Journal of paediatrics and child health
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J Paediatr Child Health · Aug 2020
COVID-19 and paediatric health services: A survey of paediatric physicians in Australia and New Zealand.
COVID-19 is now a global pandemic. At the time of survey, fewer than 150 children in Australia and New Zealand had documented infection. The aim of this study was to assess attitudes, readiness and confidence in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic through an online survey of paediatric physicians and sub-specialists across Australia and New Zealand. ⋯ Despite limited experience in pandemics, most paediatric physicians felt informed. Concern about exposure at work is common; most were willing to work regardless. The closure of schools and daycares may have an impact on staffing. Coordination and leadership will be critical.
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J Paediatr Child Health · Aug 2020
CommentUpdate on the COVID-19-associated inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents; paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome-temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2.
We provide an update on the state of play with regards a newly described inflammatory condition which has arisen during the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The condition has been named paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. This condition has shown significant similarities to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome.
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J Paediatr Child Health · Aug 2020
Use of the sport concussion assessment tools in the emergency department to predict persistent post-concussive symptoms in children.
The Sport Concussion Assessment Tool v3 (SCAT3) and its child version (ChildSCAT3) are composite tools including a symptom scale, a rapid cognitive assessment (standardised assessment of concussion (SAC)) and the modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS). It is unclear whether their use for the acute assessment of paediatric concussion in the emergency department (ED) may help predict persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS). We aim to assess the predictive value of the main SCAT3/ChildSCAT3 components for PPCS when applied in the ED. ⋯ Although SCAT3 and ChildSCAT3 are recommended tools to assist with concussion diagnosis and monitoring of patient recovery, their use in the ED does not seem to help predict PPCS.
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J Paediatr Child Health · Jul 2020
Protecting children from iatrogenic harm during COVID19 pandemic.
Critical care management of patients with COVID-19 has been influenced by a mixture of public, media and societal pressure, as well as clinical and anecdotal observations from many prominent researchers and key opinion leaders. These factors may have affected the principles of evidence-based medicine and encouraged the widespread use of non-tested pharmacological and aggressive respiratory support therapies, even in intensive care units (ICUs). ⋯ Notwithstanding, paediatric intensive care (PICU) clinicians may already have been influenced by changes in practices of adult ICUs, and these changes may pose unintended consequences to the vulnerable population in the PICU. In this article, we analyse several potential iatrogenic causes of the detrimental effects of the current pandemic to children and highlight the risks underlying a sudden change of clinical practice.