High serum procalcitonin concentrations in patients with sepsis and infection

High concentrations of calcitonin-like immunoreactivity have been found in the blood of patients with various extrathyroid diseases. By means of a monoclonal immunoradiometric assay for calcitonin precursors, we have measured serum concentrations of procalcitonin in patients with various bacterial and viral infections. 79 children (newborn to age 12 years) in hospital with suspected infections were investigated prospectively. 19 patients with severe bacterial infections had very high serum concentrations of procalcitonin at diagnosis (range 6-53 ng/mL) in comparison with 21 children found to have no signs of infection (baseline concentrations < 0.1 ng/mL). Serum procalcitonin values decreased rapidly during antibiotic therapy. 11 patients with peripheral bacterial colonisation or local infections without invasive sepsis and 18 (86%) of 21 patients with viral infections had concentrations within or slightly above the normal range (0.1-1.5 ng/mL). Among 9 severely burned patients studied in an intensive care unit, the post-traumatic course of procalcitonin concentrations (range 0.1-120 ng/mL) was closely related to infectious complications and acute septic episodes. Concentrations of mature calcitonin were normal in all subjects, whatever procalcitonin concentrations were found. Concentrations of a substance immunologically identical to procalcitonin are raised during septic conditions. Serum concentrations seem to be correlated with the severity of microbial invasion.

European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition/European Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases evidence-based guidelines for the management of acute gastroenteritis in children in Europe: update 2014

OBJECTIVES

These guidelines update and extend evidence-based indications for the management of children with acute gastroenteritis in Europe.

METHODS

The guideline development group formulated questions, identified data, and formulated recommendations. The latter were graded with the Muir Gray system and, in parallel, with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations system.

RESULTS

Gastroenteritis severity is linked to etiology, and rotavirus is the most severe infectious agent and is frequently associated with dehydration. Dehydration reflects severity and should be monitored by established score systems. Investigations are generally not needed. Oral rehydration with hypoosmolar solution is the major treatment and should start as soon as possible. Breast-feeding should not be interrupted. Regular feeding should continue with no dietary changes including milk. Data suggest that in the hospital setting, in non-breast-fed infants and young children, lactose-free feeds can be considered in the management of gastroenteritis. Active therapy may reduce the duration and severity of diarrhea. Effective interventions include administration of specific probiotics such as Lactobacillus GG or Saccharomyces boulardii, diosmectite or racecadotril. Anti-infectious drugs should be given in exceptional cases. Ondansetron is effective against vomiting, but its routine use requires safety clearance given the warning about severe cardiac effects. Hospitalization should generally be reserved for children requiring enteral/parenteral rehydration; most cases may be managed in an outpatients setting. Enteral rehydration is superior to intravenous rehydration. Ultrarapid schemes of intravenous rehydration are not superior to standard schemes and may be associated with higher readmission rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute gastroenteritis is best managed using a few simple, well-defined medical interventions.

Comparison of procalcitonin with C-reactive protein, interleukin 6 and interferon-alpha for differentiation of bacterial vs. viral infections

BACKGROUND

Procalcitonin (PCT) concentration increases in bacterial infections but remains low in viral infections and inflammatory diseases. The change is rapid and the molecule is stable, making it a potentially useful marker for distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections.

METHODS

PCT concentration was determined with an immunoluminometric assay on plasma collected at admission in 360 infants and children hospitalized for bacterial or viral infection. It was compared with C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 and interferon-alpha measured on the same sample.

RESULTS

The mean PCT concentration was 46 microg/l (median, 17.8) in 46 children with septicemia or bacterial meningitis. PCT concentration was > 1 microg/l in 44 of 46 in this group and in 59 of 78 children with a localized bacterial infection who had a negative blood culture (sensitivity, 83%). PCT concentration was > 1 microg/l in 16 of 236 children with a viral infection (specificity, 93%). PCT concentration was low in 9 of 10 patients with inflammatory disease and fever. A CRP value > or =20 mg/l was observed in 61 of 236 patients (26%) with viral infection and in 105 of 124 patients (86%) with bacterial infection. IL-6 was > 100 pg/ml in 14% of patients infected with virus and in 53% with bacteria. A secretion of interferon-alpha was found in serum in 77% of viral infected patients and in 8.6% of bacterial infected patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study a PCT value of 1 microg/l or greater had better specificity, sensitivity and predictive value than CRP, interleukin 6 and interferon-alpha in children for distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections. PCT values are higher in invasive bacterial infections, but the cutoff value of 1 microg/l indicates the severity of the disease in localized bacterial infection and helps to decide antibiotic treatment in emergency room. PCT may be useful in an emergency room for differentiation of bacterial vs. viral infections in children and for making decisions about antibiotic treatments.

X-linked susceptibility to mycobacteria is caused by mutations in NEMO impairing CD40-dependent IL-12 production

Germline mutations in five autosomal genes involved in interleukin (IL)-12–dependent, interferon (IFN)-γ–mediated immunity cause Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD). The molecular basis of X-linked recessive (XR)–MSMD remains unknown. We report here mutations in the leucine zipper (LZ) domain of the NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) gene in three unrelated kindreds with XR-MSMD. The mutant proteins were produced in normal amounts in blood and fibroblastic cells. However, the patients' monocytes presented an intrinsic defect in T cell–dependent IL-12 production, resulting in defective IFN-γ secretion by T cells. IL-12 production was also impaired as the result of a specific defect in NEMO- and NF-κB/c-Rel–mediated CD40 signaling after the stimulation of monocytes and dendritic cells by CD40L-expressing T cells and fibroblasts, respectively. However, the CD40-dependent up-regulation of costimulatory molecules of dendritic cells and the proliferation and immunoglobulin class switch of B cells were normal. Moreover, the patients' blood and fibroblastic cells responded to other NF-κB activators, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, and lipopolysaccharide. These two mutations in the NEMO LZ domain provide the first genetic etiology of XR-MSMD. They also demonstrate the importance of the T cell– and CD40L-triggered, CD40-, and NEMO/NF-κB/c-Rel–mediated induction of IL-12 by monocyte-derived cells for protective immunity to mycobacteria in humans.

Measurement of procalcitonin levels in children with bacterial or viral meningitis

We measured the plasma procalcitonin levels in 59 children who were admitted to the hospital because of bacterial or viral meningitis. Eighteen children with acute bacterial meningitis had elevated procalcitonin levels (mean level, 54.5 micrograms/L; range, 4.8-110 micrograms/L). The procalcitonin levels in 41 children with viral meningitis were low (mean level, 0.32 micrograms/L; range, 0-1.7 micrograms/L; P < .0001). Assay of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cells and proteins and serum C-reactive protein showed a zone of overlapping values between the two groups. Procalcitonin was not produced in CSF. Plasma procalcitonin levels decreased rapidly during antibiotic therapy. These data suggest that the measurement of plasma procalcitonin might be of value in the differential diagnosis of meningitis due to either bacteria or viruses.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae and asthma in children

The aim of this prospective study of a population of children (age, 2-15 years) hospitalized for severe asthma was to test them for acute infection due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae and acute infection due to Chlamydia pneumoniae. Of 119 patients with previously diagnosed asthma, acute M. pneumoniae infection was found in 24 (20%) and C. pneumoniae infection was found in 4 (3.4%) of the patients during the current exacerbation. Of 51 patients experiencing their first asthma attack, acute M. pneumoniae infection was proven in 26 (50%) of the patients (P<.01) and C. pneumoniae in 4 (8.3%). In the control group of 152 children with stable asthma or rhinitis, 8 (5.2%) had M. pneumoniae infection (P<.005). Of the 29 patients experiencing their first asthma attack and infected with M. pneumoniae or C. pneumoniae, 18 (62%) had asthma recurrences but only 6 (27%) of the 22 patients who did not have such infections had asthma recurrences (P<.05). M. pneumoniae may play a role in the onset of asthma in predisposed children and could be a trigger for recurrent wheezing.

Procalcitonin in children admitted to hospital with community acquired pneumonia

AIMS

To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of procalcitonin (PCT) in differentiating bacterial and viral causes of pneumonia.

METHODS

A total of 72 children with community acquired pneumonia were studied. Ten had positive blood culture for Streptococcus pneumoniae and 15 had bacterial pneumonia according to sputum analysis (S pneumoniae in 15, Haemophilus influenzae b in one). Ten patients had Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection and 37 were infected with viruses, eight of whom had viral infection plus bacterial coinfection. PCT concentration was compared to C reactive protein (CRP) concentration and leucocyte count, and, if samples were available, interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentration.

RESULTS

PCT concentration was greater than 2 microg/l in all 10 patients with blood culture positive for S pneumoniae; in eight of these, CRP concentration was above 60 mg/l. PCT concentration was greater than 1 microg/l in 86% of patients with bacterial infection (including Mycoplasma and bacterial superinfection of viral pneumonia). A CRP concentration of 20 mg/l had a similar sensitivity but a much lower specificity than PCT (40% v 86%) for discriminating between bacterial and viral causes of pneumonia. PCT concentration was significantly higher in cases of bacterial pneumonia with positive blood culture whereas CRP concentration was not. Specificity and sensitivity were lower for leucocyte count and IL-6 concentration.

CONCLUSIONS

PCT concentration, with a threshold of 1 microg/l is more sensitive and specific and has greater positive and negative predictive values than CRP, IL-6, or white blood cell count for differentiating bacterial and viral causes of community pneumonia in untreated children admitted to hospital as emergency cases.

Procalcitonin as a marker for the early diagnosis of neonatal infection

Serum procalcitonin was determined in newborn infants at the time of admission to the pediatrics or obstetrics unit. Increased levels were found in all neonates with bacterial sepsis. Neonates with viral infection, bacterial colonization, or neonatal distress had normal or slightly increased levels. These data suggest that procalcitonin might be of value in diagnosing neonatal sepsis.

Recurrent staphylococcal cellulitis and subcutaneous abscesses in a child with autoantibodies against IL-6

We investigated an otherwise healthy patient presenting two episodes of staphylococcal cellulitis and abscesses, accompanied by high fever and biological signs of inflammation but, paradoxically, with no detectable increase in serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an IL-6-responsive protein synthesized in the liver. Following in vitro activation of whole blood cells from the patient with multiple cytokines, TLR agonists, heat-killed bacteria, and mitogens, we observed a profound and specific impairment of IL-6 secretion. However, the patient's PBMCs, activated in the same conditions but in the absence of the patient's plasma, secreted IL-6 normally. The patient's serum contained high titers of IgG1 autoantibodies against IL-6, which specifically neutralized IL-6 production by control PBMCs as well as IL-6 responses in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Hep3B. These anti-IL-6 autoantibodies were detected over a period of 4 years, in the absence of any other autoantibodies. Our results indicate that these Abs probably prevented an increase in CRP concentration during infection and that impaired IL-6-mediated immunity may have contributed to staphylococcal disease. Patients with severe bacterial infections and low serum CRP concentrations should be tested for anti-IL-6 autoantibodies, especially in the presence of other clinical and biological signs of inflammation.

Procalcitonin is a marker of severity of renal lesions in pyelonephritis

OBJECTIVE

In an attempt to differentiate acute pyelonephritis from lower urinary tract infection (UTI), we measured serum procalcitonin levels, a recently described marker of infection. We compared it with other commonly used inflammatory markers and evaluated its ability to predict renal involvement as assessed by dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy.

METHODS

Serum C-reactive protein, leukocyte counts, and procalcitonin levels were measured in 80 children, 1 month to 16 years of age, admitted for suspected pyelonephritis. Renal involvement was assessed by 99mTe-DMSA scintigraphy in the first 5 days after admission. The examination was repeated at least 3 months later if the first result was abnormal.

RESULTS

In lower UTI, the mean procalcitonin (PCT) was 0.38 micrograms/L +/- 0.19 compared with 5.37 micrograms/L +/- 1.9 in pyelonephritis. In these two groups, respectively, leukocyte counts were 10939/mm3 +/- 834 and 17429/mm3 +/- 994, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were 30.3 mg/L +/- 7.6 and 120.8 mg/L +/- 8.9. When inflammatory markers were correlated to the severity of the renal lesion as ranked by DMSA scintigraphy, we found a highly significant correlation with plasma levels of PCT, but borderline significance with CRP and none with leukocyte counts. Patients without vesicoureteral reflux had a mean PCT of 5.16 micrograms/L +/- 2.33, which was not significantly different from that in patients with reflux who had a mean PCT of 5.76 micrograms/L +/- 3.49. For the prediction of renal lesions at admission, CRP had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 26.1%. The sensitivity and specificity of PCT were 70.3% and 82.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that serum PCT levels were increased significantly in children with febrile UTI when renal parenchymal involvement (assessed by DMSA scintigraphy) was present and allowed for prediction of patients at risk of severe renal lesions.

Etiology and response to antibiotic therapy of community-acquired pneumonia in French children

The aim of this study was to determine the etiologic agents associated with community-acquired pneumonia in 104 French children ages 18 months to 13 years. Potential respiratory pathogens were identified in 87 (85%) cases; these included respiratory syncytial virus in ten, other viruses in 20, Streptococcus pneumoniae in 14 and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (diagnosed by serologic procedures) in 43. Of 32 patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection who were initially treated with beta-lactam antibiotics, 30 failed treatment. Recovery from mycoplasma infection occurred rapidly in patients treated with macrolide antibiotics (which included spiramycin in 31 patients, josamycin in 7, and erythromycin in 3); however, cough persisted in 12 patients for one month. The high frequency of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children over 18 months of age must be considered when selecting an antibiotic for initial therapy.

Fluoroquinolones in paediatrics: a risk for the patient or for the community?

Fluoroquinolones are an important group of antibiotics widely used in adult patients because of their excellent tissue penetration and their bactericidal activity. They are not authorised for paediatric use (except the limited indication of pseudomonas infections in cystic fibrosis), however, because of the potential for joint toxicity reported from experiments with young animals. Despite the absence of official approval, fluoroquinolones are widely used in paediatrics as second-line antibiotics when all other treatments have failed. Most of the information available about paediatric use concerns ciprofloxacin, which is used in children much more often than the other members of this class. The published paediatric series have shown that frequency of articular side-effects varies according to age: all the surveys have reported frequencies of around 0.1% in adults and 2-3% in children. Outside of cystic fibrosis and severe infections in which no other treatment is possible, the only paediatric situations where fluoroquinolones are superior to standard treatments for children, in speed of recovery and comfort as well as in efficacy, are typhoid fever, severe shigella dysenteries, and enterobacteria meningitis. Should the use of new fluoroquinolones active against pneumococci be authorised for upper respiratory infections (including recurrent otitis) in children, the potential emergence and dissemination of pneumococci strains in which multidrug resistance includes fluoroquinolones would create a real risk in the community. It is, therefore, important to continue the policy of second-line use in children, only after failure of an earlier treatment, and when other antibiotics approved for paediatric use cannot be used.

Serum procalcitonin and other biologic markers to distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningitis

OBJECTIVE

To identify the biologic tests that best distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningitis in an emergency department (ED).

STUDY DESIGN

All children hospitalized for bacterial meningitis between 1995 and 2004 or for aseptic meningitis between 2000 and 2004 were included in a retrospective cohort study. Predictive values of blood (C-reactive protein, procalcitonin [PCT], white blood cell [WBC] count, neutrophil count) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings (protein, glucose, WBC count, neutrophil count) available in the ED were determined. Tests with the best predictive value were identified by using univariate and multivariate analyses and ROC curves comparison.

RESULTS

Among the 167 patients included, 21 had bacterial meningitis. The CSF gram-stain and bacterial antigen test had 86% and 60% sensitivity rates, respectively. PCT (>/=0.5 ng/mL) and CSF protein (>/=0.5 g/L) were the best biologic tests, with 89% and 86% sensitivity rates, 89% and 78% specificity rates, adjusted odds ratios of 108 (95% CI, 15-772) and 34 (95% CI, 5-217), and areas under the ROC curves of 0.95 and 0.93, respectively.

CONCLUSION

PCT and CSF protein had the best predictive value to distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningitis in children.

Fluoroquinolone safety in pediatric patients: a prospective, multicenter, comparative cohort study in France

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety of fluoroquinolones (FQ) in comparison with other antibiotics in pediatric patients.

METHODS

A multicenter, observational, comparative cohort study was conducted between 1998 and 2000 in French pediatric departments. Patients who were receiving systemic FQ were included and matched to control patients who were receiving other antibiotics. Antibiotic-associated potential adverse events (PAEs) were recorded prospectively in both groups, and their rates were compared using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Patients were recruited from 73 centers: 276 patients were exposed to FQ, and 249 composed the control group. Among patients who were exposed to FQ, 23% were younger than 2 years, 33% had cystic fibrosis, and PAEs occurred in 52 patients, leading to withdrawal for 11. The odds ratio for PAE in the FQ group was 3.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.9-7.5) and was not significantly modified after adjustment for potential confounders. Musculoskeletal PAEs also occurred more frequently in the FQ group (3.8%) than in controls (0.4%); they were recorded in 10 patients who were receiving standard FQ doses and were of moderate intensity and transient.

CONCLUSION

The rates of PAEs and musculoskeletal PAEs were higher for the FQ group than the control group. This observation supports the American Academy of Pediatrics statement restricting off-label FQ use in pediatric patients to second-line treatment in a limited number of situations.

Plasma gonadotropin and testosterone values in infants with cryptorchidism

Plasma gonadotropins and testosterone levels have been studied from day 30 +/- 6 to day 120 +/- 10 in 57 term male infants born with undescended testes-bilaterally in 22 and unilaterally in 35. Clinical follow-up of these infants showed that spontaneous testicular migration occurred at 2 to 4 months in 27 of them; the 30 others remained cryptorchid at 6 months. Plasma LH and the postnatal rise in testosterone concentration were significantly lower in patients remaining cryptorchid, either unilaterally or bilaterally, than in infants with delayed spontaneous descent of one or both testes. A significant positive correlation was found betwen plasma LH and testosterone values within these two groups of subjects. Plasma FSH levels were not different in the two groups. These data suggest a primary LH deficiency in cryptorchidism, resulting in a blunted postnatal secretion of testosterone. It may be speculated that the early postnatal deficiency of the LH-Leydig cell axis in cryptorchid patients contributes to impair both testicular migration and maturation.

Rib fractures after chest physiotherapy for bronchiolitis or pneumonia in infants

BACKGROUND

The reported causes of rib fractures in infants are: child abuse, accidental injury, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, bone fragility, birth trauma and severe cough.

OBJECTIVE

To report chest physiotherapy (CPT) as a new cause of rib fractures in five infants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively identified all infants with rib fractures after CPT for bronchiolitis or pneumonia over a 4-year period in two paediatric and one paediatric radiology units in three university hospitals in Paris.

RESULTS

Five boys were identified. Their median age was 3 months. None had any other potential cause of rib fractures. The indication for CPT was bronchiolitis in four cases and pneumonia in one. The median number of rib fractures was four (range 1-5). Fractures were located between the 3rd and 8th ribs; they were lateral in four patients and posterior in one; they were unilateral in four patients and bilateral in one. Evolution was favourable in all cases. The prevalence of rib fractures after CPT during the study period was estimated at 1 in 1,000 infants hospitalised for bronchiolitis or pneumonia.

CONCLUSIONS

CPT should be considered a potential, but very rare cause of rib fractures in infants. It can be of clinical relevance when rib fractures are the only feature suggestive of child abuse.

Invasive pneumococcal disease in children can reveal a primary immunodeficiency

BACKGROUND

About 10% of pediatric patients with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) die from the disease. Some primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are known to confer predisposition to IPD. However, a systematic search for these PIDs has never been carried out in children presenting with IPD.

METHODS

We prospectively identified pediatric cases of IPD requiring hospitalization between 2005 and 2011 in 28 pediatric wards throughout France. IPD was defined as a positive pneumococcal culture, polymerase chain reaction result, and/or soluble antigen detection at a normally sterile site. The immunological assessment included abdominal ultrasound, whole-blood counts and smears, determinations of plasma immunoglobulin and complement levels, and the evaluation of proinflammatory cytokines.

RESULTS

We included 163 children with IPD (male-to-female ratio, 1.3; median age, 13 months). Seventeen children had recurrent IPD. Meningitis was the most frequent type of infection (87%); other infections included pleuropneumonitis, isolated bloodstream infection, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and mastoiditis. One patient with recurrent meningitis had a congenital cerebrospinal fluid fistula. The results of immunological explorations were abnormal in 26 children (16%), and a PID was identified in 17 patients (10%), including 1 case of MyD88 deficiency, 3 of complement fraction C2 or C3 deficiencies, 1 of isolated congenital asplenia, and 2 of Bruton disease (X-linked agammaglobulinemia). The proportion of PIDs was much higher in children aged >2 years than in younger children (26% vs 3%; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with IPD should undergo immunological investigations, particularly those aged >2 years, as PIDs may be discovered in up to 26% of cases.

Association of procalcitonin with acute pyelonephritis and renal scars in pediatric UTI

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common childhood bacterial infections that may involve renal parenchymal infection (acute pyelonephritis [APN]) followed by late scarring. Prompt, high-quality diagnosis of APN and later identification of children with scarring are important for preventing future complications. Examination via dimercaptosuccinic acid scanning is the current clinical gold standard but is not routinely performed. A more accessible assay could therefore prove useful. Our goal was to study procalcitonin as a predictor for both APN and scarring in children with UTI.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data were performed; all data were gathered from children with UTIs who had undergone both procalcitonin measurement and dimercaptosuccinic acid scanning.

RESULTS

A total of 1011 patients (APN in 60.6%, late scarring in 25.7%) were included from 18 studies. Procalcitonin as a continuous, class, and binary variable was associated with APN and scarring (P < .001) and demonstrated a significantly higher (P < .05) area under the receiver operating characteristic curve than either C-reactive protein or white blood cell count for both pathologies. Procalcitonin ≥0.5 ng/mL yielded an adjusted odds ratio of 7.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.8-10.9) with 71% sensitivity (95% CI: 67-74) and 72% specificity (95% CI: 67-76) for APN. Procalcitonin ≥0.5 ng/mL was significantly associated with late scarring (adjusted odds ratio: 3.4 [95% CI: 2.1-5.7]) with 79% sensitivity (95% CI: 71-85) and 50% specificity (95% CI: 45-54).

CONCLUSIONS

Procalcitonin was a more robust predictor compared with C-reactive protein or white blood cell count for selectively identifying children who had APN during the early stages of UTI, as well as those with late scarring.

Distinguishing between bacterial and aseptic meningitis in children: European comparison of two clinical decision rules

BACKGROUND

Clinical decision rules (CDRs) could be helpful to safely distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningitis (AM).

OBJECTIVE

To compare the performance of two of these CDRs for children: the Bacterial Meningitis Score (BMS) and the Meningitest.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of retrospective multicentre hospital-based cohort study.

SETTING

Six paediatric emergency or intensive care units of tertiary care centres in five European countries.

PATIENTS

Consecutive children aged 29 days to 18 years presenting with acute meningitis and procalcitonin (PCT) measurement. Intervention None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The sensitivity and specificity of the BMS (start antibiotics in case of seizure, positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Gram staining, blood neutrophil count ≥10 ×10(9)/l, CSF protein level ≥80 mg/dl or CSF neutrophil count ≥1000 ×10(6)/l) and the Meningitest (start antibiotics in case of seizure, purpura, toxic appearance, PCT level ≥0.5 ng/ml, positive CSF Gram staining or CSF protein level ≥50 mg/dl) were compared using a McNemar test.

RESULTS

198 patients (mean age 4.8 years) from six centres in five European countries were included; 96 had bacterial meningitis. The BMS and Meningitest both showed 100% sensitivity (95% CI 96% to 100%). The BMS had a significantly higher specificity (52%, 95% CI 42% to 62% vs 36%, 95% CI 27% to 46%; p<10(-)8).

CONCLUSION

The Meningitest and the BMS were both 100% sensitive. This result provides level II evidence for the sensitivity of both rules, which can be used cautiously. However, use of the BMS could safely avoid significantly more unnecessary antibiotic treatments for children with AM than can the Meningitest in this population.

Reduced post-natal rise of testosterone in plasma of cryptorchid infants

Plasma testosterone has been studied in 31 full-term male infants born with bilaterally undescended testes (14) or unilaterally undescended testis (17). From 10 to 89 days after birth, the post-natal testosterone rise was significantly lower in the 18 infants who remained cryptorchid at 4 months than in the 13 who underwent spontaneous testicular descensus and in the normal controls. Blunted post-natal Leydig cell secretion in cryptorchids may relate to a primary LH defect and could contribute to the impairment of both testicular descensus and maturation.