Clinical utility of SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RT-PCR in a pediatric quaternary care setting.

Background: During active transcription, SARS-CoV-2 generates subgenomic regions of viral RNA. While standard SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR amplifies region(s) of genomic RNA, it cannot distinguish active infection from remnant viral genomic material. However, screening for subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) by RT-PCR may aid in the determination of actively transcribing virus.

Bloodstream Infections in Infants and Children With Congenital Heart Disease Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Background: Children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery are at risk for laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections (LCBIs). These infections can lead to morbidity, mortality, and increased health care costs. The role of mucosal barrier injury in causing LCBIs is unknown.

Impact of FilmArray™ Respiratory Panel testing on the clinical management of pediatric bone marrow transplant patients.

Viral respiratory tract infections cause significant morbidity in bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients. Speed and sensitivity of the FilmArray™ Respiratory Panel (FA-RP) can improve care but may prompt inappropriate testing. Studies describing FA-RP use in pediatric BMT patients are limited; we investigated FA-RP use, results, and clinical management to evaluate clinical significance of testing in pediatric BMT patients.

Shining a light on the pathogenicity of health care providers' mobile phones: Use of a novel ultraviolet-C wave disinfection device.

Background: Mobile phones are known to carry pathogenic bacteria and viruses on their surfaces, posing a risk to healthcare providers (HCPs) and hospital infection prevention efforts. We utilize an Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) device to provide an effective method for mobile phone disinfection and survey HCPs about infection risk.

Methods: Environmental swabs were used to culture HCPs' personal mobile phone surfaces.