ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To create awareness that giardiasis can mimic acute clinical symptomatologies and result in missed diagnosis. METHOD: The case files of four acute and life threatening presentations that were misdiagnosed initially but later found to be Giardia lamblia infestations from laboratory stool results and responded to treatment for giardiasis were reviewed. RESULTS: One of the cases was diagnosed as food poisoning, a second as a case of hypovolemic shock and the third also as a hypovolemic shock, though also considered to have sepsis and the last, a case of acute exacerbation of asthmatic attack. Three of the cases were less than 24 months and vomiting was seen in 3 of them. CONCLUSION: Giardiasis in childhood can be acute and life threatening and should be considered in such ill children, especially if they also have digestive system symptomatology.
Subject(s)
Giardia lamblia/isolation & purification , Giardiasis/diagnosis , Animals , Antiprotozoal Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Diagnosis, Differential , Feces/parasitology , Female , Foodborne Diseases/diagnosis , Giardia lamblia/drug effects , Giardiasis/drug therapy , Giardiasis/parasitology , Humans , Infant , Male , Metronidazole/therapeutic use , Microscopy , Shock/diagnosis , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the commonest organism cultured from the blood of children suspected to have bacterial sepsis and their antibiogram sensitivity using the commonly used antibiotics in a private practice and see if there are differences from established data from other areas. METHOD: Children beyond neonatal age presenting to a children's specialist hospital in southeast Nigeria over a 2 year period with fever and other features of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) thought to be due to bacterial infection (but without focal point of infection) had their blood cultures done. A review of their case notes and an analysis of their blood culture and antibiogram sensitivity results was done. RESULTS: Fourteen cases fitted the criteria and were analysed. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest organism and of the profiled antibiogram the sensitivity pattern showed that ciproxin, gentamycin, chloramphenicol and erythromycin were the best. CONCLUSION: Staphylococcus aureus is still a major cause of childhood bacterial sepsis. Gentamycin and erythromycin are safe and useful antibiotics in their treatment and are recommended.
