Fine-needle aspiration to improve diagnosis of melioidosis of the head and neck in children: a study from Sarawak, Malaysia

Comprehensive analysis of Burkholderia species head and neck infections: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To report the first systematic review and meta-analysis of Burkholderia species infections of the head and neck to facilitate understanding of the disease's demographics, mortality rate, comorbidities associated, symptoms, and antibiotic treatments utilized.

DATA SOURCES

COCHRANE Library, CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus.

REVIEW METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using PRISMA reporting guidelines. Inclusion criteria included non-surgical patients who were diagnosed with any head and neck Burkholderia infection. Demographics included, patient age and gender. Symptoms, antibiotics given, bacteriology, comorbidities and mortality were analyzed. Meta-analysis of continuous measures (mean), and proportions (%) with a 95 % confidence interval (CI) was conducted. Studies were accessed for bias via the JBI appraisal tool.

RESULTS

There were 740 studies screened with 45 studies (N = 132) being included. In total, 50.1 % were females (95 % CI: 43-57) with a mean patient age of 28.7 years (95 % CI: 25.9 to 31.5). Overall survival rate was 83.4 % (95 % CI: 77.5 to 88.4) and predominant localized symptoms were neck swelling at 38.4 % (95 % CI: 27.5 to 49.9), followed by neck abscess at 34.1 % (27.5 to 41.2) and head and neck suppurative lymphadenitis at 22.9 % (17.3 to 29.4). Main antibiotic treatments included: trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole at 63.0 % (95 % CI: 55.9 to 69.8), ceftazidime at 47.9 % (40.7 to 55.1), and doxycycline at 26.7 % (10.7 to 33.5).

CONCLUSION

Burkholderia infections exhibit diverse symptoms, which pose a challenge in diagnosis. Additionally, prescription of non-guideline antibiotics highlights the initial difficulty in identifying these organisms as the primary culprit of infection causing delayed treatment.

The Evolving Global Epidemiology of Human Melioidosis: A Narrative Review

Endemic in over 45 countries globally, recent reports of locally acquired melioidosis in novel geographical areas, such as the Southern US, have highlighted the expanding geographical range of Burkholderia pseudomallei. Climate change and severe weather events have been linked to an increase in cases of melioidosis, which follows environmental exposure to the bacterium. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the possibility of the disease, with its diverse and often delayed presentations, even in areas not previously known to have risk. Over 200 cases of travel-associated melioidosis have been reported in the literature, highlighting the need to consider this disease in non-endemic areas, as diagnostic delays of up to 18 months have been identified. The review updates the global epidemiology of melioidosis, focusing on new geographical areas where cases have been diagnosed and imported cases, unusual clinical presentations and co-infections, and less frequent modes of transmission (laboratory exposures and the risk of acquisition due to imported infected animals and contaminated products).

Fatal Pediatric Melioidosis and the Role of Hyperferritinemic Sepsis-Induced Multiple-Organ Dysfunction Syndrome

Melioidosis is reported to cause a high fatality rate in children, even in the absence of risk factors for disease. The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of fatal pediatric melioidosis infection. We performed a retrospective analysis of children aged < 15 years with culture-confirmed melioidosis admitted to Bintulu Hospital in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, from January 2011 to December 2020. Forty-one children had culture-confirmed melioidosis. Nine (22%) had a fatal outcome; 8 (89%) had no predisposing risk factors. Bacteremia, septic shock, and acute respiratory distress syndrome were present in all fatalities. Demographic characteristics, presenting manifestation, and disseminated infection were not significantly associated with mortality, whereas the presence of splenomegaly, cytopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and hepatobiliary dysfunction, all of which are features of hyperferritinemic sepsis-induced multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome, were associated with mortality. Hyperferritinemic sepsis-induced multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome may be a key component in the pathogenesis of fatal pediatric melioidosis.