Common Childhood Disease Research Articles

Relationship between vitamin D status and caries experience in a group of Egyptian children: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundDental caries is one of the most common diseases of childhood. Evidence suggests that malnutrition and vitamin deficiency may increase the risk to dental caries.AimThis study aimed to determine the relationship between vitamin D and dental caries experience in children and whether vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for tooth decay.Participants and methodsA cross-sectional study was performed on 51 Egyptian children, aged from three to five years and diagnosed from Abo El-Resh Children’s Hospital as ‘Sufficient’, ‘Insufficient’ or ‘Deficient’ in vitamin D. Children were divided into 3 equal groups. A structured questionnaire, formed of four sections, was answered by the parents. Dental examination was performed under natural daylight. Caries index (dmf), for each group, was calculated then compared. The study was conducted from July 2019 to January 2020. Associations between dmf and different variables were assessed using independent t-test. Correlation between age and dmf was assessed using Spearman’s rank order correlation coefficient. Multiple linear regression model was used to study the effect of different variables on caries.ResultsThere was a weak positive correlation between age and dmf scores (β = 2.00; 95%CI, 0.73:3.26). Children playing outside experienced higher dmf (β = 1.29; 95%CI, -0.35:2.94) than those with no outside play. Children with 25(OH) D below 20 ng / ml had the highest dmfs (β = 1.01; 95%CI, -0.74:2.76). There was a significant association with teeth brushing; children not brushing their teeth showed significantly higher dmf (β = -2.21; 95%CI, -4.14:-0.28) than their counterparts. There were no significant associations of sex (β = -1.05; 95%CI, -2.68:0.59), fluoride tablets intake (β = 2.19; 95%CI, -1.25:5.63), dental visits (β = -1.43; 95%CI, -3.09:0.23), mothers’ vitamin D intake during pregnancy (β = 0.71; 95%CI, -1.13:2.56), snacking (β = -1.18; 95%CI, -4.62:2.26) and parental education (β = 0.62; 95%CI, -1.18:2.42) with caries experience among the study population.ConclusionVitamin D deficiency does not seem to be associated with dental caries experience of 3–5 years old Egyptian children. Out of the indicator variables, age and tooth brushing contributed significantly to the occurrence of dental caries among the study population.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Influenza Vaccination among Parents of Children with Asthma: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood. Exacerbation is a significant problem for asthmatic patients, and viral infections remain the most frequent triggers of asthma exacerbations. This study explored knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of parents of asthmatic children towards providing influenza vaccine to their children. This cross-sectional study enrolled parents of asthmatic children who visited the outpatient respiratory clinics of two Jordanian hospitals. The present study enrolled 667 parents of asthmatic children (62.8% female). The median age of the participants' children was 7 years. The results showed that 60.4% of the children with asthma never received a flu vaccine. Most of those who had received the flu vaccine reported that the side effects were mild (62.7%). Asthma duration was positively and significantly associated with increased vaccine hesitancy/rejection (OR = 1.093, 95% CI = (1.004-1.190), p = 0.04; and OR = 1.092, 95% CI = (1.002-1.189), p = 0.044, respectively). As the attitude towards flu vaccine score increases, odds of vaccination hesitancy/rejection decreased (OR = 0.735, 95% CI = (0.676-0.800), p < 0.001; and OR = 0.571, 95% CI = (0.514-0.634), p < 0.001, respectively). The main reasons for vaccination hesitancy/refusal included "I don't think my child needs it" (22.3%) followed by "I forget it" (19.5%). The rate of vaccination among children was low and emphasized the necessity of encouraging parents with asthmatic children to vaccinate their children by conducting health awareness campaigns and also emphasized the role of doctors and other healthcare professionals.

Study of the emotional adjustment of the caregiver-patient dyad to bronchial asthma in adolescence.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of bronchial asthma-related factors on the emotional well-being of adolescents with bronchial asthma and their primary caregivers. Bronchial asthma is a common chronic disease in childhood and adolescence that can have a psychological impact on both patients and their primary caregivers. The study used a cross-sectional design and included 150 patient-caregiver dyads diagnosed with bronchial asthma, aged between 12 and 16 years and collected between 2018 and 2020. It assessed the emotional adjustment of both patients and caregivers and recorded variables related to the disease. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to perform statistical analyses. Caregivers had higher anxiety and depression scores than patients. Good adherence to treatment was necessary for the emotional adjustment of the dyad. Controlled asthma, good adherence to treatment and a reduction in medical treatment were the primary predictors of emotional adjustment. The study highlights the importance of assessing anxiety and depression levels in both patients and caregivers because the presence of these symptoms can lead to the misuse of medication, inadequate inhalation techniques, the omission of medication and reduced confidence in controlling asthma symptoms.

The Importance of Extended High Frequencies in Hearing Evaluation of Pediatric Patients with Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D), one of the most common childhood diseases worldwide, can cause hearing loss through its systemic effects. Diabetes-induced hearing loss is considered a progressive sensorineural hearing loss with a gradual onset typically occurring at high frequencies. We investigated extended high-frequency (EHF) hearing sensitivity in children with T1D who did not complain of hearing loss as an early marker for hearing loss at the standard/conventional frequency range of hearing. We evaluated 42 children (21 with T1D and 21 healthy controls) in a case-control design. Conventional and EHF (14,000, 16,000, and 18,000 Hz) audiometry were performed. The diabetes group underwent routine blood biochemistry and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurements. The data were analyzed by the Student t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis. The mean hearing thresholds were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the diabetes group than in controls at 500, 2,000, 4,000, and 8,000 Hz (all < 15 decibel hearing level [dB HL]). The number of ears with thresholds > 15 dB HL at 14,000-18,000 Hz but ≤ 15 dB HL at 500-4,000 Hz was significantly higher in the diabetes group than in the control group (p = 0.049). Children with diabetes showed normal hearing thresholds within the conventional audiometric frequency range; however, they presented higher hearing thresholds during EHF audiometry when they were compared with controls. Audiometry in these children should be performed using frequencies above 8,000 Hz combined with the conventional frequency range. EHF audiometry could be an effective method for identifying subclinical hearing loss in children with diabetes. Thus, diabetic children with an EHF mean hearing threshold above 15 dB HL should be monitored more closely in terms of blood glucose regulation to prevent diabetes-related hearing loss at the conventional frequency range.

Potential Renal Acid Load, Salivary Buffer Capacity and Healthy Eating Index as Predictors of Children's Dental Caries: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Dental caries is one of the most common childhood diseases. This study purposed to investigate the prediction capability of potential renal acid load(PRAL), salivary buffer capacity (SBC), and Healthy Eating Index (HEI) on children's dental caries. The decay, missing, filing, and teeth for primary teeth (dmft)/Decay, Missing, Filling, and Teethfor permanent teeth (DMFT) indexes of the children aged 7-12 years who applied to our faculty were recorded. Approximately 1 mL of unstimulated saliva samples were collected, and SBC was evaluated. PRAL and HEI scores were calculated by entering the data in the form of a daily nutrition record of the children into the BeBiS software (Ebispro for Windows, Stuttgart, Germany). The association of dental caries indices with PRAL, SBC, and HEI was analyzed using an independent samplet-test. A binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to predict the dental caries burden. The statistical significance level was adjusted to a=0.05. A total of 150 children, 88 (58.6%) females and 62 (41.4%) males, were included in the study. Significant differences were found between the low and high dental caries groups for dmft regarding PRAL and SBC (p<0.001). A significant difference was found between the low and high dental caries groups for DMFT in terms of SBC (p<0.05). In our study, established regression models significantly predicted dental caries in primary teeth. SBC was the most influential factor in predicting dental caries compared to PRAL and HEI. There was a significant relationship between SBC, PRAL, and caries in primary teeth. In the model we created, the strongest predictor was SBC.

Management of temporomandibular joint arthritis in children and adolescents: An introduction for orthodontists.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common inflammatory rheumatic disease of childhood. JIA can affect any joint and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is one of the joints most frequently involved. TMJ arthritis impacts mandibular growth and development and can result in skeletal deformity (convex profile and facial asymmetry), and malocclusion. Furthermore, when TMJs are affected, patients may present with pain at joint and masticatory muscles and dysfunction with crepitus and limited jaw movement. This review aims to describe the role of orthodontists in the management of patients with JIA and TMJ involvement. This article is an overview of evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with JIA and TMJ involvement. Screening for the orofacial manifestation of JIA is important for orthodontists to identify TMJ involvement and related dentofacial deformity. The treatment protocol of JIA with TMJ involvement requires an interdisciplinary collaboration including orthopaedic/orthodontic treatment and surgical interventions for the management of growth disturbances. Orthodontists are also involved in the management of orofacial signs and symptoms; behavioural therapy, physiotherapy and occlusal splints are the suggested treatments. Patients with TMJ arthritis require specific expertise from an interdisciplinary team with members knowledgeable in JIA care. Since disorders of mandibular growth often appear during childhood, the orthodontist could be the first clinician to see the patient and can play a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of JIA patients with TMJ involvement.

Auditory Deprivation during Development Alters Efferent Neural Feedback and Perception.

Auditory experience plays a critical role in hearing development. Developmental auditory deprivation because of otitis media, a common childhood disease, produces long-standing changes in the central auditory system, even after the middle ear pathology is resolved. The effects of sound deprivation because of otitis media have been mostly studied in the ascending auditory system but remain to be examined in the descending pathway that runs from the auditory cortex to the cochlea via the brainstem. Alterations in the efferent neural system could be important because the descending olivocochlear pathway influences the neural representation of transient sounds in noise in the afferent auditory system and is thought to be involved in auditory learning. Here, we show that the inhibitory strength of the medial olivocochlear efferents is weaker in children with a documented history of otitis media relative to controls; both boys and girls were included in the study. In addition, children with otitis media history required a higher signal-to-noise ratio on a sentence-in-noise recognition task than controls to achieve the same criterion performance level. Poorer speech-in-noise recognition, a hallmark of impaired central auditory processing, was related to efferent inhibition, and could not be attributed to the middle ear or cochlear mechanics.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Otitis media is the second most common reason children go to the doctor. Previously, degraded auditory experience because of otitis media has been associated with reorganized ascending neural pathways, even after middle ear pathology resolved. Here, we show that altered afferent auditory input because of otitis media during childhood is also associated with long-lasting reduced descending neural pathway function and poorer speech-in-noise recognition. These novel, efferent findings may be important for the detection and treatment of childhood otitis media.

Impact of Habitual Yogurt Intake in Mother-Child Dyads on Incidence of Childhood Otitis Media: The Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

Otitis media, one of the most common childhood diseases, is characterized by inflammation or infection of the middle ear. Due to their ease of access, daily probiotics are recommended for the prevention of early childhood otitis media. This study aimed to assess the impact of probiotics on the incidence of otitis media using a dataset (n = 95,380) from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a nationwide birth cohort study. After multiple imputations, the association between the incidence of otitis media in early childhood and the daily frequency of yogurt intake in children and mothers was examined using a generalized linear model after adjusting for several confounders. Repeated incidence of otitis media during the 2years after birth was found in 14,874 participants (15.6%). Based on participants with the lowest frequency of yogurt intake ("almost never") as the reference group, risk ratios for otitis media incidence decreased with higher frequencies of yogurt intake in children at one year of age, but also independently in mothers during pregnancy. The lowest risk ratio (95% confidence interval) for otitis media incidence at six months of age was observed with the most frequent yogurt intake (once/day or more) (0.54 [0.46-0.63]). Additionally, although a similar association was observed in the subgroup of those with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P), a high-risk group for severe recurrent otitis media, no statistical significance was observed. Thus, increased regular yogurt intake in both children and mothers was associated with a decrease of otitis media during early childhood.

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND VACCINATION STATUS OF VARICELLA AMONG STUDENTS OF HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY

Introduction: Varicella although a common benign childhood disease can be lethal particularly in neonates, geriatric people and immunocompromised people due to its rare but severe complications. Knowledge of this disease and its complications is an integral part of the curriculum for healthcare students. This study was implemented to determine the level of knowledge of varicella and the benets of vaccination among undergraduate students of different healthcare courses. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in RAK Medical and Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU) with due approval from the research and ethics committee. A Pre designed pre validated 20-point questionnaire was prepared using various related articles obtained from indexed, peer reviewed journals. Convenience sampling was done across the student population at RAKMHSU to assess levels of awareness regarding their knowledge of etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, prevention and treatment of Chicken Pox. A total 213 students of both gender and different courses were involved the study. Results: All students had reasonable knowledge regarding the clinical symptoms and transmissibility of the disease. Medical students had the highest knowledge about the vaccine and its dosage. Discussion and Conclusion: The study concluded that awareness regarding the vaccine and its potential against Varicella was moderate to low among health sciences students and that there is a denite need for strategic measures to promote knowledge on the subject.

Teplizumab Therapy to Delay the Onset of Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease that results in the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. The incidence and prevalence of T1DM are increasing, making this one of the most common diseases of childhood. The disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality with patients experiencing reduced quality of life and decreased life expectancy compared with the general population. Patients become dependent on exogenous insulin which has been the primary treatment since its first clinical use over 100 years ago. Although there have been advancements in glucose monitoring technology and insulin delivery devices, most patients fail to meet glycemic targets. Research has therefore focused on different treatment options to delay or prevent disease progression. Monoclonal antibodies have previously been utilized to suppress the immune response following an organ transplant and were subsequently studied for their ability to treat autoimmune diseases. Teplizumab, a monoclonal antibody (manufactured by Provention Bio and marketed as Tzield), was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration as the first preventative treatment for T1DM. The approval came after a 3-decade history of research and development. This article provides an overview of the discovery and mechanism of action of teplizumab, as well as the clinical trials that led to its approval.

Assessment of readability and quality of patient education materials specific to nocturnal enuresis

Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis (NE), is a common childhood disease. Families increasingly turn to free online resources for health education in order to navigate treatment options. We aim to determine the readability and quality of online health information that families may encounter when searching for information on pediatric NE. The search term 'bedwetting' was queried in commonly used search engines. Included articles were further categorized as institutional/reference, commercial, non-profit/charitable, or personal. An online readability platform calculated 3 commonly used readability assessments as well as a consensus score. Quality was assessed by two independent pediatric urologists using a validated DISCERN instrument. Differences in readability were further assessed by article category type. 36 websites were reviewed, 3 did not include treatment options and were not included in quality assessment. 55.6% of the articles were categorized as institutional/reference, 27.8% as non-profit/charitable, 11.1% as personal, and 5.6% as commercial. The average, standard deviation, and range of readability level were as follows: overall consensus score=9.56±2.09, FK Grade Level Formula score=9.38±2.17 (range 5.8-14.1), SMOG Index score=8.89±1.79 (range 6.4-12.9), and the GF Index score=11.86±2.34 (range 8.4-16.9). The overall consensus score, 9.56, correlates to a 9th-grade reading level. 16 articles were considered to be of 'good' quality, 12 of 'fair' quality, and 5 of 'poor' quality; according to the DISCERN scoring. There was no statistically significant difference in readability scores across website categories. Two articles included the outdated treatment option of intranasal DDAVP. These findings are concordant with the increasing body of literature demonstrating that patient education materials are too difficult to read. Pediatric urologists should be aware of the readability and quality of available online content for common clinical presentations. They can ensure that institutional articles online are useful to patients by participating in the development and design of these materials. We demonstrated that online articles that families encounter via a search engine query for bedwetting are written at a higher level than recommended and the majority are of 'fair' quality. There is much room for improvement for institutions to provide high quality, readable content that supports the needs of families seeking information on NE.

The propionate-GPR41 axis in infancy protects from subsequent bronchial asthma onset

ABSTRACT Evidence has accumulated that gut microbiota and its metabolites, in particular the short-chain fatty acid propionate, are significant contributors to the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. However, little is known regarding its impact on pediatric bronchial asthma, one of the most common allergic diseases in childhood. This study aimed to elucidate whether, and if so how, intestinal propionate during lactation is involved in the development of bronchial asthma. We found that propionate intake through breast milk during the lactation period resulted in a significant reduction of airway inflammation in the offspring in a murine house dust mite-induced asthma model. Moreover, GPR41 was the propionate receptor involved in suppressing this asthmatic phenotype, likely through the upregulation of Toll-like receptors. In translational studies in a human birth cohort, we found that fecal propionate was decreased one month after birth in the group that later developed bronchial asthma. These findings indicate an important role for propionate in regulating immune function to prevent the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma in childhood.

Healthcare expenditure and technology use in pediatric diabetes care

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. With more advanced care options including ever-evolving technology, allocation of resources becomes increasingly important to guarantee equal care for all. Therefore, we investigated healthcare resource utilization, hospital costs, and its determinants in Dutch children with diabetes.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective, observational analysis with hospital claims data of 5,474 children with diabetes mellitus treated in 64 hospitals across the Netherlands between 2019–2020.ResultsTotal hospital costs were €33,002,652 per year, and most of these costs were diabetes-associated (€28,151,381; 85.3%). Mean annual diabetes costs were €5,143 per child, and treatment-related costs determined 61.8%. Diabetes technology significantly increased yearly diabetes costs compared to no technology: insulin pumps € 4,759 (28.7% of children), Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring € 7,259 (2.1% of children), and the combination of these treatment modalities € 9,579 (27.3% of children). Technology use increased treatment costs significantly (5.9 – 15.3 times), but lower all-cause hospitalisation rates were observed. In all age groups, diabetes technology use influenced healthcare consumption, yet in adolescence usage decreased and consumption patterns changed.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that contemporary hospital costs of children with diabetes of all ages are driven primarily by the treatment of diabetes, with technology use as an important additive factor. The expected rise in technology use in the near future underlines the importance of insight into resource use and cost-effectiveness studies to evaluate if improved outcomes balance out these short-term costs of modern technology.

Pediatricians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Therapeutic Approaches Regarding Diaper Dermatitis: A Common Condition with Many Different Practices.

Diaper dermatitis is one of the most common skin diseases in early childhood. The prevalence of diaper dermatitis varies between 7% and 35% depending on population and age groups. There may be some differences among the pediatricians about treatment approaches to this common skin condition. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the management strategies of pediatricians for diaper dermatitis. The questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2021. The questionnaire which contained 21 items aimed to investigate the approaches of pediatricians to diaper dermatitis treatment, follow-up and prevention strategies. A total of 217 pediatricians (59.4% female, median age 40.0 years) practicing in 32 different provinces of Turkey completed the questionnaire. The most preferred medical treatments in the first visit of children with diaper dermatitis, in respect of frequency, were zinc oxide, panthenol/dexpanthenol, and hamamelis virginiana extract (70.9%, 36.9%, 33.6% respectively). If there was no response to the first-line treatment in the control examination, the treatment was rearranged by adding an antifungal creams, topical low-potency corticosteroids, and/or high concentration zinc oxide creams (67.7%, 57.6%, 28.6%, respectively). Most cases were referred to a dermatologist if these treatments were not effective in the control visits of patients. Although pediatricians often prefer topical barrier creams for the treatment of diaper dermatitis, options may change depending on the severity of the lesions or the treatment response to the first-line topical treatments.

Assessing the generation of tissue resident memory T cells by vaccines.

Vaccines have been a hugely successful public health intervention, virtually eliminating many once common diseases of childhood. However, they have had less success in controlling endemic pathogens including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, herpesviruses and HIV. A focus on vaccine-mediated generation of neutralizing antibodies, which has been a successful approach for some pathogens, has been complicated by the emergence of escape variants, which has been seen for pathogens such as influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2, as well as for HIV-1. We discuss how vaccination strategies aimed at generating a broad and robust T cell response may offer superior protection against pathogens, particularly those that have been observed to mutate rapidly. In particular, we consider here how a focus on generating resident memory T cells may be uniquely effective for providing immunity to pathogens that typically infect (or become reactivated in) the skin, respiratory mucosa or other barrier tissues.

Aile Sağlığı Merkezinde tanı konan Tip 1 Diyabetes Mellitus vakası

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is one of the most common diseases in childhood. It has a multifactorial etiology depending on genetic, autoimmune and environmental causes. Type 1 DM may present with many different symptoms during diagnosis. The most severe of these symptoms is undoubtedly diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). The incidence of Type 1 DM is increasing day by day and the incidence of Type 1 DM under the age of 18 in Turkey has been reported as 10.8/100.000 and prevalence as 0.75/1000. Type 1 DM may present with symptoms such as polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia and inability to gain weight despite polyphagia, anorexia, weakness, fatigue, nocturia, dry mouth, unexplained weight loss, and recurrent infections. Family Medicine is one of the departments where the most undifferentiated patients are encountered among the medical disciplines. In this case report, we aimed to discuss a case involving the diagnosis of Type 1 DM after a patient who came to primary care with the complaint of vomiting was referred with the suspicion of Diabetic Ketoacidosis and to emphasize the importance of undifferentiated patient approach in primary care.

Levels of antibodies to adalimumab in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at different stages of treatment

Background. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is one of the most common rheumatological diseases of childhood. The central place in the problem of JIA belongs to the question of treatment the timeliness and adequacy of which determine the disease prognosis and, in fact, the entire future of the child. Immunobiological therapy can cause stable clinical and laboratory remission, as well as stop the further progression of structural changes, affecting the pathogenetic link of idiopathic arthritis. But the lack of response to therapy or a decrease in its effectiveness remains a fairly common problem and, in many cases, can be caused by the immunogenicity of immunobiological drugs, especially in case of treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors. Aim of the work: to study the level of antibodies to adalimumab in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at different stages of treatment for analysis of immunogenicity. Materials and methods. The concentration of antibodies to adalimumab in 80 serum samples from patients with JIA was studied and evaluated, treatment effectiveness and adverse events were analyzed in 56 patients with JIA at different stages of therapy. Two groups were identified. The first one included 24 patients who had at least a 6-month break in adalimumab administration for non-medical reasons during which treatment was continued with methotrexate with periodic intra-articular injection of glucocorticoids. The level of antibodies to adalimumab was evaluated before the break and 1 month after the reinitiation of adalimumab administration. The second group consisted of 32 children who continued adalimumab without a break during treatment. Disease activity was measured using JADAS-27. Antibodies to adalimumab were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. During the examination, an elevated level of antibodies to adalimumab was detected in 10 of 24 serum samples (42 %) before non-medical withdrawal in group I. Among the results of group II, elevated levels of antibodies to adalimumab were found in 12 samples, which was 38 %. The correlation analysis revealed direct statistically significant relationships of moderate strength between the level of antibodies to adalimumab and the indicator of inflammatory activity on JADAS-27 (Spearman’s r = 0.39, p &lt; 0.05), as well as between the level of antibodies and disease duration (Spearman’s r = 0.32, p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions. Monitoring serum antibodies to adalimumab is informative for the correct interpretation of treatment effectiveness and the course of the disease with immunobiological treatment, as it may improve understanding of the clinical consequences of continued therapy, help prevent adalimumab immunogenicity, develop follow-up strategies and, as a result, can affect a long-term outcome of treatment for JIA.

Severe asthma guidelines in children and adolescents: A practical document for physicians.

Asthma is a common disease in childhood with a minority of affected children suffering from severe asthma. Patients with severe asthma require high dose inhaled glucocorticoids plus a second controller and/or systemic corticosteroids to be well-controlled or remain uncontrolled despite such treatment. Although only a small subset of children and adolescents falls in this category, the management of affected patients represents a major concern for pediatricians. Guidelines and recommendations have been designed to guide the management of this group of patients. Though the terms "recommendations" and "guidelines" are often used interchangeably, it should be noted that the first one should be used more narrowly to identify specific actions and the second one to broadly refer to the umbrella under which multiple recommendations for a specific condition are provided. Moreover, the availability of several and sometimes-conflicting documents on severe asthma management both in adult and pediatric age could generate confusion among health care professionals. The manuscript analyses seven papers addressing severe asthma, comparing any key aspects and differences. Finally, we tried to create a more practical document for physicians to simplify the interpretation of the several available documents on severe asthma management focusing the pediatric age.

Improving Pediatric Asthma Care Through Asthma Apps: A Narrative Review

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood. Clinicians frequently do not adhere to clinical practice guidelines for the management of asthma, leading to emergency department visits, hospitalizations, missed school days, and missed work for parents and caregivers. Incorporating telehealth interventions into asthma management improves patient outcomes. Of the available telehealth interventions, pediatric-specific asthma apps show the most promise for improving patient outcomes. Asthma apps have been shown to improve asthma control, increase adherence to medications, and reduce asthma exacerbations. Providers can easily vet asthma apps by using the Mobile Application Rating Scale and determine the app’s use of behavioral change techniques.

Detection of Oxacillin/Cefoxitin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Present in Recurrent Tonsillitis.

Recurrent tonsillitis is one of the most common diseases in childhood, caused many times by ß-lactam-resistant S. aureus. The objective of this study was to investigate an alternative method to identify resistance to oxacillin/cefoxitin in S. aureus from hospitalized children with recurrent tonsillitis. The samples of S. aureus came from patients with recurrent tonsillitis and were used in 16S rRNA sequencing and an antibiogram test for identification and verifying resistance, after which HSI methodology were applied for separation of S. aureus resistances. The S. aureus isolated showed sensitivity to oxacillin/cefoxitin and the diagnostic images show a visual description of the resistance different groups formed, that may be related to sensitivity and resistance to oxacillin/cefoxitin, characterizing the MRSA S. aureus. Samples that showed phenotypic resistance to oxacillin/cefoxitin were clearly separated from samples that did not show this resistance. A PLS-DA model predicted the presence of resistance to oxacillin/cefoxitin in S. aureus samples and it was possible to observe the pixels classified as MRSA. The HSI was able to successfully discriminate samples in replicas that were sensitive and resistant, based on the calibration model it received.