Family dynamics and adherence to tuberculosis treatment in pediatric patients. / Dinámica familiar y adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes pediátricos con tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: There are no studies evaluating family dynamics in pediatric population with tuberculosis. Neither treatment adherence has been measured, even though patient non-adherence is a public health problem, especially in chronic infectious diseases. OBJECTIVE: To assess family dynamics and treatment adherence in pediatric patients with pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis from an Infectious Diseases Service in Mexico. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted from May to July 2015, with 17 patients aged eight to fifteen years -old with tuberculosis. Three instruments in Spanish were applied: family dynamics was measured with the Family APGAR questionnaire, adapted for children aged eight years-old and above; treatment adherence was measured with the Haynes-Sackett and the Morisky-Green-Levine tests. RESULTS: In 76.4% of cases, extrapulmonary tuberculosis was higher than pulmonary tuberculosis (23.5%); the most common clinical form was ganglion tuberculosis. Family functionality (94.1%) dominated over moderate dysfunction (5.8%) and severe dysfunction (0%). High adherence to antituberculosis treatment was 58.8% more prominent than the moderate one (29.4%) and the low one (11.7%). The rate of patient abandonment was only 5.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest incorporating the evaluation of family dynamics within the medical controls of the antituberculosis treatment, both in the first level of care and in the hospital. This provision may help to promote high treatment adherence.

INTRODUCCIÓN: No existen estudios que evalúen la dinámica familiar en población pediátrica con tuberculosis. Tampoco se ha medido la adherencia al tratamiento, a pesar de que la no adherencia es un problema de salud pública especialmente en enfermedades crónicas infecciosas. OBJETIVO: Evaluar la dinámica familiar y la adherencia al tratamiento de pacientes pediátricos con tuberculosis pulmonar y extrapulmonar de un servicio de infectología en México. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal descriptivo en el que participaron, de mayo a julio de 2015, 17 pacientes de 8 a 15 años con tuberculosis. Se aplicaron tres instrumentos en español: la dinámica familiar se midió con el cuestionario APGAR familiar adaptado para niños de 8 años en adelante y la adherencia al tratamiento con la prueba de Haynes-Sackett y la prueba de Morisky-Green-Levine. RESULTADOS: La tuberculosis extrapulmonar superó con el 76.4% de los casos a la tuberculosis pulmonar (23.5%); la forma clínica de tuberculosis más frecuente fue la ganglionar. La funcionalidad familiar (94.1%) predominó sobre la disfunción moderada (5.8%) y la disfunción grave (0%). La alta adherencia al tratamiento antituberculoso rebasó con el 58.8% a la moderada (29.4%) y a la baja (11.7%). La tasa de abandono del tratamiento apenas fue del 5.8%. CONCLUSIONES: Los hallazgos sugieren que se debe evaluar la dinámica familiar dentro de los controles médicos del tratamiento antifímico, tanto en el primer nivel de atención como en el hospital. Esta disposición ayudaría a promover una adherencia alta al tratamiento.

[Risk factors associated with the development of early neurological complications in purulent meningitis in a pediatric population]. / Factores de riesgo asociados al desarrollo de complicaciones neurológicas tempranas en meningitis purulenta.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors associated with the development of early neurological complications in purulent meningitis in a pediatric population. METHODS: This was a case-control study including 78 children aged one month to 16 years with purulent meningitis divided into two groups: cases, with early neurological complications (defined as those presenting < 72 hours from initiation of clinical manifestation), and controls, without early neurological complications. Clinical, serum laboratory, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients were included: cases, n = 33, and controls, n = 45. Masculine gender, 19 (57%) vs. feminine gender, 28 (62%) (p = 0.679). Median age in months, 36 months (range, 1-180) vs. 12 months (range, 1-168) (p = 0.377). Factors associated with neurological complications: convulsive crises on admission, p = 0.038, OR, 2.65 (range, 1.04-6.74); meningeal signs, p = 0.032, OR, 2.73 (range, 1.07-6.96); alteration of the alert state, p = 0.003, OR, 13.0 (range, 1.64-105.3); orotracheal intubation, p = 0.000, OR, 14.47 (range, 4.76-44.01); neurological deterioration, p = 0.000, OR, 9.60 (range, 3.02-30.46); turbid CSF, p = 0.003, OR, 4.20 (range, 1.57-11.20); hypoglycorrhachia, < 30 mg/dl, p = 0.001, OR, 9.2 (range, 3.24-26.06); and positive CSF culture, p = 0.001, OR, 16.5 (range, 1.97-138.1). CONCLUSIONS: The factors associated with early neurological complications included convulsive crises on admission, meningeal signs, alteration of the alert state, need for orotracheal intubation, turbid CSF, hypoglycorrhachia, and positive CSF culture.

[Risk factors associated with bacterial growth in derivative systems from cerebrospinal liquid in pediatric patients]. / Factores de riesgo asociados a crecimiento bacteriano en sistemas derivativos de líquido cefalorraquídeo en pacientes pediátricos.

OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors associated with bacterial growth in systems derived from cerebrospinal fluid in pediatric patients. METHODS: Case and controls study from January to December 2012, in patients aged <16 years who were carriers of hydrocephalus and who required placement or replacement of derivative system. Cases were considered as children with cultures with bacterial growth and controls with negative bacterial growth. Inferential statistics with Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests. Association of risk with odds ratio. RESULTS: We reviewed 746 registries, cases n=99 (13%) and controls n=647 (87%). Masculine gender 58 (57%) vs. feminine gender 297 (46%) (p=0.530). Age of cases: median, five months and controls, one year (p=0.02). Median weight, 7 vs. 10 kg (p=0.634). Surgical interventions: median n=2 (range, 1-8) vs. n=1 (range, 1-7). Infection rate, 13.2%. Main etiology ductal stenosis, n=29 (29%) vs. n=50 (23%) (p=0.530). Non-communicating, n=50 (51%) vs. 396 (61%) (p=0.456). Predominant microorganisms: enterobacteria, pseudomonas, and enterococcus. Non-use of iodized dressing OR=2.6 (range, 1.8-4.3), use of connector OR=6.8 (range, 1.9-24.0), System replacement OR=2.0 (range, 1.3-3.1), assistant without surgical facemask OR=9.7 (range, 2.3-42.0). CONCLUSIONS: Being a breastfeeding infant, of low weight, non-application of iodized dressing, use of connector, previous derivation, and lack of adherence to aseptic technique were all factors associated with ependymitis.

[Level of knowledge of and capability for application of isolation precautions in a tertiary-level pediatric hospital]. / Grado de conocimiento y aptitud para la aplicación de las precauciones de aislamiento en un hospital pediátrico de tercer nivel.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of knowledge of and capability for application of isolation precautions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary-level pediatric hospital, and a questionnaire including structured questions and clinical scenarios was applied to healthcare personnel. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed with the chi-squared test and odds ratios were obtained. RESULTS: A total of 131 healthcare workers participated in the study, including 34 (26%) attending physicians, 47 (36%) medical residents, 48 (37%) nurses, and 2 (1%) physicians who were heads of the department. According to our definition, 99 (75%) had poor, 22 (17%) had fair, and 10 (8%), good knowledge. With regard to the capability for application of isolation precautions, 66 (51%), 33 (25%), and 32 (24%) possessed poor, fair, and good levels, respectively. Association with poor knowledge was exhibited as follows: physicians, OR: 0.17 (0.005-0.54), p = 0.001; undergraduate degree in medicine, OR: 0.37 (0.16-0.83), p = 0.01; seniority < 5 years, OR: 0.35 (0.14-0.86), p = 0.019, and training during previous year, OR: 0.09 (0.03-0.24), p = 0.005, while association with poor capability was the following; physician, OR: 0.25 (0.12-0.55), p = 0.005; undergraduate degree in medicine, OR: 0.38 (0.18-0.80), p = 0.009; seniority < 5 years, OR: 0.90 (0.45-1.81), p = 0.78, and training during previous year, OR: 0.23 (0.10-0.51), p = 0.005. CONCLUSIONS: Being a physician, having an undergraduate degree in medicine, < 5 years working at the hospital, and having received training in the previous year were positively associated with knowledge and application of isolation precautions.

Amikacina en dosis única diaria en niños neutropénicos con fiebre / Amikacin once-daily in febrile neutropenic children

Se realizó un ensayo clínico aleatorizado en niños con cáncer, fiebre y neutropenia para evaluar la eficacia de la amikacina en dosis única diaria contra tres dosis al día asociada a carbenicilina en ambos grupos. Se incluyeron 50 pacientes, 25 pacientes en el grupo A que recibieron la dosis diaria única de amikacina, y 25 pacientes en el grupo B que recibieron la amikacina fraccionada en tres dosis cada 8 horas. No hubo diferencias intergrupos: la fiebre remitió en una mediana de 6 días (2-8días) vs 7 días (3-12 días) en los grupos A y B, respectivamente (p= 0.37); la mejoría clínica se observo en una mediana de 6 días (3-10 días) vs 7 días (2-14 días) (p=0.68). Un paciente en el grupo A y dos en el B fallecieron. Los picos máximos de amikacina al 7o. día de tratamiento fueron de 10-60 y de 7-25 µg/mL en los grupos A y B respectivamente, y los niveles séricos de creatinina de 0.3-0.7 mg/dL para el grupo A y de 0.2 - 0.8 mg-dL para el grupo B; ningún paciente presentó elevación de la creatinina mayor al 40 por ciento del basal. Tres pacientes del grupo A tuvieron niveles de amikacina mayores a 40 µg/mL sin que existiera elevación de la creatinina. No encontramos datos que sugieran que la toxicidad fue mayor. La modalidad de administración de aminoglucósido en una dosis al día parece ser igual de efectiva que la convencional

Septicemia por pseudomonas en un hospital pediátrico de tercer nivel / Septicemia by pseudomonas in a pedriatric hospital of trird level

Objetivo: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo para estimar la frecuencia de septicemia por Pseudomonas aeruginosa y pseudomonas sp en el Hospital de Pediatría CMN IMSS, así como evaluar la respuesta clínica a los tratamientos actualmente utilizados. Sujetos y métodos: Se incluyeron todos los pacientes con aislamiento de Pseudomonas en hemocultivo en el periodo comprendido entre octubre de 1990 y abril de 1992. Resultados: Se diagnosticó un total de 15 pacientes. Unicamente 12 recibieron tratamiento. El esquema empírico utilizando en pacientes con fiebre y neutropenia sin foco infeccioso identificado fue carbenicilina-amikacina, que se indicó en 7 pacientes. Seis de doce pacientes que recibieron tratamiento fallecimiento se asoció con un tratamiento antimicrobiano inadecuado y en los otros tres hubo falla terapéutica al tratamiento empírico, sólo una de las cepas aisladas de estos tres pacientes era sensible o medianamente sensible a uno o ambos antimicrobianos utilizados, 5 cepas fueron resistentes a carbenicilina, 4 a amikacina, 8 a gentamicina, 10 a cefotaxima, 3 resistentes a ceftazidima y 2 resistentes a imipenem/cilastatín. Conclusiones: La elevada mortalidad que sigue presentándose en relación con la infección por estos gérmenes no obliga a considerar otras opciones terapéuticas. Se sugiere el uso de ceftazidima-amikacina cuando se tenga certeza bacteriológica y el cambio a imipenem-cilastatín/amikacina si la cepa es resistente o no hay respuesta al tratamiento inicial. No se recomienda la monoterapia