PEDIATRICS Vol. 106 No. 6 December 2000, p. e87
ELECTRONIC ARTICLE:
The Pivotal Role of Deep Vein Thrombophlebitis in the Development
of Acute Disseminated Staphylococcal Disease in Children
Received Feb 29, 2000; accepted Jul 11, 2000.
,
From the * Department of Pediatric Surgery, * Wolfson Medical
Center, Holon, Israel;
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hadassah
University Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem; and the § Department of
Pediatric Surgery, Meir General Hospital, Kfar Saba, Israel.
Deep vein thrombophlebitis (DVT) and septic pulmonary emboli (PE) are rare in children. The association of DVT and acute disseminated staphylococcal disease (DSD) during childhood has not been previously reported. We report 3 children who developed a triad of DVT, septic PE, and acute osteomyelitis with Staphylococcus aureus cultured from blood and bone. One child succumbed, while 2 survived following prolonged, morbid hospitalizations. The rapid clinical deterioration observed in these patients might be caused by the aggressiveness of staphylococcal infection combined with an ongoing showering of septic emboli from the ileo-femoral DVT. We suggest that infected DVT with septic PE had a pivotal role in the development of DSD in these children. The presence of this triad should prompt aggressive treatment with the appropriate antibiotics, anticoagulation, surgical drainage, and assisted ventilation when indicated.
Key words: deep vein thrombophlebitis, disseminated staphylococcal disease, osteomyelitis, pediatric, septic pulmonary emboli.
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