Identifying Food Insecurity in Cardiology Clinic and Connecting Families to Resources.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity (FI) increases children's risk for illness and developmental and behavioral problems, which are ongoing concerns for congenital heart disease (CHD) patients. In 2020, 14.8% of households with children suffered from FI. The Hunger Vital Signs (HVS) asks 2 questions to assess FI. The global aim of the project is to implement HVS and connect FI families to resources. METHODS: Stakeholders identified 6 critical drivers in implementing FI screening at an outpatient cardiology clinic and conducted plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles to implement HVS. Over the 13-month study period, time series analyses were performed to assess our process measure (FI screening) and outcome measure (connection of FI families to resources). Demographics and severity of CHD were analyzed for FI families. RESULTS: Screening rates increased from 0% to >85%, screening 5064 families. Process evaluations revealed roadblocks including screening discomfort. FI families were more likely to identify as Black or multiple or other ethnicity. Severe CHD patients were at higher risk for FI (n = 106, odds ratio [OR] 1.67 [1.21-2.29], P = .002). Face-to-face meetings with social work and community partnerships reduced loss to follow-up and our ability to offer all FI families individualized FI resources. CONCLUSION: HVS screening can be implemented in a cardiology clinic to improve identification of FI families. A written tool can combat screening discomfort and improve identification of FI families. Children with severe CHD may be at increased risk for FI. A multidisciplinary team and community partnerships can improve individualized resource distribution.

Gestational Age-Specific Complete Blood Count Signatures in Necrotizing Enterocolitis.

Objective: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is characterized by peripheral cell abnormalities, yet few studies have analyzed the complete blood count (CBC) specifically by gestational age (GA). Our objective was to describe GA-specific immune abnormalities in NEC through a comprehensive analysis of the CBC differential. Methods: Using a cohort of 246 infants (177 cases, 69 controls) admitted to neonatal intensive care units at a single institution, we retrospectively analyzed CBCs around illness onset in NEC cases compared with controls. Cases included surgical NEC (S-NEC, 34.5%) and medical NEC (M-NEC, 65.5%). Infants were divided into those born at GA <33 and ≥33 weeks. Differences in CBC values were described as absolute and percent changes at NEC onset from baseline and at antibiotic completion after NEC. We used machine learning algorithms based on the CBC at NEC to generate predictive models for diagnosis. Results: At NEC onset, there was an acute drop in monocytes and lymphocytes along with a rise in bands in S-NEC infants born <33 weeks compared with M-NEC. In comparison, both M-NEC and S-NEC ≥33 weeks had a percent drop in neutrophils at diagnosis compared with controls. At antibiotic completion, monocytes in S-NEC <33 weeks significantly rose compared with M-NEC, yet for S-NEC ≥33 weeks, bands significantly dropped compared with M-NEC. Predictive modeling was able to accurately predict S-NEC from M-NEC and controls. Conclusion: There are discrete leukocyte patterns in NEC based on GA. The CBC at diagnosis may be useful in identifying patients who will require surgery.

Choroidal artery embolization in the management of cerebrospinal fluid overproduction: case report and review of the literature.

Diffuse villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus (DVHCP) is a rare cause of communicating hydrocephalus. DVHCP may be diagnosed radiographically and through histological evaluation. It may be associated with genetic abnormalities, particularly involving chromosome 9. Due to CSF overproduction, patients with DVHCP often fail management with shunting alone and may require adjuvant interventions. The authors present the case of a child with partial trisomy 9p and delayed diagnosis of hydrocephalus with radiographic evidence of DVHCP who was successfully managed with ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement, adjuvant bilateral endoscopic choroid plexus coagulation (CPC), and the novel application of anterior choroidal artery embolization. In addition, a systematic MEDLINE search was conducted using the keywords "diffuse villous hyperplasia," "choroid plexus hypertrophy," and "idiopathic cerebrospinal fluid overproduction." Clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of the present case were reviewed and compared to those in the literature.A 14-month-old girl with partial trisomy 9p presented with macrocephaly and radiographic evidence of communicating hydrocephalus and DVHCP. Ventriculoperitoneal shunting resulted in distal failure due to inadequate CSF absorption, and ventriculoatrial shunt (VAS) placement was not possible due to multiple cardiac anomalies. Daily CSF production was reduced via endoscopic third ventriculostomy and bilateral CPC, followed by distal choroidal artery embolization, enabling VPS re-internalization. The embolization was complicated by radiographic evidence of an iatrogenic cerebral infarct, but this was clinically occult. Thirty-two additional cases of communicating hydrocephalus due to DVHCP are reported in the literature: 27 pediatric, 3 adult, and 2 postmortem. Genetic abnormalities were noted in 14, with 7 (50%) involving chromosome 9. Twelve patients underwent plexectomy (9 bilateral, 2 unilateral, 1 partial), and 10 underwent CPC (4 bilateral, 3 unilateral, and 3 unspecified), with or without shunting. Eight patients were successfully managed with shunting alone (6 VASs, 2 VPSs), and none underwent arterial embolization.DVHCP is a rare cause of communicating hydrocephalus that may be associated with genetic abnormalities. A thorough review of the literature highlights diagnostic criteria and interventional options involved in managing this cause of CSF overproduction. The present case demonstrates that angiographic confirmation of prominent choroidal arteries may contribute to the diagnosis DVHCP. In addition, embolization of the distal choroidal arteries may be considered as a potential adjuvant treatment in patients for whom conventional treatments have failed or are not feasible.