Pediatric Respirology and Critical Care Medicine

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Background: Atopic eczema (AE) is one of the most common skin diseases affecting children and adults worldwide. The “Atopic March” paradigm suggests AE is part of a complex condition with related airway disease. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of airway disease, environmental aeroallergens, and review factors associated with eczema severity and quality of life (QoL) when AE patients approached adulthood. Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with AE at a young age were included in the study and followed up till their adolescence at pediatric dermatology clinics from 2000 to 2017. Demographic characteristics, clinical laboratory parameters, treatment history, personal atopic history, as well as disease outcomes assessed by Nottingham Eczema Severity Score (NESS) and Children Dermatology Quality Life Index (CDLQI) were reviewed. Results: Three hundred and eighty-three patients (55.4% males) with latest NESS at mean (standard deviation) age 16.23 (2.50) years were reviewed. Personal history of asthma (45%), allergic rhinitis (74%), and family history of atopy were prevalent. Seventy-two percent of the patients were skin prick testing positive for house dust mite, 27% for cockroach, 33% for cat fur, and 13% for dog fur. Fourteen percent reported “smokers in family”. Multiple logistic regression showed “food avoidance ever” (adjusted odds ratio [OR] =3.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.08–8.32; P = 0.035) and log-transformed immunoglobulin E (IgE) (adjusted OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.09–1.92; P = 0.011) were significantly associated with more severe AE. Linear regression showed “food avoidance ever” (β = 1.79, 95% CI = 0.34–3.24; P = 0.016), higher log-transformed IgE (β = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.22–1.03; P = 0.003), dog dander sensitization (β = 2.07, 95% CI = 0.24–3.89; P = 0.027), and severe disease (β = 2.97, 95% CI = 2.26–3.68; P < 0.001) were significantly associated with QoL impairment. Conclusions: A number of patients do not grow out of their eczema, and many of them have allergic rhinitis and asthma co-morbidities. Toward adulthood, AE severity and QoL are associated with food avoidance and high IgE, but generally independent of family or personal history of airway disease and allergen sensitization. Blood IgE measurement may help assess the risk for more severe eczema when patients are becoming adults.

Aims: The aim of the study was to compare the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), mortality, and ventilator circuit-related cost associated with patients using disposable ventilator circuit to those associated with patients using nondisposable ventilator circuit. Setting and Design: A prospective randomized controlled study in a 10-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health between November 2011 and October 2012. Subjects and Methods: Children aged 1 month to 18 years who were ventilated >48 h were enrolled. Patients were randomized to be ventilated with a disposable or nondisposable heated wire ventilator circuit. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 17.0. The P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Ninety-eight patients were enrolled. Of these, 48 were administered the disposable ventilator circuit, whereas 50 were administered the nondisposable ventilator circuit. The VAP rate was 20.53/1000 ventilator days for the former (n = 7) compared to 30.77/1000 ventilator days (n = 12) for the latter (odds ratio: 1.85; 95% confidence interval: 0.66–5.19, P = 0.24). The mortality rates were 2.1% in the disposable and 12% in the nondisposable circuit groups (P = 0.06). The unit cost of the disposable circuit (US dollar [USD] 51.60) was higher than that of the nondisposable circuit (USD 37.90). However, the total cost for the nondisposable group was higher due to the required use of more units (63 circuits for the disposable group vs. 95 circuits for the nondisposable group). Conclusions: The type of ventilator circuit is not likely to affect the VAP rate and mortality in children. The unit cost of a disposable circuit is higher than that of a nondisposable circuit. The total cost depends on the number of circuits used in each patient.

Most preterm and late preterm infants who require mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure resolve their disease process and can be extubated. A small percentage, however, continues to exhibit respiratory failure and remain ventilator dependent. There are myriad conditions that the clinician needs to consider, some of which are treatable, but some of which are lethal. Strategies for diagnosis and management are discussed herein.

Online since 1^st July, 2016