Pediatric Screening Research Articles

Pediatric vision screening using the plusoptiX A12C photoscreener in Chinese preschool children aged 3 to 4 years

This study evaluated the performance of plusoptiX A12C in detecting amblyopia risk factors (ARFs) in Chinese children aged 3-to-4-year. PlusoptiX examination was successfully conducted among 1,766 subjects without cycloplegia to detect refractive error, asymmetry and media opacity. Cycloplegic retinoscopy (CR) was conducted on 357 children suspected of having vision abnormalities. Statistical differences between CR and the device were confirmed using the mean spherical value (+1.41 ± 0.87 D versus +1.14 ± 0.81 D), cylindrical value (−0.47 ± 0.64 versus −0.84 ± 0.78) and spherical equivalent (SE) value (+1.17 ± 0.84 D versus +0.72 ± 0.64 D) (all P < 0.0001). In the emmetropia group, the differences were statistically significant for the cylinder and SE (all P < 0.0001) but not the sphere (P = 0.33). In the hyperopia group, the differences were statistically significant for the sphere, cylinder and SE (all P < 0.0001). For refractive and strabismic ARFs detection, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated, respectively.

Automated Screening of Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Using Nocturnal Oximetry: An Alternative to Respiratory Polygraphy in Unattended Settings.

Nocturnal oximetry has become known as a simple, readily available, and potentially useful diagnostic tool of childhood obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, at-home respiratory polygraphy (HRP) remains the preferred alternative to polysomnography (PSG) in unattended settings. The aim of this study was twofold: (1) to design and assess a novel methodology for pediatric OSA screening based on automated analysis of at-home oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2), and (2) to compare its diagnostic performance with HRP. SpO2 recordings were parameterized by means of time, frequency, and conventional oximetric measures. Logistic regression models were optimized using genetic algorithms (GAs) for three cutoffs for OSA: 1, 3, and 5 events/h. The diagnostic performance of logistic regression models, manual obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) from HRP, and the conventional oxygen desaturation index ≥ 3% (ODI3) were assessed. For a cutoff of 1 event/h, the optimal logistic regression model significantly outperformed both conventional HRP-derived ODI3 and OAHI: 85.5% accuracy (HRP 74.6%; ODI3 65.9%) and 0.97 area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) (HRP 0.78; ODI3 0.75) were reached. For a cutoff of 3 events/h, the logistic regression model achieved 83.4% accuracy (HRP 85.0%; ODI3 74.5%) and 0.96 AUC (HRP 0.93; ODI3 0.85) whereas using a cutoff of 5 events/h, oximetry reached 82.8% accuracy (HRP 85.1%; ODI3 76.7) and 0.97 AUC (HRP 0.95; ODI3 0.84). Automated analysis of at-home SpO2 recordings provide accurate detection of children with high pretest probability of OSA. Thus, unsupervised nocturnal oximetry may enable a simple and effective alternative to HRP and PSG in unattended settings.

Multiple etiologies of infectious diarrhea and concurrent infections in a pediatric outpatient-based screening study in Odisha, India

BackgroundThere are multiple etiologies responsible for infectious gastroenteritis causing acute diarrhea which are often under diagnosed. Also acute diarrhea is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality among children less than 5 years of age.MethodsIn our study, fecal samples (n = 130) were collected from children (<5 years) presenting with symptoms of acute diarrhea. Samples were screened for viral, bacterial, and parasitic etiologies. Rotavirus and Adenovirus were screened by immunochromatographic tests. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (EPEC, EHEC, STEC, EAEC, O157, O111), Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Vibrio cholera, Cryptosporidium spp., and Giardia spp. were detected by gene-specific polymerase chain reaction.ResultsEscherichia coli was detected to be the major etiological agent (30.07%) followed by Rotavirus (26.15%), Shigella (23.84%), Adenovirus (4.61%), Cryptosporidium (3.07%), and Giardia (0.77%). Concurrent infections with two or more pathogens were observed in 44 of 130 (33.84%) cases with a predominant incidence particularly in <2-year-old children (65.90%) compared to children of 2–5 years age group (34.09%). An overall result showed significantly higher detection rates among children with diarrhea in both combinations of two as well as three infections concurrently (p = 0.004915 and 0.03917, respectively).ConclusionSuspecting possible multiple infectious etiologies and diagnosis of the right causative agent(s) can aid in a better pharmacological management of acute childhood diarrhea. It is hypothesized that in cases with concurrent infections the etiological agents might be complementing each other’s strategies of pathogenesis resulting in severe diarrhea that could be studied better in experimental infections.

(261) Using the pediatric pain screening tool to predict longitudinal pain outcomes in treatment seeking youth with acute musculoskeletal pain

(261) Using the pediatric pain screening tool to predict longitudinal pain outcomes in treatment seeking youth with acute musculoskeletal pain

Development and validation of a pediatric nutritional screening score (PNSS) for hospitalized children.

There is no evidence on the most effective nutritional screening tool for hospitalized children. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a pediatric nutritional screening tool to assess undernutrition risk upon hospital admission. The study had a two-phase prospective observational design. A novel pediatric nutritional screening score (PNSS) was developed and sensitivity, specificity, and reliability were evaluated by comparing with a complete dietetic assessment. Length of hospital stay, weight loss, disease complications, and nutritional support were recorded. PNSS consisted of three elements: disease with malnutrition risks, changes in food intake, and anthropometric measurements, with a score of 0-2 for each element. The optimal cut-off score to identify patients (n=96) at risk of undernutrition was two. The agreement between PNSS and the complete dietetic assessment was moderate (κ=0.435, 95% CI=0.373-0.498). Sensitivity and specificity values of PNSS were 82% (95% CI=76%-87%) and 71% (95% CI=67%-74%), respectively. Inter-rater agreement had a κ value of 0.596 (95% CI=0.529-0.664, p<0.001). The percentage of children with undernutrition risk was 44.9%. Children with oncologic, gastrointestinal, and cardiac diseases were most likely to be at risk of undernutrition. The at-risk group was associated significantly with longer length of hospital stay and higher percentage of weight loss compared with the not-at-risk group. PNSS is the first nutritional screening tool developed for hospitalized children and validated in a large population of patients in China.

Reproducibility and Inter-rater Reliability of 2 Paediatric Nutritional Screening Tools.

The aim of the present study was to assess reproducibility and inter-rater reliability of 2 nutritional screening tools (NST): Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth (STRONGkids) and Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Paediatrics (STAMP). Prospective observational multicentre study. Patients ages 1 month or older admitted to paediatric or surgical wards were tested within 24 hours of admission by 2 independent observers: experts specialized in paediatric nutrition (physicians or dieticians) and clinical staff nonexpert in nutrition. Diagnosis on admission, underlying diseases, and length of stay were registered. Kappa index (κ) to evaluate agreement between observers. A total of 223 patients were included (53.4% boys), with mean age of 5.59 (95% confidence interval 4.94-6.22) years. Experts classified 9.9% of patients at high risk with STRONGkids and 19.7% using STAMP, whereas nonexpert staff assigned 6.7% of patients to the high-risk category with STRONGkids and 21.9% with STAMP. Agreement between expert and nonexpert staff was good: 94.78% for STRONGkids (κ 0.72 [P < 0.001]); 92.55% for STAMP (κ 0.74 [P < 0.001]). The rate of malnutrition was significantly higher among high-risk patients with both NST, independent of examiner experience. After adjusting for age, both STRONGkids and STAMP high-risk scores predicted longer length of stay, whether assessed by experts or nonexperts, although differences were higher with STRONGkids. Agreement between experts and nonexpert staff in nutrition was good, producing a similar high-risk patient profile. Our results demonstrate that these NSTs are appropriate for nutritional screening in settings in which users have no previous experience in the field.

Pediatric laboratory-based screening methodology for nutrition-based disorders

Pediatric laboratory-based screening methodology for nutrition-based disorders

Screening Guidelines for Venous Thromboembolism Risk in Hospitalized Children Have Low Sensitivity for Central Venous Catheter-Associated Thrombosis.

Local pediatric screening guidelines for venous thromboembolism (VTE) are developed from incomplete pediatric data and extrapolated from adult data in which immobility is a major risk factor. We hypothesized that screening guidelines centered on immobility are inadequate for identifying children at risk of central venous catheter (CVC)-associated VTE. This retrospective case-control (4:1) study at an academic, quaternary-level, free-standing children's hospital applied screening guidelines for VTE risk to all cases of VTE from July 2012 to April 2014. Cases and controls were classified as "at risk" or "not at risk" of VTE by guideline criteria. These guidelines assessed VTE risk factors, including CVC, as reported in the pediatric literature. VTE prevalence was 0.5 per 100 admissions. Sixty-nine of 114 patients with radiographically confirmed VTE were classified as being "at risk" by the guidelines, with a sensitivity of 61%, specificity of 90.8%, a positive predictive value of 2.4%, and negative predictive value of 99.8%. There was no difference in screening guidelines sensitivity for identifying CVC-associated VTE versus non-CVC-associated VTE. Half of the 45 patients with VTE who were not captured as being "at risk" did not have decreased mobility, the entry point to the algorithm, and 80% of these patients had a CVC. Screening guidelines have low sensitivity for identifying hospitalized children at increased risk of both CVC-associated and other VTE events. Decreased mobility is not a requirement for CVC-associated VTE. Risk factors extrapolated from adult data are insufficient for identifying children at risk of VTE.

US Preventive Task Force cites insufficient evidence for pediatric lipid screening

US Preventive Task Force cites insufficient evidence for pediatric lipid screening

Early hearing screening in South Africa – time to get real about context

Review of published literature related to early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) services in South Africa (SA) between 1995 and 2014 has highlighted progress in terms of the journey toward implementation of paediatric hearing screening services. However, in contrast to developed contexts, there are very few outcome studies from developing countries such as SA that support the efficacy of EHDI. This dearth of evidence from developing countries may be due to the lack of integrated, national EHDI programmes.

Preventing acute care-associated venous thromboembolism in adult and pediatric patients across a large healthcare system.

Although effective methods for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (VTE-P) have been known for decades, reliable implementation has been challenging. Develop reliable VTE-P systems for adult and for pediatric patients to reduce preventable venous thromboembolism (VTE). We used a discovery and diffusion system to first develop an effective system in 1 hospital location, and then spread the principle best practices across the entire 22-hospital system. Twenty-two Mayo Clinic hospitals (adults and children). Adult and pediatric patients. (1) Ensure that a VTE-P is declared at admission by providing a mandatory VTE-P "tollgate" that requires the provider to assess the risk for VTE and provide an appropriate order for VTE-P. (2) Use clinical decision support to provide ongoing surveillance and alerts to providers when there is a lapse in the VTE-P plan. In adults, VTE compliance as measured by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Core Measures VTE-1 and VTE-2, preventable VTE as measured by VTE-6, and in pediatric patients, appropriate VTE measures as determined by chart audit. VTE-1 and VTE-2 have approached 97% to 100% and preventable VTE has declined to 0% for the last 3 quarters. Similarly, the pediatric VTE-P screening tool was evaluated and piloted with >92% compliance in risk documentation, appropriate VTE-P >64%, and 0 VTE events during the study period. An integrated system-wide approach can lead to measurable improvements in VTE-P process and outcome measures. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:S15-S21. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Ethical issues in pediatric genetic testing and screening.

Developments in genetic test technologies enable a detailed analysis of the genomes of individuals across the range of human development from embryos to adults with increased precision and lower cost. These powerful technologies raise a number of ethical issues in pediatrics, primarily because of the frequent lack of clinical utility of genetic information, the generation of secondary results and questions over the proper scope of parental authority for testing. Several professional organizations in the fields of genetics and pediatrics have published new guidance on the ethical, legal, and policy issues relevant to genetic testing in children. The roles of predictive testing for adult-onset conditions, the management of secondary findings and the role of informed consent for newborn screening remain controversial. However, research and experience are not demonstrating serious adverse psychosocial impacts from genetic testing and screening in children. The use of these technologies is expanding with the notion that the personal utility of test results, rather than clinical utility, may be sufficient to justify testing. The use of microarray and genome sequencing technologies is expanding in the care of children. More deference to parental decision-making is evolving in contexts wherein information and counseling can be made readily available.

232 - Adult and pediatric sarcoma cell line screen findings in Notch, DNA repair and cell cycle gene and miR expression and compound response

232 - Adult and pediatric sarcoma cell line screen findings in Notch, DNA repair and cell cycle gene and miR expression and compound response

Accuracy of a Pediatric Behavioral Health Screener to Detect Untreated Behavioral Health Problems in Primary Care Settings.

An estimated 10% to 20% of youth in primary care exhibit behavioral symptoms and may go underdetected. Most screeners identify risk base of symptoms alone, irrespective of functional impairment. To address this issue, the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC-17), a widely used symptom screener, was combined with functional impairment and current behavioral services enrollment items to form the Pediatric Behavioral Health Screen (PBHS) and assessed compared to the full Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). A total of 267 youth between 6 and 16 years of age were administered the screener and the CBCL. Areas under the receiver operating curves approached or exceeded 0.90 in all analyses, reflecting excellent classification accuracy. Almost no false negatives were observed among currently untreated cases with functional impairment. No differential item functioning was found. Performance of the PSC-17 as a pediatric primary care behavioral health screener supported previous research, and additional functional impairment items to form the PBHS appeared useful, particularly for interpreting borderline range scores.

Evaluation of the electronic self-report Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi)

ObjectiveWe previously developed the paper-based Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) designed for paediatric cancer symptom screening. Objectives were to evaluate and refine the electronic mobile application (app) of SSPedi...

Let's cut it short: Italian standardization of the MMSPE (Mini-Mental State Pediatric Examination), a brief cognitive screening tool for school-age children.

A pediatric cognitive screening tool has been shaped in three versions according to school class to assess spatial and temporal orientation, language, reading, writing, drawing, number knowledge, memory, praxis and executive functions in children aged 6-13. It has been standardized on an Italian sample of 807 children. Raw scores were adjusted for critical variables (child's age and parents' education) and a cut-off for the resulting global cognitive score was made available for clinical practice. In line with previous research, adapting the Mini-Mental State Examination to pediatric neuropsychological assessment turned out to be useful in estimating global cognitive functioning in children.

Screening and analysis of nutritional risk in hospitalized children

Objective To know the status of nutritional risk and the distributing characteristics of high nutritional risk, and provide references for clinical nutrition support. Methods Totally 4 728 hospitalized children that accorded with the assessment standard of nutritional risk in Children′s Hospital of Soocow University from March 2015 to April 2015 were screened out by pediatric nutrition assessment screening tool as the research object. The occurrence of high nutritional risk of hospitalized children and the scores were analyzed by SPSS 19.0 according to different sex, age and departments. Results Among 4 728 hospitalized children, the occurrence rate of high nutritional risk was 18.21%; the medical department accounted for 22.74% and the surgical department accounted for 9.22%. The top three occurrence rate of high nutritional risk were digestive department (40.10%), kidney & rheumatism immunity department (32.13%) and vasculocardiology deparment (26.06%). The occurrence rate of high nutritional risk in female children was higher than the male children (19.99% vs 17.27%) (P<0.05). The occurrence rate of high nutritional risk in hospitalized children who were more than 7 years old was the highest(24.91%). The differences of occurrence rate of high nutritional risk in hospitalized children with different age were significant (χ2=64.844, P<0.05). The total score of nutritional risk in hospitalized children aged 4-7 was the highest and was (4.76±1.13), secondary, it was the score of hospitalized children that above 7 years old and was (4.71±1.27). The total score of nutritional risk in hospitalized children with high nutritional risk and different age was significantly different (P<0.05). Conclusions Hospitalized children have high nutritional risk and there is distributing difference. Children within 1 year old with digestive disorders or operation and children above 3 years old with chronic disease are the priority of clinical nutrition intervention. Key words: Child, hospitalized; Nutritional risk; Screening

Preliminary analysis of the concurrent validity of the Spanish translation of the BEARS sleep screening tool for children.

Objective Research studies describe a high prevalence of sleep problems in children with mental health problems, up to 50%, and its role as a risk factor in the development of psychopathology. These often go unnoticed and are not evaluated in the clinical field. Our objective was to assess the concurrent validity of the BEARS, a brief paediatric sleep screening instrument, using the Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) as the comparison instrument. Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive study, the BEARS was applied by a registered nurse to a sample of parents of children aged 2-16years (n=60, 71.7% male) who attended a mental healthcare facility (located in Murcia, Spain) for the first time to receive a group psychoeducational intervention. The association between the information collected with the BEARS and scores on the related subscales of the CSHQ was assessed by Mann-Whitney U tests. Results Children who, according to the BEARS, had a sleep problem obtained scores on the CSHQ-related subscales significantly higher than children who did not have a sleep problem (all Ps <0.05). Conclusion Our results support the concurrent validity of the Spanish translation of the BEARS to detect sleep problems in paediatric nursing assessments. Further studies, with bigger and more heterogeneous samples, are warranted.

Congenital Anorectal Malformation Severity Does Not Predict Severity of Congenital Heart Defects

To determine the prevalence of congenital heart defects (CHDs) in patients with mild or severe congenital anorectal malformations (CARMs), and whether all patients with CARM need pediatric cardiology screening. We included 129 patients with CARM born between 2004 and 2013, and referred to University Medical Center Groningen. Recto-perineal and recto-vestibular fistulas were classified as mild CARMs, all others as severe. Significant patent foramen ovale, secundum atrial septal defect, and small ventricular septum defect were classified as minor CHDs, all others as major. Of 129 patients with CARM, 67% had mild CARM, 33% severe CARM, and 17% were additionally diagnosed with CHD. CHDs were distributed equally in patients with mild or severe CARMs. Patients with multiple congenital abnormalities were more frequently diagnosed with CHD (n = 16, 36%) than patients without multiple congenital malformations (n = 5, 9%, P = .001). Patients with CARM diagnosed with CHD using pediatric cardiac echo screening were younger than 3 months of age at diagnosis. Earlier general pediatric examinations missed 7 (50%) children with mild and 4 (50%) with severe CHDs. The severity of CARM could predict neither prevalence nor severity of CHD. More than one-half of CHDs were missed during the first physical examination. No new CHDs were found in patients older than 3 months of age at the time CARMs were diagnosed. We recommend screening all patients with CARM younger than 3 months of age for CHD at the time CARM is diagnosed. Preoperative echocardiography should be the rule in children younger than 3 months of age and with multiple congenital anomalies.

Outcome of nutritional screening in the acute paediatric setting

IntroductionMultiple nutritional risk assessment tools are available, but there are limited data on their application in the acute setting. We explored the validity of two tools in a tertiary Children's...