Archivos argentinos de pediatria最新文献

Introduction. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most frequent chronic diseases in the pediatric population; it affects the quality of life of children and their families, has economic impact, and is frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated. Given the scarcity of local data, here we describe the prevalence of AR and the clinical characteristics of the study population. Population and methods. Observational, cross-sectional study in patients younger than 19 years. Results. A total of 250 patients were randomly included; their mean age was 9 years (SD: 5). AR was diagnosed in 14 of them. The prevalence of AR was 6%. Conclusions. The prevalence of AR in our setting was 6%. AR should be given the relevance it deserves so as to provide an adequate diagnosis and treatment.

Introduction. Levetiracetam (LEV) is an antiepileptic drug approved by the Chilean Institute of Public Health as concomitant therapy for epileptic seizures in children older than 4 years of age. However, it is widely prescribed from the neonatal period, which makes it necessary to evaluate its off-label use. Objective. To determine the prescription-indication profile of LEV in the treatment of epileptic seizures in children younger than 4 years in a tertiary care hospital in southern Chile. Population and method. Observational, descriptive, and retrospective study. The medical records of patients who started treatment with LEV between 2014 and 2019 were reviewed, and data on sociodemographic, pharmacological, and clinical variables were collected. The analysis was based on the description of the profile of patients, prescriptions, follow-up, and safety. Results. A total of 68 patients were included: 40 (58.8%) were males, 49 (72.1%) were born at a gestational age ≥ 37 weeks. The main etiology of epilepsy was structural (35.3%); LEV was mostly used in children diagnosed with central nervous system malformation (17.6%), and monotherapy was the prevailing dosage (55.9%). LEV was used for focal seizures in 50% of cases. Five children (7.3%) had psychiatric disorders, classified as probable adverse drug reactions. Conclusion. LEV was used in children with various diagnoses, with a low rate of adverse events. The profile of drug use varied in the different age groups. Future studies are needed to identify effectiveness, especially in newborn infants and patients with refractory epilepsy.

Acquired postinfectious purpura fulminans is a rare, acute, and severe disease characterized by skin necrosis associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in the absence of active infection or previous coagulation disorders. It mainly affects the pediatric population and, in 90% of cases, it is preceded by an infectious process. The pathophysiological mechanism is a transient autoantibody-mediated protein S deficiency that favors a hypercoagulable state. Here we describe the case of a previously healthy 8-year-old boy with purpuric skin lesions typical of purpura fulminans associated with DIC in the absence of sepsis. A transient plasma protein S deficiency was confirmed. He required replacement therapy with fresh frozen plasma and anticoagulation; he had a favorable course. Protein S activity remained decreased for 2 months.

A rare complication of frontal sinusitis includes Pott's puffy tumor. It manifests as a swelling of the forehead due to the presence of a subperiosteal abscess secondary to osteomyelitis of the frontal bone. A timely diagnosis allows for an early, intensive medical and surgical treatment, which is critical to prevent serious intracranial complications. Here we describe the case of a 12-year-old boy with Pott's puffy tumor as a complication of pansinusitis. This case was a diagnostic challenge; however, a timely treatment allowed for a favorable clinical course.

In practice, it is very common to associate monochorionic (MC) twin pregnancies with complex or complicated pregnancies, using both terms interchangeably. However, these are not synonyms; dynamism is the protagonist in complex systems, but not in complicated ones. In order to understand a MC pregnancy as a complex system, it is necessary to first look into its main characteristics. The placenta is one of the main sources of problems. Then, the MC pregnancy has to be analyzed from the perspective of complexity, identifying the system characteristics and its complications as emergent properties.

Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the health of young people worldwide, especially on people with eating disorders (EDs) due to the stress, anxiety, and changes experienced in access to health care. Objective. To explore adolescents' perceptions on changes in their social ties and the modalities of health care for patients with EDs. Population and methods. Qualitative study using in-depth interviews with adolescents with EDs seen at a teaching hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results. Fifteen adolescents were interviewed; their mean age was 18 years; 93% were girls. Anorexia nervosa was observed in 86.6%. The most relevant negative aspects perceived were discomfort with family life (80%) and dissatisfaction with social media content regarding body image and dieting (73%). The aspects perceived as positive were peer support (66%) and improvements in eating habits (66%). The main change identified regarding the management before the COVID-19 pandemic was online followup by the mental healthcare team (73%). Conclusion. The adolescent population with EDs during the mandatory social isolation period reported discomfort with family life and dissatisfaction with social media content regarding body image and dieting. Notwithstanding this, adolescents highlighted peer support and improvements in their eating habits as positive aspects.

Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, has a higher mortality than the general population, mainly due to respiratory tract infections. The objective of this study was to describe immune compromise in a series of cases of patients with Down syndrome referred to the Pediatric Immunology Section due to recurrent infections or pathological laboratory findings between 6/1/2016 and 5/31/2022. Here we describe immune compromise in 24 patients. Twelve patients failed to develop a polysaccharide response and received antibiotic chemoprophylaxis, or gamma globulin replacement therapy. Three patients developed agammaglobulinemia with presence of B cells and gamma globulin replacement therapy was indicated. Nine patients had T-cell lymphopenia and 1 patient, combined immune compromise.

Introduction: The age at which children are introduced to media devices is becoming increasingly earlier. Studies regarding the media habits of young children have gained importance. The aim of the study was to describe the screen media habits (age of introduction media, time spend with screen, popular choices) of preschool children and to explore their relationship with household characteristics. Population and methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study; the parents of children aged 36-72 months who attended childcare centers in Kayseri, a central Anatolian city in Türkiye, completed a questionnaire on media habits of families and children. Results: There were 858 questionaires included. The proportion of children using screen media more than 2 h/day was 28%; 36% of children were introduced to media devices before the age of two. The most frequently used media tool was television (95%) and the program watched was cartoons for TV (86.7%). Children of highly educated parents had shorter TV, computer and smartphone screen time (p = 0.012, p = 0.007, p <0.01 for mother and p = 0.049, p = 0.032, p = 0.04 for father respectively). Introducing books in the first 6 months was associated with shorter daily screen time (p = 0.011, p = 0.009, p = 0.002 for TV, computer and smartphone ,respectively). Parent's time spent on TV was positively correlated with children's time spent on TV (p <0.05, r = 0.354). Conclusion: Parents' education levels, parents' screen time and introducing book in early age was related to children's media habits. Comprehensive studies are needed to explain this relationship more clearly.

Interstitial lung diseases are rare in pediatrics. They include dysfunctions in the metabolism of pulmonary surfactant, an amphipathic molecule that reduces surface tension and prevents alveolar collapse. Here we describe the case of a 6-month-old infant controlled for low weight, who presented with acute respiratory distress and cyanosis; his chest X-ray showed interstitial infiltrate, pneumomediastinum, and bilateral pneumothorax. During history-taking, it was noted that his mother had a history of hospitalization at 1 year old with unknown diagnosis, requiring prolonged oxygen therapy; she now shows signs of chronic hypoxia. The patient was hospitalized and required oxygen therapy. Ancillary tests were done to look for the etiology of the condition, with no positive results. A chest computed tomography showed groundglass opacities, thickening of the septal interstitium, and areas of air trapping; based on the results of a lung biopsy and a genetic study, pulmonary surfactant metabolism dysfunction was diagnosed.