Adrenaline in neonatal resuscitation: are there knowledge gaps?

Despite the widespread use of adrenaline in adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the main concern in using this drug in neonates is the lack of evidence. At present, there are very few reliable human and animal data to justify the use of adrenaline in neonatal resuscitation and significant knowledge gaps exist, which necessitate further research.   Proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Neonatology · Cagliari (Italy) · October 23rd-26th, 2013 · Learned lessons, changing practice and cutting-edge researc

Congenital cytomegalovirus infection

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a serious health problem. The obstacles for limiting this infection are the lack of public awareness on this issue, especially owing to the asymptomatic nature of CMV infections, the inefficacy of therapy, and the unsuccessful vaccine trials to date. It is therefore important to organize the current data to estimate the results and to report that the development of a vaccine against CMV must be of the highest priority

Aldosterone synthase deficiency type II: an unusual presentation of the first Greek case reported with confirmed genetic analysis

Objective. Aldosterone synthase deficiency (ASD) is a rare, autosomal recessive inherited disease with an overall clinical phenotype of failure to thrive, vomiting, severe dehydration, hyperkalemia, and hyponatremia. Mutations in the CYP11B2 gene encoding aldosterone synthase are responsible for the occurrence of ASD. Defects in CYP11B2 gene have only been reported in a limited number of cases worldwide. Due to this potential life-threatening risk, comprehensive hormonal investigation followed by genetic confirmation is essential for the clinical management of offsprings

BCG Vaccine Protection against TB Infection among Children Older than 5 Years in Close Contact with an Infectious Adult TB Case

The Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine has been shown to provide considerable protection against miliary or meningeal tuberculosis (TB), but whether it prevents other forms of disease remains controversial. Recent evidence has shown that the BCG vaccine also provides protection against latent TB infection (LTBI). The aim of the current study was to examine whether BCG has a protective role against LTBI among children in close contact with an adult index case in a low TB endemicity setting with the use of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT). A cross-sectional study was conducted over a 10-year period among children referred to our outpatient TB clinic with a history of close contact with an adult with pulmonary TB. All subjects had a QFT-GIT performed. In total, 207 children > 5 to 16 years of age with known recent exposure were enrolled. BCG-vaccinated subjects had a 59% lower risk of presenting with LTBI after close contact with an adult index case compared with unvaccinated subjects (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.23–0.73, p = 0.002). After adjustment for possible confounders, the protective effect of prior BCG immunization was estimated at 68% (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.15–0.66, p = 0.002). Other risk factors for LTBI included a history of migration (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.13–4.53, p = 0.021) and transmission of infection to other exposed child contacts (OR = 4.62, 95% CI: 2.27–9.39, p = 0.001). We were able to determine a strong protective role of BCG vaccination among children older than 5 years, immunized at school entry, who had close contact with an adult infectious TB case

Theoretical knowledge and skill retention 4 months after a European Paediatric Life Support course

Objective : The European Paediatric Life Support (EPLS) provider course aims at training doctors and nurses in the efficient and prompt management of cardiopulmonary arrest in children. EPLS is a 2-day European Resuscitation Council course, involving the teaching of theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The aim of the study was to evaluate the retention of theoretical knowledge and certain skills of EPLS providers 4 months after the course. Materials and methods : In total, 80 doctors and nurses who attended three EPLS provider courses, from May 2012 to December 2012, were asked to participate in the study and only 50 responded positively. Demographic data (age, sex, occupation) of the participants were collected. The European Resuscitation Council-approved EPLS written test was used to assess theoretical knowledge right after the course and after 4 months. The retention of certain skills (airway opening, bag-mask ventilation, chest compressions) was also examined. Results : The theoretical knowledge decreased significantly (P < 0.001) 4 months after the course. Age, sex and occupational status (medical or nursing profession) had no effect in theoretical knowledge retention. Interestingly, certain skills such as the application of airway opening manoeuvres and effective bag-mask ventilation were retained 4 months after the course, whereas chest compression skill retention significantly declined (P=0.012). Conclusion : According to our findings, theoretical knowledge of the EPLS course uniformly declines, irrespective of the provider characteristics, whereas retention of certain skills is evident 4 months after the course