No abstract

We evaluated isolates obtained from children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection throughout Japan during 2008–2015. The highest prevalence of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae was 81.6% in 2012, followed by 59.3% in 2014 and 43.6% in 2015. The prevalence of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae among children in Japan has decreased.

Introduction: Mycoplasma pneumoniae contributes to numerous pneumonia cases among children and young adults. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of M. pneumoniae infections among Japanese children, occurring since 2008. Methods: Nasopharyngeal swab specimens were obtained from all cases, following which real-time PCR was performed to identify M. pneumoniae. Further, the p1 genotypes of isolates were determined using the PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism typing method. Results: The annual rate of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae (MRMP) infections peaked at 81.8% in 2012 and decreased annually until 2015. Although the infection rate increased to 65.3% in 2016, it decreased again to 14.3% in 2018. Although >90% of isolates harbored the type 1 genotype until 2012, this rate decreased, and approximately 80% harbored p1 genotypes other than type 1 in 2018. Furthermore, the occurrence rate of MRMP among the type 1 isolates was very high (82.4%), whereas that among p1 genotypes other than type 1 was very low (6.5%). Conclusions: MRMP occurrence potentially decreased owing to changes in not only antibiotic usage but also in the distribution of p1 genotype among isolates.

Objectives We sought to review our single center experience with secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) device closure, evaluating the incidence and morphological characteristics where percutaneous closure was thought inappropriate. Material and methods All children assessed as unsuitable for transcatheter device closure were reviewed. Data collected included: demographics, defect morphology by echocardiogrphy or at cardiac catheterization and defect size focusing on the reasons for procedural deferral. Results Between January 2002 and December 2010, 639 children underwent closure of an isolated secundum ASD: 82 children (13%) where referred directly to surgery, 43 (6%) were thought unsuitable for device closure at the time of catheterization and underwent subsequent surgery and the remaining 514 (81%) underwent successful device closure including 2 on a second attempt. The reasons for pursuing a surgical closure (n = 124, mean age = 5.7 years; range: 0.6–17.4 years; defect diameter/body weight = 1.39) included: the need for a device thought too large for implantation versus the child's size (n = 51), defects with deficient rim(s) (n = 48), multiple defects (n = 7), defects sized >36 mm (n = 2), malposition (n = 2), ECG changes (n = 3), aneurysmal IAS (n = 2), sinus venosus (n = 2), or others (n = 7). Conclusion The reasons for deferring transcatheter device closure of a secundum ASD are diverse, not only isolated rim deficiencies but the requirements of large implants, malposition, arrhythmias, and lack of hemodynamic need are influential components in clinical decision making. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.