Gender Distribution of Scholarship and Measures of National Recognition in Hospital Medicine

OBJECTIVE: Our specific aim was to assess the gender distribution of aspects of scholarly productivity and professional standing for pediatric hospital medicine over a 5-year period. We also evaluated for correlation between the makeup of editorial boards, conference planning committees, and chosen content. METHODS: We reviewed scholarly publications, presentations, editorial boards, planning committees, awardees, and society leadership in pediatric hospital medicine from 2015 to 2019 and determined gender using published methods to assess for differences between observed proportions of women authors and presenters and the proportion of women in the field. RESULTS: The field of pediatric hospital medicine at large is 69% women (95% confidence internal [CI] 68%–71%), and an estimated 57% of senior members are women (95% CI 54%–60%). We evaluated 570 original science manuscripts and found 67% (95% CI 63%–71%) women first authors and 49% (95% CI 44%–53%) women senior authors. We evaluated 1093 presentations at national conferences and found 69% (95% CI 65%–72%) women presenters of submitted content and 44% (95% CI 37%–51%) women presenters of invited content. Senior authorship and invited speaking engagements demonstrated disproportionately low representation of women when compared with senior members of the field (senior authorship, P = .002; invited presenters, P < .001). Strong positive correlation between gender composition of conference planning committees and selected content was also noted (r = 0.94). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated representative gender distribution for some aspects of scholarly productivity in pediatric hospital medicine; however, a lack of gender parity exists in senior roles.

Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Tract Infections in Children Aged 0–5 Years for 2017/2023

Aim: To compare hospital admissions across common respiratory tract infections (RTI) in 2017-21, and project possible hospital admissions for the RTIs among children aged 0–12 months and 1-5 years in 2022 and 2023.Methods: In 644 885 children aged 0–12 months and 1–5 years, we plotted the observed monthly number of RTI admissions [upper- and lower RTI, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19] from January 1st, 2017 until October 31st, 2021. We also plotted the number of RTI admissions with a need for respiratory support. We used the observed data to project four different scenarios of RTI admissions for the rest of 2021 until 2023, with different impacts on hospital wards: (1) “Business as usual,” (2) “Continuous lockdown,” (3) “Children's immunity debt,” and (4) “Maternal and child immunity debt.”Results: By October 31st, 2021, the number of simultaneous RTI admissions had exceeded the numbers usually observed at the typical season peak in January, i.e., ~900. Based on our observed data and assuming that children and their mothers (who transfer antibodies to the very youngest) have not been exposed to RTI over the last one and a half years, our scenarios suggest that hospitals should be prepared to handle two to three times as many RTI admissions, and two to three times as many RTI admissions requiring respiratory support among 0–5-year-olds as normal, from November 2021 to April 2022.Conclusion: Scenarios with immunity debt suggest that pediatric hospital wards and policy makers should plan for extended capacity.

FACTORES DE RIESGO ASOCIADOS A LA MORTALIDAD Y PESO AL NACER DE PACIENTES NEONATOS, CASO DE ESTUDIO: HOSPITAL PEDIÁTRICO BACA ORTIZ

Introducción: El peso al nacer es uno de los principales indicadores pronóstico de mortalidad neonatal, en el que influyen factores asociados con la madre, el neonato, y también con las características socioeconómicas del núcleo familiar. Los factores de riesgo implican comorbilidades al momento del nacimiento, por lo que, la intervención adecuada y el oportuno acceso a los servicios de salud constituyen elementos primordiales para la reducción de la mortalidad neonatal. Objetivo: establecer los factores de riesgo asociados a la mortalidad y peso al nacer de pacientes neonatos, de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales del Hospital Pediátrico Baca Ortiz. Métodos: Se realizó una investigación de diseño observacional, transversal de tipo descriptivo que con una muestra de 204 recién nacidos ingresados en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales del Hospital Pediátrico Baca Ortiz en la ciudad de Quito, Ecuador, durante el año 2019. Resultados: El peso al nacimiento tiene una asociación lineal negativa significativa con la mortalidad neonatal, siendo los neonatos de género masculino los más susceptibles a fallecer. También, existe mayor frecuencia de mortalidad neonatal en las madres que residen en el área urbana de la sierra ecuatoriana. Conclusiones: El peso al nacer es una variable de gran influencia en la salud y supervivencia infantil, debido a que los datos epidemiológicos muestran que un niño que nace con un peso por debajo de los límites normales tiene un mayor riesgo de fallecer, en comparación con los niños nacidos con un peso dentro del rango considerado normal. Palabras clave: Mortalidad infantil, factores de riesgo, recién nacido de bajo peso, enfermería neonatal, mortalidad neonatal. Abstract Introduction: Birth weight is one of the main prognostic indicators of neonatal mortality, which is influenced by factors associated with the mother, the neonate, and the socioeconomic characteristics of the family. Moreover, the risk factors imply comorbidities at birth. Therefore, adequate intervention and timely access to health services constitute essential elements to reduce neonatal mortality. Objective: establish the risk factors associated with mortality and birth weight of neonatal patients, from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Baca Ortiz Pediatric Hospital. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive research was carried out with a sample of 204 newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Baca Ortiz Pediatric Hospital in the city of Quito, Ecuador, during the year 2019. Results: The birth weight shows a significant negative linear association with neonatal mortality, where the male infants are the most susceptible to death. Furthermore, there is a higher frequency of neonatal mortality in mothers who live in the urban area of ​​the Ecuadorian highlands. Conclusions: The birth weight is a highly influential variable for child health and survival since epidemiological data show that a newborn with a weight below the range considered normal, has a higher risk of death as compared to children with a normal weight. Keywords: Infant mortality, risk factors, low birth weight, neonatal nursing, neonatal mortality.

Care related to peripheral intravenous catheterism in pediatrics performed by nursing technicians

ABSTRACT Objectives: to evaluate the care practice adopted by nursing technicians before, during and after peripheral intravenous catheterization performed in hospitalized children. Methods: cross-sectional and descriptive research, carried out in a pediatric hospital in Bahia through non-participatory observation of peripheral intravenous catheterizations performed in children by nursing technicians. Data was collected through an instrument containing care related to the moments before, during and after insertion of the catheter, calculating absolute and relative frequencies, measures of central tendency and dispersion. Results: there were 31 nursing technicians, who performed care mainly before intravenous catheterization. Nonconformities were identified regarding hand hygiene, use of a disposable mask, selection of the catheter insertion site, antisepsis, stabilization and catheter coverage. Conclusions: most of the precautions observed regarding peripheral intravenous catheterization are not in accordance with the standards of practice recommended by the national and international literature.