Global impact of 10- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on pneumococcal meningitis in all ages: the PSERENADE project.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) introduced in childhood national immunization programs lowered vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), but replacement with non-vaccine-types persisted throughout the PCV10/13 follow-up period. We assessed PCV10/13 impact on pneumococcal meningitis incidence globally.

Methods: The number of cases with serotyped pneumococci detected in cerebrospinal fluid and population denominators were obtained from surveillance sites globally.

Preferences for Inguinal Hernia Repair in Infants: A Survey of the Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network.

Introduction: Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (IHR) is being performed more frequently in children, but few studies have evaluated surgical practice patterns in infants. In this study, we surveyed pediatric surgeons within a regional consortium to assess current preferences for IHR strategy in infants. We hypothesized that early-career pediatric surgeons would prefer laparoscopic IHR over open IHR in this patient population.

Local Infrastructure and Economy Predicts Traffic Related Fatalities in Children.

Purpose: Previous research on pediatric motor vehicle collisions (MVC) and fatalities has primarily focused on patient demographics and crash specific information. This study evaluates whether various measures of local infrastructure, including the National Walk Index (NWI), population density, and public school density, or macroeconomic forces, encapsulated in Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and food area deprivation (PFA) can predict which counties are most at risk for pediatric traffic fatalities.

Methods: Counties with more than 100,000 children in the most recent US census and ≥1 pediatric traffic fatality as identified in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) between 2017 and 2021 were included in the study.

Global impact of ten-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on invasive pneumococcal disease in all ages (the PSERENADE project): a global surveillance analysis.

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) that are ten-valent (PCV10) and 13-valent (PCV13) became available in 2010. We evaluated their global impact on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence in all ages.

Methods: Serotype-specific IPD cases and population denominators were obtained directly from surveillance sites using PCV10 or PCV13 in their national immunisation programmes and with a primary series uptake of at least 50%.

Unplanned Readmission Rate Before Interval Appendectomy After Nonoperative Management of Complicated Appendicitis.

Introduction: There remains clinical equipoise regarding the preference for upfront appendectomy or nonoperative management for patients with complicated appendicitis. However, the natural history of the appendix following nonoperative management and pending interval appendectomy in children is not well characterized, and the risk of recurrent appendicitis as a function of time from index admission not known.

Study Design: The Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) was queried for all patients younger than 18 with an ICD-10 diagnosis code for complicated appendicitis admitted between 2018-2021.

Gonadal Tumors in Individuals with Turner Syndrome and Y-Chromosome Mosaicism: A Retrospective Multisite Study.

Study Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of germ cell tumors and the clinical monitoring practices for those who deferred prophylactic gonadectomy in a large North American cohort of individuals with Turner syndrome with Y-chromosome mosaicism (TS+Y).

Method: A query of the medical records at multiple North American children's hospitals was done using ICD codes related to Turner Syndrome. A retrospective chart review was conducted on those patients between ages 0 to 30 years with Y-mosaicism.

Pharmacological management of pediatric metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Pediatric obesity, characterized by a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for age, affects a substantial number of children and adolescents worldwide. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, represents a prominent hepatic manifestation of obesity and metabolic syndrome, emerging as the most prevalent hepatic disorder among pediatric patients and a significant contributor to liver transplantation in adults. The escalating prevalence of pediatric MASLD mirrors the alarming rise in childhood obesity rates over recent decades.

A team approach to improve outcomes in pediatric scoliosis surgery: a review of the current literature.

Study Design: Review article.

Objective: To review the literature on the effect of specialized pediatric spine teams on clinical outcomes.

Results: Thirty-eight studies were identified in the review.

Calcium channel blockers and beta blockers in pediatric supraventricular tachycardia.

Introduction: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a common pediatric arrhythmia. Beta blockers (BBs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are used for treatment despite little data examining their use. We describe the prescriptive tendencies, efficacy, and tolerability of BBs and CCBs used in the treatment of pediatric SVT.

Barriers to Effective Infection Prevention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Infection prevention (IP) behaviors such as hand hygiene (HH) and mobile device disinfection are important to reduce the risk of infection transmission from both family members and hospital staff to critically ill neonates.

Purpose: To inform the design of educational interventions to improve both patient family and staff IP behaviors, we engaged separate groups of nurses and family members to understand perceptions about the spread of infection and barriers to implementing effective IP strategies.

Methods: This was a qualitative study using focus groups to gather data from neonatal nurses and patient family members.

Adolescents' Perceptions of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Service at Pediatric Trauma Centers.

Objective: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for adolescent alcohol and drug (AOD) use is recommended to occur with adolescents admitted to pediatric trauma centers. Most metrics on SBIRT service delivery only reference medical record documentation. In this analysis we examined changes in adolescents' perception of SBIRT services and concordance of adolescent-report and medical record data, among a sample of adolescents admitted before and after institutional SBIRT implementation.

Synoptic operative reports for pediatric surgical oncology.

Synoptic operative notes for pediatric surgical oncology provide standardized and structured documentation of surgical procedures performed on pediatric patients with cancer. These reports capture essential details such as preoperative diagnosis, intraoperative findings, surgical technique, and tumor characteristics in a concise and uniform format. By promoting consistency, accuracy, and completeness in reporting, synoptic operative notes facilitate effective communication among multidisciplinary healthcare teams, enhance quality assurance efforts, and streamline data extraction for research purposes.

Caring through crisis: The professional quality of pediatric nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: This study described pediatric nurses' professional quality of life during COVID-19 and explored demographic/clinical practice factors independently associated with compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS).

Design And Methods: The Relational Caring Complexity Theory was used. This study employed a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design to describe professional quality of life of pediatric nurses (demographic questionnaire and ProQOL 5 measure) working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implementing Screening, Brief Interventions, and Referral to Treatment at Pediatric Trauma Centers: A Step Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial.

Background: Pediatric trauma centers have had challenges meeting the American College of Surgeons criteria for screening and intervening for alcohol with adolescent trauma patients. The study objective was to conduct an implementation trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the Science to Service Laboratory (SSL) implementation strategy in improving alcohol and other drugs (AOD) screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) delivery at pediatric trauma centers.

Methods: Using a stepped wedge cross-over cluster randomized design, 10 US pediatric trauma centers received the SSL implementation strategy to deliver SBIRT with admitted adolescent (12-17 years old) trauma patients.

Current surgical practice for central venous access to deliver chemotherapy and enteral access for nutritional support in pediatric patients with an oncological diagnosis.

Central venous access through tunneled central venous catheters (CVCs) are one of the cornerstones of modern oncologic practice in pediatric patients since CVCs provide a reliable access route for the administration of chemotherapy. Establishing best practices for CVC management in children with cancer is essential to optimize care. This article reviews current best practices, including types of devices, their placement, complications, and long-term outcomes.