Improving Disaster Preparedness of Families With a Parenteral Nutrition-dependent Child.

Objectives: Disruption in the care of special healthcare needs children may lead to life-threatening situations or preventable secondary conditions. California averages more than 100 earthquakes per week. Subsequent power outages, damage to utility systems, and road damage after an earthquake can have grave consequences for families with parenteral nutrition (PN)-dependent children.

Evaluation and Gap Analysis of Pediatric Disaster Preparedness Resources.

The goal of this research was to identify, summarize, and evaluate pediatric disaster preparedness resources in the United States and to identify areas that need improvement or further development. Using standard literature, gray literature and website reviews, relevant resources were identified and the 50 most relevant resources were studied in depth. Each resource was given a grade of A, B, or C based on content, format, quality, and thoroughness.

Routine post-operative esophagram Is not necessary after repair of esophageal atresia.

Introduction: Esophagrams are routinely performed following repair of esophageal atresia (EA) with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF); however, its utility has not been validated.

Methods: EA/TEF repair performed from 2003 to 2014 at a single pediatric hospital and from 2004 to 2014 in the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database were retrospectively reviewed to determine utility of esophagrams.

Results: Esophagram was performed in 99% of patients at our institution (N = 105).

The Role of Adult Perceptions and Supervision Behavior in Preventing Child Injury.

Supervision is an important factor in reducing injury risk. There are multiple factors that can affect the appropriate level of supervision including risk perception, anticipation of injury, and distracted behaviors. This study examined the perceived risks of child injury among parents and child caregivers and their supervision behavior among adults in an urban playground.

Qualitative assessment of simulation-based training for pediatric trauma resuscitation.

Background: Effective teamwork is critical in the trauma bay, although there is a lack of consensus related to optimal training for these skills. We implemented in situ trauma simulations with debriefing as a possible training methodology to improve team-oriented skills.

Methods: Focus groups were conducted with multidisciplinary clinicians who respond to trauma activations.

Assessing American Red Cross First Aid mobile app user trends: Implications for resilience.

Objective: Disasters have devastated communities, impacted the economy, and resulted in a significant increase in injuries. As the use of mobile technology increasingly becomes a common aspect of everyday life, it is important to understand how it can be used as a resource. The authors examined the use of American Red Cross mobile apps and aimed to characterize user trends to better understand how mobile apps can help bolster individual and community preparedness, resilience, and response efforts.

Heller Myotomy Is Superior to Balloon Dilatation or Botulinum Injection in Children with Achalasia: A Two-Center Review.

Introduction: Achalasia is an uncommon disorder in children. Currently, there is no consensus regarding the optimal treatment for achalasia. We investigate the effectiveness of symptom relief in patients who underwent endoscopic treatments versus Heller myotomy (HM).

Mixed-Methods Pilot Study: Disaster Preparedness of Families With Children Followed in an Intestinal Rehabilitation Clinic.

Background: Children with special healthcare needs are a vulnerable population in disasters. Special-needs families tend to be less prepared for a disaster than the general public. The purpose of this pilot project was to examine the disaster preparedness levels of families in an intestinal rehabilitation (IR) clinic.

A School-Hospital Partnership Increases Knowledge of Pedestrian and Motor Vehicle Safety.

Pedestrian and motor vehicle-related injuries are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Trauma centers have specialized resources to conduct interventions that improve the safety of whole communities. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a school-hospital partnership in increasing knowledge of pedestrian and motor vehicle safety among students and parents in a large, urban community.