A case of disseminated infection caused by Penicillium chrysogenum in a 10-year-old boy with a history of Henoch-Schönlein purpura and proliferative glomerulonephritis, treated with immunosuppressors, is reported herein. The patient had a clinical picture of 2 weeks of fever that did not respond to treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics and amphotericin B. Computed tomography imaging showed diffuse cotton-like infiltrates in the lungs, hepatomegaly, mesenteric lymphadenopathy, and multiple well-defined round hypodense lesions in the spleen. His treatment was changed to caspofungin, followed by voriconazole. One month later, a splenic biopsy revealed hyaline septate hyphae of >1μm in diameter. Fungal growth was negative. However, molecular analysis showed 99% identity with P. chrysogenum. A therapeutic splenectomy was performed, and treatment was changed to amphotericin B lipid complex and caspofungin. The patient completed 2 months of treatment with resolution of the infection. P. chrysogenum is a rare causative agent of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients, and its diagnosis is necessary to initiate the appropriate antifungal treatment.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of respiratory illness in children and adults in Latin America and Mexico. RSV circulates with seasonal peaks in fall and winter. Individuals at highest risk for severe infection are premature infants and those with comorbidities, as well as older adults with cardiopulmonary pathologies and/or varying degrees of immunocompromise. To provide an updated landscape of the epidemiology, risk groups, diagnostic methods, and prevention of RSV infection in Mexico. Convened by the Asociación Mexicana de Infectología y Microbiología Clínica, 28 interdisciplinary experts participated in a consensus meeting held in November 2023. Four groups, each with seven experts and a medical writer, were formed to discuss epidemiology and diagnosis, risk groups, vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies (mABs). Predefined questions, formulated by a team of four experts, were discussed within each group, and consensus was reached on the answers. These responses were then analyzed and organized into recommendations based on national and international evidence. Evidence-based recommendations for epidemiological surveillance, diagnosis, and prevention of RSV infection were proposed. Future perspectives regarding the usefulness of new vaccines and passive immunoprophylaxis were analyzed. Timely identification of at-risk populations, diagnosis and treatment of RSV infection, and particularly the rational use of mABs and vaccines are key strategies to reduce the clinical and epidemiological burden of RSV infection.
We developed SaludConectaMX as a comprehensive system to track and understand the determinants of complications throughout chemotherapy treatment for children with cancer in Mexico. SaludConectaMX is unique in that it integrates patient clinical indicators with social determinants and caregiver mental health, forming a social-clinical perspective of the patient's evolving health trajectory. The system is composed of a web application (for hospital staff) and a mobile application (for family caregivers), providing the opportunity for cooperative patient monitoring in both hospital and home settings. This paper presents the system's preliminary design and usability evaluation results from a 1.5-year pilot study. Our findings indicate that while the hospital web app demonstrates high completion rates and user satisfaction, the family mobile app requires additional improvements for optimal accessibility; statistical and qualitative data analysis illuminate pathways for system improvement. Based on this evidence, we formalize suggestions for health system development in LMICs, which HCI researchers may leverage in future work.
26 November 2015 in European Journal of Pediatrics