Evaluation of Dexamethasone Dosing Strategies in Pediatric Asthma Exacerbations.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine if there is a difference in health care use in pediatric asthma exacerbations with dexamethasone at a standardized dose compared with a weight-based approach.  .

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study of patients ages 2 to 17 years presenting to the pediatric emergency department (ED) with an asthma exacerbation between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2021.

A call for social accountability within pharmacy education: Concepts, relevance, and accreditation.

Introduction: Social accountability (SA) is a leap to excellence in health education. While pharmacists are ideally situated in the healthcare setting to practice SA through research, service, and practice, SA is underrepresented in pharmacy education.

Commentary: Here the foundational concepts of SA, the relevance to pharmacy education, as well as the accreditation considerations for the implementation of SA are discussed.

A call for social accountability within pharmacy education: Partnership, competency, and leadership.

Introduction: To address the needs of the community, social accountability (SA) needs to be integrated in health education, especially pharmacy education. This is part one of a two-part commentary that focuses specifically on partnership, competency, and leadership as it relates to SA within pharmacy education.

Commentary: Here the need for partnership in SA, competency of SA in pharmacy education, and leadership in SA is discussed.

A descriptive study of aripiprazole, brexpiprazole, and cariprazine exposures in children ages 0 to 5 years reported to United States poison centers.

Introduction: Increased prescribing of antipsychotics and availability of new antipsychotics has resulted in increased exposures in children. Current data on aripiprazole, brexpiprazole, and cariprazine are limited.

Methods: This was a retrospective database study utilizing the National Poison Data System from 2015 through 2021.

Changes in unintentional cannabis exposures in children 6 months to 5 years reported to United States poison centers during the first nine months of the coronavirus-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Almost half of exposures reported to United States (US) poison centers are exploratory ingestions in children under the age of 5 years. Pediatric cannabis exposures reported to US poison centers have risen over the last twenty years, with greater increases in the last 5 years. In 2020, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in widespread stay-at-home orders and subsequent changes in work, education, and daycare.

Critical care interventions in children aged 6 months to 12 years admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after unintentional cannabis exposures.

Background: Cannabis exposures in children have risen sharply in recent years, resulting in increased hospital visits and admission to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). The intent of this study was to describe the proportion of pediatric patients admitted to the PICU after unintentional cannabis ingestion that received critical care interventions (CCIs) along with describing trends over time in hospitalization, admission to the PICU, and clinical effects and treatments outside of the PICU.

Methods: This was a retrospective database study utilizing the National Poison Data System (NPDS) from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2020.

The role of a pharmacy residency program in global health: Establishing pediatric clinical pharmacy services in a Malawian hospital.

Purpose: To describe the establishment of pediatric clinical pharmacy services in a Malawian hospital as part of a pharmacy residency program's engagement in global health.

Summary: While pharmacy is expanding its role in global health through the introduction of international advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotations at US schools of pharmacy, international experiences for pharmacy residents are currently very limited. Such programs are advantageous for pharmacists planning for a career in public or global health, and there is also great opportunity for clinical pharmacists to work with international partners for professional development and to help advance pharmacy practice.

Evaluation of Melatonin Practices for Delirium in Pediatric Critically Ill Patients.

Objective: To determine the use of melatonin and its role in therapy for pediatric delirium (as either prophylaxis or treatment for delirium) in an academic medical center's PICU.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center study reviewed patients between 1 and 18 years of age admitted to the PICU between April 1, 2014, and February 29, 2019. Patients were included if they were admitted for greater than 48 hours and received melatonin for the indication of "delirium.

Novel therapies for treatment of resistant and refractory nontuberculous mycobacterial infections in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Respiratory infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a major cause of morbidity for patients living with cystic fibrosis (CF), as NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) is challenging to both diagnose and eradicate. Despite the lengthy courses of the established regimens recommended by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) and European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) consensus guidelines, only about 50% to 60% of patients achieve culture conversion, and treatment regimens are often complicated by antibiotic resistance and toxicities. Since publication of the CFF/ECFS guidelines, several new or alternative antibiotic regimens have been described for patients with CF who have NTM-PD.