Completion, Safety and Tolerability of Once-Weekly Isoniazid and Rifapentine for Tuberculosis Infection by Children and Adolescents.

Background: Treating patients for tuberculosis (TB) infection prevents future cases and transmission. Long treatment regimens have been associated with low completion rates. We describe a 1-decade experience with treating children and adolescents for TB infection (TBI) with 3 months of once-weekly doses of isoniazid and rifapentine (3HP).

What Came First: Malnutrition or Severe Disease?

A 20-year-old female with depression presented to the emergency department with chronic weight loss, weakness, fatigue, hair loss, rash, palpitations, and 2 weeks of cough. Initial history revealed that she had disordered eating habits with dietary restriction, experienced a 50-pound unintentional weight loss over 2 years despite reported adherence to nutritional supplementation, and had a normal gastrointestinal workup. On examination, she was markedly cachectic with a BMI of 10.

A 6-year-old child with a new diagnosis of perinatal human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Perinatal human immunodeficiency virus transmission, while rare in the United States, should be considered in children with a history of recurrent infections, chronic respiratory symptoms and developmental delay. A delayed diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus in children can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. We present a 6-year-old male who presented for evaluation and management of antibiotic refractory chronic cough and purulent nasal secretions, with a history of recurrent bacterial pneumonias and sinus infections, disseminated varicella zoster, and global developmental delay.

Management of Extensive Central Nervous System Cladophialophora bantiana Infection in a 9-Year-Old Child.

Background: Pediatric central nervous system (CNS) phaeohyphomycosis is a rare invasive fungal infection associated with high mortality.

Methods: We describe a child with progressive neurologic symptoms whose ultimate diagnosis was Cladophialophora bantiana -associated CNS phaeohyphomycosis. We discuss her clinical presentation, medical and surgical management and review the current literature.

Childhood tuberculosis.

Purpose Of Review: We discuss the most recent literature to support the identification of children at risk for tuberculosis and optimal testing and treatment strategies.

Recent Findings: The identification and management of children with tuberculosis has increased in complexity due to the recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) pandemic, greater use of immunosuppressive agents, and the administration of shorter, rifamycin-containing treatment regimens. Advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in children include: use of interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs); molecular-based tests; and shorter courses of treatment.

Plasma Metagenomic Sequencing Expedites Diagnosis of Disseminated BCG in an Infant With IKBKB Mutation.

Background: Infants with inborn errors of immunity (IEI), born in countries where Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination is recommended at birth, are at risk of developing infectious complications following vaccination. A prompt diagnosis of disseminated BCG infection in these infants is essential, as many will require stem cell transplantation (SCT) for the immunologic cure. In patients with IEI, the mortality risk from disseminated mycobacterial infection is high, both before and following SCT.

Variable Diagnostic Performance of Stool Xpert in Pediatric Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Difficult specimen collection and low bacillary load make microbiological confirmation of tuberculosis (TB) in children challenging. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Xpert on stool for pediatric tuberculosis.

Methods: Our search included studies from 2011 through 2019, and specific search terms were used to retrieve articles from Pubmed, EMBASE, BIOSIS, ClinicalTrials.

Two Cases of Cronobacter Sakazakii Meningitis in Infants: The Importance Of Early Advanced Brain Imaging and Public Health Reporting.

We report 2 infants hospitalized with Cronobacter sakazakii meningitis. Each infant had exposure to powdered infant formula at home. Both infants survived, but 1 infant had a subdural empyema drained and developed left sensorineural hearing loss.