Effects of a novel GABA-B positive allosteric modulator, ASP8062, on alcohol cue-elicited craving and naturalistic alcohol consumption in a multisite randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: The γ-aminobutyric acid-B (GABA) receptor is a promising target for the development of new medications to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). The GABA agonist baclofen has been reported to reduce alcohol consumption but is associated with some undesirable side effects, including sedation. ASP8062 is a novel compound that acts as a positive allosteric modulator at the GABA receptor and may be more tolerable than baclofen.

Comparative effectiveness and complications of intravenous ceftriaxone compared with oral doxycycline in Lyme meningitis in children: a multicentre prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Lyme disease is the most common vectorborne disease in the Northern hemisphere with more than 400 000 new cases in the USA annually. Lyme meningitis is an uncommon but potentially serious clinical manifestation of Lyme disease. Intravenous ceftriaxone had been the first-line treatment for Lyme meningitis, but is associated with a high rate of complications.

Emergency Department Child Abuse Evaluations During COVID-19: A Multicenter Study.

Background And Objective: The reported impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on child maltreatment in the United States have been mixed. Encounter trends for child physical abuse within pediatric emergency departments may provide insights. Thus, this study sought to determine the change in the rate of emergency department encounters related to child physical abuse.

The Development and Acceptability of a Comprehensive Crisis Prevention Program for Implementation in Health Care Settings.

Introduction: Behavioral crises are increasingly prevalent in health care settings. Existing programs, however, include procedures that lack adaptability, omit critical components, and deviate from clinical best-practice recommendations. Health care employees also continue to report lacking confidence for safely managing behavioral crises.

Prospective Validation of a Rapid Host Gene Expression Test to Discriminate Bacterial From Viral Respiratory Infection.

Importance: Bacterial and viral causes of acute respiratory illness (ARI) are difficult to clinically distinguish, resulting in the inappropriate use of antibacterial therapy. The use of a host gene expression-based test that is able to discriminate bacterial from viral infection in less than 1 hour may improve care and antimicrobial stewardship.

Objective: To validate the host response bacterial/viral (HR-B/V) test and assess its ability to accurately differentiate bacterial from viral infection among patients with ARI.

Adolescent alcohol use predicts cannabis use over a three year follow-up period.

Alcohol and cannabis use frequently co-occur, which can result in problems from social and academic impairment to dependence (i.e., alcohol use disorder [AUD] and/or cannabis use disorder [CUD]).

Association Between Diarrhea Duration and Severity and Probiotic Efficacy in Children With Acute Gastroenteritis.

Introduction: It is unclear whether the alleged efficacy of probiotics in childhood acute gastroenteritis depends on the duration and severity of symptoms before treatment.

Methods: Preplanned secondary analysis of 2 randomized placebo-controlled trials in children 3-48 months of age was conducted in 16 emergency departments in North America evaluating the efficacy of 2 probiotic products (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and a combination probiotic: L. rhamnosus and L.

IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network for Underserved and Rural Communities.

The National Institutes of Health's Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program aims to study high-priority and high-impact pediatric conditions. This broad-based health initiative is unique in the National Institutes of Health research portfolio and involves 2 research components: (1) a large group of established centers with pediatric cohorts combining data to support longitudinal studies (ECHO cohorts) and (2) pediatric trials program for institutions within Institutional Development Awards states, known as the ECHO Institutional Development Awards States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN). In the current presentation, we provide a broad overview of the ISPCTN and, particularly, its importance in enhancing clinical trials capabilities of pediatrician scientists through the support of research infrastructure, while at the same time implementing clinical trials that inform future health care for children.

Factors Associated With Nonadherence in an Emergency Department-based Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of a Probiotic in Children With Acute Gastroenteritis.

Nonadherence in clinical trials affects safety and efficacy determinations. Predictors of nonadherence in pediatric acute illness trials are unknown. We sought to examine predictors of nonadherence in a multicenter randomized trial of 971 children with acute gastroenteritis receiving a 5-day oral course of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG or placebo.

Effects of Alcohol Cue Reactivity on Subsequent Treatment Outcomes Among Treatment-Seeking Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorder: A Multisite Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of Varenicline.

Background: The alcohol cue reactivity paradigm is increasingly used to screen medications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other substance use disorders. Yet, its prospective association with craving and naturalistic drinking outcomes in clinical trials remains unknown. This study embedded repeated human laboratory assessments of alcohol cue reactivity within the context of a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of varenicline tartrate (Chantix ), a partial agonist of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, on alcohol craving among treatment-seeking heavy drinkers with AUD.

Sex Without Contraceptives in a Multicenter Study of Adolescent Emergency Department Patients.

Objectives: In the United States, rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain exceptionally high, and racial and ethnic disparities persist. Emergency departments (EDs) care for over 19 million adolescents each year, the majority being minority and low socioeconomic status. Single-center studies demonstrate infrequent use of contraceptives among adolescent ED patients and an association between risky sex and behaviors such as alcohol and drug use; however, no multicenter ED data exist.

Reliability of the Clinical SBIRT Proficiency Checklist for Medical Students.

Introduction: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) recognizes Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) as a comprehensive approach to identify individuals with or at risk of developing substance use disorders. Few studies have explored tools for assessing medical student SBIRT competencies.

Methods: First-year medical students trained in SBIRT and Motivational Interviewing completed an Objective Structured Clinical Encounter (OSCE) with a standardized patient who presented with substance use.

Predictive Validity of the CRAFFT for Substance Use Disorder.

Background: The utility of CRAFFT (Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble) in identifying current and future problematic substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs) in pediatric emergency department (PED) patients is unknown. We conducted a secondary analysis of a study in 16 PEDs to determine the concurrent and predictive validity of CRAFFT with respect to SUD.

Methods: At baseline, 4753 participants aged 12 to 17 years completed an assessment battery (CRAFFT and other measures of alcohol, drug use, and risk behaviors).

Reliability and Validity of the Newton Screen for Alcohol and Cannabis Misuse in a Pediatric Emergency Department Sample.

Objectives: To determine the test-retest reliability, concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity of a recently devised screen (the Newton screen) for alcohol and cannabis use/misuse, and its predictive validity at follow-up.

Study Design: Adolescents, 12-17 years old (n = 4898), treated in 1 of 16 participating pediatric emergency departments across the US were enrolled in a study as part of a larger study within the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Concurrent and predictive validity (at 1, 2, and 3 years of follow-up) were assessed in a random subsample with a structured Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-based interview.

Adolescent Substance Abuse Risk: A Comparison of Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Emergency Department Patients and 2 Nationally Representative Samples.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to understand the prevalence of alcohol and other substance use among teenagers in generalized samples.

Methods: This study compared the alcohol and other substance use of adolescents enrolled in a screening study across 16 Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network emergency departments (EDs) (ASSESS) with those sampled in 2 nationally representative surveys, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The analysis includes 3362 ASSESS participants and 11,142 YRBSS and 12,086 NSDUH respondents.

Substance use screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment training for emergency medicine trainees.

Introduction: Emergency medicine (EM) providers are in an opportunistic position to identify and intervene with patients at risk for alcohol misuse and related problems. However, alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) services are underutilized within the emergency department. Providing SBIRT training to trainees may help to increase utilization of these valuable services in the future.

Predictive Validity of a 2-Question Alcohol Screen at 1-, 2-, and 3-Year Follow-up.

Background: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) 2-question screen is a valid adolescent alcohol screening tool. No studies have examined if this tool predicts future alcohol problems. We conducted a study at 16 pediatric emergency departments to determine the tool's predictive validity for alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorders (AUDs).