Korean Journal of Pediatrics最新文献

Purpose: The use of proper safety restraint systems by children is vital for the reduction of traffic accident-related injury and death. This study evaluated the rates of use of safety restraint systems and front seats by Korean children.

Methods: Based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 to 2015, I investigated the frequencies of safety restraint systems and front seat use by children under six and 12 years of age, respectively.

Results: The percentage of respondents who said they always use safety restraint systems increased from 17.7% in 2008 to 45.0% in 2015. The rate of children who did not use the front seats at all was 47.3 % in 2008 compared to 33.4% in 2015. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a decrease in safety-restraint-system use as age increased (odds ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51-0.77). The use rate of front-passenger seat belts by the mother is significantly correlated with the safety-restraint- system use rate by children (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.12-4.06).

Conclusion: Although the rate of safety-restraint-system use for children is increasing annually, it remains low. Additionally, the use rate of front passenger seats for children is high. To reduce the rates of injury and death of children from traffic accidents, it is necessary to educate on the appropriate use of safety restraint systems according to age and body size and to develop stronger regulations.

Purpose: Transcatheter device closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is challenging in early infancy. We evaluated PDA closure in infants less than 6 months old.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of infants less than 6 months of age who underwent attempted transcatheter device closure in our institution since 2004. To compare clinical outcomes between age groups, infants aged 6-12 months in the same study period were reviewed.

Results: A total of 22 patients underwent transcatheter PDA closure during the study period. Patient mean age was 3.3±1.5 months, and weight was 5.7±1.3 kg. The duct diameter at the narrowest point was 3.0±0.8 mm as measured by angiography. The most common duct type was C in the Krichenko classification. Procedural success was achieved in 19 patients (86.3%). Major complications occurred in 5 patients (22.7%), including device embolization (n=1), acquired aortic coarctation (n=2), access-related vascular injury requiring surgery (n=1), and acute deterioration requiring intubation during the procedure (n=1). Two patients had minor complications (9.1%). Twenty-four infants aged 6-12 months received transcatheter device closure. The procedural success rate was 100%, and there were no major complications. The major complication rate was significantly higher in the group less than 6 months of age (P=0.045). There was a trend toward increased major complication and procedural failure rates in the younger age group (P<0.01).

Conclusion: A relatively higher incidence of major complications was observed in infants less than 6 months of age. The decision regarding treatment modality should be individualized.

Purpose: Subgaleal hemorrhage (SGH) is a rare but potentially fatal condition in newborns; however, few studies have reported on this condition. We aimed to identify the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of SGH.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 20 neonates diagnosed with SGH between January 2000 and June 2017. Enrolled neonates were clinically diagnosed when they had tender fluctuant scalp swelling that crossed the suture lines.

Results: Among 20 neonates with SGH, 12 were boys and 7 were girls; median hospitalization duration was 9.7±6.9 days. Fourteen neonates (70%) were born via vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery, and 4 via vacuum-assisted cesarean section. Of the neonates enrolled, half of them initially showed unstable vital signs, including apnea, desaturation, and cyanosis. Ten neonates had acidosis and 3 had asphyxia (pH<7.0). Intracranial lesions associated with SGH were observed in 15 neonates (75%), including subdural hemorrhage (50%), subarachnoid hemorrhage (15%), intraventricular hemorrhage (5%), cerebral infarct (15%), skull fracture (30%), and cephalohematoma (20%). Twelve neonates (60%) required transfusion, 5 (25%) had seizures, and 3 (15%) died. Eight neonates (40%) had hyperbilirubinemia (mean total bilirubin, 13.1±7.4). The mean follow-up period was 8.4±7.5 months. At follow-up, 10 neonates (58.8%) were healthy with normal development, whereas 7 (41.2%) had neurological deficits.

Conclusion: The morbidity rate was 41.2% due to severe metabolic acidosis. Anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, low Apgar scores, and subdural hemorrhage did not affect the prognosis. The long-term outcomes of neonates with SGH are generally good. Only arterial blood pH was significantly associated with death.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze changes in QRS duration and cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) following pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).

Methods: Children and adolescents who had previously undergone total repair for TOF (n=67; median age, 16 years) who required elective PVR for pulmonary regurgitation and/or right ventricular out tract obstruction were included in this study. The QRS duration and CTR were measured pre- and postoperatively and postoperative changes were evaluated.

Results: Following PVR, the CTR significantly decreased (pre-PVR 57.2%±6.2%, post-PVR 53.8%±5.5%, P=0.002). The postoperative QRS duration showed a tendency to decrease (pre-PVR 162.7±26.4 msec, post-PVR 156.4±24.4 msec, P=0.124). QRS duration was greater than 180 msec in 6 patients prior to PVR. Of these, 5 patients showed a decrease in QRS duration following PVR; QRS duration was less than 180 msec in 2 patients, and QRS duration remained greater than 180 msec in 3 patients, including 2 patients with diffuse postoperative right ventricular outflow tract hypokinesis. Six patients had coexisting arrhythmias before PVR; 2 patients, atrial tachycardia; 3 patients, premature ventricular contraction; and 1 patient, premature atrial contraction. None of the patients presented with arrhythmia following PVR.

Conclusion: The CTR and QRS duration reduced following PVR. However, QRS duration may not decrease below 180 msec after PVR, particularly in patients with right ventricular outflow tract hypokinesis. The CTR and ECG may provide additional clinical information on changes in right ventricular volume and/or pressure in these patients.

Purpose: Headache is a common symptom during childhood. It is usually persistent and requires special care. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of headache in children <7 years of age.

Methods: We reviewed 3 years of clinical files on children <7 years of age with a chief complaint of headache.

Results: This study included 146 children (66 males, 80 females; mean age, 5.5±1.0 years). Mean symptom duration was 5.8±7.9 months. Attack durations were longer than 2 hours in 31 patients, shorter than 2 hours in 70 patients, and unchecked in 45 patients. Attack frequency was 15.1±10.6 times per month. Pain locations and characteristics were also variable. Mean pain severity score was 5.1±2.2 on the visual analog scale. Of 38 patients who underwent electroencephalography, 9 showed positive findings. Of 41 who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging, 20 showed positive findings. The diagnoses were migraine (including probable migraine) in 34, tension-type headache in 5, and congenital malformations in 3. Medications were used in 29 patients: acetaminophen in 17, ibuprofen in 8, naproxen sodium in 1, and topiramate or amitriptyline in 3.

Conclusion: In children aged <7 years, headache has a relatively benign course, but detailed history taking is needed for more accurate diagnosis.

Purpose: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important diseases that cause significant mortality and morbidity in young children. Data on TB transmission from an infected child are limited. Herein, we report a case of disseminated TB in a child and conducted a contact investigation among exposed individuals.

Methods: A 4-year-old child without Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination was diagnosed as having culture-proven disseminated TB. The child initially presented with symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, and nosocomial and kindergarten exposures were reported. The exposed individuals to the index case were divided into 3 groups, namely household, nosocomial, or kindergarten contacts. Evaluation was performed following the Korean guidelines for TB. Kindergarten contacts were further divided into close or casual contacts. Chest radiography and tuberculin skin test or interferon-gamma-releasing assay were performed for the contacts.

Results: We examined 327 individuals (3 household, 10 nosocomial, and 314 kindergarten contacts), of whom 18 (5.5%), the brother of the index patient, and 17 kindergarten children were diagnosed as having latent TB infection (LTBI). LTBI diagnosis was more frequent in the children who had close kindergarten contact with the index case (17.1% vs. 4.4%, P=0.007). None of the cases had active TB.

Conclusion: This is the first reported case of TB transmission among young children from a pediatric patient with disseminated TB in Korea. TB should be emphasized as a possible cause of chronic diarrhea and failure to thrive in children. A national TB control policy has been actively applied to identify Korean children with LTBI.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the causes, symptoms, and complications of hypoproteinemia to prevent hypoproteinemia and provide appropriate treatment to children with atopic dermatitis.

Methods: Children diagnosed with atopic dermatitis with hypoproteinemia and/or hypoalbuminemia were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' medical records, including family history, weight, symptoms, treatment, complications, and laboratory test results for allergies and skin cultures, were examined.

Results: Twenty-six patients (24 boys) were enrolled. Seven cases had growth retardation; 7, keratoconjunctivitis; 6, aural discharges; 5, eczema herpeticum; 4, gastrointestinal tract symptoms; and 2, developmental delays. In 21 cases, topical steroids were not used. According to the blood test results, the median values of each parameter were elevated: total IgE, 1,864 U/mL; egg white-specific IgE, 76.5 kUA/L; milk IgE, 20.5 kUA/L; peanut IgE, 30 kUA/L; eosinophil count, 5,810/μL; eosinophil cationic protein, 93.45 μg/L; and platelet count, 666.5×103/μL. Serum albumin and total protein levels decreased to 2.7 g/dL and 4.25 g/dL, respectively. Regarding electrolyte abnormality, 10 patients had hyponatremia, and 12, hyperkalemia. Systemic antibiotics were used to treat all cases, and an antiviral agent was used in 12 patients. Electrolyte correction was performed in 8 patients.

Conclusion: Hypoproteinemia accompanying atopic dermatitis is common in infants younger than 1 year and may occur because of topical steroid treatment continuously being declined or because of eczema herpeticum. It may be accompanied by growth retardation, keratoconjunctivitis, aural discharge, and eczema herpeticum and can be managed through skin care and topical steroid application without intravenous albumin infusion.

Scabies is a highly contagious skin infestation caused by the mite, Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis. Complex responses to scabies mites in the innate, humoral, and cellular immune systems can cause skin inflammation and pruritus. Diagnosis can be challenging because scabies resembles other common skin conditions. We report the first Korean case of scabies in a hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipient, initially suspected of skin graft versus host disease (GVHD). A T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia patient underwent a sibling-matched allogeneic HCT and developed pruritus after cell engraftment. Treatment for GVHD did not improve the symptoms. He was diagnosed with scabies 30 days after the onset of symptoms.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by abrupt deterioration of renal function, and its diagnosis relies on creatinine measurements and urine output. AKI is associated with higher morbidity and mortality, and is a risk factor for development of chronic kidney disease. There is no proven medication for AKI. Therefore, prevention and early detection are important. Physicians should be aware of the risk factors for AKI and should monitor renal function in high-risk patients. Management of AKI includes optimization of volume status and renal perfusion, avoidance of nephrotoxic agents, and sufficient nutritional support. Continuous renal replacement therapy is widely available for critically ill children, and this review provides basic information regarding this therapy. Long-term follow-up of patients with AKI for renal function, blood pressure, and proteinuria is recommended.

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of transient intubation for surfactant administration and extubated to nasal continuous positive pressure (INSURE) for treatment of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and to identify the factors associated with INSURE failure in extremely premature infants.

Methods: Eighty-four infants with gestational age less than 28 weeks treated with surfactant administration for RDS for 8 years were included. Perinatal and neonatal characteristics were retrospectively reviewed, and major pulmonary outcomes such as duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) plus death at 36-week postmenstrual age (PMA) were compared between INSURE (n=48) and prolonged MV groups (n=36). The factors associated with INSURE failure were determined.

Results: Duration of MV and the occurrence of BPD at 36-week PMA were significantly lower in INSURE group than in prolonged MV group (P<0.05), but BPD plus death at 36-week PMA was not significantly different between the 2 groups. In a multivariate analysis, a reduced duration of MV was only significantly associated with INSURE (P=0.001). During the study period, duration of MV significantly decreased over time with an increasing rate of INSURE application (P<0.05), and BPD plus death at 36-week PMA also tended to decrease over time. A low arterial-alveolar oxygen tension ratio (a/APO2 ratio) was a significant predictor for INSURE failure (P=0.001).

Conclusion: INSURE was the noninvasive ventilation strategy in the treatment of RDS to reduce MV duration in extremely premature infants with gestational age less than 28 weeks.