A National Quality Improvement Collaborative to Improve Antibiotic Use in Pediatric Infections.

Background: Nearly 25% of antibiotics prescribed to children are inappropriate or unnecessary, subjecting patients to avoidable adverse medication effects and cost.

Methods: We conducted a quality improvement initiative across 118 hospitals participating in the American Academy of Pediatrics Value in Inpatient Pediatrics Network 2020 to 2022. We aimed to increase the proportion of children receiving appropriate: (1) empirical, (2) definitive, and (3) duration of antibiotic therapy for community-acquired pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, and urinary tract infections to ≥85% by Jan 1, 2022.

Documentation of Trauma-Informed Care Elements for Young People Hospitalized After Assault Trauma.

Introduction: Violent traumatic injury, including firearm violence, can adversely impact individual and community health. Trauma-informed care (TIC) can promote resilience and prevent future violence in patients who have experienced trauma. However, few protocols exist to facilitate implementation of TIC for patients who survive traumatic injury.

Comparing Patterns of Care for Febrile Infants at Community and University-Affiliated Hospitals.

Objectives: Most children in the United States receive treatment in community hospitals, but descriptions of clinical practice patterns in pediatric care in this setting are lacking. Our objectives were to compare clinical practice patterns primarily between community and university-affiliated hospitals and secondarily by number of pediatric beds before and during participation in a national practice standardization project.

Methods: We performed a retrospective secondary analysis on data from 126 hospitals that participated in the American Academy of Pediatrics' Value in Inpatient Pediatrics Reducing Excessive Variability in the Infant Sepsis Evaluation project, a national quality improvement project conducted to improve care for well-appearing febrile infants aged 7 to 60 days.

Training Hospital Personnel in Trauma-Informed Care: Assessing an Interprofessional Workshop With Patients as Teachers.

Objective: Trauma-informed care (TIC) and violence intervention programs (VIPs) facilitate psychosocial healing and reduce injury recidivism for children and families affected by community violence. To integrate a VIP into 2 Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Centers, an educational initiative was developed and co-taught by pediatricians and former patients. The primary aim was to increase provider-driven patient referrals to the VIP.

Vector competence of New Zealand mosquitoes for selected arboviruses.

New Zealand (NZ) historically has been free of arboviral activity with the exception of Whataroa virus (Togaviridae: Alphavirus), which is established in bird populations and is transmitted by local mosquitoes. This naive situation is threatened by global warming, invasive mosquitoes, and tourism. To determine the threat of selected medically important arboviruses to NZ, vector competence assays were conducted using field collected endemic and introduced mosquito species.