Cardiac manifestations of MIS-C: cardiac magnetic resonance and speckle-tracking data

BackgroundCardiac involvement is central in MIS-C and represents the main cause of morbidity. In this study, we aimed to assess myocardial damage in patients with MIS-C using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) during the acute phase, as well as left ventricular and atrial longitudinal strain on admission, at discharge, and after 3 months.MethodsWe performed a single-center prospective cohort study and case–control study. Between September 2020 and February 2022, we enrolled 39 patients hospitalized for MIS-C at our center. We performed left ventricular and atrial longitudinal 2D strain analysis on admission and during follow-up; echocardiographic data were compared to a matched control population. Patients above 4 years old with increased troponin underwent CMR.ResultsOf 24 patients (mean age: 8.2 ± 4.9 years) who underwent CMR, 14 (58%) presented myocardial edema and 6 (25%) late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). LGE was associated with older age (p < 0.01), increased BMI (p = 0.03), increased ferritin levels (p < 0.001), lower left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (p < 0.001), LV longitudinal strain (p = 0.004), left atrial (LA) strain (p = 0.05), and prolonged hospital stay (p = 0.02). On admission, LV ejection fraction, LV longitudinal strain, and LA strain were impaired, but each improved gradually over time; LVEF was the fastest to recover, while global LV longitudinal strain was still impaired as compared to controls after 3 months (p = 0.01).ConclusionOur study demonstrates that myocardial injury is present in a quarter of MIS-C patients, and impaired LA and LV myocardial deformation persist for at least several weeks after the acute phase. CMR and LV/LA strain could help us to individualize follow-up of MIS-C patients

Health-related quality of life of food-allergic children compared with healthy controls and other diseases

Background Food allergy is a potentially life-threatening disease, affecting up to 10% of the pediatric population. Objective The aim of our study was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of food-allergic patients compared with the general population and patients with other chronic diseases with dietary or allergic burden, in a cross-sectional study. Methods We recruited patients aged 8-17 years diagnosed with food allergy and matched healthy controls recruited in schools. We also included patients with asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, diabetes, obesity, and eating disorders. We used the CHQ-CF87 questionnaire for generic HRQL assessment. Food allergy HRQL was also assessed using specific questionnaires: Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (FAQLQ) and Food Allergy Independent Measure (FAIM). Results One hundred and thirty-five food-allergic children, 255 children with chronic diseases, and 463 healthy controls were included in the analyses. Food-allergic patients had a better HRQL than healthy controls in the Behavior (BE), Bodily Pain (BP), Family Activities (FA), and Mental Health (MH) domains and a worse HRQL in the General Health Perception (GH) domain (p = .048). Food-allergic patients exhibited a better HRQL than patients affected by other chronic diseases, notably diabetes. Although an epinephrine autoinjector had been prescribed to 87.4% of the food-allergic children, only 54.2% of them carried it at all times. Conclusion Food-allergic patients display overall good HRQL compared with the general population and those with other diseases with daily symptoms and treatments, in line with recent improvements in food allergy management

ROHHAD syndrome without rapid-onset obesity: A diagnosis challenge

peer reviewedBackgroundROHHAD syndrome (Rapid-onset Obesity with Hypothalamic dysfunction, Hypoventilation and Autonomic Dysregulation) is rare. Rapid-onset morbid obesity is usually the first recognizable sign of this syndrome, however a subset of patients develop ROHHAD syndrome without obesity. The prevalence of this entity is currently unknown. Alteration of respiratory control as well as dysautonomic disorders often have a fatal outcome, thus early recognition of this syndrome is essential.Material and methodsA retrospective, observational, multicenter study including all cases of ROHHAD without rapid-onset obesity diagnosed in France from 2000 to 2020.ResultsFour patients were identified. Median age at diagnosis was 8 years 10 months. Median body mass index was 17.4 kg/m2. Signs of autonomic dysfunction presented first, followed by hypothalamic disorders. All four patients had sleep apnea syndrome. Hypoventilation led to the diagnosis. Three of the four children received ventilatory support, all four received hormone replacement therapy, and two received psychotropic treatment. One child in our cohort died at 2 years 10 months old. For the three surviving patients, median duration of follow-up was 7.4 years.ConclusionROHHAD syndrome without rapid-onset obesity is a particular entity, appearing later than ROHHAD with obesity. This entity should be considered in the presence of dysautonomia disorders without brain damage. Likewise, the occurrence of a hypothalamic syndrome with no identified etiology requires a sleep study to search for apnea and hypoventilation. The identification of ROHHAD syndrome without rapid-onset obesity is a clinical challenge, with major implications for patient prognosis

Development of Core Outcome Measures sets for paediatric and adult Severe Asthma (COMSA)

BACKGROUND: Effectiveness studies with biological therapies for asthma lack standardised outcome measures. The COMSA (Core Outcome Measures sets for paediatric and adult Severe Asthma) working group sought to develop Core Outcome Measures (COM) sets to facilitate better synthesis of data and appraisal of biologics in paediatric and adult asthma clinical studies.METHODS: COMSA utilised a multi-stakeholder consensus process among patients with severe asthma, adult, and paediatric clinicians, pharmaceutical representatives and health regulators from across Europe. Evidence included a systematic review of development, validity, and reliability of selected outcome measures plus a narrative review and a pan-European survey to better understand patients' and carers' views about outcome measures. It was discussed using a modified GRADE Evidence to Decision framework. Anonymous voting was conducted using predefined consensus criteria.RESULTS: Both adult and paediatric COM sets include forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) as z scores, annual frequency of severe exacerbations and maintenance oral corticosteroid use. Additionally, the paediatric COM set includes the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Asthma Control Test (ACT) or Childhood-ACT while the adult COM includes the Severe Asthma Questionnaire and the Asthma Control Questionnaire-6 (symptoms and rescue medication use reported separately).CONCLUSIONS: This patient-centred collaboration has produced two COM sets for paediatric and adult severe asthma. It is expected that they will inform the methodology of future clinical trials, enhance comparability of efficacy and effectiveness of biological therapies, and help assess their socioeconomic value. COMSA will inform definitions of non-response and response to biological therapy for severe asthma.</p

Evaluation de la connaissance des recommandations de l'AFSSAPS concernant la prise en charge de la toux aigue du nourrisson auprès des médecins, familles et pharmacie de la région

NICE-BU Médecine Odontologie (060882102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Children’s Drawings of Coronavirus

International audienceOBJECTIVES To understand how children perceive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in relation to public representations and to evaluate their interpretations. METHODS Children’s perceptions of SARS-CoV-2 were evaluated by asking 103 French children, aged 5 to 17 years old, first to draw a coronavirus and then to identify SARS-CoV-2 in a series of 16 images during summer 2020. RESULTS One hundred three children were included in the study, either during outpatient visits at the hospital (in Marseille and Paris) or through the authors’ social network, and were grouped in terms of age, parents’ occupation, mode of recruitment, and recollection of having previously seen a representation of a coronavirus. Half of the children drew the coronavirus as circular in shape, and almost all included a crownlike feature. One-third of the drawings had anthropomorphic features. Although the pictorial representations of the virus were fairly accurate overall, the children’s interpretations of the crownlike structure were imaginative. The explanations the children gave for their drawings were in some cases surprising. Among the 16 pictures they were shown, the children correctly identified those of SARS-CoV-2, other than the electron micrograph, in more than two-thirds of cases. CONCLUSIONS Children of all ages, even the youngest, and both sexes had a relatively accurate perception of SARS-CoV-2, as evaluated through their drawings and their ability to recognize it among other pictures. The children’s drawings of the coronavirus were colorful and had a less frightening tone than expected in the light of media coverage, suggesting that they had developed coping mechanisms

Clinical Aspects of STAT3 Gain-of-Function Germline Mutations: A Systematic Review

International audienc

Parents' views on artificial intelligence for the daily management of childhood asthma: a survey

International audienc

STAT3 gain of function: a new aetiology of severe rheumatic disease

International audienc