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Neonatal thrombocytopenia is one of the most common hematologic disorders in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of thrombocytopenia and whether thrombocytopenia has an effect on the occurrence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) ≥ grade 2 and on mortality rate. This study was carried out retrospectively in neonates admitted to NICU of Cumhuriyet University in Sivas, Turkey, between 2009 and 2012. Among 2218 neonates evaluated, 208 (9.4%) developed thrombocytopenia. The prevalence of IVH ≥ grade 2 was more in infants with thrombocytopenia (7.2%) than in those without thrombocytopenia (4.4%), although this was not statistically significant (P = .08). In univariate analysis, IVH ≥ grade 2 was higher in cases with very severe thrombocytopenia (35.7%, n = 5) than in those with mild (2.1%, n = 2), moderate (4.7%, n = 3), and severe thrombocytopenia (15.2%, n = 5) (P = .04). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight <1500 g (OR 6.2, 95% CI 3.4-9.8; P = .0001), gram-negative sepsis (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.8-4.2; P = .01), very severe thrombocytopenia (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-2.1; P = .03), and platelet transfusion ≥2 (OR 7.3, 95% CI 4.1-12.1; P = .001) were significant risk factors for mortality. The results of our study suggest that outcomes of neonates with thrombocytopenia depend not only on platelet count but also on decreased gestational age or birth weight, prenatal factors, and sepsis.

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Sydenham’s chorea (SC) is common cause of acquired chorea in childhood. SC occurs mainly in children with untreated streptococcal infections. An effective list of therapeutic options has been used to treat this disorder: antiepileptic drugs (valproic acid, carbamazepine etc.), haloperidol, chlorpromazine, amphetamines, steroids, plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG). We report a 12-year-old girl with carditis and severely generalized chorea and successfully treated with IVIG. This case report shows that IVIG is an effective treatment for the chorea cases resistant to anticonvulsants, dopamine antagonists and steroids, although larger studies are needed to confirm this conclusion.

Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the prognostic value of platelet (PLT) activity markers in children with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and compare results with healthy controls. Materials and Methods A total of 135 patients with CCHF and 100 healthy children were included in this retrospective study. Mean age was 12.4 ± 3.3 years in CCHF group, and 92 patients were male. We measured PLT count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and mean platelet mass (MPM) as PLT activity markers. Results A statistically significant decrease in MPM and PLT, and significantly higher levels of PDW and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and no significant difference in MPV were observed in patients with CCHF compared with controls. Although there were no significant differences between the severe and nonsevere CCHF groups in term of MPV and PDW, the MPM value was significantly decreased in severe patients (p < 0.001). Furthermore, MPM values were inversely correlated with aPTT (r = −0.617, p = 0.015), and positively correlated with PLT (r = 0.703, p < 0.001) which are considered likely to be indicators of disease severity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed MPM as an independent risk factor for severe disease. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that MPM values were decreased in severe cases compared with nonsevere in children with CCHF. The MPM as an indicator of PLT activation at the time of diagnosis in children with CCHF can be used as a prognostic index for disease severity.