Child Life Services.

Child life programs are an important component of pediatric hospital-based care; they address the psychosocial concerns that accompany hospitalization and other health care experiences. Child life specialists focus on the optimal development and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults while promoting coping skills and minimizing the adverse effects of hospitalization, health care encounters, and/or other potentially stressful experiences. In collaboration with the entire health care team and family, child life specialists provide interventions that include therapeutic play, expressive modalities, and psychological preparation to facilitate coping and normalization at times and under circumstances that might otherwise prove overwhelming for the child.

Trajectory of Body Mass Index from Ages 2 to 7 Years and Age at Peak Height Velocity in Boys and Girls.

Objective: To examine the associations between body mass index (BMI) at 2-4 years and 5-7 years and age at peak height velocity (APHV), an objective measure of pubertal timing, among boys and girls from predominantly racial minorities in the US that have been historically underrepresented in this research topic.

Study Design: This study included 1296 mother-child dyads from the Boston Birth Cohort, a predominantly Black and low-income cohort enrolled at birth and followed prospectively during 1998-2018. The exposure was overweight or obesity, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference standards.

Pediatric Delirium in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: Identification and Intervention.

Delirium is characterized by transient behavioral manifestations of acute brain disturbances. Delirium in the intensive care unit has been well researched and documented in the adult population. Pediatric delirium research has lagged, but recent developments in screening tools have shed light on the prevalence of delirium among children.

Transcatheter embolization of persistent embryonic veins in venous malformation syndromes.

Persistent embryonic veins represent a major source of venous hypertension and morbidity in venous malformation syndromes, such as Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome and congenital lipomatous overgrowth, vascular malformations, epidermal nevus, and skeletal deformities syndrome. Surgical stripping and phlebectomy are the most commonly reported alternatives to compression therapy for refractory cases. These techniques, although effective in those patients who meet the necessary anatomic criteria, can be associated with bleeding, wound-related complications, and recurrence.

Hiring appropriate providers for different populations: acute care nurse practitioners.

Acute care nurse practitioners, prepared as providers for a variety of populations of patients, continue to make substantial contributions to health care. Evidence indicates shorter stays, higher satisfaction among patients, increased work efficiency, and higher quality outcomes when acute care nurse practitioners are part of unit- or service-based provider teams. The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education outlines detailed guidelines for matching nurse practitioners' education with certification and practice by using a population-focused algorithm.

Untethering an unusual cause of kidney injury in a teenager with Down syndrome.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by the acute nature and the inability of kidneys to maintain fluid homeostasis as well as adequate electrolyte and acid-base balance, resulting in an accumulation of nitrogenous waste and elevation of serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine values. Acute kidney injury may be a single isolated event, yet oftentimes, it results from an acute chronic kidney disease. It is critical to seek out the etiology of AKI and to promptly manage the underlying chronic kidney disease to prevent comorbidities and mortality that may ensue.

Psychosocial intervention on procedure-related distress in children being treated for laceration repair.

Objective: Research has demonstrated that emergency department visits for injured children are highly stressful experiences, especially when they include a painful procedure. This pilot study explored the impact of an intervention, which included preparation and distraction on procedure-related distress in children treated for laceration repair in the emergency department.

Method: Distress and parent ratings of satisfaction were compared between children who received individualized preparation and distraction interventions for laceration repair provided by a child life specialist and children who received no intervention.

Traumatic tracheal laceration in a pediatric patient medically managed with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation.

A 12-year-old boy presented to the emergency department in respiratory failure with massive subcutaneous emphysema extending from his head to his thighs. This resulted after he fell onto an industrial trash receptacle (dumpster) striking his right lateral neck. Airway management was obtained through an oral endotracheal tube in the emergency department.

The effect of educational interventions with siblings of hospitalized children.

Objective: Research has demonstrated that siblings of chronically ill children can experience significant emotional and behavior changes; however, few studies have looked at the specific impact of pediatric hospitalization on the nonhospitalized child. Studies also indicate that children who receive age-appropriate information are better equipped to handle the stress and anxiety often associated with hospitalization.This study explored whether siblings of hospitalized children who received educational interventions had lower anxiety levels compared to siblings who did not receive interventions.