Effects of Rapid Influenza Antigen Test on Antimicrobial Management of Pediatric Patients with Influenza-Like Illness in the Emergency Room

Background@#Influenza is a commonly encountered respiratory tract infection and diagnosis remains to be a challenge. Use of a rapid antigen test may influence decisions on treatment in the emergency room (ER). @*Objectives@#This research aims to determine the effects of rapid influenza antigen test (RIAT) on antimicrobial management of influenza-like illness (ILI) in the ER, determine the clinical profile of pediatric patients with ILI and look into the relationship between RIAT result, symptomatology, and immunization status. @*Methods@#This is a cross-sectional study which involved review of charts of 195 pediatric patients with ILI who underwent RIAT (KlintecTM) through a nasopharyngeal swab in the ER of a tertiary hospital from September 2019 to February 2020. Chi-square, Fischer exact test and likelihood ratio were used for data analysis. @*Results@#Most pediatric patients were 7–12 years old males. Majority presented with fever, cough, and colds and underwent RIAT at 2–4 days from onset of illness. About 73.33% of study participants did not receive their yearly influenza vaccine and 70.7% of patients with positive RIAT had no influenza vaccine. There is a lower percentage of vaccinated children who developed cough (86.5% vs. 89.5%) and colds (80.8% vs. 83.2%) when compared with unvaccinated children. RIAT result significantly affected management in terms of antimicrobial prescribing to patients with ILI. @*Conclusion@# Influenza presents with non-specific symptoms and vaccination remains a major preventive measure against the disease. The result of RIAT facilitates targeted treatment for influenza and decreases unnecessary antibacterial use, but this should be done with careful thought and interpretation.

Purulent Pericarditis Secondary to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in a previously healthy infant: A case report

@#Purulent pericarditis with cardiac tamponade caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is rare and fatal. There are limited data in children in the current antibiotic era, and available reports usually involve patients with immune dysfunction and prior thoracic instrumentation or has a thoracic focus of infection. Rapid recognition and treatment are paramount in the survival of patients. We report a case of purulent pericarditis with cardiac tamponade secondary to community-acquired MRSA in a previously healthy 10-month-old male infant who presented with fever, pallor, shock, and cardio-respiratory distress. CBC showed leukocytosis with neutrophilia, markedly elevated inflammatory markers, and cardiomegaly on chest radiography. The ECG showed diffuse concave ST-segment elevation, low QRS voltages on precordial leads, and electrical alternans consistent with pericarditis with probable significant pericardial effusion confirmed by 2D echocardiography with note of cardiac tamponade. He was managed effectively with pericardiostomy in combination with a 4-week course of vancomycin. Blood and pericardial fluid culture grew MRSA. This case underscores the organism’s lethality and its potential to infect immunocompetent children without predisposing factors. The value of early recognition, prompt initiation of treatment and management is of utmost importance.