A randomized clinical trial comparing oral, aerosolized intranasal, and aerosolized buccal midazolam.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We determine whether aerosolized intranasal or buccal midazolam reduces the distress of pediatric laceration repair compared with oral midazolam. METHODS: Children aged 0.5 to 7 years and needing nonparenteral sedation for laceration repair were randomized to receive oral, aerosolized intranasal, or aerosolized buccal midazolam. Patient distress was rated by blinded review of videotapes, using the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Score. Secondary outcomes included activity scores, sedation adequacy, sedation onset, satisfaction, and adverse events. RESULTS: For the 169 subjects (median age 3.1 years) evaluated for the primary outcome, we found significantly less distress in the buccal midazolam group compared with the oral route group (P=.04; difference -2; 95% confidence interval -4 to 0) and a corresponding nonsignificant trend for the intranasal route (P=.08; difference -1; 95% confidence interval -3 to 1). Secondary outcomes (177 subjects) favored the intranasal group, including a greater proportion of patients with an optimal activity score (74%), a greater proportion of parents wanting this sedation in the future, and faster sedation onset. Intranasal was the route least tolerated at administration. Adverse events were similar between groups. CONCLUSION: When comparing the administration of midazolam by 3 routes to facilitate pediatric laceration repair, we observed slightly less distress in the aerosolized buccal group. The intranasal route demonstrated a greater proportion of patients with optimal activity scores, greater proportions of parents wanting similar sedation in the future, and faster onset but was also the most poorly tolerated at administration. Aerosolized buccal or intranasal midazolam represents an effective and useful alternative to oral midazolam for sedation for laceration repair.

A multi-center, qualitative assessment of pediatrician and maternal perspectives on rotavirus vaccines and the detection of Porcine circovirus.

BACKGROUND: In 2010, researchers using novel laboratory techniques found that US-licensed rotavirus vaccines contain DNA or DNA fragments from Porcine circovirus (PCV), a virus common among pigs but not believed to cause illness in humans. We sought to understand pediatricians' and mothers' perspectives on this finding. METHODS: We conducted three iterations of focus groups for pediatricians and non-vaccine hesitant mothers in Seattle, WA, Cincinnati, OH, and Rochester, NY. Focus groups explored perceptions of rotavirus disease, rotavirus vaccination, and attitudes about the detection of PCV material in rotavirus vaccines. RESULTS: Pediatricians understood firsthand the success of rotavirus vaccines in preventing severe acute gastroenteritis among infants and young children. They measured this benefit against the theoretical risk of DNA material from PCV in rotavirus vaccines, determining overall that the PCV finding was of no clinical significance. Particularly influential was the realization that the large, randomized clinical trials that found both vaccines to be highly effective and safe were conducted with DNA material from PCV already in the vaccines.Most mothers supported the ideal of full disclosure regarding vaccination risks and benefits. However, with a scientific topic of this complexity, simplified information regarding PCV material in rotavirus vaccines seemed frightening and suspicious, and detailed information was frequently overwhelming. Mothers often remarked that if they did not understand a medical or technical topic regarding their child's health, they relied on their pediatrician's guidance.Many mothers and pediatricians were also concerned that persons who abstain from pork consumption for religious or personal reasons may have unsubstantiated fears of the PCV finding. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatricians considered the detection of DNA material from PCV in rotavirus vaccines a "non-issue" and reported little hesitation in continuing to recommend the vaccines. Mothers desired transparency, but ultimately trusted their pediatrician's recommendation. Both vaccines are currently approved for their intended use, and no risk of human PCV illness has been reported. Communicating this topic to pediatricians and mothers requires sensitivity to a broad range of technical understanding and personal concerns.

Relationship of therapy to postsecondary education and employment in young adults with physical disabilities.

PURPOSE: The relationship of therapy services to postsecondary education and paid employment in young adults with physical disabilities was examined. METHODS: A sample of 1510 youth from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 categorized with orthopedic impairment including cerebral palsy and spina bifida was analyzed using weighted sampling multivariate regression. RESULTS: At follow-up, 48% participated in postsecondary education and 24% had paid employment. Receiving physical and/or occupational therapy at ages 13 to 16 years was significantly associated with higher levels of enrollment in postsecondary education at ages 19 to 21 years. Social interactions and expressive language skills but not therapy services were associated with paid employment. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that therapy services that focus on improvement of upper extremity function, self-care skills, and social skills are associated with participation in postsecondary education. Longer follow-up is needed to effectively examine paid employment.

The Simulation Team Assessment Tool (STAT): development, reliability and validation.

INTRODUCTION: Simulation sessions prepare medical professionals for pediatric emergencies. No validated tools exist to evaluate overall team performance. Our objective was to develop and evaluate the inter-rater reliability and validity of a team performance assessment tool during simulated pediatric resuscitations. METHODS: We developed the Simulation Team Assessment Tool (STAT) which evaluated 4 domains: basic assessment skills, airway/breathing, circulation, and human factors. Scoring of each element was behaviorally anchored from 0 to 2 points. Two teams of resuscitation experts and two teams of pediatric residents performed the same simulated pediatric resuscitation. Each team was scored by six raters using the STAT. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess inter-rater reliability. Overall performance and domain scores between expert and resident teams were compared using repeated measures of analysis of variance to assess construct validity. RESULTS: ICCs for overall performance were 0.81. Domain ICCs were: basic skills 0.73, airway/breathing skills 0.30, circulation skills 0.76, human factors 0.68. Expert versus resident average scores were: overall performance 84% vs. 66% (p=0.02), basic skills 73% vs. 55% (p<0.01); airway 80% vs. 75% (p=0.25), circulation 90% vs. 69% (p=0.02), human factors 89% vs. 66% (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The STAT's overall performance, basic skills, circulation, and human factors domains had good to excellent inter-rater reliability, discriminating well between expert and resident teams. Similar performance in the airway/breathing domain among all teams magnified the impact of a small number of rater disagreements on the ICC. Additional study is needed to better assess the airway/breathing domain.