Impact of Maternal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Detection on Breastfeeding Due to Infant Separation at Birth.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of separation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive mother-newborn dyads on breastfeeding outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: This observational longitudinal cohort study of mothers with SARS-CoV-2 PCR-and their infants at 3 NYU Langone Health hospitals was conducted between March 25, 2020, and May 30, 2020. Mothers were surveyed by telephone regarding predelivery feeding plans, in-hospital feeding, and home feeding of their neonates. Any change prompted an additional question to determine whether this change was due to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). RESULTS: Of the 160 mother-newborn dyads, 103 mothers were reached by telephone, and 85 consented to participate. There was no significant difference in the predelivery feeding plan between the separated and unseparated dyads (P = .268). Higher rates of breastfeeding were observed in the unseparated dyads compared with the separated dyads both in the hospital (P < .001) and at home (P = .012). Only 2 mothers in each group reported expressed breast milk as the hospital feeding source (5.6% of unseparated vs 4.1% of separated). COVID-19 was more commonly cited as the reason for change in the separated group (49.0% vs 16.7%; P < .001). When the dyads were further stratified by symptom status into 4 groups-asymptomatic separated, asymptomatic unseparated, symptomatic separated, and symptomatic unseparated-the results remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of COVID-19, separation of mother-newborn dyads impacts breastfeeding outcomes, with lower rates of breastfeeding both during hospitalization and at home following discharge compared with unseparated mothers and infants. No evidence of vertical transmission was observed; 1 case of postnatal transmission occurred from an unmasked symptomatic mother who held her infant at birth.

Reducing the Time to Action on Bilirubin Results Overnight in a Newborn Nursery.

Introduction: Infants commonly require phototherapy in the nursery to prevent kernicterus, but it can interfere with parent-infant bonding. Minimizing unnecessary phototherapy is important. We noticed frequent delays in initiating and discontinuing phototherapy at our hospital. Our primary aim was to start or stop phototherapy within 3 hours of the intended blood draw time for more than 80% of patients by August 2022. Our secondary aims were to have the bilirubin result available within two hours of the intended draw time and for the result to be actioned upon within 1 hour of becoming available. Methods: We audited all patients requiring phototherapy, from January 2021 to December 2021 (n = 250). In PDSA cycle 1, we used electronic medical record result alerts. In cycle 2, we educated residents on the importance of acting promptly on results. In cycle 3, we asked residents to message the nurse to alert them to any laboratory draws for that shift. In cycle 4, we implemented a standardized laboratory draw policy. Results: We increased the percentage of results acted upon within 3 hours from 56% to more than 80%. We also reduced the mean time from blood draw to action from 184 minutes to 134 minutes. The time from intended draw to result availability decreased from 115 minutes to 95 minutes, and the time to action decreased from 67 minutes to 42 minutes. Conclusions: Combining resident education, electronic medical record result alerts, and policy standardization allowed us to achieve our stated aim and improved care for our neonates.

Neonatal Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Infection: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a global pandemic affecting 213 countries as of April 26, 2020. Although this disease is affecting all age groups, infants and children seem to be at a lower risk of severe infection, for reasons unknown at this time. We report a case of neonatal infection in New York, United States, and provide a review of the published cases. A 22-day-old, previously healthy, full-term neonate was hospitalized after presenting with a one-day history of fever and poor feeding. Routine neonatal sepsis evaluation was negative. SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was obtained, given rampant community transmission, which returned positive. There were no other laboratory or radiographic abnormalities. The infant recovered completely and was discharged home in two days once his feeding improved. The family was advised to self-quarantine to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. We believe that the mode of transmission was horizontal spread from his caregivers. This case highlights the milder presentation of COVID-19 in otherwise healthy, full-term neonates. COVID-19 must be considered in the evaluation of a febrile infant. Infants and children may play an important role in the transmission of COVID-19 in the community. Hence, with an understanding of the transmission patterns, parents and caregivers would be better equipped to limit the spread of the virus and protect the more vulnerable population.

Prevalence of Bandemia in Respiratory Viral Infections: A Pediatric Emergency Room Experience.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of bandemia in confirmed respiratory viral infections in febrile infants and children presenting to the emergency department. Methods: An observational retrospective study from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2016, was conducted in patients between the ages of ≥ 1 month and ≤ 5 years presenting to the emergency room with fever and who had a complete blood cell count performed. Patients were separated into seven groups based on the type of respiratory viral infection. Inclusion criteria strictly counted children with viral infections and absence of clinical and laboratory evidence of a bacterial coinfection. Results: A total of 419 patients had a documented viral infection. A significant proportion of these children were found to have bandemia; children with adenovirus (17%), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (14.9%), human metapneumovirus (hMPV) (13%), and parainfluenza virus (7.9%) had the highest prevalence when the cutoff for bandemia was set at 10%. The prevalence increased to 35.3, 30.9, 40.3, and 15.8% for adenovirus, RSV, hMPV, and parainfluenza virus, respectively, when this cutoff was lowered further to 5%. Conclusion: Band neutrophils are detected frequently in confirmed respiratory viral infections particularly during early stages.

Reducing Antibiotic Use in Respiratory Syncytial Virus-A Quality Improvement Approach to Antimicrobial Stewardship.

OBJECTIVE: The increased incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, hospital length of stay, and cost. Estimates show that up to 50% of antimicrobial use is inappropriate. This initiative focuses on inappropriate use of antibiotics in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. This virus is the most common cause of bronchiolitis during childhood. METHODS: Baseline data from the 2011-2012 RSV season showed that 56.2% of our RSV-positive patients received antibiotics. To decrease inappropriate antibiotic use in RSV infections, we established an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP). This process improvement initiative aimed to decrease exposure to antibiotics and days of antibiotic therapy per 1,000 patient days (DOT/1000PD) in hospitalized RSV-positive patients by 25%. Key drivers included building health-care knowledge, proactive interventions using prospective audit and feedback, emergency department engagement, and performance dashboards. RESULTS: We included a total of 290 children in the final analysis. After full implementation of the ASP, there was a significant reduction of antibiotic exposure from 56.2% to 30.9% (P < 0.001), an absolute reduction of 25% and a relative reduction of 45%. There was also a significant decrease in DOT/1000PD from 432.7 to 268.1 days (P = 0.017). This change represents a reduction of 164.6 DOT/1000PD from baseline after full ASP implementation. CONCLUSION: Despite the lack of a unified hospitalist group in our institution, we were successful in reducing inappropriate antibiotic use by focusing on standardizing care among different private pediatricians in the community. A multifaceted strategy and well-designed quality improvement methodology led to a sustained reduction in antibiotic use.