Clinical Study of Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli in Urinary Tract Infection in Children: A 9-year Retrospective, Single Center Experience

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic susceptibility and resistance of Escherichia coli in urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 212 inpatients aged 18 years or younger with UTIs treated at the Pediatric Department of Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital between January 2008 and December 2016. For comparison, patients were divided into three groups according to age as follows: group 1, ≤1 month; group 2, >1 month to ≤12 months; and group 3, ≥13 months. The antibiotic resistance rates from January 2008 to December 2012 (study period 1) and from January 2013 to December 2016 (study period 2) were analyzed statistically by group. RESULTS: As the patient age increased, the antibiotic resistance rate to ampicillin (P=0.013), levofloxacin (P=0.050), piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) (P<0.001), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (P=0.002) increased. The frequency of extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli showed a significant difference from 5 cases (4.6%) in study period 1 and 16 cases (15.8%) in study period 2 (P=0.007). The antibiotic resistance rate of E. coli was compared between the two time periods and we found that the antibiotic resistance rate to cefotaxime was significantly increased from 5.4% to 16.8% (P=0.008) and that to TZP was significantly decreased from 40.5% to 7.9% (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Over the past 9 years, the resistance rate to cefotaxime has increased but the resistance rate to TZP has decreased. Thus, it is important to continue to investigate the antibiotic resistance rates of bacteria in the community.

Clinical Study of Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli in Urinary Tract Infection in Children: A 9-year Retrospective, Single Center Experience

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic susceptibility and resistance of Escherichia coli in urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 212 inpatients aged 18 years or younger with UTIs treated at the Pediatric Department of Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital between January 2008 and December 2016. For comparison, patients were divided into three groups according to age as follows: group 1, ≤1 month; group 2, >1 month to ≤12 months; and group 3, ≥13 months. The antibiotic resistance rates from January 2008 to December 2012 (study period 1) and from January 2013 to December 2016 (study period 2) were analyzed statistically by group. RESULTS: As the patient age increased, the antibiotic resistance rate to ampicillin (P=0.013), levofloxacin (P=0.050), piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) (P<0.001), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (P=0.002) increased. The frequency of extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing E. coli showed a significant difference from 5 cases (4.6%) in study period 1 and 16 cases (15.8%) in study period 2 (P=0.007). The antibiotic resistance rate of E. coli was compared between the two time periods and we found that the antibiotic resistance rate to cefotaxime was significantly increased from 5.4% to 16.8% (P=0.008) and that to TZP was significantly decreased from 40.5% to 7.9% (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Over the past 9 years, the resistance rate to cefotaxime has increased but the resistance rate to TZP has decreased. Thus, it is important to continue to investigate the antibiotic resistance rates of bacteria in the community.

RSV Outbreak at a Single Postpartum Care Center in Gyeongsangbukdo / 대한주산의학회잡지

PURPOSE: We performed an analysis of the RSV outbreak in a postpartum center in Gyeongsangbukdo to provide preliminary data for health and hygiene management of postpartum care centers. METHODS: All of 22 newborns who were transferred to our hospital from a postpartum care center from December 2014 to January 2015 showed positive for RSV by viral culture and enrolled in the study group. To identify early symptoms in RSV infected newborn in the nursery 31 infants (1 month to 24 month of age) who were hospitalized in our hospital due to RSV infection during the same period were selected as control group and clinical symptoms were compared with the study group. A retrospective study was also performed on the newborns who were cared and not transferred to our hospital in the postpartum care center, as well as the facilities offered by the center. RESULTS: All of 22 neonatal patients who were transferred to our hospital had early symptoms of rhinorrhea and cough compared to control group. Rhinorrhea appeared 4.2±2.0 days before the admission, and cough occurred 1.0±1.1 days after rhinorrhea. The level of infection control specified by the law for general facilities relating to postpartum care centers was applied to the postpartum center, RSV infection was not controlled. Strict hand washing, individual equipment such as stethoscopes and exclusion of visitors with respiratory symptoms were done and infected neonates were segregated in separate air circulation system and cared by nurse-infant ratios from 1:1 to 1:2 depending on the needs of the individual neonates. Additional transmission was not observed after transfer to our hospital CONCLUSION: Neonates with cough and rhinorrhea were initial symptom for RSV infection in the postpartum center and should be evaluated for RSV infection during high risk season. Current guideline or support for infection control in postpartum center should be reevaluated for RSV infection control.

RSV Outbreak at a Single Postpartum Care Center in Gyeongsangbukdo / 대한주산의학회잡지

PURPOSE: We performed an analysis of the RSV outbreak in a postpartum center in Gyeongsangbukdo to provide preliminary data for health and hygiene management of postpartum care centers. METHODS: All of 22 newborns who were transferred to our hospital from a postpartum care center from December 2014 to January 2015 showed positive for RSV by viral culture and enrolled in the study group. To identify early symptoms in RSV infected newborn in the nursery 31 infants (1 month to 24 month of age) who were hospitalized in our hospital due to RSV infection during the same period were selected as control group and clinical symptoms were compared with the study group. A retrospective study was also performed on the newborns who were cared and not transferred to our hospital in the postpartum care center, as well as the facilities offered by the center. RESULTS: All of 22 neonatal patients who were transferred to our hospital had early symptoms of rhinorrhea and cough compared to control group. Rhinorrhea appeared 4.2±2.0 days before the admission, and cough occurred 1.0±1.1 days after rhinorrhea. The level of infection control specified by the law for general facilities relating to postpartum care centers was applied to the postpartum center, RSV infection was not controlled. Strict hand washing, individual equipment such as stethoscopes and exclusion of visitors with respiratory symptoms were done and infected neonates were segregated in separate air circulation system and cared by nurse-infant ratios from 1:1 to 1:2 depending on the needs of the individual neonates. Additional transmission was not observed after transfer to our hospital CONCLUSION: Neonates with cough and rhinorrhea were initial symptom for RSV infection in the postpartum center and should be evaluated for RSV infection during high risk season. Current guideline or support for infection control in postpartum center should be reevaluated for RSV infection control.

Alexander Disease

Alexander disease (ALXD) is a rare demyelinating disease of the white matter of the brain that is caused by a mutation in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene. The overexpression of GFAP in astrocytes induces a failure in the developmental growth of the myelin sheath. The neurodegenerative destruction of the myelin sheath of the white matter is accompanied by an accumulation of abnormal deposits of Rosenthal fibers in astrocytes, which is the hallmark of ALXD. The disease can be divided into four groups based on the onset age of the patients: neonatal, infantile, juvenile, or adult. Early-onset disease is more severe, progresses rapidly, and results in a shorter life span than late-onset cases. Magnetic resonance imaging and genetic tests are mostly used for diagnostic purposes. Pathological tests of brain tissue for Rosenthal fibers are definitive diagnostic methods. Therapeutic strategies are being investigated. Ceftriaxone, which is an enhancer of glial glutamate transporter (GLT-1) expression, is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with ALXD. To date, there are no clinically available treatments. The cause, pathology, pathophysiology, inheritance, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of ALXD will be reviewed comprehensively.

Small Bowel Obstruction Caused by an Aberrant Congenital Band in a Child / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

Small bowel obstruction due to congenital band is not only rare in children, but also difficult to diagnose, because common symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain are observed in patients. In order to prevent a fatal result, an anomalous congenital band should be considered in the discriminative diagnosis of intestinal obstruction in children who have no previous experience of operation or intraperitoneal inflammation. This report presents a 4-year-old boy who was admitted with abdominal pain and nonbilious vomiting for a day. The initial suspicion was for acute gastroenteritis. However, after further investigation and performance of surgery, the intestinal obstruction associated with a congenital band was confirmed. No recurrence was observed during the 8-month follow-up period. Thus early confirmation based on radiologic study is a crucial factor for the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction caused by a congenital band.

Transmission of Seasonal Outbreak of Childhood Enteroviral Aseptic Meningitis and Hand-foot-mouth Disease

This study was conducted to evaluate the modes of transmission of aseptic meningitis (AM) and hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) using a case-control and a case-crossover design. We recruited 205 childhood AM and 116 HFMD cases and 170 non-enteroviral disease controls from three general hospitals in Gyeongju, Pohang, and Seoul between May and August in both 2002 and 2003. For the case-crossover design, we established the hazard and non-hazard periods as week one and week four before admission, respectively. In the case-control design, drinking water that had not been boiled, not using a water purifier, changes in water quality, and contact with AM patients were significantly associated with the risk of AM (odds ratio [OR]=2.8, 2.9, 4.6, and 10.9, respectively), while drinking water that had not been boiled, having a non-water closet toilet, changes in water quality, and contact with HFMD patients were associated with risk of HFMD (OR=3.3, 2.8, 6.9, and 5.0, respectively). In the case-crossover design, many life-style variables such as contact with AM or HFMD patients, visiting a hospital, changes in water quality, presence of a skin wound, eating out, and going shopping were significantly associated with the risk of AM (OR=18.0, 7.0, 8.0, 2.2, 22.3, and 3.0, respectively) and HFMD (OR=9.0, 37.0, 11.0, 12.0, 37.0, and 5.0, respectively). Our findings suggest that person-to-person contact and contaminated water could be the principal modes of transmission of AM and HFMD.

Increased Seizure Susceptibility and Up-regulation of nNOS Expression in Hippocampus Following Recurrent Early-life Seizures in Rats

This study aimed to determine the long-term change of seizure susceptibility and the role of nNOS on brain development following recurrent early-life seizures in rats. Video-EEG recordings were conducted between postnatal days 50 and 60. Alterations in seizure susceptibility were assayed on day 22 or 50 using the flurothyl method. Changes in nNOS expression were determined by quantitative immunoblotting on day 50. On average, rats had 8.4+/-2.7 seizures during 10 daily 1 hr behavioral monitoring sessions. As adults (days 50-60), all rats displayed interictal spikes in the hippocampus and/or overlying cortex. Brief electrographic seizures were recorded in only one of five animals. Rats appeared to progress from a period of marked seizure susceptibility (day 22) to one of lessened seizure susceptibility (day 50). Up-regulation of nNOS expression following early-life recurrent seizures was observed on day 50. In conclusion, these data suggested that recurrent early-life seizures had the long-term effects on seizure susceptibility late in life and up-regulatory nNOS expression on the hippocampus during brain development, and nNOS appeared to contribute to the persistent changes in seizure susceptibility, and epileptogenesis.

Predictive factors for severe infection among febrile infants younger than three months of age / 소아과

PURPOSE: This study investigated the predictive factors for identifying infection-prone febrile infants younger than three months. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 167 infants younger than three months with an axillary temperature >38degrees C who were hospitalized between 2006 and 2008. If they met any of the following criteria, positive blood culture, CSF WBC > or =11/mm3 or positive CSF culture, urinalysis WBC > or =6/HPF and positive urine culture, WBC > or =6/HPF on microscopic stool examination or positive stool culture, they were considered at high risk for severe infection. Infants with focal infection, respiratory infection or antibiotic administration prior to admission to the hospital were excluded. We evaluated the symptoms, physical examination findings, laboratory data, and the clinical course between the high risk and low risk groups for severe infection. RESULTS: The high-risk group included 77(46.1%) infants, and the most common diagnosis was urinary tract infection (51.9%). Factors, such as male sex, ESR and CRP were statistically different between the two groups. But, a multilinear regression analysis for severe infection showed that male and ESR factors are significant. CONCLUSION: We did not find the distinguishing symptoms and laboratory findings for identifying severe infection-prone febrile infants younger than three months. However, the high-risk group was male and ESR-dominated, and these can possibly be used as predictive factors for severe infection.

Assessment of parental understanding of epilepsy and effects of educational programs in an epilepsy camp / 소아과

PURPOSE: To assess parental knowledge and understanding of epilepsy including social stigma and evaluate the effects of educational programs on parents in an epilepsy camp. METHODS: We conducted an epilepsy camp on August 23-24, 2008, at Gyeongsan. Twenty families with an epileptic child each participated in the camp. We performed a survey before and after the camp to obtain data concerning parental understanding of epilepsy and the effects of the camp-based educational programs on the parents. The data were analyzed with SPSS 14.0 using frequency analysis. RESULTS: The parents were sufficiently knowledgeable about epilepsy before the camp, and their knowledge and understanding of epilepsy improved further after the camp. Both perceived stigma and enacted stigma against epilepsy were found in 30.0% of the parents. The perceived stigma decreased to 15.0% after the camp. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that social approaches such as epilepsy camps are effective in improving parental knowledge and understanding about epilepsy as well as decreasing their perceived social stigma.