Archives of Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Volume:12 Issue: 1, Jan 2024

 There is a lack of conclusive evidence regarding thyroid function test (TFT) abnormalities in COVID-19, especially among children.

 This study aimed to investigate TFT abnormalities in COVID-19 pediatric patients compared to healthy children.

 This study was conducted on 37 COVID-19-positive children who were admitted to Namazi Hospital from January 21 to March 1, 2022, compared with 37 healthy children. Within 48 h of positive real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, a blood sample was taken to measure serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and total thyroxine (tT4) in the two groups. Additional tests, including free and total triiodothyronine, free T4, and thyroperoxidase antibodies, were also conducted on cases. The chi-square, Pearson correlation coefficient, and analysis of variance tests were used for data analysis.

 Twenty-five patients were male, and 49 were female, with a mean age of 7.99 ± 5.02. The abnormal TFT and TSH frequency was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference between the case and control groups regarding tT4 abnormalities. We could not establish an association between the mean of TSH and tT4 and age groups in the two groups and between abnormalities of TFTs and COVID-19 severity.

 Although abnormalities of TFT were significantly more common among COVID-19 children, they were not associated with the disease severity. However, studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to evaluate thyroid abnormalities and their clinical course in COVID-19 children.

 The sudden spread of COVID-19 raised significant concerns about the potential impact of the pandemic on healthcare systems in low- and middle-income nations. The length of hospital stay is a critical health metric with far-reaching implications in healthcare systems and a matter of resource allocation. Hospital beds, ventilators, medications, and the invaluable time and expertise of medical professionals are all finite resources. Understanding the factors influencing the length of hospitalization is essential for the efficient allocation of these resources and the provision of high-quality care.

 To explore the demographic features and clinical presentations of COVID-19 patients and investigate the relationship between patient characteristics and hospitalization length by employing advanced statistical models.

 This was a retrospective study in Bam City, Kerman province, on 2096 patients who were admitted to the Pastor Hospital of Bam City with the diagnosis of COVID-19 between March and September 2021. The criterion for inclusion was either laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection by swab sampling or clinical diagnosis. No exclusion criteria were applied. Several variables, including age, gender, history of drug abuse, comorbid diseases, chronic illnesses, and clinical symptoms were gathered. A univariate analysis was performed, and significant parameters were subsequently included in the final multivariable model. We used SPSS 22, STATA 13, and R 4.1.3 software for statistical analysis.

 A total of 2096 patients admitted to the Pastor Hospital of Bam City from March to September 2021 diagnosed with COVID-19 were included in this study. The results of a negative binomial regression model showed that the factors affecting hospitalization length in COVID-19 patients were advanced age, male gender, contact with COVID-19 patients, PO2, body temperature, cancer, fever, heart disease, coughing severity, and respiratory distress.

 Elder COVID-19 patients had relatively longer hospitalization periods. Moreover, hospitalization duration was longer in males, those who had contact with a COVID-19 patient, and patients with PO2 below 93 %, higher body temperature and fever, coughing, respiratory distress, heart diseases, and cancer compared to others. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor COVID-19 patients with heart disease and cancer more cautiously. Investigating the factors associated with long hospitalization is important for the suitable management of available resources and demands for hospital beds.

 Sepsis is one of the most dangerous neonatal infections. Bacterial causes of neonatal septicemia are different.

 This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and antibiotic resistance pattern of microbial agents causing preterm neonatal sepsis.

 This descriptive study was performed on 1000 infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units 1 and 2 and the neonatal ward of Al-Zahra Medical Center in Tabriz, Iran, from March 2019 to June 2020. Sampling was completed through the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire after evaluating its validity and reliability. The questionnaire included personal information of neonates, causes of infection, antibiotic use, hospitalization time, and medication resistance pattern. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion technique according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. SPSS software version 22 was used for data analysis.

 Among all studied neonates, 78 cases (7.8%) had positive blood cultures. The most common cause of neonatal infection was preterm birth (80.8%), and the most common bacterial causes of sepsis were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (46.15) and Klebsiella pneumonia (28.2%). The highest antibiotic susceptibility of Gram-positive (coagulase-negative Staphylococcus) and Gram-negative bacteria was to ceftriaxone (47.3%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (100%), respectively, and the highest antibiotic resistance was to ampicillin and gentamicin (nearly 100%).

 Resistance to antibiotics used to treat sepsis has increased, which will cause irreparable problems in the treatment of preterm neonates if not addressed. Due to different microbial agents and drug resistance patterns in distinct regions, annual surveys should be conducted to determine drug resistance patterns, emphasizing preventive measures.

 Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates.

 This study aimed to investigate the bacterial profile and antibiotic sensitivity in infants with sepsis.

 This cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 neonates with sepsis admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Namazi Hospital, a tertiary-level hospital, in Shiraz, Iran, from 2020 to 2021. Demographic and clinical data including gestational age, previous diseases, maternal infectious, underlying diseases, history and duration of premature rupture of the membrane and delivery, clinical symptoms (fever, reduced breastfeeding, and lethargy), laboratory results (complete blood cell and C-reactive protein), and results of blood and urine cultures were recorded and analyzed.

 Among 90 neonates with sepsis, the average age was 6.7 ± 7.6 days; 54 were male (60.0%), and 36 were female (40.0%). Fifty (55.5%) neonates had early sepsis. Gram-negative organisms were grown in 61% of positive blood cultures; the most common was Klebsiella. Among Gram-positive organisms, Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common. Most organisms were sensitive to colistin, and most were resistant to cefotaxime. There was a significant relationship between the age of onset of sepsis symptoms and birth weight in infants with positive blood cultures (P = 0.004) (r = 0.3).

 Gram-negative bacteria are the most common causes of sepsis, mainly resistant to aminoglycosides and cefotaxime. Therefore, increasing awareness about the optimal use of antibiotics is necessary to curb the increase in resistance levels.

 Nocardia is a catalase-positive and gram-positive bacillus. This organism causes skin, lung, and brain infections more frequently in immunocompromised hosts.

 We report a 10-year-old child with a history of lymphoma relapse undergoing chemotherapy several times. There was no improvement after a dental abscess, outpatient surgery, and oral antibiotics. The child was hospitalized with trismus and respiratory distress. In the CT scan, periodontitis and masticatory abscess were reported.

 The culture results showed Nocardia otitidiscaviarum resistant to experimental antibiotics such as sulfonamides. Clinical symptoms improved with surgical intervention and appropriate antibiotics. The child is in good condition and is currently receiving treatment for the primary illness.

 Nocardia should be considered in patients with infectious complications following malignancy or other immunocompromised conditions, as failure to correct diagnosis results in inadequate response.

 Rotavirus is the leading cause of acute diarrhea in children. Understanding co-infections with other bacterial or viral microorganisms alongside Rotavirus is crucial.

 This study aimed to determine the frequency distribution of Rotavirus infections and related co-infections in children with acute diarrhea. Additionally, it sought to compare 2 groups: Those with Rotavirus mono-infection and those with microbial co-infections in terms of clinical and laboratory characteristics.

 In this cross-sectional study, we collected a total of 171 rectal swabs at Can Tho Children′s Hospital, Can Tho City, Vietnam, from November 2022 to April 2023. We used real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect infectious agents. Patients underwent examinations and tests to assess clinical features and laboratory data.

 Rotavirus was the most commonly detected agent (42.7%). The incidence of co-infection with other bacterial or viral microorganisms alongside Rotavirus was 45.2%. Acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus significantly increased the percentage of children with watery stools (P = 0.004) and vomiting (P < 0.001) and led to a greater number of loose stools per day (P = 0.007) compared to cases without Rotavirus. However, there were no significant differences in clinical features or laboratory data between cases with Rotavirus mono-infection and those with co-infections involving other bacterial or viral microorganisms.

 This study sheds light on the prevalence of Rotavirus and co-infections in Vietnam. Among these findings, identifying Rotavirus in children with acute diarrhea is more critical than detecting co-infecting agents.