ABSTRACT
Blood culture (BC) is the gold standard when a bacteraemia is suspected, and is one of the most requested microbiological tests in paediatrics. Some changes have occurred in recent years: the introduction of new vaccines, the increasing number of patients with central vascular catheters, as well as the introduction of continuous monitoring BC systems. These changes have led to the review and update of different factors related to this technique in order to optimise its use. A practice guideline is presented with recommendations on BC, established by the Spanish Society of Paediatric Emergency Care and the Spanish Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases. After reviewing the available scientific evidence, several recommendations for each of the following aspects are presented: BC indications in the Emergency Department, how to obtain, transport and process cultures, special situations (indications and interpretation of results in immunosuppressed patients and/or central vascular catheter carriers, indications for anaerobic BC), differentiation between bacteraemia and contamination when a BC shows bacterial growth and actions to take with a positive BC in patients with fever of unknown origin.
Subject(s)
Bacteremia/blood , Bacteremia/diagnosis , Blood Culture/standards , Blood Specimen Collection/standards , Child , Decision Trees , Emergency Service, Hospital , HumansABSTRACT
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Subject(s)
Female , Child, Preschool , Infant , Male , Child , Humans , Fluid Therapy/methods , Dehydration/therapy , Diarrhea, Infantile/complications , 24419 , Medicine, Traditional , Rehydration Solutions/administration & dosage , Infusions, Intravenous/adverse effects , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Fluid TherapyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of scrotal cavernous hemangioma. METHODS: A 4-year old boy with a painful left scrotal mass is described. The epidemiology, natural history, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this tumor are reviewed. RESULTS: Analysis of the surgical specimen disclosed a scrotal cavernous hemangioma. CONCLUSIONS: A scrotal mass diagnosed at an uncommon age or atypical site warrants considering hemangioma as a possible etiology.
