ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Fever, leukocytosis, and large local reactions following the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PS23) have been described only in isolated case reports in the adult literature. Such atypical reactions can pose difficulty to providers when determining management. Patients experiencing this noninfectious reaction may receive unnecessary treatment if the diagnosis of robust inflammatory response to the PS23 vaccine is not considered. OBSERVATIONS: This is a clinical case series of 5 adult patients who received the influenza and PS23 vaccines and experienced a cellulitis-like reaction, fever, and leukocytosis in the days following vaccination. Four of the five patients received the influenza and PS23 vaccines in the same arm. The patient who received the vaccines in opposite arms had the local findings in the arm that received the PS23 vaccine. All 5 patients sought care and 4 were admitted to the hospital for observation or treatment with intravenous antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: This case series highlights potential side effects of the PS23 vaccine that are not well described in the adult literature. Antibiotics were not helpful in treating these patients' local and systemic symptoms. Patients with histories consistent with that highlighted in this case series may avoid antibiotics and hospitalization if their providers recognize these symptoms as a noninfectious reaction to the PS23 vaccine.
Subject(s)
Pneumococcal Vaccines/administration & dosage , Pneumococcal Vaccines/adverse effects , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/chemically induced , Adult , Cellulitis/etiology , Cellulitis/pathology , Female , Fever/etiology , Fever/pathology , Humans , Leukocytosis/etiology , Leukocytosis/pathology , Male , Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome/pathology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome (WHS) is a genetic syndrome that includes a typical facial appearance, mental retardation, growth delay, seizures, and congenital cardiac defects. A deletion of the terminal band of the short arm of chromosome 4, with a breakpoint at the 4p15 to 4p16 region, is the most common genetic mutation causing WHS. Congenital heart disease associated with WHS typically includes atrial and ventricular septal defects, though there are a few case reports of associated complex congenital heart disease. Here we report a case of an infant with a large 4p deletion, with a breakpoint at the 4p12 region, and hypoplasic left heart syndrome. We discuss a possible link between the size of the chromosomal deletion in WHS and the severity of the cardiac defect.
Subject(s)
Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Fatal Outcome , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Karyotyping , Male , Phenotype , Ultrasonography, PrenatalABSTRACT
CONTEXT: The cortisol stress response to sedation and anesthesia in children is not well characterized. It is not clear whether it is necessary to give stress doses of corticosteroids to children with adrenal insufficiency undergoing sedated procedures. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe the cortisol stress response to sedation and anesthesia in normal children. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: This was a prospective cohort study of 149 children ages 1 month to 17 yr who presented for routine sedated procedures. Salivary cortisol was measured at baseline, every 30 min during procedures, at completion, and at recovery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We evaluated relative change in salivary cortisol from baseline for level of sedation achieved and type of procedure performed. RESULTS: In total, 117 patients had adequate samples collected, and 110 were included in the main analysis. Twenty-five percent of patients showed an increase in salivary cortisol greater than four times baseline, consistent with a stress response. Mean salivary cortisol increased more than 3-fold from baseline (3.7±0.4, P<0.001) for all patients in the study. There was no difference for change in cortisol when comparing by level of sedation achieved or by type of procedure performed. The majority of patients with a stress response had their highest levels in the recovery phase, after their procedure was completed. CONCLUSION: Sedation and anesthesia can induce a significant rise in cortisol in children. Additional studies should be performed to validate our results and to determine whether stress dosing of corticosteroids may be needed for children with adrenal insufficiency undergoing sedated procedures.
