Examining Infectious Complications Following Lumbar Puncture in Children.

Little is known about infectious complications of lumbar puncture (LP) in children. We reviewed records of children with bacterial meningitis, intraspinal abscess, and vertebral osteomyelitis over a 3-year period to identify infections following LP. Four children with bacterial meningitis and 1 child with vertebral osteomyelitis were identified and their clinical presentations were described.

Prescribing Patterns of Nonrecommended Medications for Children With Acute COVID-19.

Objective: Repurposed medications for acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continued to be prescribed after results from rigorous studies and national guidelines discouraged use. We aimed to describe prescribing rates of nonrecommended medications for acute COVID-19 in children, associations with demographic factors, and provider type and specialty.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort of children <18 years in a large United States all-payer claims database, we identified prescriptions within 2 weeks of an acute COVID-19 diagnosis.

Medications and Adherence to Treatment Guidelines Among Children Hospitalized With Acute COVID-19.

Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment guidelines rapidly evolved during the pandemic. The December 2020 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guideline, endorsed by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, recommended steroids for critical disease, and suggested steroids and remdesivir for severe disease. We evaluated how medications for children hospitalized with COVID-19 changed after guideline publication.

Factors Associated With COVID-19 Disease Severity in US Children and Adolescents.

Background: Little is known about the clinical factors associated with COVID-19 disease severity in children and adolescents.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study across 45 US children's hospitals between April 2020 to September 2020 of pediatric patients discharged with a primary diagnosis of COVID-19. We assessed factors associated with hospitalization and factors associated with clinical severity (eg, admission to inpatient floor, admission to intensive care unit [ICU], admission to ICU with mechanical ventilation, shock, death) among those hospitalized.

Assessment of the impact of inpatient infectious events in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia at Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Children's Hospital, Dominican Republic.

Survival rates for pediatric acute leukemia vary dramatically worldwide. Infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and the impact is amplified in low and middle-income countries. Defining the epidemiology of infection in a specific health care setting is paramount to developing effective interventions.

A Pediatric Infectious Diseases Perspective of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Children.

Understanding the role that children play in the clinical burden and propagation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, is emerging. While the severe manifestations and acute clinical burden of COVID-19 have largely spared children compared with adults, understanding the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostics, management, and prevention opportunities and the social and behavioral impacts on child health is vital. Foremost is clarifying the contribution of asymptomatic and mild infections to transmission within the household and community and the clinical and epidemiologic significance of uncommon severe post-infectious complications.

Descriptive analysis of immunization policy decision making in the Americas.

Objectives: Reducing and eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases requires evidence-based and informed policy decision making. Critical to determining the functionality of the decision-making process for introduction of a new vaccine is understanding the role of the national immunization technical advisory group (ITAG) in each country. The aim of this study is to document the current situation of national level immunization policy decision making for use in the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) ProVac Initiative.