A Practice Pathway for the Treatment of Night Wakings in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report high rates of sleep problems. In 2012, the Autism Treatment Network/ Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (ATN/AIR-P) Sleep Committee developed a pathway to address these concerns. Since its publication, ATN/AIR-P clinicians and parents have identified night wakings as a refractory problem unaddressed by the pathway. We reviewed the existing literature and identified 76 scholarly articles that provided data on night waking in children with ASD. Based on the available literature, we propose an updated practice pathway to identify and treat night wakings in children with ASD.

A REDCap-based model for online interventional research: Parent sleep education in autism.

INTRODUCTION: The use of online platforms for pediatric healthcare research is timely, given the current pandemic. These platforms facilitate trial efficiency integration including electronic consent, randomization, collection of patient/family survey data, delivery of an intervention, and basic data analysis. METHODS: We created an online digital platform for a multicenter study that delivered an intervention for sleep disorders to parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An advisory parent group provided input. Participants were randomized to receive either a sleep education pamphlet only or the sleep education pamphlet plus three quick-tips sheets and two videos that reinforced the material in the pamphlet (multimedia materials). Three measures - Family Inventory of Sleep Habits (FISH), Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire modified for ASD (CSHQ-ASD), and Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC) - were completed before and after 12 weeks of sleep education. RESULTS: Enrollment exceeded recruitment goals. Trial efficiency was improved, especially in data entry and automatic notification of participants related to survey completion. Most families commented favorably on the study. While study measures did not improve with treatment in either group (pamphlet or multimedia materials), parents reporting an improvement of ≥3 points in the FISH score showed a significantly improved change in the total CSHQ (P = 0.038). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using online research delivery platforms to support studies in ASD, and more broadly, pediatric clinical and translational research. Online platforms may increase participant inclusion in enrollment and increase convenience and safety for participants and study personnel.

Baclofen Toxicity Mimicking Brain Death: A Case Report of a Pediatric Patient.

BACKGROUND: Baclofen is commonly used in both pediatric and adult patients to treat spasticity secondary to spinal cord and cerebral pathology. A broad range of symptoms and severity of baclofen toxicity have been described. However, to our knowledge, there are no reports to date of baclofen toxicity mimicking brain death in pediatric patients. OBJECTIVE: We reviewed the presentation, clinical course, diagnostic studies including imaging and electroencephalography, and outcome of a patient with transient coma and loss of brainstem reflexes mimicking brain death secondary to baclofen toxicity. METHODS: During a baclofen pump refill, a 12-year-old boy with cerebral palsy had inadvertent injection of 12,000 µg of baclofen into the pocket around his pump. Within an hour, he presented with acute altered mental status that rapidly progressed to a comatose state with absent brainstem reflexes. RESULTS: After appropriate management, the patient returned to his neurological baseline by hospital day 3. DISCUSSION: We reviewed the literature for varying presentations of baclofen toxicity and associated electroencephalography findings, mechanism of overdose, and different management options. In this case, the mechanism of baclofen toxicity was suspected to be secondary to extravasation from the pump pocket and subsequent systemic absorption. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with baclofen toxicity may have a dramatic presentation and an initial examination mimicking brain death. Given its rarity, this clinical entity may not be readily recognized, and there is potential for misinterpretation of diagnosis and prognosis. It is important for physicians to be familiar with this clinical scenario to avoid false declaration of brain death.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine Position Paper for the Use of a Home Sleep Apnea Test for the Diagnosis of OSA in Children.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this position paper is to establish the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's (AASM) position on the use of a home sleep apnea test (HSAT) for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children (birth to 18 years of age). METHODS: The AASM commissioned a task force of 8 experts in sleep medicine to review the available literature on the use of an HSAT to diagnose OSA in children. The task force developed the position statement based on a thorough review of these studies and their clinical expertise. The AASM Board of Directors approved the final position statement. POSITION STATEMENT: Use of a home sleep apnea test is not recommended for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in children. The ultimate judgment regarding propriety of any specific care must be made by the clinician, in light of the individual circumstances presented by the patient, available diagnostic tools, accessible treatment options, and resources.

Lateralized infarction in cerebral air embolism due to patient positioning.

Two patients are presented with cerebral air embolism. Neurological examination and neuroradiologic studies suggested predominant right hemispheric ischemia. Intestinal mucosal trauma allowed air introduction into the systemic vascular system and left-decubitus positioning of the patients resulted in predominant right-sided brain lesions.