Can lung ultrasound replace chest radiography for the diagnosis of pneumonia in hospitalized children?

Background: Lung ultrasound is a non-radiating accurate alternative tool to chest X-ray (CXR) in the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to define the accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of CAP in children.

Methods: 107 consecutive children with suspected CAP underwent clinical examination, blood sample analysis, CXR and lung ultrasound on admission to the Pediatric Department of the San Paolo Hospital.

Omega-3 fatty acids and asthma in children.

The purpose of this study was to summarize and analyze the results of studies supporting the use of omega-3 fatty acids for their therapeutic and preventive value in childhood asthma in light of recent genetic evidence strongly suggesting a pathogenetic role in asthma and to discuss the implications of these findings for future research. Although a considerable number of observational studies have been conducted in children showing a beneficial effect of omega-3 dietary intake in asthma, a fully well-designed, rigorously conducted investigational study is still lacking. Additionally, the few interventional trials with omega-3 supplementation conducted in asthmatic children have often yielded conflicting results.

Urine retention in a child treated with oral salbutamol.

It is known that voiding difficulties can be caused by some drugs, but little is known about the role about the route of administration, especially in children. We report here a case of a 3-year old Italian boy referred to the Pediatric Emergency Unit complaining of two episodes of acute urinary retention, both after therapy with oral salbutamol. In spite of recommendations to use inhaled salbutamol to treat acute wheezing, oral salbutamol is still sometimes used in some settings.

Growth Impairment and Nutritional Deficiencies in a Cow's Milk-Allergic Infant Fed by Unmodified Donkey's Milk.

We report a case of growth impairment and nutritional deficiencies in a five-month infant fed by unmodified donkey's milk. We discuss the energy and macronutrient daily intake from donkey's milk and the nutritional consequences that can occur if this kind of milk is used unmodified in the first year of life.