Clinical Features and Follow-up of Referred Children and Young People With Long COVID.

BACKGROUND: Patient-level data on the clinical features and outcomes of children and young people referred for possible long coronavirus disease (COVID) can guide clinicians on what to expect in managing patients and advising families. METHODS: A Post-Acute COVID Clinic for persons <21 years of age was established in October 2020. Intake was standardized and management was tailored to presenting symptoms. Data were abstracted from the charts of all patients evaluated through December 2021, and the study cohort consisted of patients who had a history of confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, had ≥1 symptom persisting for ≥12 weeks and had no pre-existing diagnosis that explained the symptoms. A structured follow-up interview was conducted in early 2022. RESULTS: A total of 104 patients were referred, 81 of whom met inclusion criteria. The median age was 14 years (interquartile range, 13-16), and most were female, White/Caucasian and had commercial health insurance. Patients reported previously good health but over half reported moderate-to-severe disability at their first visit. Two clusters of presenting symptoms-fatigue with multiple symptoms, and fatigue and headache with cardiopulmonary symptoms-were identified. Extensive routine testing did not affirm alternative diagnoses. Incident conditions-most commonly anxiety, depression and/or panic disorder; migraines; and autonomic dysfunction-were diagnosed on clinical grounds. Telephone interviews (N = 55) revealed that 78% of patients were improved by about 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of a single-center, referral-based, observational cohort, this study provides reassurance to patients and parents in that most cases of long COVID were self-limited. Extensive evaluations may be more useful in ruling out alternative diagnoses than in affirming specific physiologic disturbances.

Use of the Child Opportunity Index to Examine Racial Variations in Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing to Children.

To examine further racial and ethnic variations in antibiotic prescribing to children, we used the Child Opportunity Index. Black children were less likely to be prescribed an antibiotic. Low- and moderate-opportunity areas were associated with greater rates of antibiotic prescribing, after adjusting for race and other factors.

Impact of Oxidative Stress on Risk of Death and Readmission in African Children With Severe Malaria: A Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that oxidative stress in Ugandan children with severe malaria is associated with mortality. METHODS: We evaluated biomarkers of oxidative stress in children with cerebral malaria (CM, n = 77) or severe malarial anemia (SMA, n = 79), who were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of immediate vs delayed iron therapy, compared with community children (CC, n = 83). Associations between admission biomarkers and risk of death during hospitalization or risk of readmission within 6 months were analyzed. RESULTS: Nine children with CM and none with SMA died during hospitalization. Children with CM or SMA had higher levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) (P < .001) and lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity than CC (P < .02). Children with CM had a higher risk of death with increasing HO-1 concentration (odds ratio [OR], 6.07 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.17-31.31]; P = .03) but a lower risk of death with increasing SOD activity (OR, 0.02 [95% CI, .001-.70]; P = .03). There were no associations between oxidative stress biomarkers on admission and risk of readmission within 6 months of enrollment. CONCLUSIONS: Children with CM or SMA develop oxidative stress in response to severe malaria. Oxidative stress is associated with higher mortality in children with CM but not with SMA. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT01093989.

It's Not Only Vaccine Hesitancy; It's Also Physician Hesitancy.

The danger of vaccine hesitancy is perhaps one of the most critical challenges we face as practitioners. This riveting narrative helps us find common ground and courage as it reaches into the hearts of those of us who have encountered parents who also want what's best for their child.

Associations between geographic region and immune response variations to pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in clinical trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Geographic region can be an important source of variation in the immune response to pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV). The aim of this study was to collate data from available PCV clinical trials in order to characterize the differences in antibody responses in different countries. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the difference in antibody responses after primary series of PCVs in infants, associated with geographic regions, compared with each other and with the different PCVs using random-effects models. RESULTS: A total of 69 trials were included. Studies conducted in the Western Pacific Region (WPR) showed higher geometric mean concentrations (GMC) compared to studies conducted in Europe. The pooled GMC for serotype 4 after three doses of PCV7 in the WPR was 5.19 µg/ml (95% confidence interval 4.85-5.53 µg/ml), while for studies conducted in Europe this was 2.01 µg/ml (95% confidence interval 1.88-2.14 µg/ml). The IgG GMC ratios among the WPR versus European regions ranged from 1.51 to 2.87 for PCV7, 1.69 to 3.22 for PCV10, and 1.49 to 3.08 for PCV13. CONCLUSIONS: Studies conducted in the WPR generally showed greater antibody responses than the studies conducted in Europe. Indications of differences among geographic regions highlight the fact that further research is needed to compare the biological factors contributing to immune responses, which may affect vaccination schedules.

Cryptococcus albidus Fungemia in an Immunosuppressed Child: Case Report and Systematic Literature Review.

Cryptococcus albidus, synonymous with Naganishia albida, rarely causes opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals. Its clinical features, particularly in children, are not well defined. Here, we report a case of C albidus fungemia in an immunosuppressed child; we also present results of a systematic review, for which we searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science using the keywords "cryptococcus" and "albidus." Our goal was to describe the spectrum of disease, diagnostic approaches, therapies, and outcomes. We identified 20 cases of invasive infection, only 2 of which involved children, and 7 cases of noninvasive infection. The reports originated in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Of those with invasive infection, 16 (80%) patients had an underlying chronic disorder or had received immunosuppressive therapy, 8 (40%) had fungemia, and 6 (30%) had a central nervous system infection. The attributable case fatality rate was 40%. C albidus is an opportunistic yeast that can rarely cause life-threatening fungemia and central nervous system infection in individuals of any age, especially those who are immunocompromised.