What are safe sleeping arrangements for infants?

Non-supine sleep position and parental tobacco use are known risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Recent studies show that co-sleeping (bed sharing) slightly increases the overall risk of SIDS (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B) and is greatest for infants less than 11 weeks old (SOR: B). The relationship between bed sharing and SIDS is strongest for infants whose parents use tobacco (SOR: B). Infants who sleep in a room separate from their caregivers or on a couch or an armchair are at increased risk for SIDS (SOR: B). Using bedding accessories such as duvets or pillows may increase an infant's risk of SIDS (SOR: B)

What Are the Minimal Feeds Required for Starting Enteral Ibuprofen in Preterm Infants with PDA?

Ibuprofen is commonly used for the treatment of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants. It seems that the oral formulation incurs a higher closure rate and has a better safety profile in preterm infants born > 26 weeks’ gestation. There is no consensus across Canadian centers regarding the minimum volume of enteral feeds required prior to starting ibuprofen for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus, and the current practice is comfort-based depending on the centre and the local prevalence of neonatal morbidities

Effect of Handoff Training on Resident Communication Quality: An Observational Study

We evaluated the effect of handoff training conducted during resident orientation on communication quality using a non-randomized between-subjects study, where the training group received structured, in-person handoff training, and the control group received no training. Handoff conversations for both groups were audio-recorded. Communication quality was measured as the frequency of communication breakdowns. We found that training group had fewer breakdowns; however, after adjusting for patient acuity and patient days in the unit, communication quality between the two groups were similar (OR=0.3, 95% CI=0.08-1.07, p=0.06). However, there were significant differences in the clinical content exchanged during communication: compared to the control group, residents in the training group discussed significantly more clinical content related to identifying information, past medical history and contextual information; and less clinical content related to active problems and assessment of active problems. We discuss the implications of such handoff training program during resident orientations

Myotonia congenita — a successful response to carbamazepine

Myotonia congenita is a rare disease of skeletal muscle characterized by painless myotonia, generalized muscular hypertrophy and a non-progressive course. We report a 10-year-old girl with myotonia, “Herculean appearance” and electromyographic confirmation of myotonic discharges. There was a dramatic response to carbamazepine. The aim of this report is to make the readers aware of this entity which can be easily controlled with medication and also prevented by genetic counseling