Symptoms of Hemophilia Infection in Children

The pneumonia associated with H. Influenzae is approximately 5% of all patients with pneumonia; even more often this pathogen is sown from pleural exudate in patients with pleurisy. As a rule, the children of the first 2 years of life get ill.

The disease begins sharply with a rise in body temperature to 39-40 ° C, catarrhal phenomena and severe toxicosis. Symptomatology does not differ from other bacterial pneumonia. Percussion and auscultation detect a focus of inflammation in the projection of one or more segments of the lungs. The process is more often localized in the basal zones, but the lower and upper lobe of one or both lungs can be affected. Perhaps abscessed. X-ray changes are also not specific. In accordance with the clinical picture, foci of homogeneous darkening or dense focal-drainage shadows are identified in the event of exudative pleurisy.

Hemophilic meningitis is clinically manifested by the same symptoms as other purulent meningitis. The disease begins sharply with a rise in body temperature to 39-40 ° C and the emergence of general infectious toxicosis with repeated vomiting, agitation, complete sleep disorder, tremor of the chin, hands. Children of the first months of life are noted for hyperesthesia, bulging of the fontanelle, less often observe positive symptoms of Kernig, Brudzinsky, rigidity of the occipital muscles. Changes in cerebrospinal fluid practically do not differ from those in meningococcal or pneumococcal meningitis.

Panniculitis (cellulitis, inflammation of fatty tissue) usually occurs in children of the first year of life. The disease begins with the appearance in the region of the head, neck, cheeks or in the peri-ocular region of dense, painful areas of bluish-red or purple in diameter from 1-10 cm or more. At the same time there may be other manifestations of the disease: otitis media, purulent meningitis, pneumonia, etc.

Acute epiglottitis, or inflammation of the epiglottis, is observed in children aged 2 to 5 years. It is manifested by sharp pains in the throat, inability to swallow, pronounced dyspnea, respiratory distress due to constriction or even blockage of the larynx in the epiglottis region. Possible aphonia, excessive salivation, pallor, cyanosis, swelling of the wings of the nose. Little children often throw their heads in the absence of meningeal symptoms. In older children and adults, when pressing down on the root of the tongue, one can see a sharply edematous cherry-red epiglottis. With direct laryngoscopy, in addition to the defeat of the epiglottis, an inflammatory process is detected in the subglottic space.

Hemophilic pericarditis accounts for up to 15% of all cases of pericarditis in children. Clinically, it does not differ from the pericarditis of another bacterial etiology. The disease is manifested by high body temperature, tachycardia, widening the boundaries of cardiac dullness, deafness of heart tones, respiratory disorders, etc.

With purulent arthritis of hemophilic etiology, usually large joints are affected: knee, elbow, hip, and shoulder. Clinical manifestations of purulent arthritis do not differ from those of other bacterial etiology.

Osteomyelitis caused by H. Influenzae, is clinically manifested by the same symptoms as osteomyelitis of another bacterial etiology (staphylococcal, streptococcal, etc.). Mostly large tubular bones are affected: femoral, tibial, humeral. The diagnosis is established on the basis of the results of bacteriological cultures of bone marrow aspirate, as well as the study of smears stained by Gram.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]