0000000000182302
AUTHOR
Nicola Principi
Intestinal tuberculosis in a child living in a country with a low incidence of tuberculosis : a case report
Background: Relatively common in adults, intestinal tuberculosis is considered rare in children and adolescents. The protean manifestations of intestinal tuberculosis mean that the diagnosis is often delayed (sometimes even for years), thus leading to increased mortality and unnecessary surgery. The main diagnostic dilemma is to differentiate intestinal tuberculosis and Crohn’s disease because a misdiagnosis can have dramatic consequences. Case presentation: A 13-year-old Caucasian, Italian female adolescent attended the Emergency Department complaining of abdominal pain, a fever of up to 38°C, night sweats, diarrhea with blood in stool, and a weight loss of about three kilograms over the p…
Long-term pertussis-specific immune responses to a combined diphtheria, tetanus, tricomponent acellular pertussis and hepatitis B vaccine in pre-term infants
Abstract Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titres against pertussis antigens, Bordetella pertussis-specific proliferation and cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were evaluated at the age of 5–6 years in 13 children who had been pre-term infants with a gestational age (GA) of ≤31 weeks, 10 who had been pre-term infants with a GA of 32–37 weeks, and 15 who had been term infants with a GA of 38–42 weeks. All of the infants had been immunised with a combined diphtheria, tetanus, tricomponent acellular pertussis and hepatitis B vaccine (DTaP–HBV) at 3, 5, and 11 months of post-natal age. Our results show that the long-term immune responses induced by primary pertussi…
Immune response to 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine with a reduced dosing schedule
Background: The 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) has demonstrated effectiveness against pneumococcal illnesses when administered as 3 infant doses plus a toddler dose (3+1 schedule) or as an abbreviated schedule of 2 infant doses plus a toddler dose (2+1 schedule). The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) is approved and World Health Organization-prequalified for administration in a 2+1 schedule when used as part of routine immunization programs. Objective: To summarize immunologic responses elicited by PCV13 administered in a 2+1 schedule and following 2 doses in a 3+1 schedule. Methods: Studies were double-blind, randomized, active-controlled, multicenter studies…
Long-term pertussis-specific immunity after primary vaccination with a combined diphtheria, tetanus, tricomponent acellular pertussis, and hepatitis b vaccine in comparison with that after natural infection
ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to compare pertussis-specific humoral and cellular immunity in children 5 years after a primary vaccination with a combined diphtheria, tetanus, tricomponent acellular pertussis, and hepatitis B vaccine (DTaP-HBV; InfanrixHepB; SmithKline Beecham) with immunity after natural infection. The subjects were 38 children aged 5 to 6 years who received DTaP-HBV at 3, 5, and 11 months of life and 21 subjects of similar ages and sex who acquired pertussis in the first year of life. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers against Bordetella pertussis antigens, peripheral blood mononuclear cell-specific proliferation, and the secretion of cytokines were evaluated. Aft…
Do We Know When, What and For How Long to Treat?
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common cause of morbidity among children in developed countries and accounts for an incidence of 10-40 cases per 1000 children in the first 5 years of life. Given the clinical, social and economic importance of CAP, there is general agreement that prompt and adequate therapy is essential to reduce the impact of the disease. The aim of this discussion paper is to consider critically the available data concerning the treatment of uncomplicated pediatric CAP and to consider when, how and for how long it should be treated. This review has identified the various reasons that make it difficult to establish a rational approach to the treatment of pediatric C…
Rotavirus and not age determines gastroenteritis severity in children: a hospital-based study.
Background The severity of childhood gastroenteritis is generally believed to be age-related rather than aetiologyrelated. Rotavirus-induced gastroenteritis is more severe than gastroenteritis caused by other enteric pathogens and is also age-related. We thus addressed the question of whether the increased severity of rotavirus-induced gastroenteritis is related to age or to features intrinsic to the agent. Study design In this multicentre, hospital-based, prospective survey, we evaluated the severity of diarrhoea in rotavirus-positive and rotavirus-negative children up to 4 years of age. Severity was assessed with a score in four groups of age-matched children. Results Rotavirus was detect…
Persistence of Bactericidal Antibodies After Infant Serogroup B Meningococcal Immunization and Booster Dose Response at 12, 18 or 24 Months of Age
Background: A serogroup B meningococcal vaccine (4CMenB) is licensed for infant use in countries including Canada, Australia and those of the European Union. Data on serum bactericidal antibody (hSBA) waning and the ideal timing of a "toddler" booster dose are essential to optimize vaccine utilization. Methods: An open-labeled, multicenter phase-2b follow-on European study conducted from 2009 to 2012. Participants previously receiving 4CMenB with routine vaccines at 2, 4 and 6 or 2, 3 and 4 months (246Con and 234Con) or at 2, 4 and 6 months intercalated with routine vaccines (246Int) received a booster dose at 12, 18 or 24 months. 4CMenB-naive "Control" participants aged 12, 18 or 24 months…
Surgical Antimicrobial Prophylaxis in Abdominal Surgery for Neonates and Paediatrics: A RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method Consensus Study.
Surgical site infections (SSIs), i.e., surgery-related infections that occur within 30 days after surgery without an implant and within one year if an implant is placed, complicate surgical procedures in up to 10% of cases, but an underestimation of the data is possible since about 50% of SSIs occur after the hospital discharge. Gastrointestinal surgical procedures are among the surgical procedures with the highest risk of SSIs, especially when colon surgery is considered. Data that were collected from children seem to indicate that the risk of SSIs can be higher than in adults. This consensus document describes the use of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in neonates and children that ar…