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Pediatric clinical practice guidelines recommend identifying and addressing food insecurity (FI) as part of routine care. However, methods for health systems to connect families experiencing FI to community food resources are lacking. Confidential SMS text messaging can increase equity in resource delivery, is user-friendly, is aligned with caregiver preferences, and is feasible for health systems to implement. Despite the promise of this approach, SMS text messaging has not been widely tested in pediatric settings. This paper details (1) the process of developing a novel, mobile health intervention to help families access local food resources and (2) results on reach, engagement, usability, and acceptability of the intervention following a 1-year pilot. We designed and evaluated an automated SMS text messaging system that delivers geographically tailored food resource information to families with FI after hospital discharge at a single US children's hospital. English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers of hospitalized children with a positive FI screen documented during clinical care were included. Caregivers received a food resource text message 1 and 4 days postdischarge. In addition, 2 subsequent text messages asked about reach and engagement. We used system-reported (primary) and caregiver-reported (secondary) measures of reach and engagement and caregiver-reported resource connection as a preliminary measure of effectiveness. We assessed usability (Simplified System Usability Scale [SUS]; >75 indicates good usability), acceptability, and caregiver preferences for resource provision through semistructured interviews among a subset of caregivers (20 English-speaking and 11 Spanish-speaking caregivers). Of 194 patients with a positive FI screen during the study period, 187 (96%) spoke English or Spanish and were included in the cohort. Primary, system-reported measures indicated that the food resource message successfully reached 175 (94%) participants; of these, 102 (58%) engaged with the text messages in some way, with 65 (37%) clicking the link and 92 (53%) responding to a text message. Among the subset of text message respondents (n=92), 88 (96%) reported receiving the resource message, 83 (90%) read the message, and 42 (46%) used the information to search for food resources. Among the subset of interviewed caregivers (n=31), the median SUS score was 86.1 (IQR 66.7-91.7); 97% (30/31) of caregivers felt the intervention was acceptable. Caregivers preferred receiving food resource information via text message rather than paper handouts because it felt more accessible. Providing automated, geographically tailored food resource information via text message to families with FI after hospital discharge was feasible, the information was usable, and the delivery mode was acceptable to families, with SMS text messaging preferred over paper handouts. SMS text messaging offers a promising low-intensity approach to social resource provision for health systems. Future research should assess effectiveness and strategies to increase uptake in clinical care contexts.

Using molecular diagnostic methods, the prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae was the highest among hospitalized children aged 10-17 years admitted with community-acquired pneumonia; 12% required intensive care. Macrolide resistance was infrequent. Clinical presentations could not differentiate M. pneumoniae from other etiologies. Abstract Background The epidemiology of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) among US children (<18 years) hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is poorly understood. Methods In the Etiology of Pneumonia in the Community study, we prospectively enrolled 2254 children hospitalized with radiographically confirmed pneumonia from January 2010-June 2012 and tested nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs for Mp using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Clinical and epidemiological features of Mp PCR-positive and -negative children were compared using logistic regression. Macrolide susceptibility was assessed by genotyping isolates. Results One hundred and eighty two (8%) children were Mp PCR-positive (median age, 7 years); 12% required intensive care and 26% had pleural effusion. No in-hospital deaths occurred. Macrolide resistance was found in 4% (6/169) isolates. Of 178 (98%) Mp PCR-positive children tested for copathogens, 50 (28%) had ≥1 copathogen detected. Variables significantly associated with higher odds of Mp detection included age (10-17 years: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 10.7 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 5.4-21.1] and 5-9 years: aOR, 6.4 [95% CI, 3.4-12.1] vs 2-4 years), outpatient antibiotics ≤5 days preadmission (aOR, 2.3 [95% CI, 1.5-3.5]), and copathogen detection (aOR, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.3-3.3]). Clinical characteristics were non-specific. Conclusions Usually considered as a mild respiratory infection, Mp was the most commonly detected bacteria among children aged ≥5 years hospitalized with CAP, one-quarter of whom had codetections. Although associated with clinically nonspecific symptoms, there was a need for intensive care in some cases. Mycoplasma pneumoniae should be included in the differential diagnosis for school-aged children hospitalized with CAP.

Pneumonia is a major cause of severe illness in children. In a study of community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization among U.S. children, those younger than 2 years of age were most affected, and viruses were most commonly found. Pneumonia is a leading cause of hospitalization among children in the United States, 1 – 3 with medical costs estimated at almost $1 billion in 2009. 4 Despite this large burden of disease, critical gaps remain in our knowledge about pneumonia in children. 5 Contemporary estimates of the incidence and microbiologic causes of hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia among children in the United States would be of value. 5 Most recent published estimates of the incidence of pneumonia have used administrative data, which are limited because a strict clinical and radiographic definition of community-acquired pneumonia is difficult to apply to such data and because diagnostic testing . . .

Background. Recent trials suggest procalcitonin-based guidelines can reduce antibiotic use for respiratory infections. However, the accuracy of procalcitonin to discriminate between viral and bacterial pneumonia requires further dissection. Methods. We evaluated the association between serum procalcitonin concentration at hospital admission with pathogens detected in a multicenter prospective surveillance study of adults hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia. Systematic pathogen testing included cultures, serology, urine antigen tests, and molecular detection. Accuracy of procalcitonin to discriminate between viral and bacterial pathogens was calculated. Results. Among 1735 patients, pathogens were identified in 645 (37%), including 169 (10%) with typical bacteria, 67 (4%) with atypical bacteria, and 409 (24%) with viruses only. Median procalcitonin concentration was lower with viral pathogens (0.09 ng/mL; interquartile range [IQR], <0.05–0.54 ng/mL) than atypical bacteria (0.20 mg/mL; IQR, <0.05–0.87 ng/mL; P = .05), and typical bacteria (2.5 ng/mL; IQR, 0.29–12.2 ng/mL; P < .01). Procalcitonin discriminated bacterial pathogens, including typical and atypical bacteria, from viral pathogens with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.73 (95% confidence interval [CI], .69–.77). A procalcitonin threshold of 0.1 ng/mL resulted in 80.9% (95% CI, 75.3%–85.7%) sensitivity and 51.6% (95% CI, 46.6%–56.5%) specificity for identification of any bacterial pathogen. Procalcitonin discriminated between typical bacteria and the combined group of viruses and atypical bacteria with an area under the ROC curve of 0.79 (95% CI, .75–.82). Conclusions. No procalcitonin threshold perfectly discriminated between viral and bacterial pathogens, but higher procalcitonin strongly correlated with increased probability of bacterial pathogens, particularly typical bacteria.

Background. The clinical significance of viruses detected in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is often unclear. Methods. We conducted a prospective study to identify the prevalence of 13 viruses in the upper respiratory tract of patients with CAP and concurrently enrolled asymptomatic controls with real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We compared age-stratified prevalence of each virus between patients with CAP and controls and used multivariable logistic regression to calculate attributable fractions (AFs). Results. We enrolled 1024 patients with CAP and 759 controls. Detections of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and human metapneumovirus were substantially more common in patients with CAP of all ages than in controls (AFs near 1.0). Parainfluenza and coronaviruses were also more common among patients with CAP (AF, 0.5–0.75). Rhinovirus was associated with CAP among adults (AF, 0.93) but not children (AF, 0.02). Adenovirus was associated with CAP only among children <2 years old (AF, 0.77). Conclusions. The probability that a virus detected with real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in patients with CAP contributed to symptomatic disease varied by age group and specific virus. Detections of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and human metapneumovirus among patients with CAP of all ages probably indicate an etiologic role, whereas detections of parainfluenza, coronaviruses, rhinovirus, and adenovirus, especially in children, require further scrutiny.

Background. Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and its clinical features remain incompletely understood, complicating empirical selection of antibiotics. Methods. Using a multicenter, prospective surveillance study of adults hospitalized with CAP, we calculated the prevalence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) among all CAP episodes. We compared the epidemiologic, radiographic, and clinical characteristics of S. aureus CAP (per respiratory or blood culture) with those of pneumococcal (per respiratory or blood culture or urine antigen) and all-cause non-S. aureus CAP using descriptive statistics. Results. Among 2259 adults hospitalized for CAP, 37 (1.6%) had S. aureus identified, including 15 (0.7%) with MRSA and 22 (1.0%) with MSSA; 115 (5.1%) had Streptococcus pneumoniae. Vancomycin or linezolid was administered to 674 (29.8%) patients within the first 3 days of hospitalization. Chronic hemodialysis use was more common among patients with MRSA (20.0%) than pneumococcal (2.6%) and all-cause non-S. aureus (3.7%) CAP. Otherwise, clinical features at admission were similar, including concurrent influenza infection, hemoptysis, multilobar infiltrates, and prehospital antibiotics. Patients with MRSA CAP had more severe clinical outcomes than those with pneumococcal CAP, including intensive care unit admission (86.7% vs 34.8%) and in-patient mortality (13.3% vs 4.4%). Conclusions. Despite very low prevalence of S. aureus and, specifically, MRSA, nearly one-third of adults hospitalized with CAP received anti-MRSA antibiotics. The clinical presentation of MRSA CAP overlapped substantially with pneumococcal CAP, highlighting the challenge of accurately targeting empirical anti-MRSA antibiotics with currently available clinical tools and the need for new diagnostic strategies.

BackgroundRecent studies suggest older patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia are at risk for new-onset cognitive impairment. The characteristics of long-term cognitive impairment after pneumonia, however, have not been elucidated.ObjectiveTo characterize long-term cognitive impairment among adults of all ages hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia.DesignProspective cohort study.ParticipantsAdults without severe preexisting cognitive impairment who were hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia.Main MeasuresAt enrollment, we estimated baseline cognitive function with the Short Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). At 2- and 12-month follow-up, we assessed cognition using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and tests of executive function, diagnosing cognitive impairment when results were ≥ 1.5 standard deviations below published age-adjusted means for the general population. We also identified subtypes of mild cognitive impairment using standard definitions.Key ResultsWe assessed 58 (73%) of 80 patients who survived to 2-month follow-up and 57 (77%) of 74 who survived to 12-month follow-up. The median [range] age of survivors tested was 57 [19–97] years. Only 8 (12%) had evidence of mild cognitive impairment at baseline according to the Short IQCODE, but 21 (38%) at 2 months and 17 (30%) at 12 months had mild cognitive impairment per the RBANS. Moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment was common among adults ≥ 65 years [4/13 (31%) and 5/13 (38%) at 2 and 12 months, respectively] but also affected many of those < 65 years [10/43 (23%) and 8/43 (19%) at 2 and 12 months, respectively]. Deficits were most often noted in visuospatial function, attention, and memory.ConclusionsA year after hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia, moderate-to-severe impairment in multiple cognitive domains affected one-third of patients ≥ 65 years old and 20% of younger patients, and another third of survivors had mild cognitive impairment.

In a large study of children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, virus-bacterium coinfections resulted in worse outcomes than virus-only infections. Patterns of coinfections varied with the pathogen. Abstract Background Recognition that coinfections are common in children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is increasing, but gaps remain in our understanding of their frequency and importance. Methods We analyzed data from 2219 children hospitalized with CAP and compared demographic and clinical characteristics and outcomes between groups with viruses alone, bacteria alone, or coinfections. We also assessed the frequency of selected pairings of codetected pathogens and their clinical characteristics. Results A total of 576 children (26%) had a coinfection. Children with only virus detected were younger, more likely to be black, and more likely to have comorbidities such as asthma, compared with children infected with typical bacteria alone. Children with virus-bacterium coinfections had a higher frequency of leukocytosis, consolidation on chest radiography, parapneumonic effusions, intensive care unit admission, and need for mechanical ventilation and an increased length of stay, compared with children infected with viruses alone. Virus-virus coinfections were generally comparable to single-virus infections, with the exception of the need for oxygen supplementation, which was higher during the first 24 hours of hospitalization in some virus-virus pairings. Conclusions Coinfections occurred in 26% of children hospitalized for CAP. Children with typical bacterial infections, alone or complicated by a viral infection, have worse outcomes than children infected with a virus alone.

IntroductionAgreement between available procalcitonin (PCT) assays is unclear. We sought to compare concordance between Roche and bioMérieux PCT assays using pediatric samples.MethodsWe evaluated 213 plasma samples from 208 children. We tested each sample on both the Roche and bioMérieux PCT platforms.ResultsAt ranges < 2 μg/L, the Roche platform had a mean negative bias of 0.13 μg/L versus the bioMérieux platform. This bias resulted in PCT levels that crossed accepted cut points in 12.7% of patients.ConclusionsPCT levels measured on either platform are similar, especially at PCT ranges used for antibiotic decision-making algorithms.FundingThis work was supported by an investigator-initiated research agreement through bioMérieux and by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Childhood Infection Research Program (ChIRP), National Institute of Health and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institute of Health.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is considered the leading bacterial cause of pneumonia in adults. Yet, it was not commonly detected by traditional culture-based and conventional urinary testing in a recent multicenter etiology study of adults hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We used novel serotype-specific urinary antigen detection (SSUAD) assays to determine whether pneumococcal cases were missed by traditional testing. We studied adult patients hospitalized with CAP at 5 hospitals in Chicago and Nashville (2010-2012) and enrolled in the Etiology of Pneumonia in the Community (EPIC) study. Traditional diagnostic testing included blood and sputum cultures and conventional urine antigen detection (ie, BinaxNOW). We applied SSUAD assays that target serotypes included in the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) to stored residual urine specimens. Among 1736 patients with SSUAD and ≥1 traditional pneumococcal test performed, we identified 169 (9.7%) cases of pneumococcal CAP. Traditional tests identified 93 (5.4%) and SSUAD identified 76 (4.4%) additional cases. Among 14 PCV13-serotype cases identified by culture, SSUAD correctly identified the same serotype in all of them. Cases identified by SSUAD vs traditional tests were similar in most demographic and clinical characteristics, although disease severity and procalcitonin concentration were highest among those with positive blood cultures. The proportion of PCV13 serotype cases identified was not significantly different between the first and second July-June study periods (6.4% vs 4.0%). Although restricted to the detection of only 13 serotypes, SSUAD testing substantially increased the detection of pneumococcal pneumonia among adults hospitalized with CAP.