Marie-Noelle Trottier-Boucher, Sarah Heighington, Melissa Holland, Kyle Collins, Raphael Beck
{"title":"Asthma care bundle and pathway to improve asthma management in a community paediatric inpatient unit, a quality improvement initiative.","authors":"Marie-Noelle Trottier-Boucher, Sarah Heighington, Melissa Holland, Kyle Collins, Raphael Beck","doi":"10.1093/pch/pxaf007","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pch/pxaf007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Asthma is the most common chronic paediatric condition and a frequent cause of emergency department visits and hospitalizations.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The project objective was to decrease inpatient length of stay (LOS) for asthma exacerbations between May 2021 and 2022.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Institute for Healthcare Improvement Model for improvement was employed to study if systemic changes to asthma management could reduce hospital LOS. The inpatient asthma care bundle consisted of a discharge checklist, standardized care pathway that allowed nurse titration of bronchodilator based on an objective scoring tool and standardized team education.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The pre-intervention mean inpatient LOS was 56 h, 100 h for patients with a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) stay, and 52 h for patients without a PICU stay. While the mean PICU LOS remained unchanged, the mean LOS for patients without PICU stay decreased to 34 h and was sustained through the project's completion. The percentage of healthcare professionals feeling \"comfortable\"/'very comfortable' caring for asthmatic patients remained unchanged during the project (100%). Caregivers' confidence regarding asthma management mean score increased from 6/10 to 9/10 after hospital discharge. No statistical increase respiratory-based emergency department presentation within 10 days of discharge, use of high-flow ventilation and transfer to PICU was noted.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Implementing an inpatient asthma care bundle reduced the mean LOS for patients without PICU stay from 52 to 34 h, which represents a 35% decrease. The most impactful intervention was the implementation of the inpatient asthma management pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":19730,"journal":{"name":"Paediatrics & child health","volume":"30 5","pages":"382-389"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12408476/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dara Simcha Petel, Leo Cheong, Gregory Harvey, Olivia Ostrow, Kathryn Timberlake, Michelle Science
{"title":"Antibiotic prescribing practices for acute otitis media and community-acquired pneumonia in a pediatric emergency department.","authors":"Dara Simcha Petel, Leo Cheong, Gregory Harvey, Olivia Ostrow, Kathryn Timberlake, Michelle Science","doi":"10.1093/pch/pxaf036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxaf036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Recent evidence-based pediatric guidelines recommend a 5-day course of amoxicillin as first-line therapy for uncomplicated acute otitis media (AOM) in children 2 years and older and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The objective of this study was to assess the guideline consistency of antibiotic prescriptions for AOM and CAP in a Canadian quaternary care pediatric emergency department (ED) and identify opportunities to improve antibiotic prescribing.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively reviewed antibiotic prescriptions for patients 0 to 18 years old discharged from the ED with a diagnosis of AOM or CAP from September 2022 through September 2023. Clinical information and prescription data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Analysis was completed using descriptive statistics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 2313 retrieved records, 1143 (85%) cases of AOM and 753 (75%) cases of CAP met the inclusion criteria. Six hundred and eighty-eight (60%) AOM prescriptions and 140 (19%) CAP prescriptions were guideline-consistent. Prescriptions were not guideline-consistent largely because of antibiotic duration (62% for AOM-67% attributable to excess duration; 93% for CAP- > 99% attributable to excess duration), followed by antibiotic dosing interval (31% for AOM; 22% for CAP), antibiotic selection (17% for AOM; 6% for CAP) and antibiotic dose (8% for AOM; 2% for CAP). Of 293 patients eligible for deferred prescriptions for AOM based on age and clinical presentation, only 52% received them.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Most guideline-discordant prescriptions for both AOM and CAP resulted from prolonged antibiotic duration. Given the frequency of these diagnoses, effective interventions to improve guideline consistency would have a significant impact at a population level.</p>","PeriodicalId":19730,"journal":{"name":"Paediatrics & child health","volume":"30 6","pages":"486-492"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12495507/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sydney Campbell, Fiona Moola, Avram Denburg, Jennifer Gibson, Jeremy Petch
{"title":"Listening to the lost voices: a qualitative study reflecting on medical assistance in dying for mature minors in Ontario.","authors":"Sydney Campbell, Fiona Moola, Avram Denburg, Jennifer Gibson, Jeremy Petch","doi":"10.1093/pch/pxaf025","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pch/pxaf025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Medical Assistance in Canada (MAID) has been decriminalized in Canada since 2016. Mature minors-or individuals younger than 18 deemed legally capable to provide consent-remain ineligible. While there have been numerous spaces for adults to share their reflections on MAID, mature minors have not had the same opportunities, especially those with critical, complex illnesses. Thus, this study aimed to provide the first exploration on how the lived experiences of mature minors with critical, complex illnesses, and their parents, contribute to their views on MAID for mature minors and their participation in end-of-life policy development and evaluation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted an interpretive phenomenological study with an integrated community-engagement approach. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the experiences and perspectives of a purposive sample of mature minor participants with critical, complex illness experiences and their parents. Analysis followed an interpretive framework.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants' perspectives were complex and revealed similarities and differences across experiences and reflections. Participant narratives were centred on three macro-themes: their cancer journeys, their reflections on death, dying, and MAD (as informed by and filtered through the lens of their illness experiences), and policy and process reflections.</p><p><strong>Interpretation: </strong>Our study offers new insights into filling gaps related to mature minors' and parents' perspectives on MAID. Consideration of suffering was central within the participant's narratives, highlighting important takeaways for clinicians. Moreover, the sensitivity that mature minor participants applied to discussions related to MAID, along with the diversity of their perspectives, affirms the significance and value of their engagement.</p>","PeriodicalId":19730,"journal":{"name":"Paediatrics & child health","volume":"30 6","pages":"493-501"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12495523/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jennifer J Lee, Caroline G Middleton, Christine Mulligan, Laura Vergeer, Leila Hammond, Mary R L'Abbé
{"title":"A cross-sectional analysis of the nutritional quality and prices of commercial infant and toddler food products in the Canadian food supply.","authors":"Jennifer J Lee, Caroline G Middleton, Christine Mulligan, Laura Vergeer, Leila Hammond, Mary R L'Abbé","doi":"10.1093/pch/pxaf018","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pch/pxaf018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adequate nutrition is essential for growth and development during infancy and early childhood; however, the healthfulness and cost of commercial infant and toddler food and beverage products (ITP) have not been documented in Canada.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study assessed the nutritional quality and prices of ITP in the Canadian food supply.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Using the Food Label Information and Price 2020 database, ITP intended for children < 4-years-old (<i>n</i> = 423) were examined for their energy and nutrient content (per 100 g or mL), the prevalence of products 'High in' nutrient(s)-of-concern (according to Canadian front-of-pack labelling thresholds), and their price (per 100 g or mL).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Median energy level of ITP was 101 kcal [IQR: 67, 400], derived primarily from carbohydrates (21.7 g [14.1, 71.4]). Although total and saturated fat (1.2 g [0, 7.1] and 0 g [0, 0], respectively) and sodium (16 mg [4, 100]) were low, ITP were also low in protein (3.6 g [0.8, 10.0]) and iron (0.9 mg [0.4, 6.0]), and high in sugars (10.9 g [5.5, 17.6]). Based on Canadian front-of-pack labelling thresholds, 59% (<i>n</i> = 248) of products were 'High in' one or more nutrients-of-concern, particularly sugars (55%, <i>n</i> = 234). Prices varied significantly, ranging from $1.32 to $6.95, with toddler products costing more than those for infants ($3.14 vs. $1.55).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, the nutritional quality of commercial ITP in Canada is poor, with many products 'High in' sugars, highlighting the need for healthier, more affordable options and public health policies that can support healthier food environments for infants and toddlers.</p>","PeriodicalId":19730,"journal":{"name":"Paediatrics & child health","volume":"30 5","pages":"421-427"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12408472/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cornelia M Borkhoff, Haris Imsirovic, Imaan Bayoumi, Colin Macarthur, Kimberly M Nurse, Teresa To, Mark Feldman, Eddy Lau, Braden Knight, Catherine S Birken, Jonathon L Maguire, Patricia C Parkin
{"title":"Developmental screening at 18 months using the Nipissing District Developmental Screen.","authors":"Cornelia M Borkhoff, Haris Imsirovic, Imaan Bayoumi, Colin Macarthur, Kimberly M Nurse, Teresa To, Mark Feldman, Eddy Lau, Braden Knight, Catherine S Birken, Jonathon L Maguire, Patricia C Parkin","doi":"10.1093/pch/pxaf023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxaf023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends an enhanced 18-month visit, including the use of a developmental screening tool to stimulate discussion with parents about their child's development, and notes the Nipissing District Developmental Screen (NDDS) is a widely used tool. We examined the predictive validity of the NDDS in children at average-risk for developmental delay and the association between positive screening and health care utilization (HCU).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using a prospective design, parents completed the NDDS at the 18-month primary care visit in Toronto, Canada. Child health insurance number was used to link with health administrative databases to collect HCU data. We calculated screening test properties using later neurodevelopmental consultation as the criterion measure and used multivariable negative binomial regression to estimate adjusted rate ratios (aRR) for each HCU type.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 802 children (mean age 18 months), 35.5% screened NDDS positive. Mean age at follow-up was 8 years, 20 (2.5%) had a neurodevelopmental consultation, and 94 (11.7%) had a special paediatric consultation/assessment, including developmental and/or behavioural care. Screening test properties were: 50% sensitivity (95% CI 27%, 73%), 65% specificity (95% CI 61%, 68%), 35% false positive rate (95% CI 31%, 40%). A positive NDDS was associated with only 1 of 7 HCU types.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The sensitivity and specificity of the NDDS is inadequate for a developmental screening tool at 18 months, and the false positive rate is unacceptably high. The screening test properties of other widely used developmental screening tools is discussed, noting their low sensitivity, higher specificity, and lower false positive rates.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01869530).</p>","PeriodicalId":19730,"journal":{"name":"Paediatrics & child health","volume":"30 6","pages":"477-485"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12495510/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Striving for universal birth dose hepatitis B vaccination in Canada: data from Ontario make a compelling case.","authors":"Mia J Biondi, Jennifer van Gennip, Jordan J Feld","doi":"10.1093/pch/pxaf024","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pch/pxaf024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In 2009, the World Health Organization called for global universal birth dose hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination; however, in Canada, five provinces still vaccinate adolescents. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends province-to-province assessment of local epidemiology and states that if there is a failure of the routine immunization program, as indicated by HBV infection occurring in infants and children awaiting vaccination, that changes should be made. It has now been shown in Ontario that children under the age of 12 who are born in Canada are acquiring HBV prior to adolescent vaccination. In regions where birth dose vaccination was implemented decades ago, there is a lower adult HBV prevalence. In addition, birth dose vaccination has been shown to be cost-effective in Canada. With these data, we strongly encourage NACI to provide a uniform Canadian recommendation, for provincial public health policymakers to move to universal birth dose vaccination, and for providers to offer universal vaccination accross Canada.</p>","PeriodicalId":19730,"journal":{"name":"Paediatrics & child health","volume":"30 5","pages":"359-363"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12408467/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mia J Biondi, Jennifer Flemming, Jennifer van Gennip, Tamara Barnett, Chelsea Masterman, Andrew Mendlowitz, Meagan Mooney, Guillaume Fontaine, Jordan J Feld
{"title":"Hepatitis C virus testing in infants, a move to early screening by HCV RNA at 2 months of age.","authors":"Mia J Biondi, Jennifer Flemming, Jennifer van Gennip, Tamara Barnett, Chelsea Masterman, Andrew Mendlowitz, Meagan Mooney, Guillaume Fontaine, Jordan J Feld","doi":"10.1093/pch/pxaf012","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pch/pxaf012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the last decade, hepatitis C virus (HCV) has become a curable chronic viral infection, with excellent treatment and streamlined diagnostic testing. Canada and many other countries have adopted national elimination targets; however, reaching these goals will require changes in the way care is provided. Standard of care HCV treatment is all-oral daily medication for 8 or 12 weeks and all provinces in Canada have mechanisms for public coverage. Unfortunately, vertical transmission continues to be the predominant reason for paediatric infection, but if diagnosed, children can be treated as young as 3 years old. Early paediatric diagnosis and cure are of the utmost importance to prevent complications such as adverse mental health outcomes and advanced liver disease early in life. One major barrier to paediatric diagnosis and cure is poor antibody screening uptake, as low as 23% by 18 months among children born to positive persons. In the United States, a landmark study showed a temporal decrease in screening rates from 91% at 2 months to 59% at 18 months. As such, the American Association for Study of the Liver/Infectious Disease Society of America, and very recently, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, now recommend screening by all children born to positive person for HCV RNA at 2-6 months of age. While antibody testing could still be completed at 18 months to determine serostatus, understanding if a child has active infection in infancy supports early linkage to care and decreases paediatric loss to follow-up.</p>","PeriodicalId":19730,"journal":{"name":"Paediatrics & child health","volume":"30 5","pages":"373-378"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12408479/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Telford Yeung, Ali Al Sawai, Sharifa Habib, Diane Wilson, Vann Chau, Bonny Jasani, Amr El Shahed
{"title":"Short and long-term outcomes in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia and vasoactive medications.","authors":"Telford Yeung, Ali Al Sawai, Sharifa Habib, Diane Wilson, Vann Chau, Bonny Jasani, Amr El Shahed","doi":"10.1093/pch/pxaf029","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pch/pxaf029","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hemodynamic instability in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) can contribute to brain injury but long-term neurodevelopmental data is limited. Our objective was to compare the effect of hemodynamic instability requiring vasoactive support on radiologic brain injury and neurodevelopmental outcomes in HIE with therapeutic hypothermia (TH).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cohort study compared infants with HIE post-TH who did not require (Group I) versus those who required vasoactive medications (Group II). The association between hemodynamic instability and MRI brain injury or Bayley Scales of Infant Development III (BSID-III) was evaluated by logistic regression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 185 infants, group II had higher adjusted odds of moderate-severe grey matter injury [odds ratio 5.54; 95% confidence interval 1.70 - 18.05; p < 0.001] than group I, with no differences in adjusted 18-24-month BSID-III scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Hemodynamic instability requiring vasoactive support in HIE with TH was associated with higher odds of radiologic brain injury but no difference in neurodevelopmental outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":19730,"journal":{"name":"Paediatrics & child health","volume":"30 6","pages":"471-476"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12495522/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}