Patient Characteristics and Caregiver Asthma Knowledge of Children with Well-Controlled and Poorly Controlled Asthma.

Purpose: To describe the socio-demographics and clinical characteristics of children in a pulmonology clinic or admitted to a children's hospital with well-controlled and poorly controlled asthma, and to assess caregiver knowledge of asthma pathogenesis, treatment, and self-management. Patients and Methods: A cohort of 132 children aged 2-18 years and their caregivers seen in a pediatric pulmonology clinic with a diagnosis of asthma (n=112) or admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of asthma exacerbation (n=20) were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Caregivers completed a survey, which healthcare providers then used to tailor asthma education to the patient and caregiver. Two-tail t-tests and Chi-square tests were used to compare demographics and clinical characteristics of children with well-controlled vs poorly controlled asthma. Results: Of 132 children, 111 children in this cohort had poorly controlled asthma (84%). Medicaid insurance was associated with poorly controlled asthma versus well-controlled asthma (63% vs 35% p=0.01). Asthma action plans (AAP) had previously been given to 113 caregivers (86%), but caregivers of children with both well-controlled and poorly controlled asthma still reported misconceptions about asthma pathology and management, such as stopping daily medications when asthma is controlled. Conclusion: This study contributes to the existing evidence that socio-demographics have a significant impact on asthma prevalence and proper management. Our study suggests that caregivers of children with asthma need comprehensive asthma education beyond the AAP focusing on asthma-related misconceptions.

Obesity as a Risk Factor for Severe Illness From COVID-19 in the Pediatric Population.

In this current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), many studies have been published to determine the spectrum of illness, risk factors, prevention, and treatment strategies. Due to relatively fewer cases among children as compared to adults, there is a paucity of clinical data available to fully understand the risk factors and disease course in the pediatric population. Our understanding is evolving with limited data showing an increased risk of severe or critical disease in children less than one year of age and those with certain underlying medical conditions. Recognition of emerging risk factors for morbidity and mortality is now paramount, to anticipate and provide appropriate clinical care specific to the pediatric population. Obesity has only recently been identified as a risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease in children. Case reports such as this are essential in understanding the pathophysiologic association, associated disease severity, and clinical outcome attributed to obesity and COVID-19 infections in children.

Quantifying the psychosocial impact of a weekend retreat on adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine if AYA oncology patients experienced a quantifiable improvement in psychosocial outcomes after attending a weekend retreat with their peers. METHODS: AYA oncology patients attended a weekend retreat. They completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (FACT-G) before, 1 month after, and 6 months after the weekend retreat. Controls were age-matched oncology patients who did not attend the retreat. FINDINGS: Retreat participants' scores did not significantly change over time; however, retreat participants' scores at 1-month follow-up were significantly higher than control group scores. CONCLUSIONS: AYA oncology patients may experience transient improvement in psychological well-being after attending a retreat, but benefits may not be durable. Work remains needed to examine the impact of retreat attendance on specific aspects of psychosocial well-being. Implications for psychosocial oncology: Work is needed to decrease perceived attendance barriers for AYA oncology patients who have a low quality of life. Future retreat planners may consider modifying retreat activities and consider alternative retreat locations that appeal to campers with limited mobility, chronic pain, and/or other quality of life limitations. Additional study is needed to determine whether brief overnight or weekend retreats can be as effective as week-long camps in enhancing oncology patients' quality of life. Future researchers should compare changes in weekend retreat attendees' quality of life to changes in quality of life for a control group (e.g., via a waitlist control study design).