Archives of disease in childhood
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To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nitrous oxide for children undergoing painful procedures. ⋯ Inhalation of nitrous oxide is effective in alleviating distress during painful procedures, with minimal side effects and short recovery time.
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Case Reports
Distal renal tubular acidosis with severe hypokalaemia, probably caused by colonic H(+)-K(+)-ATPase deficiency.
We describe a 21 month old male infant who presented with failure to thrive associated with severe hypokalaemia and metabolic acidosis, together with hypomagnesaemia. Evaluation revealed marked renal and probable faecal potassium wasting, distal renal tubular acidosis, mild urinary magnesium wasting, and a normal gastric pH (gastric H(+)-K(+)-ATPase). Hypokalaemic forms of metabolic acidosis, such as diabetic ketoacidosis and proximal renal tubular acidosis were ruled out from the clinical picture. ⋯ At 3 years of age potassium was provided in the absence of potential alkali and acidosis ensued; serum bicarbonate fell to 10 mmol/l. Although a specific genetic analysis is not yet possible, the abnormalities are consistent with a novel form of distal renal tubular acidosis. The pathophysiology probably does not stem from defects in the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase but more likely from deficient activity of the colonic isoform of H(+)-K(+)-ATPase that is resident in the medullary collecting duct and mediates potassium absorption and proton secretion.
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To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of procalcitonin (PCT) in differentiating bacterial and viral causes of pneumonia. ⋯ PCT concentration, with a threshold of 1 microg/l is more sensitive and specific and has greater positive and negative predictive values than CRP, IL-6, or white blood cell count for differentiating bacterial and viral causes of community pneumonia in untreated children admitted to hospital as emergency cases.