PO-0181 Acute Brucellosis: Clinical Presentations And Complications In Children

Abstract

Brucellosis is a systemic infectious zoonotic disease andit is still an important public health problem in Arabian Peninsula. The clinical presentation of brucellosis is non-specific, and the infection varies in its course and severity. Objective To evaluate common presentations and complications of involvement of acute Brucella infection in children presented to the paediatric emergency unit of Aladanhospital Methods Design: Retrospective study Setting: Paediatric emergency unit and paediatric department of Aladdin hospital, Kuwait between April 2008 and April 2013. Subjects: Sixty two children with acute brucellosis The diagnosis of brucellosis was made with compatible clinical findings, positive Brucella agglutination 1/160 titers, and/or the isolation of Brucella species. Complication was defined as the presence of symptoms or physical signs of infection at a particular anatomic site in a patient with active brucellosis. Data of the patients were reviewed in the medical records specially clinical presentation, complications, laboratory results, and treatment given. Results Out of 62 patients, 36(58.1%) were male and 26(41.9%) were female. The mean age was 9.5 ± 3.2 years. Arthritis (42 patients,67.7%) was the most frequent, presentation followed by fever without source (24 patients, 38.7%), and gastrointestinal system (11 patients, 17.7%). The diagnosis depended on increase of brucella titer more than 1/160 in 57 patients (91.9%). Source of infection in patients was mostly ingestion of unpasteurized milk. Conclusion Brucellosisis still an important health problem in Kuwait and must be taken inconsideration in children presented with fever without a source or arthritis.