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

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.ObjectiveTo evaluate common presentations and complications of involvement of acute Brucella infection in children presented to the paediatric emergency unit of AladanhospitalMethodsDesign: Retrospective studySetting: Paediatric emergency unit and paediatric department of Aladdin hospital, Kuwait between April 2008 and April 2013.Subjects: Sixty two children with acute brucellosisThe 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.ResultsOut of 62 patients, 36(58.1%) were male and 26(41.9%) were female. The mean age was 9.5 plus or minus 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.ConclusionBrucellosisis still an important health problem in Kuwait and must be taken inconsideration in children presented with fever without a source or arthritis.