Patient Factors Associated with Access to Outpatient Pediatric General Surgical Care in a Rural State.

Background: We sought to understand factors impacting timely access to outpatient pediatric general surgical care in a largely rural state.

Methods: We conducted a multi-site retrospective cohort study, evaluating patients <18 years referred for outpatient pediatric general surgical evaluation from 11/1/2017-7/31/2022. Outcomes included obtaining an appointment, completing an appointment, and undergoing an operation.

Improving Pediatric Hypertension Screening in an Academic Primary Care Setting.

Introduction: Adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics clinical practice guidelines for screening and managing high blood pressure (BP) is low. This team sought to improve recognition and documentation of relevant diagnoses in patients aged 13-20 years who presented to general pediatric clinics.

Methods: The primary outcome measure was the proportion of office visits for patients ages 13-20 with a BP ≥ 120/80 with a visit or problem list diagnosis of hypertension or elevated BP.

Blueberry-added black tea: Effects of infusion temperature, drying method, fruit concentration on the iron-polyphenol complex formation, polyphenols profile, antioxidant activity, and sensory properties.

Herein, a food-to-food fortification with blueberries and black tea was performed for people suffering from iron deficiency, creating a new functional product with high consumer acceptance. Black tea was mixed with varying concentrations of sun-dried or freeze-dried blueberries and infused at different temperatures. Spectrophotometric analysis revealed that the addition of blueberries to black tea inhibited the formation of the iron-polyphenol complex by up to 97 % (p <.

Provider's Perception of Parental Anxiety in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Parents of critically ill children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) commonly experience new or worsening anxiety, which can lead to long-term sequelae in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To investigate how well the PICU providers recognize and assess parental anxiety, we assessed the acute and baseline anxiety level of 30 parents in the PICU with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and compared the results with the PICU physician's and nurses' assessments. All but four parents experienced higher acute anxiety scores compared to baseline, with a 34% increase in the number of parents with moderate and high anxiety scores.

Gastric Volume and Its Relationship to Underlying Pathology or Acid-suppressing Medication.

Background: Pulmonary aspiration during sedation is a major concern for sedation providers, making identifying high-risk patients a priority. Gastric fluid volume (GFV), an accepted risk factor for aspiration, has not been well characterized in fasting children. We hypothesized that GFV would increase with gastrointestinal (GI) pathology and decrease with regular acid-suppressor use.

Intranasal Dexmedetomidine as a Sedative for Pediatric Procedural Sedation.

Objective: This study seeks to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intranasal (IN) dexmedetomidine as a sedative medication for non-invasive procedural sedation.

Methods: Subjects 6 months to 18 years of age undergoing non-invasive elective procedures were included. Dexmedetomidine (3 mcg/kg) was administered IN 40 minutes before the scheduled procedure time.

The risk of shorter fasting time for pediatric deep sedation.

Background: Current guidelines adopted by the American Academy of Pediatrics calls for prolonged fasting times before performing pediatric procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA). PSA is increasingly provided to children outside of the operating theater by sedation trained pediatric providers and does not require airway manipulation. We investigated the safety of a shorter fasting time compared to a longer and guideline compliant fasting time.