Archives of disease in childhood
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Case Reports
Pantoea agglomerans as a cause of septic arthritis after palm tree thorn injury; case report and literature review.
We report the case of a 14 year old healthy boy, who was admitted six weeks after being injured by a palm tree thorn, with limping caused by pain and swelling in his right knee. An ultrasound examination revealed a foreign body in the posterior lateral aspect of the right knee. Pantoea agglomerans was identified in the synovial fluid. ⋯ Yet when reported, Pantoea agglomearns is the most common organism found. Therefore, it must be considered and suspected in "aseptic" cases of arthritis, when there is a history of a plant thorn injury. We also emphasise the efficacy of ultrasound examination in these cases to identify the presence and location of a plant thorn.
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To examine vestibular system functions in children with episodic vertigo attacks. ⋯ Peripheral vestibular problems in childhood present in a wide spectrum, which varies from a short episode of dizziness to a typical vestibular attack with fluctuating sensory neural hearing loss or episodes of BPPV. A considerable number of these vestibular problems might be related to the migraine syndrome.
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Hypoalbuminaemia has significance in adult critical illness as an independent predictor of mortality. In addition, the anion gap is predominantly due to the negative charge of albumin, thus hypoalbuminaemia may lead to its underestimation. We examine this phenomenon in critically ill children, documenting the incidence, early evolution, and prognosis of hypoalbuminaemia (<33 g/l), and quantify its influence on the anion gap. ⋯ Admission hypoalbuminaemia is common in critical illness, but is not an independent predictor of mortality. However, failure to correct the anion gap for albumin may underestimate the true anion gap, producing error in the interpretation of acid-base abnormalities. This may have treatment implications.
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To compare the effectiveness of radiological skeletal survey and bone scintigraphy for the detection of bony injuries in cases of suspected child abuse. ⋯ Skeletal survey and bone scintigraphy are complementary studies in the evaluation of non-accidental injury, and should both be performed in cases of suspected child abuse.