Continuous positive airway pressure for children in resource-limited settings, effect on mortality and adverse events: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Determine non-invasive ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) outcomes for paediatric respiratory distress in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING: LMIC hospitals. PATIENTS: One month to 15 year olds with respiratory distress. INTERVENTIONS: We searched Medline, Embase, LILACS, Web of Science and Scopus on 7 April 2020. Included studies assessed CPAP safety, efficacy or effectiveness. All study types were included; neonatal only studies were excluded. Data were extracted by two reviewers and bias was assessed. Certainty of evidence was evaluated, and risk ratios (RR) were produced for meta-analyses. (PROSPERO protocol CRD42018084278). RESULTS: 2174 papers were screened, 20 were included in the systematic review and 3 were included in two separate meta-analyses of mortality and adverse events. Studies suitable for meta-analysis were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) from Bangladesh, Ghana and Malawi. For meta-analyses comparing death or adverse events between CPAP and low-flow oxygen recipients, we found no clear CPAP effect on mortality (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.72) or adverse events (RR 1.52, CI 0.71 to 3.26). We downgraded the certainty of evidence for both death and adverse events outcomes to 'low' due to design issues and results discrepancies across RCTs. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence for CPAP efficacy against mortality and adverse events has low certainty and is context dependent. Hospitals introducing CPAP need to have mechanisms in place to optimise safety in the context it is being used; this includes the location (a high dependency or intensive care area), adequate numbers of staff trained in CPAP use, close monitoring and mechanisms for escalation, daily direct physician supervision, equipment that is age appropriate and user-friendly and continuous monitoring of outcomes and quality of care.

Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting with Esophagitis and Severe Oral Mucositis.

We present a case of a previously healthy adolescent female who developed severe oral mucositis and acute esophagitis as her presenting symptoms of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus. Mucositis involving the lips is infrequently reported in systemic lupus erythematosus, and to our knowledge, this is the first reported case of acute, non-infectious esophagitis as a presenting symptom in a pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus patient.

Focus group discussions on low-flow oxygen and bubble CPAP treatments among mothers of young children in Malawi: a CPAP IMPACT substudy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the acceptability of bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) and low-flow oxygen among mothers of children who had received either therapy. SETTING: A district hospital in Salima, Malawi. PARTICIPANTS: We conducted eight focus group discussions (FGDs) with a total of 54 participants. Eligible participants were mothers of children 1 to 59 months of age with severe pneumonia and a comorbidity (HIV-infection, HIV-exposure, malnutrition or hypoxaemia) who, with informed consent, had been enrolled in a randomised clinical trial, CPAP IMPACT (Improving Mortality for Pneumonia in African Children Trial), comparing low-flow oxygen and bCPAP treatments (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02484183). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: FGDs assessed mothers' attitudes and feelings towards oxygen and bCPAP before and after therapy along with general community perceptions of respiratory therapies. Data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis to assess themes and subthemes of the transcripts. RESULTS: Community perceptions of oxygen and bCPAP were widely negative. Mothers recounted that they are told that 'oxygen kills babies'. They are often fearful of allowing their child to receive oxygen therapy and will delay treatment or seek alternative therapies. Mothers report limiting oxygen and bCPAP by intermittently removing the nasal cannulas or mask. After oxygen or bCPAP treatment, regardless of patient outcome, mothers were supportive of the treatment their child received and would recommend it to other mothers. CONCLUSION: There are significant community misconceptions around oxygen and bCPAP causing mothers to be fearful of either treatment. In order for low-flow oxygen treatment and bCPAP implementation to be effective, widespread community education is necessary.

Bubble CPAP and oxygen for child pneumonia care in Malawi: a CPAP IMPACT time motion study.

BACKGROUND: In some low-resource settings bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) is increasingly used to treat children with pneumonia. However, the time required for healthcare workers (HCWs) to administer bCPAP is unknown and may have implementation implications. This study aims to compare HCW time spent administering bCPAP and low-flow nasal oxygen care at a district hospital in Malawi during CPAP IMPACT (Improving Mortality for Pneumonia in African Children Trial). METHODS: Eligible participants were 1-59 months old with WHO-defined severe pneumonia and HIV-infection, HIV-exposure, severe malnutrition, or hypoxemia and were randomized to either bCPAP or oxygen. We used time motion techniques to observe hospital care in four hour blocks during treatment initiation or follow up (maintenance). HCW mean time per patient at the bedside over the observation period was calculated by study arm. RESULTS: Overall, bCPAP required an average of 34.71 min per patient more than low-flow nasal oxygen to initiate (bCPAP, 118.18 min (standard deviation (SD) 42.73 min); oxygen, 83.47 min (SD, 20.18 min), p < 0.01). During initiation, HCWs spent, on average, 12.45 min longer per patient setting up bCPAP equipment (p < 0.01) and 11.13 min longer per patient setting up the bCPAP nasal interface (p < 0.01), compared to oxygen equipment and nasal cannula set-up. During maintenance care, HCWs spent longer on average per patient adjusting bCPAP, compared to oxygen equipment (bCPAP 4.57 min (SD, 4.78 min); oxygen, 1.52 min (SD, 2.50 min), p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Effective bCPAP implementation in low-resource settings will likely create additional HCW burden relative to usual pneumonia care with oxygen. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02484183 , June 29, 2015.

Quality of life in young patients after cone reconstruction for Ebstein anomaly.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the health status and quality of life of young patients who had cone reconstruction for Ebstein anomaly. METHODS: We reviewed all patients who had cone reconstruction from 2007 to 2016 at our institution. Prospective surveys were mailed to all eligible patients. Quality of life was assessed using the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales, including four domains: physical, emotional, social, and school functioning. RESULTS: Of 116 eligible patients, 72 (62%) responded. About 96% reported their health as excellent or good, and 52% were symptom-free. Only 37% of patients were taking any medications, the most common of which was aspirin (30%). Only 19% had been hospitalised for cardiac reasons following cone reconstruction. The average self-reported quality of life was 85.3/100, whereas the average parent proxy-reported quality of life was 81.8/100. There was no difference by self or parent proxy-report in quality of life between cone reconstruction patients and healthy children; however, quality of life was significantly better compared with children with other chronic health conditions. By self-report and parent proxy-report, 15.1 and 16.7% of patients were deemed "at risk" for reduced quality of life, respectively. Socially, 63/64 (98%) patients over 5 years old were either full-time students or working full-time. CONCLUSION: Children with Ebstein anomaly following cone reconstruction have excellent quality of life comparable with healthy peers and significantly better than other children with chronic health conditions. Families of children with Ebstein anomaly can expect excellent quality of life, long-term health status, and social functioning following cone reconstruction.

Improving Results of Surgery for Ebstein Anomaly: Where Are We After 235 Cone Repairs?

BACKGROUND: Ebstein anomaly has heterogeneous anatomy and numerous operative techniques are described. Cone repair provides a near anatomic tricuspid valve repair. The purpose of this study was to examine our experience with cone repair. METHODS: Cone repair was performed in 235 consecutive patients with Ebstein anomaly, 134 children (57%) and 101 adults (43%), from June 2007 to October 2015. Median age was 15.6 years (range, 6 months to 73 years). Cone repair was the first operation in 192 patients (82%), the second in 41 (17%), and the third in 2 (1%). Previous tricuspid valve repair had been performed in 27 (12%). Echocardiograms were obtained preoperatively and at hospital dismissal for all patients and for a subgroup of patients at least 6 months after cone repair (n = 81). RESULTS: Leaflet augmentation was done in 67 patients (28%), Sebening stitch in 57 (24.2%), neochordae in 49 (21%), and annuloplasty band in 158 (67%). Bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt was performed in 46 patients (20%). There was 1 early death (0.4%). Early reoperation was required in 14 patients (5.9%); re-repair was possible in 7 (50%). The majority of early reoperations (11 of 14; 79%) occurred in the first third of the series. Mean follow-up was 3.5 ± 2.5 years. There was sustained reduction in tricuspid regurgitation (p < 0.0001), a progressive decline in right ventricle size (p < 0.0001), and late increase in right ventricle fractional area change after initial decline (p < 0.0001). Freedom from late reoperation was 97.9% at 6 years. CONCLUSIONS: Cone repair is safe, and the learning curve is significant. Sustained reduction in tricuspid regurgitation and favorable changes in the right ventricle at follow-up suggest that cone repair has an advantageous impact on right ventricular remodeling.

Mental illness in Bwindi, Uganda: Understanding stakeholder perceptions of benefits and barriers to developing a community-based mental health programme.

BACKGROUND: Mental illness has been increasingly recognised as a source of morbidity in low- and middle-income countries and significant treatment gaps exist worldwide. Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of task sharing through community-based treatment models for addressing international mental health issues. AIM: This paper aims to evaluate the perceptions of a wide range of mental health stakeholders in a Ugandan community regarding the benefits and barriers to developing a community-based mental health programme. SETTING: Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) in south-west Uganda provides services through a team of community health workers to people in the Kanungu District. METHODS: Thematic analysis of 13 semi-structured interviews and 6 focus group discussions involving 54 community members and 13 mental health stakeholders within the BCH catchment area. RESULTS: Stakeholders perceived benefits to a community-based compared to a hospital-based programme, including improved patient care, lower costs to patients and improved community understanding of mental illness. They also cited barriers including cost, insufficient workforce and a lack of community readiness. CONCLUSIONS: Stakeholders express interest in developing community-based mental health programmes, as they feel that it will address mental health needs in the community and improve community awareness of mental illness. However, they also report that cost is a significant barrier to programme development that will have to be addressed prior to being able to successfully establish such programming. Additionally, many community members expressed unique sociocultural beliefs regarding the nature of mental illness and those suffering from a psychiatric disease.

AngioJet™ thrombolysis of SVC thrombosis after orthotopic heart transplantation: A case report.

SVC obstruction is a rare acute complication after bicaval cardiac transplantation and can be catastrophic for the patient. Herein, we report the case of a child who developed SVC thrombosis causing acute SVC syndrome nine days after heart transplantation. Thrombolysis was successfully performed using the AngioJet™ system and subsequent balloon angioplasty with re-establishment of flow. This procedure allowed for revascularization without repeat sternotomy or stent implantation. The patient is well without recurrence at last follow-up.