Publication of pediatric theses defended at the Tunis Faculty of Medicine: A 15-year study.

INTRODUCTION: The valorisation of thesis through its publication is necessary to enhance its visibility. Few data exist concerning the characteristics of theses defended at the Tunis faculty of medicine. AIM: Examine the publication rate of pediatric theses and identify factors associated with an increased publication rate. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive bibliometric study of pediatric theses defended at the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis over 15 years, from 2006 to 2020. Theses were retrieved from the catalog of the faculty library. Publications had been searched in databases "Pub Med ", and "Google Scholar" until December2021. RESULTS: The study involved 235 pediatric theses. Sixty-eight theses were published, representing 29% of the total. The main topics of published theses were neonatology (16%) and hematology (15%). The language of publication was French and English in 55% and 45% of cases, respectively. All publications in Q1 and Q2 journals were written in English. The only independent factor predicting publication of theses was the very honourable mention with congratulations of the jury and proposal for the thesis prize (p=0,007). CONCLUSION: Additional assessments will be necessary to identify the obstacles to the publication of theses.

The intersection of pediatric anesthesiology and social determinants of health.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: There is increasing evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric perioperative care, which indicates a need to identify factors driving disparities. Social determinants of health (SDOH) play a fundamental role in pediatric health and are recognized as key underlying mechanisms of healthcare inequities. This article summarizes recent research exploring the influence of SDOH on pediatric perioperative outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Despite the scarcity of research exploring SDOH and pediatric perioperative outcomes, recent work demonstrates an association between SDOH and multiple outcomes across the perioperative care continuum. Measures of social disadvantage were associated with preoperative symptom severity, longer hospital stays, and higher rates of postoperative complications and mortality. In some studies, these adverse effects of social disadvantage persisted even when controlling for medical comorbidities and clinical severity. SUMMARY: The existing literature offers compelling evidence of the impact of SDOH on perioperative outcomes in children and reveals a critical area in pediatric anesthesia that necessitates further exploration and action. To improve outcomes and address care inequities, future efforts should prioritize the integration of SDOH assessment into pediatric perioperative research and practice.

Adolescents' Receipt of Care in a Medical Home: Results From a National Survey.

PURPOSE: Despite long-term emphasis on the medical home for children, little research focuses on adolescents. This study examines adolescent past-year attainment of medical home, its components, and subgroup differences among demographic and mental/physical health condition categories. METHODS: Utilizing the 2020-21 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), ages 10-17 (N = 42,930), we determined medical home attainment and its 5 components and subgroup differences utilizing multivariable logistic regression: sex; race/ethnicity; income; caregiver education; insurance; language spoken at home; region; and health conditions: physical, mental, both, or none. RESULTS: Forty-five percent had a medical home with lower rates among those who were as follows: not White non-Hispanic; lower income; uninsured; in non-English-speaking households; adolescents whose caregivers lacked a college degree; and adolescents with mental health conditions (p range = .01-<.0001). Differences for medical home components were similar. DISCUSSION: Given low medical home rates, ongoing differences and high mental illness rates, efforts are needed to improve adolescent medical home access.

Prevalencia de síndrome de Burnout en internos de pediatría de la Universidad Católica del Maule / Burnout Syndrome Prevalence in pediatric interns of the Catholic University of Maule

Burnout syndrome is a public health problem, a pathological entity that affects professionals who work directly with people, such as health professionals. It is currently described as being composed of three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal fulfillment, and its evaluation is carried out through the Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire. The present study aims to measure, by means of the aforementioned instrument, the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome in pediatric interns of the Universidad Católica del Maule and find out which is the most frequent characteristic that the pathology presents, in relation to the 3 subgroups. It corresponds to a descriptive and cross-sectional study, in which the Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaire was applied to a sample of 18 pediatric inmates of the Regional Hospital of Talca, together with an informed consent to each participant. The results showed that the burnout syndrome is present in 11,11% of pediatric interns, in addition it was observed that a high percentage manifests alterations in the studied subdimensions, which makes us conclude that attention should be given urgently to this problem, in order to guarantee mental health support to those who need it.

Desarrollo de los cuidados paliativos pediátricos en Uruguay, 2008-2020: informe de avances / Development of pediatric palliative care in Uruguay, 2008-2020: progress report / Desenvolvimento dos cuidados paliativos pediátricos no Uruguai nos anos 2008-2020: relatório de progresso

Desde el año 2007 en Uruguay los cuidados paliativos (CP) son parte de las prestaciones de salud que todos los ciudadanos que los necesitan tienen derecho a recibir y, desde entonces, ha aumentado significativamente la accesibilidad a estos. Objetivo: describir la situación actual del desarrollo organizativo de servicios de cuidados paliativos pediátricos (CPP) en el país y los pacientes por ellos asistidos desde el inicio de sus actividades hasta el 31/12/2020, las principales fortalezas y desafíos percibidos por los profesionales de dichos equipos. Metodología: se realizó una consulta mediante encuesta online auto administrada enviada a los coordinadores de servicios de CPP del Uruguay. Resultados: se confirmaron 19 equipos en 9/19 departamentos, 5/19 están integrados por profesionales de las cuatro disciplinas básicas recomendadas, el resto por distintas combinaciones de disciplinas, con cargas horarias muy variables. Brindan asistencia en: hospitalización 19/19, policlínica 18/19, atención domiciliaria coordinada 13/19 y retén telefónico 10/19. Fueron asistidos 2957 niños, 23% de los mismos fallecieron. 16/19 equipos reportan como principales fortalezas los valores compartidos y el trabajo en equipo interdisciplinario y 15/19 como principal desafío los déficits de recursos humanos. Conclusiones: persisten importantes inequidades en el acceso a los CPP. Se constató gran variabilidad en la integración de los equipos y la carga horaria de los profesionales. Es necesario que las autoridades sanitarias continúen promoviendo y exigiendo el desarrollo de equipos de CPP en las instituciones y departamentos que no los tienen y el cumplimiento de estándares mínimos de calidad en los ya existentes.

Since 2007, palliative care (PC) has been a part of the health benefits that all Uruguayan citizens are entitled to receive and, since then, accessibility has increased significantly. Objective: to describe the present development of pediatric palliative care services (PPC) in Uruguay and the patients assisted by health providers since the beginning of their services until 12/31/2020 and the key strengths and challenges perceived by these palliative care teams. Methodology: a consultation was carried out through a self-administered online survey and sent to the PPC service coordinators in Uruguay. Results: 19 teams were confirmed in 9/19 departments, 5/19 are integrated by professionals from the four recommended basic disciplines, the rest by different combinations of disciplines, with highly variable workloads. They provide assistance in: hospitalization 19/19, clinics 18/19, coordinated home care 13/19 and telephone assistance 10/19. 2957 children were assisted, 23% of them died. 16/19 teams report shared values and interdisciplinary teamwork as their main strengths, and 15/19 report human resource shortage as their main challenge. Conclusions: significant inequality persist regarding access to PPCs. We confirmed a high variability in teams' integration and professional workload. It is necessary for the health authorities to continue to promote and demand the development of PPC teams in the institutions and departments that do not yet have them and the compliance with minimum quality standards in those that already operate.

Desde 2007, os cuidados paliativos (CP) fazem parte dos benefícios de saúde que todos os cidadãos têm direito a receber no Uruguai e, desde então, a acessibilidade a eles tem aumentado significativamente. Objetivo: descrever a situação atual do desenvolvimento organizacional dos serviços de cuidados paliativos pediátricos (CPP) no Uruguai e dos pacientes atendidos desde o início de suas atividades até 31/12/2020 e as principais fortalezas e desafios percebidos pelos profissionais das referidas equipes. Metodologia: foi realizada uma consulta por meio de uma pesquisa online autoaplicável enviada aos coordenadores dos serviços do CPP no Uruguai. Resultados: 19 equipes foram confirmadas em 19/09 departamentos, 19/05 compostas por profissionais das quatro disciplinas básicas recomendadas, o restante por diferentes combinações de disciplinas, com cargas horárias altamente variáveis. Elas atendem em: internação 19/19, policlínica 18/19, atendimento domiciliar coordenado 13/19 e posto telefônico 19/10. 2.957 crianças foram atendidas, 23% delas faleceram. 16/19 equipes relatam valores compartilhados e trabalho em equipe interdisciplinar como suas principais fortalezas, e 15/19 relatam déficits de recursos humanos como seu principal desafio. Conclusões: persistem desigualdades significativas no acesso aos CPP. Verificou-se: grande variabilidade na integração das equipes e na carga de trabalho dos profissionais. É necessário que as autoridades de saúde continuem promovendo e exigindo o desenvolvimento de equipes de CPP nas instituições e departamentos que não as possuem e o cumprimento de padrões mínimos de qualidade nas que já existem.

Expert survey on coverage and characteristics of pediatric palliative care in Europe - a focus on home care.

BACKGROUND: For children with life-limiting conditions home care is a key component of pediatric palliative care. However, poor information is available on service coverage and in particular on country-specific pediatric palliative home care characteristics. The aim of the study was therefore to describe the association between pediatric palliative care coverage and national activities and obtain detailed information on the pediatric palliative home care structure in different European countries. METHODS: Online survey with in-country experts from N = 33 European countries. RESULTS: Pediatric palliative home care (65.6%) represented the most pediatric palliative care units (15.6%) and the least common services. National documents constituted the most widespread national pediatric palliative care activity (59.4%) and were associated with available services. Pediatric palliative home care could be mostly accessed as a service free of charge to families (95.2%) from the time of a child's diagnosis (85.7%). In most countries, oncological and non-oncological patients were cared for in pediatric palliative home care. Only a minority of home care teams covered home-ventilated children. Pediatric palliative home care usually comprised medical care (81.0%), care coordination (71.4%), nursing care (75.0%) and social support (57.1%). Most countries had at least two professional groups working in home care teams (81.0%), mostly physicians and nurses. In many countries, pediatric palliative home care was not available in all regions and did not offer a 24 h-outreach service. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric palliative care provision in Europe is heterogeneous. Further work on country-specific structures is needed.

Prenatal Betamethasone Exposure and its Impact on Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Preliminary Study in a Spanish Cohort.

Background: Betamethasone, a glucocorticoid used to induce lung maturation when there is a risk of preterm delivery, can affect the immune system maturation and type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence in the progeny. It has been described that prenatal betamethasone protects offspring from experimental T1D development. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the possible association between betamethasone prenatal exposure and T1D in humans. Research Design and Methods. A retrospective case-control study with a total of 945 children, including 471 patients with T1D and 474 healthy siblings, was performed. Participants were volunteers from the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital and DiabetesCero Foundation. Parents of children enrolled in the study completed a questionnaire that included questions about weeks of gestation, preterm delivery risk, weight at birth, and prenatal betamethasone exposure of their children. Multiple logistic regression was used to detect the association between betamethasone exposure and T1D. Results: We compared T1D prevalence between subjects prenatally exposed or unexposed to betamethasone. The percent of children with T1D in the exposed group was 37.5% (21 of 56), and in the unexposed group was 49.52% (410 of 828) (p = 0.139). The percentage of betamethasone-treated subjects with T1D in the preterm group (18.05%, 13 of 72) was significantly higher than that found in the control group (12.5%, 9 of 72) (p = 0.003). The odds ratio for T1D associated with betamethasone in the univariate logistic regression was 0.59 (95% confidence interval, 0.33; 1.03 [p = 0.062]) and in the multivariate logistic regression was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.45; 1.52 [p = 0.389]). Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the prenatal exposure to betamethasone does not increase T1D susceptibility, and may even be associated with a trend towards decreased risk of developing the disease. These preliminary findings require further prospective studies with clinical data to confirm betamethasone exposure effect on T1D risk.

Association Between Neighborhood-Level Social Determinants of Health and Access to Pediatric Appendicitis Care.

Importance: Presenting with complicated appendicitis, which is associated with higher rates of complications and readmissions compared with simple appendicitis, may indicate delayed access to care. Although both patient-level and neighborhood-level social determinants of health are associated with access to care, little is known about the association between neighborhood factors and access to acute pediatric surgical care. Objective: To examine the association between neighborhood factors and the odds of presenting with complicated appendicitis and unplanned postdischarge health care use. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective cohort study of patients aged 18 years or younger diagnosed with appendicitis was conducted. Discharge data from October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2018, were obtained from the Pediatric Health Information System Database and linked to the Child Opportunity Index (COI) 2.0 Database. Data analysis was conducted from January 1 through July 1, 2021. Exposures: The COI, a composite score of zip code neighborhood opportunity level information, divided into quintiles ranging from very low to very high opportunity. Main Outcomes and Measures: Based on COI level, the main outcome was the odds of presenting with complicated appendicitis, which was defined using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-specified International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, Clinical Modification codes. The secondary outcome was the odds of unplanned postdischarge health care use (emergency department visits and/or readmissions) for patients with simple and with complicated appendicitis. Results: A total of 67 489 patients (mean [SD] age, 10.5 [3.9] years) had appendicitis, with 31 223 cases (46.3%) being complicated. A total of 1699 patients (2.5%) were Asian, 24 234 (35.9%) were Hispanic, 4447 (6.6%) were non-Hispanic Black, and 29 234 (43.3%) were non-Hispanic White; 40 549 patients (60.1%) were male; and 32 343 (47.9%) were publicly insured. Patients living in very low-COI neighborhoods had 28% higher odds of presenting with complicated appendicitis (odds ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.20-1.35) compared with those in very high-COI neighborhoods. There was no significant association between COI level and unplanned postdischarge health care use (very high COI, 20.8%; very low COI, 19.1%). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, children from lower-COI neighborhoods had increased odds of presenting with complicated appendicitis compared with those from higher-COI neighborhoods, even after controlling for patient-level social determinants of health factors. These findings may inform policies and programs that seek to improve access to pediatric surgical care.

Individual and family characteristics associated with health indicators at entry into multidisciplinary pediatric weight management: findings from the CANadian Pediatric Weight management Registry (CANPWR).

OBJECTIVES: (1) To explore individual and family characteristics related to anthropometric and cardiometabolic health indicators and (2) examine whether characteristics that correlate with cardiometabolic health indicators differ across severity of obesity at time of entry to Canadian pediatric weight management clinics. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2-17 year olds with overweight or obesity who registered in the CANadian Pediatric Weight Management Registry (CANPWR) between May 2013 and October 2017 prior to their first clinic visit. Individual modifiable health behaviors included dietary intake, physical activity, screen time, and sleep. Family characteristics included parental BMI, family medical history, socioeconomic status and family structure. Linear mixed effects stepwise regression analysis was performed to determine which characteristics were related to each health indicator: BMI z-score; waist circumference; waist to height ratio; blood pressure; glycemia; HDL cholesterol; non-HDL cholesterol; triglycerides. RESULTS: This study included 1296 children (mean age ± standard deviation: 12.1 ± 3.5 years; BMI z-score: 3.55 ± 1.29; 95.3% with obesity). Hours spent sleeping (estimated ß = -0.10; 95% CI [-0.15, -0.05], p = 0.0001), hours per week of organized physical activity (estimated ß = -0.32; 95% CI [-0.53, -0.11], p = 0.0026), daily sugared drink intake (estimated ß = 0.06; 95% CI [0.01, 0.10], p = 0.0136) and maternal BMI (estimated ß = 0.03; 95% CI [0.02, 0.04], p < 0.0001) were associated with BMI z-score (adj. R2 = 0.2084), independent of other individual and family characteristics. Physical activity, total sugared drink intake and sleep duration were associated with glycemia and non-HDL cholesterol, independent of child BMI z-score. However, irrespective of obesity severity, little of the variance (0.86-11.1%) in cardiometabolic health indicators was explained by individual modifiable health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity, total sugared drink intake and hours spent sleeping were related to anthropometric and some cardiometabolic health indicators in children entering pediatric weight management programs. This highlights the importance of these modifiable health behaviors on multiple health indicators in children with obesity.

Interventions to reduce acute paediatric hospital admissions: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Admission rates are rising despite no change to burden of illness, and interventions to reduce unscheduled admission to hospital safely may be justified. OBJECTIVE: To systematically examine admission prevention strategies and report long-term follow-up of admission prevention initiatives. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, OVID SP, PsychINFO, Science Citation Index Expanded/ISI Web of Science, The Cochrane Library from inception to time of writing. Reference lists were hand searched. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials and before-and-after studies. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged <18 years. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: Studies were independently screened by two reviewers with final screening by a third. Data extraction and the Critical Appraisals Skills Programme checklist completion (for risk of bias assessment) were performed by one reviewer and checked by a second. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were included of whom 24 were before-and-after studies and 4 were studies comparing outcomes between non-randomised groups. Interventions included referral pathways, staff reconfiguration, new healthcare facilities and telemedicine. The strongest evidence for admission prevention was seen in asthma-specific referral pathways (n=6) showing 34% (95% CI 28 to 39) reduction, but with evidence of publication bias. Other pathways showed inconsistent results or were insufficient for wider interpretation. Staffing reconfiguration showed reduced admissions in two studies, and shorter length of stay in one. Short stay admission units reduced admissions in three studies. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: There is little robust evidence to support interventions aimed at preventing paediatric admissions and further research is needed.

Addressing Pediatric Developmental and Mental Health in Primary Care Using Tele-Education.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an early childhood tele-education program in preparing community pediatric clinicians to manage developmental and mental health disorders in young children. Community pediatric clinicians from rural, underserved, or school-based health center practices in the mid-Atlantic region participated in a weekly tele-education videoconference. There was a significant knowledge gain evidenced by the percentage of questions answered correctly from pre- to post- didactic exposure (P < .001). Participants reported an increase in knowledge from pre- (P < .001) and in confidence from pre- to post- participation (P < .001). Practice management changes demonstrated an encouraging trend toward managing patients in the Medical Home, as compared with immediately deferring to specialists following participation. This early childhood tele-education videoconferencing program is a promising response to the urgent need to confidently increase the role of pediatricians in the provision of care for childhood developmental and mental health disorders.

Long-term Health and Social Outcomes in Children and Adolescents Placed in Out-of-Home Care.

Importance: Children who are placed in out-of-home care may have poorer outcomes in adulthood, on average, compared with their peers, but the direction and magnitude of these associations need clarification. Objective: To estimate associations between being placed in out-of-home care in childhood and adolescence and subsequent risks of experiencing a wide range of social and health outcomes in adulthood following comprehensive adjustments for preplacement factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort and cosibling study of all children born in Finland between 1986 and 2000 (N = 855 622) monitored each person from their 15th birthday either until the end of the study period (December 2018) or until they migrated, died, or experienced the outcome of interest. Cox and Poisson regression models were used to estimate associations with adjustment for measured confounders (from linked population registers) and unmeasured familial confounders (using sibling comparisons). Data were analyzed from October 2020 to August 2021. Exposures: Placement in out-of-home care up to age 15 years. Main Outcomes and Measures: Through national population, patient, prescription drug, cause of death, and crime registers, 16 specific outcomes were identified across the following categories: psychiatric disorders; low socioeconomic status; injuries and experiencing violence; and antisocial behaviors, suicidality, and premature mortality. Results: A total of 30 127 individuals (3.4%) were identified who had been placed in out-of-home care for a median (interquartile range) period of 1.3 (0.2-5.1) years and 2 (1-3) placement episodes before age 15 years. Compared with their siblings, individuals who had been placed in out-of-home care were 1.4 to 5 times more likely to experience adverse outcomes in adulthood (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] for those with a fall-related injury, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.25-1.57 and aHR for those with an unintentional poisoning injury, 4.79; 95% CI, 3.56-6.43, respectively). The highest relative risks were observed for those with violent crime arrests (aHR, 4.16; 95% CI, 3.74-4.62; cumulative incidence, 24.6% in individuals who had been placed in out-of-home care vs 5.1% in those who had not), substance misuse (aHR, 4.75; 95% CI, 4.25-5.30; cumulative incidence, 23.2% vs 4.6%), and unintentional poisoning injury (aHR 4.79; 95% CI, 3.56-6.43; cumulative incidence, 3.1% vs 0.6%). Additional adjustments for perinatal factors, childhood behavioral problems, and traumatic injuries, including experiencing violence, did not materially change the findings. Conclusions and Relevance: Out-of-home care placement was associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes in adulthood, which persisted following adjustments for measured preplacement factors and unmeasured familial factors.

Pediatric primary care in Ontario and Manitoba after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: There were large disruptions to health care services after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to describe the extent to which pandemic-related changes in service delivery and access affected use of primary care for children overall and by equity strata in the 9 months after pandemic onset in Manitoba and Ontario. METHODS: We performed a population-based study of children aged 17 years or less with provincial health insurance in Ontario or Manitoba before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (Jan. 1, 2017-Nov. 28, 2020). We calculated the weekly rates of in-person and virtual primary care well-child and sick visits, overall and by age group, neighbourhood material deprivation level, rurality and immigrant status, and assessed changes in visit rates after COVID-19 restrictions were imposed compared to expected baseline rates calculated for the 3 years before pandemic onset. RESULTS: Among almost 3 million children in Ontario and more than 300 000 children in Manitoba, primary care visit rates declined to 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.82) of expected in Ontario and 0.82 (95% CI 0.79-0.84) of expected in Manitoba in the 9 months after the onset of the pandemic. Virtual visits accounted for 53% and 29% of visits in Ontario and Manitoba, respectively. The largest monthly decreases in visits occurred in April 2020. Although visit rates increased slowly after April 2020, they had not returned to prerestriction levels by November 2020 in either province. Children aged more than 1 year to 12 years experienced the greatest decrease in visits, especially for well-child care. Compared to prepandemic levels, visit rates were lowest among rural Manitobans, urban Ontarians and Ontarians in low-income neighbourhoods. INTERPRETATION: During the study period, the pandemic contributed to rapid, immediate and inequitable decreases in primary care use, with some recovery and a substantial shift to virtual care. Postpandemic planning must consider the need for catch-up visits, and the long-term impacts warrant further study.

Déficit de vitamina D en una población pediátrica sana. La importancia de una adecuada profilaxis / Vitamin D insufficiency in a healthy pediatric population. The importance of early prophylaxis

Introducción: la vitamina D mantiene la concentración de calcio y fósforo dentro del rango fisiológico, permitiendo un metabolismo normal y la correcta mineralización de los huesos. Recientemente, la deficiencia de vitamina D se ha relacionado no solo con el raquitismo sino también con el aumento del riesgo de otras patologías. El objetivo de este estudio descriptivo, observacional y transversal fue conocer los niveles de concentración de vitamina D en una población pediátrica sana y la situación actual en cuanto a la profilaxis. La determinación de la vitamina D se midió mediante la concentración sérica de 25-hidroxivitamina D (25(OH)D). Material y métodos: se inscribieron 258 pacientes sanos de entre 3 meses y 15 años (6,77 ± 3,95 años; 73,6 % de hombres). Resultados: el valor medio de 25(OH)D fue de 26,60 ng/ml ± 8,02 ng/ml; el 20,9 % de la población mostró un nivel insuficiente. Se observaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los niveles de vitamina D de las distintas edades (p = 0,002), grupos étnicos (p = 0,038) y fototipos (p = 0,000). Además, se observó una mayor prevalencia de la insuficiencia de vitamina D en los niños que nunca antes habían recibido suplementos de vitamina D (41,6 %) en comparación con los que habían tomado suplementos en el primer año de vida (16,7 %). Conclusiones: el presente estudio muestra una alta prevalencia del déficit de vitamina D en los niños sanos y el beneficio de una correcta profilaxis en edades tempranas con suplementos de vitamina D. (AU)

Introduction: vitamin D maintains the concentration of calcium and phosphorus within the physiological range, allowing normal metabolism and bone mineralization. Recently, vitamin D deficiency has been related not only with rickets but also with an increased risk of other pathologies. The aim of this descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was to assess vitamin D concentration levels in a healthy pediatric population, as well as the current situation of prophylaxis. Vitamin D determination was measured by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration. Material and methods: a total of 258 healthy patients between 3 months and 15 years of age were enrolled (6.77 ± 3.95 years; 73.6 % were male). Results: the mean value of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 26.60 ng/mL ± 8.02 ng/mL, and up to 20.9 % of the population showed insufficient levels. Statistically significant differences in vitamin D levels were observed between ages (p = 0.002), ethnicity groups (p = 0.038), and skin types (p = 0.000). In addition, a higher prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in children who had never previously received vitamin D supplementation (41.6 %) was observed compared to those that had taken supplementation in the first year of life (16.7 %). Conclusion: our study shows a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among healthy children, and the benefit of prophylaxis with vitamin D supplementation. (AU)

Correlation between Computed Tomography Clinical Diagnosis and Findings in Pediatric Computed Tomography.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Pediatric Computed Tomography (CT) is a fast, accurate imaging examination using ionizing radiation to create detailed images of pathological conditions. The radiation benefit should be outweighing the risk through the procure justification and dose optimization. The study aimed to investigate the correlation between the physician's initial diagnosis and the CT findings to build procedure justification for a pediatric patient's head scan. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The study included 81 children examined clinically and by CT scan to diagnose cranial and cerebral pathology. Eighty-one pediatric patients were investigated by CT scan and clinical diagnosis. <b>Results:</b> The patient age ranged between 1-15 years old, (44%) were male and (56%) females. The patients referred to the CT scan from emergency department n = 10 (7%), outpatient clinics n = 66, (84%) and inpatients clinics n = 5, (9%). The study showed that 46% of patients were normal with no CT findings. Almost half of the cases were negative and did not confirm the clinical diagnosis. <b>Conclusion:</b> The study concluded that most head CT scans in children were not justified. An effort towards improving the refereeing physician's awareness about radiation dose and request justification should be conducted.