Feasibility of long-term home noninvasive ventilation program in a general pediatric unit: 21 years' experience in Hong Kong.

Background: Long-term home noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly employed in children with sleep-disordered breathing and chronic respiratory failure. While studies suggest its successful implementation in tertiary care centers, little is known about the situation in a general care setting. Hence, we aim to evaluate the clinical profiles of these children in a general pediatric unit over the past two decades.

Assessment of posterior tongue mobility using lingual-palatal suction: Progress towards a functional definition of ankyloglossia.

Background: A functional definition of ankyloglossia has been based on assessment of tongue mobility using the tongue range of motion ratio (TRMR) with the tongue tip extended towards the incisive papilla (TIP). Whereas this measurement has been helpful in assessing for variations in the mobility of the anterior one-third of the tongue (tongue tip and apex), it may be insufficient to adequately assess the mobility of the posterior two-thirds body of the tongue. A commonly used modification is to assess TRMR while the tongue is held in suction against the roof of the mouth in lingual-palatal suction (LPS).

Use of heated humidified high flow nasal cannula for obstructive sleep apnea in infants.

Objective: Heated humidified high flow nasal cannula (HHHFNC) has gained popularity in the treatment of children with respiratory distress and bronchiolitis in the past decade. Its efficacy as a mode of non-invasive respiratory support has been demonstrated in both adults and children. However, reports on its use in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in infants are limited.

Influenza vaccine effectiveness in hospitalised Hong Kong children: Feasibility of estimates from routine surveillance data.

Background: Hong Kong has a high burden of influenza hospitalisation. This study estimated influenza vaccine effectiveness in hospitalised Hong Kong children aged 6 months to below 6 years using data potentially obtainable from routine surveillance sources.

Methods: This 'test-negative' case-control study was conducted over two summer and one winter influenza seasons in five public Hong Kong hospitals during 2015 and 2016.

Management of Recurrent Preschool, Doctor-Diagnosed Wheeze.

Preschool wheeze occurs in half of the children before they reach 6 y of age and recurrence is also common. Recurrent preschool wheeze is classified as either typical or atypical. For typical recurrent preschool wheeze, the diagnoses are either asthma or bronchiolitis/bronchitis.

Palivizumab for Infants < 29 Weeks in Hong Kong without a Clear-Cut Season for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection-A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Aim: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of palivizumab prophylaxis for premature infants born <29 weeks in Hong Kong.

Method: We evaluated the hospitalization rate for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection within the first 12 months of discharge of a cohort of preterm infants born between 2010 and 2014 at two local hospitals.

Results: In total, 40 of 135 infants were given palivizumab.

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine as an add-on therapy to oral montelukast in the treatment of mild persistent asthma in children.

Objectives: Traditional Chinese medicine are commonly used for treatment of asthma. However, there are only very limited data about its efficacy in children. Therefore, we aimed to determine the efficacy of augmented Yu Ping Feng San (aYPFS) as an add-on to oral montelukast compared with montelukast alone for treatment of mild persistent asthma in children.

Low-level chronic mercury exposure in children and adolescents: meta-analysis.

Background: Mercury is a well-known neurotoxin. There are three kinds of mercury exposure: elemental mercury poisoning, inorganic mercury poisoning and organomercury poisoning. Organomercury is the most toxic.

Acute muscle weakness owing to severe hypokalaemia resulting from dietary insufficiency: case report.

Acute muscle weakness with severe hypokalaemia is not uncommon in adults but is rare in children. An 11-month-old girl presented with hypokalaemic paralysis following a 1-month insufficiency of dietary potassium.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome secondary to pharyngolaryngomalacia in a neonate with Down syndrome.

We described a case of obstructive sleep apnea secondary (OSAS) to pharyngomalacia and laryngomalacia in a neonate with Down syndrome. She presented with oxygen requirement and paradoxical breathing without stridor. Sleep polysomnography revealed obstructive apnea (obstructive apneic index of 14 h(-1)).

A brief report on the normal range of forehead temperature as determined by noncontact, handheld, infrared thermometer.

Background: Noncontact forehead temperature measurement by handheld infrared thermometer was used as a screening tool for fever. However, the accuracy data and normal range of forehead temperature determined by this method were not available.

Methods: The temperature readings from 3 handheld infrared thermometers were validated against an electronic thermometer.

Follow up of serial urea breath test results in patients after consumption of antibiotics for non-gastric infections.

Aim: The widespread use of antibacterial therapy has been suggested to be the cause for the decline in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection. This study examine the serial changes of urea breath test results in a group of hospitalized patients who were given antibacterial therapy for non-gastric infections.

Methods: Thirty-five hospitalized patients who were given antibacterial therapy for clinical infections, predominantly chest and urinary infections, were studied.

A case of fatal pharyngitis.

Pharyngitis is a common condition and usually does not lead to any major complication. We report a case in which the patient presented with pharyngitis resulting in an unusual fatal complication of pharyngeal and cerebral abscess. The causative organism was Streptococcus milleri that should be readily treatable by penicillin if the condition was recognised earlier.