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BACKGROUND: Pertussis in young infants is a unique, severe, afebrile, cough illness that is frequently fatal. METHODS: All pertussis cases ≤120 days of age admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit in California between October 1, 2013, and April 25, 2015, were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 100 pertussis patients ≤120 days of age admitted to pediatric intensive care unit, there were 5 deaths. The white blood cell counts in the fatal cases were significantly higher than in the nonfatal cases. Thirty-four percent of patients were intubated, 18% received inotropic and/or vasoactive support, 22% received steroid, 4% received extracorporal membrane oxygenation, and 3% underwent exchange blood transfusion. The median age at the time of illness onset in the patients who died was 23 days. CONCLUSIONS: These data, as well as data from previous California studies, suggest updated strategies for the management of severe pertussis. These include perform serial white blood cell counts, treat all presumptive cases with azithromycin, evaluate for pulmonary hypertension, intubate and administer oxygen for apneic episodes and administer inotropic/vasoactive agents for cardiogenic shock. Do not administer steroids or nitric oxide. Criteria for exchange blood transfusion therapy for leukocytosis with lymphocytosis are suggested.

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IMPORTANCE: Bronchiolitis is one of the most common and costly respiratory diseases in infants and young children. Previous studies have shown a potential benefit of nebulized hypertonic saline; however, its effect in the emergency department (ED) setting is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of nebulized 3% hypertonic saline vs 0.9% normal saline on admission rate and length of stay in infants with bronchiolitis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a double-blind, randomized clinical trial during 3 consecutive bronchiolitis seasons from March 1, 2008, through April 30, 2011. We recruited a convenience sample of patients younger than 24 months with a primary diagnosis of viral bronchiolitis presenting to the ED of 2 urban free-standing tertiary children's hospitals. We excluded patients who were premature (gestational age, <34 weeks) or who had chronic pulmonary disease, immune deficiency, cardiac disease, or previous episodes of wheezing or inhaled bronchodilator use. Of eligible patients who were approached, 161 (26.6%) declined to participate. INTERVENTIONS: Patients received 4 mL of 3% sodium chloride (hypertonic saline [HS group]) or 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline [NS group]) inhaled as many as 3 times in the ED. Those admitted received the assigned medication every 8 hours until discharge. All treatment solutions were premedicated with albuterol sulfate. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Hospital admission rate, length of stay for admitted patients, and Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument score. RESULTS: A total of 197 patients were enrolled in the NS group and 211 in the HS group. Admission rate in the 3% HS group was 28.9% compared with 42.6% in the NS group (adjusted odds ratio from logistic regression, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.28-0.86]). Mean (SD) length of stay for hospitalized patients was 3.92 (5.24) days for the NS group and 3.16 (2.11) days for the HS group (P = .24). The Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument score decreased after treatment in both groups; however, we found no significant difference between groups (P = .35). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Hypertonic saline given to children with bronchiolitis in the ED decreases hospital admissions. We can detect no significant difference in Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument score or length of stay between the HS and NS groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00619918.

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Isolated monoarticular synovitis is a rare presentation of coccidioidal disease and has, to our knowledge, never previously been described in the English language pediatric literature. Coccidioidal seropositivity is increasing in incidence in the Southwestern United States. It is critical to rule out Coccidioides infection when evaluating arthritis in the context of residence in or travel to high prevalence areas, even in otherwise healthy patients and especially before administering biologic immunosuppressive therapy.

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We analyzed data from 10 young infants who received exchange blood transfusions for management of severe pertussis. Our data are insufficient to address efficacy of the procedure, but our data, as well as previous reports in the literature, indicate that if the procedure is to be successful, it should be done before organ failure has occurred and immediately if shock/hypotension occur.

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BACKGROUND: Bordetella pertussis infection can cause severe illness and death among young infants. METHODS: We collected demographic and clinical information from the medical records of infants who were ≤90 days of age and hospitalized for pertussis in 5 Southern California pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) from September 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011. Infants who died or were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension were considered to have more severe pertussis. RESULTS: Thirty-one infants were admitted to a participating PICU. Eight infants had more severe infections, 6 infants had pulmonary hypertension, and 4 infants died. The 8 infants with more severe infections had white blood cell counts that exceeded 30 000, heart rates that exceeded 170, and respiratory rates that exceeded 70 more rapidly after cough onset than the 23 infants with less severe illness. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying higher-risk infants earlier might allow for more rapid implementation of interventions.

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PCR-hybridization was compared to culture methods for evaluating suspected blood infections. A total of 231 clinical samples from blood culture bottles that were flagged positive by the BacT/Alert system or were negative 1 week after inoculation were tested. When the PCR-hybridization and culture method results were compared, the positive and negative concordance rates were 99.2% (122/123) and 89.5% (94/105), respectively. Of the negative blood cultures, 10.5% (11/105) were positive by PCR-hybridization. Supplemental testing of negative blood cultures may identify bacterial pathogens that are undetectable by culture methods.

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OBJECTIVES: To characterize the at-home recovery of infants after hospitalization for bronchiolitis, the impact of recovery from this illness on the family, and the association between delayed infant recovery and parental satisfaction with hospital care. METHODS: Otherwise healthy infants less than 1 year of age admitted to 6 children's hospitals were eligible. Telephone interviews with 486 parents (85% of sampled), 1-2 weeks following discharge, addressed functional recovery, lingering symptoms, family disruption, returns to the emergency department, and parental recall of satisfaction with care. RESULTS: Two thirds of infants experienced difficulties with normal routines (feeding, sleeping, contentedness, liveliness) on the day of discharge. By 5 days at home, 22% continued to experience disruption in sleeping, and 16% in feeding routines. Coughing (56%) and wheezing (27%) were common 4 to 6 days after discharge. Parents who reported longer delays in return to normal family routines took additional time off work, kept their infants out of day care twice as many days, and were more likely to take their infants to the doctor or hospital for repeat medical care. Parents from families slower to return to a normal routine recalled the hospital stay less favorably. CONCLUSIONS: A small but important proportion of infants have a protracted recovery period following hospitalization for bronchiolitis. Delayed recovery is associated with parental work time loss and less favorable parental impressions of care in the hospital. Anticipatory guidance about home recovery could allow parents to plan for extended home care and improve satisfaction with hospital care.

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A 10-year-old patient with known coccidioidomycosis relapsed and had dysrrhythmias and a right atrial mass. Histopathology and culture after surgical removal revealed that this was a vegetative mass infected with Coccidioides spp. We believe that this is the first case of coccidioidal endocarditis to be reported.

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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha blockade for treatment of patients with Kawasaki syndrome (KS) who fail to become afebrile or who experience persistent arthritis after treatment with intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) and high-dose aspirin. STUDY DESIGN: Cases were retrospectively collected from clinicians throughout the United States who had used infliximab, a chimeric murine/human immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to human TNF-alpha-1, for patients with KS who had either persistent arthritis or persistent or recrudescent fever > or =48 hours following infusion of 2 g/kg of IVIG. RESULTS: Response to therapy with cessation of fever occurred in 13 of 16 patients. C-reactive protein (CRP) level was elevated in all but one patient before infliximab infusion, and the level was lower following infusion in all 10 patients in whom it was re-measured within 48 hours of treatment. There were no infusion reactions to infliximab and no complications attributed to infliximab administration in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: The success of TNF-alpha blockade in this small series of patients suggests a central role of TNF-alpha in KS pathogenesis. Controlled, randomized clinical trials are warranted to determine the role of anti-TNF-alpha therapy in KS.

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This article reports on the use of a multidisciplinary action plan (MAP) in a tertiary care craniofacial center to evaluate one set of outcomes after primary cleft palate repair (PCPR). Two series of patients undergoing PCPR were studied. The first series of 30 patients was managed by using a set of preprinted order sets developed by plastic surgeons and clinical nurse specialists. The patients were evaluated 90 days after surgery to determine whether they had received the planned postoperative care. Most patients received care from plastic surgeons, and fewer obtained care from otolaryngologists. The second group of patients was managed by using a revised set of preprinted order sets and an MAP developed by both surgical specialty groups. In the second group, the proper postoperative follow-up care was provided by both surgical subspecialists with the revised interdisciplinary order sets and new MAP-directed care.

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OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of superantigen secreting bacteria in children with acute Kawasaki disease (KD) relative to control patients. STUDY DESIGN: Bacterial cultures were obtained in a blinded fashion from the throat, rectum, and groin of 45 patients with untreated acute KD and 37 febrile control patients from 6 centers in the United States. Cultures were processed for the presence of superantigen-producing bacteria at a central laboratory. RESULTS: Staphylococci or streptococci that produced superantigens (TSST-1, SEB, SEC, SPEB, SPEC) were isolated from 25 of 45 patients with KD (56%) as compared with 13 of 37 (35%) control patients (P =.078). Because SEB- and SEC-producing Staphylococcus aureus have not been associated with KD and because they do not induce a Vbeta2+ T-lymphocyte response, we analyzed the difference between groups relative to superantigens TSST-1 or SPEB/SPEC production. TSST-1 secreting S aureus or SPEB/SPEC producing group A streptococci were isolated from 20 of 45 (44%) patients with KD compared with 7 of 37 (19%) control patients (P =.019). CONCLUSIONS: The overall isolation rates of superantigen (TSST-1, SPEB, SPEC, SEB, SEC) producing bacteria between patients with KD and febrile control patients were not statistically significant. However, future studies should further examine the potential role of Vbeta2-stimulatory superantigens (TSST-1 and SPEB/SPEC) in KD.

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