Characteristics of fatal and non-fatal drownings at a Texas level-1 paediatric trauma centre.

BACKGROUND: Drowning is a leading cause of death for young children and knowing what puts a child at risk helps efforts across the spectrum of prevention. The purpose of this study was to identify risk and protective factors associated with hospital admission and mortality following paediatric drowning from a large level-1 paediatric trauma centre. METHODS: Children (ages 0-17) who presented at an emergency department or were admitted for a drowning event between 2017 and 2023 were included in this retrospective cohort study (n=698). This study examined differences between patients who were admitted compared with not admitted, and those who survived compared with those who did not survive. RESULTS: Participants who had adult supervision at the time of their drowning were significantly less likely to be admitted (OR=0.31, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.43, p<0.001) and significantly more likely to survive (OR=6.9, 95% CI 3.2 to 15.4, p<0.001). The environment also played a significant role in drowning outcomes. Children who drowned in a pool compared with other bodies of water were significantly more likely to survive (OR=3.0, 95% CI 1.6 to 5.5, p<0.001). Children from communities with higher child opportunity compared with those from very low opportunity were both simultaneously more likely to be admitted (IRR=1.7-2.4, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.3, p<0.001) and more often survived (IRR=1.7-3.0, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.5, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our analysis revealed significant differences in drowning risk related to adult supervision, location of drowning and where a child lives. These findings can help drowning prevention strategies mitigate the severity of drowning by enhancing educational messages, resources and policy.

Assessment of the Sensitizing Potential of Proteins in BALB/c Mice: Comparison of Three Protocols of Intraperitoneal Sensitization.

Most food allergy cases are associated with a limited group of allergens. This could be attributed to an increased ability of some foods to sensitize and trigger allergic reactions. However, there are no validated animal models to evaluate the sensitizing or allergenic potentials of proteins. Our aim was to evaluate three protocols of adjuvant-free intraperitoneal sensitization that differ in the time points for sample collection (days 14, 28 and 35 from beginning of the sensitization) and also in the number of immunizations (2, 5 and 3, respectively). Ovalbumin (OVA; 0.05 mg), cow milk proteins (CMP; 0.025, 0.05 and 0.25 mg), and potato acid phosphatase (PAP; low allergenic protein; 250.0 mg) were administered intraperitoneally (ip) to BALB/c mice (n = 4⁻6) and the protein-specific IgE and IgG antibody responses were evaluated using ELISA. Additional serum protein-specific IgE antibodies evaluations were carried out after IgG depletion. Anti-OVA IgE antibodies were detected in mice from all three protocols. The responses were higher in the group of mice that underwent the 28-day protocol than in those that underwent the 14- or 35-day protocols (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Anti-CMP IgE antibodies were detected in both the 14- and 28-day protocols, but the response was higher in the group that underwent the 28-day protocol (p < 0.001). The anti-CMP IgE antibody response detection was improved after serum IgG depletion (p < 0.001). Anti-PAP IgE antibodies were not detected. Mice with undetectable serum levels of protein-specific IgE triggered anti-OVA, -CMP, and -PAP IgG responses. An adjuvant-free 28-day protocol with five ip immunizations seems appropriate for evaluation of the inherent sensitizing or allergenic capacity of the studied proteins. Reproducible results were obtained utilizing the BALB/c mouse strain. Inter-laboratory studies including a larger number of proteins should be carried out to validate this model.

Prevalence of Self-Reported Gluten Sensitivity and Adherence to a Gluten-Free Diet in Argentinian Adult Population.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that the prevalence of wheat/gluten sensitivity and adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) are high in Latin population despite a poor diagnosis of celiac disease. However, these prevalence rates still remain unknown in most Latin American countries. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in Santa Fe, Argentina. RESULTS: The estimated self-reported prevalence rates were (95% Confidence Interval [CI]): self-reported gluten sensitivity (SR-GS) 7.61% (6.2-9.2), SR-GS currently following a GFD 1.82% (1.2-2.7), celiac disease 0.58% (0.3-1.2), wheat allergy 0.33% (0.12-0.84), self-reported non-celiac gluten sensitivity (SR-NCGS) 6.28% (5.1-7.8), SR-NCGS currently following a GFD 0.91% (0.5-1.6), and adherence to a GFD 6.37% (5.1-7.9). SR-GS was more common in women (6.0%; p < 0.001) and associated with irritable bowel syndrome (p < 0.001). Among the GFD followers, 71.4% were doing it for reasons other than health-related benefits and 50.6% without medical/dietitian advice. In the non-SR-GS group, the main motivations for following a GFD were weight control and the perception that a GFD is healthier. CONCLUSION: In Argentina, gluten sensitivity is commonly reported and it seems that physicians/gastroenterologists are aware of celiac disease diagnosis. Trustable information about the benefits and potential consequences of following a GFD should be given to the general population.