The use of combination therapy including protease inhibitors has markedly reduced mortality among children and adolescents infected with HIV-1.

Palivizumab was licensed in June 1998 by the Food and Drug Administration for the reduction of serious lower respiratory tract infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children at increased risk of severe disease. Since that time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidance for the use of palivizumab 4 times as additional data became available to provide a better understanding of infants and young children at greatest risk of hospitalization attributable to RSV infection. The updated recommendations in this policy statement reflect new information regarding the seasonality of RSV circulation, palivizumab pharmacokinetics, the changing incidence of bronchiolitis hospitalizations, the effect of gestational age and other risk factors on RSV hospitalization rates, the mortality of children hospitalized with RSV infection, the effect of prophylaxis on wheezing, and palivizumab-resistant RSV isolates. This policy statement updates and replaces the recommendations found in the 2012 Red Book. Pediatrics 2014;134:415-420 Policy statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are designed to provide updated guidance for child health care topics, with an emphasis on evidence-based recommendations whenever possible. Policy statements are reviewed at least every 3 years and updated when appropriate. In following this procedure, the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases (COID) has undertaken a systematic review of all recent and older peer-reviewed literature relating to the burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in infants and children, focusing on publications that delineate children at greatest risk of serious RSV disease and studies that define pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy. Detailed input regarding this guidance has been solicited from 21 committees, councils, sections, and advisory groups within the AAP, as well as organizations outside the AAP. Outside groups include the

Context Introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has significantly decreased mortality in HIV-1-infected adults and children. Although an increase in non-HIV-related mortality has been noted in adults, data in children are limited. Objectives To evaluate changes in causes and risk factors for death among HIV-1-infected children in Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) 219/219C. Design, Setting and Participants Multicenter, prospective cohort study designed to evaluate long-term outcomes in HIV-1-exposed and infected US children. There were 3,553 HIV-1-infected children enrolled and followed between April 1993 and December 2006 with primary cause of mortality identified in the 298 observed deaths. Main Outcome Measures Mortality rates per 100 child-years overall and by demographic factors; survival estimates by birth cohort; and hazard ratios (HR) for mortality by various demographic, health and antiretroviral treatment factors were determined. Results Among 3,553 HIV-1-infected children followed for a median of 5.3 years, 298 deaths occurred. Death rates significantly decreased between 1994 and 2000, from 7.2 to 0.8 per 100 person-years, and remained relatively stable through 2006. After adjustment for other covariates, increased risk of death was identified for those with low CD4 and AIDS-defining illness at entry. Decreased risks of mortality were identified for later birth cohorts, and for time-dependent initiation of HAART (HR 0.54, p<0.001). The most common causes of death were “End-stage AIDS” (N=48, 16%) and pneumonia (N=41, 14%). The proportion of deaths due to opportunistic infections (OIs) declined from 37% in 1994–1996 to 24% after 2000. All OI mortality declined during the study period. However, a greater decline was noted for deaths due to Mycobacterium avium complex and cryptosporidium. Deaths from “End-stage AIDS”, sepsis and renal failure increased. Conclusions Overall death rates declined from 1993–2000 but have since stabilized at rates about 30 times higher than for the general U.S. pediatric population. Deaths due to OIs have declined, but non-AIDS-defining infections and multi-organ failure remain major causes of mortality in HIV-1- infected children.

Most upper respiratory tract infections are caused by viruses and require no antibiotics. This clinical report focuses on antibiotic prescribing strategies for bacterial upper respiratory tract infections, including acute otitis media, acute bacterial sinusitis, and streptococcal pharyngitis. The principles for judicious antibiotic prescribing that are outlined focus on applying stringent diagnostic criteria, weighing the benefits and harms of antibiotic therapy, and understanding situations when antibiotics may not be indicated. The principles can be used to amplify messages from recent clinical guidelines for local guideline development and for patient communication; they are broadly applicable to antibiotic prescribing in general.

Guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for the use of palivizumab prophylaxis against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was first published in a policy statement in 1998. Guidance initially was based on the result from a single randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted in 1996–1997 describing an overall reduction in RSV hospitalization rate from 10.6% among placebo recipients to 4.8% among children who received prophylaxis. The results of a second randomized, placebo-controlled trial of children with hemodynamically significant heart disease were published in 2003 and revealed a reduction in RSV hospitalization rate from 9.7% in control subjects to 5.3% among prophylaxis recipients. Because no additional controlled trials regarding efficacy were published, AAP guidance has been updated periodically to reflect the most recent literature regarding children at greatest risk of severe disease. Since the last update in 2012, new data have become available regarding the seasonality of RSV circulation, palivizumab pharmacokinetics, the changing incidence of bronchiolitis hospitalizations, the effects of gestational age and other risk factors on RSV hospitalization rates, the mortality of children hospitalized with RSV infection, and the effect of prophylaxis on wheezing and palivizumab-resistant RSV isolates. These data enable further refinement of AAP guidance to most clearly focus on those children at greatest risk.