Over-the-counter access to hormonal contraception: a global perspective.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Oral contraceptive pills are among the most popular contraceptives worldwide, including among adolescents, and are available over the counter in over 100 countries. However, when a prescription is required, oral contraceptives may be difficult to obtain, particularly for adolescents. Recent approvals of over-the-counter progestin-only pills in the United Kingdom and United States have brought widespread attention to this topic. RECENT FINDINGS: Progestin-only pills, including the norgestrel pill recently approved for over-the-counter use in the United States, are highly effective and may be used safely without a prescription or medical monitoring, including by adolescents. These pills are associated with relatively high user satisfaction. Although over-the-counter availability may improve contraceptive access overall, issues related to insurance coverage and out-of-pocket cost may continue to pose practical barriers to access for many individuals. SUMMARY: Over-the-counter oral contraceptives are an appropriate and important contraceptive option for many adolescents. Over-the-counter availability has the potential to increase access to safe and effective contraception in the United States, United Kingdom, and other countries where a prescription is currently required. Future research on use patterns among adolescents is needed, as are advocacy efforts and policies to ensure access and affordability.

Loperamide Misuse Mimicking Symptoms of Severe Malnutrition.

Loperamide, an oral over-the-counter µ-opioid receptor agonist used to treat diarrhea, acts primarily in the gut and, when used as recommended, has little to no systemic effect. At high doses, it may cause a "high" like other opioids. Recent literature describes an increasing incidence of loperamide misuse and overdose in the setting of the US opioid epidemic. In this case, we describe a 16-year-old with anorexia nervosa who developed dizziness, syncope, and constipation at the time of weight loss. These symptoms were originally attributed to malnutrition; however, after weight restoration, her symptoms worsened. She did not respond to initial management of suspected postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). She then developed acute urinary retention requiring hospitalization. Her symptoms were ultimately found to be caused by chronic surreptitious high-dose loperamide use. Her symptoms rapidly improved after cessation. This case illustrates the non-specific symptoms associated with loperamide misuse and the potential overlap with other common adolescent conditions. Adolescent medicine clinicians must be aware of the signs and symptoms of loperamide misuse as well as familiar with recommendations for both the management of acute complications and the treatment of the substance misuse.

Virtual Schooling and Pediatric Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In this single-site, retrospective, descriptive chart review and survey, we investigated changes in pediatric behavioral health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the relationship between virtual schooling and hospitalized children's mental health. Subjects included patients aged 6 and 18 years during the 2015 to 2019 and 2020 to 2021 school years who received inpatient mental health care. Parents of patients admitted in 2020 to 2021 were surveyed regarding their child's schooling. We additionally described and compared subjects using descriptive data, including proxies for illness severity, and assessed how these outcomes changed during the pandemic and correlated with school modality. During the pandemic, the distribution of diagnoses changed, and some markers of severity increased. Patients in exclusively virtual school had higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders and tic disorders, and lower rates of eating and disruptive behavior disorders, than patients with recent in-person school. Further study is needed regarding the impact of virtual schooling on pediatric mental health.

Medical Admissions Among Adolescents With Eating Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Emerging data suggest the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with worsening symptoms of eating disorders (EDs) among both adults and adolescents. With this study, we sought to determine if medical admission patterns among adolescents admitted to our institution for restrictive EDs changed during the pandemic, relative to prepandemic counts of admissions per month. METHODS: We performed a chart review of patients aged 10 to 23 years admitted to our children's hospital for restrictive EDs from March 2017 through March 2021 and completed an interrupted time series analysis of admission counts per month. Demographic variables for admitted patients were compared by using χ2, Fisher's exact, and 2-sample t tests. RESULTS: ED-related medical admissions at our institution increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of admissions during the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021, n = 125) was more than double the mean number of admissions per year for the same time frame (April 1 through March 31) for the previous 3 years (mean = 56). Patient demographics were similar before and during the pandemic, with the exception that patients admitted during the COVID-19 pandemic were less likely than those admitted before the pandemic to have public insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Medical admissions related to restrictive EDs among adolescents increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pediatric providers in a variety of settings should be prepared to care for adolescents with restrictive EDs during the pandemic.

Food Allergy-Related Risk-Taking and Management Behaviors Among Adolescents and Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: Food allergy (FA) affects 8% of children and adolescents in the United States. Nearly 40% of those affected have experienced severe reactions. Fatal food-induced anaphylaxis is most common among adolescents and young adults (AYA); however, FA-related risk behaviors persist in this population and factors associated with these behaviors remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To characterize FA-related risk-taking and self-management behaviors of AYA with FA. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 200 AYA with FA. Latent class analysis was used to identify distinct behavioral risk classes and predictors of risk class membership. RESULTS: Two distinct FA behavioral risk classes were identified, representing less (N = 120) and more (N = 80) risky subpopulations. After adjusting for age, sex, and anaphylaxis history, odds of more risky class membership were significantly reduced for AYA with peanut allergy (odds ratio [OR], 0.27; 95% CI, 0.11-0.65), supportive female friends (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.07-0.99), overprotective mothers (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.18-0.97), teachers who are aware of their FA (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17-0.91), a history of being bullied (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.09-0.51), and an established 504 education plan (OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.15-0.81). AYA also reported numerous positive outcomes of their FA, such as greater responsibility, empathy, and improved diet, which was significantly associated with reduced odds of risky class membership (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.18-0.80). CONCLUSIONS: Among AYA, increased FA-related risk-taking was associated with clinical, demographic, and social factors, including peanut allergy, greater age, as well as absence of social support and specific school FA policies. These associations may be used to inform future interventions designed to address FA-related risk and management behaviors.

The Development of a Clinical Decision Support System for the Management of Pediatric Food Allergy.

Pediatricians are often first-line providers for children with food allergy. Food allergy management guidelines have been developed but are cumbersome and confusing, and significant variation exists in pediatricians' management practices. We therefore consolidated the guidelines into 5 key steps for pediatricians caring for patients with food allergy and used rapid-cycle improvement methods to create a clinical decision support system to facilitate the management of food allergy in the primary care setting. This report details the development of the Food Allergy Support Tool (FAST), its pilot testing in 4 primary care pediatric practices, and our ongoing efforts to improve its utility and ease of use. Key themes identified during these processes include the importance of both initial and ongoing provider education as well as the limitations of a tool that must be actively initiated by providers.

Quality of Life Among Food Allergic Patients and Their Caregivers.

Food allergy is increasing in prevalence worldwide. This review summarizes progress made studying relationships between food allergy and quality of life (QOL), with an emphasis on recent work in the field. Early work examining QOL among food allergy patients established that stress and anxiety associated with continuous allergen avoidance and the looming threat of anaphylaxis were associated with significantly impaired food allergy quality of life (FAQOL) for children with food allergy and their caregivers. Recent clinical studies suggest that undergoing oral food challenge to confirm food allergy and oral immunotherapy to treat food allergy may each improve FAQOL among both patients and their caregivers. Other intervention modalities, such as nurse-facilitated counseling and educational workshops, also hold promise, but additional work is needed. Future work must strive to recruit more representative, population-based samples, including adult patients, in order to improve the generalizability and clinical relevance of findings.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is safe and effective for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreaticobiliary disease following abdominal organ transplant in children.

ERCP is a diagnostic and therapeutic imaging modality widely used in adult pancreaticobiliary disease, including the treatment of anastomotic strictures following liver and small bowel transplant. We have previously reported a large series of ERCP in children and demonstrated its safety and utility in pediatric disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of and indications for ERCP following abdominal organ transplant among pediatric patients by performing a subgroup analysis of our large cohort. Forty-eight ERCPs were performed on 25 children ages 62 days to 20 yr following isolated liver, isolated small bowel, or composite graft transplant. Mean time from transplantation at the time of ERCP was 18 months. The most common indication for ERCP was the evaluation of non-specific hepatobiliary complaints, including abdominal pain and elevated liver enzymes. ERCP was also commonly performed for the evaluation or treatment of known or suspected biliary tree strictures. Seventy-seven percent of cases included therapeutic intervention, including sphincterotomy in 40%, stent placement in 29%, and stone extraction in 19%. The overall complication rate among post-transplant patients was low (2.9%) and not significantly different than the complication rate reported in our previous study. A history of abdominal organ transplant was not associated with an increased risk of complication following ERCP (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.05-3.33). In our experience, ERCP can be safely performed in children following liver, small bowel, and composite graft transplant with outcomes similar to those seen in a general pediatric population and may be especially useful for the diagnosis and treatment for biliary strictures following transplant. Further investigation of the relationship between the timing of ERCP relative to transplant and the safety of the procedure is needed.

An appraisal of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for pancreaticobiliary disease in children: our institutional experience in 231 cases.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an important tool used by clinicians in the diagnosis and management of pancreaticobiliary disease. The safety and utility of ERCP for adults has been well documented. However, experience with ERCP for pediatric patients remains limited. This study aimed to examine the utility and safety of ERCP for diagnosis and therapy in pediatric surgical conditions. METHODS: An institutional review board-approved retrospective chart review of all children younger than 21 years who underwent ERCP at a single children's hospital between 1992 and 2008 was performed. Age, sex, medical history, presenting symptoms, laboratory values, and discharge diagnoses were recorded. The ERCP findings, interventions performed, complications, and associated surgical procedures also were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 231 ERCPs were performed for 167 children (98 girls and 69 boys) ages 62 days to 21 years. The mean patient age was 11.4 years, with 11% (n = 18) of the ERCPs performed for children younger than 2 years. Common indications for ERCP included chronic or recurrent pancreatitis (n = 106), acute pancreatitis (n = 42), and choledocholithiasis (n = 26). Additional indications included choledochal cyst (n = 2), congenital biliary obstruction (n = 2), and malignant biliary obstruction (n = 1). Therapeutic interventions were performed in 159 cases (69%) including sphincterotomy (n = 96), stone extraction (n = 55), and stent insertion (n = 52). Complications occurred for only 11 patients (4.76%), including 7 cases of post-ERCP pancreatitis. The use of ERCP for imaging resulted in surgical procedures in 58 cases. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was used most commonly for children with pancreatitis and gallstone disease. It was used frequently for infants with a low complication rate. The majority of patients required therapeutic intervention, suggesting an important role for ERCP in the management of pancreaticobiliary disease in infants and children.