Alexandre Archanjo Ferraro

Severity of viral coinfection in hospitalized infants with respiratory syncytial virus infection

OBJECTIVE To compare the severity of single respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections with that of coinfections. METHODS A historical cohort was studied, including hospitalized infants with acute RSV infection. Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples were collected from all patients to detect eight respiratory viruses using molecular biology techniques. The following outcomes were analyzed: duration of hospitalization and of oxygen therapy, intensive care unit admission and need of mechanical ventilation. Results were adjusted for confounding factors (prematurity, age and breastfeeding). RESULTS A hundred and seventy six infants with bronchiolitis and/or pneumonia were included in the study. Their median age was 4.5 months. A hundred and twenty one had single RSV infection and 55 had coinfections (24 RSV + adenovirus, 16 RSV + human metapneumovirus and 15 other less frequent viral associations). The four severity outcomes under study were similar in the group with single RSV infection and in the coinfection groups, independently of what virus was associated with RSV. CONCLUSION Virus coinfections do not seem to affect the prognosis of hospitalized infants with acute RSV infection.

The impact of daily evaluation and spontaneous breathing test on the duration of pediatric mechanical ventilation: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives:To assess whether the combination of daily evaluation and use of a spontaneous breathing test could shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation as compared with weaning based on our standard of care. Secondary outcome measures included extubation failure rate and the need for noninvasive ventilation. Design:A prospective, randomized controlled trial. Setting:Two pediatric intensive care units at university hospitals in Brazil. Patients:The trial involved children between 28 days and 15 yrs of age who were receiving mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hrs. Interventions:Patients were randomly assigned to one of two weaning protocols. In the test group, the children underwent a daily evaluation to check readiness for weaning with a spontaneous breathing test with 10 cm H2O pressure support and a positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 cm H2O for 2 hrs. The spontaneous breathing test was repeated the next day for children who failed it. In the control group, weaning was performed according to standard care procedures. Measurements and Main Results:A total of 294 eligible children were randomized, with 155 to the test group and 139 to the control group. The time to extubation was shorter in the test group, where the median mechanical ventilation duration was 3.5 days (95% confidence interval, 3.0 to 4.0) as compared to 4.7 days (95% confidence interval, 4.1 to 5.3) in the control group (p = .0127). This significant reduction in the mechanical ventilation duration for the intervention group was not associated with increased rates of extubation failure or noninvasive ventilation. It represents a 30% reduction in the risk of remaining on mechanical ventilation (hazard ratio: 0.70). Conclusions:A daily evaluation to check readiness for weaning combined with a spontaneous breathing test reduced the mechanical ventilation duration for children on mechanical ventilation for >24 hrs, without increasing the extubation failure rate or the need for noninvasive ventilation.

Application of the pediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) score and determination of mortality risk factors in a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit

INTRODUCTION: To establish disease severity at admission can be performed by way of the mortality prognostic. Nowadays the prognostic scores make part of quality control and research. The Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) is one of the scores used in the pediatric intensive care units. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is the utilization of the PRISM and determination of mortality risk factors in a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit. METHODS : Retrospective cohort study, in a period of one year, at a general tertiary pediatric intensive care unit. The pediatric risk of mortality scores corresponding to the first 24 hours of hospitalization were recorded; additional data were collected to characterize the study population. RESULTS: 359 patients were included; the variables that were found to be risk factors for death were multiple organ dysfunction syndrome on admission, mechanical ventilation, use of vasoactive drugs, hospital‐acquired infection, parenteral nutrition and duration of hospitalization (p < 0,0001). Fifty‐four patients (15%) died; median pediatric risk of mortality score was significantly lower in patients who survived (p = 0,0001). The ROC curve yielded a value of 0.76 (CI 95% 0,69–0,83) and the calibration was shown to be adequate. DISCUSSION: It is imperative for pediatric intensive care units to implement strict quality controls to identify groups at risk of death and to ensure the adequacy of treatment. Although some authors have shown that the PRISM score overestimates mortality and that it is not appropriate in specific pediatric populations, in this study pediatric risk of mortality showed satisfactory discriminatory performance in differentiating between survivors and non‐survivors. CONCLUSIONS: The pediatric risk of mortality score showed adequate discriminatory capacity and thus constitutes a useful tool for the assessment of prognosis for pediatric patients admitted to a tertiary pediatric intensive care units.

Exclusive Breastfeeding in Southern Brazil: Prevalence and Associated Factors

BACKGROUND Worldwide strategies have been conducted in order to guarantee longer periods of exclusive breastfeeding for most children, especially those from developing countries. The evaluation of infant feeding practices and the identification of weaning risk factors are essential for public health policy planning. METHODS This cross-sectional study was carried out in Joinville, the biggest city of Santa Catarina State in the southern Brazilian region. The caregivers of children under 1 year of age were systematically selected for interview in previously drawn immunization units during the 2005 National Vaccination Campaign. A structured questionnaire was applied for collection of infant, maternal, and healthcare variables. A 24-hour food recall survey was included in order to evaluate infant feeding practices. Descriptive statistic analysis on breastfeeding prevalence and Poisson regression analysis of risk factors for discontinuing exclusive breastfeeding for infants up to 6 months of age were performed. RESULTS Caregivers of 1,470 infants were interviewed. The feeding inquiry showed an overall rate of breastfeeding of 72.5% and a frequency of exclusive breastfeeding of 43.7% and 53.9% among infants younger than 6 and 4 months of age, respectively. The findings associated with the interruption of exclusive breastfeeding for infants up to 6 months were: higher infant age (P < 0.001), pacifier use (P < 0.001), and lower maternal educational level (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS In developing countries, specific strategies must be created for the delivery of information about breastfeeding and the effect of pacifier use, especially for less educated women.

Los contaminantes atmosfericos urbanos son factores de riesgo significativos para el asma y la neumonia en ninos: influencia del lugar de medicion de los contaminantes

BACKGROUND Air pollution is associated with a substantial burden on human health; however, the most important pollutants may vary with location. Proper monitoring is necessary to determine the effect of these pollutants on respiratory health. OBJECTIVES This study was designed to evaluate the role of outdoor, indoor and personal exposure to combustion-related pollutants NO(2) and O(3) on respiratory health of children in a non-affluent urban area of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS Levels of NO(2) and O(3) were continuously measured in outdoor and indoor air, as well as personal exposure, for 30 days using passive measurement monitors. Respiratory health was assessed with a Brazilian version of the ISAAC questionnaire. RESULTS Complete data were available from 64 children, aged 6-10 years. Respiratory morbidity was high, with 43 (67.2%) reporting having had wheezing at any time, 27 (42.2%) wheezing in the last month, 17 (26.6%) asthma at any time and 21 (32.8%) pneumonia at any time. Correlations between levels of NO(2) and O(3) measured in the three locations evaluated were poor. Levels of NO(2) in indoor air and personal exposure to O(3) were independently associated with asthma (both cases P=.02), pneumonia (O(3), P=.02) and wheezing at any time (both cases P<.01). No associations were seen between outdoor NO(2) and O(3) and respiratory health. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to higher levels of NO(2) and O(3) was associated with increased risk for asthma and pneumonia in children. Nonetheless, the place where the pollutants are measured influences the results. The measurements taken in indoor and personal exposure were the most accurate.

Health-related quality of life of children and adolescents with CKD stages 4–5 and their caregivers

BackgroundRenal replacement therapies may affect the quality of life of patients and their primary caregivers (PC).MethodsThis study describes the perception of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children/adolescents with CKD stages 4–5, as well as of their PC (n = 64), in comparison to healthy peers and their PC (n = 129), respectively, based on the Peds QL™ 4.0 and Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaires and selected biomarkers.ResultsPatients reported a deleterious impact on physical capacity and on social and school activities. A negative influence on emotional aspects was reported by older patients, but not by their PC. Hemodialysis, followed by peritoneal dialysis, had a more negative impact on patients’ physical functioning domain. PC HRQol proxy reports differed from those of their children, especially in older patients. PC of both groups presented similar SF-36 scores. An association was demonstrated between the magnitude of treatment target inadequacies, lower specific dominion scores in the patients/PC proxy reports and PC SF-36 general health scores.ConclusionThe HRQoL of patients with CKD stages 4–5 is negatively affected to different degrees depending on age and treatment modality. The results suggest an association between worsening HRQoL parameters and inadequate control of recognized therapeutic CKD treatment targets.

The double task of preventing malnutrition and overweight: a quasi-experimental community-based trial

BackgroundThe Maternal-Child Pastoral is a volunteer-based community organization of the Dominican Republic that works with families to improve child survival and development. A program that promotes key practices of maternal and child care through meetings with pregnant women and home visits to promote child growth and development was designed and implemented. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the program on nutritional status indicators of children in the first two years of age.MethodsA quasi-experimental design was used, with groups paired according to a socioeconomic index, comparing eight geographical areas of intervention with eight control areas. The intervention was carried out by lay health volunteers. Mothers in the intervention areas received home visits each month and participated in a group activity held biweekly during pregnancy and monthly after birth. The primary outcomes were length and body mass index for age. Statistical analyses were based on linear and logistic regression models.Results196 children in the intervention group and 263 in the control group were evaluated. The intervention did not show statistically significant effects on length, but point estimates found were in the desired direction: mean difference 0.21 (95%CI −0.02; 0.44) for length-for-age Z-score and OR 0.50 (95%CI 0.22; 1.10) for stunting. Significant reductions of BMI-for-age Z-score (−0.31, 95%CI −0.49; -0.12) and of BMI-for-age > 85th percentile (0.43, 95%CI 0.23; 0.77) were observed. The intervention showed positive effects in some indicators of intermediary factors such as growth monitoring, health promotion activities, micronutrient supplementation, exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding.ConclusionsDespite finding effect measures pointing to effects in the desired direction related to malnutrition, we could only detect a reduction in the risk of overweight attributable to the intervention. The findings related to obesity prevention may be of interest in the context of the nutritional transition. Given the size of this study, the results are encouraging and we believe a larger study is warranted.

Childbearing in adolescence: intergenerational deja-vu? Evidence from a Brazilian birth cohort

BackgroundPregnancy in adolescence tends to repeat over generations. This event has been little studied in middle and low-income societies undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition. To assess this association it is important to adjust for socioeconomic conditions at different points in lifetime. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the independent effect of adolescent childbearing in a generation on its recurrence in the subsequent generation, after adjusting for socioeconomic status at different points in life.MethodsThe study was conducted on a prospective cohort of singleton liveborn females from the city of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, evaluated in 1978/79, and their daughters assessed in 2002/04. A total of 1059 mother-daughter pairs were evaluated. The women who had their first childbirth before 20 years of age were considered to be adolescent mothers. The risk of childbearing in adolescence for the daughter was modeled as a function of the occurrence of teenage childbearing in her mother, after adjustment for socio-demographic variables in a Poisson regression model.ResultsThe rate of childbearing during adolescence was 31.4% in 1978/79 and 17.1% in 2002/04. Among the daughters of the 1st generation adolescent mothers, this rate was 26.7%, as opposed to 12.7% among the daughters of non adolescent mothers. After adjustments the risk of adolescent childbearing for the 2nd generation was 35% higher for women whose mothers had been pregnant during adolescence – RR = 1.35 (95% CI 1.04-1.74).ConclusionAdolescent childbearing in the 1st generation was a predictor of adolescent childbearing in the 2nd, regardless of socioeconomic factors determined at different points in lifetime.

Auditory pathway maturational study in small for gestational age preterm infants

PURPOSE To follow up the maturation of the auditory pathway in preterm infants small for gestational age (SGA), through the study of absolute and interpeak latencies of auditory brainstem response (ABR) in the first six months of age. METHODS This multicentric prospective cross-sectional and longitudinal study assessed 76 newborn infants, 35 SGA and 41 appropriate for gestational age (AGA), born between 33 and 36 weeks in the first evaluation. The ABR was carried out in three moments (neonatal period, three months and six months). Twenty-nine SGA and 33 AGA (62 infants), between 51 and 54 weeks (corrected age), returned for the second evaluation. In the third evaluation, 49 infants (23 SGA and 26 AGA), with age range from 63 to 65 weeks (corrected age), were assessed. The bilateral presence of Transient Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions and normal tympanogram were inclusion criteria. RESULTS It was found interaural symmetry in both groups. The comparison between the two groups throughout the three periods studied showed no significant differences in the ABR parameters, except for the latencies of wave III in the period between three and six months. As for the maturation with tone burst 0.5 and 1 kHz, it was found that the groups did not differ. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that, in the premature infants, the maturational process of the auditory pathway occurs in a similar rate for SGA and AGA. These results also suggest that prematurity is a more relevant factor for the maturation of the auditory pathway than birth weight.

Caracterização eletrofisiológica da audição em prematuros nascidos pequenos para a idade gestacional

PURPOSE: To characterize the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) of small for gestational age preterm newborns and to compare the findings to those of appropriate for gestational age premature newborns in order to verify whether the small for gestational age condition is a risk factor for hearing loss. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional multicenter study evaluated 72 preterm newborns of both genders (35 small and 37 appropriate for gestational age), who were born at 30 to 36 weeks of gestational age and were evaluated before hospital discharge. Only newborns with present transient evoked otoacoustic emissions and tympanometry type A were included. The ABR was performed with click stimuli. The quantitative data analysis was performed using mean and standard deviation measures for each group. For qualitative analysis, the ABR results were classified as normal or altered according to the absolute latencies of waves I, III, V and interpeaks I-III, III-V, I-V. The analysis was carried out considering the age of the newborn at the time of examination. RESULTS: Alterations were evident in 32 newborns (44.44%), being 15 small (43%) and 17 appropriate for gestational age (46%), with no between-groups difference. Of the 15 small for gestational age newborns with altered ABR, six presented as auditory risk only the small for gestational age condition. In the group of adequate for gestational age newborns, there was a higher occurrence of alteration in males. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in responses of auditory evoked potential between small and appropriate for gestational age preterm newborns. Therefore, the condition does not behave as a risk factor for retrocochlear impairment.