Mucormicosis pulmonar / Pulmonary mucormycosis

Se presenta el caso de un niño de 10 años portador de una leucemia linfoblástica aguda, que encontrándose neutropénico a consecuencia de su tratamiento quimioterápico, presentó un absceso pulmonar. Recibió varios antimicrobianos previos a su drenaje quirúrgico. El estudio histopatológico identificó una mucormicosis siendo tratado con anfotericina B deoxicolato, con buena respuesta y evolución. La sospecha clínica precoz de la infección micótica en un niño con factores de riesgo, especialmente inmunocomprometidos y diabéticos, y su tratamiento oportuno, son fundamentales para disminuir la alta mortalidad de está enfermedad oportunista. Se enfatiza la importancia del tratamiento combinado médico quirúrgico.

Agentes causantes de infecciones del torrente circulatorio en niños con cáncer, en cinco hospitales de Santiago, 1994-1998 / Causative agents of bloodstream infections in Chilean pediatric patients with cancer

Background: Pediatric patients in treatment for cancer can have fatal bacterial infections. Thus, in the presence of fever or other signs infection, antimicrobials have to be prescribed empirically. Aim: To know the causative agents of bacteremia in children with cancer, their changes with time and between different hospitals and their patterns of susceptibility. Material and methods: We reviewed the blood cultores of children with cancer in five hospitals of Santiago, from 1994 at 1998. Results: During the study period, 707 agents were isolated. The most frequently isolated species or genus were coagulase negative Staphylococcus (43 percent), Staphylococcus aureus (16 percent), Escherichia coli (9 percent), Klebsiella spp. (8 percent), Pseudomonas spp. (5 percent) and Candida spp. (4 percent). Coagulase negative Staphylococcus was 55 percent resistant to meticilin and S. aureus was 44 percent resistant. Enterobacteriae had 15 percent resistance to gentamicin and amikacin, 2 percent to imipenem, 26 percent to ceftriaxone, 21 percent to cefotaxim and 20 percent to ceftazidim. Among non fermenting agents resistance was 6 percent for imipenem, 9 percent for amikacin 10 percent for ciprofloxacin, 19 percent for ceftazidim and 22 percent for cefoperazone. The resistance of Streptococcus spp. (non pneumoniae) to penicillin reached 50 percent and that of Enterococcus spp. was of 33 percent. Conclusions: Treatment for pediatric patients with cancer must be modified and new guidelines including more active medications for patients at risk for bacteremia, should be devised