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Adrenal insufficiency is an endocrine condition defined as the inadequate production or action of glucocorticoids, principally a steroid hormone called cortisol. While rare in childhood, it carries the risk of adrenal crisis in the event of a child becoming unwell as a result of intercurrent illness, injury or surgery. Children's nurses must be vigilant in caring for a child with adrenal insufficiency and have a clear understanding and awareness of the principles of emergency management at home and in hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterborne transport is widely believed to be one of the most sustainable modes of commercial transportation. However, factors often overlooked such as unmeasured pollution and costs, hazards to crew and general society call into question this particular assessment of the industry. This paper highlights the need for the application of a holistic approach for guiding shipping and related stakeholders towards sustainability using economically viable, less polluting and more human-friendly operating models, and it proposes a structured assessment methodology to achieve it. For it, ships are divided in onboard systems (e.g. propulsion systems, waste generation and ballast water management system) and their sustainability performance is assessed in order to see the ship's whole sustainability index. A definition of sustainable shipping is proposed. There is also a review of the critical pollution, cost and social drivers of ships in operation as well as a discussion about the capabilities and limitations of the current environmental/economical/social assessment tools for quantifying shipping sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two nurses based in very different locations spent some time exploring each other's roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "Hyperandrogenism Secondary to Topical Testosterone Exposure" by A. Carroll et al is presented.

Objectives: This study aimed to (1) gauge patients understanding and expectations of real-world data and evidence (RWDE) research and (2) use this understanding and patients lived experience to co-create resources and a framework for embedding meaningful patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in RWDE research within the pharmaceutical industry setting., Setting and Participants: An academic organisation, a pharmaceutical company and a PPIE panel of 12 patients or carers partnered to form the project team. The PPIE panel was purposively selected to maximise diversity., Design: Participatory and co-design methods were used to engender an understanding of the PPIE perspective on RWDE research and the PPIE role within that. Interactive workshops explored understanding and expectations of RWDE research as well as perceived barriers and facilitators of PPIE within each stage of the RWDE research cycle. Workshops were audio and video recorded, with notes captured. Summaries were analysed thematically and shared back with the PPIE panel for validation and further reflection., Results: We identified a lack of trust and understanding of real-world data, its collection and use and the need to educate the public and researchers. Four themes were identified for meaningful PPIE in RWDE research; equality, diversity and inclusion; feeling valued; ownership and understanding and evaluating impact. We co-created learning resources (video, infographic) and a novel PPIE framework, incorporating potential PPIE activities, resources and support needs for use by researchers conducting RWDE research., Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first project to explore the practicalities of PPIE in RWDE research from the perspective of patients and carers. Some findings confirm PPIE experience and guidance derived from other areas, with some specific insights into the pharmaceutical industry. These underpin the PPIE framework to enable robust and meaningful PPIE in RWDE research. This article includes a plain language summary in the supplement., Competing Interests: Competing interests: SAD, RB, ACB, MA and VW are employees of Pfizer and hold Pfizer stock. HM was an employee of Pfizer at the time of writing this manuscript. PW, LC and SM are employees of the University of Newcastle, which received funding from Pfizer in connection with the development of this manuscript., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Our international team highlights issues with efficacy reports in several studies on DMG with the new drug ONC201.

The effects of air pollution on health outcomes are well-established. However, little is known about perceptions of air pollution and how it may influence exercise behaviours. The aim of this study was to understand the perceived importance of air pollution during planned exercise, and where relevant, explore how those perceptions may differ between those living in different locations. A questionnaire was disseminated to several running and cycling clubs in the United Kingdom, covering population characteristics to determine urban, rural or coastal residents and exercisers, self-reported asthma, perceptions of air quality during active travel, planned exercise and attitudes towards learning more about the topic. Anonymised responses were gained from 381 adult participants (≥18 years and 60% female), 119 of whom answered questions related to active travel. More than half (54%) of all respondents think about the air quality they are exposed to during exercise and how it may affect their health. More urban than rural respondents (59% vs. 47% and p = 0.03) think about air quality and the impact it may have on their health when exercising. There were insufficient coastal respondents for direct comparison. Most survey respondents (57%) state that they would take the most severe course of action regarding exercise behaviour by avoiding it altogether during periods of heavy road traffic. Individuals with self-reported asthma (n = 60), irrespective of place of residence, are the most likely to be conscious of the potential effects of air pollution on their health and exercise performance compared to counterparts without self-reported asthma., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Sport Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH on behalf of European College of Sport Science.)

Objectives: To explore the acceptability and feasibility of detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) by emergency medical services (EMS) and identify potential barriers and facilitators to implementing a formal pathway to facilitate follow-up in primary care, which could reduce the risk of AF-related stroke., Design: Qualitative study using focus groups and one-to-one interviews guided by a semistructured topic guide., Setting: North East England., Participants: Focus groups with 18 members of the public and one-to-one online interviews with 11 healthcare and service providers (six paramedics and five experts representing cardiology, general practice (GP), public health, research, policy and commissioning)., Results: All participant groups were supportive of a role of EMS in identifying AF as part of routine assessment and formalising the response to AF detection. However, this should not create delays for EMS since rate-controlled AF is non-urgent and alternative community mechanisms exist to manage it. Public participants were concerned about communication of the AF diagnosis and whether this should be 'on scene' or in a subsequent GP appointment. Paramedics reported frequent incidental identification of AF, but it is not always clear 'on scene' that this is a new diagnosis, and there is variation in practice regarding whether (and how) this is communicated to the GP. Paramedics also focused on ensuring the safety of non-conveyed patients and a perceived need for an 'active' reporting process, so that a finding of AF was actioned. Field experts felt that a formal pathway would be useful and favoured a simple intervention without adding to time pressures unnecessarily., Conclusions: There is support for the development of a formal pathway to ensure follow-up for people with AF that is incidentally detected by EMS. This has the potential to improve anticoagulation rates and reduce the risk of stroke., Competing Interests: Competing interests: CW has previously held an unrestricted research grant from Bristol-Myers-Squibb, unrelated to this work. The other coauthors have nothing to declare., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Asthma is one of the most frequent reasons children visit a general practitioner (GP). The diagnosis of childhood asthma is challenging, and a variety of diagnostic tests for asthma exist. GPs may refer to clinical practice guidelines when deciding which tests, if any, are appropriate, but the quality of these guidelines is unknown., Objectives: To determine (i) the methodological quality and reporting of paediatric guidelines for the diagnosis of childhood asthma in primary care, and (ii) the strength of evidence supporting diagnostic test recommendations., Design: Meta-epidemiological study of English-language guidelines from the United Kingdom and other high-income countries with comparable primary care systems including diagnostic testing recommendations for childhood asthma in primary care. The AGREE-II tool was used to assess the quality and reporting of the guidelines. The quality of the evidence was assessed using GRADE., Results: Eleven guidelines met the eligibility criteria. The methodology and reporting quality varied across the AGREE II domains (median score 4.5 out of 7, range 2-6). The quality of evidence supporting diagnostic recommendations was generally of very low quality. All guidelines recommended the use of spirometry and reversibility testing for children aged ≥5 years, however, the recommended spirometry thresholds for diagnosis differed across guidelines. There were disagreements in testing recommendations for 3 of the 7 included tests., Conclusions: The variable quality of guidelines, lack of good quality evidence, and inconsistent recommendations for diagnostic tests may contribute to poor clinician adherence to guidelines and variation in testing for diagnosing childhood asthma., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Introduction: Central venous access devices (CVADs) are commonly used for the treatment of paediatric cancer patients. Catheter locking is a routine intervention that prevents CVAD-associated adverse events, such as infection, occlusion and thrombosis. While laboratory and clinical data are promising, tetra-EDTA (T-EDTA) has yet to be rigorously evaluated or introduced in cancer care as a catheter lock., Methods and Analysis: This is a protocol for a two-arm, superiority type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomised controlled trial conducted at seven hospitals across Australia and New Zealand. Randomisation will be in a 3:2 ratio between the saline (heparinised saline and normal saline) and T-EDTA groups, with randomly varied blocks of size 10 or 20 and stratification by (1) healthcare facility; (2) CVAD type and (3) duration of dwell since insertion. Within the saline group, there will be a random allocation between normal and heparin saline. Participants can be re-recruited and randomised on insertion of a new CVAD. Primary outcome for effectiveness will be a composite of CVAD-associated bloodstream infections (CABSI), CVAD-associated thrombosis or CVAD occlusion during CVAD dwell or at removal. Secondary outcomes will include CABSI, CVAD-associated-thrombosis, CVAD failure, incidental asymptomatic CVAD-associated-thrombosis, other adverse events, health-related quality of life, healthcare costs and mortality. To achieve 90% power (alpha=0.05) for the primary outcome, data from 720 recruitments are required. A mixed-methods approach will be employed to explore implementation contexts from the perspective of clinicians and healthcare purchasers., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethics approval has been provided by Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) (HREC/22/QCHQ/81744) and the University of Queensland HREC (2022/HE000196) with subsequent governance approval at all sites. Informed consent is required from the substitute decision-maker or legal guardian prior to participation. In addition, consent may also be obtained from mature minors, depending on the legislative requirements of the study site. The primary trial and substudies will be written by the investigators and published in peer-reviewed journals. The findings will also be disseminated through local health and clinical trial networks by investigators and presented at conferences., Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12622000499785., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Aim: Uptake of nasal high-flow therapy in infants with bronchiolitis has grown in the last decade with some evidence suggesting a reduction in escalation of care. The effect of the implementation of recent available evidence on clinical practice remains unclear., Methods: In a prospective observational study over 6 months in six metropolitan hospitals in Australia, we investigated the clinical practice of high-flow in infants admitted with bronchiolitis and an oxygen requirement. To assess the choice by clinicians of the initial oxygen therapy (standard oxygen or high-flow) the disease severity was measured by physiological parameters obtained prior to oxygen therapy commencement. Additional secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay and transfers to intensive care., Results: Two hundred thirty-five infants with bronchiolitis were admitted for oxygen therapy over 6 months during the winter season. Infants who received high-flow on admission to hospital displayed significantly higher respiratory rates, higher heart rates and higher early warning tool scores with more severe work of breathing than those commenced on standard oxygen therapy as a first line of oxygen therapy. A significantly longer hospital length of stay of 0.6 days occurred in infants commenced on high-flow. A significantly greater proportion on high-flow (23.3%) were admitted to intensive care compared to infants commenced on SOT (10.4%) despite the severity of disease in both groups being similar., Conclusions: Infants with bronchiolitis presenting with greater disease severity are more likely to receive high-flow therapy. Escalation of care in an intensive care unit occurred more frequently on infants on high-flow., Trial Registration: This trial is registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12618001206213., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)

Objective: The objective of this systematic literature review (SLR) was to summarize the latest studies evaluating the burden of illness in endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS), including the impact of CS on overall and domain-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and the economic burden of CS to provide a holistic understanding of disease and treatment burden., Methods: An SLR was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE and Embase using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist to identify peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference abstracts published in English from 2015 to December 4, 2020., Results: Forty-five publications were eligible for inclusion; data were extracted from 37 primary studies while 8 SLRs were included for reference only. Thirty-one studies reported HRQoL using validated patient reported outcome (PRO) measures in pre- or post-surgery, radiotherapy and pharmacotherapy patients. Overall, this SLR found that patients with CS have worse outcomes relative to healthy populations across specific dimensions, such as depression, despite an improvement in HRQoL post-treatment. These findings reveal that CS symptoms are not fully resolved by the existing care paradigm. Few studies report on the economic burden of CS and currently available data indicate a high direct healthcare system cost burden., Conclusions: Patients with CS experience a significant, complex and multifactorial HRQoL burden. Symptom-specific burden studies are sparse in the literature and the understanding of long-term CS symptomatic burden and economic burden is limited. This review intends to provide an updated reference for clinicians, payers and other stakeholders on the burden of CS as reported in published literature and to encourage further research in this area., (© 2023 The Authors. Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Paediatric palliative care is pivotal for addressing the complex needs of children with incurable diseases and their families. While home-based care offers a familiar and supportive environment, delivering comprehensive services in this context is challenging. The existing literature on home-based palliative care lacks detailed guidance for its organization and implementation. This qualitative narrative inquiry explores the organization and provision of home-based paediatric palliative care. Data were collected from healthcare practitioners using conversations, storytelling, and reflective journaling. Schwind's Narrative Reflective Process was applied to synthesize the data, resulting in an in-depth case description. The narrative approach illuminates the complexities of home-based paediatric palliative, end-of-life, and after-death care. Key findings encompass the importance of early-care coordination, interprofessional collaboration, effective symptom management, emotional and psychosocial support, and comprehensive end-of-life planning. Through the case study of the child patient, the challenges and strategies for providing holistic, family-centred care within the home environment are described. Practical insights gained from this report can inform the development and improvement of home-based palliative care programs, benefiting researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to optimize care for children and families in similar contexts.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to map, from wound assessment tools and other literature, the current methods used to assess wound odour in order to answer the following question: Which methods of assessment, validated or otherwise, are currently used in wound assessment tools to assess wound odour? Introduction: Wound assessment includes not only details of the condition of the wound bed but also evaluation of symptoms associated with the wound including that of odour. Odour is cited by clinicians, patients and carers as one of the most distressing wound symptoms. However, there is no consensus on a preferred method to assess odour thus negatively impacting the internal and external validity of many clinical trials and minimising the ability to perform meta-analysis. Eligibility criteria: Any wound assessment tool or framework that includes assessment of wound odour in any wound aetiology and in any care setting. Any systematic or scoping review that includes assessment of wound odour in any wound aetiology and in any care setting. No limits on date of publication or language will be applied. Methods: We will employ the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines for this scoping review and base its structure on the framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. Results: A narrative format will summarise extracted data and provide an overview of tools used to assess wound odour. A PRISMA diagram will outline the results of the search strategy. The identified tools will be summarised in table format and stratified according to methods used. Conclusion: The result of this scoping review will be a list of methods used to assess odour in wounds and will be used to inform a subsequent Delphi study to gain consensus on the preferred method to assess wound odour., Competing Interests: Competing interests: BMcG has received consultancy/advisory board honoraria from Novartis and UCB. No more competing interests are declared., (Copyright: © 2023 Gethin G et al.)

This report provides guidance for the implementation of online treatment monitoring (OTM) solutions in radiotherapy (RT), with a focus on modulated treatments. Support is provided covering the implementation process, from identification of an OTM solution to local implementation strategy. Guidance has been developed by a RT special interest group (RTSIG) working party (WP) on behalf of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM). Recommendations within the report are derived from the experience of the WP members (in consultation with manufacturers, vendors and user groups), existing guidance or legislation and a UK survey conducted in 2020 (Stevens et al 2021). OTM is an inclusive term representing any system capable of providing a direct or inferred measurement of the delivered dose to a RT patient. Information on each type of OTM is provided but, commensurate with UK demand, guidance is largely influenced by in vivo dosimetry methods utilising the electronic portal imager device (EPID). Sections are included on the choice of OTM solutions, acceptance and commissioning methods with recommendations on routine quality control, analytical methods and tolerance setting, clinical introduction and staffing/resource requirements. The guidance aims to give a practical solution to sensitivity and specificity testing. Functionality is provided for the user to introduce known errors into treatment plans for local testing. Receiver operating characteristic analysis is discussed as a tool to performance assess OTM systems. OTM solutions can help verify the correct delivery of radiotherapy treatment. Furthermore, modern systems are increasingly capable of providing clinical decision-making information which can impact the course of a patient's treatment. However, technical limitations persist. It is not within the scope of this guidance to critique each available solution, but the user is encouraged to carefully consider workflow and engage with manufacturers in resolving compatibility issues., (© 2023 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.)

Aim: To determine the quality of paediatric guidelines relevant to diagnosis of three of the most common conditions in primary care: fever, gastroenteritis and constipation., Methods: We undertook a meta-epidemiological study of paediatric guidelines for fever, gastroenteritis and gastroenteritis. We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, Trip Database, Guidelines International Network, the National Guideline Clearinghouse and WHO from February 2011 to September 2022 for guidelines from high-income settings containing diagnostic recommendations. We assessed the quality of guideline reporting for included guidelines using the AGREE II tool., Results: We included 16 guidelines: fever (n = 7); constipation (n = 4) and gastroenteritis (n = 5). The overall quality across the three conditions was graded moderate (median AGREE II score 4.5/7, range 2.5-6.5) with constipation guidelines rated the highest (median 6/7), and fever rated the lowest (median 3.8/7). Major methodological weaknesses included consideration of guideline applicability. Half of the guidelines did not report involving parent representatives, and 56% did not adequately declare or address their competing interests., Conclusions: Substantial variations exist in the quality of paediatric guidelines related to the diagnosis of primary care presentations. Better quality guidance is needed for general practitioners to improve diagnosis for children in primary care., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)

Introduction: Endogenous Cushing's syndrome (CS) is a rare endocrine condition caused by chronic oversecretion of cortisol, resulting in a diverse constellation of symptoms. This study examined the ongoing burden of illness (BOI), from the first appearance of symptoms through treatment, which is currently not well evaluated., Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional, web-enabled survey including 5 validated patient reported outcomes (PRO) measures was conducted in patients with CS who had been diagnosed ≥ 6 months prior and who had received ≥ 1 treatment for their endogenous CS at the time of the survey., Results: Fifty-five patients participated in this study; 85% were women. The mean age was 43.4 ± 12.3 years (± standard deviation, SD). On average, respondents reported a 10-year gap between the first occurrence of symptoms and diagnosis; 80% underwent surgical treatment for CS. Respondents experienced symptoms on 16 days in a typical month, and their health-related quality of life was moderately impacted based on the CushingQoL score. Weight gain, muscle fatigue, and weakness were the most common symptoms and 69% percent of patients reported moderate or severe fatigue using the Brief Fatigue Inventory. Following treatment, the occurrence of most symptoms declined over time, although anxiety and pain did not significantly decrease. Overall, 38% of participants reported an annual average of 25 missed workdays due to CS symptoms., Conclusions: These results demonstrate a BOI in CS despite ongoing treatment and illustrate the need for interventions to address persistent symptoms, particularly weight gain, pain, and anxiety., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

In newborn screening, false-negative results can be disastrous, leading to disability and death, while false-positive results contribute to parental anxiety and unnecessary follow-ups. Cutoffs are set conservatively to prevent missed cases for Pompe and MPS I, resulting in increased falsepositive results and lower positive predictive values. Harmonization has been proposed as a way to minimize false-negative and false-positive results and correct for method differences, so we harmonized enzyme activities for Pompe and MPS I across laboratories and testing methods (Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS) or Digital Microfluidics (DMF)). Participating states analyzed proofof- concept calibrators, blanks, and contrived specimens and reported enzyme activities, cutoffs, and other testing parameters to Tennessee. Regression and multiples of the median were used to harmonize the data. We observed varied cutoffs and results. Six of seven MS/MS labs reported enzyme activities for one specimen for MPS I marginally above their respective cutoffs with results classified as negative, whereas all DMF labs reported this specimen's enzyme activity below their respective cutoffs with results classified as positive. Reasonable agreement in enzyme activities and cutoffs was achieved with harmonization; however, harmonization does not change how a value would be reported as this is dependent on the placement of cutoffs.

Objective: The chronic complications of ageing with HIV are not well studied in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where general healthcare resources are limited. We aimed to collaborate with individuals living with HIV aged ≥ 50 years, and community elders (aged ≥ 60 years) living with non-communicable diseases in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania in a health research priority-setting exercise., Methods: We conducted structured workshops based on broad questions to aid discussion and group-based patient priority setting, alongside discussion of the feasibility of future community research engagement. Participant priorities were tallied and ranked to arrive at core priorities from consensus discussion., Results: Thirty older people living with HIV and 30 community elders attended separate priority setting workshops. Both groups reported motivation to participate in, conduct, and oversee future studies. In this resource-limited setting, basic needs such as healthcare access were prioritised much higher than specific HIV-complications or chronic disease. Stigma and social isolation were highly prioritised in those living with HIV., Conclusions: Community engagement and involvement in HIV and ageing research appears feasible in Tanzania. Ageing and non-communicable disease research should consider the wider context, and lack of basic needs in low-income settings. A greater impact may be achieved with community involvement., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Importance: Nasal high-flow oxygen therapy in infants with bronchiolitis and hypoxia has been shown to reduce the requirement to escalate care. The efficacy of high-flow oxygen therapy in children aged 1 to 4 years with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure without bronchiolitis is unknown., Objective: To determine the effect of early high-flow oxygen therapy vs standard oxygen therapy in children with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure., Design, Setting, and Participants: A multicenter, randomized clinical trial was conducted at 14 metropolitan and tertiary hospitals in Australia and New Zealand, including 1567 children aged 1 to 4 years (randomized between December 18, 2017, and March 18, 2020) requiring hospital admission for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. The last participant follow-up was completed on March 22, 2020., Interventions: Enrolled children were randomly allocated 1:1 to high-flow oxygen therapy (n = 753) or standard oxygen therapy (n = 764). The type of oxygen therapy could not be masked, but the investigators remained blinded until the outcome data were locked., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was length of hospital stay with the hypothesis that high-flow oxygen therapy reduces length of stay. There were 9 secondary outcomes, including length of oxygen therapy and admission to the intensive care unit. Children were analyzed according to their randomization group., Results: Of the 1567 children who were randomized, 1517 (97%) were included in the primary analysis (median age, 1.9 years [IQR, 1.4-3.0 years]; 732 [46.7%] were female) and all children completed the trial. The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the high-flow oxygen group with a median of 1.77 days (IQR, 1.03-2.80 days) vs 1.50 days (IQR, 0.85-2.44 days) in the standard oxygen group (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.75-0.92]; P < .001). Of the 9 prespecified secondary outcomes, 4 showed no significant difference. The median length of oxygen therapy was 1.07 days (IQR, 0.50-2.06 days) in the high-flow oxygen group vs 0.75 days (IQR, 0.35-1.61 days) in the standard oxygen therapy group (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.70-0.86]). In the high-flow oxygen group, there were 94 admissions (12.5%) to the intensive care unit compared with 53 admissions (6.9%) in the standard oxygen group (adjusted odds ratio, 1.93 [95% CI, 1.35-2.75]). There was only 1 death and it occurred in the high-flow oxygen group., Conclusions and Relevance: Nasal high-flow oxygen used as the initial primary therapy in children aged 1 to 4 years with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure did not significantly reduce the length of hospital stay compared with standard oxygen therapy., Trial Registration: anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12618000210279.

Background: Newborn screening (NBS) by means of T cell receptor excision circles (TREC) is now universal in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Navajo Nation as a strategy to identify severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in newborns. Owing to the characteristics of adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency, a small but important number of cases can be missed by this screening., Objective: To evaluate the results of the first year statewide NBS for ADA by means of dried blood spot NBS., Methods: On October 7, 2019, the state of Michigan began screening newborn dried blood spots for ADA deficiency by means of the Neobase-2 tandem mass spectroscopy (TMS) kit. We report 1 known case of ADA deficiency in the 18 months before screening. We then reviewed the results of the first 2 years of TMS ADA screening in Michigan., Results: There was 1 patient with ADA deficiency known to our centers in the 18 months before initiation of TMS ADA screening; this patient died of complications of their disease. In the first 2 years of TMS ADA NBS, 206,321 infants were screened, and 2 patients had positive ADA screen results. Both patients had ADA deficiency confirmed through biochemical and genetic testing. One patient identified also had a positive TREC screen and was confirmed to have ADA-SCID., Conclusion: In our first 2 years, TMS NBS for ADA deficiency identified 2 patients with ADA deficiency at negligible cost, including 1 patient who would not have been identified by TREC NBS. This report provides initial evidence of the value of specific NBS for ADA deficiency., (Copyright © 2022 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: It is theorised that adhesive-free wound care developed specifically for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) can improve their quality of life (QoL). Our study aimed to investigate the impact of a novel wound care device on Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores, and other factors related to experienced pain, time spent changing dressings, comfort, ease of use and body image., Method: A 21-day, single-arm, unblinded, pilot trial was conducted to assess ease of use and the impact of effective wound care on various aspects of wound management in patients with HS. Participants were provided two trial garments and trial dressings as required, to use over a 21-day period in the home setting. A seven-item questionnaire and the DLQI questionnaire was completed on days 0, 7, 14 and 21., Results: All 15 participants were female, aged >18 years old and with a diagnosis of HS. Mean DLQI score at baseline (day 0) was 19.3, which was reduced to 4.53 on day 21, a significant improvement in 100% of participants (p<0.001). High levels of dressing-related pain, assessed using an 11-point Visual Analogue Scale, reduced from 5.53 at baseline to 0.8 on day 21. Other significant improvements in terms of patient comfort, time spent on changing dressings, body confidence and the dressing's ability to retain exudate were also noted., Conclusion: The results illustrated the improvement made to study participants' day-to-day activities and QoL when effective HS-specific wound care products were provided. Wound care is an essential component in the treatment journey of patients.

Advancements in technology and communication have revolutionised the twenty-first century with the introduction of mobile phones and smartphones. These phones are known to be platforms harbouring microbes with recent research shedding light on the abundance and broad spectrum of organisms they harbour. Mobile phone use in the community and in professional sectors including health care settings is a potential source of microbial dissemination. To identify the diversity of microbial genetic signature present on mobile phones owned by hospital medical staff. Twenty-six mobile phones of health care staff were swabbed. DNA extraction for downstream next generation sequencing shotgun metagenomic microbial profiling was performed. Survey questionnaires were handed to the staff to collect information on mobile phone usage and users' behaviours. Each of the 26 mobile phones of this study was contaminated with microbes with the detection of antibiotic resistance and virulent factors. Taken together the sum of microbes and genes added together across all 26 mobile phones totalised 11,163 organisms (5714 bacteria, 675 fungi, 93 protists, 228 viruses, 4453 bacteriophages) and 2096 genes coding for antibiotic resistance and virulent factors. The survey of medical staff showed that 46% (12/26) of the participants used their mobile phones in the bathroom. Mobile phones are vectors of microbes and can contribute to microbial dissemination and nosocomial diseases worldwide. As fomites, mobile phones that are not decontaminated may pose serious risks for public health and biosecurity., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To synthesize existing qualitative research exploring the experiences of parents caring for children with cancer during the end-of-life phase, and the factors that influence parental decision-making when choosing the location of end-of-life care and death for their child., Results: This review included 15 studies of 460 parents of 333 children and adolescents who died from progressive cancer. Where reported, the majority (58%) of children died at home or in a hospital (39%), with only a small fraction dying in a hospice. Factors impacting decision-making for the location of care included the quality of communication and the quality of care available. Themes related to choosing home for end-of-life care and death included honoring the child's wishes, the familiarity of home, and parents' desire to be their child's primary carer. Preference for the location of death in the hospital included trust in hospital staff, practical logistics, and the safety of the hospital environment., (© 2022 The Authors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Aim: The Streptococcus anginosus group (SAG) comprises three bacterial species colonising the mouth and gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts and capable of serious pyogenic infections. Although well-described in adults, studies in children are limited. Here, we characterise paediatric SAG infections from a single Australian centre., Methods: Hospitalised patients aged ≤18 years with positive SAG cultures from January 2009 to December 2019 were identified from Pathology Queensland's Gold Coast Laboratory database and their medical records were reviewed., Results: Two-hundred children (62% male), median age 12 years (interquartile range 6-16), with positive SAG cultures were identified. Overall, 90% received intravenous antibiotics, 89% underwent surgical drainage, 23% were readmitted and 15% required additional surgery. The most common sites were the abdomen (39%), soft tissues (36%) and head and neck regions (21%). Since 2011, Pathology Queensland reported SAG at the species level (n = 133). Of these, S. anginosus was the most prevalent (39%), then S. constellatus (34%) and S. intermedius (27%). Compared with the other two species, S. intermedius was most commonly associated with head and neck infections (relative risk (RR) = 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-3.5), while S. constellatus (RR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.4) and S. anginosus (RR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.0-2.0) were each associated with a higher risk of intra-abdominal infection than S. intermedius. Since February 2015, the number of children admitted with SAG-associated intra-abdominal infection per 1000 hospitalisations increased by 29% annually compared with an annual decline of 8% in previous years., Conclusions: SAG infections occur at various anatomical sites. Despite antibiotics and surgical management, almost one-quarter are re-hospitalised for further treatment., (© 2021 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)