ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Influenza A and B viruses were cocirculating in Australia in the winter of 1997. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and demographic features of children with influenza A or influenza B virus infection admitted to a paediatric tertiary referral centre. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective chart review of 91 hospitalized children with culture-proven influenza A or B virus infection during 1997. RESULTS: Thirty-six (56%) of 64 children with influenza A were under 12 months of age compared with seven (26%) of 27 children with influenza B virus infection (P = 0.02). Influenza B virus infection was more common in children with underlying medical problems (P = 0. 01). Neurological manifestations were present in eight (12.5%) of 64 children with influenza A and none with influenza B virus infection (P = 0.09). There were no significant differences in signs and symptoms of children with influenza A and B virus infection, in severity of illness or in duration of hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: A greater proportion of children admitted with influenza A virus infection were under 12 months of age. Influenza B virus infection is associated more commonly with underlying medical disorders. It is not possible to differentiate between influenza A or B virus infection from presenting clinical signs and symptoms.
Subject(s)
Haemophilus Infections , Haemophilus influenzae/isolation & purification , Australia/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Haemophilus Infections/diagnosis , Haemophilus Infections/epidemiology , Haemophilus Infections/rehabilitation , Haemophilus Infections/virology , Haemophilus influenzae type b/isolation & purification , Hospitalization , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Length of Stay , Male , Retrospective Studies , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
Myositis is a relatively uncommon presentation of group A streptococcal infection. We present a case of a 3-year-old girl with group A streptococcal myositis primarily involving the soleus muscle. Magnetic resonance imaging was valuable in localizing the affected muscle and avoiding surgical exploration.
Subject(s)
Muscle, Skeletal , Myositis/microbiology , Streptococcal Infections , Streptococcus pyogenes , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Myositis/drug therapy , Myositis/pathology , Streptococcal Infections/drug therapy , Streptococcal Infections/pathologyABSTRACT
Two cases of invasive early-onset neonatal pneumococcal sepsis are reported. One neonate was born at term with no risk factors and the other preterm at 35 weeks. Sepsis was not detected at birth for either of these babies and diagnosis was made at the stage of severe sepsis. A fatal outcome resulted despite treatment. Pneumococcal sepsis was confirmed after death in both these cases. Although maternal carriage was not documented in either case, the ages at presentation and progression suggested perinatal acquisition of infection. Early onset neonatal pneumococcal sepsis presents similarly as early onset neonatal Group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis. Vaginal carriage of pneumococcus is rare but the micro-organism may have a higher invasion to colonisation ratio (attack rate) than GBS. Risk factors for invasive disease are similar to GBS.
