Gastroenteritis is common among children. Campylobacter jejuni is one of the main causative bacterial pathogens, together with Shigella, Salmonella and invasive Escherichia coli. Campylobacteriosis is a zoonotic, usually self-limited disease that does not always require antibiotic treatment. In cases of protracted diarrhoea in healthy children or immunocompromised patients, antibiotic treatment is recommended, and the drug of choice is still macrolides, with very low resistance rates in Campylobacter species. However, it is crucial to isolate the causative organism, because some cases, such as Shigella encephalitis, call for initiation of empiric antibiotic treatment. In this study, we compared the incidence, epidemiology, clinical findings and laboratory results of gastroenteritis with dysentery caused by these organisms in children in our area. C. jejuni was found to be the leading pathogen in children hospitalized with bacterial gastroenteritis, followed by Shigella and Salmonella. Macrolides were the drug of choice for Campylobacter, and ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin were the best empiric treatments for Shigella and Salmonella, respectively.

Autoimmune myelofibrosis (AIMF) is an uncommon cause of myelofibrosis associated with favorable outcome. Primary AIMF, AIMF without a known systemic autoimmune disorder, has been described in adults, but never in children. Here, we present, for the first time, an apparent case of primary AIMF in a 15‐year‐old boy admitted with profound hypoproliferative anemia.

Renal involvement in β-thalassemia minor (β-TMin) has been described mainly in case reports and small observational studies, and its clinical significance remains incompletely characterized. Using real-world data from routinely collected electronic medical records, we performed a retrospective cohort study including 1516 adult patients with β-TMin insured by Clalit Healthcare Services to explore renal abnormalities identified during routine clinical care. Urine testing for hematuria, microalbuminuria, and proteinuria was not performed systematically but was ordered at clinicians’ discretion, resulting in evaluation of a clinically selected subset of patients. Among those tested, hematuria, microalbuminuria, and proteinuria were commonly documented, often in the absence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, or impaired kidney function, consistent with largely subclinical renal involvement. Patients who underwent urine testing were older and had more comorbidities than untested patients, indicating potential selection bias. Correlation analyses showed weak associations between hematological and renal parameters, while ferritin levels correlated modestly with selected proteinuria measures. Due to the retrospective design and non-systematic urine assessment, population-level prevalence and clinical impact cannot be determined. Therefore, prospective studies with standardized renal evaluations are needed to better characterize the frequency, mechanisms, and clinical relevance of renal abnormalities in β-TMin.

Suspicion and prompt PCR-based diagnostics may facilitate targeted therapy and avoid unnecessary invasive procedures [3, 4].