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Using electronic data from a large population-based network of Family Paediatricians (Pedianet), we aimed to describe the use of topical antimicrobials, including ozenoxacin 1% cream, in impetigo in children in Italy. We included 2929 children aged 6 months–14 years from 2016 to 2019 with at least one episode of impetigo treated with topical antimicrobials. Overall, 3051 cases of impetigo were included in the analysis. Treatment started in most cases on the same day as the impetigo diagnosis and lasted around eight days. In about 8% of the cases, a systemic antibiotic was prescribed after the topical antimicrobial, usually after 4–14 days. In this study, ozenoxacin was used in 8% of the cases. Treatment duration was significantly shorter for patients prescribed ozenoxacin compared to the whole study population (median of six vs. seven days, respectively). In contrast, the rate of treatment failure was similar. Very few adverse reactions were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The incidence of acute otitis media (AOM) vary from country to country. Geographical variations together with differences in study designs, reporting and settings play a role. We assessed the incidence of AOM in Italian children seen by primary care paediatricians (PCPs), and described the methods used to diagnose the disease. Methods This secondary data analysis from the Pedianet database considered children aged 0 – 6 years between 01/2003 and 12/2007. The AOM episodes were identified and validated by means of patient diaries. Incidence rates/100 person-years (PY) were calculated for total AOM and for single or recurrent AOM. Results The 92,373 children (52.1% males) were followed up for a total of 227,361 PY: 23,039 (24.9%) presented 38,241 episodes of AOM (94.6% single episodes and 5.4% recurrent episodes). The total incidence rate of AOM in the 5-year period was 16.8 episodes per 100 PY (95% CI: 16.7-16.9), including single AOM (15.9 episodes per 100 PY; 95% CI: 15.7-16.1) and recurrent AOM (0.9 episodes per 100 PY; 95% CI: 0.9-0.9). There was a slight and continuously negative trend decrease over time (annual percent change −4.6%; 95%CI: -5.3, -3.9%). The AOM incidence rate varied with age, peaking in children aged 3 to 4 years (22.2 episodes per 100 PY; 95% CI 21.8-22.7). The vast majority of the AOM episodes (36,842/38,241, 96.3%) were diagnosed using a static otoscope; a pneumatic otoscope was used in only 3.7%. Conclusions Our data fill a gap in our knowledge of the incidence of AOM in Italy, and indicate that AOM represents a considerable burden for the Italian PCP system. Educational programmes concerning the diagnosis of AOM are needed, as are further studies to monitor the incidence in relation to the introduction of wider pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.

Abstract Background Rotavirus (RV) is the commonest cause of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide. A Quality of Life study was conducted in primary care in three European countries as part of a larger epidemiological study (SPRIK) to investigate the impact of paediatric rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) on affected children and their parents. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was linguistically validated in Spanish, Italian and Polish. The questionnaire was included in an observational multicentre prospective study of 302 children aged Results Questionnaire responses showed that acute RVGE in a child adversely affects the parents’ daily life as well as the child. Parents of children with RVGE experience worry, distress and impact on their daily activities. RVGE of greater clinical severity (assessed by the Vesikari scale) was associated with higher parental worries due to symptoms and greater changes in the child’s behaviour, and a trend to higher impact on parents’ daily activities and higher parental distress, together with a higher score on the symptom severity scale of the questionnaire. Conclusions Parents of a child with acute RVGE presenting to primary care experience worry, distress and disruptions to daily life as a result of the child’s illness. Prevention of this disease through prophylactic vaccination will improve the daily lives of parents and children.

Summary: Objectives: To evaluate the total burden of influenza among healthy children in the community in order to analyse the cost of influenza in paediatric age. Methods: This prospective study involved a total community population of 21,986 children, 6988 of whom experienced an influenza-like illness (ILI) between 1 November 2008 and 30 April 2009. An electronic chart was completed, a nasopharyngeal swab was obtained, and information was recorded concerning the clinical outcomes and household impact of the ILI episodes. Influenza A and B viruses were detected in all the swabs by means of polymerase chain reaction, and costs of the disease were calculated. Results: Influenza viruses were detected in 2143 cases (30.7%), an incidence of 96.4 per 1000 children. Influenza A and B viruses were found in respectively 1751 (81.7%) and 392 cases (18.3%). The mean cost of influenza was no less than €130, 32% higher than the cost of influenza-negative ILIs (p < 0.001). The influenza A cases were significantly more expensive than the influenza B cases (p < 0.001), and influenza in children aged <2 and 2–5 years was significantly more expensive than in children aged >5 years (p < 0.05). The differences were mainly related to the indirect costs of the parents’ lost working days. Conclusions: The findings of this study confirm that influenza among healthy children is important because of its frequency and its indirect consequences on the households of infected children, and support the use of influenza vaccination in healthy children aged between 6 months and 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rotavirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and the most frequent cause of severe diarrhoea in children aged less than 5 years. Although the epidemiology of rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) is well documented, there are few data on the impact of RVGE on the families of affected children. Methods: Data associated with the burden of RVGE, including number of working days lost, levels of parental stress, the need for alternative childcare arrangements and additional nappies used, were extracted from questionnaires completed by parents of children participating in a prospective, multicentre, observational study (Rotavirus gastroenteritis Epidemiology and Viral types in Europe Accounting for Losses in public health and society, REVEAL), conducted during 2004-2005 in selected areas of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to estimate the incidence of RVGE in children aged less than 5 years seeking medical care as a result of AGE. Results: 1102 children with RVGE were included in the present analysis. The proportion of RVGE cases that required at least one parent or other person to be absent from work was 39%-91% in the hospital setting, 44%- 64% in the emergency department, and 20%-64% in primary care. Self-reported levels of parental stress were generally high (mean stress levels, = 5 on a 10-point visual analogue scale). Additional childcare arrangements were required in up to 21% of RVGE episodes. The mean number of nappies used per day during RVGE episodes was approximately double that used when the child was not ill. Conclusions: Paediatric RVGE cases cause disruption to families and parental stress. The burden of RVGE on children and their families could be substantially reduced by routine rotavirus vaccination of infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An active monitoring system of adverse drug reactions (ADR) in children was developed through a network of family paediatricians. The reported Incidence of ADRs was 15.1 per 1000 children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]