The Risk of Serious Bacterial Infection in Neutropenic Immunocompetent Febrile Children.

Only few reports have looked into the risk of invasive bacterial infection in children with neutropenia that is not malignancy related. The objective of the current study was to determine the clinical significance of neutropenia as a predictor of serious bacterial infection (SBI) in immunocompetent children. We conducted a retrospective case-control study including children 3 months to 18 years of age with fever ≥ 38°C hospitalized or presenting to the emergency department.

Transient renal insufficiency following dipyrone overdose.

Aim: To describe the incidence of acute renal insufficiency after dipyrone overdose in children.

Methods: The medical records of all patients < or =18 years of age during a 3-year period presenting at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center due to toxic exposure were retrospectively reviewed. Patients suffering from dipyrone overdose were compared with all the other patients.

Severe cough and retinal hemorrhage in infants and young children.

No retinal hemorrhages were detected in any of 100 consecutive children aged 3 months to 2 years with severe, persistent coughing (0 of 100, 95% CI: 0%- 3%). Therefore, if one finds retinal hemorrhage in infants and young children with cough, child abuse must be excluded.

Acute paralysis following recreational MDMA (Ecstasy) use.

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as Ecstasy, is a hallucinogenic compound structurally related to amphetamine. Ecstasy's severe neurological toxicity includes seizures, subarachnoidal hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, intracranial bleeding and cerebral venous thrombosis. We describe the first case of spinal cord damage presenting as acute quadriplegia and respiratory insufficiency in a healthy adolescent following Ecstasy recreational usage.

Ketoconazole-induced neurologic sequelae.

A 77-y-old patient developed weakness of extremities, legs paralysis, dysarthria and tremor 1 h after ingestion of 200 mg ketoconazole for the first time in his life. All complaints faded away within 24 h. Few days later, the patient used another 200 mg ketoconazole tablet, and within an hour experienced a similar clinical picture, which resolved again spontaneously within hours.