Publications by authors named "Sherman Alter"

Article Synopsis
  • - This study focused on community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children, aiming to identify mucosal biomarkers that can aid in determining the severity and cause of the illness.
  • - Researchers analyzed cytokine levels in nasopharyngeal samples from 182 children with CAP and 26 healthy controls, finding that those with atypical bacteria and influenza virus had significantly elevated cytokine concentrations compared to those with typical bacteria.
  • - The findings suggest that differences in inflammatory and antiviral cytokine levels correlate with disease severity in CAP, indicating that mucosal biomarkers might be helpful for better assessing and classifying the condition in pediatric patients.
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COVID-19 has challenged primary care clinicians to rapidly learn new information and adapt clinical practice in response to the continuous evolution of prevention, diagnosis, and management measures. The introduction of COVID-19 vaccination for age-eligible children has afforded increased opportunities for disease prevention, and the pandemic has highlighted the need for primary care clinicians to serve as advocates for their young patients and their communities.

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Background: Pneumonia has a major impact on childhood health and health care costs. This study was designed to obtain contemporary information on the clinical characteristics and etiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children from both inpatient and outpatient settings in the USA.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, observational study of CAP among previously healthy children 2 months to 18 years of age in 6 children's hospitals in Ohio from 2015 to 2018.

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Background: The Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring in Ocular Microorganisms (ARMOR) study is a nationwide longitudinal antibiotic resistance surveillance program specific to bacterial pathogens commonly encountered in ocular infections. We evaluated in vitro resistance rates and trends among isolates obtained from pediatric patients (≤17 years of age).

Methods: Clinical centers across the United States were invited to submit ocular isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to a central laboratory.

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Background: Large-scale, multisite studies in which researchers evaluate patient- and systems-level factors associated with pediatric asthma exacerbation outcomes are lacking. We sought to investigate patient-level risks and system-level practices related to physiologic readiness for discharge (PRD) in the prospective Ohio Pediatric Asthma Repository.

Methods: Participants were children ages 2 to 17 years admitted to an Ohio Pediatric Asthma Repository hospital for asthma exacerbation.

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Objectives: To identify associations between use of ipratropium and/or intravenous magnesium and outcomes of children hospitalized with acute asthma exacerbations and treated with continuous albuterol.

Methods: Secondary analysis of data from children prospectively enrolled in the multicenter Ohio Pediatric Asthma Repository restricted to only children who were treated with continuous albuterol in their initial inpatient location. Children were treated with adjunctive therapies per the clinical team.

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Cutaneous infections and infestations are common among children and adolescents. Ectoparasitic infestations affect individuals across the globe. Head lice, body lice, scabies, and infestations with bed bugs are seen in individuals who reside in both resource poor areas and in developed countries.

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Objective. To determine male vaccination rates with quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV4) before and after the October 2011 national recommendation to routinely immunize adolescent males. Methods.

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Infections caused by viruses are universal during childhood and adolescence. Clinicians will regularly care for children and adolescents who present with infections caused by a wide number of viral pathogens. These infections have varied presentations.

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Children with infectious diseases are commonly encountered in primary care settings. Identification of the subset of patients with bacterial infections is key in guiding the best possible management. Clinicians frequently care for children with infections of the upper respiratory tract, including acute otitis media, otitis externa, sinusitis, and pharyngitis.

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Virtually all pediatric cases of Neisseria gonorrhoeae originate from contact with an infected adult. A cutaneous abscess caused by N. gonorrhoeae in a child is extremely rare, especially outside the genital area.

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