Journal of tropical pediatrics
-
Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of different methods of temperature measurements in sick newborns.
We aimed to compare the accuracy of digital axillary thermometer (DAT), rectal glass mercury thermometer (RGMT), infrared tympanic thermometer (ITT) and infrared forehead skin thermometer (IFST) measurements with traditional axillary glass mercury thermometer (AGMT) for intermittent temperature measurement in sick newborns. A prospective, descriptive and comparative study in which five different types of thermometer readings were performed sequentially for 3 days. A total of 1989 measurements were collected from 663 newborns. ⋯ The mean differences for DAT, ITT, RGMT and IFST were +0.02°C, +0.03°C, +0.25°C and +0.55°C, respectively. There were not any clinical differences (defined as a mean difference of 0.2°C) between both mean AGMT&DAT and AGMT&ITT measurements. Our study suggests that tympanic thermometer measurement could be used as an acceptable and practical method for sick newborn in neonatal units.
-
This report describes the clinical features and outcome of 61 pediatric hospitalized patients with influenza-like infection. Fever, cough and respiratory distress were the most common symptoms of the infection. ⋯ The main significant difference was antibiotic usage and the need of mechanical ventilation in the patients with H1N1-virus infection. Among the 11 patients who required intensive care due to respiratory failure, 3 from the positive group died and none from the negative group.
-
Case Reports
Massive cerebral air embolism on ante mortem CT head following pneumothorax in a child with pneumonia.
Cerebral air embolism (CAE) is a rarely reported complication of a common condition like pneumothorax, presenting with deterioration of sensorium and cardiovascular instability. We report a case of 3-year-old male who developed pneumothorax after positive pressure ventilation followed by deterioration of sensorium. CT head revealed massive CAE.
-
Letter Case Reports
Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia after a single dose of nebulized epinephrine in pediatric emergency department.
Cardiac adverse effects are not commonly reported complications of nebulized epinephrine therapy. We present a case of critical cardiac arrhythmia developed at the Pediatric Emergency Department in an otherwise healthy infant after receiving 3 mg of L-epinephrine (1:1000) nebulization over a 90 min period for a diagnosis of bronchiolitis. ⋯ Frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) were found initially following the cardiac insult that was controlled with oral amiodarone, and disappeared during follow-up. Although epinephrine inhalation is generally safe, adverse life-threatening events could be unpredictable and may evolve even after a single dose of nebulized epinephrine.