Low prevalence of asthma in Mexican children and adults with a positive rtRT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2: a cross-sectional study during the 2020 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: It has recently been argued that asthma does not increase the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. If so, the prevalence of asthma in subjects diagnosed with COVID-19 should be lower than in the general population. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of asthma in Mexican children and adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: A public database of the Epidemiological Surveillance System for Viral Respiratory Disease in Mexico was analyzed. Those who underwent the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction-SARS-CoV-2 (rtRT-PCR-SARS-CoV-2) test from February 27 to June 21, 2020, were included. In addition to the prevalence of asthma, some factors associated with it were investigated. RESULTS: Data from 417,366 subjects were analyzed. Asthma prevalence in children, adults, and global were 3.7%, 3.3%, and 3.3%, respectively. Although the asthma prevalence was lower in SARS-CoV-2 positive over negative patients, significant differences were only found in adults (2.8% vs. 3.7% respectively; odds ratio (OR) = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71-0.77); but not in children (3.5% vs. 3.8%, respectively; OR = 0.91; 95%CI: 0.76-1.10). Multivariate analysis showed in younger than 18 years that girls and immunosuppression were factors associated with a decrease in the odds to develop asthma. In adults, asthma was positively associated with females, obesity, smoking, immunosuppression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arterial hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of asthma in child and adult were lower than those previously reported. Our study seems to support the hypothesis that asthma patients have a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further studies are required to demonstrate the consistency of our findings.

[Early congenital syphilis, inadequate screening. Case report]. / Sífilis congénita temprana, cribado insuficiente. Reporte de un caso.

Background: Congenital syphilis is still a problem for developing countries, despite the screening options and low cost treatment. Clinical case: 23-day-old male patient with copper colored macules and scaling in palms and soles, as well as hepatomegaly. It was reported a negative TORCH test with VDRL of 1:512 and positive FTA ABS. As maternal history, patient had a 21 year old mother with negative VDRL at 12 weeks pregnant. Despite maternal history, with positive VDRL and FTA ABS, besides the clinical triad, it was diagnosed congenital syphilis. Conclusion: Factors that most influence failing in the prevention of congenital syphilis are inadequate prenatal care, misinterpreting diagnostic tests and not establishing monitoring programs. It is necessary to carry out VDRL tests twice during pregnancy to women who have a risk factor.

Introducción: la sífilis congénita continúa siendo un problema para los países emergentes, a pesar de las opciones de cribado y un tratamiento de bajo costo. Caso clínico: paciente de sexo masculino de 23 días de vida con máculas de color cobrizo con descamación en región palmoplantar y hepatomegalia. Se reportó un TORCH negativo con prueba serológica para la sífilis (VDRL) de 1:512 en el neonato y FTA-ABS positivo. El paciente tenía antecedente de ser hijo de madre de 21 años de edad, con VDRL negativo en el primer trimestre de embarazo. A pesar del antecedente materno, con una VDRL y un FTA-ABS positivo, además de la triada clínica, se hizo el diagnóstico de sífilis congénita. Conclusiones: los factores que más influyen en el fracaso de la prevención de la sífilis congénita son la atención prenatal inadecuada, el fracaso en la interpretación de las pruebas de diagnóstico y en los programas de monitoreo. Es necesario tomar VDRL en dos ocasiones durante la gestación o seriado por trimestre a las madres que presenten algún factor de riesgo.

Prevalence of respiratory viruses in wheezing children not older than 24 months of age.

INTRODUCTION: Wheezing in children not older than 24 months of age is a frequent event, and viruses are usually the causative agents. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of respiratory viruses in wheezing children who were not older than 24 months of age and who had no history of asthma. METHODS: Fifty-five Mexican children were included in an analytical cross-sectional study. Nasal secretions were obtained by using sterile rayon-tipped applicators to identify the virus by polymerase chain reaction or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction: adenovirus, bocavirus, human rhinovirus, influenza virus type A, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza, rhinovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus. The prevalence of viral etiology was estimated by dividing the frequency of the identified virus by the number of participants. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals for proportions were calculated. RESULTS: Most of the patients were male (35/55, 63.6%). The average time of evolution of wheezing episode was 3 days. The third part of enrolled population were receiving antibiotics. Respiratory viruses were detected in 33 (60%; 95% CI: 46.8-71.9%) out of 55 cases, and viral coinfection was detected in five cases (9.1%; 95% CI: 3.5-19.9%). Human metapneumovirus was the most frequently identified virus (23.6%), followed by bocavirus (14.5%), respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus (12.7% each), and to a lesser extent influenza virus type A and parainfluenza. Rhinovirus was the predominant virus in outpatient children (28.6%). In the inpatient emergency room and inhalotherapy room, human metapneumovirus predominated (41.2 and 16.1%, respectively). CONCLUSION: bocavirus and human metapneumovirus were the most frequently identified viruses in Mexican children who were < 2 years of age, suffered from wheezing, and had no history of asthma.

Viral coinfection in acute respiratory infection in Mexican children treated by the emergency service: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) cause illness. Children under five years of age are highly vulnerable to these infections. Viral coinfection or multiple viral infection is a variable that can have a significant impact on the evolution of these diseases. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Mexican children (under five years of age) who had an ARI and who were treated by an emergency service in a hospital in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The viral etiology, as well as the presence of multiple viral infections, was determined. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain demographic and clinical information. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated, and univariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: In the study population, metapneumovirus (hMPV) was the most frequent virus (22%), followed by adenovirus (hAD) (16%), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (14%), rhinovirus (hRV) (12%), bocavirus (hBoV) (9%), influenza virus (IF) (7%), and parainfluenza (PIF) (4%). The frequency of viral coinfections was 31.62%, and multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that hMPV, RSV, PIF, and hBoV were independently associated with multiple viral infection. No difference was found in the clinical manifestation of children with simple and multiple infections. Simple hMPV infection was associated with patients who presented with severe ARI. Using a multivariate analysis, we found that overcrowding is associated with coinfection when the viral etiology was hRV (OR = 2.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 6.13), IF (OR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.07 to 6.13), PIF (OR = 2.96, 95% CI 1.15 to 7.65), hAD (OR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.07 to 6.13), and hBoV (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.14 to 7.34). CONCLUSIONS: Viral coinfections are frequent in children requiring treatment by an emergency service. However, the severity of ARI is similar to that of children with a simple infection. The hMPV is common and may confer a significant disease burden in the Mexican population. Finally, overcrowding is a housing characteristic that favors the development of coinfections.

Picadura masiva de abejas e insuficiencia renal aguda / Acute renal failure after massive bee stings in a boy

Introducción. La picadura masiva de abejas desencadena graves efectos tóxicos por la cantidad de veneno transmitido. Se reporta un caso en un niño mexicano haciendo énfasis en las complicaciones renales. Caso clínico. Escolar masculino de 11 años, del medio rural del estado de Jalisco, que fue picado por más de 1 000 abejas de tipo no especificado. Después de 24 horas presentó disminución en su uresis y retención de azoados, iniciando manejo con diálisis peritoneal aguda por 4 días, mientras que los indicadores de función renal se normalizaron a los 15 días de tratamiento. Conclusiones. En el paciente pediátrico que sufrió picadura masiva de abejas, se deberá mantener vigilancia estrecha de su función renal en las primeras 24 horas y en caso de presentar insuficiencia renal se deberá evaluar el manejo con diálisis peritoneal aguda.

Dermatoglifos palmares en niños con convulsiones febriles / Palmodigital dermatoglyphic phenotypes in children with febrile convulsions

Se estudiaron los dermmatoglifos palmares de 30 niños con convulsiones febriles y sus controles, pareadas para edad, sexo y origen étnico. El grupo problema incluyó 19 niños y 11 niñas con convulsiones febriles no complicadas, con edad promedio 3.3 ñ 1.1 años. Ningún paciente tuvo historia de más de cuatro episodios; en 15 de ellos la crisis ocurrió por primera vez. Nueve niños (30 por ciento) tuvieron una historia familiar positiva para trastornos convulsivos. En ambos grupos, casos controles, se compararon los promedios y las frecuencias de 84 variables dermatoglíficas palmodigitales considerando por separado el sexo y la lateralidad. Sólo la presencia de la línea Sydney bilateral, mostró una frecuencia estadísticamente mayor en los niños con convulsiones febriles de 11/30 (36.6 por ciento) vs 3/30 (10 por ciento) en el grupo control (p<0.05). El resto de las variables no mostro diferencias entre ambos grupos. Se comenta el hecho de que un estudio previo mostró una mayor frecuencia de la línea simiana en los niños con convulsiones febriles; este hallazgo parece guardar relación con las evidencias del presente estudio, las que pueden ser resultado de la expresividad variable o pleiotropismo de una misma influencia genética. El encontrar este pliegue único de flexión palmar en niños con convulsiones febriles aporta información acerca de la heredabilidad o susceptibilidad genética para este problema.

Síndrome cardiofacial: informe de un caso / Cardiofacial syndrome: a case report

El síndrome cardiofacial es una entidad caracterizada por facies de llanto asimétrico y cardiopatía congénita. Reportamos el primer caso en la literatura nacional. La persistencia del conducto arterioso y el reflujo gastroesofágico fueron los hallazgos más importantes asociados a la facies asimétrica. Se enfatiza la necesidad de la búsqueda intencionada de otras anomalías ante un recién nacido con asimetría al llanto así como de su diferenciación con otras asimetrías faciales presentes al nacimiento