The Pediatric infectious disease journal
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Nov 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialReduction in the incidence of influenza A but not influenza B associated with use of hand sanitizer and cough hygiene in schools: a randomized controlled trial.
Laboratory-based evidence is lacking regarding the efficacy of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as alcohol-based hand sanitizer and respiratory hygiene to reduce the spread of influenza. ⋯ NPIs (respiratory hygiene education and the regular use of hand sanitizer) did not reduce total laboratory-confirmed influenza. However, the interventions did reduce school total absence episodes by 26% and laboratory-confirmed influenza A infections by 52%. Our results suggest that NPIs can be an important adjunct to influenza vaccination programs to reduce the number of influenza A infections among children.
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Nov 2011
Multicenter StudyOseltamivir shortens hospital stays of critically ill children hospitalized with seasonal influenza: a retrospective cohort study.
Antiviral therapy reduces symptom duration and hospitalization risk among previously healthy and chronically ill children infected with seasonal influenza. The effect of oseltamivir on outcomes of hospitalized children is unknown. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether oseltamivir improves outcomes of critically ill children hospitalized with influenza. ⋯ For critically ill children infected with seasonal influenza, treatment with oseltamivir within 24 hours of hospitalization was associated with a shorter duration of hospital stay. Additional study is needed to determine the effect of delayed initiation of oseltamivir on clinical outcomes.
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Nov 2011
An outbreak of adenovirus type 7 in a residential facility for severely disabled children.
Adenoviruses cause a variety of clinical symptoms, involving the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital, and neurologic systems. Only a few of the 55 known serotypes of adenovirus that affect humans can cause outbreaks of respiratory tract infection. ⋯ Adenovirus type 7 may cause short outbreaks of infection in institutions, causing children to develop life-threatening disease. Early detection of pathogens causing respiratory infections in institutions, isolation, and other preventive precautions are advocated. Moreover, vaccination of health care providers in institutions with the currently available live, oral adenovirus vaccine for types 4 and 7 should be considered.
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Nov 2011
Multicenter StudyDiagnosis of bacteremia in febrile neutropenic episodes in children with cancer: microbiologic and molecular approach.
Bacterial isolation using conventional microbiologic techniques rarely surpasses 25% in children with clinical and laboratory findings indicative of an invasive bacterial infection. The aim of this study was to determine the role of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from whole blood samples compared with automated blood cultures (BC) in detection of relevant microorganisms causing bacteremia in episodes of high-risk febrile neutropenia (HRFN) in children with cancer. ⋯ In our series, RT-PCR significantly improved detection of the most relevant bacteria associated with HRFN episodes. Large number of patients and close clinical monitoring, in addition to improved RT-PCR techniques will be required to fully recommend RT-PCR-based diagnosis for the routine workup of children with cancer, fever, and neutropenia.