Paeds Vivas · allergy-and-immunology
Secondary immunodeficiency — branching viva
Branching viva on secondary immunodeficiency in children: recognising that acquired immune failure is commoner than primary, sorting the cause into the six mechanism-based categories, linking cause to immune arm to organism to prophylaxis, applying the five-step management ladder, and deciding when immunoglobulin replacement is and is not indicated.
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Study tools
Target exams
RACP DCEMRCPCH ClinicalRCPSC Pediatrics
Prompt
Oncology ward: a seven-year-old on induction chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia presents with fever and an absolute neutrophil count of 0.2 × 10⁹ per litre. The examiner asks: what is your framework, what is the immediate threat, how will you manage it now, and what prophylaxis belongs in his long-term plan — then branches to a child on long-term high-dose steroids presenting with dry cough and hypoxia and asks you to predict the organism and the defence, and finally to a rituximab-treated child with low IgG and asks you to justify why you would NOT automatically start immunoglobulin.
Opening question
Take me through your framework when a child presents with infection that you suspect is due to secondary immunodeficiency. Why does the mechanism matter more than the label "immunocompromised"? [1] [2]
References4ShowHide
- [1]Chinen J, Shearer WT. Secondary immunodeficiencies, including HIV infection. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2010.PMID 20042227
- [2]Tuano KS, Seth N, Chinen J. Secondary immunodeficiencies: An overview. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, 2021.PMID 34481993
- [3]Otani IM, Lehman HK, Jongco AM, et al. Practical guidance for the diagnosis and management of secondary hypogammaglobulinemia: A Work Group Report. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2022.PMID 35176351
- [4]Maertens J, Cesaro S, Maschmeyer G, et al. ECIL guidelines for preventing Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in haematological malignancies and stem cell transplant recipients. J Antimicrob Chemother, 2016.PMID 27550992