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Background: Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) continues to be a leading cause of death in infants in the United States (US), with significant disparities by race and socio-economic status. Infant safe sleep behaviors are associated with decreasing SUID risk, but challenges remain for families to practice these routinely. The objective of this program was to implement and evaluate a novel approach for an infant safe sleep pilot program built upon partnerships between hospitals and community-based organizations (CBOs) serving pregnant and parenting families in at-risk communities., Methods: Community Partnership Approaches to Safe Sleep (CPASS) was a prospectively implemented infant safe sleep program. CPASS included children's hospitals partnered with CBOs across five US cities: Portland, OR, Little Rock AR, Chicago, IL, Birmingham, AL, and Rochester, NY. The program consisted of (1) monthly learning community calls; (2) distribution of Safe Sleep Survival Kits; and (3) surveys of sites and families regarding program outcomes. Survey measures included (1) site participation in CPASS activities; (2) recipients' use of Safe Sleep Kits; and (3) recipients' safe sleep knowledge and behaviors., Results: CPASS learning community activities were consistently attended by at least two representatives (1 hospital-based, 1 CBO-based) from each site. Across the five sites, 1002 safe kits were distributed over 9 months, the majority (> 85%) to families with infants ≤ 1 month old. Among participating families, 45% reported no safe sleep location before receipt of the kit. Family adherence to nighttime safe sleep recommendations included: (1) no bedsharing (M 6.0, SD 1.8, range 0-7); (2) sleep on back (M 6.3, SD 1.7, range 0-7); and (3) sleep in a crib with no blankets/toys (M 6.0, SD 2.0, range 0-7). Site interviews described how participation in CPASS influenced safe sleep conversations and incorporated local data into counseling. Hospital-CBO relationships were strengthened with program participation., Conclusions: The CPASS pilot program provides a new, innovative model built on hospital-community partnerships for infant safe sleep promotion in SUID-impacted communities. CPASS reached families before their infant's peak age risk for SUID and empowered families with knowledge and resources to practice infant safe sleep. Important lessons learned included improved ways to center and communicate with families., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Chloral hydrate had been extensively used for children undergoing sedation for imaging studies, but after the manufacturer discontinued production, pediatric sedation providers explored alternative sedation medications. Those medications needed to be at least as safe and as effective as chloral hydrate. In this study, we examined if pentobarbital is a suitable replacement for chloral hydrate., Methods: Subjects who received pentobarbital were recruited from a prospectively collected database, whereas we used a retrospective chart review to study subjects who received chloral hydrate. Sedation success was defined as the ability to provide adequate sedation using a single medication. We included electively performed sedations for subjects aged 2 months to 3 years who received either pentobarbital or chloral hydrate orally. We excluded subjects stratified as American Academy of Anesthesiologists category III or higher and those who received sedation for electroencephalogram. The data collected captured subject demographics and complications., Results: Five hundred thirty-four subjects were included in the final analysis, 368 in the chloral hydrate group and 166 in the pentobarbital group. Subjects who received pentobarbital had a statistically significant higher success rate [136 (82%) vs 238 (65%), p < 0.001], but longer sleeping time (18.1% vs 0%, p < 0.001) in all age groups. Subjects who received chloral hydrate had a higher risk of airway complications in the <1 year of age group (6.5% vs 1.8%, p = 0.03)., Conclusions: For pediatric patients younger than 3 years of age undergoing sedation for imaging studies, oral pentobarbital may be at least as effective and as safe as chloral hydrate, making it an acceptable and practical alternative., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors declare no conflicts or financial interest in any product or service mentioned in the manuscript, including grants, equipment, medications, employment, gifts, and honoraria. The authors had full access to all data and take responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the data analysis.

Clostridium sordellii is a toxin producing ubiquitous gram-positive anaerobe, mainly associated with trauma, soft tissue skin infections, and gynecologic infection. We report a unique case of a new strain of Clostridium sordellii (not present in the Center for Disease Control (CDC) database) infection induced toxic shock syndrome in a previously healthy two-year-old male with colitis-related hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The patient presented with dehydration, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. He was transferred to the pediatric critical care unit (PICU) for initiation of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Due to increased edema and intolerance of PD, he was transitioned to hemodialysis through a femoral vascular catheter. He subsequently developed severe septic shock with persistent leukocytosis and hypotension, resulting in subsequent death. Stool culture confirmed Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli 0157:H7. A blood culture was positively identified for Clostridium sordellii. Clostridium sordelli is rarely reported in children; to our knowledge this is the first case described in a pediatric patient with HUS.