Portals for Exploring Noncoding Variants in Pediatric Cancer.

Zhou et al. present GenomePaint, a dynamic web-based data portal for exploring noncoding somatic alterations in cancer by genomic location. Multiple omics platforms - including whole-genome, whole-exome, transcriptome, and epigenome - can be visualized together. The portal incorporates data from >3800 pediatric tumors, and users may upload their own data.

Piecing together the Pediatric Brain Tumor Puzzle.

A recent study by Petralia et al. of 218 pediatric brain tumors across seven different entities applied an integrated approach incorporating proteomics, phosphoproteomics, whole-genome sequencing, and RNA sequencing. This elegant study unveiled new signaling pathways, the composition of tumor microenvironments, and functional effects of copy number variants and somatic mutations.

Multi-institutional Protocol Guidance for Pediatric Photon-counting CT.

Performing CT in children comes with unique challenges such as greater degrees of patient motion, smaller and densely packed anatomy, and potential risks of radiation exposure. The technical advancements of photon-counting detector (PCD) CT enable decreased radiation dose and noise, as well as increased spatial and contrast resolution across all ages, compared with conventional energy-integrating detector CT. It is therefore valuable to review the relevant technical aspects and principles specific to protocol development on the new PCD CT platform to realize the potential benefits for this population. The purpose of this article, based on multi-institutional clinical and research experience from pediatric radiologists and medical physicists, is to provide protocol guidance for use of PCD CT in the imaging of pediatric patients.

Expert Consensus on Pediatric Urodynamics Reporting Using Modified Delphi Technique.

PURPOSE: Urodynamic testing (UDS) is an important tool in the management of pediatric lower urinary tract conditions. There have been notable efforts to standardize pediatric UDS nomenclature and technique, but no formal guidelines exist on essential elements to include in a clinical report. We sought to identify ideal structure and elements of a pediatric UDS assessment based on expert consensus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pediatric urologists regularly performing UDS were queried using a Delphi process. Participants were invited representing varied geographic, experience, and societal involvement. Participants underwent 3 rounds of questionnaires between November 2022 and August 2023 focusing on report organization, elements, definitions, and automated electronic health record clinical decision support. Professional billing requirements were also considered. Consensus was defined as 80% agreeing either in favor of or against a topic. Elements without consensus were discussed in subsequent rounds. RESULTS: A diverse sample of 30 providers, representing 27 institutions across 21 US states; Washington, District of Columbia; and Canada completed the study. Participants reported interpreting an average number of 5 UDS reports per week (range 1-22). The finalized consensus report identifies 93 elements that should be included in a pediatric UDS report based on applicable study conditions and findings. CONCLUSIONS: This consensus report details the key elements and structure agreed upon by an expert panel of pediatric urologists. Further standardization of documentation should aid collaboration and research for patients undergoing UDS. Based on this information, development of a standardized UDS report template using electronic health record implementation principles is underway, which will be openly available for pediatric urologists.

A Pilot Survey on the Perceptions of Pediatric Subspecialty Fellows and Program Directors on Virtual Compared with In-Person Interview Experiences.

Pediatric fellowship programs have conducted virtual interviews since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In this national survey of fellowship program directors and fellows interviewed in-person and virtually, fellowship program directors and fellows formed accurate impressions, regardless of format, but our data did not clearly support one interview format over another.

Pediatric advocacy: Advancement in academic institutions.

IMPACT: Children are facing many threats to their health today that require system change at a sweeping level to have real-world impact. Pediatricians are positioned as natural leaders to advocate for these critical community and policy changes. Academic medical center (AMC) leaders recognize the importance of this advocacy and clear steps can be taken to improve the structure to support pediatricians in their advocacy careers through faculty development and promotion, including standardized scholarly measurement of the outcomes.

Pediatric interventional bronchoscopy: from early limitations to achievable opportunities.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The rapid evolution of bronchoscopy equipment and technologies, from the introduction of the 1.1 mm flexible cryoprobe to the use of navigational and robotic bronchoscopy, has afforded unprecedented opportunities for pediatric advanced diagnostic and interventional bronchoscopy. While there is growing interest among pediatric pulmonologists to incorporate these new techniques into their practice, the current pediatric landscape is characterized by few practicing interventional bronchoscopists, scant published literature, and no formal training programs. RECENT FINDINGS: While the majority of the published literature consists of case reports and small case series, the increased application of new techniques is starting to yield larger and more structured studies that will be able to provide more objective commentary on the proposed indications, safety, and efficacy of such techniques in the pediatric population. SUMMARY: For many decades, progress in pediatric advanced diagnostic and interventional bronchoscopy was slow and deliberate, limited by the lack of appropriately sized equipment and experienced interventional bronchoscopists. The current opportunities afforded require equal, or perhaps even more, vigilance as pediatric pulmonologists employ new equipment and technologies and define new practices and standards of care. Importantly, this review is meant to serve as a general conspectus of pediatric advanced diagnostic and interventional bronchoscopy and not a consensus guideline for the performance of advanced or even routine bronchoscopy in the pediatric population. For technical standards of pediatric bronchoscopy, refer to existing guidelines [1,2] .

Developmental surveillance and screening practices in a pediatric oncology clinic: Initial progress of a quality improvement study.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric cancer patients' oncology teams regularly take on a primary care role, but due to the urgent nature of cancer treatment, developmental screenings may be deprioritized. This leaves patients at risk of developmental diagnoses and referrals being delayed. AIMS: Clarify the current developmental surveillance and screening practices of one pediatric oncology team. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Researchers reviewed charts for patients (n = 66) seen at a pediatric oncology clinic in a suburban academic medical center to determine engagement in developmental screening (including functioning around related areas such as speech, neurocognition, etc.) and referrals for care in these areas. RESULTS: Developmental histories were collected from all patients through admission history and physical examination (H&P), but there was no routinized follow-up. Physicians did not conduct regular developmental screening per American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for any patients but identified n = 3 patients with needs while the psychology team routinely surveilled all patients seen during this time (n = 41) and identified n = 18 patients as having delays. DISCUSSION: Physicians did not routinely screen for development needs beyond H&P and were inconsistent in developmental follow-up/referrals. Integrated psychologists were key in generating referrals for developmental-based care. However, many oncology patients were not seen by psychologists quickly or at all, creating a significant gap in care during a crucial developmental period. CONCLUSION: The case is made for further routinization of ongoing developmental screening in pediatric oncology care.

Educational Strategies in Pediatric Trauma Resuscitation Across Disciplines: A Scoping Review.

INTRODUCTION: Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability in children. Differences in mechanism, injury pattern, severity, and physiology in this population distinguish pediatric trauma patients from adults. Educational techniques including simulation and didactics may improve pediatric readiness in this setting. We summarize the literature across disciplines, highlighting the curricular approaches, target provider population, educational content, content delivery method, and Kirkpatrick level for pediatric trauma resuscitation education. METHODS: The MEDLINE (via Ovid), Embase (via Elsevier), Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature Complete (via EBSCO), Education Database (via ProQuest), and Web of Science Social Science Citation Index and Science Citation Index (via Clarivate) were searched. We reviewed 90 manuscripts describing pediatric trauma resuscitation education programs. When available, target provider population, curricular content, delivery method, and Kirkpatrick level were obtained. RESULTS: Nurses (50%), residents (45%), and attending physicians (43%) were the most common participants. Airway management (25%), shock (25%), and general trauma (25%) were the most frequently taught concepts, and delivery of content was more frequently via simulation (65%) or didactics (52%). Most studies (39%) were Kirkpatrick Level 1. CONCLUSIONS: This review suggests that diverse strategies exist to promote pediatric readiness. Most training programs are interdisciplinary and use a variety of educational techniques. However, studies infrequently report examining the impact of educational interventions on patient-centered outcomes and lack detail in describing their curriculum. Future educational efforts would benefit from heightened attention to such outcome measures and a rigorous description of their curricula to allow for reproducibility.

Implementation of a Global Pediatric Trauma Course in an Upper Middle-Income Country: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Over 90% of pediatric trauma deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet pediatric trauma-focused training remains unstandardized and inaccessible, especially in LMICs. In Brazil, where trauma is the leading cause of death for children over age 1, we piloted the first global adaptation of the Trauma Resuscitation in Kids (TRIK) course and assessed its feasibility. METHODS: A 2-day simulation-based global TRIK course was hosted in Belo Horizonte in October 2022, led by one Brazilian and four Canadian instructors. The enrollment fee was $200 USD, and course registration sold out in 4 d. We administered a knowledge test before and after the course and a postcourse self-evaluation. We recorded each simulation to assess participants' performance, reflected in a team performance score. Groups received numerical scores for these three areas, which were equally weighted to calculate a final performance score. The scores given by the two evaluators were then averaged. As groups performed the specific simulations in varying orders, the simulations were grouped into four time blocks for analysis of performance over time. Statistical analysis utilized a combination of descriptive analysis, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. RESULTS: Twenty-one surgeons (19 pediatric, one trauma, one general) representing four of five regions in Brazil consented to study participation. Women comprised 76% (16/21) of participants. Overall, participants scored higher on the knowledge assessment after the course (68% versus 76%; z = 3.046, P < 0.001). Participants reported improved knowledge for all tested components of trauma management (P < 0.001). The average simulation performance score increased from 66% on day 1% to 73% on day 2, although this increase was not statistically significant. All participants reported they were more confident managing pediatric trauma after the course and would recommend the course to others. CONCLUSIONS: Completion of global TRIK improved surgeons' confidence, knowledge, and clinical decision-making skills in managing pediatric trauma, suggesting a standardized course may improve pediatric trauma care and outcomes in LMICs. We plan to more closely address cost, language, and resource barriers to implementing protocolized trauma training in LMICs with the aim to improve patient outcomes and equity in trauma care globally.

Update in Pediatric Neurocritical Care: What a Neurologist Caring for Critically Ill Children Needs to Know.

Currently nearly one-quarter of admissions to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) worldwide are for neurocritical care diagnoses that are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Pediatric neurocritical care is a rapidly evolving field with unique challenges due to not only age-related responses to primary neurologic insults and their treatments but also the rarity of pediatric neurocritical care conditions at any given institution. The structure of pediatric neurocritical care services therefore is most commonly a collaborative model where critical care medicine physicians coordinate care and are supported by a multidisciplinary team of pediatric subspecialists, including neurologists. While pediatric neurocritical care lies at the intersection between critical care and the neurosciences, this narrative review focuses on the most common clinical scenarios encountered by pediatric neurologists as consultants in the PICU and synthesizes the recent evidence, best practices, and ongoing research in these cases. We provide an in-depth review of (1) the evaluation and management of abnormal movements (seizures/status epilepticus and status dystonicus); (2) acute weakness and paralysis (focusing on pediatric stroke and select pediatric neuroimmune conditions); (3) neuromonitoring modalities using a pathophysiology-driven approach; (4) neuroprotective strategies for which there is evidence (e.g., pediatric severe traumatic brain injury, post-cardiac arrest care, and ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke); and (5) best practices for neuroprognostication in pediatric traumatic brain injury, cardiac arrest, and disorders of consciousness, with highlights of the 2023 updates on Brain Death/Death by Neurological Criteria. Our review of the current state of pediatric neurocritical care from the viewpoint of what a pediatric neurologist in the PICU needs to know is intended to improve knowledge for providers at the bedside with the goal of better patient care and outcomes.

Caring for screenagers (Part 1): a pediatrician's primer on popular social media platforms.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Since the inception of social media, children have used platforms in manners unbeknownst to their parents. Just when parents feel they may finally understand what platform is relevant or trend is "in," the landscape evolves, and children shift to something new. It is therefore critical that pediatricians stay informed about what is popular in youth populations. This enables the recognition of the potential dangers of contemporary social media engagement. RECENT FINDINGS: Short-form content and livestreaming continue to rise in popularity while certain older forms of social media have retained relevancy in youth circles. YouTube is the dominant social media force, with both livestreaming and short-form offerings. Twitch and TikTok provide alternatives to YouTube for livestreaming and short-form content, respectively. Instagram and Snapchat - two social media apps that have existed for over 10 years - remain as the most popular mechanisms for children to interact with their friends online. SUMMARY: Issues related to body image, attention deficits, cyberbullying, and other potential harms have many parents wary of their child's presence on social media. Social media sites have in-place mechanisms to prevent the likelihood of harm, but pediatricians and parents should still counsel children on best social media practices.

Caring for screenagers (part 2): a pediatrician's primer on popular games and educational tools.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The internet has changed the way children can work and play. With the preferences of the youth population constantly evolving, it is important that parents and pediatricians continue to be informed of the ways children spend their time on the internet. Online gaming continues to soar in popularity, as does school usage of educational platforms. RECENT FINDINGS: Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft are three examples of games that have widespread popularity among youth populations. Though none of the game are designed to display graphic violence, sexual content, or other features that could be considered off-limits for children, there still ways for children to exposed to inappropriate material or engage with strangers. The rise in popularity of eSports also reflects changing attitudes about the value of gaming. On the educational side, school-student platforms and powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming more and more prevalent. SUMMARY: Parents should not simply know which games or educational tools their children are using, but understand them. This article seeks to provide some insight into popular games and platforms so that parents and pediatricians can make better decisions about what children access.

The transformation of Cure4Kids: Expanding knowledge transfer capacity.

Global survival disparities among children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases are the driving force behind Cure4Kids' sustained outreach to healthcare professionals. Congruent with this need, Cure4Kids was redesigned to meet the emergent demands of diverse healthcare professionals seeking free, web-based pediatric hematology/oncology education. Herein, we present an overview of each phase of the design and development process for the transformation and describe key features of the new Cure4Kids and future opportunities for expansion.

Integrative Medicine Across the Pediatric Cancer Care Trajectory: A Narrative Review.

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: Children and adolescents with cancer, along with their parents and other informal caregivers, often report using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) during active oncology and hemato-oncology treatment. Some adopt an "alternative" approach to conventional medical care, which often entails the use of these practices without the knowledge of the treating pediatrician. In contrast, many others search for consultation provided by a pediatric integrative oncology (IO) practitioner working with the conventional medical team. IO seeks to provide evidence-based complementary medicine therapies, many of which have been shown to augment conventional supportive and palliative care, while ensuring the patient's safety. The present narrative review examines the current state of and future direction for the IO setting of care. RECENT FINDINGS: A large body of published clinical research supports the effectiveness of leading Pediatric IO modalities, while addressing potential safety-related concerns. Despite the growing amount of clinical research supporting the beneficial effects and implementation of Pediatric IO models of care, there is still a need for further studies in order to establish clinical guidelines in the treatment of children and adolescents with cancer. Such IO-directed guidelines will need to address both the effectiveness and the safety of the CAM modalities being used in pediatric oncology and hemato-oncology settings, promoting a better understanding among pediatric healthcare professionals and helping them understand the indications for referral to the IO treatment service.

Changes in pediatric referrals after the 2009 ketogenic diet consensus recommendations.

BACKGROUND: In 2009, the International Ketogenic Diet Study Group published recommendations for children receiving ketogenic diet (KD) therapy for epilepsy. The document included a table listing epilepsy syndromes and conditions in which the KD has been particularly beneficial, hoping that physicians would refer children for the KD sooner. PURPOSE: To measure the impact of these 2009 recommendations on referral practice, we compared children initiated on the KD at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) 10 years before and after the recommendations. RESULTS: Overall, children referred to the KD who met indications increased from the pre- to post-recommendation group, 44 % (112/256) to 69 % (175/255) (p < 0.001), with JHH neurologists specifically referring more frequently (10/112, 9 % to 58/175, 33 %) (p < 0.01). Referrals increased for Glut-1 deficiency (0 % to 2.4 %, p = 0.015), Dravet syndrome (0 % to 6.7 %, p < 0.01), Rett syndrome (0.4 % to 3 %, p = 0.018), and formula-fed only status (16 % to 31 %, p < 0.01). The chances of > 50 % seizure reduction for all children referred improved slightly between decades (56 % to 61 %, p = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS: Following the 2009 recommendations, our study shows there was an increase in referrals for children with indications at our center. Referrals from neurologists at our own institution increased the most. Ketogenic diet efficacy improved slightly over time but did not reach significance.

Probiotic use in pediatric kidney transplant recipients: What are current practices, and are they evidence-based? A pediatric nephrology research consortium study.

BACKGROUND: Probiotics are living microorganisms that may confer health benefits to their host if administered in sufficient quantities. However, data on the use of probiotics in transplant recipients are scarce. METHOD: This multi-center survey of pediatric nephrologists aimed to examine variations in practice regarding the use of probiotics in pediatric kidney transplant recipients. The survey was conducted via a 10-item questionnaire (developed in Survey Monkey) administered to pediatric nephrologists participating in the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium meeting in April 2023. RESULTS: Sixty-four pediatric nephrologists completed the survey. Twenty-seven (42.2%) respondents reported having prescribed probiotics to pediatric kidney transplant recipients. The primary reason for probiotic use was the treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (n = 20), with other reasons including recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (n = 15), general gut health promotion (n = 12), recurrent urinary tract infections (n = 8), and parental request (n = 1). Of those who prescribed probiotics, 48.1% held them during periods of neutropenia and 14.8% during central venous line use. Of the 64 respondents, 20 reported the lack of safety data as a concern for using probiotics in kidney transplant recipients. CONCLUSION: Pediatric nephrologists are increasingly prescribing probiotics to pediatric kidney transplant recipients; nevertheless, substantial practice variations exist. The paucity of safety data is a significant deterrent to probiotic use in this population.

Paediatric steatotic liver disease has unique characteristics: A multisociety statement endorsing the new nomenclature.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been a commonly used term and diagnosis in paediatric hepatology, gastroenterology, and endocrinology clinics for over 30 years. A multisociety Delphi process has determined a new name "Steatotic Liver Disease" (SLD) as the overarching term for disorders associated with hepatic lipid accumulation. Our Societies give our support to steatotic liver disease as the best overarching term for use in our communities. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) overcomes many of the shortcomings of the name NAFLD. Here, we highlight several points of the new nomenclature that are of particular importance for our community and their consequences for implementation including: diagnostic criteria, considering alternate diagnoses, practical implementation, research, advocacy, and education for paediatricians. As with all nomenclature changes, it will take a concerted effort from our paediatric societies to help integrate the optimal use of this into practice.

Analysis of missed clinic visits, preferred languages, and telemedicine in a pediatric gastroenterology practice.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between socioeconomic disparities and missed clinic visits (MCV). However, the relationship between patient-preferred language and MCVs, particularly with respect to telemedicine, remains relatively underexplored. We sought to characterize the associations between MCV and patient-level predictors, including preferred language, in a large single-center pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition practice. METHODS: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study included all missed or completed outpatient visits in the Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Programs at Boston Children's Hospital from January 1, 2016 to May 20, 2022. Univariate and multivariate hierarchical generalized linear mixed models were employed to identify associations between visit- and patient-level predictors and an MCV outcome. RESULTS: A total of 300,201 visits from 70,710 patients residing in Massachusetts were included. Univariate analyses revealed higher MCV odds for Hispanic patients and those from areas with the highest Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), and these odds increased with telemedicine (Hispanic in-person odds ratio [OR] 5.21 [(95% confidence interval) 4.93-5.52] vs. telemedicine OR 8.79 [7.85-9.83]; highest SVI in-person OR 5.28 [4.95-5.64] vs. telemedicine OR 7.82 [6.84-8.96]). Controlled multivariate analyses revealed that among six language groups, only Spanish language preference was associated with higher MCV odds, which increased with telemedicine (Spanish in-person adjusted OR [aOR] 1.35 [1.24-1.48] vs. telemedicine aOR 2.1 [1.83-2.44]). CONCLUSIONS: Patients preferring Spanish experience unique barriers to care beyond those faced by other language preference groups, and telemedicine may exacerbate these barriers.

Embracing the (r)evolution of social media and digital scholarship in pediatric nephrology education.

Free Open-Access Medical Education (FOAMed) has transformed medical education in the past decade by complementing and substituting for traditional medical education when needed. The attractiveness of FOAMed resources is due to their inexpensive nature, wide availability, and user ability to access on demand across a variety of devices, making it easy to create, share, and participate. The subject of nephrology is complex, fascinating, and challenging. Traditional didactic lectures can be passive and ineffective in uncovering these difficult concepts and may need frequent revisions. Active teaching methods like flipped classrooms have shown some benefits, and these benefits can only be multifold with current social media tools. Social media will inspire the involvement of students and allow them to create and share educational content in a "trendy way," encouraging the participation of their peers and thus building an educational environment more conducive to them while promoting revision and retainment. FOAMed also promotes asynchronous learning, spaced learning, microlearning, and multimodal presentation with a meaningful variation. This article discusses the evolution of digital education, social media platforms, tools for creating and developing FOAMed resources, and digital scholarship.