OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether intravenous immunoglobulin reduces mortality and length of hospital stay in the treatment of neonatal sepsis. SOURCES The MEDLINE database was searched. The keywords were combined using the following search strategy: [(sepsis OR shock, septic OR infection) AND immunoglobulins, intravenous] AND infant, newborn. Only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) showing good m...

Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is the second most common childhood vasculitis and one of the main causes of acquired heart disease in children. Recent work focuses on the early diagnostic importance of those risk factors that indicate resistance to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment. The objectives of this study were to identify clinical, laboratory and/or instrumental factors that c...

Children find a rectal examination unpleasant and over a third experienced severe discomfort in this study. This is acceptable only if essential information affecting management is obtained. In this series, the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in over 90% of cases was made from the clinical history and abdominal examination. In two cases the rectal tenderness indicated the correct diagnosis. Rec...