Tag: pubmed

Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2025 Jan;9(1):37-46. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00296-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The number of children requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) has increased with the advancement of medical care. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of PMV worldwide, document demographic and clinical characteristics of children requiring PMV in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs), and to understand variation in clinical practice and health-care burden.

METHODS: This international, multicentre, cross-sectional cohort study screened participating PICUs in 28 countries for children aged >37 postgestational weeks to 17 years who had been receiving mechanical ventilation (MV; invasive or non-invasive) for at least 14 consecutive days. Screening days took place every 90 days for 3 years. Patients were eligible for inclusion in the analysis if they had been receiving MV (invasive or non-invasive) for at least 14 consecutive days by their first day of screening. Eligible patients were followed up on the subsequent screening day 90 days later or at time of hospital discharge, whichever came first. Outcome data were recorded in a validated web-based case report file. The primary outcome was the prevalence of PMV. Secondary outcomes were mortality, duration of MV, tracheostomy, and number of complications. All outcomes were assessed at 90 days post-screening. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04112459.

FINDINGS: Between Sept 4, 2019 and Dec 7, 2022, 14 595 children were screened on four separate screening days in 158 PICUs, and 2773 patients had been receiving MV for at least 14 days and were included in the analysis. The point prevalence of PMV was 25·8% (IQR 24·1-28·5). Median age was 0·4 years (IQR 0·2-5·3) and median weight was 8·1 kg (IQR 4·7-19·1). 625 (24·0%) of 2610 patients had a history of prematurity (<37 weeks gestational age at birth). 90-day outcome data were collected for 2430 patients. 441 (18·2%) of 2430 patients had died within 90 days. 649 (29·8%) of 2176 patients who initiated ventilation support upon hospital admission had a tracheostomy placed after the first 14 days of MV. The median time to tracheostomy placement after MV initiation was 26 days (IQR 18-52). 462 (21·2%) of 2176 patients had at least one failed extubation between MV initiation and their first screening date. 556 (25·6%) of 2174 patients who started MV upon hospital admission required MV for 21 days or less, whereas 1618 (74·4%) patients required MV for 22 days or more; 90-day mortality did not differ between these groups (18·2% vs 20·30%, p=0·288). Complications were recorded for 810 (38·4%) 2109 patients who initiated MV upon hospital admission; of these 539 (67%) had ventilator-associated pneumonia, and 212 (39%) of 539 patients had multiple episodes of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

INTERPRETATION: Timing of tracheostomy was variable, and duration of MV was longer than previously reported. The large variability in patients requiring MV and the associated health-care burden and outcomes across PICUs suggest that further investigation of the factors influencing the care of children with MV is warranted.

FUNDING: Réseau en Santé Respiratoire du Québec (Respiratory Research Network of Quebec), Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec, Women and Children Health Research Institute-Clinical/Community Research Integration and Support Program, Réseau mère-enfant de la francophonie.

TRANSLATIONS: For the French and Spanish translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

PMID:39701660 | DOI:10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00296-7

Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2025 Jan;9(1):16-24. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00294-3.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) above 94% is typical in children in paediatric intensive critical care units (PICUs) who are receiving invasive ventilation and supplemental oxygen. In a previous report from the Oxy-PICU trial, we showed that lower (conservative) oxygenation targets (SpO₂ 88-92%) are beneficial, showing small but statistically significant differences in duration of organ support and large but non-significant cost reductions at 30 days. In this pre-specified analysis of the Oxy-PICU trial, we compare longer-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness of conservative versus liberal (SpO₂ >94%) oxygenation targets in children with emergency PICU admission.

METHODS: Oxy-PICU was a pragmatic, multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial in England and Scotland. Eligible children were older than 38 weeks and younger than 16 years and had been admitted for emergency care in one of 15 participating PICUs, where they received invasive respiratory support for abnormal gas exchange. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a conservative oxygenation target (SpO₂ 88-92%) or liberal oxygenation target (SpO₂ >94%). Survival status was assessed at 90 days and 1 year, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), health-care costs, and incremental net monetary benefit were assessed at 1 year after the index hospital admission and randomisation. HRQoL was measured with age-appropriate Paediatric Quality of Life Generic Core Scales and mapped onto the Child Health Utility 9D index score. HRQoL and survival data were combined to construct QALYs. Costs at 1 year were derived from use of hospital, outpatient, and community health services. The trial was registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN92103439).

FINDINGS: 2040 children were enrolled between Sept 1, 2020 and May 15, 2022. 1868 (91·6%) children were included in the 90-day survival analysis; of these 930 (49·8%) had been assigned liberal oxygen and 938 (50·2%) conservative oxygen. 1867 (91·5%) children were included in the 1-year survival analysis; 930 (49·8%) had been assigned liberal oxygenation and 937 (50·2%) conservative oxygen. At 90 days, 35 (3·7%) patients in the conservative oxygenation group and 45 (4·8%) patients in the liberal oxygenation group had died (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0·75 [95% CI 0·48 to 1·17]). By 1 year, 52 (5·5%) patients in the conservative oxygenation group and 66 (7·1%) patients in the liberal oxygenation group had died (aHR 0·77 [95%CI 0·53 to 1·10]). Overall, mean HRQoL, life-years, and QALYs at 1 year were similar in the two groups. The adjusted incremental effect on cost of conservative oxygenation versus liberal oxygenation was -£879 (95% CI -9036 to 7278), whereas the incremental difference in QALYs was estimated at 0·001 (-0·010 to 0·011), leading to an incremental net monetary benefit of £894 (-7290 to 9078) associated with conservative oxygenation relative to liberal oxygenation. These results did not vary by age (<12 months vs ≥12 months), comorbidity at baseline, age-adjusted heart rate, or haemoglobin level at admission and were robust to alternative assumptions.

INTERPRETATION: Compared with usual care (SpO₂ >94%) for invasively ventilated children who are admitted as an emergency to a PICU, conservative oxygenation (SpO₂ 88-92%) was not associated with differences in longer-term survival, costs, or cost-effectiveness. Taken together with previous findings of Oxy-PICU that conservative oxygenation compared with liberal oxygenation leads to better patient-centred and parent-centred outcomes at 30 days, these findings support the use of conservative oxygenation targets for this population.

FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health and Social Care Research Health Technology Assessment Programme.

PMID:39701658 | DOI:10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00294-3

Chaos. 2024 Dec 1;34(12):123161. doi: 10.1063/5.0230848.

ABSTRACT

The development of robust Early Warning Signals (EWSs) is necessary to quantify the risk of crossing tipping points in the present-day climate change. Classically, EWSs are statistical measures based on time series of climate state variables, without exploiting their spatial distribution. However, spatial information is crucial to identify the starting location of a transition process and can be directly inferred by satellite observations. By using complex networks constructed from several climate variables on the numerical grid of climate simulations, we seek for network properties that can serve as EWSs when approaching a state transition. We show that network indicators such as the normalized degree, the average length distance, and the betweenness centrality are capable of detecting tipping points at the global scale, as obtained by the MIT general circulation model in a coupled-aquaplanet configuration for CO2 concentration-driven simulations. The applicability of such indicators as EWSs is assessed and compared to traditional methods. We also analyze the ability of climate networks to identify nonlinear dynamical patterns.

PMID:39700522 | DOI:10.1063/5.0230848

Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Dec 19. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005808. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To compare odds of maternal morbidity by mode of becoming pregnant and type of medically assisted reproduction treatments: fertility-enhancing drugs, intrauterine insemination (IUI), and assisted reproductive technology (ART) with autologous or donor oocytes.

METHODS: Birth certificates were used to study maternal morbidity among the birthing population in Utah between 2009 and 2017 (N=469,919 deliveries); 22,543 pregnancies occurred through medically assisted reproduction (4.8%). Maternal morbidity was identified as a binary variable, indicating the presence of any of the following: blood transfusion, unplanned operating room procedure, admission to intensive care unit, eclampsia, unplanned hysterectomy, and ruptured uterus. Using logistic regression, we assessed maternal morbidity among medically assisted reproduction pregnancies (overall and by type of treatment) compared with unassisted pregnancies in the overall sample before and after adjustment for individual sociodemographics (age at birth, family structure, level of education, Hispanic origin, parity), and pre-existing comorbidities (ie, chronic hypertension, heart disease, asthma), multifetal gestation, and obstetric comorbidities (ie, placenta previa, placental abruption, cesarean delivery).

RESULTS: Individuals becoming pregnant through medically assisted reproduction had higher risk of maternal morbidity, with odds ratios (ORs) increasing as medically assisted reproduction treatments become more invasive. Associations were largely attenuated when accounting for multifetal gestation and further reduced after controlling for obstetric comorbidities. However, ART with autologous oocytes (OR 1.46, 95% CI, 1.20-1.78) maintained higher coefficients compared with unassisted pregnancies. In models including only singletons, after controlling for obstetric comorbidities, the OR differences in maternal morbidity between all medically assisted reproduction groups and unassisted pregnancies were no longer statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: More invasive medically assisted reproduction treatments (ART and IUI) are associated with higher odds of maternal morbidity, whereas less invasive treatments are not. This relationship is partially explained by higher prevalence of multifetal gestation and obstetric comorbidities in people undergoing more invasive treatment, but the persistent association suggests subfertility itself may contribute to maternal morbidity.

PMID:39700505 | DOI:10.1097/AOG.0000000000005808

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2024 Dec 19;12:e53677. doi: 10.2196/53677.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The use of mobile technology to meet health needs, widely referred to as mobile health (mHealth), has played a critical role in providing self-management support for chronic health conditions. However, despite its potential benefits, mHealth technologies such as self-management support apps for spinal cord injury (SCI) have received little research attention, and an understanding of their public availability is lacking. Therefore, an overview of these apps is needed to complement findings from the literature for a complete understanding of mHealth self-management support tools for SCI to support the selection and improvement of existing apps and the development of new ones.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify and describe quantity, quality, focus, strengths, and weaknesses of self-management support apps for SCI available on major mobile app digital distribution platforms.

METHODS: A systematic search of the Google Play Store and Apple App Store was conducted to identify and summarize apps for SCI that have been updated since 2017. A supplementary systematic literature review was conducted across 11 bibliographic databases to identify publications that provided more detailed descriptions of the identified apps than what is typically available in app stores. The data synthesis was guided by self-management tasks and skills taxonomies. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines informed the reporting.

RESULTS: The 13 apps included in the final synthesis were launched between 2013 and 2021, mostly originating in the United States, with availability in 72 countries and support for 14 languages. Most apps used the Android operating system (10/13, 77%), while 31% (4/13) used iOS. The identified apps mainly focused on activities of daily living, physical activity promotion, health literacy, and therapeutic exercise. All 3 self-management tasks (medical, role, and emotional management) and most self-management skills and support activities were supported by the apps. The mean Mobile App Rating Scale score was 3.86 (SD 0.54), indicating good overall quality. No publications were found describing these apps.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite their good overall quality, as measured by the Mobile App Rating Scale assessment, the 13 identified apps, alone or combined, do not appear to offer a comprehensive self-management approach that incorporates theory-based strategies. Besides working to improve comprehensiveness, future research and practice should consider adopting new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to enhance future self-management support apps for SCI. Furthermore, adopting new app development methods, such as low-code development platforms, could help reduce barriers to development, such as time, cost, and securing scarce expertise.

PMID:39700493 | DOI:10.2196/53677

JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Dec 19;13:e52713. doi: 10.2196/52713.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as South Africa, there is paucity of data on SARS-CoV-2 infections among children attending school, including seroprevalence and transmission dynamics.

OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aims to assess (1) the prevalence of self-reported or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 prior infections, COVID-19 symptoms (including long COVID), seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and general/mental health, (2) longitudinal changes in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, and (3) SARS-CoV-2 acute infections, immune responses, transmission dynamics, and symptomatic versus asymptomatic contacts in a unique cohort of unvaccinated primary school learners, their parents, teachers, and close contacts in semirural primary school settings.

METHODS: Learners (grades 1-7) from primary schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, their parents, and teachers will be invited to enroll into the COVID kids school study (CoKiDSS). CoKiDSS comprises 3 parts: a cross-sectional survey (N=640), a follow-up survey (n=300), and a nested case-cohort substudy. Finger-prick blood and saliva samples will be collected for serological and future testing, respectively, in the cross-sectional (451 learners:147 parents:42 teachers) and follow-up (210 learners:70 parents:20 teachers) surveys. The nested case-cohort substudy will include cases from the cross-sectional survey with confirmed current SARS-CoV-2 infection (n=30) and their close contacts (n=up to 10 per infected participant). Finger-prick blood (from all substudy participants), venous blood (from cases), and nasal swabs (from cases and contacts) will be collected for serological testing, immunological testing, and viral genome sequencing, respectively. Questionnaires covering sociodemographic and general and mental health information, prior and current SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and testing information, vaccination status, preventative behavior, and lifestyle will be administered. Statistical methods will include generalized linear mixed models, intracluster correlation, descriptive analysis, and graphical techniques.

RESULTS: A total of 645 participants were enrolled into the cross-sectional survey between May and August 2023. A subset of 300 participants were followed up in the follow-up survey in October 2023. Screening of the participants into the nested case-cohort substudy is planned between November 2023 and September 2024. Data cleanup and analysis for the cross-sectional survey is complete, while those for the follow-up survey and nested case substudy will be completed by the third quarter of 2024. The dissemination and publication of results is anticipated for the fourth quarter of 2024.

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides data from an LMIC setting on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on school-attending learners, their parents, and teachers 3 years after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was declared and 21-24 months after resumption of normal school attendance. In particular, this study will provide data on the prevalence of self-reported or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 prior infection, prior and current symptoms, seroprevalence, changes in seroprevalence, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, SARS-CoV-2 adaptive immune responses, and symptoms of long COVID and mental health among a triad of learners, their parents, and teachers.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/52713.

PMID:39700491 | DOI:10.2196/52713

JMIR Serious Games. 2024 Dec 19;12:e59381. doi: 10.2196/59381.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many adolescents in Uganda are affected by common mental disorders, but only a few affordable treatment options are available. Digital mental health interventions offer promising opportunities to reduce these large treatment gaps, but interventions specifically tailored for Ugandan adolescents are limited.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the Kuamsha program, an intervention delivered through a gamified app with low-intensity telephonic guidance, as a way to promote mental health among adolescents from the general population in Uganda.

METHODS: A 3-month pre-post single-arm trial was conducted with adolescents aged between 15 and 19 years living in Wakiso District, Central Uganda. The intervention was coproduced with adolescents from the study site to ensure that it was culturally acceptable. The feasibility and acceptability of the intervention were evaluated using an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach. Feasibility was assessed by collecting data on trial retention rates and treatment adherence rates. Acceptability was assessed through a questionnaire and in-depth interviews with participants following the conclusion of the intervention period. As a secondary objective, we explored the changes in participants’ mental health before and after the intervention.

RESULTS: A total of 31 adolescents were recruited for the study. Results from the study showed high levels of feasibility and acceptability. Trial retention rates exceeded 90%, and treatment adherence was ≥80%. These results, evaluated against our predefined trial progression criteria, indicate a successful feasibility study, with all criteria exceeding the thresholds necessary to progress to a larger trial. App engagement metrics, such as time spent on the app and modules completed, exceeded existing literature benchmarks, and many adolescents continued to use the app after the intervention. In-depth interviews and questionnaire responses revealed high acceptability levels. Depressive symptoms trended toward reduction (mean difference: 1.41, 95% CI -0.60 to 3.42, Cohen d=0.30), although this was not statistically significant (P=.16). Supporting this trend, we also observed a reduction in the proportion of participants with moderate depressive symptoms from 32% (10/31) to 17% (5/29) after the intervention, but this change was also not significant (P=.10).

CONCLUSIONS: This study presents evidence to support the Kuamsha program as a feasible and acceptable digital mental health program for adolescents in Uganda. A fully powered randomized controlled trial is needed to assess its effectiveness in improving adolescents’ mental health.

PMID:39700489 | DOI:10.2196/59381

J Med Internet Res. 2024 Dec 19;26:e53187. doi: 10.2196/53187.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) refers to using mobile communication devices such as smartphones to support health, health care, and public health. mHealth interventions have their own nature and characteristics that distinguish them from traditional health care interventions, including drug interventions. Thus, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of mHealth interventions present specific methodological challenges. Identifying and overcoming those challenges is essential to determine whether mHealth interventions improve health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify specific methodological challenges in RCTs testing mHealth interventions’ effects and develop consensus-based recommendations to address selected challenges.

METHODS: A 2-phase participatory research project was conducted. First, we sent a web-based survey to authors of mHealth RCTs. Survey respondents rated on a 5-point scale how challenging they found 21 methodological aspects in mHealth RCTs compared to non-mHealth RCTs. Nonsystematic searches until June 2022 informed the selection of the methodological challenges listed in the survey. Second, a subset of survey respondents participated in an online workshop to discuss recommendations to address selected methodological aspects identified in the survey. Finally, consensus-based recommendations were developed based on the workshop discussion and email interaction.

RESULTS: We contacted 1535 authors of mHealth intervention RCTs, of whom 80 (5.21%) completed the survey. Most respondents (74/80, 92%) identified at least one methodological aspect as more or much more challenging in mHealth RCTs. The aspects most frequently reported as more or much more challenging were those related to mHealth intervention integrity, that is, the degree to which the study intervention was implemented as intended, in particular managing low adherence to the mHealth intervention (43/77, 56%), defining adherence (39/79, 49%), measuring adherence (33/78, 42%), and determining which mHealth intervention components are used or received by the participant (31/75, 41%). Other challenges were also frequent, such as analyzing passive data (eg, data collected from smartphone sensors; 24/58, 41%) and verifying the participants’ identity during recruitment (28/68, 41%). In total, 11 survey respondents participated in the subsequent workshop (n=8, 73% had been involved in at least 2 mHealth RCTs). We developed 17 consensus-based recommendations related to the following four categories: (1) how to measure adherence to the mHealth intervention (7 recommendations), (2) defining adequate adherence (2 recommendations), (3) dealing with low adherence rates (3 recommendations), and (4) addressing mHealth intervention components (5 recommendations).

CONCLUSIONS: RCTs of mHealth interventions have specific methodological challenges compared to those of non-mHealth interventions, particularly those related to intervention integrity. Following our recommendations for addressing these challenges can lead to more reliable assessments of the effects of mHealth interventions on health outcomes.

PMID:39700488 | DOI:10.2196/53187

Health Rep. 2024 Dec 18;35(12):16-30. doi: 10.25318/82-003-x202401200002-eng.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: After six cycles of using the BpTRU (BT) BPM-300 blood pressure (BP) monitor, the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) introduced the OMRON (OM) IntelliSense HEM-907XL BP monitor in Cycle 7. This study assesses differences between BP values measured by both devices in children and youth aged 6 to 17 years and whether equations could be developed to compare BP measurements taken using the two devices.

DATA AND METHODS: In Cycle 6 (2018 to 2019) of the CHMS, BP was measured using BT and OM devices. Between-device estimates of systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and BP categories were compared for 233 children and youth aged 6 to 17 years. Sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and central obesity categories were examined in linear regression models to predict SBP and DBP values measured with OM based on those measured with BT.

RESULTS: In the study sample, average SBP measured with OM was 9 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) higher than average SBP measured with BT, and average DBP measured with OM was 3 mmHg lower than DBP measured with BT. Normal BP prevalence based on OM measurements was 2.1 to 6.4 percentage points lower than the prevalence based on BT measurements, depending on which pediatric BP guidelines were applied. Between-device BP differences varied in magnitude by sex, age group, and BMI categories. Prediction equations developed using linear regression could not adequately account for the measurement differences between the two devices.

INTERPRETATION: Switching to the OM device in Cycle 7 will substantively affect pediatric BP estimates, preventing comparability with BP data from previous cycles. The impact of changing the BP devices on BP measurement should be acknowledged when reporting estimates of pediatric BP based on the CHMS.

PMID:39700487 | DOI:10.25318/82-003-x202401200002-eng

Health Rep. 2024 Dec 18;35(12):3-15. doi: 10.25318/82-003-x202401200001-eng.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health problems. However, few studies have examined the prevalence of, and factors associated with, anxiety disorders among older Canadians (65 years or older), with a particular focus on Indigenous and racialized population groups.

DATA AND METHODS: Data from eight cycles of the annual Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) – 2015 to 2022 – were used to examine anxiety disorders among older Canadians. Multivariable logistic regression, stratified by sex, was carried out on a pooled sample of 151,755 respondents aged 65 years or older.

RESULTS: From 2015 to 2022, on average, 6.0% of older Canadians reported a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, with females (7.5%) more likely than males (4.2%) to have done so. Indigenous males had higher odds of having an anxiety disorder than non-Indigenous, non-racialized males, while Chinese and other racialized females had lower odds of having an anxiety disorder than non-Indigenous, non-racialized females.

INTERPRETATION: Findings of this study highlight the importance of considering Indigenous and racialized population groups disaggregated by sex when examining anxiety disorders among older Canadians to inform screening and intervention programs.

PMID:39700486 | DOI:10.25318/82-003-x202401200001-eng