Electrolyte derangements in critically ill children receiving balanced versus unbalanced crystalloid fluid resuscitation.

Background: Adult studies have demonstrated potential harm from resuscitation with 0.9% sodium chloride (0.9%NaCl), resulting in increased utilization of balanced crystalloids like lactated ringers (LR).

Antibiotic Prescribing for Viral Respiratory Infections in the Pediatric Emergency Department and Urgent Care.

Background: Viral acute respiratory tract infections (vARTI) are a frequent source of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. We describe the prevalence of antibiotic prescribing for vARTI in the pediatric emergency department (ED) and urgent care (UC) within a health system, and identify factors associated with overall and broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribing.

Methods: Retrospective chart review within a single pediatric referral health system.

Multicenter Evaluation of Clinical Diagnostic Methods for Detection and Isolation of Campylobacter spp. from Stool.

The use of culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs), such as stool antigen tests, as standalone tests for the detection of Campylobacter in stool is increasing. We conducted a prospective, multicenter study to evaluate the performance of stool antigen CIDTs compared to culture and PCR for Campylobacter detection. Between July and October 2010, we tested 2,767 stool specimens from patients with gastrointestinal illness with the following methods: four types of Campylobacter selective media, four commercial stool antigen assays, and a commercial PCR assay.