{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T18:43:48Z","timestamp":1789670628721,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre","issue":"2","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Ann Saudi Med"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>BACKGROUND:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) infections in children can cause severe illness and lead to high rates of complications and death. While recent global reports show a rise in pediatric iGAS after the COVID-19 pandemic, there is limited data from Saudi Arabia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>OBJECTIVES:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Assess the clinical features, outcomes, and patterns of pediatric iGAS at a major tertiary center in Riyadh.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>DESIGN:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Retrospective case series study<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>SETTING:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>PATIENTS AND METHODS:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Pediatric patients aged 14 years or younger who had symptoms of iGAS confirmed by a positive culture from January 2018 to May 2025.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Clinical features, outcomes, and patterns of pediatric iGAS.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>SAMPLE SIZE:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>32 children<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>RESULTS:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Out of the 585 total infections recorded, 32 cases were classified as iGAS and included in the study. Most infections happened in winter and spring, with (433\/585) 74% occurring from November to April. The highest rates of iGAS were seen during the COVID-19 pandemic years. The average age of patients was 4.1 years, and 94% (n=30) had other health problems, mainly congenital heart disease (n=9, 28%) and hematology\/oncology (n=8, 25%). Bacteremia was the most common presentation (n=17, 53%), followed by cellulitis\/necrotizing fasciitis (n=9, 28%) and pneumonia (n=8, 25%). Eleven children (34%) needed intensive care, and the overall death rate was 9% (3\/32), with all deaths in patients who had bacteremia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>CONCLUSION:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In our center, pediatric iGAS infections carry a substantial comorbidity and disease severity burden, frequently presenting with complex and aggressive clinical manifestations. These findings underscore the urgent need for heightened vigilance in high-risk children, improved diagnostic precision, and strengthened local surveillance systems to enhance prevention and optimize management of these serious infections.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>LIMITATIONS:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Single-center, retrospective design and absence of rapid diagnostic testing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.5144\/0256-4947.2026.128","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,19]],"date-time":"2026-04-19T07:54:12Z","timestamp":1776585252000},"page":"128-136","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Epidemiology of pediatric invasive group A streptococcus infection in a Saudi tertiary care center"],"prefix":"10.5144","volume":"46","author":[{"given":"Anas","family":"Ali","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"From the Pediatrics &amp; 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