Knowledge and attitudes of medical students about clinical aspects of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in newborns: A nationwide cross-sectional study in Greece

IntroductionCytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most frequent cause of congenital infection worldwide causing severe morbidity in newborns, infants, and children. Despite the clinical importance of congenital CMV (cCMV) infection, studies conducted so far indicate that there is limited awareness in the medical community in the field. The aim of this study was to assess Greek medical students’ knowledge on cCMV infection.MethodsWe performed a questionnaire-based nationwide cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of medical students from seven medical schools was enrolled.ResultsOf the 562 respondents, 54,8% considered themselves undereducated on cCMV infection. However, almost half of the participants could correctly recognize some basic principles of cCMV infection including ways of transmission, diagnosis and treatment, while there were aspects of cCMV infection with knowledge deficit. The year of study had a positive impact on the level of knowledge with students of higher years of study being of more sufficient education on the specific topic.ConclusionOverall, our study indicates a discrepancy between self-reported awareness and the level of knowledge among medical students in Greece. Further educational opportunities about cCMV should be offered, particularly in areas of the curriculum involving the care of women and children. Establishing medical students’ solid background on the disease burden and educating them about preventative strategies for at-risk populations, should be the main pillars of such efforts in order to promote confidence in managing these cases in their future professional careers

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Performance of Children Born Non-Extremely Preterm

Data on exercise tolerance of children born non-extremely preterm are sparse. We aimed to explore the cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) characteristics in this population. We studied 63 children (age 7–12 years) born at 290/7–366/7 weeks of gestation (34 were late preterm, 29 were preterm) and 63 age-matched, term-born controls. All performed spirometry and CPET (cycle ergometry). There were no differences in activity levels and spirometric parameters between the group of preterm-born children and controls. A peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) of p = 0.001). Term-born participants presented similar VO2peak to late-preterm children but higher than those born at 0/7 weeks of gestation (p = 0.002). Ventilatory limitation was noted in 4.8% of term and 7.9% of preterm participants, while only one preterm child presented cardiovascular limitation. Children born before 34 weeks of gestation had higher respiratory rates and smaller tidal volumes at maximum exercise, as well as lower oxygen uptake for the level of generated work. We conclude that school-age children born at 29–34 weeks of gestation may present decreased exercise performance attributed to an altered ventilatory response to exercise and impaired O2 utilization by their skeletal muscles rather than other cardiopulmonary limiting factors

Parental Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices on Antibiotic Use for Childhood Upper Respiratory Tract Infections during COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece

This cross-sectional study aims to assess parents’ knowledge, attitude, and practices on antibiotic use for children with URTIs symptoms in Greece in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. We distributed a questionnaire to a random sample of parents who visited primary health care centers in Patras, Greece. Out of 412 participants, 86% believed that most infections with common cold or flu symptoms were caused by viruses, although 26.9% believed that antibiotics may prevent complications. Earache was the most common symptom for which antibiotics were needed. Most of them (69%) declare being considerably anxious about their children’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority (85%) knew that COVID-19 was of viral origin, yet half of them declared uncertain whether antibiotics were needed. All demographic characteristics, except for gender, were found to have a significant effect on parents’ knowledge, attitude, and practices on antibiotic use for URTIs and COVID-19. Factor analysis revealed six groups of parents with common characteristics associated with misuse of antibiotics. Our findings highlight the need to decrease misconceptions regarding antibiotic use by providing relevant education for parents targeting particular characteristics, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuous education of healthcare providers in the field is also of paramount importance

Parental and Pediatricians’ Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccination for Children: Results from Nationwide Samples in Greece

Although many studies have examined factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination and healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards vaccines, less is known about parents’ and pediatricians’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination for children. Using two cross-sectional surveys from November to December 2021 in Greece, we aimed to assess parental intention to vaccinate their 5 to 17 years old children against COVID-19 and to evaluate pediatricians’ attitudes towards children’s vaccination against COVID-19. Overall, 439 parents and 135 pediatricians participated. Of them, 240 (54.7%) intended to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. The most commonly reported reasons for non-intention were the short length of clinical trials and the fear of side effects. Only 16.6% of non-intenders would vaccinate their children if the pediatrician recommended it. The factors associated with higher intention to get vaccinated were a parent’s own vaccination against COVID-19, trust in official healthcare guidelines, increased trust in the state and the healthcare system during the pandemic, and older age. Of the pediatricians, 92.6% recommended children’s vaccination, and 75.6% agreed with mandating the vaccine. These findings suggest the need to tailor easy-to-understand messages by well-informed pediatricians to address safety concerns, educate, and clarify misconceptions through targeted interventions among those who currently do not wish to vaccinate their children