Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) severely affects pediatric hospitalizations. This study assessed the contribution of CAP to hospitalizations, its etiology in relationship with age, and the inflammatory markers. Between 2013 and 2018, 1064 CAP patients were hospitalized and diagnosed with bacterial/possibly bacterial pneumonia (BP), viral/possibly viral pneumonia (VP) and atypical pneumonia (AP). The etiology was confirmed using blood/pleural fluid culture/polymerase chain reaction (PCR), rapid antigen test/PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs, or serological studies. CAP accounted for 9.9% of hospitalizations and 14.8% of patient days. BP was diagnosed in 825 (77.5%), VP in 190 (17.9%), and AP in 49 (4.6%) cases; the confirmed etiology (n = 209; 20%) included mostly influenza (39%; n = 82), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, 35%; n = 72), and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (19%; n = 39). VP frequency decreased with age (41% in < 3 mo to 9% in ≥ 60 mo), in contrast to AP (13% in ≥ 60 mo). Among the analyzed parameters, the best differentiating potential was shown by: C-reactive protein (CRP, AUC_BP-VP = 0.675; 95% CI: 0.634–0.715), procalcitonin (AUC_BP-AP = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.67–0.794), and CRP/procalcitonin (AUC_AP-VP = 0.752; 95% CI: 0.67–0.83); a good positive predictive value (88.8%, 98.3%, and 91.6%, respectively) but a low negative predictive value (29.5%, 13.1%, and 40.7%, respectively) was observed. CAP influences hospital patient days more than the crude number of patients would suggest. On a clinical basis, BP is mainly recognized, although viral pneumonia is confirmed most often. RSV and influenza are responsible for a huge percentage of hospitalized cases, as well as M. pneumoniae in children aged ≥ 5 years. Serum inflammatory markers may help differentiate etiological factors.

Background: Liver transplantation is a life-saving and successful therapeutic procedure which is more and more frequent worldwide, also among women of reproductive age. Consequently, there is an increasing number of reports of pregnancy following liver transplantation, but doubts still exist regarding preconception counseling and the optimal method of managing pregnancy. The aim of this study was to report and evaluate pregnancy outcomes in women who had undergone liver transplantation. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed female patients after orthotopic liver transplantation who reported pregnancy and were under medical care of a single transplant center. Results: We identified 14 pregnancies in 10 women who had undergone liver transplantation (12 childbirths, one induced abortion due to fetal death in the first trimester, one pregnancy is still ongoing). Causes of transplantation include congenital or acquired disorders and the most common indication was autoimmune hepatitis (50%). The mean age at the point of transplantation was 28.5 (range 21–36), mean maternal age at pregnancy was 32 (range 26–43), and transplant-to-pregnancy interval was 4.07 years (range 1.5–7). The mean gestational week was 36.67 (range 31–40). Immunosuppression was maintained with combinations of prednisone (n = 11), tacrolimus (n = 13), and azathioprine (n = 8) prior to and during pregnancy. Two pregnancies were unintended, so women took mycophenolate mofetil in the first weeks of gestation. Another two women stopped taking azathioprine due to increasing anemia. Maternal complications included increase of aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase (n = 2), anemia (n = 4) and hyperthyroidism (n = 2). Among the 12 childbirths, five (41.67%) were preterm. Only five women entered labor spontaneously, while seven (58,33%) had cesarean delivery. Conclusions: Pregnancy after liver transplantation can achieve relatively favorable outcomes. Liver transplantation does not influence women’s fertility and, during pregnancy, we report low rates of minor graft complications. A multidisciplinary team should be involved in contraceptive, fertility and consequently pregnancy counseling of female transplant recipients.

Background: Acute poisoning is a frequent emergency and a significant health concern in the pediatric population. The pattern of acute intoxication differs between countries and within each country. Poisoning depends on many factors. It can be divided into two categories (accidental and intentional), and each one has its own characteristics. Aim of the study: This study aimed to analyze and discuss the overall patterns of accidental and intentional poisoning among children and adolescents. Material and methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using Google Scholar, Elsevier, and the PubMed database. The following keywords were used: “acute poisoning”, “pediatric poisoning”, “intentional poisonings”, “unintentional poisonings”, and “suicide attempts”. Results: A total of 38 articles were included in the review. Half had been published in the last five years. The analysis focused on the characteristics of the materials and methods, results, and conclusions sections of each study. Conclusions: Unintentional poisonings dominate among younger children, with a slight male predominance. They usually occur at home and occasionally lead to severe harm or even death. The most common causes of intoxication in this population are medications and household products. The majority of poisonings among adolescents are intentional suicide attempts. Among older children, over-the-counter analgesics are the most common cause of acute poisoning. Accidental poisoning can be avoided by providing preventive educational programs to guardians and replacing potentially toxic household products with safer ones. The prevention of intentional poisoning should be based on a community support system and behavioral programs. Healthcare professionals should be familiar with poisoning and be aware of the different patterns of intoxication according to age and gender.

Suicide attempts among pediatric patients are currently one of the most critical issues in modern psychiatry and emergency medicine, and constitute a serious public health problem that affects people of almost every age group. It is often emphasized that attempted suicide is a cry for help, and according to international studies, the pandemic year of 2020 massively impacted the frequency of suicide attempts among children. However, such studies have yet to appear in Poland. To characterize the frequency, circumstances and methods of suicide attempts among children and adolescents, and investigate their relationship with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 154 children admitted to the Emergency Department due to suicide attempts between January 2020 and June 2021. No statistical relationship was found between the direct impact of the pandemic and suicide attempts among children and adolescents. However, age and gender influenced the methods used and the frequency of suicide attempts. Females are more likely to attempt suicide than males, and patients as young as 8 tried to take their own lives. Due to the increasing frequency of suicide attempts in children and adolescents, people at particular risk of such behaviors should be identified and provided with effective care. Unfortunately, although the vast majority of pediatric patients who attempted suicide had psychiatric consultations in the past, it did not prevent them from actively trying to end their lives. Furthermore, even children of a very young age are at risk of suicide events.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most prevalent pathologies in gynaecology. This malignancy can be divided into 2 large groups: epithelial and non-epithelial. Because epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC) are the most commonly diagnosed, this paper focuses on the latest therapies associated with this...

Suicide is a major public health problem that affects people of all ages, including children. A child’s decision to commit suicide is influenced by many social and psychological factors, as well as mental illness and addiction. Aim of this paper is to discuss the large scale of suicidal...