI were enrolled on the day of the event and were matched (1:1) to patients without CLABSI (non-CLABSIs) by hospital, unit, and LOS prior to study enrollment (188 children enrolled, 94 CLABSIs). The primary outcome measure was the attributable LOS and cost. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Attributable outcomes were calculated as the differences in estimates of outcomes between CLABSIs and non-CLABSIs, after adjustment for propensity score and potential confounders. Results: There were no differences between the two groups regarding their baseline characteristics. After adjustment for age, gender, matching characteristics, central line management after study enrollment, and propensity score, the mean LOS and cost were 57.5 days and €31,302 in CLABSIs versus 36.6 days and €17,788 in non-CLABSIs. Overall, a CLABSI was associated with a mean (95% CI) adjusted attributable LOS and cost of 21 days (7.3–34.8) and €13,727 (5,758–21,695), respectively. No significant difference was detected in LOS and cost by hospitalization unit. Conclusions: CLABSIs were found to impose a significant economic burden in Greece, a finding that highlights the importance of implementing CLABSI prevention strategies. Keywords: CLABSI, Bloodstream infection, Pediatric, Cost, Burden

Early identification of COVID-19 cases has been vital for reducing transmission and enabling treatment. In Greece, in autumn 2021 when Delta was the predominant circulating variant, unvaccinated citizens had to be tested before attending activities, and self-testing was required twice a week for students (5–17 years). Here, we describe the time of diagnosis by age group and possible exposure to assess testing strategies (September to November 2021). Information on the presence of symptoms at the time of diagnosis was available for 69,298 cases; 24,855 (36%) were asymptomatic or tested the same day as onset (early diagnosis), 21,310 (31%) reported testing one day after, and 23,133 (33%) did so two or more days after the onset of symptoms. The median lag was 2 days (1–14). Early diagnosis significantly differed among age groups (p-value < 0.001) and was higher among children. For every one-year increase of age, the odds of an early diagnosis were reduced by 1%. Cases exposed during training activities or in settings such as accommodation centers and hospitals were more frequently diagnosed early. The percentage of persons having a positive self-test before a rapid test/PCR diagnosis ranged from 7% in the age group of 60 years and above to 86% in the age group of 5–17 years. The provision of self-tests in schools and increased testing in closed settings led to an earlier diagnosis and probably to a decreased transmission of the virus in the period during which Delta was the predominant variant in Greece. However, more effort is needed for early diagnosis of adults in the community, especially after the onset of symptoms.

Height velocity (HV) growth charts constructed from longitudinal studies are scarce as they have inherent difficulties, e.g., time, and costs. These difficulties can be partly overcome by a mixed-longitudinal study that covers the entire age range within 3–6 years. To construct HV charts of Greek children and to estimate the milestones of the adolescent growth spurt (AGS), i.e., the onset of AGS (take-off), peak HV, and total pubertal growth (TPG), we performed a mixed longitudinal study in 1514 Greek schoolchildren (6–18 years) with height measurements every 6 months during three schoolyears. We constructed HV charts for boys and girls. Take-off occurs earlier in girls, and, in both sexes, it precedes by 1–1.5 years the appearance of physical signs of puberty. PHV in boys occurs at 12.61 years and in girls at 10.93 years. At take-off, boys are 5 cm taller than girls and TPG for boys is 35.8 cm and for girls 27.3 cm. We constructed HV charts plotted by age, irrespective of pubertal status, and presented data on the milestones of AGS. Furthermore, we suggest that the gradual increase in IGF-1 and E2 that occurs after 5 to 6 years of age triggers the onset of AGS, which precedes physical signs of puberty.

A serosurvey of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was conducted in Greece between May and August 2020. It was designed as a cross-sectional survey and was repeated at monthly intervals. The leftover sampling methodology was used and a geographically stratified sampling plan was applied. Of 20,110 serum samples collected, 89 (0.44%) were found to be positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, with higher seroprevalence (0.35%) observed in May 2020. The highest seroprevalence was primarily observed in the “30–49” year age group. Females presented higher seroprevalence compared to males in May 2020 (females: 0.58% VS males: 0.10%). This difference reversed during the study period and males presented a higher proportion in August 2020 (females: 0.12% VS males: 0.58%). Differences in the rate of seropositivity between urban areas and the rest of the country were also observed during the study period. The four-month infection fatality rate (IFR) was estimated to be 0.47%, while the respective case fatality rate (CFR) was at 1.89%. Our findings confirm low seroprevalence of COVID-19 in Greece during the study period. The young adults are presented as the most affected age group. The loss of the cumulative effect of seropositivity in a proportion of previous SARS-CoV-2 infections was indicated.

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), where stewardship interventions are challenging. Lowering antibiotic consumption is desperately needed in Greece, a country with high antibiotic resistance rates. We sought to assess the effectiveness of a low-cost and -resource intervention to reduce antibiotic use in Greek NICUs implementing a “low-hanging fruit” approach. A prospective quasi-experimental study was conducted in 15/17 public NICUs in Greece (9/2016–06/2019). The intervention selected was discontinuation of antibiotics within 5 days for neonates with gestational age ≥ 37 weeks, no documented signs or symptoms of sepsis, CRP ≤ 10 mg/L and negative cultures within 3 days of antibiotic initiation. Impact was evaluated by the percentage of discontinued regimens by day 5, length of therapy (LOT) and stay. Trends of antibiotic consumption were assessed with days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient-days. Overall, there was a 9% increase (p = 0.003) of antibiotic discontinuation in ≤5 days. In total, 7/13 (53.8%) units showed a ≥10% increase. Overall, 615 days on antibiotics per 1000 patients were saved. Interrupted time-series analysis established a declining trend in DOT/1000 patient-days relative to the pre-intervention trend (p = 0.002); a monthly decrease rate of 28.96 DOT/1000 patient-days (p = 0.001, 95%CI [−45.33, −12.60]). The intervention had no impact on antibiotic choice. Antibiotic use was successfully reduced in Greek NICUs using a “low-hanging fruit” approach. In resource-limited settings, similar targeted stewardship interventions can be applied.

Objective: Measurement of salivary biomarkers can provide important information regarding hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity both under normal conditions as well as in response to psychological or physical stress. Our aim was to correlate salivary stress markers, such as cortisol, α-amylase and immunoglobulin A, with the Pediatric Risk Index Score of Mortality, underlying disease (pathologic, trauma and postoperative), need for mechanical ventilation/sedation and time lag between onset of illness and admission in children admitted in the pediatric intensive care unit. Methods: We enrolled 79 pediatric intensive care unit patients (2–14 years) over a 2-year period, which satisfy the including criteria, but finally salivary biomarkers were evaluated in 65 patients. Saliva samples were collected within 24 h of admission at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. to examine potential disruption of circadian rhythm. Results: Overall, the salivary biomarkers were increased; specifically, median values were (a) cortisol at 8 a.m.: 50.04 nmol/L, 2 p.m.: 30.69 nmol/L and 8 p.m.: 247.12 nmol/L; (b) α-amylase: at 8 a.m.: 22.567 U/L; 2 p.m.: 22.702 U/L and 8 p.m.: 21.484 U/L and (c) IgA at 8 a.m.: 95.10 mg/dL, 2 p.m.: 88.55 mg/dL and 8 p.m.: 80.80 mg/dL. Significantly higher levels were demonstrated in children younger than 6 years and those with Pediatric Risk Index Score of Mortality ⩾8 upon admission. Disturbances in circadian rhythm were observed. Cortisol circadian rhythm disturbance was observed only in children with Pediatric Risk Index Score of Mortality score ⩾8 upon admission while maintaining normal α-amylase circadian rhythm, which was associated with less than 3 days hospitalization in pediatric intensive care unit. No daily variance in IgA was observed. Conclusion: Salivary biomarkers may serve, in critically ill children, as a sensitive, non-invasive method, important for the early recognition of those at high risk and guiding intervention, before clinical deterioration, promoting the quality of health care in pediatric population.

The aim of the study was to estimate the meningococcal carriage rate and to identify the genotypic characteristics of the strains isolated from healthy military recruits and university students in order to provide data that might increase our understanding on the epidemiology of meningococcus and obtain information which helps to evaluate the potential effects on control programs such as vaccination.A total of 1420 oropharyngeal single swab samples were collected from military recruits and university students on voluntary basis, aged 18-26 years. New York City Medium was used for culture and the suspected N. meningitidis colonies were identified by Gram stain, oxidase and rapid carbohydrate utilization tests. Further characterisation was carried out by molecular methods (multiplex PCR, MLST, WGS).The overall carriage rate was of 12.7%; 15% and 10.4% for recruits and university students respectively. MenB (39.4%) was the most prevalent followed by MenY (12.8%) and MenW (4.4%). Among the initial 76 Non Groupable (NG) isolates, Whole Genome Sequence Analysis (WGS) revealed that 8.3% belonged to MenE, 3.3% to MenX and 1.1% to MenZ, while, 53 strains (29.4%) were finally identified as capsule null. Genetic diversity was found among the MenB isolates, with 41/44 cc and 35 cc predominating.Meningococcal carriage rate in both groups was lower compared to our previous studies (25% and 18% respectively) with predominance of MenB isolates. These findings, help to further our understanding on the epidemiology of meningococcal disease in Greece. Although the prevalence of carriage seems to have declined compared to our earlier studies, the predominant MenB clonal complexes (including 41/44cc and 35cc) are associated with invasive meningococcal disease.

Greece is the only European Union member state that in 2008 included hepatitis A (HAV) vaccine in the routine national childhood immunization program (NCIP). Given that the resources allocated to public health have dramatically decreased since 2008 and that Greece is a low endemicity country for the disease, the benefit from universal vaccination has been questioned. The aim of this paper is to summarize the available epidemiological data of the disease for 1982-2013, and discuss the effects of universal vaccination on disease morbidity. Descriptive analysis, ARIMA modeling and time series intervention analysis were conducted using surveillance data of acute HAV. A decreasing trend of HAV notification rate over the years was identified (p

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The transmission rate of air-borne infectious diseases may vary secondary to climate conditions. The study assessed time trends in the seasonality of hospitalized varicella cases in a temperate region in relation to climatic parameters prior to the implementation of universal varicella immunization. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted among all pediatric and adolescent varicella patients (n = 2366) hospitalized at the "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital during 1982-2003 in Athens, Greece. Date of infection was computed based on hospital admission date. Seasonal and monthly trends in the epidemiology of varicella infection were assessed with time series analysis (ARIMA modeling procedure). The correlation between the frequency of varicella patients and the meteorological parameters was examined by the application of Generalized Linear Models with Gamma distribution. RESULTS: During 1982-2003, the occurrence of hospitalized varicella cases increased during summer (p = 0.025) and decreased during autumn (p = 0.021), and particularly in September (p = 0.003). The frequency of hospitalized varicella cases was inversely associated with air temperature (p