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BackgroundAcute respiratory failure is a life-threatening medical condition, associated with a variety of conditions and risk factors, including acute respiratory diseases which are a frequent cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Colombia, the literature related to ARF is scarce.ObjectiveTo determine the incidence, causes, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of ARF in three hospitals in Bogota, a high-altitude city located in Colombia, during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA multicenter prospective cohort study called the FARA cohort was developed between April 2020 – December 2021. Patients older than one month and younger than 18 years with respiratory distress who developed ARF were included.Results685 patients with respiratory distress were recruited in 21 months. The incidence density of ARF was found to be 41.7 cases per 100 person-day CI 95%, (37.3–47.7). The median age was 4.5 years.. Most of the patients consulted during the first 72 h after the onset of symptoms. Upon admission, 67.2% were potentially unstable. The most frequent pathologies were asthma, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and sepsis. At admission, 75.6% of the patients required different oxygen delivery systems, 29,5% a low-flow oxygen system, 36,8% a high-flow oxygen system, and 9,28% invasive mechanical ventilation. SARS-COV-2, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus/enterovirus, and adenovirus were the most frequently isolated viral agents. The coinfection cases were scarce.ConclusionsThis multicenter study, the FARA cohort, developed at 2,600 meters above sea level, shows the first data on incidence, etiology, sociodemographic and clinical characterization in a pediatric population with ARF that also concurs with the COVID-19 pandemic. These results, not only have implications for public health but also contribute to the scientific and epidemiological literature on a disease developed at a high altitude.

La vacuna BCG se ha usado en todo el mundo desde principios del siglo XX para la prevención de la tuberculosis. Se describe el caso de una niña de 13 meses de edad, previamente sana, que consultó por una masa esternal. El estudio radiológico mostró erosión perióstica. La lesión fue resecada y en la histopatología se encontró una reacción inflamatoria crónica con granulomas caseificantes con compromiso óseo y cutáneo. Se realizó una amplificación por PCR con iniciadores específicos de Mycobacterium tuberculosis del ADN obtenido a partir del tejido incluido en parafina, cuyo resultado fue negativo. Los antecedentes de vacunación con BCG, la aparición de este tipo de granulomas y la ausencia de ADN de M. tuberculosis en el tejido resecado apoyan el diagnóstico de osteomielitis esternal y escrofuloderma por BCG. La osteomielitis es una complicación infrecuente de la vacunación por BCG, que puede presentarse especialmente en pacientes inmunosuprimidos. La evolución clínica de la paciente no ha demostrado ninguna forma de inmunodeficiencia.

Background: Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is the most frequent cause of cardiorespiratory arrest and subsequent death in children worldwide, therefore several efforts have been made to better understand its etiology and risk factors for further progression (1–4). The aim of this study was to calculate mortality and describe associated factors for severity and mortality in children with acute respiratory failure. Methods: The study was conducted within a prospective multicentric cohort that evaluated the natural history of pediatric acute respiratory failure (ARF). For this analysis three primary outcomes were studied: mortality, invasive mechanical ventilation, and pediatric intensive care unit length of stay. Setting: Pediatric emergency, in-hospital, and critical care services in three hospitals in Bogotá, Colombia, from April 2020 to June 2021. Patients: Eligible patients were children older than 1 month and younger than 18 years of age with respiratory difficulty at time of admission. Patients who developed ARF were followed at time of ARF, 48 hours later, at time of admission and at 30 and 60 days after discharge. Measurements and main results: Out of a total of 685 eligible patients, 296 developed ARF for a calculated incidence of ARF of 43.2%. Of the ARF group, ninety patients (30.4%) needed orotracheal intubation, for a mean of 9.57 days of ventilation (interquartile range = 3.00–11.5). Incidence of mortality was 6.1% (n= 18). The associated factors for mortality in ARF were a history of a neurologic comorbidity and a higher fraction of inspired oxygen at ARF diagnosis. For PICU length of stay associated factors were age between 2 and 5 years of age, exposure to smokers, and respiratory comorbidity. Finally, for mechanical ventilation, the risk factors were obesity and being unstable at admission. Conclusions: ARF is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Understanding the factors associated with greater mortality and severity of ARF might allow earlier recognition and initiation of prompt treatment strategies.