Turkish J Pediatr
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Case Reports
Postinfarction ventricular septal defect following blunt chest trauma in a 7-year-old child.
Blunt cardiac injury may result in traumatic ventricular septal defect (VSD) in the pediatric population, but presence of postinfarction VSD with accompanying coronary artery thrombosis has not been reported in the literature thus far. We present a seven-year-old patient who underwent surgery for posttraumatic VSD closure and bypass grafting of thrombotic left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion following blunt chest trauma. A high index of suspicion and early use of the appropriate imaging studies are essential for diagnosis and surgical treatment of this condition.
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Although foreign body ingestion is a common problem in children, there are no clear guidelines regarding the management of ingested foreign bodies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of our protocol in the work-up and management of children with ingested foreign bodies. Between September 2002 and August 2010, a total of 675 children with suspected foreign body ingestion were seen in the emergency department. ⋯ There were no major complications. The majority of ingested foreign bodies will pass spontaneously and most children can be safely observed at home. Selective endoscopic intervention is the preferable method for the removal of ingested foreign bodies in pediatric patients.
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There are few data with respect to pneumococcal meningitis in neonates. Epidemiological aspects, clinical features and outcomes in newborn infants diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis were evaluated in this study. Nineteen newborn infants in a neonatal intensive care unit diagnosed with culture-proven community-acquired bacterial meningitis between January 1999 and December 2008 were reviewed, and of them, eight patients were diagnosed as pneumococcal meningitis. ⋯ In the surviving patients, two had epilepsy, one sensorineural hearing loss, and two mental-motor retardation. Pneumococcal meningitis was the leading cause of community-acquired neonatal meningitis in our patients. Immunization against pneumococcal disease in developing countries would be beneficial for public health and for newborn infants.
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Comparative Study
Procalcitonin versus CRP as an early indicator of fetal infection in preterm premature rupture of membranes.
The aim of this study was to examine the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in neonates who were born after preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and compare these with interleukin-6 (IL-6). The study involved 74 preterm neonates who were born after PPROM. IL-6, CRP, complete blood count and leukocyte ratios, and PCT levels were measured in the 1st day of life, and CRP, PCT, and blood counts were repeated on the 3rd day of life. ⋯ Statistical analysis revealed that the cut-off value of 7.6 pg/ml for IL-6 had a 93% sensitivity and 96.7% specificity. Interleukin (IL)-6 is the most reliable marker for the detection of early-onset sepsis in preterm neonates with PPROM. Early PCT levels seemed to be more sensitive than early CRP in this population.