Respiratory

Due to increased RSV activity observed in Southeastern regions of the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an official Health Alert Network Health Advisory. The CDC recommends that clinicians prepare to implement recently FDA-approved prevention methods.

Review some of the top stories from the Contemporary Pediatrics website over the last week, and catch up on anything you may have missed.

From a virus that had no treatment options, to one that may be prevented in two different modalities, clinicians are hoping to see a reduction in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) incidence rates, starting this fall.

Donna Hallas PhD, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN, reflects on an article about wildfire inhalation and children, published in our August 2023 issue, and provides pediatric nurse practitioners some tips if they encounter these types of cases.

Investigators of a study published in Pediatrics examined whether a 30-minute exposure to outdoor air (< 50 °F) would improve symptoms of mild to moderate croup.

Tina Tan, MD, FAAP, FIDSA, FPIDS, discusses what Pfizer's recently FDA-approved RSV vaccine means for infants ahead of the traditional RSV season.

Approved for use at 32 weeks through 36 weeks gestation, Pfizer’s maternal respiratory syncytial vaccine (Abrysvo), is delivered through a single dose injection to the muscle, and is the first vaccine for use in pregnant individuals to prevent lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) and severe LRTD because of RSV in infants (birth to 6 months).

The recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) follows the unanimous recommendation by the CDC advisory group for routine use of nirsevimab in newborns and infants younger than 8 months born into or entering their first RSV season.

Study authors stated that several past studies have put focus on training an independent model separately for lung or heart sound diagnosis but note that having a model that can “simultaneously detect abnormal lung and heart sounds,” is essential.

After this summer’s Canadian wildfires, should we be concerned about future air quality emergencies? This article was originally published on our sister publication’s website, Drug Topics®.

In this Contemporary Pediatrics® interview, Samir Gautam, MD, (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine), Yale School of Medicine, senior author of a recently published study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, reviews key findings of the study and explains how they relate to the pediatric population. Watch the full interview below.

The ACIP voted in unanimous fashion, 10 to 0, to recommend routine use of nirsevimab-alip for newborns and infants younger than 8 months, born during or entering the first RSV season according to a press release from Sanofi.

Previously available under an Emergency Use Authorization, the combination test can detect and distinguish COVID-19, influenza A/B, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The clearance comes ahead of respiratory season, which, according to BD, could result in another “tripledemic” threat.

If nintedanib is approved by the FDA, it would be the first and only treatment for patients aged 6 to 17 with fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD).

An expert in pediatric hematology and oncology discusses the important role of a child’s medical home in diagnosing and treating these disorders.

Results from this active, facility-based surveillance study revealed hospitalization rates for children younger than 5 years were 1.7 to 7.1 times higher among American Indian and Alaska Native children compared to estimates from the methodologically similar US New Vaccine Surveillance Network (NVSN).

According to Pfizer, the investigational vaccine to protect against Group B Streptococcus (GBS) generated maternal antibody responses against 6 capsular polysaccharide serotypes and efficiently transferred antibodies to the infants. The announcement of this phase 2 data comes in July, which is International Group B Streptococcus Month.

John Bradley, MD, medical director, infectious disease, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, California; professor of pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine, explains how recently FDA-approved nirsevimab-alip will impact the newborn and infant RSV patient population.

The approval follows a unanimous vote of support from the FDA Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee of nirsevimab-alip’s favorable benefit-risk profile for the prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) in newborns and infants amid their first RSV season.

A resurgence of this infection, particularly in the pediatric population, has health care providers on alert.

A new study highlights the benefits of using the hypertonic saline test to determine the appropriate dose of inhaled corticosteroids for managing asthma in children.

Prevention and treatment strategies for tick-borne diseases and respiratory infections

Seasonal changes and COVID-19 have affected patterns in human metapneumovirus.

In unanimous fashion, the FDA AMDAC voted 21 to 0 that nirsevimab has a favorable benefit risk profile for the prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) in newborns and infants during their first RSV season.

Devan Jaganath, MD, MPH, pediatric infectious disease physician, University of California San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospitals, explains how Hyfe AI and other artificial intelligence algorithms can detect and monitor coughing, potentially playing a role in treating RSV patients.

The FDA Advisory Committee recently voted in support of approval for Pfizer's maternal immunization vaccine to help prevent RSV in infants. In this Contemporary Pediatrics® interview, Tina Tan, MD, FAAP, FIDSA, FPIDS, pediatric infectious diseases attending, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, explains what this means for this patient population ahead of an expected FDA decision in August, 2023.

Nirsevimab’s efficacy against infant hospitalizations due to respiratory syncytial virus was reinforced after a phase 3b clinical trial, demonstrating an 83% reduction in infant hospitalizations.

Hidden triggers and asthma mimickers can complicate this common childhood condition.

How much progress have we made in developing therapies to treat this common childhood respiratory disorder?

New data quantify the exposure to wildfire particulate matter among schoolchildren in California, finding that interventions in a small number of schools may reduce the overall burden of wildfire PM2.5 exposure.