Clinical characteristics of acute lower respiratory tract infections according to respiratory viruses in hospitalized children without underlying disease during the last 3 years / 영남의대학술지

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viruses play a significant role in the etiology of acute respiratory infections and exacerbation of chronic respiratory illnesses. This study was conducted to identify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children with acute viral lower respiratory infections.METHODS: This study investigated 1,168 children diagnosed with acute viral lower respiratory tract infections (RTIs) between January 2012 and December 2014. Specimens of respiratory viruses were collected using a nasopharyngeal swab and analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and analyzed the clinical features of children hospitalized for acute lower respiratory infections.RESULTS: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of infection in children aged <5 years, was the most commonly detected pathogen in children with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and resulted in high proportions of children requiring oxygen treatment and intensive care unit admission. Rhinovirus was preceded by RSV as the second most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and was detected most frequently in the children aged ≥6 years. In addition, asthma was predominantly caused by rhinovirus in children aged ≥6 years, whereas croup was mostly caused by parainfluenza virus in those aged <5 years. Rhinovirus infection (p < 0.001) and history of asthma (p=0.049) were identified as significant risk factors for readmission within a month.CONCLUSION: We identified the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of respiratory viruses in children with acute lower respiratory infections during the last 3 years. Our findings may provide useful clinical insight to comprehend the acute viral lower RTIs in children.

Clinical characteristics of acute lower respiratory tract infections according to respiratory viruses in hospitalized children without underlying disease during the last 3 years / 영남의대학술지

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viruses play a significant role in the etiology of acute respiratory infections and exacerbation of chronic respiratory illnesses. This study was conducted to identify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children with acute viral lower respiratory infections. METHODS: This study investigated 1,168 children diagnosed with acute viral lower respiratory tract infections (RTIs) between January 2012 and December 2014. Specimens of respiratory viruses were collected using a nasopharyngeal swab and analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and analyzed the clinical features of children hospitalized for acute lower respiratory infections. RESULTS: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of infection in children aged <5 years, was the most commonly detected pathogen in children with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and resulted in high proportions of children requiring oxygen treatment and intensive care unit admission. Rhinovirus was preceded by RSV as the second most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and was detected most frequently in the children aged ≥6 years. In addition, asthma was predominantly caused by rhinovirus in children aged ≥6 years, whereas croup was mostly caused by parainfluenza virus in those aged <5 years. Rhinovirus infection (p < 0.001) and history of asthma (p=0.049) were identified as significant risk factors for readmission within a month. CONCLUSION: We identified the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of respiratory viruses in children with acute lower respiratory infections during the last 3 years. Our findings may provide useful clinical insight to comprehend the acute viral lower RTIs in children.

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Preterm Twins: In Vitro Fertilized versus Spontaneous Conceived

PURPOSE: With in vitro fertilization (IVF) becoming a common treatment for infertility, there has been an increasing number of studies on perinatal complications related to IVF. This study compares the clinical characteristics of twins at gestational age less than 34 weeks, between IVF and spontaneous conceived. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 138 preterm twins at gestational age less than 34 weeks, admitted between January 2009 and December 2011 to the neonatal intensive care units of two hospitals. Maternal and preterm infant's clinical characteristics of 58 IVF and 80 spontaneous conceived twins were compared. RESULTS: Maternal age was older in IVF twins (33.3+/-2.8 vs. 31.3+/-4.2, P-value=0.007), and there was no other significant difference between the two maternal groups. Gestational age was lesser in IVF twins (30.6+/-3.2 vs. 31.2+/-2.7, P-value=0.048). Age at the day of full enteral feeding (24.2+/-12.1 vs. 18.2+/-13.2, P-value<0.001) and age at day of full oral feeding (30.1+/-18.5 vs. 25.3+/-19.2, P-value<0.001) were significantly longer in IVF twins as adjusted by gestational age. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) showed higher incidence in IVF twins (P-value=0.011), but there was no significant difference between the two groups after adjusting gestational age. CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics in IVF twins at gestational age less than 34 weeks were not significantly different from those of spontaneously conceived twins except age at the day of full enteral feeding and age at the day of full oral feeding after adjusting by gestational age.

The Clinical Consideration of Tracheal Bronchus Detected by Computed Tomography Scan in Children / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: Tracheal bronchus is an aberrant bronchus arising from tracheal wall above the carina. Most cases of tracheal bronchus are asymptomatic, so they are diagnosed incidentally. Tracheal bronchus may be associated with other anomalies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristics of tracheal bronchus. METHODS: This study was conducted on 19 children who were diagnosed as tracheal bronchus by the chest computed tomography from January 2000 to December 2011. Based on the medical record, clinical features, such as symptoms, radiologic findings, combined anomalies were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: The age at diagnosis was ranged from 2 day to 14 years (mean, 51 months). Among the 19 children, twelve children (63.2%) were boys and seven children (36.8%) were girls. Eighteen children (94.7%) had right-side tracheal bronchus and one child (5.3%) had left-side tracheal bronchus. Displaced type were fourteen children (73.7%), supernumerary type were five children (26.3%). Thirteen children (68.4%) had no respiratory symptoms, but five children (26.3%) had persistent cough and four children (21.1%) had recurrent wheezing. Combined congenital abnormalities were present in seventeen children (89.5%), including congenital cardiovascular anomaly (n=14, 73.7%), trachea-esophageal fistula (n=3, 15.8%), Down syndrome (n=2, 10.5%). CONCLUSION: The patients with tracheal bronchus had not severe respiratory symptoms, but had many combined anomalies. So, it is necessary to consider the presence of tracheal bronchus in children with respiratory symptom, like recurrent wheezing, and to evaluate clinical significance, like combined anomaly, in tracheal bronchus patients. The limitation of this study is that the study group includes many cardiovascular disease patients (84.2%).

Clinical Characteristics of Pediatric Bacterial Meningitis Complicated with Subdural effusion / 대한소아신경학회지

PURPOSE: Authors aim to examine the clinical characteristics and relevant factors of the bacterial meningitis with the complication of subdural effusion. METHODS: We identified the 63 children with bacterial meningitis from 2006 to 2011. Thirteen children (group A) had a complication of subdural effusion during the treatment and 50 children (group B) did not. We reviewed their medical records retrospectively regarding demographic profiles, clinical features and laboratory findings. RESULTS: The mean age was younger in group A than in group B (4.9+/-10.1 vs 27.2+/-46.5 months, P=0.046). Of the initial symptoms, fever was the most frequent symptom, while seizures (30.8% vs 8.0%, P=0.028) and lethargy (38.5% vs 16.0%, P=0.070) were more common in group A. Since the antibiotics medication, the duration of vomiting (2.5+/-1.5 vs 1.1+/- 0.3 days, P=0.003) and irritability (2.5+/-1.5 vs 1.1+/-0.3 days, P=0.034) was longer in group A. Initial laboratory findings were significantly different between two groups with elevation of CRP (9.4+/-8.6 vs 4.1+/-6.6 mg/dL, P=0.010), CSF neutrophil ratio (71.2+/-16.4 vs 54.1+/-33.4%, P=0.041), and CSF protein (260.2+/-192.5 vs 119.9+/-148.5 mg/dL, P=0.003) in group A. Follow-up examination showed that CRP (9.3+/-10.4 vs 2.7+/-5.5 mg/dL, P=0.011), CSF cell count (670.6+/-1,014.0 vs 123.5+/-243.8 /mm3, P=0.006), and CSF protein (211.5+/-148.3 vs 82.1+/-85.8 mg/dL, P=0.002) were significantly higher in group A. CONCLUSION: Some significantly different results were shown in the comparison of initial symptoms and their durations and laboratory findings between the patients with subdural effusion following bacterial meningitis and those without subdural effusion.