Management of patent ductus arteriosus in term or near-term neonates with respiratory distress.

Background: Respiratory distress and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in neonates are mutually perpetuating. Contrary to the situation in premature infants, the recognition, clinical relevance and optimal management of PDA in full-term neonates are unclear. The present study aimed to identify PDA as a possible cause of respiratory distress in term and near-term neonates, and to examine the clinical responsiveness of PDA to different treatment modalities in mature-gestational-age neonates.

Human umbilical cord blood cells protect against hypothalamic apoptosis and systemic inflammation response during heatstroke in rats.

Background: Intravenous administration of human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCBC) has been shown to improve heatstroke by reducing arterial hypotension as well as cerebral ischemia and damage in a rat model. To extend these findings, we assessed both hypothalamic neuronal apoptosis and systemic inflammatory responses in the presence of HUCBCs or vehicle medium immediately after initiation of heatstroke.

Methods: Anesthetized rats, immediately after the initiation of heat stress, were divided into two groups and given either serum-free lymphocyte medium (0.

Neonatal bacterial meningitis complicated with multiple brain abscesses and intraventricular rupture: report of one case.

Brain abscess is rarely encountered in neonates and carries a high morbidity and mortality. Here we report a premature infant who developed systemic Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection resulting in multiple brain abscesses with intraventricular rupture at 3 months postnatal age.

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome with initial manifestation of abdominal pain and cholecystitis.

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome with the initial manifestation of abdominal pain and cholecystitis is rare. We report the case of a 10-year-old boy who presented with abdominal pain, cholecystitis and shock initially. Acute respiratory distress syndrome, renal and hepatic insufficiency and disseminated intravascular coagulation developed soon after admission.

Positive blood cultures in pediatric emergency department patients: epidemiological and clinical characteristics.

Objective: To determine the frequency of the emergency department (ED) visits of bacteraemic children and to compare the clinical characteristics of the discharged patients with those of the admitted patients.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the visits of the pediatric ED patients younger than 18 years old in a medical center located in southern Taiwan during a 17-month period between September 1, 2001 and January 31, 2003, and the blood cultures significant organisms were isolated.

Results: Totally, 48,279 pediatric patients visited the ED.

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the bladder: a rare cause of hematuria with impending shock in a child.

Hematuria is one of the most common disorders in children. Bladder tumors are rare in children, and inflammatory pseudotumor (IP) is especially rare. We report a case of inflammatory pseudotumor of the bladder in a 13-year-old girl manifested as acute onset of non-traumatic and painless gross hematuria with impending hypovolemic shock.

Surgical closure of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants at neonatal intensive care unit.

Between January 1997 and June 2002, we retrospectively reviewed the records of all premature infants (birth weight less than 2000 g) admitted to the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) at Chi Mei Medical Center. Among the 399 premature infants (birth weight less than 2000 g) surviving more than one week, 111 infants were diagnosed with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Seventeen premature infants underwent surgical closure of PDA after failure of indomethacin treatment.

Role of hepatitis B immunoglobulin in infants born to hepatitis B e antigen-negative carrier mothers in Taiwan.

Background: The efficacy of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) in infants of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier mothers in Taiwan is not clear.

Objective: To describe the responses of infants born to HBeAg-negative carrier mothers receiving HBIG combined with hepatitis B vaccine.

Methods: Term babies born to HBeAg-negative carrier mothers were assigned based on chart number to 1 of the 2 treatment groups.