Pneumococcal bacteremia among infants with fever without known source before and after introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the Basque Country of Spain.

Background: The introduction of vaccination with the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) has produced an important decrease in the incidence of Streptococcus pneumoniae occult bacteremia (OB). In Spain, PCV7 became available in the last months of 2001, but, to date, it has not been included in the official vaccination schedule of the public health system.

Objective: To describe the impact of pneumococcal vaccination with PCV7 on the incidence of OB caused by S.

Salbutamol via metered-dose inhaler with spacer versus nebulization for acute treatment of pediatric asthma in the emergency department.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of salbutamol delivered via a metered-dose inhaler with spacer versus a nebulizer for acute asthma treatment in the pediatric emergency department.

Methods: All consecutive children younger than 14 years old who required treatment of acute asthma exacerbation in the emergency department during May 2002 (prospective cohort, n = 321) and May 2001(retrospective cohort, n = 259) were included. Inhaled salbutamol was administered by metered-dose inhaler with a spacer (and a face mask in children younger than 2 years old) in the prospective cohort and by nebulizer in the retrospective cohort.

Factors associated with short-term clinical outcomes after acute treatment of asthma in a pediatric emergency department.

Outcomes of emergency room treatment of children with asthma have not been well-documented. The purpose of this study was to describe the short-term clinical course of children aged 0-14 years after standard treatment for an acute asthma exacerbation in a pediatric emergency department, and to determine factors associated with follow-up morbidity. This was a prospective cohort study of a randomly selected sample of children with asthma who required treatment for an acute asthma exacerbation during the year 2002.