A study of professional practices, attitudes and barriers to blended tube feeding in Australia and New Zealand.

Aims: This study investigates the utilisation of blended tube feeding by health professionals in Australia and New Zealand, assessing factors influencing its implementation following the Australasian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition blended tube feeding consensus statement.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted targeting health professionals across Australia and New Zealand. The survey comprised 35-questions including multiple choice, Likert scales and open-ended responses, to gain insights into blended tube feeding practices and perspectives.

Experiences of Allied Health Clinicians Accessing a Pilot Project ECHO® Program to Support Learning in Pediatric Feeding.

Introduction: Pediatric feeding disorder is increasing in prevalence, yet low clinician confidence regarding its management is a barrier to care. Targeted clinician training is needed as traditional didactic training programs are limited in both their accessibility and capacity to provide opportunities for the application of theory-based learning.

Methods: This study examined the experiences of a group of clinicians involved in a multidisciplinary PedFeed ECHO® network, a virtual community of practice established to support speech pathologists, occupational therapists, dieticians, and psychologists in Queensland, Australia, working with children with pediatric feeding disorder.

Surveillance of Vermont wildlife in 2021-2022 reveals no detected SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA.

Previous studies have documented natural infections of SARS-CoV-2 in various domestic and wild animals. More recently, studies have been published noting the susceptibility of members of the Cervidae family, and infections in both wild and captive cervid populations. In this study, we investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in mammalian wildlife within the state of Vermont.

Examining the Outcomes of Project ECHO as an Interprofessional Community of Practice for Pediatric Feeding Clinicians.

Project ECHO is a virtual, interprofessional, cased-based peer-learning model. To date, no studies have explored ECHO as a model for pediatric feeding education. This study examined the outcomes of establishing a pediatric feeding ECHO network.

Surveillance of Vermont wildlife in 2021-2022 reveals no detected SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA.

Previous studies have documented natural infections of SARS-CoV-2 in various domestic and wild animals. More recently, studies have been published noting the susceptibility of members of the Cervidae family, and infections in both wild and captive cervid populations. In this study, we investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in mammalian wildlife within the state of Vermont.

Characteristics and health service utilization of children most at risk for prolonged temporary tube feeding.

Background: This study aimed to describe children at risk of prolonged temporary tube feeding and evaluate associations between tube feeding duration and child and health service variables.

Methods: A prospective medical hospital records audit was conducted between November 1, 2018, and November 30, 2019. Children at risk of prolonged temporary tube feeding were identified as having a tube feeding duration of >5 days.

Understanding Training Needs in Pediatric Feeding for Allied Health Professionals: An Australian Perspective.

Purpose: Clinician experience and confidence can negatively impact pediatric feeding service availability, but limited research has investigated what training allied health professionals (AHPs) need to increase these factors. This study developed and distributed a survey investigating Australian AHPs' self-reported confidence and anxiousness, training needs, factors impacting training access, and training preferences.

Method: This study was conducted over two phases.

COVID-19 surge readiness: use cases demonstrating how hospitals leveraged digital identity access management for infection control and pandemic response.

Background: Surging volumes of patients with COVID-19 and the high infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 challenged hospital infection control/safety, staffing, care delivery and operations as few crises have. Imperatives to ensure security of patient information, defend against cybersecurity threats and accurately identify/authenticate patients and staff were undiminished, which fostered creative use cases where hospitals leveraged identity access and management (IAM) technologies to improve infection control and minimise disruption of clinical and administrative workflows.

Methods: Working with a leading IAM solution provider, implementation personnel in the USA and UK identified all hospitals/health systems where an innovative use of IAM technology improved facility infection control and pandemic response management.

A natural history of temporary tube feeding care at a children's hospital: A prospective audit of medical records.

This chart audit characterized the natural history of temporary tube feeding use at a children's hospital between 1 November 2018 and 30 November 2019. Data were collected from the decision-making phase until tube removal or 4 months post-tube insertion. Children's tube feeding journeys were described, and associations determined between patient and service-related variables and outcomes of tube feeding duration and being discharged with a feeding tube.

Improving clinical trial outcomes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Individuals who are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) today face the same historically intransigent problem that has existed since the initial description of the disease in the 1860s - a lack of effective therapies. In part, the development of new treatments has been hampered by an imperfect understanding of the biological processes that trigger ALS and promote disease progression. Advances in our understanding of these biological processes, including the causative genetic mutations, and of the influence of environmental factors have deepened our appreciation of disease pathophysiology.

Paediatric tube-feeding: An agenda for care improvement and research.

This article presents an agenda to improve the care and wellbeing of children with paediatric feeding disorder who require tube feeding (PFD-T). PFD-T requires urgent attention in practice and research. Priorities include: routine collection of PFD-T data in health-care records; addressing the tube-feeding lifecycle; and reducing the severity and duration of disruption caused by PFD-T where possible.

Temporary feeding tube dependency in pediatric patients: A retrospective analysis of risk factors and preventative practices.

Background & Aims: Prolonged temporary tube feeding places pediatric patients at risk of tube dependency. This chart audit aimed to identify current temporary tube feeding practice within an Australian tertiary hospital, risk factors of prolonged temporary tube feeding, and the likelihood of high risk patients receiving tube dependency preventative practices.

Methods: A retrospective chart audit was conducted of the medical records of 187 pediatric inpatients who had temporary feeding tubes placed in an Australian tertiary hospital between November 2014 and March 2017.

Weaning children from temporary tube feeding: Staff survey of knowledge and practices.

Aim: To explore the understanding of and practices of health-care workers in weaning children from feeding tubes.

Methods: An electronic survey of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals at Children's Health Queensland obtained demographic information and awareness of various areas of tube feeding management particularly tube weaning.

Results: The 155 health-care providers formed three well-matched groups in terms of number and years of experience.

Characterisation of information Hospitals Provide Parents on Tube Feeding, Including Tube Weaning.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to characterise the content of hospital parent guides related to pediatric tube feeding.

Design And Methods: A naturalistic search strategy was used to retrieve parent guides produced by hospitals using Google. Guides were analysed and content identified as being associated with codes which were derived from previous research into the education of parents on tube feeding and the prevention and treatment of tube feeding dependency and tube weaning.

Establishment and 12-month progress of the New Zealand Motor Neurone Disease Registry.

There are only limited treatments currently available for Motor Neurone Disease, each with modest benefits. However, there is a large amount of research and drug discovery currently underway worldwide. The New Zealand Motor Neurone Disease Registry was established in 2017 to facilitate participation in research and clinical trials, and to aid researchers in planning and recruitment.

Validation of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument with a looked after population.

The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-version 2 (MAYSI-2) was developed to help identify mental health needs of young people admitted to youth detention centres. Only one study has applied the tool to a UK population and none have looked at young people who live in residential and secure care in Scotland. This study aimed to assess the validity of the MAYSI-2 in Scotland with a looked after and accommodated population.

Utility of proactive infliximab levels in paediatric Crohn's disease.

Objective: Infliximab (IFX) has an established role in Crohn's disease (CD), with serum trough levels of IFX (TLI) increasingly used to optimise dosing. We report the utility of routine, proactive TLI in children on combination therapy with immunosuppression (IS) from a single paediatric centre.

Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of all children with CD receiving IFX therapy conducted betweenJanuary 2014-May 2017.

Androgens, exercise capacity, and muscle function in cystic fibrosis.

Background: It is well established that muscle strength and exercise capacity are impaired in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). Numerous factors have been implicated in this process including nutritional factors, disuse, and corticosteroid use. It is also known that serum testosterone levels are frequently low in adolescent male patients with CF.