Description and outcomes of Afro-Caribbean children treated for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in the French West Indies.

Introduction: Several studies have reported a higher frequency and greater morbidity and mortality of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) of black African descent.

Objectives: We aimed to describe the clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic characteristics as well as outcomes of children with MIS-C requiring admission to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in the French West Indies (FWI), where the majority of the population is Afro-Caribbean.

Methods: Ambidirectional observational cohort study between April 1, 2020 and August 31, 2022.

Cost of Pacing in Pediatric Patients With Postoperative Heart Block After Congenital Heart Surgery.

Importance: Surgical correction of congenital heart defects (CHDs) has improved the lifespan and quality of life of pediatric patients. The number of congenital heart surgeries (CHSs) in children has grown continuously since the 1960s. This growth has been accompanied by a rise in the incidence of postoperative heart block requiring permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation.

Epinephrine autoinjector prescribing following anaphylaxis presentation to the emergency department.

Guidelines recommend patients with anaphylaxis are prescribed epinephrine autoinjectors (EAI), carry the EAI with them, and are referred to an allergist. There also are barriers to EAI administration, such as acquiring the medication, having it available, recognizing when to use it, and administering it appropriately. The objective was to describe how often patients with anaphylaxis discharged from the emergency department (ED) receive an EAI prescription and allergist referral; also, to assess the frequency of EAI pick-up by the patient from the outpatient pharmacy, out-of-pocket cost, change in EAI device during dispensing, and if patient training on EAI use and allergist follow-up occurred.

Systematic Mapping of Conduction Tissue Regions During Congenital Heart Surgery.

Purpose: Damage to the cardiac conduction system is a major risk of congenital cardiac surgery. Localization of the conduction system is commonly based on anatomic landmarks, which are variable in congenital heart diseases. We introduce a novel technique for identification of conduction tissue regions based on real-time fiberoptic confocal microscopy.