Rib Osteomyelitis in a Pediatric Patient: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

We present a case report and review of the literature of rib osteomyelitis in a pediatric patient presenting to the emergency department (ED) with fever and increased work of breathing. The patient was seen on a return visit to the ED after discharge with presumed viral illness approximately 12 hours prior. On the second ED visit, there was concern for occult bacteremia, and work-up ultimately revealed a subperiosteal abscess with rib osteomyelitis, a rare etiology for fever in the pediatric patient.

Antagonism of purinergic signalling improves recovery from traumatic brain injury.

The recent public awareness of the incidence and possible long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury only heightens the need to develop effective approaches for treating this neurological disease. In this report, we identify a new therapeutic target for traumatic brain injury by studying the role of astrocytes, rather than neurons, after neurotrauma. We use in vivo multiphoton imaging and show that mechanical forces during trauma trigger intercellular calcium waves throughout the astrocytes, and these waves are mediated by purinergic signalling.