The Pediatric infectious disease journal
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Aug 2009
Seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients: a prospective study of safety and immunogenicity.
To determine the safety and immunogenicity of the conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients. ⋯ PCV7 was safe and immunogenic in solid organ recipients. Three doses of this vaccine appear beneficial for selected organ groups. PV23 when administered at >/=1 year posttransplantation was useful in boosting antibody responses in patient groups demonstrating lower rates of responsiveness.
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Jul 2009
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyMulticenter study of nucleic acid amplification tests for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in children being evaluated for sexual abuse.
Diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections in children suspected of sexual abuse is challenging due to the medico-legal implications of test results. Currently, the forensic standard for diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections is culture. In adults, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are superior to culture for CT, but these tests have been insufficiently evaluated in pediatric populations for forensic purposes. ⋯ These results suggest that NAATs on urine, with confirmation, are adequate for use as a new forensic standard for diagnosis of CT and NG in children suspected of sexual abuse. Urine NAATs offer a clear advantage over culture in sensitivity and are less invasive than swabs, reducing patient trauma and discomfort.
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Jun 2009
Cytomegalovirus shedding and delayed sensorineural hearing loss: results from longitudinal follow-up of children with congenital infection.
The pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-related hearing loss is not well understood. ⋯ The strongest risk factor for delayed hearing loss was CMV-related symptoms at birth, but many asymptomatic children also developed delayed hearing loss. Longer duration of CMV shedding may also be a predictor of delayed hearing loss.
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Jun 2009
Prospective surveillance of streptococcal sore throat in a tropical country.
Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease cause a high burden of disease in Fiji and surrounding Pacific Island countries, but little is known about the epidemiology of group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis in the region. We designed a study to estimate the prevalence of carriage of beta-hemolytic streptococci (BHS) and the incidence of BHS culture-positive sore throat in school aged children in Fiji. ⋯ GAS culture-positive sore throat was more common than expected. Group C and group G streptococci were frequently isolated in throat cultures, although their contribution to pharyngeal infection is not clear. The molecular epidemiology of pharyngeal GAS in our study differed greatly from that in industrialized nations and this has implications for GAS vaccine clinical research in Fiji and other tropical developing countries.