No abstract

Background Pediatric cardiac arrest (PCA), although rare, is associated with high mortality. Deviations from international management guidelines are frequent and associated with poorer outcomes. Different strategies/devices have been developed to improve the management of cardiac arrest, including cognitive aids. However, there is very limited experience on the usefulness of interactive cognitive aids in the format of an app in PCA. No app has so far been tested for its usability and effectiveness in guiding the management of PCA. Objective To develop a new audiovisual interactive app for tablets, named PediAppRREST, to support the management of PCA and to test its usability in a high-fidelity simulation-based setting. Methods A research team at the University of Padova (Italy) and human–machine interface designers, as well as app developers, from an Italian company (RE:Lab S.r.l.) developed the app between March and October 2019, by applying an iterative design approach (ie, design–prototyping–evaluation iterative loops). In October–November 2019, a single-center nonrandomized controlled simulation–based pilot study was conducted including 48 pediatric residents divided into teams of 3. The same nonshockable PCA scenario was managed by 11 teams with and 5 without the app. The app user’s experience and interaction patterns were documented through video recording of scenarios, debriefing sessions, and questionnaires. App usability was evaluated with the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) (scores range from –3 to +3 for each scale) and open-ended questions, whereas participants’ workload was measured using the NASA Raw-Task Load Index (NASA RTLX). Results Users’ difficulties in interacting with the app during the simulations were identified using a structured framework. The app usability, in terms of mean UEQ scores, was as follows: attractiveness 1.71 (SD 1.43), perspicuity 1.75 (SD 0.88), efficiency 1.93 (SD 0.93), dependability 1.57 (SD 1.10), stimulation 1.60 (SD 1.33), and novelty 2.21 (SD 0.74). Team leaders’ perceived workload was comparable (P=.57) between the 2 groups; median NASA RTLX score was 67.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 65.0-81.7) for the control group and 66.7 (IQR 54.2-76.7) for the intervention group. A preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of the app in reducing deviations from guidelines showed that median time to epinephrine administration was significantly longer in the group that used the app compared with the control group (254 seconds versus 165 seconds; P=.015). Conclusions The PediAppRREST app received a good usability evaluation and did not appear to increase team leaders’ workload. Based on the feedback collected from the participants and the preliminary results of the evaluation of its effects on the management of the simulated scenario, the app has been further refined. The effectiveness of the new version of the app in reducing deviations from guidelines recommendations in the management of PCA and its impact on time to critical actions will be evaluated in an upcoming multicenter simulation-based randomized controlled trial.

Infrascanner seems an easy-to-use tool for children presenting to the ED following a MHI, given the high completion rate and short time to completion. Our preliminary results suggest that Infrascanner is worthy of further investigation as a potential tool to decrease the CT scan rate in children with MHI.

Food allergy is an increasingly prevalent problem all over the world and especially in westernized countries, and there is an unmet medical need for an effective form of therapy. During childhood natural tolerance development is frequent, but some children with cow's milk or hen's egg allergy and the majority of children with peanut allergy will remain allergic until adulthood, limiting not only the diet of patients but also their quality of life. Within the last several years, the usefulness of immunotherapy for food allergies has been investigated in food allergic patients. Several food immunotherapies are being developed; these involve oral, sublingual, epicutaneous, or subcutaneous administration of small amounts of native or modified allergens to induce immune tolerance. The approach generally follows the same principles as immunotherapy of other allergic disorders and involves administering small increasing doses of food during an induction phase followed by a maintenance phase with regular intake of a maximum tolerated amount of food. Oral immunotherapy seems to be a promising approach for food allergic patients based on results from small uncontrolled and controlled studies. Diet containing heated milk and egg may represent an alternative approach to oral immunomodulation for cow's milk and egg allergic subjects. However, oral food immunotherapy remains an investigational treatment to be further studied before advancing into clinical practice. Additional bigger, multicentric and hopefully randomized-controlled studies must answer multiple questions including optimal dose, ideal duration of immunotherapy, degree of protection, efficacy for different ages, severity and type of food allergy responsive to treatment.