C-Reactive Protein Monitoring and Clinical Presentation of Fever as Predictive Factors of Prolonged Febrile Neutropenia and Blood Culture Positivity after Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation—Single-Center Real-Life Experience

Background: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a medical emergency that requires urgent evaluation, timely administration of empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics and careful monitoring in order to optimize the patient’s outcome, especially in the setting of both allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (ASCT). Methods: In this real-life retrospective study, a total of 49 consecutive episodes of FN were evaluated in 40 adult patients affected by either multiple myeloma (thirty-eight) or lymphoma (eleven), following ASCT, with nine patients having fever in both of the tandem transplantations. Results: Febrile neutropenia occurred a median of 7 days from ASCT. Median duration of FN was 2 days, with 25% of population that had fever for at least four days. Ten patients had at least one fever spike superior to 39 °C, while the median number of daily fever spikes was two. Twenty patients had positive blood cultures with XDR germs, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, present in seven cases. ROC analysis of peak C-reactive protein (CRP) values was conducted based on blood culture positivity and a value of 12 mg/dL resulted significant. Onset of prolonged fever with a duration greater than 3 days was associated with the presence of both a peak number of three or more daily fever spikes (p = 0.02) and a body temperature greater than 39 °C (p = 0.04) based on odds ratio (OR). Blood culture positivity and peak CRP values greater than 12 mg/dL were also associated with prolonged fever duration, p = 0.04, and p = 0.03, respectively. The probability of blood culture positivity was also greater in association with fever greater than 39 °C (p = 0.04). Furthermore, peak CRP values below the cut-off showed less probability of positive blood culture (p = 0.02). Conclusions: In our study, clinical characteristics of fever along with peak CRP levels were associated with a higher probability of both prolonged fever duration and positive blood culture, needing extended antibiotic therapy.

Salmonelle da compagnia

The paper describes the case of 21-month-old child with prolonged fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. After detecting non-typhoidal Salmonella in his stools, medical history has revealed an unexpected source of the infection.

Unique presentations of the post COVID-19 infection, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.

Introduction: The epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing COVID-19, continuous to affect most of the world's population. In children, the respiratory and systemic involvement appears to have a much more benign course in comparison to adults, with almost no fatalities reported. However, we are encountering a post-infectious immune mediated condition, termed, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). In most cases the main features are prolonged fever and elevation of inflammatory markers, many of the patients present with abdominal pain and varying degree of myocardial involvement from mild reduction in cardiac output to the most alarming manifestation of cardiovascular shock. Results: We present two patients with unusual manifestations of MIS-C, related to post COVID-19 infection, an infant born to a mother who was severely ill at the very end of pregnancy, presenting with prolonged fever, rash, pericardial effusion, and evidence of coronary arteries wall thickening as a result of inflammation, and, a teenage girl with severe cardiac tamponade without the more common cardiac manifestations of myocardial involvement. Discussion: Post COVID-19 MIS-C can present in a wide variety of manifestations. The pathophysiologic mechanism underlying these inflammatory responses in infants are yet to be elucidated. Physicians should be aware of such presentations since rapid diagnosis and treatment are key for favorable outcome.

MALIGNANCY MASQUERADING AS JOINT INFECTION- A CASE REPORT

ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA (ALL) is the most common malignancy in children. It accounts for 25% of all childhood cancers and approximately 75% of all cases of childhood leukemia. ALL presents usually with fever, lassitude, pallor, bone pains+/- bleeds. Here, we present a case of a child presenting with prolonged fever and swelling and pain in joints. Child was initially diagnosed as one hematological disorder and presented with joint effusion within a week.

P088 Prolonged fever in a boy revealing Takayasu disease: a case report

Background Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown origin. It affects the large vessels, especially the aorta, its main branches, and the pulmonary arteries. It begins acutely in children with severe general manifestations. The diagnosis of TA remains a challenge to clinicians due to many reasons such as its rarity, its great clinical polymorphism, and the lack of specific biological criteria. Case report A 13-years old boy with no pathological history, was admitted for prolonged fever with intermittent abdominal pain. The clinical examination has found a conscious boy, febrile with a BP of 130/90mmhg, a normal heart rate, and stable respiratory function. The cardiovascular examination noted a decrease in pedal pulses, without signs of ischaemia or necrosis, and the cardiac auscultation was normal. Examination of the lymph node areas has shown upper and left later cervical adenopathy measuring 1.7 cm in long axis, mobile, and painless. All joints were free. The complementary biological workups revealed an inflammatory syndrome (ESR: 120 mm, fibrinogen: 5 g/l, microcytic hypochromic anaemia at 9 g/dl, ferritin: 1051, low serum iron: 11µg/dl and thrombocytosis: 692 000 elements/l). Chest X-ray showed a dilated aortic button. A thoracic angioscan revealed a peri-aortitis more evident at the level of the emergence of the mesenteric artery with a pseudo-aneurysmal aspect and arteritis of the right primary carotid artery. Echocardiography was performed and showed a dilated aspect of the aorta with irregular wall. Renal ultrasound was normal. The diagnosis of Takayasu disease was made on the basis of clinical biological and essentially radiological arguments according to the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. The patient was treated with corticosteroid (prednisone: 2 mg/kg/d) for one month then then gradually reduced doses The disease course was marked by several relapses and the patient was then treated with mycophenolate mofetil (cellcept). Conclusion Takaysu's disease is a chronic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown origin, which affects the large- vessels, mainly the aorta, its main branches, and the pulmonary arteries; but it remains rare in children and its treatment is not well codified.

Case Report: Intracranial hypertension in an adult-onset Still’s disease patient initially presented with prolonged fever

This article describes the case of a 19-year-old woman who presented with prolonged fever, positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and splenomegaly. Pulmonary infiltrates were discovered and the patient was treated for community-acquired pneumonia, with no clinical amelioration. A more thorough evaluation was subsequently made, revealing elevated serum IgE and IgG4 levels and negative ANA tested by the hospital’s laboratory with two methods. During hospitalization thrombocytopenia, liver function test impairment, and evanescent rash during some febrile episodes developed. Vomiting also presented without any concomitant symptoms or signs; a funduscopic examination was consequently ordered, showing bilateral papilledema. Brain imaging was totally normal but a lumbar puncture revealed elevated opening pressure and lymphocytic pleocytosis along with low cerebrospinal fluid lactate dehydrogenase (CSF LDH). The patient was empirically treated with antimicrobials, dexamethasone, and acetazolamide and had immediate clinical and laboratory improvement. Diagnostic workup, however, was negative for an infectious agent; antimicrobials were ceased but the patient continued to improve. Adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) was considered as the working diagnosis because the patient fulfilled Yamaguchi criteria, responded to corticosteroids, and an alternative diagnosis was lacking. Nevertheless, because of the patient’s atypical features a trial to discontinue dexamethasone was undertaken, leading to immediate recurrence; the possibility of a self-limiting viral illness was excluded. Thrombocytopenia was attributed to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) that complicated AOSD. Corticosteroid reinitiation combined with methotrexate fully controlled all clinical and laboratory parameters. One month later papilledema had disappeared and the patient remained symptom-free even without acetazolamide. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature of an AOSD case presenting intracranial hypertension without cerebral imaging abnormalities and neurological or meningeal symptoms and signs, as well as with the initial observation of serum IgG4 elevation. A classic regimen combined with acetazolamide led to a positive outcome.