Paola Pascolo

Rivista di formazione e di aggiornamento professionale del pediatra e del medico di base, realizzata in collaborazione con l'Associazione Culturale Pediatri

Background: Post‐infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) is a rare chronic pediatric pulmonary disease characterized by irreversible fibrotic narrowing of the small airways. Treatment options remain uncertain with limited success.Objective: To delineate the characteristics of patients diagnosed with PIBO in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Trieste (Italy) in 2023.Methods: We retrospectively assessed clinical records of PIBO patients from January to December 2023, capturing data on initial viral infection, clinical presentation, radiological features, treatments, and outcomes.Results: In 2023, 11 patients were identified, contrasting with only 6 cases in the previous 7 years. Common symptoms and signs included tachypnea, chronic wet cough, and diffuse crackles following adenovirus pneumonia. Most patients were previously healthy. Chest CT findings confirmed the diagnosis in all cases. Bronchoalveolar lavage showed elevated levels of neutrophils (46% to 90% of cells), and biopsies performed in 6 patients indicated predominantly lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate and bronchiolar fibrosis. Nocturnal pulse oximetry revealed reduced mean SpO2 (median: 96.5% Q1: 93%, Q3: 98%) and reduced lower values (median: SpO2 89% Q1: 87%, Q3: 92.5%) with an increased oxygen desaturation index (1.1 to 11.2 events/hour). Treatment involved methylprednisolone (20–30 mg/kg) for three consecutive days monthly for 6 months, resulting in clinical improvement in nine patients and radiological improvement in seven patients.Conclusions: The post‐pandemic surge in PIBO cases may stem from viral ecology changes, immunologic factors, and/or adenovirus genotypes, highlighting the need for further research into its etiology and management strategies.

BACKGROUND: To prevent malnutrition and food aspiration in children with chronic neuromuscular problems, enteral nutrition provided by gastrostomy is recommended. Long-term follow-up data about surgical and medical complications of PEG are available, but few papers have addressed all of the issues in the same series. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients under 18 years who had a gastrostomy tube placed at our institution between 2003 and 2017. The aim is to evaluate outcomes after gastrostomy placement, focusing both on surgical complications (early and late), and its effect on their nutritional status, on the prevention of pulmonary infections, and their parents’ opinion. RESULTS: Eighty-four gastrostomies were placed in total (35 F; 49 M). Seventy-seven patients had a severe neurocognitive impairment (GMFCS 5). The principal indication for gastrostomy was severe dysphagia (53.3%). No gastrostomy-related death was observed. Early surgical complications were observed in five of 84 (5,9%) patients; late complications were observed in 15 of 84 (17.8%) patients. Twenty-two patients were diagnosed with subsequent gastroesophageal reflux; five patients developed dumping syndrome (6%). Complete medical follow-up data were available for 45 patients. A progressive improvement of nutritional status was observed in 29 patients, and 11 maintained the same percentile; the occurrence of respiratory infections and need for hospitalization decreased. In 90% of cases, parents were fully satisfied with the g-tube. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the positive nutritional outcomes of gastrostomy-tube with an associated small risk of surgical complications and a reduction in the number of respiratory infections, with most parents scoring their experience as positive.

Children with intellectual disability frequently undergo needle-related procedures for diagnosis or treatment. Nevertheless, only a few studies deal with pain and distress management during the procedure in this population of children. This study aimed to investigate the number of anxiety and pain management techniques performed during needle procedure in children with intellectual disability (cases) compared to a population of children without intellectual disability (controls). This multicenter cohort study was performed from July 2016 to January 2018 in the pediatric ward of four urban hospitals in Italy. Eligible subjects were children with and without intellectual disability, from 4 to 17 years old, who needed venipuncture or intravenous cannulation for diagnosis or treatment. Use of topical anesthesia, distraction techniques, and physical or verbal comfort during procedures were recorded. Pain and anxiety scores were also recorded. Forty-seven cases and 94 controls were recruited. Three pain- and anxiety-relieving techniques were performed during the procedure in 12 (25%) cases and in 10 controls (11%); two techniques were performed in 23 (50%) cases and in 26 (28%) controls; 12 (25%) cases and 52 (55%) controls received only one.