I-PACE kids
I-PACE stands for: "Improving Prognosis by using innovative methods to diagnose Causes of Encephalitis".
In- en exclusioncriteria:
Inclusion Criteria:
- All patients aged 0-16 years with a suspected neurological infection who undergo CSF examination.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Neurosurgical procedures or neurotrauma with CSF leakage in the past 3 months.
- Presence of a CSF drain or epidural catheter.
Practical Procedures:
- If a patient meets the inclusion criteria, inform the patient and parents and obtain informed consent.
- ≥16 years: patient only
- 12-16 years: parents and patient
- <12 years: parents only
- Generate a study number via the study number generator, or provide the number from the study kit you have used (via the same link, choose the correct option, varies per hospital).
- If a lumbar puncture (LP) has not yet been performed, collect an extra study tube during the LP. If an LP has already been performed, obtain consent for the storage of leftover CSF and for collecting blood and swabs.
- Collect blood and 2 swabs (rectal and throat) from the patient and submit them to the clinical chemistry lab. The type and amount of blood depends on age and method of collection, as detailed below:
Blood Collection Amounts (target amounts):
<1 year: 1-2 microtainer serum, 1-2 microtainer EDTA
1-5 years: 2 ml serum (in 6 ml tube), 2 ml EDTA, 1 PAXgene tube
>5 years: 6 ml serum, 4-8 ml EDTA, 1-2 PAXgene tubes
Notes:
Baby cup = microtainer (0.5 ml)
EDTA = purple/lilac, serum = red
Serum has priority over EDTA
- Outside the Amsterdam UMC: place the informed consent form in the study file.
- Send a copy of the informed consent form, the discharge letter, and any imaging study CD-ROM to the Amsterdam UMC, location AMC.