Publications by authors named "P N Britton"
Aim: To describe the timing and causes of post-neonatally acquired cerebral palsy (PNN-CP) and map the implementation of relevant preventive strategies against cause-specific temporal trends in prevalence.
Methods: Data for a 1975-2014 birth cohort of children with PNN-CP (brain injury between 28 days and 2 years of age) were drawn from the Victorian and Western Australian CP Registers. Descriptive statistics were used to report causal events and timing.
Article Synopsis
- A study reviewed medical records from eight hospitals in Australia and New Zealand examining how intravenous aciclovir is prescribed for suspected herpes simplex virus (HSV) disease in neonates and older children between January and December 2019.
- Out of 1,426 patients, most received aciclovir for suspected cases without definitive HSV testing; notably, only a small fraction had confirmed diagnoses among older children, indicating potentially excessive and unjustified prescribing.
- Among the patients, adverse effects included instances of nephrotoxicity and extravasation injuries, raising concerns about the safety and necessity of such treatments in the pediatric population.
Article Synopsis
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of serious respiratory infections in children, and this study aimed to compare hospitalized cases of RSV with other viral infections in children under 2 years old.
- A retrospective analysis of 660 children revealed that those with RSV were older and showed more severe symptoms, needing longer hospital stays and more frequent antibiotic treatment.
- The findings highlight that RSV-positive cases exhibited more serious clinical features, indicating a need for better prevention and treatment strategies for RSV infections in young children.