Bacterial sepsis in Brazilian children: a trend analysis from 1992 to 2006.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiology of hospitalized pediatric sepsis in Brazil (1992-2006) and to compare mortality caused by sepsis to that caused by other major childhood diseases. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We performed a retrospective descriptive study of hospital admissions using a government database of all hospital affiliated with the Brazilian health system. We studied all hospitalizations in children from 28 days through 19 years with diagnosis of bacterial sepsis defined by the criteria of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), (Appendix S1). Based on the data studied from 1992 through 2006, the pediatric hospital mortality rate was 1.23% and there were 556,073 pediatric admissions with bacterial sepsis with a mean mortality rate of 19.9%. There was a case reduction of 67% over 1992-2006 (p<0.001); however, the mortality rate remained unchanged (from 1992-1996, 20.5%; and from 2002-2006, 19.7%). Sepsis-hospital mortality rate was substantially higher than pneumonia (0.5%), HIV (3.3%), diarrhea (0.3%), undernutrition (2.3%), malaria (0.2%) and measles (0.7%). The human development index (HDI) and mortality rates (MR) by region were: North region 0.76 and 21.7%; Northeast region 0.72 and 27.1%; Central-West 0.81 and 23.5%; South region 0.83 and 12.2% and Southeast region 0.82 and 14.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that sepsis remains an important health problem in children in Brazil. The institution of universal primary care programs has been associated with substantially reduced sepsis incidence and therefore deaths; however, hospital mortality rates in children with sepsis remain unchanged. Implementation of additional health initiatives to reduce sepsis mortality in hospitalized patients could have great impact on childhood mortality rates in Brazil.

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in a nephrotic child

Nephrotic syndrome in infancy and childhood is known to be associated with a hypercoagulable state and thromboembolic complications, but cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CST) is a very rare and serious one, with only a few isolated reports in the literature. A case is presented of a 9-year-old boy with nephrotic syndrome that acutely developed signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension syndrome. CST was diagnosed on cranial CT and MRI and he gradually recovered after treatment with anticoagulants. The diagnosis of CST should be considered in any patient with nephrotic syndrome who develops neurologic symptoms. The discussion of this case, coupled with a review of the literature, emphasizes that early diagnosis is essential for institution of anticoagulation therapy and a successful outcome. This report also illustrates the difficulties that may be encountered in managing such a patient

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in a nephrotic child.

Nephrotic syndrome in infancy and childhood is known to be associated with a hypercoagulable state and thromboembolic complications, but cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CST) is a very rare and serious one, with only a few isolated reports in the literature. A case is presented of a 9-year-old boy with nephrotic syndrome that acutely developed signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension syndrome. CST was diagnosed on cranial CT and MRI and he gradually recovered after treatment with anticoagulants. The diagnosis of CST should be considered in any patient with nephrotic syndrome who develops neurologic symptoms. The discussion of this case, coupled with a review of the literature, emphasizes that early diagnosis is essential for institution of anticoagulation therapy and a successful outcome. This report also illustrates the difficulties that may be encountered in managing such a patient.

Homofiltração e circulação extracorpórea em pediatria / Hemofiltration and cardiopulomonary bypass in pediatrics

A ultrafiltração arteriovenosa contínua durante a circulação extracorpórea, principalmente a técnica modificada, representam um grande avanço nos pacientes submetidos a CEC associada a hipotermia, e hemodiluição, porque promove uma retirada efetiva de água corporal acumulada reduzindo portanto o edema miocárdico, além de reduzir a concentração sérica de alguns mediadores inflamatórios relacionados a resposta inflamatória sistêmica após cirurgia cardíaca com CEC. Estes resultados são significativos principalmente quando este procedimento for realizado em neonatos e em lactentes desnutridos onde há maior risco de acúmulo de líquidos