Wide use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in very low birth weight infants with spontaneous focal intestinal perforation-is it really justified?

Purpose: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants are at a risk of spontaneous focal intestinal perforation (FIP). Treatment includes supportive care, antibiotics, and drainage with/without surgery. Broad-spectrum antibiotic agents like carbapenems are applied frequently, although their use is not well-supported by the limited evidence of causal pathogens.

Image-defined risk factors in localized thoracic neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroma.

Background: The pretreatment International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Staging System (INRGSS) discriminates localized tumors L1/L2 depending on the absence/presence of image-defined risk factors (IDRFs) at diagnosis. Referring to this new staging system, we assessed initial imaging of localized thoracic neuroblastoma (NB) and ganglioneuroma (GN) and the extent of initial tumor resection.

Methods: Patients with localized thoracic NB/GN from the German clinical trials NB97 and NB2004 were included.

Use of Sotrovimab in 14 Children with COVID-19: A Single-center Experience.

Children affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with preexisting comorbidities are at risk of complications. Monoclonal antibodies prevent severe COVID-19 courses in adults but data on children are scarce. Here we report on the use of Sotrovimab in 14 children at risk of severe disease treated at the University of Cologne Children's Hospital.

Impact of a pediatric infectious disease consultation service on timely step-down to oral antibiotic treatment for bone and joint infections.

Purpose: In recent years an earlier step down to oral antibiotic therapy has been advocated for numerous infections. Trained infectious disease specialists regularly consulting their colleagues may speed up the implementation of such recommendations into clinical practice and thus may improve treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed bone and joint infections in children admitted to the University Hospital of Cologne between 2010 and 2021.

Early clinical course of biopsy-proven IgA vasculitis nephritis.

Background: IgA vasculitis (IgAV) is the most common form of systemic vasculitis in childhood and frequently involves the kidney. A minority of patients with IgA vasculitis nephritis (IgAVN), especially those presenting with heavy proteinuria and/or kidney failure at onset, are at risk of chronic end-stage kidney disease. For deciding upon treatment intensity, knowledge of the short-term clinical course of IgAVN is needed to improve treatment algorithms.

Proton Beam Therapy for Children With Neuroblastoma: Experiences From the Prospective KiProReg Registry.

Objective: Radiotherapy (RT) is an integral part of the interdisciplinary treatment of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB). With the continuous improvements of outcome, the interest in local treatment strategies that reduce treatment-related side effects while achieving optimal oncological results is growing. Proton beam therapy (PBT) represents a promising alternative to conventional photon irradiation with regard to the reduction of treatment burden.

Long-term follow-up of children with neuroblastoma receiving radiotherapy to metastatic lesions within the German Neuroblastoma Trials NB97 and NB 2004.

Purpose: Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid malignancy during childhood. Despite a multimodal treatment approach, the prognosis of patients with metastatic NB is not satisfactory. Although radiotherapy (RT) has become an integral part of treatment of the primary tumor, the role of RT in osteomedullary lesions is not well defined.