Increased incidence of pediatric narcolepsy following the 2009 H1N1 pandemic: a report from the pediatric working group of the sleep research network.

This study was aimed to evaluate the yearly incidence of pediatric narcolepsy prior to and following the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and to evaluate seasonal patterns of narcolepsy onset and associations with H1N1 influenza infection in the United States. This was a multicenter retrospective study with prospective follow-up. Participants were recruited from members of the Pediatric Working Group of the Sleep Research Network including 22 sites across the United States. The main outcomes were monthly and yearly incident cases of childhood narcolepsy in the United States, and its relationship to historical H1N1 influenza data. A total of 950 participants were included in the analysis; 487 participants were male (51.3%). The mean age at onset of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) was 9.6  ±â€… 3.9 years. Significant trend changes in pediatric narcolepsy incidence based on EDS onset (p  <  .0001) occurred over the 1998-2016 period, peaking in 2010, reflecting a 1.6-fold increase in narcolepsy incidence. In addition, there was significant seasonal variation in narcolepsy incident cases, with increased cases in spring (p  <  .05). Cross-correlation analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between monthly H1N1 infection and monthly narcolepsy incident cases (p  =  .397, p  <  .0001) with a lag time of 8 months. We conclude that there is a significant increase in pediatric narcolepsy incidence after the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in the United States. However, the magnitude of increase is lower than reported in European countries and in China. The temporal correlation between monthly H1N1 infection and monthly narcolepsy incidence, suggests that H1N1 infection may be a contributing factor to the increased pediatric narcolepsy incidence after the 2009 H1N1 pandemics.

Limb movements during sleep in children: effects of age, sex, and iron status in more than 1,000 patients referred to a pediatric sleep center.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Limb movements during sleep (LMS) and periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) have been shown to vary by age in children. In the current study, we examined this relationship in more detail in a large clinically referred sample adjusting for iron status and sex. METHODS: Retrospective data analysis was done on a large pediatric population who underwent an overnight sleep study and had ferritin levels measured within 30 days of sleep study between May 2013 and October 2017 at pediatric sleep center. Patients with obstructive or central sleep apneas were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 1,070 patients were included in the study, with 60% males. Younger age and male sex were associated with increased PLMS and LMS. In addition, there was an increase in PLMS and LMS during adolescence that subsided at a later age, independent of sex. These associations remained significant in models controlling for ferritin level. Ferritin level, in contrast, was not a significant predictor of PLMS or LMS when controlling for sex and age. CONCLUSIONS: Age and sex may need to be considered when interpreting limb movement indices in pediatric sleep patients regardless of ferritin level.

Assessing readiness to drive in adolescents with narcolepsy: what are providers doing?

PURPOSE: There are no universally accepted guidelines for assessing driving readiness in adolescents with narcolepsy. The purpose of the present study was to survey pediatric sleep medicine providers regarding their current practice patterns for assessing driving readiness in adolescents with narcolepsy, knowledge of their state laws regarding physician reporting of unsafe drivers, and opinions regarding what physician duty ought to be. METHODS: This was an anonymous web-based survey distributed via the PedSleep listserv, which serves as a hub of communication for pediatric sleep medicine providers. RESULTS: A total of 52 pediatric sleep providers from 25 different states completed the survey. Eighty-eight percent of providers routinely assess driving readiness in adolescents with narcolepsy. Factors rated as "absolutely essential" by at least 50% of respondents included the following: history of previous fall-asleep crash or near miss, sleepiness (reported by patient), sleepiness (reported by caregiver), and cataplexy (reported by patient). Providers included maintenance of wakefulness testing: never (34%), if patient reports no/mild sleepiness (10%), if patient reports moderate/severe sleepiness (25%), or always regardless of patient symptoms (30%), and the median minimally acceptable result was 30 min (25-75th: 20-40 min). There was substantial lack of knowledge regarding legal obligations for reporting. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate great variability in practice patterns among pediatric sleep medicine providers for assessing driving readiness in adolescents with narcolepsy. In addition, it shows limited knowledge of the providers about their respective states' laws. Further studies are required to identify the best approach to assess residual sleepiness in this population.

Effect of high-frequency chest wall oscillation on the central and peripheral distribution of aerosolized diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid as compared to standard chest physiotherapy in cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: High-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) has been shown to be as effective as standard chest physiotherapy (SCPT) for removal of pulmonary secretions as well as increasing FEV(1) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Patients using HFCWO often administer aerosolized medications simultaneously, reducing time required for daily care. While peripheral pulmonary distribution of tracer in normal subjects has been shown to be unaffected by HFCWO, this has not been studied in CF patients. We evaluated distribution of aerosolized (99m)Tc diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA) administered simultaneously with HFCWO and compared this with DTPA aerosolized after SCPT. STUDY DESIGN: Ten CF patients, ages 22 to 38 years, with moderate-to-severe obstructive disease were studied in a crossover design after documentation of stable lung function. (133)Xe was administered to delineate total lung volume. DTPA was aerosolized (Pari LC Plus nebulizer and Pulmo-Aide compressor; Pari Respiratory Equipment Inc.; Richmond, VA) to delineate airway deposition. The central to peripheral deposition ratio (C/P ratio) of each lung was analyzed in each study group. Central regions were represented by the inner one third of the (133)Xe scan as demonstrated in previous research models. RESULTS: The mean C/P ratio (+/- SD) for both lungs was 1.45 +/- 0.31 with HFCWO and 1.46 +/- 0.28 following SCPT (p = not significant [NS]). Right lung mean C/P ratio was 1.74 +/- 0.43 with HFCWO and 1.85 +/- 0.63 after SCPT (p = NS). Left lung mean C/P ratio was 1.25 +/- 0.29 with HFCWO and 1.21 +/- 0.35 after SCPT (p = NS). There was no correlation between C/P ratio and FEV(1) or FVC. CONCLUSIONS: Use of HFCWO in combination with aerosolized DTPA did not result in increased central deposition as compared with aerosolized DTPA administered after SCPT. Further study is required to determine if combining HFCWO with aerosolized medications can be modified to improve peripheral deposition.