Validity and utility of urinary CXCL10/Cr immune monitoring in pediatric kidney transplant recipients

Individualized posttransplant immunosuppression is hampered by suboptimal monitoring strategies. To validate the utility of urinary CXCL10/Cr immune monitoring in children, we conducted a multicenter prospective observational study in children <21 years with serial and biopsy-associated urine samples (n = 97). Biopsies (n = 240) were categorized as normal (NOR), rejection (>i1t1; REJ), indeterminate (IND), BKV infection, and leukocyturia (LEU). An independent pediatric cohort of 180 urines was used for external validation. Ninety-seven patients aged 11.4 ± 5.5 years showed elevated urinary CXCL10/Cr in REJ (3.1, IQR 1.1, 16.4; P < .001) and BKV nephropathy (median = 5.6, IQR 1.3, 26.9; P < .001) vs. NOR (0.8, IQR 0.4, 1.5). The AUC for REJ vs. NOR was 0.76 (95% CI 0.66–0.86). Low (0.63) and high (4.08) CXCL10/Cr levels defined high sensitivity and specificity thresholds, respectively; validated against an independent sample set (AUC = 0.76, 95% CI 0.66–0.86). Serial urines anticipated REJ up to 4 weeks prior to biopsy and declined within 1 month following treatment. Elevated mean CXCL10/Cr was correlated with first-year eGFR decline (ρ = −0.37, P ≤ .001), particularly when persistently exceeding ≥4.08 (ratio = 0.81; P < .04). Useful thresholds for urinary CXCL10/Cr levels reproducibly define the risk of rejection, immune quiescence, and decline in allograft function for use in real-time clinical monitoring in children.     

Remote intervention engagement and outcomes in the Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation in Children consortium multisite trial

Remote interventions are increasingly used in transplant medicine but have rarely been rigorously evaluated. We investigated a remote intervention targeting immunosuppressant management in pediatric lung transplant recipients. Patients were recruited from a larger multisite trial if they had a Medication Level Variability Index (MLVI) ≥2.0, indicating worrisome tacrolimus level fluctuation. The manualized intervention included three weekly phone calls and regular follow-up calls. A comparison group included patients who met enrollment criteria after the subprotocol ended. Outcomes were defined before the intent-to-treat analysis. Feasibility was defined as ≥50% of participants completing the weekly calls. MLVI was compared pre- and 180 days postenrollment and between intervention and comparison groups. Of 18 eligible patients, 15 enrolled. Seven additional patients served as the comparison. Seventy-five percent of participants completed ≥3 weekly calls; average time on protocol was 257.7 days. Average intervention group MLVI was significantly lower (indicating improved blood level stability) at 180 days postenrollment (2.9 ± 1.29) compared with pre-enrollment (4.6 ± 2.10), p = .02. At 180 days, MLVI decreased by 1.6 points in the intervention group but increased by 0.6 in the comparison group (p = .054). Participants successfully engaged in a long-term remote intervention, and their medication blood levels stabilized. NCT02266888.     

COVID-19 in pediatric kidney transplantation: The Improving Renal Outcomes Collaborative

There are limited data on the impact of COVID-19 in children with a kidney transplant (KT). We conducted a prospective cohort study through the Improving Renal Outcomes Collaborative (IROC) to collect clinical outcome data about COVID-19 in pediatric KT patients. Twenty-two IROC centers that care for 2732 patients submitted testing and outcomes data for 281 patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR. Testing indications included symptoms and/or potential exposures to COVID-19 (N = 134, 47.7%) and/or testing per hospital policy (N = 154, 54.8%). Overall, 24 (8.5%) patients tested positive, of which 15 (63%) were symptomatic. Of the COVID-19-positive patients, 16 were managed as outpatients, six received non-ICU inpatient care and two were admitted to the ICU. There were no episodes of respiratory failure, allograft loss, or death associated with COVID-19. To estimate incidence, subanalysis was performed for 13 centers that care for 1686 patients that submitted all negative and positive COVID-19 results. Of the 229 tested patients at these 13 centers, 10 (5 asymptomatic) patients tested positive, yielding an overall incidence of 0.6% and an incidence among tested patients of 4.4%. Pediatric KT patients in the United States had a low estimated incidence of COVID-19 disease and excellent short-term outcomes.     

浅低温和中低温体外循环在婴幼儿心脏外科的比较

目的　比较浅低温体外循环和中低温体外循环在婴幼儿心脏外科的应用。方法　分析 1 1 8例 3岁以下心脏手术患者 ,其中 46例 (组 1 )在中低温体外循环下手术 ,72例 (组 2 )在浅低温体外循环下进行手术。比较两组患者的转流时间、术后低心排发生率、术后机械通气时间以及动脉血气等围手术期资料。结果　浅低温组患者的平均转流时间较中低温组短 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,术后低心排的发生率也较中低温组低 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;浅低温组患者术后的失血量和输血量均较中低温组少 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,并且术后机械通气时间也较中低温组短 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,而氧合指数高于中低温组 ;浅低温组术后肌酸磷酸激酶同工酶 (CK MB)浓度明显低于中低温组 (P <0 .0 1 ) ,另外浅低温组术后代谢性酸中毒的发生率也较低。两组患者术后的心率和收缩压相似 ,而浅低温组术后舒张压却低于中低温组。结论　浅低温体外循环技术在婴幼儿心肌保护、改善术后呼吸功能及维持酸碱平衡等方面均优于中低温体外循环技术。表明浅低温体外循环可作为一项安全、有效的技术应用于婴幼儿心脏外科。     

Pediatric Residency Training and the Needs of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth

Objective: This study surveys the education of pediatric residents about the needs of gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) youth. The report measures the extent to which such training is considered valuable by those responsible for its administration and it evaluates the awareness of community referrals for GLB youth. Methodology: U.S. pediatric residency directors and chief residents were surveyed using a questionnaire designed by the authors. Percentage tabulation of the questions was performed. Chi-square analysis of two questions was done to determine if there was an association between the responses given and whether or not a respondent was from a program that offered training to their residents. Results: Over half of the respondents indicated that their programs offered training in the care of GLB youth. This increased to over three fourths when those respondents who indicated that their program was planning such training efforts were included. There was a broad distribution in the form and prevalence of training techniques. Over 90% of the respondents indicated that they valued the inclusion of GLB youth issues into residency curricula. A lesser majority indicated an awareness of community referrals for GLB youth. Conclusions: A large majority of pediatric residencies are either training their residents about the needs of GLB youth or are developing such training opportunities. The form and extent of the training varies widely. As such, the continued development of educational approaches and evaluation measures are encouraged.     

A comparison of pediatric and adult trauma patients transported by helicopter and ground EMS: managed-care considerations

INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of data comparing injured pediatric patients transported by helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) with patients transported by ground ambulance. The purpose of this study was to compare HEMS pediatric trauma patients to: 1) pediatric patients transported by ground to an urban level-1 trauma center (TC), and; 2) a similar cohort of adult patients. The managed-care consequences of these comparisons are highlighted. METHODS: All trauma patients flown directly from the scene by HEMS from January 1, 1990, to April 30, 1993, were compared to a cohort of trauma patients arriving by ground advanced life support (ALS). All patients were transported to the same level-1 TC. The data collected included the mechanism of injury and the prehospital procedures performed, the injury severity score (ISS), and outcome. RESULTS: There was no difference in the ISS between the HEMS (n = 216) and ground ALS (n = 355) pediatric patients (16.8 vs 17.1; p = 0.55). Adult HEMS patients (n = 202) had significantly higher ISS than did injured adults (n = 1652) transported by ground (18.0 vs 13.6; p < 0.0001). Overall, trauma patients transported by air directly from the scene have a higher ISS than patients transported by ground (17.5 vs 13.6; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients transported by HEMS were as severely injured as those transported by ground, in contrast to adult patients. We conjecture that since trauma triage schemes classically focus on adults, ground personnel are more selective about which patients are flown to a TC, and less selective for pediatric patients. Trauma centers and HEMS programs should develop pediatric trauma triage protocols that do not overemphasize physiologic parameters.     

4年间我院儿科临床大肠埃希菌耐药性变迁分析

目的：监测我院4年间儿科临床分离的大肠埃希菌的耐药情况，了解其耐药性发生和发展的规律，以指导儿科临床合理选用抗大肠埃希菌药物。方法：2001年1月-2004年12月从儿科临床标本分离的84株大肠埃希菌按照分离时间分为2001-2002年组（2001年1月-2002年12月）48株和2003-2004年组（2003年1月-2004年12月）36株，分别比较两组产超广谱B内酰胺酶（ESBLs）和对22种抗菌药物敏感性试验结果。结果：ESBLs检测结果：2001-2002年组产ESBLs株检测率为37．5％（15／40），2003-2004年组产酶株捡出率为46．9％（15／32），经x^2检验，P〉0．05，无显著性差异。药物敏感性实验结果：2003-2004年组比2001-2002年组耐药率明显升高，22种抗生素中除外亚胺培南未发现耐药菌外，其他抗生素耐药率均有不同程度增高，增幅为（16．7％-88．9％），经x^2检验，均有极显著性差异（P〈0．01），其中耐药率上升最快的5种抗生索分别为头孢曲松、头孢唑啉、头孢嚷肟、头孢拉定、头孢呋辛。耐药率上升较慢的5种抗生素分别为阿米卡星、头孢西丁、头孢哌酮／舒巴坦、头孢他定和四环素。结论：儿科临床大肠埃希菌耐药性发展迅速，以对头孢类抗生素耐药性上升最为显著，且呈多重耐药趋势。治疗上不宜选用头孢类抗生索和复方磺胺甲嗯唑，应选用头孢西丁、加酶抑制剂复合抗生素以及亚胺培南。     

超声电导透皮给药与静脉给药的血药浓度对比及儿科临床应用

目的通过测定头孢哌酮钠经超声电导透皮给药与静脉给药后人的血药浓度，以佐证超声电导透皮给药方法在药代动力学方面的优势。方法以等剂量头孢哌酮钠分别静脉给药及超声电导透皮给药后，分3个时间段检测人血药浓度并进行比较。结果两种给药方式比较，血药浓度差别显著，但超声电导透皮给药后的血药浓度衰减速率慢。结论超声电导透皮给药能大幅度降低血药浓度，减低了药物“首过效应”，减缓了血药浓度的峰谷变化，维持稳定而持久的血药浓度，在临床应用中也收到了良好的治疗效果。