Smoking cessation and counseling: A mixed methods study of pediatricians and parents.

ObjectivePediatric providers play an important role in parental and youth smoking cessation. The goal of this study was to understand smoking cessation attitudes of parents and the behaviors, confidence and self-efficacy of pediatricians related to providing smoking cessation counseling to parents and youth.MethodsA mixed methods study was conducted in a convenience sample of families (n = 1,549) and pediatric primary care clinicians (n = 95) in Connecticut using surveys and focus groups from April, 2016 to January, 2017.ResultsThe smoking rate (cigarettes or electronic cigarettes) among all households surveyed was 21%. Interest in quitting smoking was high (71%) and did not differ based on smoking amount, duration, type of community of residence (urban, rural, etc), or race/ethnicity. For example, compared to participants who smoked for ConclusionsClinicians frequently screen parents about their smoking behaviors, but rarely provide smoking cessation counseling and express low confidence in this activity. Clinicians are more confident counseling youth than parents. Clinicians also recognize the dangers of electronic cigarettes, yet they infrequently counsel youth about these dangers

Smoking cessation and counseling: A mixed methods study of pediatricians and parents.

OBJECTIVE Pediatric providers play an important role in parental and youth smoking cessation. The goal of this study was to understand smoking cessation attitudes of parents and the behaviors, confidence and self-efficacy of pediatricians related to providing smoking cessation counseling to parents and youth. METHODS A mixed methods study was conducted in a convenience sample of families (n = 1,549) and pediatric primary care clinicians (n = 95) in Connecticut using surveys and focus groups from April, 2016 to January, 2017. RESULTS The smoking rate (cigarettes or electronic cigarettes) among all households surveyed was 21%. Interest in quitting smoking was high (71%) and did not differ based on smoking amount, duration, type of community of residence (urban, rural, etc), or race/ethnicity. For example, compared to participants who smoked for <10 years, those who smoked ≥20 years had a similar interest in quitting (OR = 1.12; 95% CI: 0.85-1.48). Ninety percent of clinicians surveyed asked parents about their smoking behavior at least annually but 36% offered no smoking cessation counseling services or referral. Clinicians almost always reported counseling youth about the dangers of nicotine and tobacco use (99%), were more confident about counseling youth than parents (p<0.01) and reported low self-efficacy about smoking cessation and prevention counseling of parents and youth. Ninety-three percent of clinicians opined that electronic cigarettes were equally or more dangerous than cigarettes but 34% never counseled youth about the dangers of electronic cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians frequently screen parents about their smoking behaviors, but rarely provide smoking cessation counseling and express low confidence in this activity. Clinicians are more confident counseling youth than parents. Clinicians also recognize the dangers of electronic cigarettes, yet they infrequently counsel youth about these dangers

Design, methods, and baseline characteristics of a pilot, randomized, controlled trial of the effects of an electronic monitoring device on medication adherence in children with asthma

Current methods of assessing adherence are inaccurate. Electronic monitoring devices (EMDs) may more accurately assess adherence, but are not currently used in practice. The design, methods, and participant baseline characteristics are described for a pilot trial of the effects of an EMD on asthma medication adherence in a pediatric population. This was a pilot, randomized, controlled trial of children with persistent asthma managed with daily inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Seventy-five children were randomized 2:1 to receive either two EMDs (one for ICS and one for rescue) linked via Bluetooth to a mobile application (app) or standard of care (controls). EMDs recorded dates and times of inhaler actuations and the app sent daily medication reminders to participants. Controls were provided standard care. Medication adherence was measured using pharmacy refill records and self-report, whereas EMD data were used to measure adherence in the intervention group. Secondary outcomes included asthma control, pulmonary function, and quality of life. One hundred sixty children were screened for eligibility, with 123 individuals excluded. Seventy-five children were enrolled, with 25 allocated to the control group and 50 to the intervention. The mean age of participants is 12 years old (±2.9), with equal proportions of male and female children; 45% are Latinx and 19% African-American; 77% report Medicaid or CHIP coverage. Half of participants have moderate persistent asthma and 48% had marginally controlled asthma at time of enrollment. There were no significant inter-group differences in baseline sociodemographic characteristics. This pilot successfully reached target populations and met recruitment and enrollment goals. It is addressing an important knowledge gap by evaluating the effects of an EMD with a mobile app on adherence rates, findings which could prove useful in determining whether routine use of EMDs in clinical practice help children achieve better asthma control and outcomes. NCT03734861

Flow cytometric identification of T fh 13 cells in mouse and human

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction caused by cross-linking of high-affinity IgE antibodies on the surface of mast cells and basophils. Understanding the cellular mechanisms that lead to high-affinity IgE production is required to develop better therapeutics for preventing this severe reaction. A recently discovered population of T follicular helper Tfh13 cells regulates the production of high-affinity IgE in mouse models of allergy and can also be found in patients with allergies with IgE antibodies against food or aeroallergens. Here we describe optimized protocols for identifying Tfh13 cells in both mice and humans

Risk Factors for Pediatric Asthma Readmissions: A Systematic Review

To systematically review the literature on pediatric asthma readmission risk factors. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for published articles (through November 2019) on pediatric asthma readmission risk factors. Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts and consensus was reached on disagreements. Full-text articles were reviewed and inclusion criteria applied. For articles meeting inclusion criteria, authors abstracted data on study design, patient characteristics, and outcomes, and 4 authors assessed bias risk. Of 5749 abstracts, 74 met inclusion criteria. Study designs, patient populations, and outcome measures were highly heterogeneous. Risk factors consistently associated with early readmissions (≤30 days) included prolonged length of stay (OR range, 1.1-1.6) and chronic comorbidities (1.7-3.2). Risk factors associated with late readmissions (>30 days) included female sex (1.1-1.6), chronic comorbidities (1.5-2), summer discharge (1.5-1.8), and prolonged length of stay (1.04-1.7). Across both readmission intervals, prior asthma admission was the most consistent readmission predictor (1.3-5.4). Pediatric asthma readmission risk factors depend on the readmission interval chosen. Prior hospitalization, length of stay, sex, and chronic comorbidities were consistently associated with both early and late readmissions. CRD42018107601

The optimization of home oxygen weaning in premature infants trial: Design, rationale, methods, and lessons learned

Improved survival among preterm infants has led to an increase in diagnosis of chronic lung disease and infants discharged home from the NICU on supplemental oxygen. Despite this increased prevalence, no clearly defined guidelines for the management of home oxygen therapy (HOT) exist. This lack of consensus leads to significant variability in the duration of home oxygen therapy and a general paucity of evidence-based practice. Our team has identified recorded home oxygen therapy (RHO) as a potential new resource to guide clinical decision making in the outpatient pulmonology clinic. By recording extended O2 saturation data during the weaning process, RHO has the potential to save cost and improve the processes of HOT management. Our team is currently supporting a prospective, multi-center, randomized, controlled trial of RHO guided HOT weaning with the aims of determining effect upon duration of HOT, perceived parent quality of life and effect upon growth and respiratory outcomes. We plan to randomize 196 infants into one of two study arms evaluating standard HOT management versus RHO guided oxygen weaning. Our primary outcomes are total HOT duration and parental quality of life. This trial represents an unprecedented opportunity to test a novel home monitoring intervention for weaning within a vulnerable yet quickly growing population. If effective, the use of RHO may provide clinicians a tool for safe weaning