Training Residents and Medical Students to Overcome Parents' Vaccine Hesitancy.

Strong provider recommendations increase vaccine confidence. Medical students and pediatric residents, as future physicians, will play an important role in the messaging about vaccines to their parents and patients. The importance of inclusion of vaccine education and communication skills in the medical school curriculum and residency training programs must be recognized to ensure provider confidence in discussions with vaccine-hesitant parents and patients.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 in a child with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We report a case of COVID-19 in a pediatric patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), who presented with respiratory distress marked by increased work of breathing and low oxygen saturation. Lab tests confirmed COVID-19, and showed lymphocytopenia and elevated markers of inflammation and coagulopathy. Chest X-ray showed bilateral mid-lung opacities, and the patient required intubation early in his disease course.

Pediatric COVID-19 and Appendicitis: A Gut Reaction to SARS-CoV-2?

Background: We describe the temporal pattern of COVID-19 admissions to a tertiary care children's hospital in central New Jersey during the SARS-CoV-2 surge, covering the time period from March 29 to July 26, 2020.

Methods: Medical charts were reviewed for the date of admission, past medical history, and demographic variables, presenting signs and symptoms, admitting laboratory values, diagnostic imaging, diagnosis, treatment modalities, and outcomes including length of stay and disease severity.

Results: Patients with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection tended to present with pneumonia early during the study period, which coincided with the early surge in New Jersey cases.

Latent Tuberculosis Infection Beliefs and Testing and Treatment Health Behaviors Amongst Non-US-Born South Asians in New Jersey: A Cross-Sectional Community Survey.

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) remains a problem in the United States as reactivation leads to active TB disease particularly in persons with risk factors. The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitudes and health behaviors related to testing and treatment of LTBI among non-US-born South Asians (SA) in New Jersey (NJ). A cross-sectional, community-based survey was the primary tool for gathering data.

Treatment Response in Association with Adherence Patterns to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Pediatric Patients with Perinatally Acquired HIV Infection.

Background: Assessment of longitudinal adherence patterns on virologic and immunologic responses to HAART in perinatally acquired HIV patients has not been studied.

Methods: Perinatally infected pediatric HIV patients with adherence documented at least twice and corresponding viral load and T-cell (%) data measured during 2008-2009 were studied. Multiple adherence measures were utilized to identify patients with persistent adherence, nonadherence, or alteration of adherence.

Protease inhibitor associated mutations compromise the efficacy of therapy in human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infected pediatric patients: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Although the introduction of combined therapy with reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors has resulted in considerable decrease in HIV related mortality; it has also induced the development of multiple drug-resistant HIV-1 variants. The few studies on HIV-1 mutagenesis in HIV infected children have not evaluated the impact of HIV-1 mutations on the clinical, virological and immunological presentation of HIV disease that is fundamental to optimizing the treatment regimens for these patients.

Results: A cross sectional study was conducted to evaluate the impact of treatment regimens and resistance mutation patterns on the clinical, virological, and immunological presentation of HIV disease in 41 children (25 male and 16 female) at the Robert Wood Johnson Pediatric AIDS Program in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Development, technical performance, and clinical evaluation of a NucliSens basic kit application for detection of enterovirus RNA in cerebrospinal fluid.

The combination of nucleic acid sequence-based amplification and electrochemiluminescence detection was used to develop an internally controlled, highly sensitive and specific assay for the detection of enterovirus (EV) RNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The analytical performance of the assay was determined using both in vitro-transcribed EV RNAs and viral culture isolates. The sensitivity of the assay was 10 EV RNA copies per amplification reaction.

Rates of Neisseria meningitidis increasing in young adults.

The burden of meningococcal disease has remained unchanged in the United States for the past 4 decades. The currently available meningococcal vaccine is safe and effective, however, due to immunogenic limitations inherent to polysaccharide vaccines, it has been available only for high-risk populations older than 2. Incorporation of a more immunogenic and effective conjugated vaccine into the routine immunization schedule offers an opportunity to substantially affect the incidence of meningococcal disease.