Parental Attitudes and Practices regarding Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study among a Thai Population.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder common in children. Successful pediatric AD therapy requires parental assistance. Thus, evaluating parental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding childhood AD may lead to more educational recommendations to help children control AD in the future. This study examined parents' knowledge, attitudes, and conduct concerning AD in families with and without children with AD. METHOD: The Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, conducted a cross-sectional study from June to December 2023. Parents of children who visited the dermatology clinic with or without AD were asked to complete a Google form questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 372 parents answered a questionnaire about AD pathophysiology, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The participants were 293 (78.8%) female participants and 79 (21.2%) male participants. The average age was 29.79 (SD 4.91). Most parents (319, 85.8%) did not work in the medical field, and more than half (228 instances, 61.29%) had children diagnosed with AD. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of children with AD understood AD causes and triggers better than parents of children without AD. But, "exposure to furry toys" that may contain dust and allergies and "infection" that may cause AD flare-ups were the most common triggers, regardless of the group. Appropriate information should be supplied because both the parents of children with AD and those of children without AD reported immediate food avoidance without confirmatory testing, which might lead to malnutrition. Clinicians and families handling patients with AD require further education.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic marker for hospitalization in children with influenza infection in an emergency setting.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is a main cause of illnesses during seasonal outbreaks. Identifying children with influenza who may need hospitalization may lead to better influenza outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with the severity of influenza infection, specifically among children who were admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed with influenza at the emergency department. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among pediatric patients (age < 18 years) with a positive influenza rapid test who visited the emergency department at Srinagarind hospital between January2015-December2019. The dependent variable was hospital admission, while the independent variables included clinical parameters, laboratory results, and emergency severity index(ESI). The association between these variables and hospital admission was analyzed. RESULTS: There were 542 cases of influenza included in the study. The mean age was 7.50 ± 4.52 years. Males accounted for 52.4% of the cases. A total of 190(35.05%) patients, needed hospitalization. Patients with pneumonia, those who required hospitalization or were admitted to the critical care unit, consistently exhibited an elevated absolute monocyte count and a reduced lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR). Various factors contribute to an increased risk for hospitalization, including ESI level 1-2, co-morbidity in patients, age < 1 year old, and an LMR below 2. CONCLUSIONS: ESI level 1-2 and co-morbidity in patients represent significant risk factors that contribute to higher hospitalization admissions. A LMR below 2 can be used as a prognostic marker for hospitalization in children with influenza infection.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Pediatric COVID-19 Pneumonia Treated with Favipiravir in a Tertiary Care Center.

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has posed significant health challenges worldwide. While children generally experience less severe illness compared to adults, pneumonia remains a substantial risk, particularly for those under five years old. This study examines the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of pediatric COVID-19 pneumonia patients treated with favipiravir in Thailand, aiming to identify associated factors for pneumonia. A retrospective review was performed on pediatric patients aged 1 month to 18 years hospitalized with COVID-19 at Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, from 13 January 2020 to 15 November 2021. Data on demographics, clinical symptoms, treatment, and outcomes were collected, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with pneumonia. Among 349 hospitalized children, the median age was 8 years, with 51.9% being male. Symptoms included a fever (100%), a cough (74.2%), and a rash (24.9%). COVID-19 pneumonia was diagnosed in 54.7% of the children. Favipiravir was administered as the standard treatment, showing mild adverse effects, including a rash (4.3%) and nausea (2.8%). Monocytosis was significantly associated with COVID-19 pneumonia (aOR 30.85, 95% CI: 9.03-105.41, p < 0.001), with an ROC curve area of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.71-0.83). Pediatric COVID-19 patients typically exhibit mild-to-moderate symptoms, with pneumonia being common in the early pandemic phase. Monocytosis is a significant factor associated with COVID-19 pneumonia. Favipiravir demonstrated mild adverse effects. Further studies are needed to validate these findings across different settings and phases of the pandemic.

Survey of Thai Physicians' Practice in Pediatric Septic Shock.

(1) Background: Sepsis management in children is crucial, especially in emergency services. This study aims to evaluate Thai physicians' knowledge gaps in the emergency management of sepsis in children and to evaluate their adherence to the current sepsis clinical practice guidelines. (2) Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey of Thai physicians' management of septic shock in children. The survey was conducted through online questionnaires from March 2019-April 2019. (3) Results: Of the 366 responders, 362 (98.9%) were completed. Most of the responders were general practitioners (89.2%) and pediatricians (10.8%). The time from positive sepsis screening to being evaluated by physicians within 15 min was reported by 83.9%. The most common choice of fluid resuscitation was normal saline solution (77.3%). The practice of a fluid loading dose (20 mL/kg) consistent with the guidelines was 56.3%. The selection of the first vasoactive agent in warm shock (norepinephrine) and cold shock (epinephrine) according to recommendations in the guidelines was 74.3% and 36.2%, respectively. There was a significant difference between general practitioners and pediatricians in terms of knowledge about initial fluid resuscitation and the optimal vasoactive agent in cold shock (p-value < 0.001). In the multivariate model, factors associated with the guideline-based decision-making of vasoactive agent choice for cold shock were specialist training (pediatrician) and the completion of sepsis management training certification, with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of 7.81 and 2.96, but working experience greater than ten years was inconsistent with the guideline-based decision-making (AOR 0.14). (4) Conclusions: Thai clinicians were unfamiliar with pediatric sepsis therapy standards, specifically the quantity of early fluid resuscitation and the appropriate vasoactive medications for cold shock. To encourage adherence to the guidelines, we propose a regularly required training course on pediatric sepsis management.

Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in unvaccinated children hospitalized with COVID-19: An observational cohort study of pre-Omicron and Omicron variants era.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in children hospitalized due to COVID-19 during the era of pre-Omicron and Omicron variants. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study conducted at a tertiary academic medical center in Thailand between June 2021 and August 2022. We collected the data of children aged under 18-year who were hospitalized from SARS-CoV-2 infection. After hospital discharge, we scheduled clinical follow-up 60 to 90 days post-infection clinical follow-up. We measured antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike protein receptor-binding domain in the serum during a follow-up visit and compared the mean difference of antibody levels between children infected with COVID-19 during the pre-Omicron and Omicron eras. RESULTS: A total of 119 children enrolled into the study. There were 58 and 61 children hospitalized due to COVID-19 during pre-Omicron and Omicron era, respectively. The median (interquartile range, IQR) of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in all cases was 206.1 (87.9-424.1) U/mL at follow-up. Children infected during pre-Omicron had SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels at follow-up higher than children infected during Omicron era [mean difference 292.57 U/mL, 95% CI 53.85-531.28, p = 0.017). There was no difference in SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels between the children based on gender, age, co-morbidities, chest radiograph classification, or diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The antibodies response to SARS-CoV-2 infection was weaker during the Omicron era than previous variant of concern. Immunization strategies and policies should be implemented in children even if they had been previously infected.

Lumicitabine, an orally administered nucleoside analog, in infants hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection: Safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic results.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the leading cause of infant hospitalizations and mortality. Lumicitabine, an oral nucleoside analog was studied for the treatment of RSV. The phase 1b and phase 2b studies reported here assessed the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of lumicitabine in infants/neonates hospitalized with RSV. In the phase 1b study, infants (≥1 to ≤12 months) and neonates (<28 days) received a single-ascending or multiple-ascending doses (single loading dose [LD] then 9 maintenance doses [MD] of lumicitabine, or placebo [3:1]). In the phase 2b study, infants/children (28 days to ≤36 months old) received lumicitabine 40/20 mg/kg, 60/40 mg/kg LD/MD twice-daily or placebo (1:1:1) for 5 days. Safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy parameters were assessed over 28 days. Lumicitabine was associated with a dose-related increase in the incidence and severity of reversible neutropenia. Plasma levels of ALS-008112, the active nucleoside analog, were dose-proportional with comparable mean exposure levels at the highest doses in both studies. There were no significant differences between the lumicitabine groups and placebo in reducing viral load, time to viral non-detectability, and symptom resolution. No emergent resistance-associated substitutions were observed at the RSV L-gene positions of interest. In summary, lumicitabine was associated with a dose-related increase in the incidence and severity of reversible neutropenia and failed to demonstrate antiviral activity in RSV-infected hospitalized infants. This contrasts with the findings of the previous RSV-A adult challenge study where significant antiviral activity was noted, without incidence of neutropenia. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02202356 (phase 1b); NCT03333317 (phase 2b).

Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Related Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Hospitalized Thai Children: A 6-Year National Data Analysis.

Objectives: This study sought to determine the epidemiology, seasonal variations, morbidity, and mortality of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection among hospitalized children with lower respiratory tract infection in Thailand. In addition, we assessed the risk factors associated with severe RSV lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI)-related morbidity and mortality. Methods: The data were reviewed retrospectively from the National Health Security Office for hospitalized children younger than 18 years old diagnosed with RSV-related LRTI in Thailand, between the fiscal years of 2015 to 2020. The RSV-related LRTIs were identified using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, Thai Modification. ICD-10-TM codes J12.1, J20.5, and J21.0, which represent respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia, acute bronchitis due to respiratory syncytial virus, and acute bronchiolitis due to respiratory syncytial virus, respectively, were studied. Results: During the study period, RSV-related LRTI accounted for 19,340 of the 1,610,160 hospital admissions due to LRTI. RSV pneumonia was the leading cause of hospitalization (13,684/19,340; 70.76%), followed by bronchiolitis (2849/19,340; 14.73%) and bronchitis (2807/19,340; 14.51%), respectively. The highest peak incidence of 73.55 percent occurred during Thailand's rainy season, from August to October. The mortality rate of RSV-related LRTI in infants younger than 1 year of age was 1.75 per 100,000 person years, which was significantly higher than that of children 1 to younger than 5 years old and children 5 to younger than 18 years old (0.21 per 100,000 person years and 0.01 per 100,000 person years, respectively, p-value < 0.001). Factors associated with mortality were congenital heart disease, hematologic malignancy, malnutrition, and neurological disease. Conclusions: In children with RSV LRTI, pneumonia was the leading cause of hospitalization. The admission rate was highest during the rainy season. Mortality from RSV-related LRTI was higher in children under 1 year old and in children with underlying illnesses; future preventive interventions should target these groups of patients.

The Adverse and Advantage Effects of Wearing a Facemask in Thai Children: A Survey During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: There is little information on facemask use during the COVID-19 pandemic in the pediatric population. This became the main purpose of the present study to investigate demographic data of facemask wearing in children, types, and length of facemask, as well as the benefits, drawbacks, and negative consequences of facemask wearing in this population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire sent via Google Forms. Caregivers for consecutive convenience were asked in the survey (parents of children under the age of 18). RESULTS: A total number of 706 children were enrolled. There were 320 boys (45.33%), and 386 girls (54.67%). The children's ages range between 4 months and 18 years, with a median age of 9 years. A surgical mask (549, 77.76%) was the most frequent type of facemask in the study population, followed by a cloth mask (86, 12.18%). Facemasks have been shown to be beneficial in the pediatric population. When compared to a former time when facemasks were not used routinely, there were considerably fewer respiratory infections, reduced diarrhea symptoms, and a drop in hospital admissions. In 317 cases (44.9%), children were shown to have negative consequences from wearing facemasks. The most prevalent adverse effect observed in the study population was non-cutaneous (respiratory discomfort/breathing difficulty) which were found in 240 cases (33.99%). Double masking method (surgical + surgical) and wearing a facemask oversize revealed a higher risk in the presence of facemask adverse effects, whereas wearing a proper size facemask reduces the risk of adverse effects from facemask use in children (Adjusted OR [95% CI] = 0.55 [0.38-0.78], P .0003). CONCLUSIONS: Wearing a proper-size facemask reduces the risk of adverse effects from facemask use in children. The future suggestion of an appropriate facemask size for a certain age will aid in the avoidance of facemask adverse effects in the pediatric population.

A Rare Manifestation of Bullous Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Children: A 10-year Retrospective Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Bullous systemic lupus erythematosus (BSLE) is an uncommon cutaneous presentation that occurs even less frequent in the pediatric population. A retrospective review was performed from January 2012 to December 2021 in all pediatric patients (aged <18 years) who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for BSLE to evaluate the clinical characteristics, extracutaneous involvement, histopathologic features, immunofluorescence patterns, serological abnormalities, internal organ involvement, treatments, and outcomes. Among 1,415 patients with SLE, five patients were validated for the diagnosis of BSLE, accounting for 0.35%. The mean age at diagnosis was 12.2 years (standard deviation, 1.92). The clinical features of BSLE in the study population were generalized tense bullae and large extensive vesicles on the lips and perioral and mucosal areas. Pediatric BSLE in the study population revealed high SLE disease activity with multiple organ involvement. Hematologic abnormalities, serositis, and renal involvement were found in all patients, while polyarthritis (40%) and neurological abnormalities (40%) were less frequently observed. Systemic corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, immunosuppressants, antimalarials, and dapsone were prescribed in the study population. The cutaneous lesions subsided in all patients with a median clearance duration of 14 days (range, 5-56 days). BSLE in the pediatric population has auxiliary manifestations with high disease activity. Multiple organ involvement, especially hematologic abnormalities, serositis, and renal involvement, was frequently found in the study population. Although cutaneous lesions in BSLE subsided in all patients, involvement of other organs, especially renal impairment, required aggressive treatment, and long-term follow-up.

Development and validation of the predictive score for pediatric COVID-19 pneumonia: A nationwide, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the possibility of asymptomatic pneumonia in children with COVID-19 leading to overexposure to radiation and problems in limited-resource settings, we conducted a nationwide, multi-center study to determine the risk factors of pneumonia in children with COVID-19 in order to create a pediatric pneumonia predictive score, with score validation. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study done by chart review of all children aged 0-15 years admitted to 13 medical centers across Thailand during the study period. Univariate and multivariate analyses as well as backward and forward stepwise logistic regression were used to generate a final prediction model of the pneumonia score. Data during the pre-Delta era was used to create a prediction model whilst data from the Delta one was used as a validation cohort. RESULTS: The score development cohort consisted of 1,076 patients in the pre-Delta era, and the validation cohort included 2,856 patients in the Delta one. Four predictors remained after backward and forward stepwise logistic regression: age < 5 years, number of comorbidities, fever, and dyspnea symptoms. The predictive ability of the novel pneumonia score was acceptable with the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.677 and a well-calibrated goodness-of-fit test (p = 0.098). The positive likelihood ratio for pneumonia was 0.544 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.491-0.602) in the low-risk category, 1.563 (95% CI: 1.454-1.679) in the moderate, and 4.339 (95% CI: 2.527-7.449) in the high-risk. CONCLUSION: This study created an acceptable clinical prediction model which can aid clinicians in performing an appropriate triage for children with COVID-19.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Lower Respiratory Tract Infection Determinants in Thai Hospitalized Children: National Data Analysis 2015-2020.

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak emerged in January 2020 and remains present in 2022. During this period, nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been used to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infection. Nationwide data analysis should be pushed as the new standard to demonstrate the impact of COVID-19 infection on other respiratory illnesses and the reliability of NPIs during treatment. Objective: This study aims to identify and compare the incidence of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) among children in Thailand before and after the emergence of COVID-19. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out in hospitalized children under the age of 18 in Thailand from October 2015 to September 2020. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, Thai Modification, was used to identify patient diagnoses (ICD-10-TM). The data were extracted from the Universal Coverage Health Security Scheme Database. Results: A total of 1,610,160 admissions were attributed to LRTIs. The most common diagnosis was pneumonia (61.9%). Compared to the 2019 fiscal year, the number of hospitalizations due to LRTIs decreased by 33.9% in the 2020 fiscal year (COVID-19 period) (282,590 vs. 186,651). The incidence of all three diagnostic groupings was substantially lower in the pre- and post-COVID-19 eras, with a decrease of 28% in the pneumonia group (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71 to 0.72), 44% in the bronchiolitis group (IRR = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.55 to 0.57), and 34% in the bronchitis group (IRR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.65 to 0.67). Between fiscal years 2019 and 2020, the overall monthly cost of all hospitalizations for LRTIs decreased considerably (p value < 0.001). Conclusions: NPIs may decrease the number of pediatric hospitalizations related to LRTIs. All policies designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 must be continually utilized to maintain the prevention of LRTIs.

Safety and Immunogenicity of a New Inactivated Polio Vaccine Made From Sabin Strains: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled, Phase 2/3 Seamless Study.

BACKGROUND: A new inactivated polio vaccine made from Sabin strains (sIPV) was developed as part of the global polio eradication initiative. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, phase 2/3 seamless study was conducted in 2 stages. Healthy infants aged 6 weeks were randomly assigned to receive 3 doses of 1 of 4 study vaccines at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age (336 received low-, middle-, or high-dose sIPV, or conventional IPV [cIPV] in stage I, and 1086 received lot A, B, or C of the selected sIPV dose, or cIPV in stage II). The primary outcome was the seroconversion rate 4 weeks after the third vaccination. RESULTS: In stage I, low-dose sIPV was selected as the optimal dose. In stage II, consistency among the 3 manufacturing lots of sIPV was demonstrated. The seroconversion rates for Sabin and wild strains of the 3 serotypes after the 3-dose primary series were 95.8% to 99.2% in the lot-combined sIPV group and 94.8% to 100% in the cIPV group, proving the noninferiority of sIPV compared to cIPV. No notable safety risks associated with sIPV were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose sIPV administered as a 3-dose vaccination was safe and immunogenic compared to cIPV. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT03169725.

Epidemiology of acute lower respiratory tract infection hospitalizations in Thai children: A 5-year national data analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are the most common cause for hospitalization in pediatric patients. Pediatric patients with LRTIs are at an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The national data analysis of epidemiologic variations facilitates awareness and develops solutions to prevent these conditions in the future. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the epidemiology, causative pathogens, morbidity, and mortality of LRTIs in pediatric patients of Thailand from 2015 to 2019. METHODS: This was a retrospective study among pediatric patients aged between 0 and 18 years old admitted in hospitals due to LRTIs in Thailand from January 2015 to December 2019. The data were extracted from National Health Security Office using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, Thai Modification; ICD-10-TM of J09 to J22. RESULTS: A total of 1,423,509 children hospitalized due to LRTIs were identified. Most of the patients were of age 1-5 years. Pneumonia was the most common LRTI (876,557 children, 61.58%) in hospitalized children. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the main etiologic pathogen of bronchiolitis, which presents in approximately 10.86% of all episodes. Influenza viruses were found predominantly in children with pneumonia (15.52%). The mortality rate since 2015-2019 was highest in pneumonia under 1 year old (P < 0.001). Pneumonia in children under 5 years old had the highest mortality rate, which accounted for 11.85 per 100,000 children in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: LRTIs had a high incidence rate of hospitalization and mortality, especially in children under 5 years old. Influenza virus was the most common pathogen of pneumonia.

Pediatric asthma control in tertiary care setting using telemedicine during COVID-19 era.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, national measures have affected health care services. Children with asthma were a vulnerable population who were advised to avoid needless hospital visits. Telemedicine was utilized in this circumstance. However, data in Thailand is limited. This study aimed to evaluate asthma control in patients who were followed up by telemedicine compared with in-person visits at an outpatient clinic in Thailand's tertiary academic medical center. Methods: This was a retrospective study among pediatric patients with asthma who were followed up in the pediatric pulmonary and allergy clinic of Srinagarind Hospital from 1 January to 31 May 2021. We offered telemedicine (telephone visit) and in-person visits at the hospital by their willingness during this period. All patients were asked about asthma clinical control symptoms, medication compliance, exacerbation events, and hospital admissions by pediatric pulmonologists and allergists. Then, we decided to prescribe in controller medications. In the telemedicine groups, we used the postal service to deliver controller medicine to patients. Results: Among 195 asthmatic children, 83 (42.56%) were followed up by telemedicine. Children who were followed up by telemedicine had more controlled symptoms than the in-person visit group [adjusted relative risk (aRR): 1.219; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.062-1.400; P value =0.005]. In the in-person visit group, children had more asthma exacerbation events than telemedicine (5 vs. 0, respectively, P value =0.073). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine follow-up in asthmatic children resulted in well-controlled symptoms and few asthma exacerbation events.

Paediatric dermatological conditions in an emergency department: a single-centre study in Thailand.

Background: Few studies have evaluated paediatric dermatological conditions and their associated factors that warrant admission at the emergency department. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to present the demographic information of paediatric dermatological conditions encountered in the emergency department and identify possible associated factors for hospital admission. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included paediatric patients who visited the emergency department between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2019. Data collection was performed using an authorised electronic medical records programme at Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. Results: A total of 40 683 paediatric patients visited the emergency department during the study period, with 1701 cases presenting dermatological conditions. Infections were the most frequent conditions encountered in the emergency department (647, 38.0%), followed by urticaria/anaphylaxis (478, 28.1%), eczematous diseases (463, 27.2%), cutaneous drug eruptions (64, 3.7%) and miscellaneous (49, 2.9%). Among 1701 paediatric cases with dermatological conditions, only 182 cases (10.7%) were admitted to the hospital and required further management. Cases presenting cutaneous drug eruptions had the highest proportion of hospital admissions (60.9%) and were significantly different from cases in other dermatologic categories (p<0.001). The association of admission found an OR of 0.96 for every year of increase in age (95% CI 0.93 to 0.99, p=0.003). Conclusion: The present study found that the majority of patients with cutaneous conditions visiting the emergency department were non-urgent; however, dermatological emergencies exist and should not be underestimated. Younger paediatric patients presenting with dermatological condition is a population with a high risk for hospital admission. Cutaneous drug eruptions showed the highest proportion of hospital admissions compared with other dermatological categories. Therefore, physicians in the emergency department should always look for specific cutaneous signs of drug eruptions, such as target-like lesions and mucosal involvement in Steven-Johnsons syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis to prevent misdiagnosis of this dermatological condition.

Hand Hygiene Habits and Prevalence of Hand Eczema During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the prevalence of and possible risk factors for hand eczema with respect to the dissemination of information about new hand hygiene habits to protect against ongoing COVID-19 cross-transmission. The authors conducted a survey among health care workers (HCWs) and non-HCW populations in Khon Kaen, Thailand. RESULTS: A total of 805 participants participated. The prevalence of hand eczema in the study population was 20.87%. There were several risk factors, including working as a HCW, having a history of previous hand eczema, having underlying atopic dermatitis, wearing gloves in everyday life, and washing hands frequently (more than 10 times/day). Hand hygiene with alcohol-based products was shown to be a risk factor for hand eczema, (OR (95% CI) 1.86 (1.03-3.35), P = .04). CONCLUSION: In terms of hand eczema prevention, we suggest that the use of alcohol-based products should be discontinued if other handwashing methods are available. The following factors increase the risk of hand eczema: being a HCW, having previous hand eczema, and having underlying atopic dermatitis. Proper strategies in terms of hand eczema prevention should be addressed, especially in this group, since we need to continue performing hand hygiene during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Pediatric Anaphylaxis: Etiology and Predictive Factors in an Emergency Setting.

Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic life-threatening condition that needs immediate treatment to prevent unfavorable outcomes. The present study revealed that the prevalence of anaphylaxis in children increased with age and the adolescent group has the most frequent anaphylaxis events. Food-induced anaphylaxis was the most common cause of anaphylaxis in pediatric population. This etiology revealed a significant correlation with a known history of food allergy in the study population, P = .029. Anaphylaxis from insect stings associated with cardiovascular symptoms, P < .001 and inclined to be severe. Univariate analysis showed predicted probability of severe anaphylaxis increased with age with an odds ratio of 1.1. This finding strengthens and supports the view that physicians should be aware of severe anaphylaxis reactions in older age group when there is a documented history of insect sting. The overall pediatric anaphylaxis patients in the study population had favorable outcomes. The authors recommended at least 24 hours hospital observation in order to observe biphasic reaction in pediatric anaphylaxis especially in adolescent age group.

Etiological and predictive factors of pediatric urticaria in an emergency context.

BACKGROUND: Urticaria is common in pediatric population and is caused by various etiologies which usually differ among different age groups. The different etiologies require different management strategies. Thus, understanding detailed of the etiologies of urticaria in children would help pediatricians to perform appropriate initial treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional epidemiological study of all patients aged under 18-year-old with the diagnosis of urticaria from any causes entered in the emergency department during January 1st, 2016 to December 31st, 2019 by collecting the data from the Health Object Program®, an authorized electronic medical records program, at the Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. RESULTS: There were total of 515 urticaria patients aged under 18 years old at the emergency department. The ages of patients ranged from 8 months to 18 years with a median age of 7 years (IQR 3.17-12.08). The majority of the patients were in the preschool-aged group (40.97%), followed by the school-aged (28.16%), adolescent (22.14%), and infant (8.74%). Six major etiologic categories were identified in the present study. The most common cause of urticaria was infection (51.26%), followed by idiopathic urticaria (34.37%), inhalants (6.99%), drugs (4.08%), foods (2.52%), and insect stings (0.78%). CONCLUSIONS: Having underlying allergic diseases had a strong association with all identified causes of urticaria in the study population, of which, food and inhalation etiologies had a significant difference when compared to the other identified causes. The present study has found that infection was the most common cause of acute urticaria in children. This etiology (infection-induced urticaria) usually presents concurrent with fever, however, non-febrile symptoms were also presented. Therefore, in the pediatric population, pediatricians should always look for infection as the cause of urticaria even in patients without pyrexia.

The Effects of the Face Mask on the Skin Underneath: A Prospective Survey During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to explore the prevalence and possible risk factors to prevent the face mask related adverse skin reactions during the ongoing COVID-19 after a recommendation of face mask wearing for public use in Thailand. RESULTS: The prevalence of face mask related adverse skin reactions was 454 cases (54.5%), of which acne was the most frequent (399; 39.9%), followed by rashes on the face (154; 18.4%), and itch symptoms (130; 15.6%). Wearing a surgical mask showed a higher risk of adverse skin reaction compared to a cloth mask, OR (95% CI) = 1.54 (1.16-2.06). A duration of face mask wearing of more than 4 hours/day and the reuse of face masks increased the risk of adverse skin reactions compared to changing the mask every day, adjusted OR(95% CI) = 1.96 (1.29-2.98), and 1.5 (1.11-2.02). CONCLUSION: Suggestions were made for wearing a cloth mask in non-health care workers (HCW) to decrease the risk of face mask related adverse skin reactions. This suggestion could potentially help in decreasing the demand of surgical masks which should be reserved for the HCW population during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Assessment of small airway function and reversibility in symptom-controlled asthma in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: The goals of asthma management aim to control the symptoms and minimize future risk. There is, however, an option to stop controller medication if the patient has been well-controlled for at least 6-12 months. To assess control, both clinical symptom assessment and lung function should be monitored periodically. In practical clinical practice of pediatric patients, lung function is not available at all health centers. OBJECTIVES: to determine lung function with a focus on small airway function and the risk of reversibility among children who have been symptom-controlled. METHODS: Our participants were symptom-controlled asthmatic children according to GINA Guideline for at least 6 months with low dose inhaled corticosteroid. Written informed-consent was given by the parents and the children. They performed a self-evaluated symptom-controlled test (C-ACT) and a spirometric assessment. Abnormal lung function was defined as FEV1±80%, FEV1/FVC < 80%, and FEF25-75 <65% predicted. Airway reversibility was determined by the change of FEV1 >12% and FEF25-75 >30% post bronchodilator. RESULTS: Forty children (65% male) were enrolled. Age ranged between 6.7 and 15.0 years. The mean C-ACT score was 25.2 ± 1.7. Spirometry results were: mean FEV1 84.0 %, FEV1/FVC 87.8%, and FEF25-75 85.5% predicted. Normal FEV1 was found among 72.5% of participants compared to normal FEF25-75 in 87.5%. Among the abnormal FEV1 and FEF25-75, all were of mild severity as 10% retained airway reversibility. CONCLUSION: Children with well-controlled asthma, based on their symptom assessment, may have persistent abnormal lung function. Spirometry should be performed before considering cessation of controller medication.