Infectious Diseases in Internationally Adopted Children and Intercountry Discrepancies Among Screening Protocols, A Narrative Review.

Internationally adopted children (IAC) require thorough health assessments at time of arrival in the host country. As these children are at higher risk for infectious diseases, such as gastrointestinal parasites, tuberculosis, hepatitis, syphilis, and human immunodeficiency virus, early diagnosis of infectious diseases is fundamental for the optimal management of the child and, also, to reduce the risk of transmission to the adopting community. Comparative analysis of the screening protocols adopted in Europe, the United States, and Canada revealed different approaches to the adopted children.

Auxo-endocrinological features in a cohort of internationally adopted children in Italy.

Background: Internationally adopted children (IAC) can present growth impairment at arrival, which usually recovers over time. Moreover, a major prevalence of precocious puberty has been reported in this group.

Methods: All IAC referred to a tertiary level hospital in Italy from January 2016 to June 2017, underwent a standardized screening protocol and were prospectively enrolled in the study.

Chest Imaging of a rare case of cat-scratch disease in a 2-years-old baby.

Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is usually a self-limiting infection that in the majority of cases occurs as lymphadenitis in children who have been scratched or bitten by a cat. Rarely, Bartonella henselae is cause of fever of unknown origin (FUO), with dissemination to various organs, mimicking an inflammatory rather than a lymphoproliferative disease. This manuscript will present a case of thoracic manifestations of CSD in an immunocompetent 2-years baby without history of cat contact, with fever of unknown origin, investigated by chest CT and MRI.

Utility of tuberculin skin test and IGRA for tuberculosis screening in internationally adopted children: Retrospective analysis from a single center in Florence, Italy.

Background: Most of internationally adopted children (IAC) come from countries in which tuberculosis (TB) is endemic. Interpretation of discordant Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) and Quantiferon-Gold In Tube (QFT) results is under debate.

Methods: Children consecutively referred to our IAC Center between 2009-2017 were prospectively evaluated and screened with protocol recommended by the America Academy of Pediatrics, including TST and QFT.

Internationally adopted children: not only infectious diseases!

Information on prevalence of special needs in internationally adopted children (IAC) is incomplete. We reviewed data from 422 IAC screened at a single Centre in Italy in 2015-16. Prevalence of special needs reached 17.

Latent tuberculosis in childhood: tolerability of two different therapeutic approaches.

Background: Isoniazid monotherapy for six or nine months and the combination of isoniazid and rifampicin for three or four months are the most used regimens for treating latent tuberculosis. The main aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the safety of latent tuberculosis treatment by analysing side effects in both regimens.

Research Design And Methods: Children with latent tuberculosis and treated with isoniazid or isoniazid and rifampicin were included.

Infectious diseases prevalence, vaccination coverage, and diagnostic challenges in a population of internationally adopted children referred to a Tertiary Care Children's Hospital from 2009 to 2015.

Infectious diseases are common in internationally adopted children (IAC).With the objective to evaluate infectious diseases prevalence in a large cohort of IAC and to explore possible risk factors for tuberculosis (TB) and parasitic infections, clinical and laboratory data at first screening visit of all IAC (<18 years) consecutively referred to our Center in 2009 to 2015 were collected and analyzed.In total, 1612 children (median age: 5.

Malaria in Children Adopted from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Data are lacking regarding asymptomatic and symptomatic malaria prevalence in internationally adopted children. Among 20 children from Democratic Republic of the Congo evaluated in Florence, Italy, in April 2016, malaria prevalence was 80%; 50% of infected children had symptomatic malaria. Adopted children from areas of high malaria endemicity should be screened for malaria.

Sleep habits and pattern in 1-14 years old children and relationship with video devices use and evening and night child activities.

Background: Sleep in childhood and adolescence is crucial for mental and physical health; however several researches reported an increasing trend towards a sleep deprivation in this age. Due to the lack of recent epidemiological studies in Italy, the aim of our study was to depict sleep habits and patterns in Italian children aged 1-14 years and to evaluate their relationships with video devices use (TV, tablet, smartphone, PC) and evening/night child activities.

Methods: A structured interview was conducted during 2015 by 72 Family Pediatricians in 2030 healthy children aged 1-14 years by a cross-sectional survey named "Ci piace sognare".

Use of specific immunoglobulins and vaccines for the management of accidental needlestick injury in the child: a practical review in the anti-vaccination movement era.

Introduction: Accidental needle injury is a common but still discussed problem.

Objective: We discuss possible options to optimize the management of injured children in light of the available literature findings.

Results: The risk of viral infection is low.

Performance of a non-contact infrared thermometer in healthy newborns.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of a non-contact infrared thermometer (NCIT) in comparison with digital axillary thermometer (DAT) and infrared tympanic thermometers (ITT) in a population of healthy at term and preterm newborns nursed in incubators.

Setting: 1 level III maternity hospital, and its intensive neonatal care unit.

Participants: 119 healthy at term newborns and 70 preterm newborns nursed in incubators were consecutively enrolled.

Comparison of the transcutaneous bilirubinometers BiliCare and Minolta JM-103 in late preterm and term neonates.

Objectives: To assess the agreement of transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurement with the Bilicare™ System in comparison to TcB measured with JM-103™ and total serum bilirubin (TSB).

Methods: Caucasian infants with gestational age ≥35 weeks with non-hemolytic jaundice received TcB measurement with both Bilicare™ and JM-103™ devices. TSB was also obtained in infants at risk of phototherapy.

Strategies for the prevention of mother to child transmission in Western countries: an update.

Background: During the last decades remarkable scientific advances have been made toward the prevention of HIV mother-to-child transmission, in particular in developed nations. The aim of this review was to analyze the latest findings and available international recommendations on the prevention of HIV mother-to-child transmission in high-income countries.

Methods: We performed a literature search of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE by PubMed and EMBASE from database inception through June 2014, using the following terms: HIV, mother-to-child transmission and mother-to-child-transmission prevention.

Interferon-gamma release assay sensitivity in children younger than 5 years is insufficient to replace the use of tuberculin skin test in western countries.

Tuberculin skin test, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and T-SPOT.TB were performed in 338 children at risk for tuberculosis (TB), including 70 active TB cases. In children <5 years of age, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube sensitivity was 73.

Increasing incidence of tuberculosis in Tuscan youth, 1997 to 2011.

Data from 484 children (median age: 6 years; 46.5% immigrants) hospitalized for tuberculosis in 31 Tuscan hospitals in 1997-2011 were analyzed. Incidence increased from 7.

Controversies in preventive therapy for children contacts of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is emerging as an increasing problem worldwide and no consensus has been reached about the management of children contacts of DR-TB cases.

Objective: To evaluate the role of post-exposure chemoprophylaxis in paediatric DR-TB contacts, focusing on literature findings and recommendations from existing international guidelines.

Methods: We conducted a literature search of the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE by PubMed and EMBASE from database inception through September 2012, using an appropriate search strategy.

Drug use and upper gastrointestinal complications in children: a case-control study.

Objective: To evaluate the risk of upper gastrointestinal complications (UGIC) associated with drug use in the paediatric population.

Methods: This study is part of a large Italian prospective multicentre study. The study population included children hospitalised for acute conditions through the emergency departments of eight clinical centres.

Potential role of M. tuberculosis specific IFN-γ and IL-2 ELISPOT assays in discriminating children with active or latent tuberculosis.

Background: Although currently available IGRA have been reported to be promising markers for TB infection, they cannot distinguish active tuberculosis (TB) from latent infection (LTBI).

Objective: Children with LTBI, active TB disease or uninfected were prospectively evaluated by an in-house ELISPOT assay in order to investigate possible immunological markers for a differential diagnosis between LTBI and active TB.

Methods: Children at risk for TB infection prospectively enrolled in our infectious disease unit were evaluated by in-house IFN-γ and IL-2 based ELISPOT assays using a panel of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens.

Serial T-SPOT.TB and quantiFERON-TB-Gold In-Tube assays to monitor response to antitubercular treatment in Italian children with active or latent tuberculosis infection.

We performed a prospective study to investigate T-SPOT.TB and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-G-IT) dynamics during antitubercular treatment in active tuberculosis (TB) or latent TB. Eighteen children with latent TB and 26 with TB were enrolled.

Utility of interferon-γ release assay results to monitor anti-tubercular treatment in adults and children.

Background: Interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs), including the commercially available T-SPOT.TB, QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G), and QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QTF-G-IT), enable detection of circulating T lymphocytes responsive to specific Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens. Studies of the potential role of serial IGRAs for assessment of response to anti-tubercular therapy are accumulating.

Clinical usefulness of the semiquantitative procalcitonin test in the diagnosis of bacterial infections in a third level children's hospital.

Background: The differential diagnosis between viral and bacterial infections can be challenging in children. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been investigated as an early marker for bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of procalcitonin (PCT) compared to C-reactive protein (CRP), white cell blood count (WBC), and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) for differentiating bacterial from viral infections in a third level pediatric hospital.

Performance of non-contact infrared thermometer for detecting febrile children in hospital and ambulatory settings.

Aims: To assess the performance of the non-contact infrared thermometer compared with mercury-in-glass thermometer in children; to assess the diagnostic accuracy of non-contact infrared thermometer for detecting children with fever; to compare the discomfort caused by the two procedures in children aged > one month.

Background: Non-contact infrared thermometer is a quick and non-invasive method to measure body temperature, not requiring sterilisation or disposables. It is a candidate for temperature recording in children.

Analysis of different recommendations from international guidelines for the management of acute pharyngitis in adults and children.

Background: Streptococcal pharyngitis is a frequently observed condition, but its optimal management continues to be debated.

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the available guidelines, developed at the national level, for the management of streptococcal pharyngitis in Western countries, with a focus on their differences.

Methods: A literature search was conducted of the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, TRIP, and MEDLINE databases from their inception (1993 for the Cochrane Library, 1980 for EMBASE, 1997 for TRIP, and 1966 for MEDLINE) through April 25, 2010.