Candidiasis invasoras en recién nacidos: diagnóstico, tratamiento y prevención

Artículo de publicación SciELOInvasive fungal infections have become an increasingly common problem in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Invasive candidiasis (IC) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality rates, especially in preterm infants. The aim of this review is to suggest actions in monitoring, prevention, treatment and follow up of IC in the newborn infant

Neisseria subflava bacteremia in newborns: case report and review of the literature

Neisseria subflava belongs to Neisseriaceae family, is considered a comensal specie, however in certain host, mainly inmunosuppresed patientes and children, the literature has documented invasive infections. We present a case of a bacteriemia due to N. subflava in a newborn, treated with cefotaxime with good outcome. In newborns, the most common Neisseria bacteria to cause invasive infections are N. meningitidis, with highly fatal clinical course and N. gonorrhoeae which compromise the eye, oftalmia neonatorum, with uncommon invasive infections. It´s very important the adequate microbiological diagnosis because the biochemical tests may be inconclusive. MALDITOF mass spectrometry technique is a useful tool

TORCH syndrome: Rational approach of pre and post natal diagnosis and treatment. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Neonatal Infections Sociedad Chilena de Infectologia, 2016

There is a lot of bacterial, viral or parasite infections who are able to be transmitted vertically from the mother to the fetus or newborn which implicates an enormous risk for it. The TORCH acronym is used universally to refer to a fetus or newborn which presents clinical features compatible with a vertically acquired infection and allows a rational diagnostic and therapeutic approach. The traditional "TORCH test" is nowadays considered not appropriate and it has been replaced for specific test for specific pathogens under well defined circumstances. The present document reviews the general characteristics, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnostic and therapeutic options for the most frequently involved pathogens in the fetus or newborn with TORCH suspicion

Blood cultures in newborns: optimizing sample collection and performance

The request of blood cultures in medical care is frequent, especially in Neonatal Units, where it is performed routinely in case of suspected early or late sepsis. The purpose of this document is to standardize the sampling technique in order to increase its performance and establish criteria to interpret a positive blood cultur

Seroprevalence of varicella-zoster virus in children with cancer in six hospitals in Santiago, Chile

Infections with varicella-zoster virus (VVZ) in immunocompromised children imply a high mortality. There is no data about VVZ seroprevalence in children with cancer in our country. Aim: To determine the prevalence of VVZ antibodies in children with cancer who have undergone chemotherapy or have undergone a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Methodology: collaborative, multicenter study. Serum samples were collected from 281 children with cancer and episodes of febrile neutropenia from 6 hospitals belonging to the public health network in the Metropolitan Region between June 2004 and August 2006. These samples were stored at -70 º C, and 200 of them were randomly chosen and analyzed to determine VVZ IgG (ELISA). Results: 179 samples from 179 children, 65% male. Ninety eigth/179 (55%) were positive, 72/179 (40%) negative and 9/179 (5%) indeterminate. Stratified by age, seropositive percentage was: 1 to 4 years 32%, 5-9 years 42%, 10-14 years 78%, over 15 years 88%. Conclusion: Forty percent of children treated for cancer are seronegative to VVZ infection, a frequency that decreases with age. These results support the adoption of preventive measures to avoid infection in this population of children at risk of developing a serious and possibly fatal illness