BACKGROUND: Various tools for the acute response system (ARS) predict and prevent acute deterioration in pediatric patients. However, detailed criteria have not been clarified. Thus we evaluated the effectiveness of bradycardia as a single parameter in pediatric ARS. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who had visited a tertiary care children's hospital from January 2012 to June 2013, in whom ARS was activated because of bradycardia. Patient's medical records were reviewed for clinical characteristics, cardiologic evaluations, and reversible causes that affect heart rate. RESULTS: Of 271 cases, 261 (96%) had ARS activation by bradycardia alone with favorable outcomes. Evaluations and interventions were performed in 165 (64.5%) and 13 cases (6.6%) respectively. All patients in whom ARS was activated owing to bradycardia and another criteria underwent evaluation, unlike those with bradycardia alone (100.0% vs. 63.2%, p = 0.016). Electrocardiograms were evaluated in 233 (86%) cases: arrhythmias were due to borderline QT prolongation and atrioventricular block (1st and 2nd-degree) in 25 cases (9.2%). Bradycardia-related causes were reversible in 202 patients (74.5%). Specific causes were different in departments at admission. Patients admitted to the hemato-oncology department required ARS activation during the night (69.3%, p = 0.03), those to the endocrinology department required ARS activation because of medication (72.4%, p < 0.001), and those to the gastroenterology department had low body mass indexes (32%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Using bradycardia alone in pediatric ARS is not useful, because of its low specificity and poor predictive ability for deterioration. However, bradycardia can be applied to ARS concurrently with other parameters.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrioventricular Block ; Body Mass Index ; Bradycardia* ; Electrocardiography ; Endocrinology ; Gastroenterology ; Heart Arrest ; Heart Rate ; Hospital Rapid Response Team ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Pediatrics ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tertiary Healthcare

Phacomatosis pigmentovascularis (PPV) is a rare syndrome characterized by concurrent nevus flammeus (capillary malformation) and pigmentary nevus. According to current research, the major pathophysiologic mechanism in PPV is venous dysplasia with resultant compensatory collateral channels and venous hypertension. Arterial involvement is rare. We herein report our experience on renovascular hypertension, intermittent claudication, and severe rhabdomyolysis due to diffuse stenosis of multiple arteries in a patient with PPV type IIb associated with SWS.
Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; Intermittent Claudication ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Neurocutaneous Syndromes* ; Nevus ; Port-Wine Stain ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Sturge-Weber Syndrome* ; Vascular Diseases

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. We report a case of KD with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusion. Lung manifestations associated with KD have previously been reported in the literature. Although IVIG infusion is an effective therapy for acute KD, there are some reported complications related to IVIG infusion: hypotension, aseptic meningitis, acute renal failure, hemolytic anemia, etc. The case of KD reported here was treated with IVIG and aspirin. A few days after recovery from KD, the patient developed fever and maculopapular rash. A diagnosis of relapse KD was made and retreated with IVIG infusion. However, the patient developed ARDS four days after the second IVIG infusion. The patient recovered from ARDS after nine days of ICU care, which included high frequency oscillation ventilation with inhaled nitric oxide, steroid treatment and other supportive care.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Aspirin ; Diagnosis ; Exanthema ; Fever ; High-Frequency Ventilation ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Lung ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Nitric Oxide ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Systemic Vasculitis

Acute cerebral infarctions are rare in children, however, they can occur as a complication of a Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection due to direct invasion, vasculitis, or a hypercoagulable state. We report on the case of a 5-year-old boy who had an extensive stroke in multiple cerebrovascular territories 10 days after the diagnosis of MP infection. Based on the suspicion that the cerebral infarction was associated with a macrolide-resistant MP infection, the patient was treated with levofloxacin, methyl-prednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin, and enoxaparin. Despite this medical management, cerebral vascular narrowing progressed and a decompressive craniectomy became necessary for the patient's survival. According to laboratory tests, brain magnetic resonance imaging, and clinical manifestations, the cerebral infarction in this case appeared to be due to the combined effects of hypercoagulability and cytokineinduced vascular inflammation.
Brain ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Decompressive Craniectomy ; Diagnosis ; Enoxaparin ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Inflammation ; Levofloxacin ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Stroke ; Thrombophilia ; Thrombosis ; Vasculitis

BACKGROUND: Various tools for the acute response system (ARS) predict and prevent acute deterioration in pediatric patients. However, detailed criteria have not been clarified. Thus we evaluated the effectiveness of bradycardia as a single parameter in pediatric ARS. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who had visited a tertiary care children's hospital from January 2012 to June 2013, in whom ARS was activated because of bradycardia. Patient's medical records were reviewed for clinical characteristics, cardiologic evaluations, and reversible causes that affect heart rate. RESULTS: Of 271 cases, 261 (96%) had ARS activation by bradycardia alone with favorable outcomes. Evaluations and interventions were performed in 165 (64.5%) and 13 cases (6.6%) respectively. All patients in whom ARS was activated owing to bradycardia and another criteria underwent evaluation, unlike those with bradycardia alone (100.0% vs. 63.2%, p = 0.016). Electrocardiograms were evaluated in 233 (86%) cases: arrhythmias were due to borderline QT prolongation and atrioventricular block (1st and 2nd-degree) in 25 cases (9.2%). Bradycardia-related causes were reversible in 202 patients (74.5%). Specific causes were different in departments at admission. Patients admitted to the hemato-oncology department required ARS activation during the night (69.3%, p = 0.03), those to the endocrinology department required ARS activation because of medication (72.4%, p < 0.001), and those to the gastroenterology department had low body mass indexes (32%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Using bradycardia alone in pediatric ARS is not useful, because of its low specificity and poor predictive ability for deterioration. However, bradycardia can be applied to ARS concurrently with other parameters.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Atrioventricular Block ; Body Mass Index ; Bradycardia ; Electrocardiography ; Endocrinology ; Gastroenterology ; Heart Arrest ; Heart Rate ; Hospital Rapid Response Team ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Pediatrics ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tertiary Healthcare

No abstract available.
Child ; Critical Care ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Respiration, Artificial

Disseminated neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is one of the most severe neonatal infections, and can have devastating consequences without early proper treatment. However, the administration of acyclovir can often be delayed because the symptoms and signs of HSV infection are non-specific and because HSV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results may be negative early in the course of HSV infection. We report a case of disseminated neonatal HSV infection that was diagnosed by type 1 HSV PCR on day 8 of admission. Despite delayed administration of acyclovir, the patient was cured and subsequently discharged after 30 days of admission. Fortunately, this patient was treated successfully, but delayed administration of acyclovir has the potential to lead to significant problems. Considering the seriousness of neonatal HSV infection, empirical acyclovir therapy should be considered if HSV infection is suspected.
Acyclovir ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Methylmethacrylates ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polystyrenes ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; Simplexvirus*

Phacomatosis pigmentovascularis (PPV) is a rare syndrome characterized by concurrent nevus flammeus (capillary malformation) and pigmentary nevus. According to current research, the major pathophysiologic mechanism in PPV is venous dysplasia with resultant compensatory collateral channels and venous hypertension. Arterial involvement is rare. We herein report our experience on renovascular hypertension, intermittent claudication, and severe rhabdomyolysis due to diffuse stenosis of multiple arteries in a patient with PPV type IIb associated with SWS.
Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; Intermittent Claudication ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Neurocutaneous Syndromes ; Nevus ; Port-Wine Stain ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Sturge-Weber Syndrome ; Vascular Diseases

Tick-borne pathogens can cause serious problems in grazing cattle. However, little information is available on tick-mediated diseases in cattle grazing on mountains. Thus, this study aimed to understand the potential problems related to tick-borne diseases in grazing cattle through the investigation of prevalent tick-transmitted infections, and their associated hematological changes, in terms of season and grazing type in Korean indigenous cattle (=Hanwoo). Hanwoo cattle from 3 regions of the Republic of Korea (=Korea) were either maintained indoors or placed on grassy mountains from spring to fall of 2014 and 2015. Cattle that grazed in mountainous areas showed a greater prevalence of tick-borne infections with an increased Theileria orientalis infection rate (54.7%) compared to that in non-grazing cattle (16.3%) (P < 0.001). Accordingly, the red blood cell (RBC) count and hematocrit (HCT) values of grazing cattle were significantly lower than those of non-grazing cattle throughout the season (P < 0.05). Moreover, RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), and HCT of T. orientalis-positive group were significantly lower than those of T. orientalis-negative group (P < 0.05). T. orientalis is a widespread tick-borne pathogen in Korea. Grazing of cattle in mountainous areas is closely associated with an increase in T. orientalis infection (RR=3.4, P < 0.001), and with consequent decreases in RBC count and HCT. Thus, these findings suggest that the Hanwoo cattle in mountainous areas of Korea are at a high risk of infection by T. orientalis, which can lead to hematological alterations. This study highlights the necessity of preventive strategies that target T. orientalis infection.
Animals ; Cattle* ; Erythrocytes ; Hematocrit ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea ; Seasons ; Theileria* ; Tick-Borne Diseases

Nematomorpha, horsehair or Gordian worms, include about 300 freshwater species in 22 genera (Gordiida) and 5 marine species in 1 marine genus (Nectonema). They are parasitic in arthropods during their juvenile stage. In the present study, the used gordian worm was found in the feces of a dog (5-month old, male) in July 2014. Following the worm analysis using light and scanning electron microscopes, the morphological classification was re-evaluated with molecular analysis. The worm was determined to be a male worm having a bi-lobed tail and had male gonads in cross sections. It was identified as Gordius sp. (Nematomorpha: Gordiidae) based on the characteristic morphologies of cross sections and areole on the cuticle. DNA analysis on 18S rRNA partial sequence arrangements was also carried out, and the gordiid worm was assumed to be close to the genus Gordius based on a phylogenic tree analysis.
Animals ; Dog Diseases/diagnosis/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Feces/*parasitology ; Helminthiasis, Animal/diagnosis/*parasitology ; Helminths/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny