Pediatrics

A growing body of research links the gut with the brain and behavior, but compartmentalization within the medical community may be slowing investigation of the gut-brain axis, according to a leading expert.

Studies have shown that the microbiome may influence a diverse range of behavioral and neurological processes, from acute and chronic stress responses to development of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, reported John F. Cryan, PhD, of University College Cork, Ireland.

Dr. Cryan began his presentation at the annual Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit by citing Hippocrates, who is thought to have stated that all diseases begin in the gut.

“That can be quite strange when I talk to my neurology or psychiatry colleagues,” Dr. Cryan said. “They sometimes look at me like I have two heads. Because in medicine we compartmentalize, and if you are studying neurology or psychiatry or [you are] in clinical practice, you are focusing on everything from the neck upwards.”

For more than a decade, Dr. Cryan and colleagues have been investigating the gut-brain axis, predominantly in mouse models, but also across animal species and in humans.

At the meeting, sponsored by the American Gastroenterological Association and the European Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Dr. Cryan reviewed a variety of representative studies.

For instance, in both mice and humans, research has shown that C-section, which is associated with poorer microbiome diversity than vaginal delivery, has also been linked with social deficits and elevated stress responses. And in the case of mice, coprophagia, in which cesarean-delivered mice eat the feces of vaginally born mice, has been shown to ameliorate these psychiatric effects.

Dr. Cryan likened this process to an “artificial fecal transplant.”

“You know, co-housing and eating each other’s poo is not the translational approach that we were advocating by any means,” Dr. Cryan said. “But at least it tells us – in a proof-of-concept way – that if we change the microbiome, then we can reverse what’s going on.”

While the mechanisms behind the gut-brain axis remain incompletely understood, Dr. Cryan noted that the vagus nerve, which travels from the gut to the brain, plays a central role, and that transecting this nerve in mice stops the microbiome from affecting the brain.

“What happens in vagus doesn’t just stay in vagus, but will actually affect our emotions in different ways,” Dr. Cryan said.

He emphasized that communication travels both ways along the gut-brain axis, and went on to describe how this phenomenon has been demonstrated across a wide array of animals.

“From insects all the way through to primates, if you start to interfere with social behavior, you change the microbiome,” Dr. Cryan said. “But the opposite is also true; if you start to change the microbiome you can start to have widespread effects on social behavior.”

In humans, manipulating the microbiome could open up new psychiatric frontiers, Dr. Cryan said.

“[In the past 30 years], there really have been no real advances in how we manage mental health,” he said. “That’s very sobering when we are having such a mental health problem across all ages right now. And so perhaps it’s time for what we’ve coined the ‘psychobiotic revolution’ – time for a new way of thinking about mental health.”

According to Dr. Cryan, psychobiotics are interventions that target the microbiome for mental health purposes, including fermented foods, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, parabiotics, and postbiotics.

Among these, probiotics have been a focal point of interventional research. Although results have been mixed, Dr. Cryan suggested that negative probiotic studies are more likely due to bacterial strain than a failure of the concept as a whole.

“Most strains of bacteria will do absolutely nothing,” Dr. Cryan said. “Strain is really important.”

In demonstration of this concept, he recounted a 2017 study conducted at University College Cork in which 22 healthy volunteers were given Bifidobacterium longum 1714, and then subjected to a social stress test. The results, published in Translational Psychiatry, showed that the probiotic, compared with placebo, was associated with attenuated stress responses, reduced daily stress, and enhanced visuospatial memory.

In contrast, a similar study by Dr. Cryan and colleagues, which tested Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1), fell short.

“You [could not have gotten] more negative data into one paper if you tried,” Dr. Cryan said, referring to the study. “It did absolutely nothing.”

To find out which psychobiotics may have an impact, and how, Dr. Cryan called for more research.

“It’s still early days,” he said. “We probably have more meta-analyses and systematic reviews of the field than we have primary research papers.

Dr. Cryan concluded his presentation on an optimistic note.

“Neurology is waking up ... to understand that the microbiome could be playing a key role in many, many other disorders. ... Overall, what we’re beginning to see is that our state of gut markedly affects our state of mind.”

Dr. Cryan disclosed relationships with Abbott Nutrition, Roche Pharma, Nutricia, and others.

A growing body of research links the gut with the brain and behavior, but compartmentalization within the medical community may be slowing investigation of the gut-brain axis, according to a leading expert.

Studies have shown that the microbiome may influence a diverse range of behavioral and neurological processes, from acute and chronic stress responses to development of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, reported John F. Cryan, PhD, of University College Cork, Ireland.

Dr. Cryan began his presentation at the annual Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit by citing Hippocrates, who is thought to have stated that all diseases begin in the gut.

“That can be quite strange when I talk to my neurology or psychiatry colleagues,” Dr. Cryan said. “They sometimes look at me like I have two heads. Because in medicine we compartmentalize, and if you are studying neurology or psychiatry or [you are] in clinical practice, you are focusing on everything from the neck upwards.”

For more than a decade, Dr. Cryan and colleagues have been investigating the gut-brain axis, predominantly in mouse models, but also across animal species and in humans.

At the meeting, sponsored by the American Gastroenterological Association and the European Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Dr. Cryan reviewed a variety of representative studies.

For instance, in both mice and humans, research has shown that C-section, which is associated with poorer microbiome diversity than vaginal delivery, has also been linked with social deficits and elevated stress responses. And in the case of mice, coprophagia, in which cesarean-delivered mice eat the feces of vaginally born mice, has been shown to ameliorate these psychiatric effects.

Dr. Cryan likened this process to an “artificial fecal transplant.”

“You know, co-housing and eating each other’s poo is not the translational approach that we were advocating by any means,” Dr. Cryan said. “But at least it tells us – in a proof-of-concept way – that if we change the microbiome, then we can reverse what’s going on.”

While the mechanisms behind the gut-brain axis remain incompletely understood, Dr. Cryan noted that the vagus nerve, which travels from the gut to the brain, plays a central role, and that transecting this nerve in mice stops the microbiome from affecting the brain.

“What happens in vagus doesn’t just stay in vagus, but will actually affect our emotions in different ways,” Dr. Cryan said.

He emphasized that communication travels both ways along the gut-brain axis, and went on to describe how this phenomenon has been demonstrated across a wide array of animals.

“From insects all the way through to primates, if you start to interfere with social behavior, you change the microbiome,” Dr. Cryan said. “But the opposite is also true; if you start to change the microbiome you can start to have widespread effects on social behavior.”

In humans, manipulating the microbiome could open up new psychiatric frontiers, Dr. Cryan said.

“[In the past 30 years], there really have been no real advances in how we manage mental health,” he said. “That’s very sobering when we are having such a mental health problem across all ages right now. And so perhaps it’s time for what we’ve coined the ‘psychobiotic revolution’ – time for a new way of thinking about mental health.”

According to Dr. Cryan, psychobiotics are interventions that target the microbiome for mental health purposes, including fermented foods, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, parabiotics, and postbiotics.

Among these, probiotics have been a focal point of interventional research. Although results have been mixed, Dr. Cryan suggested that negative probiotic studies are more likely due to bacterial strain than a failure of the concept as a whole.

“Most strains of bacteria will do absolutely nothing,” Dr. Cryan said. “Strain is really important.”

In demonstration of this concept, he recounted a 2017 study conducted at University College Cork in which 22 healthy volunteers were given Bifidobacterium longum 1714, and then subjected to a social stress test. The results, published in Translational Psychiatry, showed that the probiotic, compared with placebo, was associated with attenuated stress responses, reduced daily stress, and enhanced visuospatial memory.

In contrast, a similar study by Dr. Cryan and colleagues, which tested Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1), fell short.

“You [could not have gotten] more negative data into one paper if you tried,” Dr. Cryan said, referring to the study. “It did absolutely nothing.”

To find out which psychobiotics may have an impact, and how, Dr. Cryan called for more research.

“It’s still early days,” he said. “We probably have more meta-analyses and systematic reviews of the field than we have primary research papers.

Dr. Cryan concluded his presentation on an optimistic note.

“Neurology is waking up ... to understand that the microbiome could be playing a key role in many, many other disorders. ... Overall, what we’re beginning to see is that our state of gut markedly affects our state of mind.”

Dr. Cryan disclosed relationships with Abbott Nutrition, Roche Pharma, Nutricia, and others.

A growing body of research links the gut with the brain and behavior, but compartmentalization within the medical community may be slowing investigation of the gut-brain axis, according to a leading expert.

Studies have shown that the microbiome may influence a diverse range of behavioral and neurological processes, from acute and chronic stress responses to development of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, reported John F. Cryan, PhD, of University College Cork, Ireland.

Dr. Cryan began his presentation at the annual Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit by citing Hippocrates, who is thought to have stated that all diseases begin in the gut.

“That can be quite strange when I talk to my neurology or psychiatry colleagues,” Dr. Cryan said. “They sometimes look at me like I have two heads. Because in medicine we compartmentalize, and if you are studying neurology or psychiatry or [you are] in clinical practice, you are focusing on everything from the neck upwards.”

For more than a decade, Dr. Cryan and colleagues have been investigating the gut-brain axis, predominantly in mouse models, but also across animal species and in humans.

At the meeting, sponsored by the American Gastroenterological Association and the European Society for Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Dr. Cryan reviewed a variety of representative studies.

For instance, in both mice and humans, research has shown that C-section, which is associated with poorer microbiome diversity than vaginal delivery, has also been linked with social deficits and elevated stress responses. And in the case of mice, coprophagia, in which cesarean-delivered mice eat the feces of vaginally born mice, has been shown to ameliorate these psychiatric effects.

Dr. Cryan likened this process to an “artificial fecal transplant.”

“You know, co-housing and eating each other’s poo is not the translational approach that we were advocating by any means,” Dr. Cryan said. “But at least it tells us – in a proof-of-concept way – that if we change the microbiome, then we can reverse what’s going on.”

While the mechanisms behind the gut-brain axis remain incompletely understood, Dr. Cryan noted that the vagus nerve, which travels from the gut to the brain, plays a central role, and that transecting this nerve in mice stops the microbiome from affecting the brain.

“What happens in vagus doesn’t just stay in vagus, but will actually affect our emotions in different ways,” Dr. Cryan said.

He emphasized that communication travels both ways along the gut-brain axis, and went on to describe how this phenomenon has been demonstrated across a wide array of animals.

“From insects all the way through to primates, if you start to interfere with social behavior, you change the microbiome,” Dr. Cryan said. “But the opposite is also true; if you start to change the microbiome you can start to have widespread effects on social behavior.”

In humans, manipulating the microbiome could open up new psychiatric frontiers, Dr. Cryan said.

“[In the past 30 years], there really have been no real advances in how we manage mental health,” he said. “That’s very sobering when we are having such a mental health problem across all ages right now. And so perhaps it’s time for what we’ve coined the ‘psychobiotic revolution’ – time for a new way of thinking about mental health.”

According to Dr. Cryan, psychobiotics are interventions that target the microbiome for mental health purposes, including fermented foods, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, parabiotics, and postbiotics.

Among these, probiotics have been a focal point of interventional research. Although results have been mixed, Dr. Cryan suggested that negative probiotic studies are more likely due to bacterial strain than a failure of the concept as a whole.

“Most strains of bacteria will do absolutely nothing,” Dr. Cryan said. “Strain is really important.”

In demonstration of this concept, he recounted a 2017 study conducted at University College Cork in which 22 healthy volunteers were given Bifidobacterium longum 1714, and then subjected to a social stress test. The results, published in Translational Psychiatry, showed that the probiotic, compared with placebo, was associated with attenuated stress responses, reduced daily stress, and enhanced visuospatial memory.

In contrast, a similar study by Dr. Cryan and colleagues, which tested Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1), fell short.

“You [could not have gotten] more negative data into one paper if you tried,” Dr. Cryan said, referring to the study. “It did absolutely nothing.”

To find out which psychobiotics may have an impact, and how, Dr. Cryan called for more research.

“It’s still early days,” he said. “We probably have more meta-analyses and systematic reviews of the field than we have primary research papers.

Dr. Cryan concluded his presentation on an optimistic note.

“Neurology is waking up ... to understand that the microbiome could be playing a key role in many, many other disorders. ... Overall, what we’re beginning to see is that our state of gut markedly affects our state of mind.”

Dr. Cryan disclosed relationships with Abbott Nutrition, Roche Pharma, Nutricia, and others.

Pediatric cases of COVID-19 infection are typically mild, but underlying coinfection may be more common in children than in adults, according to an analysis of clinical, laboratory, and chest CT features of pediatric inpatients in Wuhan, China.

Robert Wei/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The findings point toward a need for early chest CT with corresponding pathogen detection in children with suspected COVID-19 infection, Wei Xia, MD, of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, and colleagues reported in Pediatric Pulmonology.

The most common symptoms in 20 pediatric patients hospitalized between Jan. 23 and Feb. 8, 2020, with COVID-19 infection confirmed by the pharyngeal swab COVID-19 nucleic acid test were fever and cough, which occurred in 60% and 65% of patients, respectively. Coinfection was detected in eight patients (40%), they noted.

Clinical manifestations were similar to those seen in adults, but overall symptoms were relatively mild and overall prognosis was good. Of particular note, 7 of the 20 (35%) patients had a previously diagnosed congenital or acquired diseases, suggesting that children with underlying conditions may be more susceptible, Dr. Xia and colleagues wrote.

Laboratory findings also were notable in that 80% of the children had procalcitonin (PCT) elevations not typically seen in adults with COVID-19. PCT is a marker for bacterial infection and “[this finding] may suggest that routine antibacterial treatment should be considered in pediatric patients,” the investigators wrote.

As for imaging results, chest CT findings in children were similar to those in adults.“The typical manifestations were unilateral or bilateral subpleural ground-glass opacities, and consolidations with surrounding halo signs,” Dr. Xia and associates wrote, adding that consolidations with surrounding halo sign accounted for about half the pediatric cases and should be considered as “typical signs in pediatric patients.”

Pediatric cases were “rather rare” in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, where the first cases of infection were reported.

“As a pediatric group is usually susceptible to upper respiratory tract infection, because of their developing immune system, the delayed presence of pediatric patients is confusing,” the investigators wrote, noting that a low detection rate of pharyngeal swab COVID-19 nucleic acid test, distinguishing the virus from other common respiratory tract infectious pathogens in pediatric patients, “is still a problem.”

To better characterize the clinical and imaging features in children versus adults with COVID-19, Dr. Xia and associates reviewed these 20 pediatric cases, including 13 boys and 7 girls with ages ranging from less than 1 month to 14 years, 7 months (median 2 years, 1.5 months). Thirteen had an identified close contact with a COVID-19–diagnosed family member, and all were treated in an isolation ward. A total of 18 children were cured and discharged after an average stay of 13 days, and 2 neonates remained under observation because of positive swab results with negative CT findings. The investigators speculated that the different findings in neonates were perhaps caused by the influence of delivery on sampling or the specific CT manifestations for neonates, adding that more samples are needed for further clarification.

Based on these findings, “the CT imaging of COVID-19 infection should be differentiated with other virus pneumonias such as influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus,” they concluded. It also should “be differentiated from bacterial pneumonia, mycoplasma pneumonia, and chlamydia pneumonia ... the density of pneumonia lesions caused by the latter pathogens is relatively higher.”

However, Dr. Xia and colleagues noted that chest CT manifestations of pneumonia caused by different pathogens overlap, and COVID-19 pneumonia “can be superimposed with serious and complex imaging manifestations, so epidemiological and etiological examinations should be combined.”

The investigators concluded that COVID-19 virus pneumonia in children is generally mild, and that the characteristic changes of subpleural ground-glass opacities and consolidations with surrounding halo on chest CT provide an “effective means for follow-up and evaluating the changes of lung lesions.”

“In the case that the positive rate of COVID-19 nucleic acid test from pharyngeal swab samples is not high, the early detection of lesions by CT is conducive to reasonable management and early treatment for pediatric patients. However, the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia by CT imaging alone is not sufficient enough, especially in the case of coinfection with other pathogens,” Dr. Xia and associates wrote. “Therefore, early chest CT screening and timely follow-up, combined with corresponding pathogen detection, is a feasible clinical protocol in children.”

An early study

In a separate retrospective analysis described in a letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, Weiyong Liu, PhD, of Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and colleagues found that the most frequently detected pathogens in 366 children under the age of 16 years hospitalized with respiratory infections in Wuhan during Jan. 7-15, 2020, were influenza A virus (6.3% of cases) and influenza B virus (5.5% of cases), whereas COVID-19 was detected in 1.6% of cases.

The median age of the COVID-19 patients in that series was 3 years (range 1-7 years), and in contrast to the findings of Xia et al., all previously had been “completely healthy.” Common characteristics were high fever and cough in all six patients, and vomiting in four patients. Five had pneumonia as assessed by X-ray, and CTs showed typical viral pneumonia patterns.

One patient was admitted to a pediatric ICU. All patients received antiviral agents, antibiotic agents, and supportive therapies; all recovered after a median hospital stay of 7.5 days (median range, 5-13 days).

In contrast with the findings of Xia et al., the findings of Liu et al. showed COVID-19 caused moderate to severe respiratory illness in children, and that infections in children were occurring early in the epidemic.
 

Some perspective

In an interview regarding the findings by Xia et al., Stephen I. Pelton, MD, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at Boston University, and director of pediatric infectious diseases at Boston Medical Center, noted the absence of fever in 40% of cases.

“This is important, as the criteria for testing by public health departments has been high fever, cough, and shortness of breath,” he said. “The absence of fever is not inconsistent with COVID-19 disease.”

Another important point regarding the findings by Xia et al. is that the highest attack rates appear to be in children under 1 year of age, he said, further noting that the finding of concurrent influenza A, influenza B, or respiratory syncytial virus underscores that “concurrent infection can occur, and the presence of another virus in diagnostic tests does not mean that COVID-19 is not causal.”

As for whether the finding of elevated procalcitonin levels in 80% of cases reflects COVID-19 disease or coinfection with bacteria, the answer is unclear. But none of the children in the study were proven to have bacterial disease, he said, adding that “this marker will need to be interpreted with caution in the setting of COVID-19 disease.”

Dr. Xia and colleagues reported having no disclosures. Dr. Liu and associates also reported having no disclosures. The study by Liu et al. was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the National Mega Project on Major Infectious Disease Prevention, and the National Key Research and Development Program of China.

[email protected]

SOURCES: Xia W et al. Ped Pulmonol. 2020 Mar 5. doi: 10.1002/ppul.24718; Liu W et al. N Engl J Med. 2020 Mar 12. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2003717.

Pediatric cases of COVID-19 infection are typically mild, but underlying coinfection may be more common in children than in adults, according to an analysis of clinical, laboratory, and chest CT features of pediatric inpatients in Wuhan, China.

Robert Wei/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The findings point toward a need for early chest CT with corresponding pathogen detection in children with suspected COVID-19 infection, Wei Xia, MD, of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, and colleagues reported in Pediatric Pulmonology.

The most common symptoms in 20 pediatric patients hospitalized between Jan. 23 and Feb. 8, 2020, with COVID-19 infection confirmed by the pharyngeal swab COVID-19 nucleic acid test were fever and cough, which occurred in 60% and 65% of patients, respectively. Coinfection was detected in eight patients (40%), they noted.

Clinical manifestations were similar to those seen in adults, but overall symptoms were relatively mild and overall prognosis was good. Of particular note, 7 of the 20 (35%) patients had a previously diagnosed congenital or acquired diseases, suggesting that children with underlying conditions may be more susceptible, Dr. Xia and colleagues wrote.

Laboratory findings also were notable in that 80% of the children had procalcitonin (PCT) elevations not typically seen in adults with COVID-19. PCT is a marker for bacterial infection and “[this finding] may suggest that routine antibacterial treatment should be considered in pediatric patients,” the investigators wrote.

As for imaging results, chest CT findings in children were similar to those in adults.“The typical manifestations were unilateral or bilateral subpleural ground-glass opacities, and consolidations with surrounding halo signs,” Dr. Xia and associates wrote, adding that consolidations with surrounding halo sign accounted for about half the pediatric cases and should be considered as “typical signs in pediatric patients.”

Pediatric cases were “rather rare” in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, where the first cases of infection were reported.

“As a pediatric group is usually susceptible to upper respiratory tract infection, because of their developing immune system, the delayed presence of pediatric patients is confusing,” the investigators wrote, noting that a low detection rate of pharyngeal swab COVID-19 nucleic acid test, distinguishing the virus from other common respiratory tract infectious pathogens in pediatric patients, “is still a problem.”

To better characterize the clinical and imaging features in children versus adults with COVID-19, Dr. Xia and associates reviewed these 20 pediatric cases, including 13 boys and 7 girls with ages ranging from less than 1 month to 14 years, 7 months (median 2 years, 1.5 months). Thirteen had an identified close contact with a COVID-19–diagnosed family member, and all were treated in an isolation ward. A total of 18 children were cured and discharged after an average stay of 13 days, and 2 neonates remained under observation because of positive swab results with negative CT findings. The investigators speculated that the different findings in neonates were perhaps caused by the influence of delivery on sampling or the specific CT manifestations for neonates, adding that more samples are needed for further clarification.

Based on these findings, “the CT imaging of COVID-19 infection should be differentiated with other virus pneumonias such as influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus,” they concluded. It also should “be differentiated from bacterial pneumonia, mycoplasma pneumonia, and chlamydia pneumonia ... the density of pneumonia lesions caused by the latter pathogens is relatively higher.”

However, Dr. Xia and colleagues noted that chest CT manifestations of pneumonia caused by different pathogens overlap, and COVID-19 pneumonia “can be superimposed with serious and complex imaging manifestations, so epidemiological and etiological examinations should be combined.”

The investigators concluded that COVID-19 virus pneumonia in children is generally mild, and that the characteristic changes of subpleural ground-glass opacities and consolidations with surrounding halo on chest CT provide an “effective means for follow-up and evaluating the changes of lung lesions.”

“In the case that the positive rate of COVID-19 nucleic acid test from pharyngeal swab samples is not high, the early detection of lesions by CT is conducive to reasonable management and early treatment for pediatric patients. However, the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia by CT imaging alone is not sufficient enough, especially in the case of coinfection with other pathogens,” Dr. Xia and associates wrote. “Therefore, early chest CT screening and timely follow-up, combined with corresponding pathogen detection, is a feasible clinical protocol in children.”

An early study

In a separate retrospective analysis described in a letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, Weiyong Liu, PhD, of Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and colleagues found that the most frequently detected pathogens in 366 children under the age of 16 years hospitalized with respiratory infections in Wuhan during Jan. 7-15, 2020, were influenza A virus (6.3% of cases) and influenza B virus (5.5% of cases), whereas COVID-19 was detected in 1.6% of cases.

The median age of the COVID-19 patients in that series was 3 years (range 1-7 years), and in contrast to the findings of Xia et al., all previously had been “completely healthy.” Common characteristics were high fever and cough in all six patients, and vomiting in four patients. Five had pneumonia as assessed by X-ray, and CTs showed typical viral pneumonia patterns.

One patient was admitted to a pediatric ICU. All patients received antiviral agents, antibiotic agents, and supportive therapies; all recovered after a median hospital stay of 7.5 days (median range, 5-13 days).

In contrast with the findings of Xia et al., the findings of Liu et al. showed COVID-19 caused moderate to severe respiratory illness in children, and that infections in children were occurring early in the epidemic.
 

Some perspective

In an interview regarding the findings by Xia et al., Stephen I. Pelton, MD, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at Boston University, and director of pediatric infectious diseases at Boston Medical Center, noted the absence of fever in 40% of cases.

“This is important, as the criteria for testing by public health departments has been high fever, cough, and shortness of breath,” he said. “The absence of fever is not inconsistent with COVID-19 disease.”

Another important point regarding the findings by Xia et al. is that the highest attack rates appear to be in children under 1 year of age, he said, further noting that the finding of concurrent influenza A, influenza B, or respiratory syncytial virus underscores that “concurrent infection can occur, and the presence of another virus in diagnostic tests does not mean that COVID-19 is not causal.”

As for whether the finding of elevated procalcitonin levels in 80% of cases reflects COVID-19 disease or coinfection with bacteria, the answer is unclear. But none of the children in the study were proven to have bacterial disease, he said, adding that “this marker will need to be interpreted with caution in the setting of COVID-19 disease.”

Dr. Xia and colleagues reported having no disclosures. Dr. Liu and associates also reported having no disclosures. The study by Liu et al. was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the National Mega Project on Major Infectious Disease Prevention, and the National Key Research and Development Program of China.

[email protected]

SOURCES: Xia W et al. Ped Pulmonol. 2020 Mar 5. doi: 10.1002/ppul.24718; Liu W et al. N Engl J Med. 2020 Mar 12. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2003717.

Pediatric cases of COVID-19 infection are typically mild, but underlying coinfection may be more common in children than in adults, according to an analysis of clinical, laboratory, and chest CT features of pediatric inpatients in Wuhan, China.

Robert Wei/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The findings point toward a need for early chest CT with corresponding pathogen detection in children with suspected COVID-19 infection, Wei Xia, MD, of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, and colleagues reported in Pediatric Pulmonology.

The most common symptoms in 20 pediatric patients hospitalized between Jan. 23 and Feb. 8, 2020, with COVID-19 infection confirmed by the pharyngeal swab COVID-19 nucleic acid test were fever and cough, which occurred in 60% and 65% of patients, respectively. Coinfection was detected in eight patients (40%), they noted.

Clinical manifestations were similar to those seen in adults, but overall symptoms were relatively mild and overall prognosis was good. Of particular note, 7 of the 20 (35%) patients had a previously diagnosed congenital or acquired diseases, suggesting that children with underlying conditions may be more susceptible, Dr. Xia and colleagues wrote.

Laboratory findings also were notable in that 80% of the children had procalcitonin (PCT) elevations not typically seen in adults with COVID-19. PCT is a marker for bacterial infection and “[this finding] may suggest that routine antibacterial treatment should be considered in pediatric patients,” the investigators wrote.

As for imaging results, chest CT findings in children were similar to those in adults.“The typical manifestations were unilateral or bilateral subpleural ground-glass opacities, and consolidations with surrounding halo signs,” Dr. Xia and associates wrote, adding that consolidations with surrounding halo sign accounted for about half the pediatric cases and should be considered as “typical signs in pediatric patients.”

Pediatric cases were “rather rare” in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, where the first cases of infection were reported.

“As a pediatric group is usually susceptible to upper respiratory tract infection, because of their developing immune system, the delayed presence of pediatric patients is confusing,” the investigators wrote, noting that a low detection rate of pharyngeal swab COVID-19 nucleic acid test, distinguishing the virus from other common respiratory tract infectious pathogens in pediatric patients, “is still a problem.”

To better characterize the clinical and imaging features in children versus adults with COVID-19, Dr. Xia and associates reviewed these 20 pediatric cases, including 13 boys and 7 girls with ages ranging from less than 1 month to 14 years, 7 months (median 2 years, 1.5 months). Thirteen had an identified close contact with a COVID-19–diagnosed family member, and all were treated in an isolation ward. A total of 18 children were cured and discharged after an average stay of 13 days, and 2 neonates remained under observation because of positive swab results with negative CT findings. The investigators speculated that the different findings in neonates were perhaps caused by the influence of delivery on sampling or the specific CT manifestations for neonates, adding that more samples are needed for further clarification.

Based on these findings, “the CT imaging of COVID-19 infection should be differentiated with other virus pneumonias such as influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus,” they concluded. It also should “be differentiated from bacterial pneumonia, mycoplasma pneumonia, and chlamydia pneumonia ... the density of pneumonia lesions caused by the latter pathogens is relatively higher.”

However, Dr. Xia and colleagues noted that chest CT manifestations of pneumonia caused by different pathogens overlap, and COVID-19 pneumonia “can be superimposed with serious and complex imaging manifestations, so epidemiological and etiological examinations should be combined.”

The investigators concluded that COVID-19 virus pneumonia in children is generally mild, and that the characteristic changes of subpleural ground-glass opacities and consolidations with surrounding halo on chest CT provide an “effective means for follow-up and evaluating the changes of lung lesions.”

“In the case that the positive rate of COVID-19 nucleic acid test from pharyngeal swab samples is not high, the early detection of lesions by CT is conducive to reasonable management and early treatment for pediatric patients. However, the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia by CT imaging alone is not sufficient enough, especially in the case of coinfection with other pathogens,” Dr. Xia and associates wrote. “Therefore, early chest CT screening and timely follow-up, combined with corresponding pathogen detection, is a feasible clinical protocol in children.”

An early study

In a separate retrospective analysis described in a letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, Weiyong Liu, PhD, of Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and colleagues found that the most frequently detected pathogens in 366 children under the age of 16 years hospitalized with respiratory infections in Wuhan during Jan. 7-15, 2020, were influenza A virus (6.3% of cases) and influenza B virus (5.5% of cases), whereas COVID-19 was detected in 1.6% of cases.

The median age of the COVID-19 patients in that series was 3 years (range 1-7 years), and in contrast to the findings of Xia et al., all previously had been “completely healthy.” Common characteristics were high fever and cough in all six patients, and vomiting in four patients. Five had pneumonia as assessed by X-ray, and CTs showed typical viral pneumonia patterns.

One patient was admitted to a pediatric ICU. All patients received antiviral agents, antibiotic agents, and supportive therapies; all recovered after a median hospital stay of 7.5 days (median range, 5-13 days).

In contrast with the findings of Xia et al., the findings of Liu et al. showed COVID-19 caused moderate to severe respiratory illness in children, and that infections in children were occurring early in the epidemic.
 

Some perspective

In an interview regarding the findings by Xia et al., Stephen I. Pelton, MD, professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at Boston University, and director of pediatric infectious diseases at Boston Medical Center, noted the absence of fever in 40% of cases.

“This is important, as the criteria for testing by public health departments has been high fever, cough, and shortness of breath,” he said. “The absence of fever is not inconsistent with COVID-19 disease.”

Another important point regarding the findings by Xia et al. is that the highest attack rates appear to be in children under 1 year of age, he said, further noting that the finding of concurrent influenza A, influenza B, or respiratory syncytial virus underscores that “concurrent infection can occur, and the presence of another virus in diagnostic tests does not mean that COVID-19 is not causal.”

As for whether the finding of elevated procalcitonin levels in 80% of cases reflects COVID-19 disease or coinfection with bacteria, the answer is unclear. But none of the children in the study were proven to have bacterial disease, he said, adding that “this marker will need to be interpreted with caution in the setting of COVID-19 disease.”

Dr. Xia and colleagues reported having no disclosures. Dr. Liu and associates also reported having no disclosures. The study by Liu et al. was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the National Mega Project on Major Infectious Disease Prevention, and the National Key Research and Development Program of China.

[email protected]

SOURCES: Xia W et al. Ped Pulmonol. 2020 Mar 5. doi: 10.1002/ppul.24718; Liu W et al. N Engl J Med. 2020 Mar 12. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2003717.

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) plus vitamin D deficiency were found to have more hospitalization outcomes, including number of emergency department (ED) visits, the number of hospital admissions for pain crisis, and the length of hospital admission, according to a study published online by researchers from New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.

Dr_Microbe/Thinkstock

The researchers performed a retrospective chart review of all 134 pediatric patients with SCD (aged 1-21 years) from January 2015 to January 2016 in an urban-based hospital setting. Ninety patients with at least one reported vitamin D level who maintained follow-up during the time studied were enrolled. Hospitalization rates were compared between vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/mL) and sufficiency (> 20 ng/mL) patients.

When compared to patients with SCD and sufficient vitamin D levels, patients with both SCD and vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have at least one ED visit (P < .01), at least one admission for pain crisis (P < .01), and a longer length of admission (^P < .0001), the researchers found.

“Screening and treatment for vitamin D deficiency is generally cost effective and readily available, potentially having a significant impact on the quality of life for those living with sickle cell disease,” the researchers concluded.

The authors reported that there was no study funding and that they had no conflicts of interest.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Brown B et al. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2020.102415.

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) plus vitamin D deficiency were found to have more hospitalization outcomes, including number of emergency department (ED) visits, the number of hospital admissions for pain crisis, and the length of hospital admission, according to a study published online by researchers from New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.

Dr_Microbe/Thinkstock

The researchers performed a retrospective chart review of all 134 pediatric patients with SCD (aged 1-21 years) from January 2015 to January 2016 in an urban-based hospital setting. Ninety patients with at least one reported vitamin D level who maintained follow-up during the time studied were enrolled. Hospitalization rates were compared between vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/mL) and sufficiency (> 20 ng/mL) patients.

When compared to patients with SCD and sufficient vitamin D levels, patients with both SCD and vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have at least one ED visit (P < .01), at least one admission for pain crisis (P < .01), and a longer length of admission (^P < .0001), the researchers found.

“Screening and treatment for vitamin D deficiency is generally cost effective and readily available, potentially having a significant impact on the quality of life for those living with sickle cell disease,” the researchers concluded.

The authors reported that there was no study funding and that they had no conflicts of interest.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Brown B et al. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2020.102415.

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) plus vitamin D deficiency were found to have more hospitalization outcomes, including number of emergency department (ED) visits, the number of hospital admissions for pain crisis, and the length of hospital admission, according to a study published online by researchers from New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.

Dr_Microbe/Thinkstock

The researchers performed a retrospective chart review of all 134 pediatric patients with SCD (aged 1-21 years) from January 2015 to January 2016 in an urban-based hospital setting. Ninety patients with at least one reported vitamin D level who maintained follow-up during the time studied were enrolled. Hospitalization rates were compared between vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/mL) and sufficiency (> 20 ng/mL) patients.

When compared to patients with SCD and sufficient vitamin D levels, patients with both SCD and vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have at least one ED visit (P < .01), at least one admission for pain crisis (P < .01), and a longer length of admission (^P < .0001), the researchers found.

“Screening and treatment for vitamin D deficiency is generally cost effective and readily available, potentially having a significant impact on the quality of life for those living with sickle cell disease,” the researchers concluded.

The authors reported that there was no study funding and that they had no conflicts of interest.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Brown B et al. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2020.102415.

Patients with atopic dermatitis are at risk for developing the herpes simplex virus (HSV)–related skin complication “eczema herpeticum,” also known as Kaposi’s varicelliform eruption. Eczema herpeticum is characterized by cutaneous pain and vesicular skin lesions, most commonly secondary to infection with HSV-1. The condition may affect individuals with atopic dermatitis or other inflammatory skin disorders. Eczema herpeticum develops when the virus infects large areas of skin, rather than being confined to a small area as in the common cold sore. Eczema herpeticum often appears on the face and neck, although it can appear anywhere on the body. In some cases, the rash may be difficult to distinguish from a patient’s baseline eczema if the latter is poorly controlled. Skin symptoms of eczema herpeticum include clusters of small blisters that are itchy and painful; vesicles that appear red, purple, or black; purulent blisters; or crusting. Classically, the morphology of vesicles or crusted lesions shows a “cluster of grapes” appearance. Eczema herpeticum may present with a high fever, chills, and swollen lymph glands.

Courtesy Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield

While a clinical diagnosis based on the history, physical findings, and morphologic appearance of the rash is reasonable, testing may confirm the diagnosis. The most sensitive and specific tests are polymerase chain reaction sequencing for HSV, direct fluorescent antibody stain, and/or viral culture, while Tzanck smear may show characteristic histologic changes. Treatment is with oral antiviral therapy and treatment of the eczema.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness usually affecting infants and children. The infection often involves the hands, feet, mouth, and sometimes, the genitals and buttocks. The viral exanthem is most commonly caused by the coxsackievirus, of the enterovirus family. Coxsackievirus A16 and enterovirus A71 are the serotypes that are most commonly implicated as the causative agents. HFMD initially presents with a low-grade fever, reduced appetite, and general malaise. About 1-2 days later, the child may develop painful mouth sores with an exanthem that involves the dorsum of the hands, soles of the feet, buttocks, legs, and arms. The exanthem consists of vesicles surrounded by a thin halo of erythema, eventually rupturing and forming superficial ulcers with a gray-yellow base and erythematous rim. The exanthem is itchy, and can be macular, papular, or vesicular. The lesions are nonpruritic, and typically not painful. The diagnosis of HFMD usually is made clinically, although a physician can swab the mouth or get a stool sample for polymerase chain reaction, which will show the virus; treatment is supportive. In children with atopic dermatitis, lesions also can tend to concentrate in areas previously or currently affected by the dermatitis, similar to eczema herpeticum, and the terms eczema coxsackium or atypical HFMD are applicable. In young adults, the disease may present with erythematous papulovesicular lesions on the face, oral mucosa, extensor surfaces of the upper and lower extremities, and palms and soles; confluent, hemorrhagic, and crusted lesions also can be seen on the extremities. Systemic symptoms usually subside in a few days; the skin lesions resolve without scarring in days to weeks.

Secondary bacterial infection is not uncommon in eczema herpeticum patients, reflecting common Staphylococcus aureus infection in atopic dermatitis patients. Streptococcus also may be seen as a concurrent infection. Treatment of secondary bacterial infection may be considered based on clinic context and culture.

Impetiginized eczema also is in the differential diagnosis of eczema herpeticum. S. aureus and Streptococci are the most important causative organisms. Lesions can manifest as a single red papule or macule that quickly becomes vesicular or eroded. Subsequently, the content dries, forming honey-colored crusts. Impetigo may resolve spontaneously, although in the context of infected eczema both topical anti-inflammatory agents (e.g. topical corticosteroids) along with systemic antibiotics may be a reasonable treatment option. Although our patient had honey-colored crusting, the wound culture showed normal bacterial flora.

Primary varicella infection causes acute fever and rash, with an initial exanthem of disseminated pruritic erythematous macules that progress beyond the papular stage, forming clear, fluid-filled vesicles (like dewdrops on a rose petal). In children, the rash presents on the stomach, back, and face, and then spreads to other parts of the body. Blisters also can arise inside the mouth.

In this patient, perioral HSV PCR 1 was positive, and wound culture showed normal oral flora with no organisms or white blood cells seen. The patient responded well to oral acyclovir, and treatment of his underlying atopic dermatitis with low-potency topical corticosteroids.
 

Dr. Bhatti is a research fellow in pediatric dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital and the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Eichenfield is chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego. He is vice chair of the department of dermatology and professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. Neither of the physicians had relevant financial disclosures. Email them at [email protected].

Sources

Can Fam Physician. 2012 Dec;58(12):1358-61.

William L Weston, MD., William Howe, MD. UpToDate. Treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Christine Johnson, MD, Anna Wald, MD, MPH. UpToDate. Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection.

Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH. UpToDate. Atypical exanthems in children.

National Eczema Association. Eczema herpeticum.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms and diagnosis of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD).

Patients with atopic dermatitis are at risk for developing the herpes simplex virus (HSV)–related skin complication “eczema herpeticum,” also known as Kaposi’s varicelliform eruption. Eczema herpeticum is characterized by cutaneous pain and vesicular skin lesions, most commonly secondary to infection with HSV-1. The condition may affect individuals with atopic dermatitis or other inflammatory skin disorders. Eczema herpeticum develops when the virus infects large areas of skin, rather than being confined to a small area as in the common cold sore. Eczema herpeticum often appears on the face and neck, although it can appear anywhere on the body. In some cases, the rash may be difficult to distinguish from a patient’s baseline eczema if the latter is poorly controlled. Skin symptoms of eczema herpeticum include clusters of small blisters that are itchy and painful; vesicles that appear red, purple, or black; purulent blisters; or crusting. Classically, the morphology of vesicles or crusted lesions shows a “cluster of grapes” appearance. Eczema herpeticum may present with a high fever, chills, and swollen lymph glands.

Courtesy Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield

While a clinical diagnosis based on the history, physical findings, and morphologic appearance of the rash is reasonable, testing may confirm the diagnosis. The most sensitive and specific tests are polymerase chain reaction sequencing for HSV, direct fluorescent antibody stain, and/or viral culture, while Tzanck smear may show characteristic histologic changes. Treatment is with oral antiviral therapy and treatment of the eczema.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness usually affecting infants and children. The infection often involves the hands, feet, mouth, and sometimes, the genitals and buttocks. The viral exanthem is most commonly caused by the coxsackievirus, of the enterovirus family. Coxsackievirus A16 and enterovirus A71 are the serotypes that are most commonly implicated as the causative agents. HFMD initially presents with a low-grade fever, reduced appetite, and general malaise. About 1-2 days later, the child may develop painful mouth sores with an exanthem that involves the dorsum of the hands, soles of the feet, buttocks, legs, and arms. The exanthem consists of vesicles surrounded by a thin halo of erythema, eventually rupturing and forming superficial ulcers with a gray-yellow base and erythematous rim. The exanthem is itchy, and can be macular, papular, or vesicular. The lesions are nonpruritic, and typically not painful. The diagnosis of HFMD usually is made clinically, although a physician can swab the mouth or get a stool sample for polymerase chain reaction, which will show the virus; treatment is supportive. In children with atopic dermatitis, lesions also can tend to concentrate in areas previously or currently affected by the dermatitis, similar to eczema herpeticum, and the terms eczema coxsackium or atypical HFMD are applicable. In young adults, the disease may present with erythematous papulovesicular lesions on the face, oral mucosa, extensor surfaces of the upper and lower extremities, and palms and soles; confluent, hemorrhagic, and crusted lesions also can be seen on the extremities. Systemic symptoms usually subside in a few days; the skin lesions resolve without scarring in days to weeks.

Secondary bacterial infection is not uncommon in eczema herpeticum patients, reflecting common Staphylococcus aureus infection in atopic dermatitis patients. Streptococcus also may be seen as a concurrent infection. Treatment of secondary bacterial infection may be considered based on clinic context and culture.

Impetiginized eczema also is in the differential diagnosis of eczema herpeticum. S. aureus and Streptococci are the most important causative organisms. Lesions can manifest as a single red papule or macule that quickly becomes vesicular or eroded. Subsequently, the content dries, forming honey-colored crusts. Impetigo may resolve spontaneously, although in the context of infected eczema both topical anti-inflammatory agents (e.g. topical corticosteroids) along with systemic antibiotics may be a reasonable treatment option. Although our patient had honey-colored crusting, the wound culture showed normal bacterial flora.

Primary varicella infection causes acute fever and rash, with an initial exanthem of disseminated pruritic erythematous macules that progress beyond the papular stage, forming clear, fluid-filled vesicles (like dewdrops on a rose petal). In children, the rash presents on the stomach, back, and face, and then spreads to other parts of the body. Blisters also can arise inside the mouth.

In this patient, perioral HSV PCR 1 was positive, and wound culture showed normal oral flora with no organisms or white blood cells seen. The patient responded well to oral acyclovir, and treatment of his underlying atopic dermatitis with low-potency topical corticosteroids.
 

Dr. Bhatti is a research fellow in pediatric dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital and the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Eichenfield is chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego. He is vice chair of the department of dermatology and professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. Neither of the physicians had relevant financial disclosures. Email them at [email protected].

Sources

Can Fam Physician. 2012 Dec;58(12):1358-61.

William L Weston, MD., William Howe, MD. UpToDate. Treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Christine Johnson, MD, Anna Wald, MD, MPH. UpToDate. Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection.

Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH. UpToDate. Atypical exanthems in children.

National Eczema Association. Eczema herpeticum.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms and diagnosis of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD).

Patients with atopic dermatitis are at risk for developing the herpes simplex virus (HSV)–related skin complication “eczema herpeticum,” also known as Kaposi’s varicelliform eruption. Eczema herpeticum is characterized by cutaneous pain and vesicular skin lesions, most commonly secondary to infection with HSV-1. The condition may affect individuals with atopic dermatitis or other inflammatory skin disorders. Eczema herpeticum develops when the virus infects large areas of skin, rather than being confined to a small area as in the common cold sore. Eczema herpeticum often appears on the face and neck, although it can appear anywhere on the body. In some cases, the rash may be difficult to distinguish from a patient’s baseline eczema if the latter is poorly controlled. Skin symptoms of eczema herpeticum include clusters of small blisters that are itchy and painful; vesicles that appear red, purple, or black; purulent blisters; or crusting. Classically, the morphology of vesicles or crusted lesions shows a “cluster of grapes” appearance. Eczema herpeticum may present with a high fever, chills, and swollen lymph glands.

Courtesy Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield

While a clinical diagnosis based on the history, physical findings, and morphologic appearance of the rash is reasonable, testing may confirm the diagnosis. The most sensitive and specific tests are polymerase chain reaction sequencing for HSV, direct fluorescent antibody stain, and/or viral culture, while Tzanck smear may show characteristic histologic changes. Treatment is with oral antiviral therapy and treatment of the eczema.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common viral illness usually affecting infants and children. The infection often involves the hands, feet, mouth, and sometimes, the genitals and buttocks. The viral exanthem is most commonly caused by the coxsackievirus, of the enterovirus family. Coxsackievirus A16 and enterovirus A71 are the serotypes that are most commonly implicated as the causative agents. HFMD initially presents with a low-grade fever, reduced appetite, and general malaise. About 1-2 days later, the child may develop painful mouth sores with an exanthem that involves the dorsum of the hands, soles of the feet, buttocks, legs, and arms. The exanthem consists of vesicles surrounded by a thin halo of erythema, eventually rupturing and forming superficial ulcers with a gray-yellow base and erythematous rim. The exanthem is itchy, and can be macular, papular, or vesicular. The lesions are nonpruritic, and typically not painful. The diagnosis of HFMD usually is made clinically, although a physician can swab the mouth or get a stool sample for polymerase chain reaction, which will show the virus; treatment is supportive. In children with atopic dermatitis, lesions also can tend to concentrate in areas previously or currently affected by the dermatitis, similar to eczema herpeticum, and the terms eczema coxsackium or atypical HFMD are applicable. In young adults, the disease may present with erythematous papulovesicular lesions on the face, oral mucosa, extensor surfaces of the upper and lower extremities, and palms and soles; confluent, hemorrhagic, and crusted lesions also can be seen on the extremities. Systemic symptoms usually subside in a few days; the skin lesions resolve without scarring in days to weeks.

Secondary bacterial infection is not uncommon in eczema herpeticum patients, reflecting common Staphylococcus aureus infection in atopic dermatitis patients. Streptococcus also may be seen as a concurrent infection. Treatment of secondary bacterial infection may be considered based on clinic context and culture.

Impetiginized eczema also is in the differential diagnosis of eczema herpeticum. S. aureus and Streptococci are the most important causative organisms. Lesions can manifest as a single red papule or macule that quickly becomes vesicular or eroded. Subsequently, the content dries, forming honey-colored crusts. Impetigo may resolve spontaneously, although in the context of infected eczema both topical anti-inflammatory agents (e.g. topical corticosteroids) along with systemic antibiotics may be a reasonable treatment option. Although our patient had honey-colored crusting, the wound culture showed normal bacterial flora.

Primary varicella infection causes acute fever and rash, with an initial exanthem of disseminated pruritic erythematous macules that progress beyond the papular stage, forming clear, fluid-filled vesicles (like dewdrops on a rose petal). In children, the rash presents on the stomach, back, and face, and then spreads to other parts of the body. Blisters also can arise inside the mouth.

In this patient, perioral HSV PCR 1 was positive, and wound culture showed normal oral flora with no organisms or white blood cells seen. The patient responded well to oral acyclovir, and treatment of his underlying atopic dermatitis with low-potency topical corticosteroids.
 

Dr. Bhatti is a research fellow in pediatric dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital and the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Eichenfield is chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego. He is vice chair of the department of dermatology and professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. Neither of the physicians had relevant financial disclosures. Email them at [email protected].

Sources

Can Fam Physician. 2012 Dec;58(12):1358-61.

William L Weston, MD., William Howe, MD. UpToDate. Treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Christine Johnson, MD, Anna Wald, MD, MPH. UpToDate. Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection.

Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH. UpToDate. Atypical exanthems in children.

National Eczema Association. Eczema herpeticum.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms and diagnosis of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD).

Efforts toward early identification and treatment are an important facet of the public health work in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

O_Lypa/iStock/Getty Images

The prevalence of ASD is rising. With the most recent estimate from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention of 1 in 59* children aged 8 years,¹ it is important for pediatric health care providers to have an understanding of current recommendations for treatment so they can counsel and guide affected families. ASD is a heterogeneous condition, so this article seeks to touch on broad principles, recognizing that clinicians must take into account the full clinical picture of each individual and family.

It is important to acknowledge that while there is no cure for ASD, there are treatment modalities that have an evidence base for addressing specific areas that may be impaired in children with autism. While it is beyond the scope of this article to review all of the potential areas of intervention in children with ASD, it is important to be keep in mind a few important principles.

1. The best evidenced treatment for addressing challenging and problematic behavior as well as improving a host of outcomes in children with ASD is itself behavioral in nature. These treatments are based on the principles of applied behavioral analysis,² an educational and therapeutic approach which involves looking at antecedents and consequences of behaviors. This approach also looks to shape, motivate, and reinforce functional behaviors while discouraging harmful and disruptive ones.

2. Because communication often is impaired in children with ASD, providers always should investigate for possible medical causes of pain or discomfort that might explain sudden behavior change, as well as environmental changes that could be involved.

3. The overarching principle of psychopharmacology in ASD is to start low, and go slow – because children with ASD often are particularly sensitive to medication side effects.
 

Irritability/aggression/extreme mood lability

There are only two medications with Food and Drug Administration labeling for an autism specific condition, and those are aripiprazole and risperidone, two second-generation antipsychotic agents approved for irritability associated with ASD on the basis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating their efficacy.^3,4 Included under the umbrella of irritability are aggression, deliberate self-injurious behavior, extreme temper tantrums, and quick and extreme mood changes. For aripiprazole the approved ages are 6-17 years; a dosing range of 2-15 mg/day is recommended. For risperidone, the approved age range is 5-17 years; the recommended dosing range is 0.25-4 mg/day. Prior to starting either of these medications, a cardiac history should be obtained, and baseline laboratory values, particularly lipid levels and hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) are recommended. All second-generation antipsychotics carry the risk of tardive dyskinesia (a movement disorder), as well as risk of weight gain and metabolic effects. Baseline weight prior to medication initiation with routine follow-up measurement is encouraged. In light of the burden of potential side effects, these medications tend to be reserved by clinicians for circumstances where there is a significant impact on functioning. Both medications are available in liquid form for children with difficulty swallowing pills.

ADHD

There are positive RCTs of methylphenidate in co-occurring ASD and ADHD,⁵ making it the preferred first line agent for treatment. Amphetamine salt based stimulant preparations do not have any RCTs in co-occurring ASD, but theoretically should be similarly effective. Again, the principle of starting low and going slow is applicable. Second line are the alpha 2 adrenergic agonists guanfacine and clonidine, both of whose long-acting formulations are approved for treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents without ASD, as well as atomoxetine, a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor approved for ADHD. Guanfacine and atomoxetine have the stronger evidence base in the co-occurring condition. None of the second-line medications come in liquid preparation, although the immediate-release forms of guanfacine and clonidine both can be crushed and are used in clinical practice when the extended-release forms are not practicable.

Anxiety disorders and depression

Repetitive behaviors and insistence on sameness are broad headings that can be thought of as similar to obsessive compulsive disorder in children without ASD. However, controlled studies of SSRIs and clomipramine (a tricyclic antidepressant) have not shown a clear benefit in these behaviors in children with autism. There are no RCTs looking specifically at treatment of anxiety disorders in children with ASD, but expert consensus is that pharmacologic treatment is similar to that of children without ASD, with the SSRIs fluoxetine and sertraline the first-line agents due to the robust evidence for these two medications in treatment of anxiety disorders in children.⁶ Especially for kids with higher functioning ASD, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) should be considered and has some evidence for the co-occurring condition. Similarly, there are no RCTs for co-occurring depression in ASD, and clinical practice is to treat it as you would depression in the non-ASD population. Be aware that the studies of SSRIs in children with ASD reported higher than typical rates of behavioral activation on these medications, and again the principle of starting low and going slow is emphasized. Fluoxetine and sertraline both come in liquid form.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a common occurrence in children with ASD, and studies suggest melatonin can be effective, with immediate release clonidine a consideration with some limited evidence, if melatonin is not successful.

Finally I would be remiss in not mentioning that there is preliminary evidence from review⁷ and meta-analysis⁸ articles to suggest that regular exercise for individuals with ASD has a positive effect on multiple symptom domains, suggesting that this is an important additional treatment recommendation for children and families.

In conclusion, identification and treatment of ASD and co-occurring syndromes is often challenging, and while specialty referral often will be necessary, it is hoped that this overview provides a helpful frame of reference for primary care providers who encounter these conditions in clinical practice.

For further reading on this important subject, I recommend the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with ASD and the Parents Medication Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorders.
 

Dr. Hoffnung is a pediatric psychiatrist at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, both in Burlington. He has no relevant financial disclosures. Email him at [email protected].

References

1. ​MMWR Surveill Summ 2018;67(No. SS-6):1–23*

2. National Standards Project, Phase 2. National Autism Center 2015.

3. N Engl J Med. 2002 Aug 1;347(5):314-21.

4. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2009 Nov;48(11):1110-9.

5. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005 Nov;62(11):1266-74.

6. Pediatrics. 2016 Feb;137(Supplement 2):S115-S123.

7. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2010 Dec;4(4):565-76.

8. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2012;6(1):46-57.

*This article was updated 4/2/2020.

Efforts toward early identification and treatment are an important facet of the public health work in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

O_Lypa/iStock/Getty Images

The prevalence of ASD is rising. With the most recent estimate from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention of 1 in 59* children aged 8 years,¹ it is important for pediatric health care providers to have an understanding of current recommendations for treatment so they can counsel and guide affected families. ASD is a heterogeneous condition, so this article seeks to touch on broad principles, recognizing that clinicians must take into account the full clinical picture of each individual and family.

It is important to acknowledge that while there is no cure for ASD, there are treatment modalities that have an evidence base for addressing specific areas that may be impaired in children with autism. While it is beyond the scope of this article to review all of the potential areas of intervention in children with ASD, it is important to be keep in mind a few important principles.

1. The best evidenced treatment for addressing challenging and problematic behavior as well as improving a host of outcomes in children with ASD is itself behavioral in nature. These treatments are based on the principles of applied behavioral analysis,² an educational and therapeutic approach which involves looking at antecedents and consequences of behaviors. This approach also looks to shape, motivate, and reinforce functional behaviors while discouraging harmful and disruptive ones.

2. Because communication often is impaired in children with ASD, providers always should investigate for possible medical causes of pain or discomfort that might explain sudden behavior change, as well as environmental changes that could be involved.

3. The overarching principle of psychopharmacology in ASD is to start low, and go slow – because children with ASD often are particularly sensitive to medication side effects.
 

Irritability/aggression/extreme mood lability

There are only two medications with Food and Drug Administration labeling for an autism specific condition, and those are aripiprazole and risperidone, two second-generation antipsychotic agents approved for irritability associated with ASD on the basis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating their efficacy.^3,4 Included under the umbrella of irritability are aggression, deliberate self-injurious behavior, extreme temper tantrums, and quick and extreme mood changes. For aripiprazole the approved ages are 6-17 years; a dosing range of 2-15 mg/day is recommended. For risperidone, the approved age range is 5-17 years; the recommended dosing range is 0.25-4 mg/day. Prior to starting either of these medications, a cardiac history should be obtained, and baseline laboratory values, particularly lipid levels and hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) are recommended. All second-generation antipsychotics carry the risk of tardive dyskinesia (a movement disorder), as well as risk of weight gain and metabolic effects. Baseline weight prior to medication initiation with routine follow-up measurement is encouraged. In light of the burden of potential side effects, these medications tend to be reserved by clinicians for circumstances where there is a significant impact on functioning. Both medications are available in liquid form for children with difficulty swallowing pills.

ADHD

There are positive RCTs of methylphenidate in co-occurring ASD and ADHD,⁵ making it the preferred first line agent for treatment. Amphetamine salt based stimulant preparations do not have any RCTs in co-occurring ASD, but theoretically should be similarly effective. Again, the principle of starting low and going slow is applicable. Second line are the alpha 2 adrenergic agonists guanfacine and clonidine, both of whose long-acting formulations are approved for treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents without ASD, as well as atomoxetine, a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor approved for ADHD. Guanfacine and atomoxetine have the stronger evidence base in the co-occurring condition. None of the second-line medications come in liquid preparation, although the immediate-release forms of guanfacine and clonidine both can be crushed and are used in clinical practice when the extended-release forms are not practicable.

Anxiety disorders and depression

Repetitive behaviors and insistence on sameness are broad headings that can be thought of as similar to obsessive compulsive disorder in children without ASD. However, controlled studies of SSRIs and clomipramine (a tricyclic antidepressant) have not shown a clear benefit in these behaviors in children with autism. There are no RCTs looking specifically at treatment of anxiety disorders in children with ASD, but expert consensus is that pharmacologic treatment is similar to that of children without ASD, with the SSRIs fluoxetine and sertraline the first-line agents due to the robust evidence for these two medications in treatment of anxiety disorders in children.⁶ Especially for kids with higher functioning ASD, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) should be considered and has some evidence for the co-occurring condition. Similarly, there are no RCTs for co-occurring depression in ASD, and clinical practice is to treat it as you would depression in the non-ASD population. Be aware that the studies of SSRIs in children with ASD reported higher than typical rates of behavioral activation on these medications, and again the principle of starting low and going slow is emphasized. Fluoxetine and sertraline both come in liquid form.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a common occurrence in children with ASD, and studies suggest melatonin can be effective, with immediate release clonidine a consideration with some limited evidence, if melatonin is not successful.

Finally I would be remiss in not mentioning that there is preliminary evidence from review⁷ and meta-analysis⁸ articles to suggest that regular exercise for individuals with ASD has a positive effect on multiple symptom domains, suggesting that this is an important additional treatment recommendation for children and families.

In conclusion, identification and treatment of ASD and co-occurring syndromes is often challenging, and while specialty referral often will be necessary, it is hoped that this overview provides a helpful frame of reference for primary care providers who encounter these conditions in clinical practice.

For further reading on this important subject, I recommend the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with ASD and the Parents Medication Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorders.
 

Dr. Hoffnung is a pediatric psychiatrist at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, both in Burlington. He has no relevant financial disclosures. Email him at [email protected].

References

1. ​MMWR Surveill Summ 2018;67(No. SS-6):1–23*

2. National Standards Project, Phase 2. National Autism Center 2015.

3. N Engl J Med. 2002 Aug 1;347(5):314-21.

4. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2009 Nov;48(11):1110-9.

5. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005 Nov;62(11):1266-74.

6. Pediatrics. 2016 Feb;137(Supplement 2):S115-S123.

7. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2010 Dec;4(4):565-76.

8. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2012;6(1):46-57.

*This article was updated 4/2/2020.

Efforts toward early identification and treatment are an important facet of the public health work in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

O_Lypa/iStock/Getty Images

The prevalence of ASD is rising. With the most recent estimate from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention of 1 in 59* children aged 8 years,¹ it is important for pediatric health care providers to have an understanding of current recommendations for treatment so they can counsel and guide affected families. ASD is a heterogeneous condition, so this article seeks to touch on broad principles, recognizing that clinicians must take into account the full clinical picture of each individual and family.

It is important to acknowledge that while there is no cure for ASD, there are treatment modalities that have an evidence base for addressing specific areas that may be impaired in children with autism. While it is beyond the scope of this article to review all of the potential areas of intervention in children with ASD, it is important to be keep in mind a few important principles.

1. The best evidenced treatment for addressing challenging and problematic behavior as well as improving a host of outcomes in children with ASD is itself behavioral in nature. These treatments are based on the principles of applied behavioral analysis,² an educational and therapeutic approach which involves looking at antecedents and consequences of behaviors. This approach also looks to shape, motivate, and reinforce functional behaviors while discouraging harmful and disruptive ones.

2. Because communication often is impaired in children with ASD, providers always should investigate for possible medical causes of pain or discomfort that might explain sudden behavior change, as well as environmental changes that could be involved.

3. The overarching principle of psychopharmacology in ASD is to start low, and go slow – because children with ASD often are particularly sensitive to medication side effects.
 

Irritability/aggression/extreme mood lability

There are only two medications with Food and Drug Administration labeling for an autism specific condition, and those are aripiprazole and risperidone, two second-generation antipsychotic agents approved for irritability associated with ASD on the basis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrating their efficacy.^3,4 Included under the umbrella of irritability are aggression, deliberate self-injurious behavior, extreme temper tantrums, and quick and extreme mood changes. For aripiprazole the approved ages are 6-17 years; a dosing range of 2-15 mg/day is recommended. For risperidone, the approved age range is 5-17 years; the recommended dosing range is 0.25-4 mg/day. Prior to starting either of these medications, a cardiac history should be obtained, and baseline laboratory values, particularly lipid levels and hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) are recommended. All second-generation antipsychotics carry the risk of tardive dyskinesia (a movement disorder), as well as risk of weight gain and metabolic effects. Baseline weight prior to medication initiation with routine follow-up measurement is encouraged. In light of the burden of potential side effects, these medications tend to be reserved by clinicians for circumstances where there is a significant impact on functioning. Both medications are available in liquid form for children with difficulty swallowing pills.

ADHD

There are positive RCTs of methylphenidate in co-occurring ASD and ADHD,⁵ making it the preferred first line agent for treatment. Amphetamine salt based stimulant preparations do not have any RCTs in co-occurring ASD, but theoretically should be similarly effective. Again, the principle of starting low and going slow is applicable. Second line are the alpha 2 adrenergic agonists guanfacine and clonidine, both of whose long-acting formulations are approved for treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents without ASD, as well as atomoxetine, a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor approved for ADHD. Guanfacine and atomoxetine have the stronger evidence base in the co-occurring condition. None of the second-line medications come in liquid preparation, although the immediate-release forms of guanfacine and clonidine both can be crushed and are used in clinical practice when the extended-release forms are not practicable.

Anxiety disorders and depression

Repetitive behaviors and insistence on sameness are broad headings that can be thought of as similar to obsessive compulsive disorder in children without ASD. However, controlled studies of SSRIs and clomipramine (a tricyclic antidepressant) have not shown a clear benefit in these behaviors in children with autism. There are no RCTs looking specifically at treatment of anxiety disorders in children with ASD, but expert consensus is that pharmacologic treatment is similar to that of children without ASD, with the SSRIs fluoxetine and sertraline the first-line agents due to the robust evidence for these two medications in treatment of anxiety disorders in children.⁶ Especially for kids with higher functioning ASD, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) should be considered and has some evidence for the co-occurring condition. Similarly, there are no RCTs for co-occurring depression in ASD, and clinical practice is to treat it as you would depression in the non-ASD population. Be aware that the studies of SSRIs in children with ASD reported higher than typical rates of behavioral activation on these medications, and again the principle of starting low and going slow is emphasized. Fluoxetine and sertraline both come in liquid form.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a common occurrence in children with ASD, and studies suggest melatonin can be effective, with immediate release clonidine a consideration with some limited evidence, if melatonin is not successful.

Finally I would be remiss in not mentioning that there is preliminary evidence from review⁷ and meta-analysis⁸ articles to suggest that regular exercise for individuals with ASD has a positive effect on multiple symptom domains, suggesting that this is an important additional treatment recommendation for children and families.

In conclusion, identification and treatment of ASD and co-occurring syndromes is often challenging, and while specialty referral often will be necessary, it is hoped that this overview provides a helpful frame of reference for primary care providers who encounter these conditions in clinical practice.

For further reading on this important subject, I recommend the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with ASD and the Parents Medication Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorders.
 

Dr. Hoffnung is a pediatric psychiatrist at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, both in Burlington. He has no relevant financial disclosures. Email him at [email protected].

References

1. ​MMWR Surveill Summ 2018;67(No. SS-6):1–23*

2. National Standards Project, Phase 2. National Autism Center 2015.

3. N Engl J Med. 2002 Aug 1;347(5):314-21.

4. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2009 Nov;48(11):1110-9.

5. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005 Nov;62(11):1266-74.

6. Pediatrics. 2016 Feb;137(Supplement 2):S115-S123.

7. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2010 Dec;4(4):565-76.

8. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2012;6(1):46-57.

*This article was updated 4/2/2020.

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. – As disease duration increases, patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) have an increased rate of impairment in manual dexterity, compared with patients with adult-onset MS (AOMS), according to an analysis presented at the meeting held by the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

When MS onset occurs before the patient is age 18 years, the patient is considered to have POMS. Compared with AOMS, POMS is less prevalent and has distinct features. To determine whether changes in physical performance differ between POMS and AOMS, Sarah M. Planchon, PhD, a project scientist at the Mellen Center for MS at the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues analyzed data cut 9 from the MS PATHS (MS Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions) initiative. As part of this initiative, which is sponsored by Biogen, investigators collect MS performance measures longitudinally at each patient visit. Among these measures are the manual dexterity test (MDT), an iPad version of the Nine-Hole Peg Test, and the walking speed test (WST), which is the iPad version of the Timed 25-Foot Walk.

Dr. Planchon and colleagues matched each patient with POMS to five patients with AOMS according to disease duration. They calculated descriptive statistics for the sample and performed Tukey’s honestly significant difference test to compare patient groups on several categorical variables.
 

Overall, function was better in POMS than in AOMS

The investigators included 3 years’ worth of data from 6,457 patients in their analysis. The average age was approximately 50 years for patients with AOMS and 31 years for patients with POMS. The time elapsed since diagnosis was approximately 14 years in the AOMS group and 17 years in the POMS group. The proportion of female patients was about 74% in the AOMS group and 73% in the POMS group. Compared with the AOMS group, the POMS group had higher proportions of patients who were Asian (0.5% vs 2.6%), black (9.3% vs 11.5%), and other race (2.8% vs 9.3%).

Overall, patients with POMS performed better than patients with AOMS by 1.39 seconds on the MDT and by 0.79 seconds on the WST. Regression analyses indicated that with increasing age, patients with AOMS declined more quickly on the MDT and the WST than patients with POMS did. When the investigators stratified the results by disease duration, however, patients with POMS declined more rapidly on the MDT than did patients with AOMS. There was no significant difference between groups in WST in this analysis. When Dr. Planchon and colleagues performed linear regression and adjusted for variables such as age, sex, race, education, insurance, employment, MS phenotype, disease duration, number of relapses, and Patient-Determined Disease Steps (PDDS), the MS onset type did not significantly affect outcomes. Age, sex, PDDS, and MS type were significant covariates for both tests.
 

The role of occupational and physical therapy

“POMS patients tend to have a greater dysfunction of the cerebellar and brainstem regions of the brain, both of which may impact motor skills to a greater degree than other regions of the brain,” said Dr. Planchon. The increased rate of manual impairment in POMS, compared with AOMS, does not necessarily indicate more severe disease, she added. Getting a true picture of disease severity would require consideration of factors such as ambulation, cognitive functioning, vision, fatigue, and depression.

“We would recommend introducing POMS patients to occupational and physical therapy early in their disease course, before significant deficits accrue,” said Dr. Planchon. “Early familiarity with rehabilitation services should help the patient and family optimize what exercises are being done to improve and maintain function.”

The optimal pharmacologic treatment for POMS is unknown. One therapy (i.e., fingolimod) has Food and Drug Administration approval, and clinical trials of other treatments are ongoing. Some MS treatments not indicated for a pediatric population are used off label in children.

“We plan to delve deeper into the data set, including using regression modeling to try to better define differences between individuals with POMS and AOMS that may lead to the functional outcome changes we have already observed,” said Dr. Planchon. “We also plan to investigate further the impact of POMS on cognition and quality of life measures and to better understand disease-modifying therapy prescribing patterns and benefits in individuals with POMS. We will look for associations in the MRI imaging findings and various biomarkers to help us understand the disease process in this special population of MS.”

Dr. Planchon has received research support from the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation. Her coinvestigators received funding from Biogen, Genentech, Genzyme, MedImmune, Novartis, Serono, and Teva.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Planchon SM et al. ACTRIMS 2020. Abstract P043.

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. – As disease duration increases, patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) have an increased rate of impairment in manual dexterity, compared with patients with adult-onset MS (AOMS), according to an analysis presented at the meeting held by the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

When MS onset occurs before the patient is age 18 years, the patient is considered to have POMS. Compared with AOMS, POMS is less prevalent and has distinct features. To determine whether changes in physical performance differ between POMS and AOMS, Sarah M. Planchon, PhD, a project scientist at the Mellen Center for MS at the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues analyzed data cut 9 from the MS PATHS (MS Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions) initiative. As part of this initiative, which is sponsored by Biogen, investigators collect MS performance measures longitudinally at each patient visit. Among these measures are the manual dexterity test (MDT), an iPad version of the Nine-Hole Peg Test, and the walking speed test (WST), which is the iPad version of the Timed 25-Foot Walk.

Dr. Planchon and colleagues matched each patient with POMS to five patients with AOMS according to disease duration. They calculated descriptive statistics for the sample and performed Tukey’s honestly significant difference test to compare patient groups on several categorical variables.
 

Overall, function was better in POMS than in AOMS

The investigators included 3 years’ worth of data from 6,457 patients in their analysis. The average age was approximately 50 years for patients with AOMS and 31 years for patients with POMS. The time elapsed since diagnosis was approximately 14 years in the AOMS group and 17 years in the POMS group. The proportion of female patients was about 74% in the AOMS group and 73% in the POMS group. Compared with the AOMS group, the POMS group had higher proportions of patients who were Asian (0.5% vs 2.6%), black (9.3% vs 11.5%), and other race (2.8% vs 9.3%).

Overall, patients with POMS performed better than patients with AOMS by 1.39 seconds on the MDT and by 0.79 seconds on the WST. Regression analyses indicated that with increasing age, patients with AOMS declined more quickly on the MDT and the WST than patients with POMS did. When the investigators stratified the results by disease duration, however, patients with POMS declined more rapidly on the MDT than did patients with AOMS. There was no significant difference between groups in WST in this analysis. When Dr. Planchon and colleagues performed linear regression and adjusted for variables such as age, sex, race, education, insurance, employment, MS phenotype, disease duration, number of relapses, and Patient-Determined Disease Steps (PDDS), the MS onset type did not significantly affect outcomes. Age, sex, PDDS, and MS type were significant covariates for both tests.
 

The role of occupational and physical therapy

“POMS patients tend to have a greater dysfunction of the cerebellar and brainstem regions of the brain, both of which may impact motor skills to a greater degree than other regions of the brain,” said Dr. Planchon. The increased rate of manual impairment in POMS, compared with AOMS, does not necessarily indicate more severe disease, she added. Getting a true picture of disease severity would require consideration of factors such as ambulation, cognitive functioning, vision, fatigue, and depression.

“We would recommend introducing POMS patients to occupational and physical therapy early in their disease course, before significant deficits accrue,” said Dr. Planchon. “Early familiarity with rehabilitation services should help the patient and family optimize what exercises are being done to improve and maintain function.”

The optimal pharmacologic treatment for POMS is unknown. One therapy (i.e., fingolimod) has Food and Drug Administration approval, and clinical trials of other treatments are ongoing. Some MS treatments not indicated for a pediatric population are used off label in children.

“We plan to delve deeper into the data set, including using regression modeling to try to better define differences between individuals with POMS and AOMS that may lead to the functional outcome changes we have already observed,” said Dr. Planchon. “We also plan to investigate further the impact of POMS on cognition and quality of life measures and to better understand disease-modifying therapy prescribing patterns and benefits in individuals with POMS. We will look for associations in the MRI imaging findings and various biomarkers to help us understand the disease process in this special population of MS.”

Dr. Planchon has received research support from the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation. Her coinvestigators received funding from Biogen, Genentech, Genzyme, MedImmune, Novartis, Serono, and Teva.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Planchon SM et al. ACTRIMS 2020. Abstract P043.

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. – As disease duration increases, patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) have an increased rate of impairment in manual dexterity, compared with patients with adult-onset MS (AOMS), according to an analysis presented at the meeting held by the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

When MS onset occurs before the patient is age 18 years, the patient is considered to have POMS. Compared with AOMS, POMS is less prevalent and has distinct features. To determine whether changes in physical performance differ between POMS and AOMS, Sarah M. Planchon, PhD, a project scientist at the Mellen Center for MS at the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues analyzed data cut 9 from the MS PATHS (MS Partners Advancing Technology and Health Solutions) initiative. As part of this initiative, which is sponsored by Biogen, investigators collect MS performance measures longitudinally at each patient visit. Among these measures are the manual dexterity test (MDT), an iPad version of the Nine-Hole Peg Test, and the walking speed test (WST), which is the iPad version of the Timed 25-Foot Walk.

Dr. Planchon and colleagues matched each patient with POMS to five patients with AOMS according to disease duration. They calculated descriptive statistics for the sample and performed Tukey’s honestly significant difference test to compare patient groups on several categorical variables.
 

Overall, function was better in POMS than in AOMS

The investigators included 3 years’ worth of data from 6,457 patients in their analysis. The average age was approximately 50 years for patients with AOMS and 31 years for patients with POMS. The time elapsed since diagnosis was approximately 14 years in the AOMS group and 17 years in the POMS group. The proportion of female patients was about 74% in the AOMS group and 73% in the POMS group. Compared with the AOMS group, the POMS group had higher proportions of patients who were Asian (0.5% vs 2.6%), black (9.3% vs 11.5%), and other race (2.8% vs 9.3%).

Overall, patients with POMS performed better than patients with AOMS by 1.39 seconds on the MDT and by 0.79 seconds on the WST. Regression analyses indicated that with increasing age, patients with AOMS declined more quickly on the MDT and the WST than patients with POMS did. When the investigators stratified the results by disease duration, however, patients with POMS declined more rapidly on the MDT than did patients with AOMS. There was no significant difference between groups in WST in this analysis. When Dr. Planchon and colleagues performed linear regression and adjusted for variables such as age, sex, race, education, insurance, employment, MS phenotype, disease duration, number of relapses, and Patient-Determined Disease Steps (PDDS), the MS onset type did not significantly affect outcomes. Age, sex, PDDS, and MS type were significant covariates for both tests.
 

The role of occupational and physical therapy

“POMS patients tend to have a greater dysfunction of the cerebellar and brainstem regions of the brain, both of which may impact motor skills to a greater degree than other regions of the brain,” said Dr. Planchon. The increased rate of manual impairment in POMS, compared with AOMS, does not necessarily indicate more severe disease, she added. Getting a true picture of disease severity would require consideration of factors such as ambulation, cognitive functioning, vision, fatigue, and depression.

“We would recommend introducing POMS patients to occupational and physical therapy early in their disease course, before significant deficits accrue,” said Dr. Planchon. “Early familiarity with rehabilitation services should help the patient and family optimize what exercises are being done to improve and maintain function.”

The optimal pharmacologic treatment for POMS is unknown. One therapy (i.e., fingolimod) has Food and Drug Administration approval, and clinical trials of other treatments are ongoing. Some MS treatments not indicated for a pediatric population are used off label in children.

“We plan to delve deeper into the data set, including using regression modeling to try to better define differences between individuals with POMS and AOMS that may lead to the functional outcome changes we have already observed,” said Dr. Planchon. “We also plan to investigate further the impact of POMS on cognition and quality of life measures and to better understand disease-modifying therapy prescribing patterns and benefits in individuals with POMS. We will look for associations in the MRI imaging findings and various biomarkers to help us understand the disease process in this special population of MS.”

Dr. Planchon has received research support from the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation. Her coinvestigators received funding from Biogen, Genentech, Genzyme, MedImmune, Novartis, Serono, and Teva.

[email protected]

SOURCE: Planchon SM et al. ACTRIMS 2020. Abstract P043.

With coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reaching epidemic proportions, many US children are growing increasingly anxious about what this means for their own health and safety and that of their friends and family.

The constantly changing numbers of people affected by the virus and the evolving situation mean daily life for many children is affected in some way, with school trips, sports tournaments, and family vacations being postponed or canceled.

All children may have a heightened level of worry, and some who are normally anxious might be obsessing more about handwashing or getting sick.

Experts say there are ways to manage this fear to help children feel safe and appropriately informed.

Clinicians and other adults should provide children with honest and accurate information geared to their age and developmental level, said David Fassler, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, and member of the Consumer Issues Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

That said, it’s also acceptable to let children know that some questions can’t be answered, said Fassler.
 

Be truthful, calm

“This is partly because the information keeps changing as we learn more about how the virus spreads, how to best protect communities, and how to treat people who get sick,” he added.

Clinicians and parents should remind children “that there are a lot of adults who are working very hard to keep them safe,” said Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, who directs a program for anxiety.

It’s important for adults to pay attention not only to what they say to children but also how they say it, said Lebowitz. He highlighted the importance of talking about the virus “in a calm and matter-of-fact way” rather than in an anxious way.

“If you look scared or tense or your voice is conveying that you’re really scared, the child is going to absorb that and feel anxious as well,” he noted.

This advice also applies when adults are discussing the issue among themselves. They should be aware that “children are listening” and are picking up any anxiety or panic adults are expressing.

Children are soaking up information about this virus from the Internet, the media, friends, teachers, and elsewhere. Lebowitz suggests asking children what they have already heard, which provides an opportunity to correct rumors and inaccurate information.

“A child might have a very inflated sense of what the actual risk is. For example, they may think that anyone who gets the virus dies,” he said.
 

Myth busting

Adults should let children know that not everything they hear from friends or on the Internet “is necessarily correct,” he added.

Some children who have experienced serious illness or losses may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing intense reactions to graphic news reports or images of illness or death and may need extra support, said Fassler.

Adults could use the “framework of knowledge” that children already have, said Lebowitz. He noted that all children are aware of sickness.

“They know people get sick, and they themselves have probably been sick, so you can tell them that this is a sickness like a bad flu,” he said.

Children should be encouraged to approach adults they trust, such as their pediatrician, a parent, or a teacher, with their questions, said Lebowitz. “Those are the people who are able to give them the most accurate information.”

Fassler noted that accurate, up-to-date information is available via fact sheets developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

Although it’s helpful and appropriate to be reassuring, Fassler advises not to make unrealistic promises.

“It’s fine to tell kids that you’ll deal with whatever happens, even if it means altering travel plans or work schedules, but you can’t promise that no one in your state or community will get sick,” he said.
 

Maintain healthy habits

Physicians and other adults can tell children “in an age-appropriate way” how the virus is transmitted and what the symptoms are, but it’s important to emphasize that most people who are sick don’t have COVID-19, said Lebowitz.

“I would emphasize that the people who are the sickest are the elderly who are already sick, rather than healthy younger people,” he said.

Lebowitz recommends continuing to follow guidelines on staying healthy, including coughing into a sleeve instead of your hand and regular handwashing.

It’s also important at this time for children to maintain healthy habits – getting enough physical activity and sleep, eating well, and being outside – because this regime will go a long way toward reducing anxiety, said Lebowitz. Deep breathing and muscle-relaxing exercises can also help, he said.

Lebowitz also suggests maintaining a supportive attitude and showing “some acceptance and validation of what children are feeling, as well as some confidence that they can cope and tolerate feeling uncomfortable sometimes, that they can handle some anxiety.”

While accepting that the child could be anxious, it’s important not to encourage excessive avoidance or unhealthy coping strategies. Fassler and Lebowitz agree that children who are overly anxious or preoccupied with concerns about the coronavirus should be evaluated by a trained, qualified mental health professional.

Signs that a child may need additional help include ongoing sleep difficulties, intrusive thoughts or worries, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, or reluctance or refusal to go to school, said Fassler.

The good news is that most children are resilient, said Fassler. “They’ll adjust, adapt, and go on with their lives.”

This article first appeared on Medscape.com.

With coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reaching epidemic proportions, many US children are growing increasingly anxious about what this means for their own health and safety and that of their friends and family.

The constantly changing numbers of people affected by the virus and the evolving situation mean daily life for many children is affected in some way, with school trips, sports tournaments, and family vacations being postponed or canceled.

All children may have a heightened level of worry, and some who are normally anxious might be obsessing more about handwashing or getting sick.

Experts say there are ways to manage this fear to help children feel safe and appropriately informed.

Clinicians and other adults should provide children with honest and accurate information geared to their age and developmental level, said David Fassler, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, and member of the Consumer Issues Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

That said, it’s also acceptable to let children know that some questions can’t be answered, said Fassler.
 

Be truthful, calm

“This is partly because the information keeps changing as we learn more about how the virus spreads, how to best protect communities, and how to treat people who get sick,” he added.

Clinicians and parents should remind children “that there are a lot of adults who are working very hard to keep them safe,” said Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, who directs a program for anxiety.

It’s important for adults to pay attention not only to what they say to children but also how they say it, said Lebowitz. He highlighted the importance of talking about the virus “in a calm and matter-of-fact way” rather than in an anxious way.

“If you look scared or tense or your voice is conveying that you’re really scared, the child is going to absorb that and feel anxious as well,” he noted.

This advice also applies when adults are discussing the issue among themselves. They should be aware that “children are listening” and are picking up any anxiety or panic adults are expressing.

Children are soaking up information about this virus from the Internet, the media, friends, teachers, and elsewhere. Lebowitz suggests asking children what they have already heard, which provides an opportunity to correct rumors and inaccurate information.

“A child might have a very inflated sense of what the actual risk is. For example, they may think that anyone who gets the virus dies,” he said.
 

Myth busting

Adults should let children know that not everything they hear from friends or on the Internet “is necessarily correct,” he added.

Some children who have experienced serious illness or losses may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing intense reactions to graphic news reports or images of illness or death and may need extra support, said Fassler.

Adults could use the “framework of knowledge” that children already have, said Lebowitz. He noted that all children are aware of sickness.

“They know people get sick, and they themselves have probably been sick, so you can tell them that this is a sickness like a bad flu,” he said.

Children should be encouraged to approach adults they trust, such as their pediatrician, a parent, or a teacher, with their questions, said Lebowitz. “Those are the people who are able to give them the most accurate information.”

Fassler noted that accurate, up-to-date information is available via fact sheets developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

Although it’s helpful and appropriate to be reassuring, Fassler advises not to make unrealistic promises.

“It’s fine to tell kids that you’ll deal with whatever happens, even if it means altering travel plans or work schedules, but you can’t promise that no one in your state or community will get sick,” he said.
 

Maintain healthy habits

Physicians and other adults can tell children “in an age-appropriate way” how the virus is transmitted and what the symptoms are, but it’s important to emphasize that most people who are sick don’t have COVID-19, said Lebowitz.

“I would emphasize that the people who are the sickest are the elderly who are already sick, rather than healthy younger people,” he said.

Lebowitz recommends continuing to follow guidelines on staying healthy, including coughing into a sleeve instead of your hand and regular handwashing.

It’s also important at this time for children to maintain healthy habits – getting enough physical activity and sleep, eating well, and being outside – because this regime will go a long way toward reducing anxiety, said Lebowitz. Deep breathing and muscle-relaxing exercises can also help, he said.

Lebowitz also suggests maintaining a supportive attitude and showing “some acceptance and validation of what children are feeling, as well as some confidence that they can cope and tolerate feeling uncomfortable sometimes, that they can handle some anxiety.”

While accepting that the child could be anxious, it’s important not to encourage excessive avoidance or unhealthy coping strategies. Fassler and Lebowitz agree that children who are overly anxious or preoccupied with concerns about the coronavirus should be evaluated by a trained, qualified mental health professional.

Signs that a child may need additional help include ongoing sleep difficulties, intrusive thoughts or worries, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, or reluctance or refusal to go to school, said Fassler.

The good news is that most children are resilient, said Fassler. “They’ll adjust, adapt, and go on with their lives.”

This article first appeared on Medscape.com.

With coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reaching epidemic proportions, many US children are growing increasingly anxious about what this means for their own health and safety and that of their friends and family.

The constantly changing numbers of people affected by the virus and the evolving situation mean daily life for many children is affected in some way, with school trips, sports tournaments, and family vacations being postponed or canceled.

All children may have a heightened level of worry, and some who are normally anxious might be obsessing more about handwashing or getting sick.

Experts say there are ways to manage this fear to help children feel safe and appropriately informed.

Clinicians and other adults should provide children with honest and accurate information geared to their age and developmental level, said David Fassler, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, and member of the Consumer Issues Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

That said, it’s also acceptable to let children know that some questions can’t be answered, said Fassler.
 

Be truthful, calm

“This is partly because the information keeps changing as we learn more about how the virus spreads, how to best protect communities, and how to treat people who get sick,” he added.

Clinicians and parents should remind children “that there are a lot of adults who are working very hard to keep them safe,” said Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, who directs a program for anxiety.

It’s important for adults to pay attention not only to what they say to children but also how they say it, said Lebowitz. He highlighted the importance of talking about the virus “in a calm and matter-of-fact way” rather than in an anxious way.

“If you look scared or tense or your voice is conveying that you’re really scared, the child is going to absorb that and feel anxious as well,” he noted.

This advice also applies when adults are discussing the issue among themselves. They should be aware that “children are listening” and are picking up any anxiety or panic adults are expressing.

Children are soaking up information about this virus from the Internet, the media, friends, teachers, and elsewhere. Lebowitz suggests asking children what they have already heard, which provides an opportunity to correct rumors and inaccurate information.

“A child might have a very inflated sense of what the actual risk is. For example, they may think that anyone who gets the virus dies,” he said.
 

Myth busting

Adults should let children know that not everything they hear from friends or on the Internet “is necessarily correct,” he added.

Some children who have experienced serious illness or losses may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing intense reactions to graphic news reports or images of illness or death and may need extra support, said Fassler.

Adults could use the “framework of knowledge” that children already have, said Lebowitz. He noted that all children are aware of sickness.

“They know people get sick, and they themselves have probably been sick, so you can tell them that this is a sickness like a bad flu,” he said.

Children should be encouraged to approach adults they trust, such as their pediatrician, a parent, or a teacher, with their questions, said Lebowitz. “Those are the people who are able to give them the most accurate information.”

Fassler noted that accurate, up-to-date information is available via fact sheets developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

Although it’s helpful and appropriate to be reassuring, Fassler advises not to make unrealistic promises.

“It’s fine to tell kids that you’ll deal with whatever happens, even if it means altering travel plans or work schedules, but you can’t promise that no one in your state or community will get sick,” he said.
 

Maintain healthy habits

Physicians and other adults can tell children “in an age-appropriate way” how the virus is transmitted and what the symptoms are, but it’s important to emphasize that most people who are sick don’t have COVID-19, said Lebowitz.

“I would emphasize that the people who are the sickest are the elderly who are already sick, rather than healthy younger people,” he said.

Lebowitz recommends continuing to follow guidelines on staying healthy, including coughing into a sleeve instead of your hand and regular handwashing.

It’s also important at this time for children to maintain healthy habits – getting enough physical activity and sleep, eating well, and being outside – because this regime will go a long way toward reducing anxiety, said Lebowitz. Deep breathing and muscle-relaxing exercises can also help, he said.

Lebowitz also suggests maintaining a supportive attitude and showing “some acceptance and validation of what children are feeling, as well as some confidence that they can cope and tolerate feeling uncomfortable sometimes, that they can handle some anxiety.”

While accepting that the child could be anxious, it’s important not to encourage excessive avoidance or unhealthy coping strategies. Fassler and Lebowitz agree that children who are overly anxious or preoccupied with concerns about the coronavirus should be evaluated by a trained, qualified mental health professional.

Signs that a child may need additional help include ongoing sleep difficulties, intrusive thoughts or worries, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, or reluctance or refusal to go to school, said Fassler.

The good news is that most children are resilient, said Fassler. “They’ll adjust, adapt, and go on with their lives.”

This article first appeared on Medscape.com.

I don’t know how successful you have been at getting your adolescent patients to follow your suggestions, but I would guess that my batting average was in the low 100s. Even when I try stepping off my soapbox to involve the patient in a nonjudgmental dialogue, my successes pale in comparison to my failures.

Vladimir Vladimirov/E+/Getty Images

Just looking at our national statistics for obesity, it’s pretty obvious that we are all doing a pretty rotten job of modifying our patients behaviors. You could point to a few encouraging numbers but they are few and far between. You could claim correctly that by the time a child reaches preschool, the die is already cast, throw up your arms, and not even raise the subject of diet with your overweight teenage patients.

A recent article in the journal Appetite hints at a group of strategies for molding patient behavior that so far have gotten very little attention from physicians (“Do perceived norms of social media users eating habits and preferences predict our own food consumption and BMI?” Appetite. 2020 Jan 18. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104611). Researchers at the department of psychology at Ashton University in Birmingham, England, surveyed more than 350 college-age students asking them about the dietary preference of their Facebook contacts and their own dietary habits. What the investigators found was that respondents who perceived their peers ate a healthy diet ate a healthier diet. Conversely, if the respondents thought their social media contacts ate junk food, they reported eating more of an unhealthy diet themselves.

In other words, it appears that, through social media, we have the potential to influence the eating habits of our patients’ peers. Before we get too excited, it should be pointed out that this study from England wasn’t of a long enough duration to demonstrate an effect on body mass index. And another study of 176 children recently published in Pediatrics found that while influencer marketing of unhealthy foods increased children’s immediate food intake, the equivalent marketing of healthy foods had no effect (“Social influencer marketing and children’s food intake: A randomized trial.” Pediatrics. 2019 Apr 1. doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-2554).

Not being terribly aware of the whos, whats, and wheres of influencers, I did a little bit of Internet searching at the Influencer Marketing hub and learned that influencers comes in all shapes and sizes, from “nanoinfluencers” who have acknowledged expertise and a very small Internet following numbering as few as a hundred to “megainfluencers” who have more than a million followers and might charge large entities a million dollars for a single post. The influencer’s content could appear as a blog, a YouTube video, a podcast, or simply a social media post.

The field of influencer marketing is new and growing exponentially. We would be wise as a group and as individuals to learn as much as we can about how we can use influencers to promote healthy behaviors. This initiative could come in the form of an office dedicated to Influencer Marketing created by the American Academy of Pediatrics. That group could search for megainfluencers who might be funded by the academy. But it also could develop a handbook for individual practitioners and groups to help them identify nano- and micro- (1,000-40,000 followers) influencers in their own practices.

You probably don’t ask your patients about their social media habits other than to caution them about time management. Maybe it’s time to dig a little deeper. You may find that you have a potent influencer hidden in your practice. She or he might just be willing to spread a good word or two for you.
 

Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Email him at [email protected].

I don’t know how successful you have been at getting your adolescent patients to follow your suggestions, but I would guess that my batting average was in the low 100s. Even when I try stepping off my soapbox to involve the patient in a nonjudgmental dialogue, my successes pale in comparison to my failures.

Vladimir Vladimirov/E+/Getty Images

Just looking at our national statistics for obesity, it’s pretty obvious that we are all doing a pretty rotten job of modifying our patients behaviors. You could point to a few encouraging numbers but they are few and far between. You could claim correctly that by the time a child reaches preschool, the die is already cast, throw up your arms, and not even raise the subject of diet with your overweight teenage patients.

A recent article in the journal Appetite hints at a group of strategies for molding patient behavior that so far have gotten very little attention from physicians (“Do perceived norms of social media users eating habits and preferences predict our own food consumption and BMI?” Appetite. 2020 Jan 18. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104611). Researchers at the department of psychology at Ashton University in Birmingham, England, surveyed more than 350 college-age students asking them about the dietary preference of their Facebook contacts and their own dietary habits. What the investigators found was that respondents who perceived their peers ate a healthy diet ate a healthier diet. Conversely, if the respondents thought their social media contacts ate junk food, they reported eating more of an unhealthy diet themselves.

In other words, it appears that, through social media, we have the potential to influence the eating habits of our patients’ peers. Before we get too excited, it should be pointed out that this study from England wasn’t of a long enough duration to demonstrate an effect on body mass index. And another study of 176 children recently published in Pediatrics found that while influencer marketing of unhealthy foods increased children’s immediate food intake, the equivalent marketing of healthy foods had no effect (“Social influencer marketing and children’s food intake: A randomized trial.” Pediatrics. 2019 Apr 1. doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-2554).

Not being terribly aware of the whos, whats, and wheres of influencers, I did a little bit of Internet searching at the Influencer Marketing hub and learned that influencers comes in all shapes and sizes, from “nanoinfluencers” who have acknowledged expertise and a very small Internet following numbering as few as a hundred to “megainfluencers” who have more than a million followers and might charge large entities a million dollars for a single post. The influencer’s content could appear as a blog, a YouTube video, a podcast, or simply a social media post.

The field of influencer marketing is new and growing exponentially. We would be wise as a group and as individuals to learn as much as we can about how we can use influencers to promote healthy behaviors. This initiative could come in the form of an office dedicated to Influencer Marketing created by the American Academy of Pediatrics. That group could search for megainfluencers who might be funded by the academy. But it also could develop a handbook for individual practitioners and groups to help them identify nano- and micro- (1,000-40,000 followers) influencers in their own practices.

You probably don’t ask your patients about their social media habits other than to caution them about time management. Maybe it’s time to dig a little deeper. You may find that you have a potent influencer hidden in your practice. She or he might just be willing to spread a good word or two for you.
 

Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Email him at [email protected].

I don’t know how successful you have been at getting your adolescent patients to follow your suggestions, but I would guess that my batting average was in the low 100s. Even when I try stepping off my soapbox to involve the patient in a nonjudgmental dialogue, my successes pale in comparison to my failures.

Vladimir Vladimirov/E+/Getty Images

Just looking at our national statistics for obesity, it’s pretty obvious that we are all doing a pretty rotten job of modifying our patients behaviors. You could point to a few encouraging numbers but they are few and far between. You could claim correctly that by the time a child reaches preschool, the die is already cast, throw up your arms, and not even raise the subject of diet with your overweight teenage patients.

A recent article in the journal Appetite hints at a group of strategies for molding patient behavior that so far have gotten very little attention from physicians (“Do perceived norms of social media users eating habits and preferences predict our own food consumption and BMI?” Appetite. 2020 Jan 18. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104611). Researchers at the department of psychology at Ashton University in Birmingham, England, surveyed more than 350 college-age students asking them about the dietary preference of their Facebook contacts and their own dietary habits. What the investigators found was that respondents who perceived their peers ate a healthy diet ate a healthier diet. Conversely, if the respondents thought their social media contacts ate junk food, they reported eating more of an unhealthy diet themselves.

In other words, it appears that, through social media, we have the potential to influence the eating habits of our patients’ peers. Before we get too excited, it should be pointed out that this study from England wasn’t of a long enough duration to demonstrate an effect on body mass index. And another study of 176 children recently published in Pediatrics found that while influencer marketing of unhealthy foods increased children’s immediate food intake, the equivalent marketing of healthy foods had no effect (“Social influencer marketing and children’s food intake: A randomized trial.” Pediatrics. 2019 Apr 1. doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-2554).

Not being terribly aware of the whos, whats, and wheres of influencers, I did a little bit of Internet searching at the Influencer Marketing hub and learned that influencers comes in all shapes and sizes, from “nanoinfluencers” who have acknowledged expertise and a very small Internet following numbering as few as a hundred to “megainfluencers” who have more than a million followers and might charge large entities a million dollars for a single post. The influencer’s content could appear as a blog, a YouTube video, a podcast, or simply a social media post.

The field of influencer marketing is new and growing exponentially. We would be wise as a group and as individuals to learn as much as we can about how we can use influencers to promote healthy behaviors. This initiative could come in the form of an office dedicated to Influencer Marketing created by the American Academy of Pediatrics. That group could search for megainfluencers who might be funded by the academy. But it also could develop a handbook for individual practitioners and groups to help them identify nano- and micro- (1,000-40,000 followers) influencers in their own practices.

You probably don’t ask your patients about their social media habits other than to caution them about time management. Maybe it’s time to dig a little deeper. You may find that you have a potent influencer hidden in your practice. She or he might just be willing to spread a good word or two for you.
 

Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Email him at [email protected].

You learned a lot of things in medical school. But there must have been some things that you unlearned on the way to your degree. For instance, you unlearned that you could catch a cold by playing outside on a cold damp day without your jacket. You unlearned that handling a toad would give you warts.

©KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Thinkstock

The authors of a recent study suggest that over your 4 years in medical school you also unlearned how to be empathetic (“Does Empathy Decline in the Clinical Phase of Medical Education? A Nationwide, Multi-institutional, Cross-Sectional Study of Students at DO-Granting Medical Schools,” Acad Med. 2020 Jan 21. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003175). The researchers surveyed more than 10,000 medical students at nearly 50 DO-granting medical schools using standardized questionnaire called the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. They discovered that the students in the clinical phase (years 3 and 4) had lower “empathy scores” than the students in the preclinical phase of their education (years 1 and 2). This decline was statistically significant but “negligible” in magnitude. One wonders why they even chose to publish their results, particularly when the number of respondents to the web-based survey declined with each successive year in medical school. Having looked at the a sample of some of the questions being asked, I can understand why third- and fourth-year students couldn’t be bothered to respond. They were too busy to answer a few dozen “lame” questions.

There may be a decline in empathy over the course our medical training, but I’m not sure that this study can speak to it. An older study found that although medical students scores on a self-administered scale declined between the second and third year, the observed empathetic behavior actually increased. If I had to choose, I would lean more heavily on the results of the behavioral observations.

Certainly, we all changed over the course of our medical education. Including postgraduate training, it may have lasted a decade or more. We saw hundreds of patients, observed life and death on a scale and with an intensity that most of us previously had never experienced. Our perspective changed from being a naive observer to playing the role of an active participant. Did that change include a decline in our capacity for empathy?

Something had to change. We found quickly that we didn’t have the time or emotional energy to learn as much about the person hiding behind every complaint as we once thought we should. We had to cut corners. Sometimes we cut too many. On the other hand, as we saw more patients we may have learned more efficient ways of discovering what we needed to know about them to become an effective and caring physician. If we found ourselves in a specialty in which patients have a high mortality, we were forced to learn ways of protecting ourselves from the emotional damage.

What would you call this process? Was it empathy erosion? Was it a hardening or toughening? Or was it simply maturation? Whatever term you use, it was an obligatory process if we hoped to survive. However, not all of us have done it well. Some of us have narrowed our focus to see only the complaint and the diagnosis, and we too often fail to see the human hiding in plain sight.

For those of us who completed our training with our empathy intact, was this the result of a genetic gift or the atmosphere our parents had created at home? I suspect that in most cases our capacity for empathy as physicians was nurtured and enhanced by the role models we encountered during our training. The mentors we most revered were those who had already been through the annealing process of medical school and specialty training and become even more skilled at caring than when they left college. It is an intangible that can’t be taught. Sadly, there is no way of guaranteeing that everyone who enters medical school will be exposed to or benefit from even one of these master physicians.
 

Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Email him at [email protected].

You learned a lot of things in medical school. But there must have been some things that you unlearned on the way to your degree. For instance, you unlearned that you could catch a cold by playing outside on a cold damp day without your jacket. You unlearned that handling a toad would give you warts.

©KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Thinkstock

The authors of a recent study suggest that over your 4 years in medical school you also unlearned how to be empathetic (“Does Empathy Decline in the Clinical Phase of Medical Education? A Nationwide, Multi-institutional, Cross-Sectional Study of Students at DO-Granting Medical Schools,” Acad Med. 2020 Jan 21. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003175). The researchers surveyed more than 10,000 medical students at nearly 50 DO-granting medical schools using standardized questionnaire called the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. They discovered that the students in the clinical phase (years 3 and 4) had lower “empathy scores” than the students in the preclinical phase of their education (years 1 and 2). This decline was statistically significant but “negligible” in magnitude. One wonders why they even chose to publish their results, particularly when the number of respondents to the web-based survey declined with each successive year in medical school. Having looked at the a sample of some of the questions being asked, I can understand why third- and fourth-year students couldn’t be bothered to respond. They were too busy to answer a few dozen “lame” questions.

There may be a decline in empathy over the course our medical training, but I’m not sure that this study can speak to it. An older study found that although medical students scores on a self-administered scale declined between the second and third year, the observed empathetic behavior actually increased. If I had to choose, I would lean more heavily on the results of the behavioral observations.

Certainly, we all changed over the course of our medical education. Including postgraduate training, it may have lasted a decade or more. We saw hundreds of patients, observed life and death on a scale and with an intensity that most of us previously had never experienced. Our perspective changed from being a naive observer to playing the role of an active participant. Did that change include a decline in our capacity for empathy?

Something had to change. We found quickly that we didn’t have the time or emotional energy to learn as much about the person hiding behind every complaint as we once thought we should. We had to cut corners. Sometimes we cut too many. On the other hand, as we saw more patients we may have learned more efficient ways of discovering what we needed to know about them to become an effective and caring physician. If we found ourselves in a specialty in which patients have a high mortality, we were forced to learn ways of protecting ourselves from the emotional damage.

What would you call this process? Was it empathy erosion? Was it a hardening or toughening? Or was it simply maturation? Whatever term you use, it was an obligatory process if we hoped to survive. However, not all of us have done it well. Some of us have narrowed our focus to see only the complaint and the diagnosis, and we too often fail to see the human hiding in plain sight.

For those of us who completed our training with our empathy intact, was this the result of a genetic gift or the atmosphere our parents had created at home? I suspect that in most cases our capacity for empathy as physicians was nurtured and enhanced by the role models we encountered during our training. The mentors we most revered were those who had already been through the annealing process of medical school and specialty training and become even more skilled at caring than when they left college. It is an intangible that can’t be taught. Sadly, there is no way of guaranteeing that everyone who enters medical school will be exposed to or benefit from even one of these master physicians.
 

Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Email him at [email protected].

You learned a lot of things in medical school. But there must have been some things that you unlearned on the way to your degree. For instance, you unlearned that you could catch a cold by playing outside on a cold damp day without your jacket. You unlearned that handling a toad would give you warts.

©KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Thinkstock

The authors of a recent study suggest that over your 4 years in medical school you also unlearned how to be empathetic (“Does Empathy Decline in the Clinical Phase of Medical Education? A Nationwide, Multi-institutional, Cross-Sectional Study of Students at DO-Granting Medical Schools,” Acad Med. 2020 Jan 21. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000003175). The researchers surveyed more than 10,000 medical students at nearly 50 DO-granting medical schools using standardized questionnaire called the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. They discovered that the students in the clinical phase (years 3 and 4) had lower “empathy scores” than the students in the preclinical phase of their education (years 1 and 2). This decline was statistically significant but “negligible” in magnitude. One wonders why they even chose to publish their results, particularly when the number of respondents to the web-based survey declined with each successive year in medical school. Having looked at the a sample of some of the questions being asked, I can understand why third- and fourth-year students couldn’t be bothered to respond. They were too busy to answer a few dozen “lame” questions.

There may be a decline in empathy over the course our medical training, but I’m not sure that this study can speak to it. An older study found that although medical students scores on a self-administered scale declined between the second and third year, the observed empathetic behavior actually increased. If I had to choose, I would lean more heavily on the results of the behavioral observations.

Certainly, we all changed over the course of our medical education. Including postgraduate training, it may have lasted a decade or more. We saw hundreds of patients, observed life and death on a scale and with an intensity that most of us previously had never experienced. Our perspective changed from being a naive observer to playing the role of an active participant. Did that change include a decline in our capacity for empathy?

Something had to change. We found quickly that we didn’t have the time or emotional energy to learn as much about the person hiding behind every complaint as we once thought we should. We had to cut corners. Sometimes we cut too many. On the other hand, as we saw more patients we may have learned more efficient ways of discovering what we needed to know about them to become an effective and caring physician. If we found ourselves in a specialty in which patients have a high mortality, we were forced to learn ways of protecting ourselves from the emotional damage.

What would you call this process? Was it empathy erosion? Was it a hardening or toughening? Or was it simply maturation? Whatever term you use, it was an obligatory process if we hoped to survive. However, not all of us have done it well. Some of us have narrowed our focus to see only the complaint and the diagnosis, and we too often fail to see the human hiding in plain sight.

For those of us who completed our training with our empathy intact, was this the result of a genetic gift or the atmosphere our parents had created at home? I suspect that in most cases our capacity for empathy as physicians was nurtured and enhanced by the role models we encountered during our training. The mentors we most revered were those who had already been through the annealing process of medical school and specialty training and become even more skilled at caring than when they left college. It is an intangible that can’t be taught. Sadly, there is no way of guaranteeing that everyone who enters medical school will be exposed to or benefit from even one of these master physicians.
 

Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Email him at [email protected].

U.S. high school students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning – “sexual minorities” – faced twice the risk of physical or sexual assault in the past year compared with their heterosexual peers, according to findings reported in a research letter.

Sexual-minority females were particularly more likely to experience physical violence while sexual-minority boys had a fourfold increased risk of sexual violence.

“The results of our study suggest the existence of a crisis of violence against sexual minority adolescents,” Theodore L. Caputi, MPH, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues reported in JAMA Pediatrics. “Given the substantial physical and emotional consequences of violence for those subjected to it and the large existing health disparities among sexual minority adolescents, addressing both physical and sexual violence against sexual minority adolescents should become a public health priority.”

Joshua D. Safer, MD, executive director of the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery in the Mount Sinai Health System, New York, said he was not surprised by the findings because adolescents who may feel more vulnerable relative to their peers are likely to be more of a target. They may not have the supports they need, he said, which will affect their resiliency and their ability to push back.

“These patients are at ages where their parents might be among their supporters,” Dr. Safer said in an interview. “People in their circle may not be aware of their circumstances.”

He emphasized the need for physicians to ensure their offices are safe places for sexual-minority youth to talk to adolescent patients about their gender and sexual identity as well as any history of victimization, and to involve parents in being an ally of their child.

The researchers analyzed data from the nationally representative 2015 and 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys administered to public and private high school students in grades 9-12 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 28,811 total respondents represented a 60% response rate both years.

After indicating their sex as male or female and their sexual orientation, respondents reported whether, in the past year, they had experienced a physical fight at school, a physical fight anywhere, or physical violence from a romantic partner. They also reported whether they had been sexually assaulted in the past year by a romantic partner or ever been forced to have intercourse. The 2017 survey included an additional question about sexual assault by anyone in the past year.

Most youth (87%) identified themselves as heterosexual while 2% were gay/lesbian, 7% were bisexual, and 4% were unsure. Sexual minorities reported a higher prevalence of all forms of violence and assault, compared with their heterosexual counterparts. Although risk of a physical fight in the past year differed by a small amount (28% of sexual-minority youth vs. 22% of heterosexual youth), the gap was considerably greater for risk of physical violence by a romantic partner (12% of sexual-minority youth vs. 5% of heterosexual youth).

More than three times as many sexual-minority adolescents (18%) as heterosexual adolescents (5%) said they had ever been forced to have intercourse, and a similarly high proportion of sexual-minority students (21%) had been sexually assaulted in the past year, compared with heterosexual students (8%). After accounting for survey year, sex, age, race/ethnicity, English language proficiency, and grade level, youth who identified as anything other than heterosexual were about twice as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to have experienced physical or sexual violence, including physical violence by a romantic partner (adjusted risk ratio, 1.97) or sexual assault by anyone (aRR, 2.10), in the past year. The risk of physical violence by a romantic partner or sexual assault by anyone was even greater for bisexual youth (aRR, 2.22 and aRR, 2.36, respectively).

The increased likelihood of physical violence and sexual violence differed by sex. Girls who identified as lesbian, bisexual, or questioning were more likely than heterosexual girls to have been in a fight at school or anywhere else (aRR, 1.91 and aRR, 1.74, respectively). Boys who were gay, bisexual, or questioning, meanwhile, were over four times more likely than heterosexual boys to have had forced intercourse or any kind of sexual assault (aRR, 4.70 and aRR, 4.64, respectively).

These findings point to the need for physicians to be “specifically talking to youth about gender identity and sexual orientation. Validating what kids are feeling is important,” Dr. Safer said in an interview.

Key to that process is making sure the physician’s office feels like a safe place for LGBTQ youth to have these kinds of conversations. “Most primary care and pediatric and adolescent care practices are not feeling well equipped to take care of these kids and are not necessarily serving as a good resource for these kids,” Dr. Safer said.

It’s also important for physicians to ask youth about potential violence or abuse they have experienced, including depression and sequelae from lack of support, for which gender- and sexual-minority youth are at greater risk, he said. Finally, doctors need to engage parents in the conversation.

“As a medical professional, you need to be asking the questions and really be out there as an ally, especially for pediatric and adolescent patients, and you need to be helping the parents of your patients be allies too,” Dr. Safer said.

The study was limited by having a binary question only about respondent’s sex and no data collection about transgender youth. The study’s cross-sectional design also precludes the ability to claim causation about any of the associations.

The research was funded by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, Stanford (Calif.) University, and the National Institutes of Health. The authors had no disclosures.

SOURCE: Caputi TL et al. JAMA Pediatr. 2019 Mar 9. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.6291.

U.S. high school students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning – “sexual minorities” – faced twice the risk of physical or sexual assault in the past year compared with their heterosexual peers, according to findings reported in a research letter.

Sexual-minority females were particularly more likely to experience physical violence while sexual-minority boys had a fourfold increased risk of sexual violence.

“The results of our study suggest the existence of a crisis of violence against sexual minority adolescents,” Theodore L. Caputi, MPH, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues reported in JAMA Pediatrics. “Given the substantial physical and emotional consequences of violence for those subjected to it and the large existing health disparities among sexual minority adolescents, addressing both physical and sexual violence against sexual minority adolescents should become a public health priority.”

Joshua D. Safer, MD, executive director of the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery in the Mount Sinai Health System, New York, said he was not surprised by the findings because adolescents who may feel more vulnerable relative to their peers are likely to be more of a target. They may not have the supports they need, he said, which will affect their resiliency and their ability to push back.

“These patients are at ages where their parents might be among their supporters,” Dr. Safer said in an interview. “People in their circle may not be aware of their circumstances.”

He emphasized the need for physicians to ensure their offices are safe places for sexual-minority youth to talk to adolescent patients about their gender and sexual identity as well as any history of victimization, and to involve parents in being an ally of their child.

The researchers analyzed data from the nationally representative 2015 and 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys administered to public and private high school students in grades 9-12 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 28,811 total respondents represented a 60% response rate both years.

After indicating their sex as male or female and their sexual orientation, respondents reported whether, in the past year, they had experienced a physical fight at school, a physical fight anywhere, or physical violence from a romantic partner. They also reported whether they had been sexually assaulted in the past year by a romantic partner or ever been forced to have intercourse. The 2017 survey included an additional question about sexual assault by anyone in the past year.

Most youth (87%) identified themselves as heterosexual while 2% were gay/lesbian, 7% were bisexual, and 4% were unsure. Sexual minorities reported a higher prevalence of all forms of violence and assault, compared with their heterosexual counterparts. Although risk of a physical fight in the past year differed by a small amount (28% of sexual-minority youth vs. 22% of heterosexual youth), the gap was considerably greater for risk of physical violence by a romantic partner (12% of sexual-minority youth vs. 5% of heterosexual youth).

More than three times as many sexual-minority adolescents (18%) as heterosexual adolescents (5%) said they had ever been forced to have intercourse, and a similarly high proportion of sexual-minority students (21%) had been sexually assaulted in the past year, compared with heterosexual students (8%). After accounting for survey year, sex, age, race/ethnicity, English language proficiency, and grade level, youth who identified as anything other than heterosexual were about twice as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to have experienced physical or sexual violence, including physical violence by a romantic partner (adjusted risk ratio, 1.97) or sexual assault by anyone (aRR, 2.10), in the past year. The risk of physical violence by a romantic partner or sexual assault by anyone was even greater for bisexual youth (aRR, 2.22 and aRR, 2.36, respectively).

The increased likelihood of physical violence and sexual violence differed by sex. Girls who identified as lesbian, bisexual, or questioning were more likely than heterosexual girls to have been in a fight at school or anywhere else (aRR, 1.91 and aRR, 1.74, respectively). Boys who were gay, bisexual, or questioning, meanwhile, were over four times more likely than heterosexual boys to have had forced intercourse or any kind of sexual assault (aRR, 4.70 and aRR, 4.64, respectively).

These findings point to the need for physicians to be “specifically talking to youth about gender identity and sexual orientation. Validating what kids are feeling is important,” Dr. Safer said in an interview.

Key to that process is making sure the physician’s office feels like a safe place for LGBTQ youth to have these kinds of conversations. “Most primary care and pediatric and adolescent care practices are not feeling well equipped to take care of these kids and are not necessarily serving as a good resource for these kids,” Dr. Safer said.

It’s also important for physicians to ask youth about potential violence or abuse they have experienced, including depression and sequelae from lack of support, for which gender- and sexual-minority youth are at greater risk, he said. Finally, doctors need to engage parents in the conversation.

“As a medical professional, you need to be asking the questions and really be out there as an ally, especially for pediatric and adolescent patients, and you need to be helping the parents of your patients be allies too,” Dr. Safer said.

The study was limited by having a binary question only about respondent’s sex and no data collection about transgender youth. The study’s cross-sectional design also precludes the ability to claim causation about any of the associations.

The research was funded by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, Stanford (Calif.) University, and the National Institutes of Health. The authors had no disclosures.

SOURCE: Caputi TL et al. JAMA Pediatr. 2019 Mar 9. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.6291.

U.S. high school students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning – “sexual minorities” – faced twice the risk of physical or sexual assault in the past year compared with their heterosexual peers, according to findings reported in a research letter.

Sexual-minority females were particularly more likely to experience physical violence while sexual-minority boys had a fourfold increased risk of sexual violence.

“The results of our study suggest the existence of a crisis of violence against sexual minority adolescents,” Theodore L. Caputi, MPH, of Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues reported in JAMA Pediatrics. “Given the substantial physical and emotional consequences of violence for those subjected to it and the large existing health disparities among sexual minority adolescents, addressing both physical and sexual violence against sexual minority adolescents should become a public health priority.”

Joshua D. Safer, MD, executive director of the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery in the Mount Sinai Health System, New York, said he was not surprised by the findings because adolescents who may feel more vulnerable relative to their peers are likely to be more of a target. They may not have the supports they need, he said, which will affect their resiliency and their ability to push back.

“These patients are at ages where their parents might be among their supporters,” Dr. Safer said in an interview. “People in their circle may not be aware of their circumstances.”

He emphasized the need for physicians to ensure their offices are safe places for sexual-minority youth to talk to adolescent patients about their gender and sexual identity as well as any history of victimization, and to involve parents in being an ally of their child.

The researchers analyzed data from the nationally representative 2015 and 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys administered to public and private high school students in grades 9-12 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 28,811 total respondents represented a 60% response rate both years.

After indicating their sex as male or female and their sexual orientation, respondents reported whether, in the past year, they had experienced a physical fight at school, a physical fight anywhere, or physical violence from a romantic partner. They also reported whether they had been sexually assaulted in the past year by a romantic partner or ever been forced to have intercourse. The 2017 survey included an additional question about sexual assault by anyone in the past year.

Most youth (87%) identified themselves as heterosexual while 2% were gay/lesbian, 7% were bisexual, and 4% were unsure. Sexual minorities reported a higher prevalence of all forms of violence and assault, compared with their heterosexual counterparts. Although risk of a physical fight in the past year differed by a small amount (28% of sexual-minority youth vs. 22% of heterosexual youth), the gap was considerably greater for risk of physical violence by a romantic partner (12% of sexual-minority youth vs. 5% of heterosexual youth).

More than three times as many sexual-minority adolescents (18%) as heterosexual adolescents (5%) said they had ever been forced to have intercourse, and a similarly high proportion of sexual-minority students (21%) had been sexually assaulted in the past year, compared with heterosexual students (8%). After accounting for survey year, sex, age, race/ethnicity, English language proficiency, and grade level, youth who identified as anything other than heterosexual were about twice as likely as their heterosexual counterparts to have experienced physical or sexual violence, including physical violence by a romantic partner (adjusted risk ratio, 1.97) or sexual assault by anyone (aRR, 2.10), in the past year. The risk of physical violence by a romantic partner or sexual assault by anyone was even greater for bisexual youth (aRR, 2.22 and aRR, 2.36, respectively).

The increased likelihood of physical violence and sexual violence differed by sex. Girls who identified as lesbian, bisexual, or questioning were more likely than heterosexual girls to have been in a fight at school or anywhere else (aRR, 1.91 and aRR, 1.74, respectively). Boys who were gay, bisexual, or questioning, meanwhile, were over four times more likely than heterosexual boys to have had forced intercourse or any kind of sexual assault (aRR, 4.70 and aRR, 4.64, respectively).

These findings point to the need for physicians to be “specifically talking to youth about gender identity and sexual orientation. Validating what kids are feeling is important,” Dr. Safer said in an interview.

Key to that process is making sure the physician’s office feels like a safe place for LGBTQ youth to have these kinds of conversations. “Most primary care and pediatric and adolescent care practices are not feeling well equipped to take care of these kids and are not necessarily serving as a good resource for these kids,” Dr. Safer said.

It’s also important for physicians to ask youth about potential violence or abuse they have experienced, including depression and sequelae from lack of support, for which gender- and sexual-minority youth are at greater risk, he said. Finally, doctors need to engage parents in the conversation.

“As a medical professional, you need to be asking the questions and really be out there as an ally, especially for pediatric and adolescent patients, and you need to be helping the parents of your patients be allies too,” Dr. Safer said.

The study was limited by having a binary question only about respondent’s sex and no data collection about transgender youth. The study’s cross-sectional design also precludes the ability to claim causation about any of the associations.

The research was funded by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, Stanford (Calif.) University, and the National Institutes of Health. The authors had no disclosures.

SOURCE: Caputi TL et al. JAMA Pediatr. 2019 Mar 9. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.6291.