METHODS: Conducted at a tertiary hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this retrospective study analyzed collated data of children aged <12 years who were admitted for severe respiratory infections from 2017 to 2022. Time series models were used to predict the differences between actual and forecasted RSV cases, while logistic regression assessed the statistical association between RSV and COVID-19.

METHODS: A retrospective analytical cross-sectional study was conducted over 2 years. The cumulative antibiograms were constructed in accordance with current guidelines.

RESULTS: A total of 976 first isolate cultures were obtained from ICUs of the different referral hospitals. K. pneumoniae (8.8%, 8.1%) was a predominant pathogen in Windhoek Central hospital ICU in 2017 and 2018. In Oshakati intermediate hospital ICU, Enterobacter sp. (22.2%) and P. aeruginosa (37.5%) were the common pathogens in 2017 and 2018, respectively. A. baumannii isolates were >90% susceptibility to colistin, carbapenems, and tigecycline in 2017. In 2017, K. pneumoniae isolates were more susceptible to carbapenems (94% and 93.8% among isolates), amikacin (89.3%), and tigecycline (88.7%). In 2018, K. pneumoniae isolates were 100% susceptible amikacin, colistin, and carbapenems. S. maltophilia isolates were more than 80% susceptible to all the tested antibiotics. S. aureus isolates were 100% susceptible to linezolid, rifampicin, teicoplanin, and vancomycin in 2017 and in 2018. Its susceptibility to these antibiotics did not change.

METHODS: Review of hospital case notes on patients with juvenile GPP.

RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients with juvenile GPP were identified. Female to male ratio was 1.4:1. The median age at onset of GPP was 6.5 years. Ten patients had prior psoriasis with a median pre-pustular duration of 2.7 years. Onset of GPP was earlier in patients without prior psoriasis (5.1 years vs. 12.0 years, P = 0.002). Precipitating factors identified included stress, upper respiratory tract infection, systemic steroid use, vaccination, and pregnancy. A positive family history of psoriasis and GPP was present in six and one patient(s), respectively. Twenty-one patients had acute, five annular, and one localized variant of GPP. Arthritis was present in 22.2%. Fever, leukocytosis, and transaminitis were mainly seen in patients with acute GPP at 80.9, 72.2, and 11.1%, respectively. Among 20 patients screened, eight carry IL36RN variants and one has CARD14 mutation. IL36RN-positive patients have more severe disease characterized by early onset, low prevalence of prior plaque psoriasis, high prevalence of systemic inflammation, and need for continuous long-term systemic therapy. Acitretin and cyclosporine were effective in aborting acute GPP in 100% of 16 and 66.7% of six patients treated, respectively. However, relapses were common. Only three of the 17 patients whose initial acute GPP was controlled with systemic agents were successfully weaned off treatment.

Methods: A quasi-experimental trial study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of nasal rinsing between two groups. The intervention group was instructed to perform nasal rinsing during ablution, while the control group was not asked to do nasal rinsing. Both groups were provided progress diaries to record the symptoms of respiratory tract infection, including cough, rhinorrhoea, nasal blockage, fever, and sore throat, as well as thick phlegm, shortness of breath, epistaxis, and changes in sense of smell. The groups were also instructed to record any visits to clinics for their symptoms throughout their stay in Makkah for the Hajj ritual.

Results: The study showed that nasal rinsing significantly reduced the symptoms of cough, rhinorrhoea, and nasal blockage. The intervention group had an increased number of visits to healthcare facilities for treatment, when compared to those of the control group. There were no significant differences in the groups regarding the symptoms of fever and sore throat.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the molecular epidemiology, demographic and clinical characteristics of HRVs among hospitalized children with ALRIs.

STUDY DESIGN: One hundred and sixty-five nasopharangeal aspirates taken from children <5 years hospitalized with ALRTIs in Serdang Hospital, Malaysia, were subject to reverse transcriptase-PCR for HRV. Phylogenetic analysis on VP4/VP2 and 5'-NCR regions was used to further characterize HRV. Other respiratory viruses were also investigated using semi-nested multiplex RT-PCR assay. Clinical parameters were analyzed between HRV, RSV and IFV-A mono-infections and between HRV species.

RESULTS: HRV was detected in 54 (33%) patients for both single (36 samples) and multiple (18 samples) infections, 61.1% (22/36) represents HRV-A strains while the remaining 14 HRV-C. Strain P51 was the first reported representative of HRV98. The majority of the single HRV cases were in the second half of infancy; HRV-C occurred among older children compared with HRV-A. HRV children were admitted significantly earlier and less febrile than RSV and IFV-A infection. HRV-C infected children were more likely to have rhonchi and vomiting as compared to HRV-A. Pneumonia was the most common discharge diagnosis followed by bronchiolitis and post-viral wheeze in HRV patients.