scholarly journals Respiratory tract infections in children with allergic asthma on allergen immunotherapy during influenza season

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuyun Li ◽  
Dongming Wang ◽  
Lili Zhi ◽  
Yunmei Zhu ◽  
Lan Qiao ◽  
...  

AbstractTo describle how respiratory tract infections (RTIs) that occurred in children with allergic asthma (AA) on allergen immunotherapy (AIT) during an influenza season. Data including clinical symptoms and treatment history of children (those with AA on AIT and their siblings under 14 years old), who suffered from RTIs during an influenza season (Dec 1st, 2019–Dec 31st, 2019), were collected (by face to face interview and medical records) and analyzed. Children on AIT were divided into 2 groups: stage 1 (dose increasing stage) and stage 2 (dose maintenance stage). Their siblings were enrolled as control. During the study period, 49 children with AA on AIT (33 patients in stage 1 and 16 patients in stage 2) as well as 49 children without AA ( their siblings ) were included. There were no significant differences in occurrences of RTIs among the three groups (p > 0.05). Compared with children in the other two groups, patients with RTIs in stage 2 had less duration of coughing and needed less medicine. Children on AIT with maintenance doses had fewer symptoms and recovered quickly when they were attacked by RTIs, which suggested that AIT with dose maintenance may enhance disease resistance of the body.

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Venge ◽  
Ann-Katrin Eriksson ◽  
Lena Douhan-Håkansson ◽  
Karlis Pauksen

ABSTRACT The distinction between bacterial and viral causes of infections of the respiratory tract is a major but important clinical challenge. We investigated the diagnostic performance of human neutrophil lipocalin (HNL) in respiratory tract infections compared to those of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT). Patients were recruited from the emergency department and from a primary care unit (n = 162). The clinical diagnosis with regard to bacterial or viral cause of infection was complemented with objective microbiological/serological testing. HNL was measured in whole blood after preactivation with the neutrophil activator formyl-methionine-leucine-phenylalanine (fMLP) (B-HNL), and CRP and PCT were measured in plasma. Head-to-head comparisons of the three biomarkers showed that B-HNL was a superior diagnostic means to distinguish between causes of infections, with areas under the concentration-time curve (AUCs) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for HNL of 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83 to 0.96) and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.82 to 0.97) for all respiratory infections and for upper respiratory infections, respectively, compared to 0.72 (95% CI, 0.63 to 0.80) and 0.68 (95% CI, 0.56 to 0.79) for CRP, respectively (P = 0.001). In relation to major clinical symptoms of respiratory tract infections (cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, and signs of sinusitis), AUCs varied between 0.88 and 0.93 in those patients with likely etiology (i.e., etiology is likely determined) of infection, compared to 0.63 and 0.71 for CRP, respectively, and nonsignificant AUCs for PCT. The diagnostic performance of B-HNL is superior to that of plasma CRP (P-CRP) and plasma PCT (P-PCT) in respiratory tract infections, and the activity specifically reflects bacterial challenge in the body. The rapid and accurate analysis of HNL by point-of-care technologies should be a major advancement in the diagnosis and management of respiratory infections with respect to antibiotic treatment.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-201
Author(s):  
Adrian Jarzynski ◽  
Agata Dubas ◽  
Malgorzata Polz-Dacewicz

ABSTRACT Viruses that cause respiratory tract infections are the most common agents of infectious diseases in humans throughout the world. A virus that infects the respiratory system, may induce various clinical symptoms. What is more, the same symptoms may be caused by different viruses. The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence of enteroviruses that cause respiratory infections in patients with influenzavirus A/H1N1 hospitalized in the Lublin province. The experimental material was throat and nose swabs taken from patients hospitalized in Lublin and Tomaszow Lubelski. In the group of 44 patients (20 women and 24 men) infected with influenza A/H1N1, the genetic material of enteroviruses was detected in 13 patients (29.5%). Respiratory viruses co-infections are very common in hospitalized patients. Studies show that co-infection with influenza virus and enterovirus are more common in children than in adults. Moreover, viral respiratory tract infections are independent from the patients’ gender.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 13-19
Author(s):  
Elena V. Sharipova ◽  
Irina V. Babachenko ◽  
Elizaveta D. Orlova

Objective: to study the clinical features of metapneumovirus infection in children of different ages in a hospital. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of medical records of 142 patients aged 1 month to 14 years inclusive who were hospitalized in the period from January 2012 to April 2019. Metapneumovirus infection was confirmed by hMPV nucleic acid isolation by PCR in nasopharyngeal smears. Results. Metapneumovirus infection is detected among hospitalized children with acute respiratory viral infections in 4,4% of cases. In the age structure, 72,2% are children under 4 years old, and the maximum incidence rate is among children aged 3 years of life. The leading clinical symptoms are cough in 93,0% of cases and rhinitis in 96,5% of cases.In 88,2% of children, the disease proceeds with an increase in temperature 38 C, including in 34,6% 39,5 C and above. Symptoms of gastrointestinal dysfunction in the form of vomiting and diarrhea develop in 26,1% and 22,5% of children, respectively. 78,2% of patients requiring hospitalization suffer hMPV infection with damage to the lower respiratory tract, including in the form of bronchitis in 85,6% of cases and pneumonia in 14,4% of cases. The disease is complicated by the development of bronchial obstructive syndrome in 38,7% and acute respiratory failure in 22,3% of cases. ARF and BOS are significantly more likely to develop in children of the first 3 years of life 71,0% versus 29,0% in children of the older age group (p = 0.038) and 69,8% against 30,2% (p = 0.007), respectively. In a clinical blood test for hMPV infection, leukopenia and leukocytosis are detected only in 3,5% and 12,7% of cases, respectively, as well as an increase in ESR in 23,9% of children. The level of CRP in the 93,0% of children was less than 20 mg/l. Conclusions. Virological confirmation of metapneumovirus infection in hospitalized children with lower respiratory tract infections contributes to the formation of an adequate therapeutic tactic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-150
Author(s):  
Ahmed Osman Gasim Attar ◽  
Khalid Enan ◽  
Sara Abdelghani ◽  
Lienda Bashier Eltayeb

Background: Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a major novel cause of acute respiratory infections ranging from wheezing to bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children worldwide. The aim of this study was to detect hMPV in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) by using reverse transcription-loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay. Methods and Results: A total of 68 children with ARTIs who were clinically suspected of acquiring hMPV were included in the study in the period between January 2019 and February 2020. Posterior-pharyngeal (throat) swabs were obtained from each patient. hMPV RNA was revealed in 18(26.5%) cases. The age range was from <1 year to 10 years (mean age of 5.25±2.62). Sixteen (23.5%) of the participants were in the age group of <1 year, where the majority of hMPV-positive subjects (n=11) were found (16.2% of the total number of infected children) (P=0.0025). The majority of hMPV-negative subjects (n=15) were found in the age group of 5-10 years (22% of the total number of infected children) (P=0.0025). Cough, fever, and shortness of breath were common symptoms in hMPV-positive children: 15(83.3%), 13(72.2%), and 12(66.7%), respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between common clinical symptoms and the age group of hMPV-positive children: symptoms were common in the age group of <1 year. Conclusion: Our study represents the first report in Khartoum, Sudan, on the detection of hMPV using RT-LAMP. RT-LAMP is a valuable, quick diagnostic technique for hMPV detection.


Author(s):  
Marie Wright ◽  
Mark Chilvers ◽  
Tom Blydt-Hansen

Background Solid organ transplantation (SOT) has become commonly used in children and is associated with excellent survival rates into adulthood. Data regarding long-term respiratory outcomes following pediatric transplantation are lacking. We aimed to describe the prevalence and nature of respiratory pathology following pediatric heart, kidney, and liver transplant, and identify potential risk factors for respiratory complications. Methods Retrospective review involving all children under active follow-up at the provincial transplant service in British Columbia, Canada, following SOT. Results Of 118 children, 33% experienced respiratory complications, increasing to 54% in heart transplant recipients. Chronic or recurrent cough with persistent chest x-ray changes was the most common clinical picture, and most infections were with non-opportunistic organisms typically found in otherwise healthy children. A history of respiratory illness prior to transplant was significantly associated with risk of post-transplant respiratory complications. 8% were diagnosed with bronchiectasis, which was more common in recipients of heart and kidney transplant. Bronchiectasis was associated with recurrent hospital admissions with lower respiratory tract infections, treatment of acute rejection episodes, and treatment with sirolimus. Interpretation Respiratory morbidity is common after pediatric SOT, and bronchiectasis rates were disproportionately high in this patient group. We hypothesise that this relates to recurrent infections resulting from iatrogenic immunosuppression. Direct pulmonary toxicity from immunosuppression drugs may also be contributory. A high index of suspicion for respiratory complications is needed following childhood SOT, particularly in those with a history of respiratory disease prior to transplant, experiencing recurrent or severe respiratory tract infections, or exposed to intensified immunosuppression.


2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (9) ◽  
pp. 1876-1883 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. RICHTER ◽  
E. NIKOLAOU ◽  
C. PANAYIOTOU ◽  
C. TRYFONOS ◽  
M. KOLIOU ◽  
...  

SUMMARYHuman rhinoviruses (HRVs) are widespread respiratory pathogens and a major cause of acute respiratory tract infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of rhinovirus infections in children in Cyprus over three consecutive winter seasons. From a total of 116 rhinovirus-positive samples, 68 were sequenced in the 5’-UTR and VP4/VP2 regions. Thirty-six (52·9%) samples were identified as HRV-A and 27 (39·7%) as HRV-C, with only five (7·4%) samples belonging to the HRV-B species. Of these, a total of 46 different genotypes were identified. In the VP2/VP4 phylogenetic tree all strains clustered in three different well-defined clades, whereas the 5’-UTR tree exhibited clades with a mixed clustering of HRV-A and HRV-C strains reflecting the evolutionary history of recombination between HRV-A and HRV-C that has been observed previously. In summary, a high intra- and inter-season diversity of HRV types was observed. Despite its geographical isolation the frequency of HRV species in Cyprus is comparable to that reported in other regions of the world supporting the concept of an unrestricted global circulation. This study assesses, for the first time, the epidemiology of rhinovirus infections in Cypriot children and will be helpful to clinicians and researchers interested in the treatment and control of viral respiratory tract infections.


1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 211-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommi Torkkeli ◽  
Markus Rautiainen ◽  
Juhani Nuutinen

The ciliary ultrastructure in transmission electron microscopy and nasal mucociliary transport rate (MTR) by a radioisotopic method were studied in 50 patients with longstanding upper respiratory tract infections. The clinical symptoms correlated well with MTR. The symptoms in patients with MTR 3 mm/min or better were mild, but the patients with poor MTR (less than 3 mm/min) suffered from recurrent or severe infections. The completely normal ultrastructural findings were found only in patients with MTR better than 3 mm/min. All the patients with poor MTR had pathological ciliary ultrastructure, with numerous tubular anomalies and disorientation of ciliary beat direction. The outer dynein arms were found to be short in 16% of cases with poor MTR.


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