Clinical features, risk factors, and complications among pediatric patients with pandemic influenza A (H1N1).

Objective: The authors aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, risk factors for severe disease, and complications in children with laboratory-confirmed pandemic influenza A (H1N1).

Methods: H1N1 was confirmed by performing reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay on oropharyngeal swab specimens. The medical charts of a subset of the evaluated patients were reviewed retrospectively; another subset was enrolled prospectively.

Sequential CT evaluation of isolated non-penetrating pancreatic trauma.

Context: Isolated pancreatic injuries resulting from non-penetrating trauma are rare. CT is currently the modality of choice in evaluating pancreatic injury. Delay in recognizing patients who need immediate surgery is an important cause of increased morbidity due to specific pancreatic complications.

Activity of the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I axis in critically ill children.

Critical illness has an important impact on the human endocrine system. Very few studies have been performed to elucidate the alterations of the GH/IGF-I axis in acutely ill children. The aim of this study was to investigate several parameters of this axis in children with trauma (TRA) and sepsis (SEP) requiring admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).