Pediatric brainstem abscess successfully treated with stereotactic aspiration: illustrative case.

Background: Pediatric brainstem abscesses are rare entities that account for 1% of all brain abscesses and, when diagnosed, constitute a neurosurgical emergency.

Observations: A previously healthy 11-year-old male presented with several days of worsening headache, confusion, and ataxia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a midbrain and pons lesion.

Impact on time to active antimicrobial therapy with 24-hour pharmacist review of Accelerate Pheno BC Kit results.

The Accelerate Pheno platform provides rapid identification and susceptibility data. We demonstrate successful incorporation of 24-hour pharmacist review of Accelerate Pheno results that reduced the number of patients going >3 hours from result without an order for active antimicrobial therapy from 29 (2.8%) of 1,043 to 9 (0.

Evaluating the Role of Nasal PCR in Pediatric Head and Neck Infections.

Objective: Vancomycin is often empirically used in the management of head and neck infections (HNIs) in children. The objective of this study was to determine the utility of (SA) nasal PCR to facilitate de-escalation of vancomycin for pediatric HNIs.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients who received empiric intravenous vancomycin for a diagnosis of HNIs between January 2010 and December 2019.

Altered Intestinal Permeability and Fungal Translocation in Ugandan Children With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Background: Children with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PHIVs) face a lifelong cumulative exposure to HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART). The relationship between gut integrity, microbial translocation, and inflammation in PHIV is poorly understood.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in 57 PHIVs, 59 HIV-exposed but uninfected children, and 56 HIV-unexposed and -uninfected children aged 2-10 years old in Uganda.

Fungal Translocation Is Associated with Immune Activation and Systemic Inflammation in Treated HIV.

The mechanisms causing HIV-associated immune activation remain incompletely understood. Alteration of intestinal integrity with subsequent translocation of bacterial products appears to play an important role; however, little is known about the impact of fungal translocation. We assessed the effect of fungal translocation and its association with immune activation in people living with HIV (PLWH) compared with uninfected controls.