Neurologic Complications of Rotavirus Infections in Children.

BACKGROUND: Rotavirus is the leading cause of complicated gastroenteritis in children younger than 5 years in countries where rotavirus vaccination is not implemented as a routine vaccination. Besides the intestinal symptoms that are associated with ordinary gastroenteritis, rotavirus can cause neurological complications. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical characteristics of complicated rotavirus infections. METHODS: From January 1, 2016 to January 31, 2022, all children (below the age of 18 years) with a positive rotavirus test in feces that were either hospitalized or presented at the outpatient clinic or emergency department of a large pediatric hospital in the Netherlands were included. Rotavirus was only tested in case of a severe or abnormal disease course. We described the clinical characteristics and outcomes with a particular focus on neurological manifestations. RESULTS: In total, 59 patients with rotavirus were included of whom 50 (84.7%) were hospitalized and 18 (30.5%) needed intravenous rehydration. Ten patients (16.9%) had neurologic complications, of whom 6 patients (60.0%) presented encephalopathy. Two patients (20.0%) with neurological symptoms showed abnormalities on diagnostic imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Rotavirus can cause gastroenteritis with severe, but apparently self-limiting, neurological manifestations. Considering rotavirus in pediatric patients with neurological symptoms such as encephalopathy and encephalitis is therefore important. Early detection of rotavirus infection may predict a favorable course of the disease and may thereby prevent unnecessary treatment and should be further investigated.

Epidural and Non-epidural Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Open Pancreatectomy: a Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The use of epidural analgesia (EA) in pancreatic surgery remains under debate. This study compares patients treated with EA versus non-EA after open pancreatectomy in a tertiary referral center. METHODS: All patients undergoing open pancreatectomy from 2013 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. (Non-)EA was terminated on postoperative day (POD) 3 or earlier if required. RESULTS: In total, 190 (72.5%) patients received EA and 72 (27.5%) patients received non-EA (mostly intravenous morphine). EA was terminated prematurely in 32.6% of patients and non-EA in 10.5% of patients. Compared with non-EA patients, EA patients had significantly lower pain scores on POD 0 (1.10 (0-3.00) versus 3.00 (1.67-5.00), P < 0.001) and POD 1 (2.00 (0.50-3.41) versus 3.00 (2.00-3.80), P = 0.001), though significantly higher pain scores on POD 3 (3.00 (2.00-4.00) versus 2.33 (1.50-4.00), P < 0.001) and POD 4 (2.50 (1.50-3.67) versus 2.00 (0.50-3.00), P = 0.007). EA patients required more vasoactive medication perioperatively and had higher cumulative fluid balances on POD 1-3. Postoperative complications were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, patients with EA experienced significantly lower pain scores in the first PODs compared with non-EA, yet higher pain scores after EA had been terminated. Although EA patients required more vasoactive medication and fluid therapy, the complication rate was similar.