BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The etiology of pneumonia in the pediatric population varies by age group. Among patients one month to 59 months old, viral pathogens are the most common cause of lower respiratory infections. The study aims to determine the frequency distribution of antibiotic prescription among patients one month to 59 months old and to determine the adherence of primary care facilities to local guidelines with recommended antibiotics.

A descriptive retrospective study using electronic medical records was conducted at two primary care sites. Patients aged 1 month to 59 months old seeking consult via telemedicine or face-to-face diagnosed with community acquired pneumonia from April 2019-March 2020 in the rural facility and May 2019-April 2020 in the remote facility were included in the study. The primary outcome was to determine the patterns of antibiotic use in pneumonia in remote and rural areas and adherence to the recommended antibiotics by the 2016 Philippine Academy of Pediatric Pulmonologists pediatric community-acquired pneumonia clinical practice guidelines (CPG).

There were 30 pediatric patients diagnosed with pneumonia in the rural facility and 213 in the remote facility. Of these patients with pneumonia, 96.7% and 94.8% were prescribed antibiotics in the rural and remote sites, respectively. The most commonly prescribed antibiotic in the rural facility was co-amoxiclav (26.7%), while amoxicillin (51.6%) was the most common in the remote facility. Adherence to the CPG in the rural site was lower at 23.3% (n=8/30) compared to the remote site which was 55.9% (n=119/213).

Primary care physicians prescribed antibiotics in over 90% of the time upon the diagnosis of pneumonia in children aged one month to 59 months old, despite viral pneumonia being the more common in primary care setting. Adherence to recommended antibiotics was higher in the remote setting than in the rural setting. Use of EMR to monitor quality of care can improve patient outcomes and safety, pointing out the importance of improving the quality of documentation in the study sites.

INTRODUCTION: Paediatric patients admitted to the inpatient units from the emergency department (ED) are increasing, but the mean length of stay has fallen significantly. We aimed to determine the reasons behind paediatric one-day admissions in Singapore and to assess their necessity. METHODS: A retrospective study involving paediatric patients who were admitted from a general ED of an adult tertiary hospital to a paediatric tertiary hospital between 1 August 2018 and 30 April 2020. One-day admission was defined as an inpatient stay of less than 24 h from the time of admission to discharge. An unnecessary admission was defined as one with no diagnostic test ordered, intravenous medication administered, therapeutic procedure performed or specialty review made in the inpatient unit. Data were captured in a standardised form and analysed. RESULTS: There were 13,944 paediatric attendances - 1,160 (8.3%) paediatric patients were admitted. Among these, 481 (41.4%) were one-day admissions. Upper respiratory tract infection (62, 12.9%), gastroenteritis (60, 12.5%) and head injury (52, 10.8%) were the three most common conditions. The three most common reasons for ED admissions were inpatient treatment (203, 42.2%), inpatient monitoring (185, 38.5%) and inpatient diagnostic investigations (32, 12.3%). Ninety-six (20.0%) one-day admissions were unnecessary. CONCLUSION Paediatric one-day admissions present an opportunity to develop and implement interventions targeted at the healthcare system, the ED, the paediatric patient and their caregiver, in order to safely slow down and perhaps reverse the trend of increased hospital admissions.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Child ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data* ; Patient Admission/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Male ; Child, Preschool ; Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant ; Adolescent ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant, Newborn ; Gastroenteritis/therapy* ; Respiratory Tract Infections

INTRODUCTION: Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common paediatric emergency. While guidelines exist for urgent intervention, less is known of the natural progress of FBs passing through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). We reviewed these FB transit times in an outpatient cohort. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on all children (≤18 years) treated for radiopaque FB ingestion at two major tertiary paediatric centres from 2015 to 2016. Demographic data, FB types, outcomes and hospital visits (emergency department [ED] and outpatient) were recorded. All cases discharged from the ED with outpatient follow-up were included. We excluded those who were not given follow-up appointments and those admitted to inpatient wards. We categorised the outcomes into confirmed passage (ascertained via abdominal X-ray or reported direct stool visualisation by patients/caregivers) and assumed passage (if patients did not attend follow-up appointments). RESULTS: Of the 2,122 ED visits for FB ingestion, 350 patients who were given outpatient follow-up appointments were reviewed (median age 4.35 years [range: 0.5-14.7], 196 [56%] male). The largest proportion (16%) was aged 1-2 years. Coins were the most common ingested FB, followed by toys. High-risk FB (magnets or batteries) formed 9% of cases ( n =33). The 50 th centile for FB retention was 8, 4 and 7 days for coins, batteries and other radiopaque FBs, respectively; all confirmed passages occurred at 37, 7 and 23 days, respectively. Overall, 197 (68%) patients defaulted on their last given follow-up. CONCLUSION This study provides insight into the transit times of FB ingested by children, which helps medical professionals to decide on the optimal time for follow-up visits and provide appropriate counsel to caregivers.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Eating ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Foreign Bodies/diagnostic imaging* ; Gastrointestinal Tract/diagnostic imaging* ; Gastrointestinal Transit ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; Tertiary Care Centers

INTRODUCTION: The rising rate of adolescent suicide, and the burden of self-harm and mental health disorders, pose significant threats to Singapore's future health outcomes and human potential. This study sought to examine the risk profile and healthcare utilisation patterns of Singaporean adolescents who presented to the emergency department (ED) for suicidal or self-harm behaviour. METHOD: A retrospective review of medical records for patients aged 10 to 19 years who visited Singapore's KK Women's and Children's Hospital ED for suicidal or self-harm attempts from January to December 2021 was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 221 patients were identified, with a predominance of female patients (85.5%) over males (14.5%). The mean age was 14.2 ± 1.4 years. Intentional drug overdose (52.0%) was the most commonly used method. Significantly more females presented for intentional paracetamol overdose (46.6% versus [vs] 28.1%, P=0.049), whereas jumping from a height was more common among males (18.8% vs 5.8%, P=0.022). The most frequently observed mental health challenges were stress-related and emotional coping difficulties (50.7%), followed by mood and anxiety symptoms (53.4%). A history of self-harm and suicidal behaviours were the most common psychosocial risk factors. Within the year prior to their ED presentation, 15.4% had accessed healthcare services for mild medical ailments, 19.5% for medically unexplained symptoms, and 17.2% for previous self-harm or suicide attempts. CONCLUSION Most cases involved psychosocial and emotional regulation difficulties, some of which displayed sex-specific patterns, rather than complex psychiatric disorders. The identified predictive factors can help inform Singapore's National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy, to guide targeted and transdiagnostic interventions in schools and community settings.
Humans ; Adolescent ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Female ; Male ; Suicide, Attempted/psychology* ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data* ; Self-Injurious Behavior/psychology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Child ; Young Adult ; Drug Overdose/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Acetaminophen/poisoning* ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data* ; Sex Factors

Humans ; Nebulizers and Vaporizers ; Child ; Administration, Inhalation ; Respiratory Tract Diseases/therapy* ; Asthma/therapy* ; Home Care Services ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Respiratory Therapy/methods*

Humans ; Pediatric Obesity/epidemiology* ; Child ; Consensus ; China/epidemiology* ; Ambulatory Care Facilities/organization & administration*

PURPOSE: Road traffic accidents (RTA), assaults, falls, and sports-related injuries are the leading causes of maxillofacial trauma. Due to quite different geographical environment and fast urbanization, the use of various protective equipment is restricted in India. Thus, compared to other countries, there might be a significant difference in the pattern and frequency of associated injuries among subjects with maxillofacial trauma. The present study was conducted to identify the causes and pattern of various maxillofacial fractures and the frequency of other related injuries among subjects with maxillofacial trauma. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study recording 2617 subjects with maxillofacial trauma from October 2017 to October 2022. The patient demographics, causes of trauma, types of maxillofacial injury, and associated soft and hard tissue injuries were recorded. The types of maxillofacial and associated injuries were diagnosed from details of clinical examinations and the interpretation of various radiographs available in the file. The associated injuries were divided into head injury, other bony injuries, and soft tissue and vital structure injuries. Descriptive statistics and the test of proportion were used. A p value < 0.05 was considered as a level of significance. RESULTS: The maxillofacial injuries were significantly common in patients aged 16 - 45 years (66.7%) than in patients aged ≤ 15 and > 46 years (33.3%) (p < 0.001). The RTA was the most common cause of maxillofacial injury (n = 2139, 81.7%), followed by fall (n = 206, 7.9%), other causes of injury (n = 178, 6.8%), and assaults (n = 94, 3.6%). The maxillofacial injury by 2-wheel vehicle accidents was significantly higher than that by 4-wheel vehicle and other vehicle accidents (p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between alcohol and RTA (p < 0.001). The head injury (n = 931, 61.1%) was the most common associated injury, followed by soft tissue and vital structures injuries (n = 328, 21.5%) and other bone injuries (n = 264, 17.3%). DISCUSSION Head injury was the most common associated injury followed by soft tissue and vital structures and bone injuries among subjects with maxillofacial trauma. Clavicle fracture and injury to the lower extremities were the most common hard and soft tissue-associated injuries.
Humans ; Maxillofacial Injuries/etiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; India/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Accidents, Traffic/statistics & numerical data* ; Child ; Aged ; Multiple Trauma/epidemiology* ; Child, Preschool

Isolated male epispadias typically presents with preputial defects and dorsal urethral dehiscence. A less common subtype, known as concealed epispadias, is distinguished by an intact prepuce. Despite its clinical relevance, there is limited literature on this variant. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 86 pediatric patients with isolated male epispadias treated in Beijing Children's Hospital (Beijing, China) from May 2004 to July 2023, including 19 cases of concealed epispadias and 67 of nonconcealed epispadias. We compared clinical characteristics, preoperative diagnostics, surgical techniques, postoperative outcomes, and sexual function during follow-up between the concealed and nonconcealed groups. No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding surgical methods, postoperative complications, or rates of urinary incontinence. However, notable distinctions were found in the age at initial diagnosis, timing of surgery, frequency of incontinence, location of the urethral meatus, and postoperative urinary incontinence scores (all P < 0.05). Given the absence of penopubic epispadias in concealed cases, we categorized glans and penile epispadias within nonconcealed epispadias as distal epispadias ( n = 40) and subsequently compared them with concealed epispadias cases. The postoperative urinary incontinence scores did not differ significantly between the concealed and distal epispadias groups. These findings suggest that concealed epispadias represents a relatively milder form of the condition, characterized by the absence of penopubic involvement, lower rates of urinary incontinence, and favorable surgical outcomes. However, the intact prepuce in concealed cases underscores the need for careful identification and early diagnosis.
Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Epispadias/classification* ; China ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Urinary Incontinence/epidemiology* ; Urethra/surgery* ; Infant ; Penis/surgery* ; Adolescent ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male/methods* ; East Asian People

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that the occurrence and severity of respiratory diseases in children are related to the concentration of air pollutants. Nonetheless, evidence regarding the association between short-term exposure to air pollution and outpatient visits for respiratory diseases in children remains limited. Outpatients cover a wide range of disease severity, including both severe and mild cases, some of which may need to be transferred to inpatient treatment. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the impact of short-term ambient air pollution exposure on outpatient visits for respiratory conditions in children. METHODS: This study employed data of the Second People's Hospital of Yichang from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2023, to conduct a time series analysis. The DLNM approach was integrated with a generalized additive model to examine the daily outpatient visits of pediatric patients with respiratory illnesses in hospital, alongside air pollution data obtained from monitoring stations. Adjustments were made for long-term trends, meteorological variables, and other influencing factors. RESULTS: A nonlinear association was identified between PM_2.5, PM₁₀, O₃, NO₂, SO₂, CO levels and the daily outpatient visits for respiratory diseases among children. All six pollutants exhibit a hysteresis impact, with varying durations ranging from 4 to 6 days. The risks associated with air pollutants differ across various categories of children's respiratory diseases; notably, O₃ and CO do not show statistical significance concerning the risk of chronic respiratory conditions. Furthermore, the results of infectious respiratory diseases were similar with those of respiratory diseases. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that short-term exposure to air pollutants may contribute to an increased incidence of outpatient visits for respiratory illnesses among children, and controlling air pollution is important to protect children's health.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Respiratory Tract Diseases/chemically induced* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; Infant ; Male ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Female ; Ambulatory Care/statistics & numerical data* ; Outpatients/statistics & numerical data* ; Adolescent ; Infant, Newborn

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application value of pediatric sepsis-induced coagulation (pSIC) score and mean platelet volume/platelet count (MPV/PLT) ratio in the diagnosis of pediatric sepsis and the determination of critical pediatric sepsis. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, selecting 112 children with sepsis (sepsis group) admitted to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of Liaocheng Second People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2023 as the study objects, and 50 children without sepsis admitted to the pediatric surgery department of our hospital during the same period for elective surgery due to inguinal hernia as the control (control group). The children with sepsis were divided into two groups according to the pediatric critical case score (PCIS). The children with PCIS score of ≤ 80 were classified as critically ill group, and those with PCIS score of > 80 was classified as non-critically ill group. pSIC score, coagulation indicators [prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and fibrinogen (FIB)], and platelet related indicators (PLT, MPV, and MPV/PLT ratio) were collected. Pearson correlation method was used to analyze the correlation between pSIC score and MPV/PLT ratio as well as their correlation with coagulation indicators. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent risk factors for pediatric sepsis and critical pediatric sepsis. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the application value of the above independent risk factors on the diagnosis of pediatric sepsis and the determination of critical pediatric sepsis. RESULTS: 112 children with sepsis and 50 children without sepsis were enrolled in the final analysis. pSIC score, PT, INR, APTT, FIB, MPV, and MPV/PLT ratio in the sepsis group were significantly higher than those in the control group [pSIC score: 0.93±0.10 vs. 0.06±0.03, PT (s): 14.76±0.38 vs. 12.23±0.15, INR: 1.26±0.03 vs. 1.06±0.01, APTT (s): 40.08±0.94 vs. 32.47±0.54, FIB (g/L): 3.51±0.11 vs. 2.31±0.06, MPV (fL): 8.86±0.14 vs. 7.62±0.11, MPV/PLT ratio: 0.037±0.003 vs. 0.022±0.001, all P < 0.01], and PLT was slightly lower than that in the control group (×10⁹/L: 306.00±11.01 vs. 345.90±10.57, P > 0.05). Among 112 children with sepsis, 46 were critically ill and 66 were non-critically ill. pSIC score, PT, INR, APTT, MPV, and MPV/PLT ratio in the critically ill group were significantly higher than those in the non-critically ill group [pSIC score: 1.74±0.17 vs. 0.36±0.07, PT (s): 16.55±0.80 vs. 13.52±0.23, INR: 1.39±0.07 vs. 1.17±0.02, APTT (s): 43.83±1.72 vs. 37.77±0.95, MPV (fL): 9.31±0.23 vs. 8.55±0.16, MPV/PLT ratio: 0.051±0.006 vs. 0.027±0.001, all P < 0.05], PLT was significantly lower than that in the non-critically ill group (×10⁹/L: 260.50±18.89 vs. 337.70±11.90, P < 0.01), and FIB was slightly lower than that in the non-critically ill group (g/L: 3.28±0.19 vs. 3.67±0.14, P > 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that pSIC score was significantly positively correlated with MPV/PLT ratio and coagulation indicators including PT, APTT and INR in pediatric sepsis (r value was 0.583, 0.571, 0.296 and 0.518, respectively, all P < 0.01), and MPV/PLT ratio was also significantly positively correlated with PT, APTT and INR (r value was 0.300, 0.203 and 0.307, respectively, all P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that pSIC score and MPV/PLT ratio were independent risk factors for pediatric sepsis and critical pediatric sepsis [pediatric sepsis: odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for pSIC score was 14.117 (4.190-47.555), and the OR value and 95%CI for MPV/PLT ratio was 1.128 (1.059-1.202), both P < 0.01; critical pediatric sepsis: the OR value and 95%CI for pSIC score was 8.142 (3.672-18.050), and the OR value and 95%CI for MPV/PLT ratio was 1.068 (1.028-1.109), all P < 0.01]. ROC curve analysis showed that pSIC score and MPV/PLT ratio had certain application value in the diagnosis of pediatric sepsis [area under the ROC curve (AUC) and 95%CI was 0.754 (0.700-0.808) and 0.720 (0.643-0.798), respectively] and the determination of critical pediatric sepsis [AUC and 95%CI was 0.849 (0.778-0.919) and 0.731 (0.632-0.830)], and the combined AUC of the two indictors was 0.815 (95%CI was 0.751-0.879) and 0.872 (95%CI was 0.806-0.938), respectively. CONCLUSIONS pSIC score and MPV/PLT ratio have potential application value in the diagnosis of pediatric sepsis and the determination of critical pediatric sepsis, and the combined application of both is more valuable.
Humans ; Sepsis/complications* ; Platelet Count ; Mean Platelet Volume ; Retrospective Studies ; Child ; Blood Coagulation Disorders/diagnosis* ; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric ; Male ; Female ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Child, Preschool ; Blood Coagulation ; International Normalized Ratio ; Infant