Clinical assessment and echocardiography follow-up results of the children with acute rheumatic fever

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is an inflammatory collagenous tissue disease which shows its cardinal signs in joints, heart, skin and nervous system while affecting whole connective tissue system more or less. This study was conducted in order to investigate the clinical pattern and severity of ARF, echocardiographic findings and the course of the patients with heart valve involvement by studying the clinical and laboratory aspects of the patients diagnosed with ARF according to updated Jones criteria. The study included 214 patients diagnosed with ARF for the first time between January 2005 and May 2008. All patients were scanned with doppler echocardiography (ECHO) between certain intervals. Severity of carditis was grouped into 3 groups of mild, moderate and severe. The frequency of carditis was 57.9%, arthritis was 73.4%, chorea was 11.7% and erythema marginatum was 0.9% but no subcutaneous nodules. Recovery was observed in 22% of the cases of isolated aortic insufficiency (AI), 50% of the cases with isolated mitral insufficiency (MI) and 80% of the cases with mitral and aortic insufficiencies together (MI+AI). Recovery in isolated MI was significantly much more than recovery in isolated AI. However, recovery in AI was significantly much more than in MI in cases of mitral and aortic insufficiencies together. In conclusion, ARF is a cause of acquired and preventable heart disease and it can be reversed through right diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Isolated mitral insufficiency, isolated aortic insufficiency and both mitral and aortic insufficiency are observed during a valvular disease. Remission among valvular diseases are most commonly in those with mitral insufficiency and remissions in both mitral and aortic insufficiency occur most commonly in aortic ones. Regular prophylaxis is the key element for long term prevention of patients with ARF.</p

An unusual cause of bilateral scrotal abscess in a preterm infant: Candida albicans

Acute scrotal abscess is a rare condition in neonates. Most of these abscesses were reported to be unilateral and caused by Staphylococcus and Salmonella spp. Herein, we report a bilateral scrotal abscess in a preterm infant and Candida albicans was isolated from the scrotal fluid culture. To our knowledge, this is the first bilateral scrotal abscess in a preterm infant caused by C. albicans. Therefore, this organism must be suspected in differential diagnosis of acute scrotal abscess in neonates, especially in preterm infants

An unusual cause of bilateral scrotal abscess in a preterm infant: Candida albicans

Acute scrotal abscess is a rare condition in neonates. Most of these abscesses were reported to be unilateral and caused by Staphylococcus and Salmonella spp. Herein, we report a bilateral scrotal abscess in a preterm infant and Candida albicans was isolated from the scrotal fluid culture. To our knowledge, this is the first bilateral scrotal abscess in a preterm infant caused by C. albicans. Therefore, this organism must be suspected in differential diagnosis of acute scrotal abscess in neonates, especially in preterm infants

Scar Formation and Tuberculin Skin Test Response After Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Vaccination: Does Prematurity or Low Birth Weight Have an Impact?

Objectives: The present studyaimed at evaluating factors affecting scar formation and tuberculin skin test (TST) response in Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccinated infants

Nosocomial infections in neonatal units in Turkey: epidemiology, problems, unit policies and opinions of healthcare workers

WOS: 000276572900008PubMed ID: 20402067Turkish Neonatal Society Nosocomial Infections Study Group. Nosocomial infections in neonatal units in Turkey: epidemiology, problems, unit policies and opinions of healthcare workers. Turk J Pediatr 2010; 52: 50-57. The epidemiology of nosocomial infections in Turkish neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) shows that nosocomial sepsis is an important problem, especially for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, and gram-negative agents, particularly Klebsiella species, are still the major causes of nosocomial infections. Sepsis frequency was 6.4%, ranging from 2.1 to 17%, in 16 centers in Turkey. Sepsis frequency was 22% in infants 2500 g. Sepsis-related mortality was 24.4 for 100 sepsis cases, ranging from 0 to 75 for 100 cases. Ventilator-associated pneumonia frequency was 1.7%, catheter-related infection frequency was 0.14% and urinary tract infection frequency was 3.7%. Healthcare workers (HCWs) complain of the inadequacy of some basic facilities and of staffing; however, they are aware of the causes and solutions and are willing to overcome this major health problem. We conclude that Turkish neonatal HCWs are quite optimistic about preventing neonatal nosocomial infections

Neonatal Bartter syndrome and unilateral ectopic renal cyst as new renal causes of hydrops fetalis: two case reports and review of the literature

Non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) is a challenging entity as it represents the end stage of several different disorders. Renal and genitourinary causes of NIHF are rare and include congenital renal malformations, tumors and ureter-urethra disorders. Herein, two NIHF cases with different renal causes were presented. The first case that had antenatal NIHF was diagnosed neonatal Bartter syndrome. The second case of NIHF with antenatal large cyst in the surrenal gland area required surgery and ectopic renal cyst was diagnosed. To our best of knowledge, these are the first reports of NIHF associated with neonatal Bartter syndrome and ectopic renal cyst in neonates. Although it may be coincidental, these cases suggest that both neonatal Bartter syndrome and unilateral ectopic renal cyst may cause NIHF development in neonates by several different mechanisms. Therefore, these two rare entities should be suspected in cases of NIHF with similar findings