Diagnosis and Management of Acquired Aplastic Anemia: Consensus Statement of Indian Academy of Pediatrics.

JUSTIFICATION: In India, there is a lack of uniformity of treatment strategies for aplastic anemia (AA), and many children are managed only with supportive care due to non-availability of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). PROCESS: Eminent national faculty members were invited to participate in the process of forming a consensus statement in Hyderabad in July, 2016. Draft guidelines were circulated to all members, and comments received in a online meeting in October, 2020 were incorporated into the final draft. These were approved by all experts. Objective: To facilitate appropriate management of children with acquired aplastic anemia. RECOMMENDATIONS: Key recommendations are: i) A bone marrow biopsy is must to make a diagnosis of AA; ii) Rule out inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS), connective tissue disorders, viral infections, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), drug or heavy metal induced marrow suppression in all cases of AA; iii) Conservative approach to transfusions should be followed, with a target to keep hemoglobin >6 g/dL in children with no co-morbidities; iv) HLA-matched sibling donor HSCT is the preferred choice of treatment for newly diagnosed very severe/ severe AA; v) In absence of HLA-matched family donor, a matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplant or immunosuppressive therapy (IST) should be considered as alternate choice based on physician expertise; vi) Fludarabine, cyclophos-phamide and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) based conditioning with cyclosporine and methotrexate as graft versus host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis is the preferred regimen; vii) Horse ATG and cyclosporine are the recommended drugs for IST. One should wait for 3-6 months for the response assessment and consideration of next line therapy.

Consensus Statement of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics on Diagnosis and Management of Fragile X Syndrome in India.

JUSTIFICATION: Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common genetic cause of inherited intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early identification results in appropriate management and improvement in functioning. Risk assessment in other family members can lead to prevention of the disorder. This necessitated the formulation of IAP recommendations for the diagnosis and management of FXS in Indian children and adolescents. PROCESS: The meeting on formulation of national consensus guidelines on Fragile X syndrome was organized by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics in New Delhi on 25th February, 2017. The invited experts included Pediatricians, Developmental Pediatricians, Psychiatrists, Pediatric Neurologists, Gynecologists, Geneticists, Clinical Psychologists and Remedial Educators, and representatives of Parent Organizations. Guidelines were framed after extensive discussions. A writing committee was formed that drafted the manuscript, which was circulated among members for critical appraisal, and finalized. RECOMMENDATIONS: The committee recommended that early diagnosis of FXS is crucial for early, timely and appropriate management. The interventions including timely occupational therapy, speech therapy and behavioral modifications help to improve the developmental potential and reduce the maladaptive behavior. Pharmacotherapy may be needed to control and improve behavioral symptoms. In addition, the emergence of targeted treatments such as low dose sertraline, metformin and /or minocycline may also be helpful for behavior, and perhaps cognition. Genetic counselling is helpful to communicate the risk for future children with FXS or permutation involvement.

Consensus Statement of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics in Diagnosis and Management of Hemophilia.

JUSTIFICATION: Despite having standard principles of management of hemophilia, treatment differs in various countries depending on available resources. Guideline for management of hemophilia in Indian setting is essential. PROCESS: Indian Academy of Pediatrics conducted a consultative meeting on Hemophilia on 18th September, 2016 in New Delhi, which was attended by experts in the field working across India. Scientific literature was reviewed, and guidelines were drafted. All expert committee members reviewed the final manuscript. OBJECTIVE: To bring out consensus guidelines in diagnosis and management of Hemophilia in India. RECOMMENDATIONS: Specific factor assays confirm diagnosis and classify hemophilia according to residual factor activity (mild 5-40%, moderate 1-5%, severe <1%). Genetic testing helps in identifying carriers, and providing genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis. Patients with hemophilia should be managed by multi-specialty team approach. Continuous primary prophylaxis (at least low-dose regimen of 10-20 IU/kg twice or thrice per week) is recommended in severe hemophilia with dose tailored as per response. Factor replacement remains the mainstay of treating acute bleeds (dose and duration depends on body weight, site and severity of bleed). Factor concentrates (plasma derived or recombinant), if available, are preferred over blood components. Other supportive measures (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) should be instantly initiated. Long-term complications include musculoskeletal problems, development of inhibitors and transfusion-transmitted infections, which need monitoring. Adequate vaccination of children with hemophilia (with precautions) is emphasized.

Umbilical Cord Blood Banking: Consensus Statement of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics.

JUSTIFICATION: Practitioners and people need information about the therapeutic potential of umbilical cord blood stem cells and pros and cons of storing cord blood in public versus private banks. PROCESS: Indian Academy of Pediatrics conducted a consultative meeting on umbilical cord blood banking on 25th June 2016 in Pune, attended by experts in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation working across India. Review of scientific literature was also performed. All expert committee members reviewed the final manuscript. OBJECTIVE: To bring out consensus guidelines for umbilical cord banking in India. RECOMMENDATIONS: Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation has been used to cure many malignant disorders, hematological conditions, immune deficiency disorders and inherited metabolic disorders, even when it's partially HLA mismatched. Collection procedure is safe for mother and baby in an otherwise uncomplicated delivery. Public cord blood banking should be promoted over private banking. Private cord blood banking is highly recommended when an existing family member (sibling or biological parent) is suffering from diseases approved to be cured by allogenic stem cell transplantation. Otherwise, private cord blood banking is not a 'biological insurance', and should be discouraged. At present, autologous cord stem cells cannot be used for treating diseases of genetic origin, metabolic disorders and hematological cancers. Advertisements for private banking are often misleading. Legislative measures are required to regularize the marketing strategies of cord blood banking.

Serum Procalcitonin for Predicting Significant Infections and Mortality in Pediatric Oncology.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of serum procalcitonin (PCT) level at admission in predicting significant infections and deaths among children on chemotherapy presenting with fever. METHODS: Children with clinically significant (CSI) and microbiologically documented (MDI) infections were identified using standard definitions. Association of PCT with CSI, MDI and mortality was analyzed. RESULTS: We evaluated 821 febrile episodes in 316 children. CSI, MDI and deaths were seen in 40.9%, 20.1% and 2.9%, respectively. PCT levels ranged from 0.05-560ng/mL. Median PCT was higher in episodes with CSI (0.80 vs. 0.28) and MDI (0.71 vs. 0.34) (P<0.001). PCT ≥0.7ng/mL optimally predicted CSI (AUC-0.740) and MDI (AUC-0.636). Relative risk of mortality for PCT ≥5ng/mL was 7.1. PCT ≥0.7ng/mL had poor sensitivity (45-55%) but good specificity and NPV (70-90%). PCT was elevated in nearly half of documented viral and fungal infections. CONCLUSION: PCT predicts significant infections and mortality in pediatric oncology but it has poor sensitivity to guide clinical decisions.