Staphylococcal Bacteraemia in Childhood. A Review of 106 Cases

Abstract

SYNOPSISThe clinical records of a large series of children with bacteraemia due to coagulasepositive Staphylococcus aureus have been reviewed. In the 16 children who died, an underlying disease (especially leukaemia) , or shock and a subnormal temperature on presentation, were particularly common. Osteomyelitis and suppurative arthritis were the commonest localized lesions in the survivors.Chloramphenicol-resistant organisms were rare. When 'hospital staphylococci' were excluded, none of the organisms were resistant to erythromycin. Most of the fatal cases died before an adequate period of chemotherapy could be given, an index of the urgency of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of these fulminant cases.