Invasive pneumococcal infections in pediatric liver-small bowel-pancreas transplant recipients.

Children undergoing LSBPTx are at increased risk of IPI due to splenectomy. We aimed to describe the clinical features and outcomes of IPI in pediatric LSBPTx recipients. Between 2008 and 2016, 122 LSBPTx children at our center were retrospectively reviewed. Nine patients had 12 episodes of IPI; the median age at first infection was 3.5 years (range: 1.5-7.1 years). The median time from transplant to first infection was 3 years (range: 0.8-5.8 years). Clinical presentation included as follows: pneumonia (n = 1), bacteremia/sepsis (n = 7), pneumonia with sepsis (n = 1), meningitis with sepsis (n = 2), pneumonia and meningitis with sepsis (n = 1). The overall risk for IPI was 7.4% or 0.9% per year. The mortality rate was 22%. Seven (78%) children had received at least one dose of PCV13, four (44%) patients had received 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine prior to IPI. All patients were on oral penicillin prophylaxis. In conclusion, despite partial or complete pneumococcal immunization and reported antimicrobial prophylaxis, IPI in LSBPTx children can have a fatal outcome. Routine monitoring of pneumococcal serotype antibodies to determine the timing for revaccination might be warranted to ensure protective immunity in these transplant recipients.

Intestinal rehabilitation: a management program for short-bowel syndrome.

Over the last 3 decades, there has been significant improvement in the survival and quality of life of patients who require home parenteral nutrition; however, parenteral nutrition remains costly, is associated with multiple complications, and does not promote the function of the remaining bowel. Intestinal rehabilitation refers to the process of restoring enteral autonomy and decreasing dependence on parenteral nutrition by utilizing dietary, pharmacological, and, occasionally, surgical interventions. A major focus of research has been to identify a trophic factor that will enhance adaptation of the remaining gastrointestinal tract following massive gut resection and allow enteral autonomy. Whether intestinal rehabilitation occurs as the result of increased intestinal adaptation or as the result of a comprehensive approach to care has yet to be determined. This article reviews intestinal failure as the result of short-bowel syndrome and the management strategy of an intestinal rehabilitation program in the care of these patients.

Short bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease.

Patients with Crohn's disease are at high risk for recurrent disease and often undergo multiple operations. Our aims were to evaluate surgical management and outcome of patients with Crohn's disease who develop short bowel syndrome (SBS) and to identify factors leading to this complication. We reviewed the records of 170 adult patients with SBS evaluated over a 20-year period. Thirty (18%) had Crohn's disease. SBS was defined as an intestinal remnant less than 180 cm with associated malabsorption. There were 20 women and 10 men ranging in age from 18 to 62 years. Eighteen (60%) presented initially with ileocolonic disease, seven (23%) with colonic disease, and five (17%) with small intestinal disease. The interval from initial diagnosis to development of SBS ranged from 2 to 32 years, with 21 patients (71%) having an interval greater than 15 years. The number of resections leading to SBS varied from 2 to 12 with 24 patients (80%) having four or fewer resections. Nineteen patients (63%) had an ostomy. Small intestinal remnant length was less than 60 cm in 10 patients, 60 to 120 cm in six patients, and greater than 120 cm in 14 patients. Only one patient underwent stricturoplasty before developing SBS. Five patients were initially diagnosed as having ulcerative colitis and underwent a pouch procedure, which was subsequently resected. Twenty patients (67%) required parenteral nutrition. Three patients have undergone reversed intestinal segment to slow intestinal transit. Two patients underwent intestinal transplantation. Two patients have died: one from parenteral nutrition-related liver failure and the other after intestinal transplantation. Crohn's disease remains a common cause of SBS. Aggressive resectional therapy, surgical complications, and errors in initial diagnosis contribute to development of SBS in these patients. Selected patients are candidates for surgical therapy for SBS.

Omeprozole therapy in pediatric patients after liver and intestinal transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole are increasingly used to prevent stress-related gastric bleeding in critically ill patients. In this investigation, the acid-suppressive potency of omeprazole was assessed in one at-risk group, pediatric patients undergoing liver or intestinal transplantation, or both. METHODS: Twenty-two patients ranging in age from 0.9 to 108 months (23.8 +/- 6.5) underwent isolated liver (n = 10) or intestinal (11 with composite liver allografts) transplantation. Omeprazole was delivered in bicarbonate suspension through a nasogastric tube. Therapy was started after surgery at 0.5 mg/kg every 12 hours. Gastric pH monitoring was performed approximately 2 days later. RESULTS: For the entire group, mean gastric pH equaled 6.1 +/- 0.3, the same in recipients of isolated liver and intestinal allografts. Twelve of the 22 patients demonstrated a discontinuous omeprazole effect, that is, dissipation of acid reduction before the next dose. Five of the 12 patients with discontinuous omeprazole effect had mean gastric pH of less than 5 (3.9 +/- 0.4). In 4 of these 5, the omeprazole dosing interval was shortened to every 8 or every 6 hours, resulting in an increase in mean pH to 6.6 +/- 0.2 ( P < 0.01). In the remaining 10 of 22 patients, acid suppression was uninterrupted until the next dose. No patient experienced bleeding attributable to gastric erosion. CONCLUSION: Omeprazole suspended in sodium bicarbonate is an effective acid-suppressing agent in pediatric recipients of liver or intestinal transplant, or both. A dosage of 0.5 mg/kg every 12 hours is sufficient for most patients, but dosing every 6 to 8 hours is required to assure maximal acid suppression in all.