Reporte de cinco casos pediátricos de histoplasmosis diseminada / Systemic histoplasmosis. Report of five pediatric cases

Introducción. La histoplasmosis constituye la micosis sistémica de mayor prevalencia en el ser humano, predomina en menores de 2 años de edad y en pacientes inmunodeprimidos. Caso clínico. Los 5 casos encontrados fueron del sexo femenino. Las edades variaron de 30 meses a 16 años. La enfermedad principal de los pacientes fue VIH/SIDA en 3/5 casos, lupus eritematoso sistémico 1 caso. El cuadro clínico incluyó: fiebre, tos, dificultad respiratoria, hepatoesplenomegalia, trastornos hematológicos con anemia, leucopenia o trombocitopenia. Las radiografías de tórax mostraron imágenes nodulares múltiples diseminadas a ambos campos pulmonares. Los pacientes fueron manejados con anfotericina B, y todos fallecieron. Las muestras que mostraron Histoplasma capsulatum fueron biopsia de médula ósea y lavado bronquioalveolar. Conclusiones. La histoplasmosis sistémica se asoció en pacientes pediátricos con deterioro del sistema inmunológico, con manifestaciones caracterizadas por síndrome infeccioso, infiltrativo y afección pulmonar, por lo que se debe prestar especial atención a esta etiología en la población en riesgo (especialmente pacientes con VIH/SIDA).

Introduction. Histoplasmosis is one of the most prevalent systemic mycosis in humans. Those younger than 2 years of age, and individuals whose immune systems are compromised, are more likely to develop symptoms. Case reports. All 5 cases were female. The ages of the patients varied from 30 months to 16 years. Concomitant diseases included HIV infection (3) and lupus erythematosus (1). Clinical symptoms were: fever, cough, respiratory distress and hepatosplenomegaly. All had hematologic disorders, anemia, decreased leukocytes count and decreased platelets. Chest roentgenogram showed multiples infiltrates. All the patients received amphotericin B, and all of them died. The clinical specimens that showed Histoplas-ma capsulatum were bone marrow biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage. Conclusions. Systemic histoplasmosis was associated with patients with deteriorated immunologic system. The patients had clinical evidence of infection, respiratory symptoms and pulmonary infiltrates. In immunocompromised patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of histoplasmosis, empiric antifungal therapy is warranted.

[Pharmacologic clinical monitoring of serum vancomycin levels in pediatric patients]. / Monitoreo clínico farmacológico de los niveles séricos de vancomicina en pacientes pediátricos.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results from the clinical monitoring of serum vancomycin levels among pediatric patients receiving this drug. METHODS: Retrospective study of data from routine monitoring of serum vancomycin concentrations. The study population includes children who received vancomycin for more than 3 days and had peak and trough vancomycin serum concentration documented. The vancomycin concentrations were measured by an immunoassay procedure. RESULTS: We obtained 70 vancomycin concentrations from pediatric patients whose ages ranged from newborn to 13 years old. Mean peak and trough concentrations were 45.7 +/- 8.0 and 18.7 +/- 9.6 micrograms/mL, respectively. We used as a reference normal ranges for Cpmax of 25-40 micrograms/mL and Cpmin of 5-40 micrograms/mL. Only 26.1% of the patients were on Cpmax normal ranges, 47.8% were above the range and 26% under the lower limit. In regards to the Cpmin 17% of the cases were between the accepted limits, 41% above the upper limit and 41% under the normal range. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that less than a fifth of the patients have serum levels on therapeutic range and almost half of these population had serum levels above the normal range. This might be explained by the type of the population sampled, reflecting a selection bias by detecting levels only among patients with an increased risk for toxicity. Finally, we stress the importance of accurately documenting dose, timing, and renal function in the records of all patients subjected to serum vancomycin determinations.

[Acute respiratory infections in children attending a child day care center]. / Infección respiratoria aguda en niños que acuden a un centro de desarrollo infantil.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of acute respiratory infections and bacterial colonization in children attending a daycare center. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cohort study was conducted from April to Octuber 1999, among 85 children aged under four years, who attended the daycare center at Hospital Infantil de Mexico (Mexico City's Children's Hospital) "Federico Gómez". Acute respiratory infection incidence rates and quarterly point prevalence figures of nasopharyngeal colonization were obtained. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 85 children were studied (40 girls and 45 boys) during 9,090 children-days of follow-up. Three children had a history of atopia (3.5%), six a history of asthma (7%), and 39 (46%) were exposed to passive smoking. There were 258 events of respiratory tract infection for an incidence rate of 10.3 infections per person-year (95% CI 8.7-12.0). The main clinical syndromes were pharyngitis (95%), acute otitis media (3.5%), and bronchiolitis (1%). The incidence rates of otitis and bronchiolitis were 0.36 and 0.12 per child-year of observation, respectively. The prevalence figures of nasopharyngeal colonization for the three main bacteria were: S. pneumoniae 20.4%; nontypable H. influenzae 13%; and Moraxella catarrhalis 8%. CONCLUSIONS: Study results show a high prevalence of colonization due to invasive strains, as well as a two-fold incidence rate of acute respiratory infection, higher than those reported in community surveys. These results add to the description of this poorly documented infectious disease in Mexico. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.

Infección respiratoria aguda en niños que acuden a un centro de desarrollo infantil / Incidence of acute respiratory infections in a cohort of infants and children attending a daycare center in Mexico City

Objetivo. Establecer la incidencia de infección respiratoria y los patrones de colonización faríngea en niños que asisten a guarderías. Material y métodos. Se realizó un estudio de cohorte en niños menores de cuatro años de edad, de uno u otro sexo, asistentes a la guardería del Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, de la Ciudad de México, durante abril a octubre de 1999. Se registró la presencia de infección de vías aéreas superiores cada semana, y de colonización cada tres meses, mediante un exudado nasofaríngeo. Se hizo estadística descriptiva de las variables analizadas. Se determinaron tasas de infección respiratoria aguda. Resultados. Se estudiaron 85 niños, 40 del sexo femenino (47 por ciento) y 45 del sexo masculino (53 por ciento) durante un total de 9 090 niños/día de seguimiento. Tres niños tenían antecedentes de atopia (3.52 por ciento), seis niños antecedentes de asma (7.05 por ciento), y 39 eran expuestos a tabaquismo pasivo (45.88 por ciento). Se diagnosticaron 246 rinofaringitis (95.3 por ciento), nueve otitis media aguda (3.48 por ciento), tres bronquiolitis (1.16 por ciento), para un total de 258 eventos de infección respiratoria aguda. La tasa de incidencia global fue de 10.35 infecciones por niño/año de observación (IC 95 por ciento 8.7-12.0). La incidencia de otitis y bronquiolitis fue de 0.36 y 0.12 eventos por niño/año de observación. Se tomaron cultivos nasofaríngeos con una prevalencia de colonización para S. pneumoniae de 20.4 por ciento, H. influenzae no tipificable 13.1 por ciento y Moraxella catarrhalis 8.1 por ciento. Conclusiones. Los resultados no sólo demuestran una alta prevalencia de colonización debido a cepas invasivas, sino que también revelan una tasa de incidencia de infección respiratoria aguda del doble de lo reportado en estudios de comunidad. Estos resultados ayudan a caracterizar un problema pobremente documentado en nuestro país.

Objective. To assess the incidence of acute respiratory infections and bacterial colonization in children attending a daycare center. Material and Methods. A cohort study was conducted from April to Octuber 1999, among 85 children aged under four years, who attended the daycare center at Hospital Infantil de Mexico (Mexico City's Children's Hospital) "Federico Gómez". Acute respiratory infection incidence rates and quarterly point prevalence figures of nasopharyngeal colonization were obtained. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results. A total of 85 children were studied (40 girls and 45 boys) during 9 090 children-days of follow-up. Three children had a history of atopia (3.5 percent), six a history of asthma (7. percent), and 39 (46 percent) were exposed to passive smoking. There were 258 events of respiratory tract infection for an incidence rate of 10.3 infections per person-year (95 percent CI 8.7-12.0). The main clinical syndromes were pharyngitis (95 percent), acute otitis media (3.5 percent), and bronchiolitis (1 percent). The incidence rates of otitis and bronchiolitis were 0.36 and 0.12 per child-year of observation, respectively. The prevalence figures of nasopharyngeal colonization for the three main bacteria were: S. pneumoniae 20.4 percent; nontypable H. influenzae 13 percent; and Moraxella catarrhalis 8 percent. Conclusions. Study results show a high prevalence of colonization due to invasive strains, as well as a two-fold incidence rate of acute respiratory infection, higher than those reported in community surveys. These results add to the description of this poorly documented infectious disease in Mexico.