[Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Mexican children: Clinical and mortality factors]

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Gerardo Álvarez-Hernández, María Del Carmen Candia-Plata, Jesús Delgado-de la Mora

    Salud Publica De Mexico
    |September 7, 2016
    PubMed

    Insights

    Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) has a high fatality rate in children. Timely doxycycline treatment, avoiding delays, and managing acute renal failure and severe sepsis can improve outcomes for pediatric RMSF patients.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
    • Epidemiology
    • Clinical Medicine

    Background:

    • Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) poses a significant threat to children's health.
    • Understanding clinical manifestations and mortality predictors is crucial for effective management.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To characterize clinical features of pediatric RMSF.
    • To identify predictors of mortality in hospitalized children with RMSF.

    Main Methods:

    • A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 210 pediatric patients diagnosed with RMSF.
    • Data were collected from January 2004 to June 2015 in Sonora, Mexico.
    • Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression.

    Main Results:

    • An increasing trend in RMSF morbidity and mortality was observed.
    • The overall fatality rate was 30%.
    • Key predictors of death included delayed doxycycline treatment (≥ 5 days), acute renal failure, and severe sepsis.

    Conclusions:

    • RMSF is associated with high mortality in pediatric populations.
    • Prompt initiation of doxycycline treatment is vital for preventing fatalities.
    • Acute renal failure and severe sepsis are independent predictors of mortality in children with RMSF.
    Abstract

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