Managing Pediatric Asthma Exacerbations: The Role of Timely Systemic Corticosteroid Administration in Emergency Care Settings-A Multicentric Retrospective Study.

Background: Asthma is the most prevalent chronic respiratory condition in children. An asthma exacerbation (AE) is a frequent reason for emergency department (ED) visits. An important step in the management of a moderate to severe AE is the administration of systemic corticosteroids (SCS) within 1 h after ED presentation.

Bronchiolitis in COVID-19 times: a nearly absent disease?

Stay-at-home orders, physical distancing, face masks and other non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) do not only impact COVID-19, but also the dynamics of various other infectious diseases. Bronchiolitis is a clinically diagnosed viral infection of the lower respiratory tract, and causes a yearly seasonal wave of admissions in paediatric wards worldwide. We counted 92,5% less bronchiolitis hospitalisations in Antwerp before the expected end of the peak this year (of which only 1 RSV positive), as compared to the last 3 years.

Pseudodystrophy of the ankle and lower leg in a 9-year-old girl.

A 9-year-old girl presented with pain, swelling, redness and functional impairment of the left foot after a minor trauma. Clinical assessment revealed atrophy of the left calf and cyanosis and coldness of the left foot. Bone scintigraphy showed diffusely decreased tracer uptake in the left lower leg.