Publications by authors named "Natalya Beneschott"
Streptococcus pyogenes (group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, GABHS) causes a range of human infections, including necrotizing fasciitis and toxic shock syndrome, because it produces exotoxins that damage host cells, facilitate immune evasion, and serve as T cell superantigens. GABHS conjunctivitis is rare. We report a case of membranous conjunctivitis in a 3-year-old child who was treated with a combination of targeted bactericidal antimicrobials, toxin-synthesis inhibition, and amniotic membrane transplantation.
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- The retrospective study analyzed medical records of children hospitalized who underwent procalcitonin (PCT) testing from 2017 to 2019, totaling 4135 tests on 1530 patients.
- Results showed that 23.7% of PCT levels were diagnostically low, while 48.1% were elevated, with a significant portion of tests conducted in the pediatric intensive care unit.
- The study highlights concerns about inappropriate use of PCT testing, as many children had symptoms not warranting the test, suggesting areas for improvement in diagnostic practices.
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has not only exacerbated traditional cognitive biases but also created new cognitive biases specific to the pandemic that contribute to diagnostic errors. Cases of suspected multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)-one of the more clinically significant manifestations of COVID-19 in children-need to be reported and reviewed by clinicians as they have varied presentations and lack definitive confirmatory testing, presenting challenges to effective diagnosis.
Case Presentation: We present 3 cases of pediatric patients initially diagnosed with COVID-19/MIS-C who were ultimately found to have alternative diagnoses.