Associations between double-checking and medication administration errors: a direct observational study of paediatric inpatients.

Background: Double-checking the administration of medications has been standard practice in paediatric hospitals around the world for decades. While the practice is widespread, evidence of its effectiveness in reducing errors or harm is scarce.

Objectives: To measure the association between double-checking, and the occurrence and potential severity of medication administration errors (MAEs); check duration; and factors associated with double-checking adherence.

Cause, treatment costs and 12-month functional outcomes of children with major injury in NSW, Australia.

Background: Information about children treated in New South Wales (NSW), Australia following major injury has been limited to those treated at trauma centres using mortality as the main outcome measure, restricting assessment of the effectiveness of the Trauma System. This study sought to describe the detailed characteristics as well as functional and psychosocial health outcomes of all children suffering major injury in NSW.

Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted between July 2015 and November 2017 and included children < 16 years requiring intensive care or an injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 9 treated in NSW or who died following injury.

Management of fever in Australian children: a population-based sample survey.

Background: Fever in childhood is a common acute presentation requiring clinical triage to identify the few children who have serious underlying infection. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been developed to assist clinicians with this task. This study aimed to assess the proportion of care provided in accordance with CPG recommendations for the management of fever in Australian children.

A population-based comparison of the post-operative outcomes of open and laparoscopic appendicectomy in children.

Objective: To assess and compare the post-operative outcomes of open and laparoscopic appendicectomy in children.

Design: Record linkage analysis of administrative hospital (Admitted Patient Data Collection) and emergency department (Emergency Department Data Collection) data.Participants, setting: Children under 16 years of age who underwent an appendicectomy in a public or private hospital in New South Wales between January 2002 and December 2013.

A Child With a Burn-Related Foot and Ankle Contracture Treated With Multiple Modalities.

Purpose: The presence of hypertrophic scars, which cross lower extremity joints, can often result in decreased range of motion, limitations in functional mobility, and gait deviations. This article reviews a case and describes a multimodal treatment approach.

Summary Of Key Points: A 6-year-old girl developed aggressive hypertrophic scars following a burn injury.

Detection and identification of bacteria using antibiotic susceptibility and a multi-array electrochemical sensor with pattern recognition.

This work proposes the use of amperometric signals generated by a 96-well multi-array dissolved oxygen multi-electrode sensor (DOX) coupled with principal component analysis for continuous monitoring, identification and differentiation of bacteria. Two types of differentiation mechanisms were tested: (1) direct monitoring of respiratory activity via oxygen consumption and (2) quantification of the effect of three broad-spectrum antibiotics on bacteria growth and respiration over time. Five species of bacteria were examined including: Escherichia coli, Escherichia adecarboxylata, Comamonas acidovorans, Corynebacterium glutamicum and Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Assay of teicoplanin in serum: comparison of high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence polarization immunoassay.

A simple liquid extraction coupled with reverse-phase HPLC and UV detection was shown to correlate well with fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) on the Abbott TD(x) analyser for serum teicoplanin analysis, r(2) = 0.974, HPLC = 0.908 TDx + 2.