Clinical analysis of scrub typhus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the clinical manifestations and intervention against fulminant scrub typhus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The medical records for the onset time of hemophagocytic syndrome, the clinical course, the chest radiographic findings, laboratory data, antibiotic therapy, clinical outcome and its prognosis were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>(1) Four patients were diagnosed as scrub typhus based on clinical manifestations only, while 15 patients met the criteria of laboratory diagnosis. All 19 patients with scrub typhus had hemophagocytic syndrome. Eschar lesion was identified in 12 patients, 7 patients were described as an ulcer. A seasonal pattern (78.9% from June through September in 15 patients) was observed. Clinical misdiagnosis was common (all 19 cases). There were 9 patients with admitting diagnosis of scrub typhus, 10 patients were not diagnosed as scrub typhus after admission. In 5 cases within 3 days after admission diagnosis was corrected as scrub typhus. Until discharge from the hospital, 5 cases were not diagnosed with scrub typhus. In this study, the length of time from the illness onset (beginning of fever) to the occurrence of clinical symptoms was (9 ± 4) days. (2) All 19 patients had changed AST levels (149 ± 37) U/L, albumin levels (23 ± 4) g/L, C-reactive protein levels (103 ± 51) mg/L, and platelet count (48 ± 41) × 10⁹/L; bone marrow aspiration revealed in 16 patients marked hemophagocytosis. Weil-Felix agglutination test revealed positive results in 6 of 15 cases. Diagnostic IFA results were positive for 14 patients; 19 patients had interstitial pneumonitis and 17 patients had pleural effusion. (3) Five cases with failure to diagnose the disease had ineffective antibiotics treatment (imipenem or β-lactam-based regimens). These patients did not receive appropriate treatment with antibiotics against scrub typhus. Fourteen patients with admitting diagnosis of scrub typhus were successfully treated with appropriate antibiotics, 8 cases with chloramphenicol, 3 cases with azithromycin, and in 3 patients (2 cases of azithromycin and one case of erythromycin), therapy was then switched to chloramphenicol. Four patients were treated with methylprednisolone and 10 patients with dexamethasone. (4) During their hospitalization, the clinical course in five cases with failure to diagnose the disease rapidly developed and progressed to the life-threatening MODS, four of five cases died. However, the course in 14 patients were relieved and did not progress to MODS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The diagnosis of scrub typhus was frequently delayed, the early course of scrub typhus could be associated with hemophagocytic syndrome. Serious complications of MODS generally occur without antibiotic treatment. Scrub typhus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome should be taken into consideration among patients with acute systemic febrile illness, significant increases in levels of CRP, hypoalbuminemia, thrombocytopenia, splenomegaly, pneumonitis with pleural effusion, especially those with suspected exposure history. It was not easily recognized without careful observation and was present for a few days in each patient.</p>

Clinical features of six sporadic cases of infant pulmonary hemorrhage of enterovirns 71 infection without skin rash / 中华传染病杂志

Objective To understand the clinical features of infant pulmonary hemorrhage of enterovirus 71 infection without skin rash, and to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.Methods Six infants infected with enterovirus 71 and presented pulmonary hemorrhage but no skin rash between November 2007 and October 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical manifestations, clinical outcomes, treatments, laboratory data and chest imaging changes of the cases were analyzed. Results The 6 cases were all younger than 2 years old. The cases distributed throughout the whole year without peak season. Enterovirus 71 gene was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real time polymerase chain reaction from throat swabs and secretions of the respiratory tract. All the cases began with fever, and 4 of which were accompanied with vomit, and 2 accompanied with cough. After 1 to 3 days, they all got sudden deterioration, manifested with pale and cyanosis, and 1 had hyperspasmia. After intubation, they all had pink frothy fluid from the endotracheal tube. They all had obvious hyperglycaemia, 4 had tachycardia, and 2 had hypertension. All the 6 cases died, and 4 died within 6 h after deterioration. Conclusions Pulmonary hemorrhage of enterovirus 71 infection without skin rash is seen in infants. It is sporadic throughout the whole year. The disease is fulminant and the case often dies in short period of time.