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Asthma is a common chronic airway inflammatory disease in children.Currently, symptomatic control can be achieved in the majority of patients through a combination of β 2 receptor agonists for rapid relief of symptoms and inhaled corticosteroids for long-term control.As the only causal treatment modality at present, allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) may modify the natural course of asthma, and can control the symptoms, reduce airway hyperresponsiveness and improve lung function.In order to provide evidence for improving the effect of AIT on asthma, the mechanism of AIT in asthma and its effect on lung function were discussed in this paper.
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global pandemic. All people including children are generally susceptible to COVID-19, but the condition is relatively mild for children. The diagnosis of COVID-19 is largely based on the epidemiological evidence and clinical manifestations, and confirmed by positive detection of virus nucleic acid in respiratory samples. The main symptoms of COVID-19 in children are fever and cough; the total number of white blood cell count is usually normal or decreased; the chest imaging is characterized by interstitial pneumonia, which is similar to other respiratory virus infections and infections. Early identification, early isolation, early diagnosis and early treatment are important for clinical management. The treatment of mild or moderate type of child COVID-19 is mainly symptomatic. For severe and critical ill cases, the oxygen therapy, antiviral drugs, antibacterial drugs, glucocorticoids, mechanical ventilation or even extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be adopted, and the treatment plan should be adjusted timely through multi-disciplinary cooperation.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Betacoronavirus , Coronavirus Infections , Diagnosis , Pathology , Therapeutics , Pandemics , Pneumonia, Viral , Diagnosis , Diagnostic Imaging , Pathology , TherapeuticsABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the efficacy of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and its influence factors in the treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) with atelectasis.@*Methods@#A retrospective case control study was performed on hospitalized MPP patients with atelectasis and received BAL in the Department of Pulmonology, Children's Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 1, 2015 to July 31, 2017. Fever relieved in 48 hours and chest imaging improved in one week after BAL were considered effective. Clinical data, including age, sex, blood routine tests, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cytokines, complications, fever duration before BAL, course of disease before BAL, sputum plug, atelectasis area and its CT values of atelectasis site were collected. Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, or chi square test were used.@*Results@#(1) A total of 163 patients were enrolled, including 69 boys and 94 girls, with the ratio of 1∶1.36. Their ages ranged from 6 months to 12.6 years. (2) On the day of bronchoscope, 113 patients still had fever. They were divided into effective group (n=66) and ineffective group (n=47) according to whether fever was relieved in 48 hours after BAL. The effective group were found to have less sputum plug compared with the ineffective group (33% (22/66) vs. 57% (27/47), χ2=6.499, P=0.011). The other factors such as sex, age, fever duration before BAL, course of disease before BAL, C reactive protein (CRP), LDH, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF, IFN-γ, atelectasis area and CT value showed no significant difference between the two groups (all P>0.05). (3)A total of 122 cases had chest imaging after BAL. According to chest imaging improvement, they were divided into effective group (n=81) and ineffective group (n=41). The effective group showed lower CT value ((58±9) vs. (63±8) HU, t=-2.436, P=0.017), IL-6 and IL-10 (M(Q1, Q3)) (21.0 (1.9, 48.4) vs. 36.4(21.8, 93.6), 4.9 (3.7, 9.6) vs. 7.7 (4.4, 12.0) ng/L, Z=-2.387,-2.009, P=0.017, 0.045). Sex, age, fever duration before BAL, course of disease before BAL, CRP, LDH, IL-2, IL-4, TNF, IFN-γ, atelectasis area showed no significant differences between the two groups (all P>0.05). (4) Patients were divided into sputum plug group (57 cases) and non sputum plug group (106 cases) according to bronchoscopic findings. The sputum plug group showed higher LDH, CRP, IL-6, IFN-γ, incidence of pleural effusion and extrapulmonary complications (585(433, 833) vs. 369 (312, 588) U/L, 42 (19, 103) vs. 25 (12, 45) mg/L, 38.8 (22.1, 71.3) vs. 20.7 (9.2, 48.3) ng/L, 33.1 (13.5, 89.3) vs. 12.7 (6.5, 33.6) ng/L, 73.7% (42/57) vs. 52.8% (56/106), 40.4% (23/57) vs. 17.0% (18/106)), with statistically significant differences (Z=-4.865,-3.435,-3.098,-3.704, χ2= 0.010, 0.001, all P<0.01) . Additionally, fewer patients showed fever relief within 48 hours after BAL in the cases with sputum plug cases compared those without sputum plug (44.9% (22/49) vs. 68.8% (44/64), χ2= 0.011, P=0.009). Fewer patients showed chest imaging improvement within one week after BAL in the cases with sputum plug compared with those without sputum plug, but did not show significant difference (56.5% (26/46) vs. 72.4% (55/76), χ2=0.073, P=0.056).@*Conclusions@#BAL has some therapeutic effect on fever or atelectasis in MPP children complicated with atelectasis. Chest imaging improvement or fever relief may be hampered by sputum plug, increased IL-6 or IL-10.
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Objective@#To understand the clinical manifestation, imaging characteristics and outcomes of pulmonary malignant tumors in children.@*Method@#We retrospectively collected information about seven cases of pulmonary malignant tumors in children in our hospital from Jan 2010 to Dec 2016. The information included clinical manifestation, imaging characteristics, pathologic results, and treatment.@*Result@#(1) All the seven patients firstly visited pediatric internal medicine departments. Symptoms included cough (n=6), dyspnea (n=4), fever (n=2), anorexia (n=2), chest tightness (n=1), chest pain (n=1), lameness (n=1), abdominal distension and constipation (n=1). We did not find hemoptysis, wheezing or weight loss in those patients. Physical examinations revealed unilateral reduced breath sounds (n=5), moist rales and wheezes (n=1), and normal (n=1). Extrapulmonary signs included abdominal distension (n=2), left hip tenderness (n=1), and mass in left scrotum. We did not identify clubbing finger, anemic appearance, lymph node enlargement, or hepatosplenomegaly etc. (2) Laboratory examination results: complete blood count showed white blood cells in normal range except one case (17.44×109/L). Neutrophil percentage ranged from 0.348 to 0.767. C reactive protein ranged between<1 and 162 mg/L. Hemoglobin was normal. Three out of four cases had abnormal blood tumor markers.(3) Imaging results showed multiple nodes (n=3), multiple cystic lesions in lungs (n=2) (both with pleuropulmonary blastoma), endobronchial soft tissue mass (n=1), pulmonary round-shaped mass (n=1), and mediastinal mass (n=1). Imaging results also found atelectasis (n=3), pneumonia (n=2), pneumothorax (n=2), longitudinal diaphragmatic hernia (n=2), pleural effusion (n=1), subcutaneous emphysema (n=1). (4) All the patients underwent tumor puncture biopsy or tumor resection. Pathology revealed the final diagnosis of pleuropulmonary blastoma (n=3), endodermal sinus tumors (n=2), squamous cell carcinoma of lung (n=1), and thyroid papillary carcinoma (n=1). All of them were malignant tumors. We followed up them. Two patients died (both with pleuropulmonary blastoma) after their parents refused any medical help. Two cases were lost to follow-up. Three patients survived (followed up for 19 months, 11 months and tow months, respectively). One case with thyroid papillary carcinoma pulmonary metastasis underwent right thyroid cancer radical plus left thyroid lobe resection plus modified selective central lymph node dissection, then iodine 131 treatment. One case with endodermal sinus tumor pulmonary metastasis underwent three times of chemotherapies, resection of left retroperitoneal tumor and left testicular tumor, and six additional chemotherapies. Another one case of endodermal sinus tumor pulmonary metastasis underwent three times of chemotherapies and was discharged.@*Conclusion@#Pulmonary malignant tumors are rare diseases in children. Clinical signs are often non-specific. For those with chest CT showing multiple cystic lesions, endobronchial soft tissue mass or multiple nodes, but no significant infection manifestation or no response to anti-infection therapy, pulmonary malignant tumors should be considered. Biopsy may be needed to confirm the final diagnosis.
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Objective To observe the value of procalcitonin (PCT ) in the diagnosis ,treatment and prognosis judgement of stoke-associated pneumonia(SAP) .Methods The serum procalcitonin ,hs-CRP and clinical pulmonary infection scores (CPSI) of two groups were detected :SAP group(including 27 patients of stoke-associated pneumonia) and control group(including 31 healthy ob-jects) .Results The CPSI ,hs-CRP and serum concentration of PCT in SAP group were significantly higher than control group (P<0 .01) ,and decreased significantly when get better after treatment .The serum concentration of PCT in SAP group was significantly higher than control group(P<0 .01) .In SAP group ,the serum concentration of PTC was positively associated with CPSI scorers . Moreover ,the results of ROC analysis showed that the cut-off of serum procalcitonin for the diagnosis of SAP was 0 .9 ng/mL .The sensitivety was 88 .6% and the specifity was 79 .3% ,which was superior to hs-CRP .Conclusion The serum concentration of PCT in SAP patients is higher and it is associated with the prognosis .It might be a better clinical marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of SAP .
ABSTRACT
Flexible bronchoscopy has become an important method in diagnosis of pediatric respiratory diseases.Here,we introduced some diagnostic techniques such as bronchoalveolar lavage,protected specimen brushing and biopsy techniques including endobronchial biopsy,transbronchial lung biopsy,and transbronchial needle aspiration.Meanwhile,its role in the diagnosis of common diseases and symptoms (abnormality of airways,dyspnea,refractory wheezing,chronic cough,tuberculosis and bronchial foreign bodies)was discussed.