The Pediatric infectious disease journal
-
Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · May 2005
ReviewPertussis immunization in the global pertussis initiative international region: recommended strategies and implementation considerations.
Despite widespread immunization programs in most countries, pertussis disease continues to be a threat to public health. In particular, there has been a resurgence of pertussis disease in older children, adolescents and adults, creating a reservoir of infection, which poses a significant threat to infants who are either unimmunized or incompletely immunized. Global Pertussis Initiative participants from Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Japan considered the relative merits of several strategies to reduce the burden of pertussis disease and suggested strategies that might be implemented in these countries. ⋯ Immunization of new mothers and other close contacts of young infants, such as child care and health care workers, might be appropriate in Australia in the future. Argentina also suggested a future possibility of immunizing health care and child care workers. Obstacles to new immunization strategies include poor access to standardized laboratory diagnostic techniques, inadequate resources to fund new immunization programs, low awareness of pertussis disease in adults and adolescents and inadequate surveillance techniques to assess the full extent of the problems caused by pertussis or the impact new vaccination strategies might have.
-
Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · May 2005
Comparative StudyDiagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infections among pediatric oncology patients lacking a peripheral culture, using differential time to detection.
Current methods for in situ diagnosis of catheter-related bloodstream infections require concurrent collection of central venous catheter (CVC) and peripheral vein (PV) blood cultures. Both the pain and inconvenience of PV cultures are undesirable. ⋯ Within the context of its limitations, this novel method provides an alternative for diagnosing catheter-related bloodstream infections among patients with a CVC, without PV cultures.
-
Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · May 2005
Review Comparative StudyDuration of immunity against pertussis after natural infection or vaccination.
Despite decades of high vaccination coverage, pertussis has remained endemic and reemerged as a public health problem in many countries in the past 2 decades. Waning of vaccine-induced immunity has been cited as one of the reasons for the observed epidemiologic trend. A review of the published data on duration of immunity reveals estimates that infection-acquired immunity against pertussis disease wanes after 4-20 years and protective immunity after vaccination wanes after 4-12 years. Further research into the rate of waning of vaccine-acquired immunity will help determine the optimal timing and frequency of booster immunizations and their role in pertussis control.
-
Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · May 2005
Comparative StudyAmebic liver abscesses among neonates can mimic bacterial sepsis.
Amebic liver abscesses are unusual among neonates. Three (3.6%) of 83 children who presented to a university hospital with amebic liver abscesses in a 17-year period were neonates (<28 days of age). ⋯ Diagnosis was delayed and was based on the presence of a hypoechoic lesion in the liver, antibodies against Entamoeba histolytica and microbiologic examination of pus. In addition to parenteral metronidazole treatment and early ultrasound-guided aspiration of the abscess, intensive care is vital for the treatment of neonates with amebic liver abscesses.