Anaphylaxis at school. Are we prepared? Could we improve?

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Food allergy is a highly prevalent disorder. Anaphylaxis is the most serious consequence, and reactions often occur in schools. In the event of anaphylactic reaction prompt treatment is key and should be initiated by school personnel. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of the management of anaphylaxis, and to determine if it improves after a training session among school staff. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Descriptive study carried out by means of a pre-and post-training questionnaire completed by participants before and after a training session held at the school. Data from the same participants before and after the educational session were compared using McNemar's test. RESULTS: Three schools were enrolled (with a total of 38 children with food allergy) and 53 participants (85% teachers, 15% canteen staff) were trained. In the pre-training surveys, 83% said they had a Student's Allergic Reaction Management Plan, 56% had met with parents, 83% recognised some symptoms of allergic reaction but only 41% recognised anaphylaxis, 16% knew when to use adrenaline, 15% knew how to use it and 19% knew how to act after administering it. In the post-training questionnaires, 100% were satisfied and believed they had improved their knowledge, 93% recognised anaphylaxis and 95% the treatment of choice. CONCLUSIONS: Prior to the intervention their knowledge was insufficient, but it improved considerably after simple training. It also increased the confidence of the staff, which will be decisive when responding to an anaphylactic reaction. We believe that a compulsory training programme should be implemented universally in all schools

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Anaphylaxis at school. Are we prepared? Could we improve?

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Food allergy is a highly prevalent disorder. Anaphylaxis is the most serious consequence, and reactions often occur in schools. In the event of anaphylactic reaction prompt treatment is key and should be initiated by school personnel. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of the management of anaphylaxis, and to determine if it improves after a training session among school staff. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Descriptive study carried out by means of a pre-and post-training questionnaire completed by participants before and after a training session held at the school. Data from the same participants before and after the educational session were compared using McNemar's test. RESULTS: Three schools were enrolled (with a total of 38 children with food allergy) and 53 participants (85% teachers, 15% canteen staff) were trained. In the pre-training surveys, 83% said they had a Student's Allergic Reaction Management Plan, 56% had met with parents, 83% recognised some symptoms of allergic reaction but only 41% recognised anaphylaxis, 16% knew when to use adrenaline, 15% knew how to use it and 19% knew how to act after administering it. In the post-training questionnaires, 100% were satisfied and believed they had improved their knowledge, 93% recognised anaphylaxis and 95% the treatment of choice. CONCLUSIONS: Prior to the intervention their knowledge was insufficient, but it improved considerably after simple training. It also increased the confidence of the staff, which will be decisive when responding to an anaphylactic reaction. We believe that a compulsory training programme should be implemented universally in all schools.

[Postraumatic lesion of the carotid artery]. / Lesión postraumática de arteria carótida.

Postraumatic lesions of the carotid artery are very unusual in the general population and are especially rare in children due to the elasticity of their vessels. Because clinical expression of these lesions is mild, diagnosis can be delayed until the development of neurological signs, which are frequently irreversible. Neurological signs can be those of Horner's syndrome, drop attack, headache, vertigo, visual disorders, aphasia or transitory ischemic accidents. Carotid arterial lesion should be ruled out when the patient shows injuries in the soft tissue of the neck, when the neurological examination is incompatible with the findings of computed tomography (CT), when late neurological deficits develop or when the patient has Horner's syndrome. The patient reported herein presented partial motor seizures and hemiplegia 3 days after trauma. The most sensitive diagnostic test is angiography. Because this technique is aggressive, it is performed when suspicion is based on the results of Doppler sonography, CT or angiomagnetic resonance imaging. Treatment must be individualized. Standard therapy is anticoagulation but when this is contraindicated or the patient is asymptomatic anti-aggregating drugs are used. Thrombolytic treatment is reserved for the first few hours after injury. Surgical repair is the treatment of choice in patients with pseudoaneurysm. Because inaccessibility is one of the major difficulties in this type of surgery, intravascular stents can be a good therapeutic alternative in lesions unresponsive to medical treatment.

Lesión postraumática de arteria carótida / Postraumatic lesion of the carotid artery

Las lesiones postraumáticas de arteria carótida son muy raras en la población general, y más en la infancia por la elasticidad de los vasos. Su escasa expresión clínica inicial puede retrasar el diagnóstico hasta la aparición de signos neurológicos a menudo irreversibles. Se puede manifestar como síndrome de Horner, síncopes, cefalea, vértigo, cambios visuales, afasia y accidentes isquémicos transitorios. Se debe descartar una lesión ante: signos físicos de lesión de tejidos blandos del cuello, examen neurológico incompatible con los hallazgos de la tomografía computarizada (TC), desarrollo de déficit neurológicos tardíos y síndrome de Horner. El caso que se expone en esta nota clínica presentó una crisis parcial y hemiplejía a los 3 días del traumatismo. La técnica diagnóstica más sensible es la angiografía, aunque al ser agresiva se practica cuando hay sospecha por ecografía Doppler, TC o angiorresonancia. El tratamiento ha de ser individualizado. La anticoagulación constituye la terapia estándar y el tratamiento antiagregante está indicado en casos de contraindicación relativa para la anticoagulación y en pacientes asintomáticos, quedando el tratamiento trombolítico reservado para las primeras horas de evolución. La reparación quirúrgica constituye el tratamiento de elección en los seudoaneurismas y dado que la inaccesibilidad suele ser uno de los problemas principales de la cirugía, los stents intravasculares pueden constituir una buena alternativa terapéutica en las lesiones que no responden a tratamiento médico (AU)

[Varicella induced rhabdomyolysis]. / Rabdomiólisis por varicela.

Primary varicella-zoster infection is very common during childhood and few patients develop complications. The most frequent complications are bacterial infection of the lesions, laryngitis and varicella pneumonia. In the nervous system it can produce encephalitis and especially cerebellitis. We describe a case of primary varicella-zoster induced rhabdomyolysis in a 5-year-old girl with mental retardation, microcephalia and mild diplegia who, in the context of varicella infection, presented extreme muscular weakness and prostration. Blood and urine tests showed high creatine phosphokinase concentrations and myoglobinuria. The patient received aggressive intravenous hydration. Evolution was favorable with no renal failure. Rhabdomyolysis can produce life-threatening complications such as renal failure, intravascular disseminated coagulation and hyperkaliemia. The disease can be precipitated by alcohol ingestion, compression injury and generalized seizures. Infectious etiology is less common. Few reports have been published on primary varicella-zoster induced rhabdomyolysis but, because creatine phosphokinase concentrations are not routinely performed in varicella infection, very mild cases might have been under-diagnosed. Despite its rarity, this disease should be considered in cases of infection, since early treatment with hyperhydration can prevent complications.

Rabdomiólisis por varicela / Primary varicella-zoster induced rhabdomyolysis

La primoinfección por virus de la varicela-zoster (VVZ) es muy frecuente durante la infancia y en pocos casos cursa con complicaciones. Las más frecuentes son la sobreinfección de las lesiones, la laringitis y la neumonía varicelosas y como complicaciones neurológicas la encefalitis con especial predominio de cerebelitis. Se describe un caso de rabdomiólisis como complicación de la varicela. Se trataba de una niña de 5 años de edad con retraso mental, microcefalia y diplejía leve que, en el contexto de una primoinfección con varicela, presentó debilidad muscular extrema y postración. Se practicaron determinaciones analíticas sanguíneas y de orina que mostraron hipercreatinfosfatemia y mioglobinuria. Se realizó sueroterapia inmediata y el cuadro mejoró progresivamente, sin signos de insuficiencia renal aguda. La rabdomiólisis puede presentar complicaciones importantes, que no se dieron en nuestra paciente, como insuficiencia renal aguda, coagulación intravascular diseminada (CID) e hiperpotasemia. Suele deberse a intoxicación etílica, traumatismo o crisis generalizadas, siendo otra causa menos frecuente las infecciones. La rabdomiólisis por virus de la varicela-zoster es rara, poco descrita en la bibliografía, aunque en grado leve puede pasar desapercibida ya que no se determinan las concentraciones de creatinfosfocinasa de manera sistemática. A pesar de su rareza, es importante tenerla en cuenta en el contexto de una infección ya que el abordaje terapéutico precoz con sueroterapia abundante evita complicaciones (AU)

Celulitis orbitaria y periorbitaria. Revisión de 107 casos / Orbital and periorbital cellulitis. Report of 107

OBJETIVO: Revisar la epidemiología, manifestaciones clínicas, manejo y complicaciones de las celulitis periorbitarias y orbitarias. Conocer la utilidad de las pruebas de imagen en la detección de dichas complicaciones. MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo de los pacientes pediátricos afectos de celulitis periorbitaria u orbitaria ingresados desde enero de 1991hasta enero de 1999. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 107pacientes, con edad de máxima incidencia durante el segundo año de vida, sin predominio significativo en ninguno de los dos sexos y con mayor incidencia en invierno. En 68pacientes (63,6 por ciento) se identificó una sinusitis como causa de la celulitis. Los gérmenes más frecuentemente aislados fueron Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae y Streptococcus pyogenes. Mediante tomografía computarizada (TC) se detectó afectación retroseptal en 36pacientes, con 23abscesos subperiósticos, 3abscesos orbitarios y tres complicaciones intracraneales. El tratamiento instaurado al ingreso fue monoterapia antibiótica (cefotaxima, cefuroxima o amoxicilinaclavulánico) en el 69 por ciento de los casos y politerapia en le 31 por ciento de los pacientes. El 8,4 por ciento requirió cirugía. CONCLUSIÓN: La celulitis orbitaria es un proceso potencialmente grave y relativamente frecuente en la infancia. Para determinar el pronóstico es muy importante la prontitud con que se determine y la extensión de la afectación mediante pruebas de imagen, que determinarán la necesidad o no de drenaje quirúrgico (AU)

[Orbital and periorbital cellulitis. Review of 107 cases]. / Celulitis orbitaria y periorbitaria. Revisión de 107casos.

AIM: To report the epidemiology, clinical features, management and complications of orbital and periorbital cellulitis; to evaluate the use of imaging tests in the detection of complications. METHODS: Retrospective study of 107 pediatric patients admitted to the San Joan de Déu Pediatric Hospital with orbital or periorbital cellulitis from January 1991 to January 1999. RESULTS: The incidence of cellulitis was highest in the second year of life and during winter. No significant differences were found between the sexes. In 68 patients (63.6%) the cause of cellulitis was identified as sinusitis. The most frequently identified organisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and S. pyogenes. Computed tomography identified retroseptal damage in 36 patients with 23 super osteal abscesses, 3 orbital abscesses and 3 intracranial complications. Sixty nine percent of the patients were treated with a single antibiotic (cefotaxime, cefuroxime or amoxicillin clavulanic acid) while 31% underwent multiple antibiotic therapy. Only 8.4% required surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Orbital cellulitis is a relatively common and potentially serious disease in children. The early use of CT to assess the extent of damage is important in establishing prognosis and in assessing the need for surgical therapy.