Pediatrics
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Multicenter Study
Intravenous Versus Oral Antibiotics for Postdischarge Treatment of Complicated Pneumonia.
Postdischarge treatment of complicated pneumonia includes antibiotics administered intravenously via a peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC) or orally. Antibiotics administered via PICC, although effective, may result in serious complications. We compared the effectiveness and treatment-related complications of postdischarge antibiotics delivered by these 2 routes. ⋯ Treatment failure rates between PICC and oral antibiotics did not differ. Children with complicated pneumonia should preferentially receive oral antibiotics at discharge when effective oral options are available.
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The purpose of this study was to compare characteristics of youth who participate in the choking game alone versus those who participate in a group. ⋯ Youth who participate alone in the choking game are a particularly high risk group, exhibiting substantially higher rates of suicidal ideation and poorer mental health compared with youth who participate in the choking game in a group. Adolescent health care providers should be aware of these associations, assess whether prevention messaging is appropriate, and be prepared to explain the high risks of morbidity and mortality associated with participation.
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Errors made in the administration of intravenous medication can lead to catastrophic harm. The frequency of hospital settings in which medication pumps are being used are increasing. We sought to improve medication safety by implementing a 2-person verification system before medication administration. ⋯ A brief 2-person verification approach can reduce medication errors due to inaccurate infusion pump programming. This improvement was achieved with the use of plan-do-study-act cycles. The impact can be significant and will promote a hospital safety culture.
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The objectives of this study were to design and validate a survey measuring the parents' and caregivers' experiences of integration of their child's care across providers. ⋯ This project developed and validated a survey with 19 experience items, plus additional demographic and health needs and usage items. The Pediatric Integrated Care Survey can be used in quality improvement efforts to measure family-reported experience of pediatric care integration.