Climate change may have devastating effects on the pathogenesis of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in children since it affects the biological cycle of the respiratory pathogens and alters the human respiratory defense mechanisms. Bronchiectasis in children has been identified as an emerging global epidemic that has attracted the attention of the medical community over recent years. Pediatric pulmonologists should be aware of the consequences of climate change on children with bronchiectasis and plan strategies to ameliorate these effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiagnostics (Basel)
July 2024
Pediatric thyroid nodules (TNs) present a higher malignancy rate compared to adults. We sought to diagnose the frequency and characteristics of TNs in children and adolescents with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) and their outcomes after levothyroxine (LT4) therapy. A total of 256 children with TNs and SH were followed every semester from 2006 to 2018.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Sedation during flexible bronchoscopy (FB) should maintain an adequate respiratory drive, ensure maximum comfort for the patient, and warrant that the objectives of the procedure are achieved. Nevertheless, the optimal sedation method for FB has yet to be established. This study aimed to compare the standard recommended combination of midazolam-fentanyl (MF) with that of dexmedetomidine-ketamine (DK) for patient sedation during FB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In infants treated with a low-flow nasal cannula (LFNC), the oxygen concentration delivered to the lungs (i.e., the effective FiO) is difficult to estimate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObesity in children and adolescents has been associated with oxidative stress (OS). The lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) and the malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) that oxidatively modify proteins (Pr) (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFData on exercise tolerance of children born non-extremely preterm are sparse. We aimed to explore the cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) characteristics in this population. We studied 63 children (age 7-12 years) born at 29-36 weeks of gestation (34 were late preterm, 29 were preterm) and 63 age-matched, term-born controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Inflammation plays a crucial role in diabetes and obesity through macrophage activation. Macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), activin-A, and clusterin are chemokines with known roles in diabetes and obesity. The aim of this study is to investigate their possible diagnostic and/or early prognostic values in children and adolescents with obesity and type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: We aimed to assess diaphragmatic function in term and preterm infants with and without history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), before and after the application of inspiratory flow resistive loading.
Methods: Forty infants of a median (range) gestational age of 34 (25-40) weeks were studied. BPD was defined as supplemental oxygen requirement for >28 days of life.
Asthma exacerbations are common in asthmatic children, even among those with good disease control. Asthma attacks result in the children and their parents missing school and work days; limit the patient's social and physical activities; and lead to emergency department visits, hospital admissions, or even fatal events. Thus, the prompt identification of asthmatic children at risk for exacerbation is crucial, as it may allow for proactive measures that could prevent these episodes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the current article, we present a case of an adolescent boy with a nasopharyngeal cyst that induced nasal and Eustachian tube obstruction. Nasopharyngeal cysts can be found incidentally during imaging examinations such as MRI; however, a symptomatic nasopharyngeal cyst is a rare finding in the paediatric population. The cyst was treated successfully by marsupialisation, and the histological diagnosis revealed an adenoidal retention cyst.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe aimed to assess the determinants of diaphragmatic function in term and preterm infants. 149 infants (56 term; 93 preterm, of whom 14 were diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia-BPD) were studied before discharge. Diaphragmatic function was assessed by measurement of the maximum transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdimax)-a measure of diaphragmatic strength, and the pressure-time index of the diaphragm (PTIdi)-a measure of the load-to-capacity ratio of the diaphragm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAllergic rhinitis is an important disease with a global footprint and a growing prevalence, affecting children and adults. Although it is commonly under-diagnosed and under-treated, it causes important social and economic effects (diminished quality of life, poor academic performance, escalated medical visits, heightened medication usage, and effects in other chronic conditions, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study attempted to translate and culturally adapt an established research instrument, the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey (HFS) questionnaire, to the Greek population and evaluate its validity and internal consistency so that it can be used for the assessment of hypoglycemia fear in Greek children and adolescents with T1DM and their parents. One hundred Greek children and adolescents with T1DM, 54 males, 6-18 years old, and one of their parents participated in this validation study. The participants completed the translated Greek HFS, which includes one version for children (CHFS) and one for parents (PHFS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfantile hemangiomas are the most common benign vascular tumors in children. They present a characteristic natural history of spontaneous involution after a phase of initial proliferation. A small but significant minority demonstrates incomplete regression or complications and requires prompt intervention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) represents an acute, severe complication of relative insulin deficiency and a common presentation of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) primarily and, occasionally, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents. It is characterized by the biochemical triad of hyperglycaemia, ketonaemia and/or ketonuria, and acidaemia. Clinical symptoms include dehydration, tachypnoea, gastrointestinal symptoms, and reduced level of consciousness, precipitated by a variably long period of polyuria, polydipsia, and weight loss.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The utility of the forced oscillations technique (FOT) in cystic fibrosis (CF) remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to explore the ability of lower-frequency FOT indices, alone and after adjustment for the lung volume, to assess the extent of ventilation inhomogeneity in CF patients with varying disease severity.
Methods: Forty-five children, adolescents, and adults with CF (age 6.
Background: Head trauma is one of the most common pediatric emergencies. While the psychological effects of severe head injuries are well studied, the psychological consequences of mild head injuries often go overlooked. Head injuries with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13-15, with symptoms such as headache, vomiting, brief loss of consciousness, transient amnesia, and absence of focal neurological signs, are defined as mild.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Primary infection has been questioned as the pathogenetic cause of acute appendicitis. We attempted to identify the bacteria involved and to investigate if their species, types, or combinations affected the severity of acute appendicitis in children.
Methods: Samples from both the appendiceal lumen and the peritoneal cavity of 72 children who underwent appendectomy were collected to perform bacterial culture analysis.
Childhood obesity can affect both physical and mental health. Body-size misperception may lead to a lack of motivation to make healthy changes or to engage in unhealthy weight loss behaviors, increasing the possibility for obese children to become obese adults. To estimate the frequency of body-size misperception among children and adolescents, we conducted a cross-sectional study within another study on eating disorders in youth in Greece (National Institute of Educational Policy, act no.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNocturnal pulse oximetry (NOx) is an alternative diagnostic test for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in childhood yet with variable diagnostic performance. Our aim was to apply advanced signal analysis to develop novel and more accurate NOx indices. We studied 45 children aged 3-10 years who underwent adenotonsillectomy for adenotonsillar hypertrophy and OSAS symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSepsis represents a common cause of morbidity in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Our objective was to assess the value of clinical and laboratory parameters in predicting septicemia (positive blood culture) in NICU infants. In the first part of the present study (derivation cohort) we retrospectively reviewed the clinical files of 120 neonates with symptoms of suspected sepsis and identified clinical and laboratory parameters associated with proven sepsis on the day the blood culture was taken, as well as 24 h and 48 h earlier.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are repeatedly exposed to antibiotics, especially during the pulmonary exacerbations of the disease. However, the available therapeutic strategies are frequently inadequate to eradicate the involved pathogens and most importantly, facilitate the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The evaluation of AMR is demanding; conventional culture-based susceptibility-testing techniques cannot account for the lung microenvironment and/or the adaptive mechanisms developed by the pathogens, such as biofilm formation.
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