Pediatric pulmonology
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Pediatric pulmonology · Aug 2018
The use of light's criteria in hospitalized children with a pleural effusion of unknown etiology.
Pleural effusions are common in pediatrics. When the etiology of a pleural effusion remains unknown, adult literature recommends the use of Light's criteria to differentiate a transudate from an exudate. Pediatricians may rely on adult literature for the diagnostic management of pleural effusions as Light's criteria has not been validated in children. The purpose of this study was to review the use of Light's criteria in hospitalized children with a pleural effusion of unknown etiology. ⋯ Light's criteria were utilized infrequently in hospitalized children with a pleural effusion of unknown etiology at a single institution. There was considerable practice variation among provider teams. When utilized, Light's criteria assisted in making a diagnosis or changing management in many patients, and may lead to a reduction in 30-day recurrence requiring repeat intervention.
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Pediatric pulmonology · Aug 2018
25-hydroxyvitamin D and health service utilization for asthma in early childhood.
Asthma is the most common chronic illness of childhood and a common reason for hospital admission. Studies suggest that low vitamin D levels may be associated with health service utilization (HSU) for childhood asthma. The primary objective was to determine if vitamin D serum levels in early childhood were associated with HSU for asthma including: a) hospital admissions; b) emergency department visits; and c) outpatient sick visits. Secondary objectives were to determine whether vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy or childhood were associated with HSU for asthma. ⋯ Vitamin D blood values do not appear to be associated with HSU for asthma in this population of healthy urban children.
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Pediatric pulmonology · Aug 2018
Meta Analysis Comparative StudyLung ultrasound compared to chest X-ray for diagnosis of pediatric pneumonia: A meta-analysis.
Although a clinical diagnosis, the standard initial imaging modality for patients with concern for pediatric community acquired pneumonia (pCAP) is a chest x-ray (CXR), which has a relatively high false negative rate, exposes patients to ionizing radiation, and may not be available in resource limited settings. The primary objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the accuracy of lung ultrasound (LUS) compared to CXR for the diagnosis of pCAP. ⋯ In our meta-analysis, lung ultrasound had significantly better sensitivity with similar specificity when compared to chest x-ray for the diagnosis of pediatric community acquired pneumonia.
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To describe the diversity in practice in non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in European pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). ⋯ The present study shows that NIV is a widespread technique in European PICUs. Practice across Europe is variable.