Implementation and participation of an online nutrition curriculum for pediatric gastroenterology fellows.

Our team of nutrition experts developed an online nutrition curriculum consisting of 21 modules to serve as a resource for a stand-alone nutrition curriculum or as a supplement to existing nutrition electives during the Pediatric Gastroenterology fellowship. From April 2020 through January 2023, 2090 modules were completed by 436 fellows from 75 different programs across North America. The program was accessed most during tight restrictions on in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, participants posttest scores improved from baseline pretest scores indicating retention of information from the modules. The overall success of this program suggests that there should be continued efforts to develop and offer online learning opportunities in clinical nutrition. There is an opportunity to expand the audience for the curriculum to include pediatric gastroenterologists from across the globe.

Are dietitian recommendations followed? A descriptive study of paediatric hospitalised and ambulatory patients.

BACKGROUND: The primary objective of this cross-sectional retrospective study was to describe the implementation of dietitian prescribed nutrition recommendations in malnourished paediatric patients in the hospital and ambulatory settings. We also aimed to investigate other characteristics that could be associated with differences in implementation. METHODS: Data were collected from 186 hospitalised and 565 ambulatory patients between February 2020 and January 2021. Data included age, hospital or ambulatory specialty departments, primary diagnosis, malnutrition status, hospital length of stay (LOS), and medical nutrition therapy recommendations. Implementation by the medical team in the hospital setting and adherence by the family in the outpatient setting were categorised as "Full", "Partial" or "None". "Partial" and "None" were combined for analysis. RESULTS: Dietitian prescribed recommendations were implemented in 79.6% of hospitalised patients. In the ambulatory population, 46.4% of patients were adherent with nutrition recommendations. Within the hospital, there was a significant difference in implementation of nutrition recommendations based on age (p = 0.047), hospital department (p = 0.002) and LOS (p = 0.04), whereas, in the ambulatory population, there were no significant differences in the rate of adherence among any of the studied characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Dietitian recommendations are frequently implemented in the hospital, whereas adherence to such recommendations is poor in the outpatient population. Interventions to improve adherence to nutrition recommendations in the ambulatory setting are needed.

An Interpretable Approach with Explainable AI for Heart Stroke Prediction.

Heart strokes are a significant global health concern, profoundly affecting the wellbeing of the population. Many research endeavors have focused on developing predictive models for heart strokes using ML and DL techniques. Nevertheless, prior studies have often failed to bridge the gap between complex ML models and their interpretability in clinical contexts, leaving healthcare professionals hesitant to embrace them for critical decision-making. This research introduces a meticulously designed, effective, and easily interpretable approach for heart stroke prediction, empowered by explainable AI techniques. Our contributions include a meticulously designed model, incorporating pivotal techniques such as resampling, data leakage prevention, feature selection, and emphasizing the model's comprehensibility for healthcare practitioners. This multifaceted approach holds the potential to significantly impact the field of healthcare by offering a reliable and understandable tool for heart stroke prediction. In our research, we harnessed the potential of the Stroke Prediction Dataset, a valuable resource containing 11 distinct attributes. Applying these techniques, including model interpretability measures such as permutation importance and explainability methods like LIME, has achieved impressive results. While permutation importance provides insights into feature importance globally, LIME complements this by offering local and instance-specific explanations. Together, they contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. The combination of these techniques not only aids in understanding the features that drive overall model performance but also helps in interpreting and validating individual predictions. The ANN model has achieved an outstanding accuracy rate of 95%.

Subsequent development of Kawasaki disease following acute human adenovirus infection among siblings.

We report a middle-childhood girl presented with high-grade fever and headache for 4 days. Following this, the child developed mucocutaneous symptoms. She had a notable family history of autoimmune disease. Tests revealed increased inflammatory markers. On the sixth day of illness, a two-dimensonal echocardiogram showed an enlarged coronary artery, diagnosed as incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD) and treated with IVIG and aspirin.Within a week, her younger sibling, an early-childhood girl presented with features of viral prodrome, developed mucocutaneous lesions and subcutaneous oedema of limbs. Her investigations also showed elevated inflammatory markers and echocardiographic changes, diagnosed as incomplete KD.The subsequent development of KD in siblings, both showing initial viral symptoms and a family history of autoimmune disease, led to the suspicion of a potential viral trigger. This was confirmed through viral PCR studies for human adenovirus (type 3). These cases highlight an unusual occurrence of KD developing in siblings following acute adenoviral infection.

Nutrition considerations in the transgender and gender-diverse patient.

The nutrition professional is increasingly providing care to individuals who identify as transgender. However, there are few definitive guidelines on providing medical nutrition care to this population. It is becoming better understood that this population is at elevated nutrition risk secondary to significant health disparities. More recently, the increasing prevalence of gender-affirming medical intervention has resulted in uncertainty when providing medical nutrition assessments and therapies, as many standardized guidelines and assessment tools are sex-specific. This review aims to provide clarity in exploring various gender-affirming methods to providing nutrition care to the transgender and gender-diverse population.

Perioperative nutrition in the setting of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Optimization of nutrition prior to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related surgery could improve outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the perioperative nutrition status and management of children undergoing intestinal resection for treatment of their IBD. METHODS: We identified all patients with IBD who underwent primary intestinal resection. We identified malnutrition using established criteria and methods of nutrition provision at various time points (preoperative outpatient evaluation, admission, and postoperative outpatient follow-up) for elective cases (who underwent their procedure at a scheduled admission) and urgent cases (who underwent an unplanned surgical intervention). We also recorded data on postsurgical complications. RESULTS: A total of 84 patients were identified in this single-center study (male sex: 40%, mean age: 14.5 years, Crohn's disease: 65%). Thirty-four patients (40%) had some degree of malnutrition. Prevalence of malnutrition in the urgent and elective cohorts was similar (48% vs 36%; P = 0.37). Of these patients, 29 (34%) were noted to be on some type of nutrition supplementation prior to surgery. Postoperatively, BMI z scores increased (-0.61 vs -0.42; P = 0.0008), but the percentage of patients who were malnourished did not change from preoperative status (40% vs 40%; P = 0.10). Despite this, use of nutrition supplementation was only noted in 15 (17%) patients at postoperative follow-up. Complications were not associated with nutrition status. CONCLUSION: Utilization of supplemental nutrition decreased postprocedure despite no change in malnutrition prevalence. These findings support the development of a pediatric-specific perioperative nutrition protocol in the setting of IBD-related surgery.

Electronic health record time-tracking provides real-time data to measure and benchmark dietitian productivity.

BACKGROUND: Traditional methods for benchmarking dietitian productivity are time-consuming and fail to accurately measure the total time spent providing nutrition care. An electronic health record (EHR)-based tool that allows for daily tracking of both face-to-face and patient care coordination time for dietitians was created. We assessed whether it provided consistent, continuous measurement of time and productivity. METHODS: This tool was created in an independent paediatric academic healthcare system in the USA. Time spent by dietitians in face-to-face settings and care coordination were tracked. Changes in time spent between the years 2013-2016 versus 2018-2019 were also analysed. RESULTS: The outpatient dietitian spent a mean total of 66.4 min per patient (37.8 ± 6.0 min in face-to-face care and 28.6 ± 5.2 min in care coordination). The total times and fractions spent on face-to-face and care coordination time varied by specialty. Comparison of the two periods of time revealed 75% more productivity on average of dietitians in different outpatient settings after including care coordination tracking. In addition, dietitians were more likely to document time spent in 5-min increments after the institution of this methodology as opposed to 15-min increments. CONCLUSIONS: An EHR-based tool that facilitates the documentation of both face-to-face time and patient care coordination time is feasible and enables consistent, continuous measurement of time and productivity. The real-time data from this tool can be used to support adequate dietitian staffing and be used to create a multicentre database to measure the actual time dietitians need to provide care and generate consistent staffing benchmarks.

RAPIDIRON Trial follow-up study - the RAPIDIRON-KIDS Study: protocol of a prospective observational follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a worldwide problem with iron deficiency being the most common cause. When anemia occurs in pregnancy, it increases the risk of adverse maternal, fetal, and postnatal outcomes. It induces preterm births and low birth weight (LBW) deliveries, long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae, and an increased risk of earlier onset of postnatal iron deficiency. Anemia rates are among the highest in South Asia, and India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for 2019-2021 indicated that over half of pregnant women, and more than 65% of children, in the country are classified as anemic (Sciences IIfP, National Family Health Survey-5, 2019-21, India Fact Sheet). In 2021, the parent RAPIDIRON Trial (Derman et al., Trials 22:649, 2021) was initiated in two states in India, with the goal of assessing whether a dose of intravenous (IV) iron given to anemic women during early pregnancy results in a greater proportion of participants with normal hemoglobin concentrations in the third trimester and a lower proportion of participants with LBW deliveries compared to oral iron. As a follow-up to the RAPIDIRON Trial, the RAPIDIRON-KIDS Study will follow the offspring of previously randomized mothers to assess, neurobehavioral, hematological, and health outcomes. METHODS: This prospective observational cohort study will follow a subset of participants previously randomized as part of the RAPIDIRON Trial and their newborns. Study visits occur at birth, 6 weeks, 4 months, 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months and include blood sample collection with both maternal and infant participants and specific neurobehavioral assessments conducted with the infants (depending on the study visit). The primary outcomes of interest are (1) infant iron status as indicated by both hemoglobin and ferritin (a) at birth and (b) at 4 months of age and (2) the developmental quotient (DQ) for the cognitive domain of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development Version IV (BSID-IV) at 24 months of age. DISCUSSION: This RAPIDIRON-KIDS Study builds upon its parent RAPIDIRON Trial by following a subset of the previously randomized participants and their offspring through the first 3 years of life to assess neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral (infants, children), hematological, and health outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05504863 , Registered on 17 August 2022. Clinical Trials Registry - India CTRI/2022/05/042933 . Registered on 31 May 2022.

Subcutaneous cellular angiofibroma of arm: A case report.

ABSTRACT: Cellular angiofibroma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor reported in genital region in middle-aged patients. We report a rare presentation of the tumor in an extragenital location-the arm of a young male patient. After biopsy, an en bloc excision of the mass was done and diagnosis was confirmed. No adjuvant treatment was required. Our patient had an unusual location for this rare tumor at an age younger than reported in literature so far. Imaging can only predict the mesenchymal nature of the tumor but histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) is the cornerstone of diagnosis. Cellular angiofibroma has a good prognosis. Histopathology and IHC are needed to confirm the diagnosis, hence emphasizing the role of a good and experienced pathologist. The pathogenesis of the cellular angiofibroma is still not fully determined and current hormonal and immunotherapy suppression regimes will need further evaluation.

Nutrition Screening in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Evaluation of an Electronic Medical Record-Based Tool.

Hospitalized, critically ill children are at increased risk of developing malnutrition. While several pediatric nutrition screening tools exist, none have been validated in the pediatric intensive care units (PICU). The Children's Wisconsin Nutrition Screening Tool (CWNST) is a unique nutrition screening tool that includes the Pediatric Nutrition Screening Tool (PNST) and predictive elements from the electronic medical record and was found to be more sensitive than the PNST in acute care units. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the tool in detecting possible malnutrition in critically ill children. The data analysis, including the results of the current nutrition screening, diagnosis, and nutrition status was performed on all patients admitted to PICUs at Children's Wisconsin in 2019. All 250 patients with ≥1 nutrition assessment by a dietitian were included. The screening elements that were predictive of malnutrition included parenteral nutrition, positive PNST, and BMI-for-age/weight-for-length z-score. The current screen had a sensitivity of 0.985, specificity of 0.06, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.249, and negative predictive value of 0.929 compared to the PNST alone which had a sensitivity of 0.1, specificity of 0.981, PPV of 0.658, and NPV of 0.749. However, of the 250 included patients, 97.2% (243) had a positive nutrition screen. The CWNST can be easily applied through EMRs and predicts the nutrition risk in PICU patients but needs further improvement to improve specificity.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Pediatric Feeding Disorder in Children with Cystic Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: The exact prevalence of feeding problems in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) is unknown. Pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) encompasses poor oral intake with associated medical, nutrition, psychosocial, or feeding skill dysfunction. We hypothesized that PFD is common in CF and aimed to categorize feeding dysfunction across various domains in children with CF. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in children with CF. Data collected included anthropometrics, nutrition data (including need for tube feeding/enteral nutrition [EN] or high-energy beverages, dietary diversity), feeding skills (Pediatric version of the Eating Assessment tool [pEAT]), and psychosocial function (About Your Child's Eating questionnaire [AYCE] in children 2-17 years of age/Behavioral Pediatric Feeding Assessment Scale [BPFAS] in children 12-23 months of age). PFD was defined as poor oral intake with: (a) pEAT score > 5; and/or (b) AYCE or BPFAS score > 2 standard deviation of normative controls; and/or (c) nutrition dysfunction (body mass index/weight-for-length z score < -1 and/or preference of oral high energy beverages or dependence on EN and/or decreased dietary diversity). RESULTS: Of 103 children in the study, 62 (60.1%) had PFD, 7 children (6.8%) were malnourished, 10 needed EN (9.7%), and 30 (29.1%) needed oral high-energy beverages. Dietary diversity was decreased in 42 children (41.5%), 1 child had feeding skill dysfunction, and 11 (10.8%) met criteria for psychosocial dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Almost 2/3rd of children with CF have PFD and many have poor dietary diversity. A significant percentage of children rely on EN and oral supplements, but psychosocial dysfunction is less prevalent.

Comparative Evaluation of Effectiveness of Nisin, Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid (Augmentin) and Chlorhexidine on E. Faecalis as an Intracanal Irrigant: An In-vitro Study.

Aim: The present study evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), Nisin, and Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid (Augmentin) as an intracanal irrigant against Enterococcus faecalis (EF). Materials and Methods: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for EF against Nisin and Augmentin was determined by microbroth dilution technique. Time kill cycle (TKC) analysis was done for 0 MIC, ½ MIC, 1 MIC, and 2 MIC at 0 hour, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 45 minutes. At the end of each time period, dilutions were pipetted and swabs of agar plates were done. Incubation of agar plates was done at 37C for 24 hours. Colonies formed were counted. Results: The time kill curve analysis of EF for CHX, Nisin, and Augmentin at different concentrations and time periods showed a gradual decline in mean bacterial count between 0 and 45 minutes for CHX; this decline increases with increase in concentrations and time. Whereas in group Nisin, not much decline in bacterial count is noted for ½ MIC concentrations but a signification reduction of P < 0.001 after exposure to Nisin at 1 MIC ant 2 MIC concentrations. Group Augmentin showed not much reduction in bacterial count with increase in concentration and time. Conclusion: From this study, Nisin is found to be a promising agent in eliminating EF in comparison to other irrigants tested. However, the systemic effect of this irrigant, its biocompatibility, allergic potential, and bacterial resistance needs further investigation.

Current topics in pediatric enteral nutrition safety.

Enteral nutrition is a cornerstone of nutrition support therapy in patients of all ages and across the care continuum. Safe delivery of enteral nutrition to patients is paramount. This review article will focus on current topics in enteral nutrition safety primarily in children including safety with home-made blenderized feeds, recent infant and enteral formula shortages largely due to formula contamination at the manufacturer level, and concerns with importing infant formulas.

Validation of ageism scale for dental students in India: (Ageism Scale for Dental Students- India) - a cross sectional study.

Background: Ageism persists in many different societies as it is innate and subconscious in nature. Negative effects such as loneliness, mistreatment, and occupational discrimination are frequently present due to ageism. The dental students in our study were wary of the possible benefits of expensive dental care because ageism is rife in their field. There is no validated and reliable ageism scale to assess how dental students perceive ageism in India. The current study was carried out to validate the ageism scale for dental students in the Indian context. METHODS: This was a cross sectional analytical study carried out among both males and females in Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore in which the instrument was 27-item Ageism scale for dental students. Content validity was done by six subject experts. The final version was administered to 213 students/Residents of dental school. The factorability of data was confirmed with KMO = 0.61 and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity resulting in p < 0.001. RESULTS: Final PCA model resulted in 15 items and six components that together accounted for 70.37% of overall variance. The six components had reliability ranging from marginal 0.51 (Component 6) to a high of 0.81 (Component 3). As per the gender differences by component females showed less ageism than men in "non-compliance" (-0.9(-1.66-0.14), p<0.05) and "practitioner perspective" (1.43 (0.84, 2.03), p<0.01). Statistical significance was seen in Barriers/concerns in dental treatment of elderly where residents showed reversed (1.4 (0.41, 2.38), p<0.01). Urban group showed more ageism for component 'time restraint' (-0.79 (-1.57, -0.02), p<0.05. CONCLUSION: Preliminary validation resulted in 15 item scale with six components with acceptable validity of the ageism scale and could be further tested in large samples. This scale will help recognize ageism in Indian context and provide necessary information to make changes in the curriculum as required.

Correction: Effectiveness of Silver Diamine Fluoride for Early Childhood Caries Among Children Aged 24 to 72 Months: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/46144.].

Microplastic content of over-the-counter toothpastes - a systematic review.

Background: Microplastic particles are used as ingredients in personal care products such as face washes, shower gels and toothpastes and form one of the main sources of microplastic pollution, especially in the marine environment. In addition to being a potential pollutant to the environment, the transfer of microplastics to humans can become a severe threat to public health. This systematic review was conceptualized to identify evidence for the presence of and characteristics of microplastics in toothpaste formulations. Methods: The PICOS Criteria was used for including studies for the review. Electronic databases of Scopus, Embase, Springer Link, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched, as well as hand and reference searching of the articles was carried out. The articles were screened using the software application, Covidence® and data was extracted. Results: This systematic review showed that toothpastes from China, Vietnam, Myanmar and the UAE, reported no evidence of microplastics and those from Malaysia, Turkey and India reported the presence of microplastics. The shape of the microplastics present in these toothpastes were found to be granular, irregular with opaque appearance and also in the form of fragments and fibers and the percentage weight in grams ranged from 0.2 to 7.24%. Malaysia releases 0.199 trillion microbeads annually from personal care products into the environment and toothpastes in Turkey release an average of 871 million grams of microplastics annually. Similarly, in India, it has been reported that 1.4 billion grams of microplastic particles are emitted annually from toothpaste. Conclusions: The findings of this systematic review provide evidence that toothpastes, at least in some parts of the world, do contain microplastics and that there is a great risk of increase in the addition of microplastics to the environment by the use of toothpaste.