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Biomedical subjects

E R Wald

Publications and source records attributed to E R Wald.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Identification of cases of acute rheumatic fever managed on an outpatient basis.

The incidence of acute rheumatic fever has varied over the past several decades. The usual source of case ascertainment has been medical record discharge diagnosis coding. By reviewing both the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh medical records discharge data and the Division of Cardiology computer database for the years 1982 to 1993, 173 cases of acute rheumatic fever were identified including 63 patients who were managed exclusively as outpatients. Seventy-three percent of patients diagnosed before 1990 were managed as inpatients, compared with 48% of patients diagnosed 1990 and later. The incidence of acute rheumatic fever may be underestimated if patients managed without hospitalization are not identified.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Progressive varicella presenting with pain and minimal skin involvement in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PURPOSE: Here we report the experience at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) with varicella zoster virus (VZV) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This record review was prompted by a patient with ALL who died suddenly of varicella hepatitis within 24 hours of presentation with a single skin lesion. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of children diagnosed with ALL at the CHP from January 1984 through December 1993, who subsequently developed VZV infection. RESULTS: Of 294 patients aged 0 to 15 years, 41 (14%) were identified as having had 42 episodes of VZV infection. Twenty patients (49%) had received prophylaxis with varicella zoster immunoglobulin (VZIG), and all 39 patients in whom the diagnosis was made premortem were treated with acyclovir. Twenty-nine of the 42 cases (70%) had disease limited to the skin. Thirteen cases (30%) had extracutaneous involvement, and five of these episodes (12% of all cases) ended in death. Risk factors for progressive varicella included age greater than 6 years and intensive immunosuppressive therapy at the time of exposure. Six of eight patients with progressive varicella, including two who died, had received VZIG. The clinical presentation in 10 of 13 patients with progressive disease and in four of five patients who died was dominated by severe abdominal and/or back pain. In seven cases, these symptoms preceded the development of skin lesions by several days, and in six patients were associated with extensive involvement of the spleen by varicella, as demonstrated histopathologically by the presence of Howell-Jolly bodies on peripheral-blood smear or radiographically. No patient with uncomplicated varicella was reported to have had premonitory pain. CONCLUSION: Recognition of these prodromes and suspicion of varicella even in the absence of skin lesions and even in children with a history of prior disease or VZIG administration should prompt early diagnostic and therapeutic measures.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1995

Comparison of M and T type antigen testing to field inversion gel electrophoresis in the differentiation of strains of group A streptococcus.

Recent clusters of patients with acute rheumatic fever and invasive group A Streptococcus (GAS) have stimulated renewed interest in the epidemiology of streptococcal infections. We compared conventional serotyping for M and T antigens and serum opacity factor with field inversion gel electrophoresis (FIGE) for distinguishing among GAS. Fifteen pairs of throat isolates obtained from children positive for GAS before and after therapy were evaluated by conventional serotyping and by FIGE after SmaI digestion. Ten of the 15 pairs were identical by serotyping. FIGE correctly identified the 10 concordant and 5 discordant pairs. Individual clones were identified within each M type tested, including analysis performed on additional isolates of M1 and M3 obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This preliminary experience suggests that FIGE can successfully determine whether serial isolates from a given patient represent persistence of one strain or acquisition of a new strain of GAS and that this method might provide an alternative typing system for GAS.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1995

Epiglottitis and Haemophilus influenzae immunization: the Pittsburgh experience--a five-year review.

OBJECTIVE: Current trends in the clinical presentation and management of children with epiglottitis at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh were reviewed for the years 1988 to 1993. METHODOLOGY: The medical records of all patients diagnosed as having epiglottitis between July 1988 and June 1993 at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh were reviewed. An additional telephone survey was conducted among the primary care physicians of those patients to collect information regarding administration of Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB) vaccines. RESULTS: During the study period 28 children (age range, 11 months to 11 years, 10 months) were admitted with the diagnosis of epiglottitis. Cases declined remarkably in 1991. Fever, sore throat, and stridor were the usual symptoms. HIB was the most common cause of epiglottitis accounting for 21 cases. Candida albicans was recovered from the surface culture of the epiglottis in two patients. At least 11 children experienced vaccine failure: nine with polysaccharide vaccine and two with the conjugate vaccine for HIB. CONCLUSION: Cases of epiglottitis have declined dramatically since licensure of HIB conjugate vaccines for use in early infancy. At least 52% of the reported cases represent vaccine failures with the purified polysaccharide vaccine.

Bacterial Capsules↗
PubMed1995

Dexamethasone therapy for children with bacterial meningitis. Meningitis Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether treatment with dexamethasone and ceftriaxone for children with bacterial meningitis reduces the frequency of either sensorineural hearing loss or other neurologic sequelae. DESIGN: This was a prospective, multicentered, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Subjects were followed for 1 year. SETTING: The study was conducted in six children's hospitals located in Pittsburgh, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. PATIENTS: Enrolled were 173 children, 8 weeks to 12 years of age, with suspected bacterial meningitis; 143 children were evaluable. Eighty-seven percent of patients were followed for at least 6 weeks to 3 months, and 67% were followed for 1 year. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were randomized to receive ceftriaxone with or without dexamethasone (0.15 mg/kg every 6 hours for 4 days). Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were measured within 24 hours of admission. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hearing, development, and neurologic sequelae were assessed at the time of discharge and 6 weeks and 1 year later. MAIN RESULTS: One hundred forty-three patients (69 received dexamethasone and 74 received placebo) with bacterial meningitis were evaluable: Haemophilus influenzae type b (83), Streptococcus pneumoniae (33), Neisseria meningitidis (24), and three others. Overall, there was no significant difference in auditory outcome between dexamethasone and placebo recipients. Twenty-two children had bilateral moderate or more severe hearing loss at the time of the first ABR. At follow-up, the resolution of hearing impairment was nearly identical for each group. Nine of ten children who remained persistently deaf were deaf at the time of the first ABR. There were no differences in neurologic or developmental outcome between groups. CONCLUSION: All but one child with persistent bilateral moderate or more severe hearing loss had demonstrable deafness at the time of the first ABR. Dexamethasone did not significantly improve audiologic, neurologic, or developmental outcome in children with bacterial meningitis.

Ceftriaxone↗
PubMed1994

Pyuria and bacteriuria in urine specimens obtained by catheter from young children with fever.

Results of urinalysis and culture of 2181 urine specimens obtained by catheter from febrile children aged less than 24 months were analyzed to determine the following: (1) an optimal cutoff point in considering a bacterial colony count clinically "significant," (2) the accuracy of leukocyte esterase and nitrite tests in identification of pyuria and bacteriuria, and (3) the utility of pyuria (defined as > or = 10 leukocytes/mm3) in the discrimination of urinary tract infection from asymptomatic bacteriuria. Among 110 urine cultures with > or = 10,000 colony-forming units per milliliter, 92 (84%) had > or = 100,000 CFU/ml, 10 (9%) had 50,000 to 99,000 CFU/CFU/ml and 8 (7%) had 10,000 to 49,000 CFU/ml. Urine specimens with 1000 to 49,000 CFU/ml were more likely than specimens with > or = 50,000 CFU/ml to yield Gram-positive or mixed organisms (36/60 vs 7/109; p < 0.001). A count of < 10 leukocytes/mm3 was almost invariably associated with a sterile culture; a count of > or = 10 leukocytes/mm3 was found in 93 of 102 patients with > or = 50,000 CFU/ml. The dipstick leukocyte esterase test had sensitivities of 52.9% and 66.7% in detecting > or = 10 leukocytes/mm3 and > or = 20 leukocytes/mm3, respectively. The dipstick nitrite test had a sensitivity of 31.4% in detecting bacteriuria (> or = 50,000 CFU/ml). Acute pyelonephritis was diagnosed by a renal scan with dimercaptosuccinic acid labeled with technetium 99m in 50 (77%) of 65 patients with > or = 10 leukocytes/mm3 but in none of five patients with < 10 leukocytes/mm3 (p < 0.01). The findings in these five patients were consistent with colonization of the urinary tract rather than infection. For urine specimens obtained by catheter, we believe that urinary tract infection is best defined by both a leukocyte count > or 10/mm3 and a CFU count > or = 50,000/ml. This definition almost always discriminates among true urinary tract infection, bacteriuria resulting from contamination of the urine specimen, and asymptomatic bacteriuria.

Bacteriuria↗
PubMed1994

Throat cultures.

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Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1993

Comparison of two antigen assays for rapid intrapartum detection of vaginal group B streptococcal colonization.

As part of a clinical investigation evaluating the efficacy of intrapartum antigen detection for screening for heavy vaginal colonization with group B streptococci (GBS), we compared the performance of modified Bactigen and Directigen GBS latex particle agglutination (LPA) kits. Paired vaginal swabs obtained from women in labor were rapidly transported to the laboratory and used for culturing (both swabs) and LPA testing (one swab by each method). GBS growth was estimated semiquantitatively and further designated as light or heavy growth. Performance specifications for each method were determined by comparing LPA and culture results from the same swab. A total of 4,251 paired swabs were evaluated during the study period. The performance specifications for detecting GBS growth of any degree for Bactigen and Directigen, respectively, were as follows: sensitivity, 20 and 24%; specificity, 99 and 99%. The performance specifications for heavy colonization for Bactigen and Directigen, respectively, were as follows: sensitivity, 57 and 62%; specificity, 99 and 99%. Neither LPA kit was a sensitive indicator of vaginal colonization with GBS or neonatal infection.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1993

Sinusitis.

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Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1993

Recurrent and nonresolving pneumonia in children.

Recurrent pneumonia is defined as two episodes of pneumonia in 1 year or three episodes over any time frame. Nonresolving pneumonias are characterized by the persistence of symptoms and roentgenographic abnormalities for more than 1 month. The key step in evaluating the patient referred for recurrent or persistent pneumonia is to review the clinical and radiographic features of the episodes to determine if there is adequate documentation to proceed with treatment. After deciding that a patient has had a persistent episode of pneumonia or the requisite number of recurrent episodes of pneumonia (accompanied by radiographic evidence of pulmonary infiltrates), it is essential to classify the episodes into those involving single or multiple lobes. On the basis of this classification, the differential considerations and subsequent evaluation are determined.

Child↗
PubMed1992

Microbiology of acute and chronic sinusitis in children.

To determine the bacteriologic cause of acute sinusitis, a sample of sinus secretions must be obtained from one of the paranasal sinuses without contamination by normal respiratory or oral flora that colonize mucosal surfaces. When maxillary sinus aspiration is performed on children who have signs and symptoms of acute sinusitis, bacteria are recovered in high density from 70%. In patients with acute, subacute, or chronic sinusitis who are generally well except for persistent respiratory symptoms, of nasal discharge or cough or both, the usual bacterial isolates are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, an Moraxella catarrhalis. In contrast, anaerobic organisms and staphylococci should be suspected in patients who have very long-standing symptoms or in those whose symptoms are so severe or complicated that sinus surgery is undertaken.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Antimicrobial therapy of pediatric patients with sinusitis.

The mainstay of medical therapy for acute and subacute sinusitis is the selection of an antimicrobial agent based on an appreciation of the usual bacterial pathogens that include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. Amoxicillin is appropriate therapy for patients with uncomplicated sinusitis in geographic areas in which the prevalence of beta-lactamase-producing pathogens is less than 20%. If a patient does not respond to amoxicillin or in areas in which there is a high prevalence of beta-lactamase-producing bacterial species, alternative antimicrobials include amoxicillin-clavulanate, erythromycin-sulfisoxazole, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, cefaclor, cefuroxime axetil, and cefixime. Cefixime, which is less active against S. pneumoniae than most of these antimicrobials, should be reserved for patients who do not improve with amoxicillin. Amoxicillin-potassium clavulanate, cefuroxime axetil, and erythromycin-sulfisoxazole have the most comprehensive antibacterial spectra.

Acute Disease↗