Definition of Opportunistic Infections in Immunocompromised Children on the Basis of Etiologies and Clinical Features: A Summary for Practical Purposes

Abstract

: Opportunistic Infections (OIs) still remain a major cause of morbidity and death in children with either malignant or nonmalignant disease. : OIs are defined as those infections occurring due to bacteria, fungi, viruses or commensal organisms that normally inhabit the human body and do not cause a disease in healthy people, but become pathogenic when the body's defense system is impaired. OIs can also be represented by unusually severe infections caused by common pathogens. An OI could present itself at the onset of a primary immunodeficiency syndrome as a life-threatening event. More often, OI is a therapyassociated complication in patients needing immunosuppressive treatment, among long-term hospitalised patients or in children who undergo bone marrow or solid organ transplantation. : The aim of the present review is to provide a comprehensive and ‘easy to read’ text that briefly summarises the currently available knowledge about OIs in order to define when an infection should be considered as opportunistic in pediatrics as a result of an underlying congenital or acquired immune-deficit.

Raoultellaterrigena: Current state of knowledge, after two recently identified clinical cases in Eastern Europe

“…Similar mortality levels (44.7%) have been reported in Pakistan during 2013‐2018 years 22 . In our case, 1 of our study patient had pregnancy, eclampsia, and long‐term smoking anamnesis; in case 2, the patient had decompensation of type 1 diabetes, so we may say both patients were immunocompromised 23 …”

“…22 In our case, 1 of our study patient had pregnancy, eclampsia, and long-term smoking anamnesis; in case 2, the patient had decompensation of type 1 diabetes, so we may say both patients were immunocompromised. 23 Retrospective analysis of isolation of 50 strains of K. terrigena from human feces was provided in 1990 at the University of Kiel (Germany). Still, it was no reported about its clinical significance, so the hypothesis of K. terrigena as a part of normal human microbiota was assumed.…”

Differential Markers of Bacterial and Viral Infections in Children for Point-of-Care Testing

“…Although rapid discriminative tools are favored across all patient cohorts, POCT is especially important for pediatric populations because it can be used in acute outpatient settings, the primary battlefield for pediatric infections. Pediatric populations are also susceptible to fungal and parasite infections under immunocompromised conditions [ 32 ]. However, because these infections are relatively rare, we focus here on differentiation between bacterial and viral infections.…”

The Postbiotic Activity of Lactobacillus paracasei 28.4 Against Candida auris

“…Opportunistic infections are caused by non-pathogenic microorganisms which become pathogenic when the body's defense system is impaired (Riccardi et al, 2019 ). Candida spp.…”