[Intoxication from accidental ingestion of cannabis: analysis of eight cases]. / À propos de 8 cas d'intoxication accidentelle au cannabis chez des nourrissons.

Consultations at pediatric emergency units for acute consciousness alterations is frequent. Miscellaneous causes include cranial trauma, meningoencephalitis, metabolic disorders, drugs, or other intoxications. We report here eight cases of infants who were brought to the emergency division due to acute consciousness failure after accidental ingestion of hashish, confirmed by urinary dosage of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol. This series of under 24-month-old infants only emphasizes the value of screening for cannabis in urine in cases of abnormal consciousness and/or abnormal behavior in an infant.

[A 2-month-old baby with Mediterranean spotted fever]. / Une fièvre boutonneuse méditerranéenne chez un nourrisson de 2 mois.

INTRODUCTION: Mediterranean spotted fever is an endemic rickettsiosis in southern France. We report here the case of a 2-month-old baby who developed rickettsiosis after a tick bite. CLINICAL FACT: A 2-month-old baby was hospitalized in the pediatric ward for fever with maculopapular rash extending to the palms and plantar surfaces and an eschar after a tick bite. Rickettsiosis serology examined after 48 h of fever was negative, but Rickettsia (spotted group) PCR taken from the lesion at the bite site was positive. A 1-week treatment with clarithromycin was started. Fever and rash disappeared 3 days after treatment initiation. DISCUSSION: Mediterranean spotted fever is endemic in southern France. It is, therefore, important to consider this diagnosis and search for tick bite signs or an eschar when a patient presents with fever and maculopapular rash. The treatment of choice consists in doxycycline or macrolides. CONCLUSION: Around the Mediterranean sea in particular, Mediterranean spotted fever should be considered as a possible cause of febrile disease with rash, to allow for a specific antibiotic treatment as fast as possible and to avoid dangerous complications, even though few cases have been reported below the age of 3 months.