ABSTRACT
Background: Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH) is considered a rare condition in children. There is no consensus on the management of DAH syndromes in Africa or other low- and middle-income countries. In this brief report, the clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of children treated for DAH in the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital paediatric pulmonology unit in Johannesburg, South Africa are described. Fifteen children were included in this case series, of whom 11 (73.3%) presented with severe microcytic anaemia. Of the 11 children who had bronchoalveolar lavage, 9 (81.8%; 60.0% of the total) had haemosiderin-laden macrophages on microscopy. Only 5 children had a lung biopsy, of whom 3 (60.0%) had capillaritis. All the children were started on oral prednisone at presentation, and 11 (73.3%) received additional complementary treatment. Nine children (60.0%) had normal haemoglobin levels 1 year after initiation of treatment. Our series supports previous reports that DAH is uncommon in children. A large proportion of our patients responded well to treatment despite some resource limitations. What the study adds: The study provides additional data on children presenting with diffuse alveolar haemorrhage in a South African tertiary hospital. What are the implications of the findings: There is a need for South African pulmonologists to come together and conduct a national audit of these patients in different hospitals to determine the incidence in our country, as well as to inform a management plan in the presence or absence of specialised tests.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of information on empyema in children from low- and middle-income countries since the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. OBJECTIVES: To describe the aetiology and management of empyema in a setting of high HIV and tuberculosis (TB) prevalence. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was undertaken between January 2012 and December 2016 in children aged <14 years at a large secondary-tertiary referral hospital in Soweto, South Africa. Cases of empyema were identified through administrative databases. Clinical, laboratory and radiological data were extracted from patient records. RESULTS: We identified 65 cases of protocol-defined empyema, including 22 (33.8%) referred from surrounding hospitals. The median age at presentation was 53.2 months (interquartile range (IQR) 19.5 - 103.6). Thirteen patients (20.0%) were HIV-infected and 6 (9.2%) were HIV-exposed but uninfected. A bacterial pathogen was identified in 36 cases (55.3%). The commonest causative organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (14/65, 21.5%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (5/65, 7.7%). Treatment for TB, initiated in 28 children (43.1%), was more frequent in HIV-infected children (10/13, 76.9%) (p=0.011); however, microbiological evidence of TB was present in only 5 cases (7.7%). Forty-three children (66.2%) had an intercostal drain (ICD) inserted and 16 (24.6%) a pigtail percutaneous catheter, while a fibrinolytic was only used in 6 (10.2%). Eight children (12.3%) had a thoracotomy and 7 (10.7%) had video-assisted thorascopic drainage, all of whom had a prior ICD inserted, a median of 20 days (IQR 10 - 33) before surgery. Overall, 7 children (10.8%) were mechanically ventilated and 1 (1.5%) died. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed a dominance of S. aureus as a cause of empyema. A high proportion of HIV-infected children with empyema were initiated on TB treatment, highlighting challenges in managing TB-HIV co-infection. Although fibrinolytics or early surgery are recommended, neither practice was common in this setting.
