Pediatric cricopharyngeal achalasia: A systematic review.

Background: Pediatric dysphagia is a commonly encountered clinical problem, with primary cricopharyngeal achalasia being a rare etiology. Management options for this condition include observation, medical and surgical management. The goal of this review paper was to summarize the current literature on the topic with respect to patient presentation, diagnosis and surgical management options.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Swallowing Dysfunction in Patients With Laryngomalacia Treated Medically and Surgically.

Objective: To identify the prevalence, pattern, and nature of swallowing dysfunction (SwD) in a consecutive cohort of patients with laryngomalacia (LM), and to determine factors associated with a higher burden of SwD.

Study Design: This was a retrospective review of consecutive patients diagnosed with LM by 2 pediatric otolaryngologists between 2013 and 2022 and a minimum of 3-month follow-up.

Setting: Tertiary care pediatric otolaryngology referral center.

Dysphagia is a strong predictor of revision supraglottoplasty in pediatric laryngomalacia.

Background: There is growing research on the association between swallowing dysfunction and laryngomalacia. Supraglottoplasty is the surgical intervention used to treat laryngomalacia, however a portion of patients who undergo this procedure will require a revision surgery. Predictive risk factors for revision supraglottoplasty in patients with laryngomalacia are not well understood, and previous studies failed to evaluate swallowing systematically.

Four intestinal ultrasound scores and bowel wall thickness alone correlated well with pediatric ulcerative colitis disease activity.

Objectives: Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is a noninvasive tool in ulcerative colitis (UC), but scoring systems have mostly been developed for adults, Crohn's disease, and flaring UC. Our aim was to evaluate the performance of bowel wall thickness (BWT) and four IUS scores in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed UC.

Methods: Patients <18 years old with suspected UC were prospectively enrolled.

Video Capsule Endoscopy in a Pediatric Patient With Hematemesis While on Ventricular Assist Device Support.

We report the first case of video capsule endoscopy usage to diagnose gastrointestinal bleeding in a pediatric patient on a ventricular assist device. The outcomes of this case are consistent with the findings of reports in adult patients, showing no patient complications, no pacemaker or ventricular assist device interactions, and successful identification of a gastrointestinal source of bleeding. Use of video capsule endoscopy in this patient changed the management plan and eliminated the need for further invasive investigations highlighting the potential utility of this diagnostic method in this patient population.

Early Infliximab Clearance Predicts Remission in Children with Crohn's Disease.

Background And Aims: Children with Crohn's disease have lower response rates to infliximab, lower infliximab levels, and higher infliximab clearance on weight-based dosing than adults. We hypothesize infliximab clearance is a predictive of later outcomes on infliximab in children with Crohn's disease.

Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, data were collected from charts on diagnosis, anthropometry, routine labs, infliximab therapeutic drug monitoring, infliximab dosing, disease activity, and other treatments.

Pediatric Patient and Caregiver Satisfaction With the Use of Transabdominal Bowel Ultrasound in the Assessment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Objectives: Transabdominal bowel ultrasound (TABUS) is emerging as an attractive, noninvasive tool in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Patient and caregiver experience with TABUS is not well described. We aimed to determine pediatric patient and caregiver satisfaction with TABUS and the impact of IBD severity, gender, age, and a history of anxiety on satisfaction.

Growth Delay in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Significance, Causes, and Management.

Growth delay with height and weight impairment is a common feature of pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases (PIBD). Up to 2/3 of Crohn Disease patients have impaired weight at diagnosis, and up to 1/3 have impaired height. Ulcerative colitis usually manifests earlier with less impaired growth, though patients can be affected.

Mixed Lipid, Fish Oil, and Soybean Oil Parenteral Lipids Impact Cholestasis, Hepatic Phytosterol, and Lipid Composition.

Objectives: In parenteral nutrition-dependent infants and children, intestinal failure (IF)-associated liver disease (IFALD) remains an important problem. A comparative study was undertaken of parenteral mixed lipid (ML), ω-3 predominant fish oil (FO), and ω-6 predominant soybean oil (SO) emulsions in regards to hepatic phytosterol, neutral lipid, fatty acid (FA) content, and the relationship to cholestasis in piglets.

Methods: Neonatal piglets received parenteral nutrition, varying in lipid dose (5 or 10 g· kg · day) and formulation: SO5 (n = 5), SO10 (n = 5), FO5 (n = 5), and ML10 (n = 5).

Integrating preventive dental care into general Paediatric practice for Indigenous communities: paediatric residents' perceptions.

This qualitative study aimed to explore paediatric residents' perceptions of the feasibility of incorporating preventive dental care into a general paediatric outreach clinic for a First Nations community. Four focus groups were conducted with paediatric residents and attending paediatricians. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a basic interpretive qualitative approach.

Practices regarding human Papillomavirus counseling and vaccination in head and neck cancer: a Canadian physician questionnaire.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) has recently been implicated as a causative agent in a rapidly growing number of oropharyngeal cancers. Emerging literature supports the hypothesis that HPV vaccination may protect against HPV-related head and neck cancer (HNC) in addition to HPV-related cervical and anogenital disease. While the association between HPV infection and cervical cancer is widely understood, its relation to HNC is less well known.

Antitissue Transglutaminase Normalization Postdiagnosis in Children With Celiac Disease.

Objectives: Limited pediatric data exist examining the trend and predictors of antitissue transglutaminase (atTG) normalization over time in children with celiac disease (CD). We aimed to evaluate time to normalization of atTG in children after CD diagnosis, and to assess for independent predictors affecting this duration.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was completed in pediatric patients with CD diagnosed from 2007 to 2014 at the Stollery Children's Hospital Celiac Clinic (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada).

Managing the pediatric patient with celiac disease: a multidisciplinary approach.

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune reaction to gluten, leading to intestinal inflammation, villous atrophy, and malabsorption. It is the most common autoimmune gastrointestinal disorder, with an increasing prevalence. A life-long gluten-free diet (GFD) is an effective treatment to alleviate symptoms, normalize autoantibodies, and heal the intestinal mucosa in patients with CD.

Satisfaction in open access versus traditional referral for upper endoscopy in children.

Objectives: In traditional access endoscopy (TAE), patients are booked for endoscopy following a gastroenterology clinic assessment. In contrast, open access endoscopy (OAE) patients are seen for the first time on the day of the procedure, providing same day procedural consent. Controversy exists over the use of OAE in adults, both with the consent process and with patient satisfaction.