Good clinical teachers in pediatrics: The perspective of pediatricians in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify the attributes of good clinical teachers in pediatrics (CTPs) in Japan, and to elucidate pediatricians and pediatric trainees' perceptions of these attributes. METHODS: The attributes of good CTPs were identified qualitatively by conducting a thematic analysis of questionnaires answered by board-certified pediatricians and pediatric trainees. The attributes identified were rated quantitatively by a large number of participants in both groups. RESULTS: Forty-eight individual attributes of good CTPs were identified, which were classified into three domains: personal, pediatrician, and teacher. The three domains and most of the attributes were consistent with previous studies. However, a few additional attributes, including "is kind/thoughtful toward others" and "defends trainees", which may be unique to pediatricians in Japan, were identified. Significant differences in the pediatricians' and trainees' perceptions of these attributes were elucidated: The differences were most noticeable for teacher attributes and least for personal attributes. CONCLUSION: Although most of the identified attributes of good CTPs in our study appear to be universal, there were significant differences in the pediatricians' and trainees' perceptions of good CTPs, especially in relation to teacher attributes. Our study provides additional bases for good CTPs and future faculty development, for enhanced pediatric clinical education.

Effectiveness of inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine in the 2015/2016 season as assessed in both a test-negative case-control study design and a traditional case-control study design.

Both traditional case-control studies (TCCSs) and test-negative case-control studies (TNCCSs) are commonly used to assess influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE). To compensate for the fact that observational studies are susceptible to bias, we combined both methods to assess VE in one geographical area during the 2015/2016 season, when influenza A (H1N1)pdm was dominant. Our TNCCS covered 331 children aged 6 months to 15 years who visited our hospital with fever, including 182 with influenza, and our TCCS covered 812 pediatric outpatients aged 6 months to 15 years, including 214 with influenza. Influenza infection and vaccination history were reviewed, and VE was calculated as (1 - odds ratio) × 100. In the TNCCS, VE against influenza A was 68% (95% CI 47-81) overall, and 70% (48-83) for those given two doses; against influenza B, VE was 37% (- 12-64) overall and 49% (2-74) for two doses. In the TCCS, VE against influenza A was 44% (15-63) overall and 44% (13-64) for two doses, and VE against influenza B was 24% (- 19-52) overall and 41% (3-64) for two doses. CONCLUSION: Both studies confirmed significant VE against influenza A, significant two-dose VE against influenza B, and better two-dose VE than one-dose VE. What is Known: • Influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) varies from year to year. • Observational studies are conventionally used for VE assessment. However, they are inherently susceptible to bias and confounding. What is New: • This is the first report of influenza VE assessment using more than one observational study and performed in a specific area during the same season. • VE estimates obtained in our traditional case-control study were lower than those in our test-negative case-control study, but both studies found significant VE against influenza.

Sedation protocol with fasting and shorter sleep leads to magnetic resonance imaging success.

BACKGROUND: Young children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) require sedation. In June 2013, Tokyo Metropolitan Ohtsuka Hospital (TMOH) introduced an oral sedation protocol for young children undergoing MRI; the protocol included instructions on fasting before sedation, and recommended a shorter duration of sleep the night before MRI. We compared the MRI success rate before and after the introduction of this protocol. METHODS: The eligible subjects were children under 3 years old who underwent MRI by appointment at TMOH between October 2012 and March 2014, under sedation with triclofos sodium. All those who underwent MRI in or after June 2013 were enrolled prospectively as a post-protocol group. All patients who underwent MRI before June 2013 were enrolled retrospectively as a pre-protocol group, with data collected from chart review. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were enrolled in the post-protocol group, and 42 in the pre-protocol group. The MRI success rate was significantly higher in the post-protocol group than in the pre-protocol group (98.7% vs 88.1%), as was the rate of on-time starting of MRI (86.5% vs 71.4%). The post-protocol group woke up earlier on the day of examination (6:18 a.m. vs 6:43 a.m.), resulting in a significantly longer time between awakening and the beginning of sedation (289.8 min vs 265.9 min), and a significantly shorter average duration of sleep on the previous night (504.8 min vs 532.3 min). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a hospital-wide sedation protocol for young children undergoing MRI significantly improved the MRI success rate.

Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine effective against influenza A(H3N2) variant viruses in children during the 2014/15 season, Japan.

The 2014/15 influenza season in Japan was characterised by predominant influenza A(H3N2) activity; 99% of influenza A viruses detected were A(H3N2). Subclade 3C.2a viruses were the major epidemic A(H3N2) viruses, and were genetically distinct from A/New York/39/2012(H3N2) of 2014/15 vaccine strain in Japan, which was classified as clade 3C.1. We assessed vaccine effectiveness (VE) of inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) in children aged 6 months to 15 years by test-negative case-control design based on influenza rapid diagnostic test. Between November 2014 and March 2015, a total of 3,752 children were enrolled: 1,633 tested positive for influenza A and 42 for influenza B, and 2,077 tested negative. Adjusted VE was 38% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 28 to 46) against influenza virus infection overall, 37% (95% CI: 27 to 45) against influenza A, and 47% (95% CI: -2 to 73) against influenza B. However, IIV was not statistically significantly effective against influenza A in infants aged 6 to 11 months or adolescents aged 13 to 15 years. VE in preventing hospitalisation for influenza A infection was 55% (95% CI: 42 to 64). Trivalent IIV that included A/New York/39/2012(H3N2) was effective against drifted influenza A(H3N2) virus, although vaccine mismatch resulted in low VE.

Near-infrared venous imaging may be more useful than ultrasound guidance for novices to obtain difficult peripheral venous access: A crossover simulation study.

BACKGROUND: Difficult peripheral venous access, especially in obese people, is challenging for novices. We conducted a randomized cross-over study to examine whether near-infrared venous imaging or ultrasound guidance is more useful for novice operators to obtain difficult peripheral venous access. METHODS: Medical students were recruited as participants. After receiving basic training using commercial simulators, participants were randomly assigned to obtain simulated venous access using a difficult venous access simulator with near-infrared venous imaging or ultrasound guidance in a randomized cross-over design. A difficult venous access simulator was newly developed with deep and narrow vessels to simulate an obese patient. The primary outcome measure of the study was the first-time success rate (%), and the secondary outcome measures included procedure time (seconds) and the number of 3 consecutive successful attempts, to represent proficiency with the procedure. Pearson chi-square test, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and generalized estimating equations were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Forty-one medical students with no experience performing peripheral venous access were enrolled in this study. The rate of successful first attempts did not differ between the 2 groups (70% for near-infrared; 65% for ultrasound guidance; P = .64). The duration of the procedure for the first attempt was significantly shorter using near-infrared imaging (median: 14; interquartile range: 12-19) compared to ultrasound guidance (median 46; interquartile range: 26-52; P = .007). The number of attempts until 3 consecutive successes was not significantly different comparing the 2 approaches (near-infrared: 3 (3, 7.25), ultrasound guidance: 3 (3, 6.25), P = .63). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in success rate of first-time attempts or acquiring proficiency for the 2 methods. However, duration of the first attempt was significantly shorter with near-infrared imaging than with ultrasound guidance. Near-infrared imaging may require less training than ultrasound guidance. Near-infrared venous imaging may be useful for novices to obtain difficult peripheral venous access in obese patients.

Influenza vaccine effectiveness against influenza A in children based on the results of various rapid influenza tests in the 2018/19 season.

During influenza epidemics, Japanese clinicians routinely conduct rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) in patients with influenza-like illness, and patients with positive test results are treated with anti-influenza drugs within 48 h after the onset of illness. We assessed the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) in children (6 months-15 years old, N = 4243), using a test-negative case-control design based on the results of RIDTs in the 2018/19 season. The VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm and A(H3N2) was analyzed separately using an RIDT kit specifically for detecting A(H1N1)pdm09. The adjusted VE against combined influenza A (H1N1pdm and H3N2) and against A(H1N1)pdm09 was 39% (95% confidence interval [CI], 30%-46%) and 74% (95% CI, 39%-89%), respectively. By contrast, the VE against non-A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza A (presumed to be H3N2) was very low at 7%. The adjusted VE for preventing hospitalization was 56% (95% CI, 16%-77%) against influenza A. The VE against A(H1N1)pdm09 was consistently high in our studies. By contrast, the VE against A(H3N2) was low not only in adults but also in children in the 2018/19 season.

A novel screening method for pediatric urinary tract infection using ordinary diapers.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common bacterial infections in children. The symptoms of UTI in young children are nonspecific, therefore urine should be examined whenever UTI cannot be ruled out. In clinical settings, however, collecting urine from children who are not toilet trained is sometimes difficult, presenting a challenge in UTI management. Here, we developed a "diaper UTI test", which enables the quick detection of pyuria in ordinary diapers, and investigated its sensitivity and specificity in a clinical study. The diaper UTI test is based on a leukocyte esterase reaction. Reagent was prepared in liquid form so that it can be absorbed by disposable diapers, where it will produce a violet color in the presence of pyuria. For the clinical study, we enrolled children younger than 3 years with potential UTI who underwent bladder catheterization for urine culture and urinalysis. Of the 65 children included, 21 were diagnosed with UTI. The sensitivity and specificity of the diaper UTI test were 90.5% (95% CI 69.6-98.8) and 93.2% (95% CI 81.3-98.6), respectively. Because of its convenience and good sensitivity, the diaper UTI test may be useful in the screening of pediatric UTI.

Effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccine in children by vaccine dose, 2013-18.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) by vaccine dose in children aged 6 months to 12 years for whom two doses are recommended in Japan to ascertain the appropriate vaccine doses. METHODS: VE was assessed according to a test-negative case-control design based on rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT) results. Children aged 6 months to 12 years with a fever ≥38 °C who had received an RIDT in outpatient clinics of 24 hospitals were enrolled for all five seasons since 2013/14. VE by vaccine dose (none vs. once or twice, and once vs. twice) was analyzed. RESULTS: In the dose analysis, 20,033 children were enrolled. Both one- and two-dose regimens significantly reduced cases in preventing any influenza, influenza A, and influenza B, but there was no significant difference in adjusted VE between one- and two-dose regimens overall (adjusted OR, 0.560 [95% CI, 0.505-0.621], 0.550 [95% CI, 0.516-0.586]), 0.549 [95% CI, 0.517-0.583], and 1.014 [95% CI, 0.907-1.135], for none vs. once, none vs. twice, none vs. once or twice, and once vs. twice for any influenza, respectively). Both one- and two-dose regimens significantly reduced cases with any influenza and influenza A every season. Also, both regimens significantly reduced cases of any influenza, influenza A, and influenza B among children aged 1-12 years, especially among those aged 1-5 years. In the 2013/14, 2015/16, and 2016/17 seasons, however, only the two-dose regimen was significantly effective in preventing influenza B. Both one- and two-dose regimens significantly reduced cases involving hospitalization due to any influenza and influenza A. CONCLUSIONS: Both one- and two-doses regimens of IIV were effective in preventing influenza for children aged 6 months to 12 years. The two-dose regimen was more effective against influenza B in some seasons.

Successful discontinuation of immunoglobulin G replacement at age 10 in a patient with immunoglobulin G2 deficiency.

CONTEXT: Immunoglobulin G2 deficiency that persists beyond the age of 6 years is likely to be permanent. CASE REPORT: We report on a young Japanese female, diagnosed as having immunoglobulin G2 deficiency and low anti-pneumococcal immunoglobulin G2 antibody levels when 3 years old, with a subsequent medical history of frequent respiratory infections and asthma. Monthly intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy was started at 4 years of age. After 8 years of age, an anti-pneumococcal immunoglobulin G2 trough level could be maintained with administration intervals longer than 6 weeks, and after 9 years and 10 months of age, therapy was discontinued. The frequency of hospital admissions was reduced by the introduction of the replacement therapy (from 8.4 times/year before the introduction to 1.1 times/year during the therapy). The patient was also able to discontinue daily medications for asthma, and serum immunoglobulin G2 was maintained at a normal level even after the cessation of replacement therapy. CONCLUSION: Termination of immunoglobulin replacement therapy in a patient with a symptomatic immunoglobulin G2 deficiency is possible, even for a child older than 6 years.

Effectiveness of Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine in Children Estimated by a Test-Negative Case-Control Design Study Based on Influenza Rapid Diagnostic Test Results.

We assessed vaccine effectiveness (VE) against medically attended, laboratory-confirmed influenza in children 6 months to 15 years of age in 22 hospitals in Japan during the 2013-14 season. Our study was conducted according to a test-negative case-control design based on influenza rapid diagnostic test (IRDT) results. Outpatients who came to our clinics with a fever of 38 °C or over and had undergone an IRDT were enrolled in this study. Patients with positive IRDT results were recorded as cases, and patients with negative results were recorded as controls. Between November 2013 and March 2014, a total of 4727 pediatric patients (6 months to 15 years of age) were enrolled: 876 were positive for influenza A, 66 for A(H1N1)pdm09 and in the other 810 the subtype was unknown; 1405 were positive for influenza B; and 2445 were negative for influenza. Overall VE was 46% (95% confidence interval [CI], 39-52). Adjusted VE against influenza A, influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, and influenza B was 63% (95% CI, 56-69), 77% (95% CI, 59-87), and 26% (95% CI, 14-36), respectively. Influenza vaccine was not effective against either influenza A or influenza B in infants 6 to 11 months of age. Two doses of influenza vaccine provided better protection against influenza A infection than a single dose did. VE against hospitalization influenza A infection was 76%. Influenza vaccine was effective against influenza A, especially against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, but was much less effective against influenza B.

Amperometric biosensor based on multilayer containing carbon nanotube, plasma-polymerized film, electron transfer mediator phenothiazine, and glucose dehydrogenase.

We report on a novel fabrication approach of amperometric biosensor based on multilayer films containing carbon nanotubes (CNT), a nano-thin plasma-polymerized film (PPF), electron transfer mediator phenothiazine (PT), and enzyme glucose dehydrogenase (GDH). The configuration of the electrochemical electrode is sequentially composed of sputtered gold, acetonitrile PPF, PT, GDH, and acetonitrile PPF (denoted as PPF/GDH/PT/CNT/PPF/Au). First PPF deposited on Au acts as a permselective membrane and as a scaffold for CNT layer formation. Second PPF directly deposited on GDH acts as a matrix for enzyme immobilization. To facilitate the electrochemical communication between the CNT layer and GDH, CNT was treated with nitrogen plasma. The electron transfer mediator PT plays a role as the mediator in which the electron caused by enzymatic reaction transports to the electrode. The synergy between the mediator and CNT provides benefits in terms of lowering the operational potential and enhancing the sensitivity (current). The optimized glucose biosensor revealed a sensitivity of 5.1 ± 0.9 µA mM(-1) cm(-2) at + 0.2V vs. Ag/AgCl, linear dynamic range of 4.9-19 mM, and a response time of 5 ± 1 s. Unlike conventional wet-chemical processes that are incompatible with mass production techniques, this dry-chemistry procedure has great potential for enabling high-throughput production of bioelectronic devices. Furthermore, those devices can be applied and expands for the cell biological functional field as a useful, helpful, or indispensable tool.