Publications by authors named "Sarah McNab"
Unlabelled: Virtual reality for routine immunisations in needle phobic children with and without developmental disabilities: a pilot study.
Background: Virtual Reality (VR) headsets can improve needle procedure success and experiences for children, but they have not been evaluated to support immunisation in children with anxiety and behavioural challenges. This study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of VR for immunisation in children with needle phobia, including children with and without developmental disabilities.
Objectives: The immune response in children elicited by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection alone or in combination with COVID-19 vaccination (hybrid immunity) is poorly understood. We examined the humoral and cellular immune response following SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection in unvaccinated children and children who were previously vaccinated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccine.
Methods: Participants were recruited as part of a household cohort study conducted during the Omicron predominant wave (Jan to July 2022) in Victoria, Australia.
Scurvy and vitamin C deficiency in an Australian tertiary children's hospital.
J Paediatr Child Health
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency scurvy in Australian children, identify at-risk groups, and propose management guidelines.
- Conducted over three years at a tertiary pediatric hospital, the research included children under 18 with low vitamin C levels and analyzed their demographics, comorbidities, and symptoms.
- Out of 887 patients tested, 31% had low vitamin C levels, with a small percentage showing symptoms; the study found links between deficiency, comorbidities like neurodevelopmental disorders, and dietary restrictions.
Objectives: Most children with uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTI) can be managed with oral antibiotics. However, identifying those likely to fail oral and need intravenous antibiotics due to complicating features at presentation is challenging. We aimed to derive, validate and test a score to guide initial antibiotic route.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Sepsis affects 25.2 million children per year globally and causes 3.4 million deaths, with an annual cost of hospitalisation in the USA of US$7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDetection of respiratory viruses requires testing of the upper respiratory tract to obtain specimens for analysis. However, nasal and throat swabs can cause discomfort and procedural anxiety in children. Respiratory sampling methods which are accurate and less invasive are needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The clinical course of Australian children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 infection is not well understood, particularly over the Omicron period.
Methods: This study describes paediatric admissions to a single tertiary paediatric institution through the Delta and Omicron variant waves. All children admitted from 1 June 2021 to 30 September 2022 with a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection were included for analysis.
Background: Rapid cartridge-based molecular test panels targeting multiple pathogens are increasingly available, improve pathogen detection and reduce turn-around-time but are more expensive than standard testing. Confirmation that these test panels contribute to improved patient or health service outcomes is required.
Methods: In March 2021, our pediatric hospital laboratory implemented the BioFire Filmarray™ meningitis/encephalitis (M/E) panel as an additional routine test for all cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples collected from infants <90 days or from any patient in the emergency department.
Article Synopsis
- Household studies offer a more comprehensive view of SARS-CoV-2 transmission by combining various testing methods, including PCR from different sample types and antibody responses.
- The research observed a significant increase in the secondary attack rate from 36% to 76% when using a combination of testing methods rather than relying solely on nasopharyngeal swabs.
- Findings suggest factors like viral load and household isolation measures influence transmission rates, and distinct antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 differ between adults and children during infection.
Article Synopsis
- - This review addresses the lack of comprehensive data on how to treat children with acute COVID-19 symptoms.
- - It suggests a management approach based on existing evidence and medications approved by regulatory agencies.
- - The proposed treatments prioritize the known safety of these drugs for children.
Background: Children with SARS-CoV-2 infection generally present with milder symptoms or are asymptomatic in comparison with adults, however severe disease occurs in a subset of children. To date, the immune correlates of severe COVID-19 in young children have been poorly characterised.
Methods: We report the kinetics of immune responses in relation to clinical and virological features in an infant with acute severe COVID-19 using high-dimensional flow cytometry and multiplex cytokine analysis.
Importance: The immune response in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection is not well understood.
Objective: To compare seroconversion in nonhospitalized children and adults with mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and identify factors that are associated with seroconversion.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This household cohort study of SARS-CoV-2 infection collected weekly nasopharyngeal and throat swabs and blood samples during the acute (median, 7 days for children and 12 days for adults [IQR, 4-13] days) and convalescent (median, 41 [IQR, 31-49] days) periods after polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis for analysis.
Aim: Strict public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic led to less support for infants and their parents. We aimed to characterise the frequency and nature of infant admissions to the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), Melbourne in 2020, compared to the previous year.
Methods: A retrospective review of medical records identified infants ≤3 months admitted to the general medicine unit, RCH from March to September in 2019 and 2020.
Children have reduced severity of COVID-19 compared to adults and typically have mild or asymptomatic disease. The immunological mechanisms underlying these age-related differences in clinical outcomes remain unexplained. Here, we quantify 23 immune cell populations in 141 samples from children and adults with mild COVID-19 and their PCR-negative close household contacts at acute and convalescent time points.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: Victoria experienced two 'waves' of COVID-19 between March and September 2020 and more cases than any other jurisdiction in Australia. Although world-wide reports of COVID-19 reflect that children are less likely to experience severe disease compared with adults, hospitalisations and deaths have been reported. We report testing and outcomes of children with SARS-CoV-2 infection presenting to a tertiary paediatric hospital in Melbourne.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To examine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-positive children in Australia during 2020.
Design, Setting: Multicentre retrospective study in 16 hospitals of the Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) network; eleven in Victoria, five in four other Australian states.
Participants: Children aged 0-17 years who presented to hospital-based COVID-19 testing clinics, hospital wards, or emergency departments during 1 February - 30 September 2020 and who were positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Compared to adults, children with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have predominantly mild or asymptomatic infections, but the underlying immunological differences remain unclear. Here, we describe clinical features, virology, longitudinal cellular, and cytokine immune profile, SARS-CoV-2-specific serology and salivary antibody responses in a family of two parents with PCR-confirmed symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and their three children, who tested repeatedly SARS-CoV-2 PCR negative. Cellular immune profiles and cytokine responses of all children are similar to their parents at all timepoints.
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