Anadoluda Süt Ürünleri ve Pediatrik Bruselloz

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the follow-up and treatment outcomes of pediatric brucellosis cases who presented to our participating centers during the term and were diagnosed with brucellosis. Methods: The study, conducted with the support of participating centers in the Central Anatolia region, was completed in about 2 years. The results of patients diagnosed with brucellosis between 2018 and 2021 were retrospectively scanned. During this screening, patients with missing results in the system were excluded from the study. Results: According to the data collected from the participating centers, we included a total of 68 patients in our study who met our criteria after excluding those with incomplete information. These patients were between the ages of 5 and 17, with a mean age of 8.7±3.1 years. Our analysis of the patients' demographics revealed that they mostly resided in rural areas where unpasteurized milk and dairy products were commonly consumed. Although there were some patients from higher socioeconomic backgrounds who purchased organic products from local markets, the vast majority (90%) had a history of consuming unpasteurized milk and its by-products. In addition, a significant proportion (50%) of patients from rural areas had a family history of brucellosis. The most frequently reported symptom among patients was joint pain, which was present in 83% of cases. Elevated liver enzymes were the most common laboratory finding, affecting 32% of patients, while thrombocytopenia was the least common. The preferred treatment regimen for patients was doxycycline and rifampicin. Although aminoglycoside treatment was initially favored for inpatients (80%), it was not commonly prescribed for outpatients. Our analysis of the data revealed that only two patients experienced a relapse of the disease. While the overall treatment outcomes were successful, there was no statistically significant association between treatment preferences and disease recurrence. Conclusion: Every year, thousands of children in our country visit pediatric clinics complaining about joint pain. These patients are usually examined for extensive investigations. It should be remembered that with suspicious patient history and demography, brucellosis may be the answer under the symptoms, accompanied by elevated liver enzymes and cytopenia.