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Staged hemispheric embolization: How to treat hemimegalencephaly within days of birth
BALTIMORE – About one in 4,000 children are born with hemimegalencephaly, meaning one brain hemisphere is abnormally formed and larger than the other.
The abnormal hemisphere causes seizures, and when they become intractable, the standard of care is to remove it as soon as possible; the longer the abnormal hemisphere is left in, the worse children do developmentally, and the less likely hemispherectomy will stop the seizures.
A problem comes up, however, when children become intractable before they’re 3 months old: “Neurosurgeons won’t touch them,” said Taeun Chang, MD, a neonatal neurointensivist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington.
Newborns’ coagulation systems aren’t fully developed, and the risk of fatal hemorrhage is too high, she explained.
Out of what she said was a sense of “desperation” to address the situation, Dr. Chang has spearheaded a new approach for newborns at Children’s National, serial glue embolization to induce targeted strokes in the affected hemisphere. She reported on the first five cases at the American Epilepsy Society annual meeting.
At this point, “I feel like we’ve pretty much figured out the technique in terms of minimizing the complications. There’s no reason to wait anymore” for surgery as newborns get worse and worse, she said.
The technique
In two or three stages over several days, the major branches of the affected hemisphere’s anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries are embolized. “You have to glue a long area and put in a lot of glue and glue up the secondary branches because [newborns] are so good at forming collaterals,” Dr. Chang said.
Fresh frozen plasma is given before and after each embolization session to boost coagulation proteins. Nicardipine is given during the procedure to prevent vasospasms. The one death in the series, case four, was in an 11-day old girl who vasospasmed, ruptured an artery over the tip of the guidewire, and hemorrhaged.
After the procedure, body temperature is kept at 36° C to prevent fever; sodium is kept high, and ins and outs are matched, to reduce brain edema; and blood pressure is tightly controlled. Children are kept on EEG during embolization and for days afterwards, and seizures, if any, are treated. The next embolization comes after peak swelling has passed in about 48-72 hours.
“The reason we can get away with this without herniation is that newborns’ skulls are soft, and their sutures are open,” so cerebral edema is manageable, Dr. Chang said.
Learning curve and outcomes
“What we learned in the first two cases” – a 23-day-old boy and 49-day-old girl – “was to create effective strokes. That’s not something any of us are taught to do,” she said.
“We were not trying to destroy the whole hemisphere, just the area that was seizing on EEG.” That was a mistake, she said: Adjacent areas began seizing and both children went on to anatomical hemispherectomies and needed shunts.
They are 5 years old now, and both on four seizure medications. The boy is in a wheelchair, fed by a G-tube, and has fewer than 20 words. The girl has a gait trainer, is fed mostly by G-tube, and has more than 50 words.
The third patient had her middle and posterior cerebral arteries embolized beginning when she was 43 days old. She was seizure free when she left the NICU, but eventually had a functional hemispherectomy. She’s 2 years old now, eating by mouth, in a gait trainer, and speaks in one- or two-word sentences. She’s on three seizure medications.
Outcomes have been best for patient five. Her posterior, middle, and anterior cerebral arteries were embolized starting at 14 days. She’s 1 year old now, seizure free on three medications, eating by G-tube and mouth, and has three-five words.
Dr. Chang said that newborns with hemimegalencephaly at Children’s National aren’t lingering as long on failing drug regimens these days. “We go to intervention now that we have this option” after they fail just two or three medications.
Given that the fifth patient, treated at 2 weeks old, is the only one who has been seizure free, she suspects it’s probably best to do embolization sooner rather than later, just as with anatomical hemispherectomy in older children. “We’ve got the sense that even a couple of weeks makes a difference. People need to come to us sooner,” Dr. Chang said.
It’s possible embolization could be a sound alternative to surgery even after 3 months of age. Focal embolization might also be a viable alternative to surgery to knock out epileptogenic lesions in children with tuberous sclerosis. Dr. Chang and her colleagues are interested in those and other possibilities, and plan to continue to develop the approach, she said.
There was no funding, and the investigators didn’t have any relevant disclosures.
SOURCE: Chang T et al. AES 2019, Abstract 1.225.
BALTIMORE – About one in 4,000 children are born with hemimegalencephaly, meaning one brain hemisphere is abnormally formed and larger than the other.
The abnormal hemisphere causes seizures, and when they become intractable, the standard of care is to remove it as soon as possible; the longer the abnormal hemisphere is left in, the worse children do developmentally, and the less likely hemispherectomy will stop the seizures.
A problem comes up, however, when children become intractable before they’re 3 months old: “Neurosurgeons won’t touch them,” said Taeun Chang, MD, a neonatal neurointensivist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington.
Newborns’ coagulation systems aren’t fully developed, and the risk of fatal hemorrhage is too high, she explained.
Out of what she said was a sense of “desperation” to address the situation, Dr. Chang has spearheaded a new approach for newborns at Children’s National, serial glue embolization to induce targeted strokes in the affected hemisphere. She reported on the first five cases at the American Epilepsy Society annual meeting.
At this point, “I feel like we’ve pretty much figured out the technique in terms of minimizing the complications. There’s no reason to wait anymore” for surgery as newborns get worse and worse, she said.
The technique
In two or three stages over several days, the major branches of the affected hemisphere’s anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries are embolized. “You have to glue a long area and put in a lot of glue and glue up the secondary branches because [newborns] are so good at forming collaterals,” Dr. Chang said.
Fresh frozen plasma is given before and after each embolization session to boost coagulation proteins. Nicardipine is given during the procedure to prevent vasospasms. The one death in the series, case four, was in an 11-day old girl who vasospasmed, ruptured an artery over the tip of the guidewire, and hemorrhaged.
After the procedure, body temperature is kept at 36° C to prevent fever; sodium is kept high, and ins and outs are matched, to reduce brain edema; and blood pressure is tightly controlled. Children are kept on EEG during embolization and for days afterwards, and seizures, if any, are treated. The next embolization comes after peak swelling has passed in about 48-72 hours.
“The reason we can get away with this without herniation is that newborns’ skulls are soft, and their sutures are open,” so cerebral edema is manageable, Dr. Chang said.
Learning curve and outcomes
“What we learned in the first two cases” – a 23-day-old boy and 49-day-old girl – “was to create effective strokes. That’s not something any of us are taught to do,” she said.
“We were not trying to destroy the whole hemisphere, just the area that was seizing on EEG.” That was a mistake, she said: Adjacent areas began seizing and both children went on to anatomical hemispherectomies and needed shunts.
They are 5 years old now, and both on four seizure medications. The boy is in a wheelchair, fed by a G-tube, and has fewer than 20 words. The girl has a gait trainer, is fed mostly by G-tube, and has more than 50 words.
The third patient had her middle and posterior cerebral arteries embolized beginning when she was 43 days old. She was seizure free when she left the NICU, but eventually had a functional hemispherectomy. She’s 2 years old now, eating by mouth, in a gait trainer, and speaks in one- or two-word sentences. She’s on three seizure medications.
Outcomes have been best for patient five. Her posterior, middle, and anterior cerebral arteries were embolized starting at 14 days. She’s 1 year old now, seizure free on three medications, eating by G-tube and mouth, and has three-five words.
Dr. Chang said that newborns with hemimegalencephaly at Children’s National aren’t lingering as long on failing drug regimens these days. “We go to intervention now that we have this option” after they fail just two or three medications.
Given that the fifth patient, treated at 2 weeks old, is the only one who has been seizure free, she suspects it’s probably best to do embolization sooner rather than later, just as with anatomical hemispherectomy in older children. “We’ve got the sense that even a couple of weeks makes a difference. People need to come to us sooner,” Dr. Chang said.
It’s possible embolization could be a sound alternative to surgery even after 3 months of age. Focal embolization might also be a viable alternative to surgery to knock out epileptogenic lesions in children with tuberous sclerosis. Dr. Chang and her colleagues are interested in those and other possibilities, and plan to continue to develop the approach, she said.
There was no funding, and the investigators didn’t have any relevant disclosures.
SOURCE: Chang T et al. AES 2019, Abstract 1.225.
BALTIMORE – About one in 4,000 children are born with hemimegalencephaly, meaning one brain hemisphere is abnormally formed and larger than the other.
The abnormal hemisphere causes seizures, and when they become intractable, the standard of care is to remove it as soon as possible; the longer the abnormal hemisphere is left in, the worse children do developmentally, and the less likely hemispherectomy will stop the seizures.
A problem comes up, however, when children become intractable before they’re 3 months old: “Neurosurgeons won’t touch them,” said Taeun Chang, MD, a neonatal neurointensivist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington.
Newborns’ coagulation systems aren’t fully developed, and the risk of fatal hemorrhage is too high, she explained.
Out of what she said was a sense of “desperation” to address the situation, Dr. Chang has spearheaded a new approach for newborns at Children’s National, serial glue embolization to induce targeted strokes in the affected hemisphere. She reported on the first five cases at the American Epilepsy Society annual meeting.
At this point, “I feel like we’ve pretty much figured out the technique in terms of minimizing the complications. There’s no reason to wait anymore” for surgery as newborns get worse and worse, she said.
The technique
In two or three stages over several days, the major branches of the affected hemisphere’s anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries are embolized. “You have to glue a long area and put in a lot of glue and glue up the secondary branches because [newborns] are so good at forming collaterals,” Dr. Chang said.
Fresh frozen plasma is given before and after each embolization session to boost coagulation proteins. Nicardipine is given during the procedure to prevent vasospasms. The one death in the series, case four, was in an 11-day old girl who vasospasmed, ruptured an artery over the tip of the guidewire, and hemorrhaged.
After the procedure, body temperature is kept at 36° C to prevent fever; sodium is kept high, and ins and outs are matched, to reduce brain edema; and blood pressure is tightly controlled. Children are kept on EEG during embolization and for days afterwards, and seizures, if any, are treated. The next embolization comes after peak swelling has passed in about 48-72 hours.
“The reason we can get away with this without herniation is that newborns’ skulls are soft, and their sutures are open,” so cerebral edema is manageable, Dr. Chang said.
Learning curve and outcomes
“What we learned in the first two cases” – a 23-day-old boy and 49-day-old girl – “was to create effective strokes. That’s not something any of us are taught to do,” she said.
“We were not trying to destroy the whole hemisphere, just the area that was seizing on EEG.” That was a mistake, she said: Adjacent areas began seizing and both children went on to anatomical hemispherectomies and needed shunts.
They are 5 years old now, and both on four seizure medications. The boy is in a wheelchair, fed by a G-tube, and has fewer than 20 words. The girl has a gait trainer, is fed mostly by G-tube, and has more than 50 words.
The third patient had her middle and posterior cerebral arteries embolized beginning when she was 43 days old. She was seizure free when she left the NICU, but eventually had a functional hemispherectomy. She’s 2 years old now, eating by mouth, in a gait trainer, and speaks in one- or two-word sentences. She’s on three seizure medications.
Outcomes have been best for patient five. Her posterior, middle, and anterior cerebral arteries were embolized starting at 14 days. She’s 1 year old now, seizure free on three medications, eating by G-tube and mouth, and has three-five words.
Dr. Chang said that newborns with hemimegalencephaly at Children’s National aren’t lingering as long on failing drug regimens these days. “We go to intervention now that we have this option” after they fail just two or three medications.
Given that the fifth patient, treated at 2 weeks old, is the only one who has been seizure free, she suspects it’s probably best to do embolization sooner rather than later, just as with anatomical hemispherectomy in older children. “We’ve got the sense that even a couple of weeks makes a difference. People need to come to us sooner,” Dr. Chang said.
It’s possible embolization could be a sound alternative to surgery even after 3 months of age. Focal embolization might also be a viable alternative to surgery to knock out epileptogenic lesions in children with tuberous sclerosis. Dr. Chang and her colleagues are interested in those and other possibilities, and plan to continue to develop the approach, she said.
There was no funding, and the investigators didn’t have any relevant disclosures.
SOURCE: Chang T et al. AES 2019, Abstract 1.225.
REPORTING FROM AES 2019
HHS declares coronavirus emergency, orders quarantine
The federal government declared a formal public health emergency on Jan. 31 to aid in the response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The declaration, issued by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex. M. Azar II gives state, tribal, and local health departments additional flexibility to request assistance from the federal government in responding to the coronavirus.
"While this virus poses a serious public health threat, the risk to the American public remains low at this time, and we are working to keep this risk low."*
2019-nCoV—the first such action taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in more than 50 years.
“This decision is based on the current scientific facts,” Nancy Messonnier, MD, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a press briefing Jan. 31. “While we understand the action seems drastic, our goal today, tomorrow, and always continues to be the safety of the American public. We would rather be remembered for over-reacting than under-reacting.”
These actions come on the heels of the World Health Organization’s Jan. 30 declaration of 2019-nCoV as a public health emergency of international concern, and from a recent spike in cases reported by Chinese health officials. “Every day this week China has reported additional cases,” Dr. Messonnier said. “Today’s numbers are a 26% increase since yesterday. Over the course of the last week, there have been nearly 7,000 new cases reported. This tells us the virus is continuing to spread rapidly in China. The reported deaths have continued to rise as well. In addition, locations outside China have continued to report cases. There have been an increasing number of reports of person-to-person spread, and now, most recently, a report in the New England Journal of Medicine of asymptomatic spread.”
The quarantine of passengers will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan, China. Martin Cetron, MD, who directs the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said that the quarantine order “offers the greatest level of protection for the American public in preventing introduction and spread. That is our primary concern. Prior epidemics suggest that when people are properly informed, they’re usually very compliant with this request to restrict their movement. This allows someone who would become symptomatic to be rapidly identified. Offering early, rapid diagnosis of their illness could alleviate a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. In addition, this is a protective effect on family members. No individual wants to be the source of introducing or exposing a family member or a loved one to their virus. Additionally, this is part of their civic responsibility to protect their communities.”
* This story was updated on 01/31/2020.
The federal government declared a formal public health emergency on Jan. 31 to aid in the response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The declaration, issued by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex. M. Azar II gives state, tribal, and local health departments additional flexibility to request assistance from the federal government in responding to the coronavirus.
"While this virus poses a serious public health threat, the risk to the American public remains low at this time, and we are working to keep this risk low."*
2019-nCoV—the first such action taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in more than 50 years.
“This decision is based on the current scientific facts,” Nancy Messonnier, MD, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a press briefing Jan. 31. “While we understand the action seems drastic, our goal today, tomorrow, and always continues to be the safety of the American public. We would rather be remembered for over-reacting than under-reacting.”
These actions come on the heels of the World Health Organization’s Jan. 30 declaration of 2019-nCoV as a public health emergency of international concern, and from a recent spike in cases reported by Chinese health officials. “Every day this week China has reported additional cases,” Dr. Messonnier said. “Today’s numbers are a 26% increase since yesterday. Over the course of the last week, there have been nearly 7,000 new cases reported. This tells us the virus is continuing to spread rapidly in China. The reported deaths have continued to rise as well. In addition, locations outside China have continued to report cases. There have been an increasing number of reports of person-to-person spread, and now, most recently, a report in the New England Journal of Medicine of asymptomatic spread.”
The quarantine of passengers will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan, China. Martin Cetron, MD, who directs the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said that the quarantine order “offers the greatest level of protection for the American public in preventing introduction and spread. That is our primary concern. Prior epidemics suggest that when people are properly informed, they’re usually very compliant with this request to restrict their movement. This allows someone who would become symptomatic to be rapidly identified. Offering early, rapid diagnosis of their illness could alleviate a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. In addition, this is a protective effect on family members. No individual wants to be the source of introducing or exposing a family member or a loved one to their virus. Additionally, this is part of their civic responsibility to protect their communities.”
* This story was updated on 01/31/2020.
The federal government declared a formal public health emergency on Jan. 31 to aid in the response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The declaration, issued by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex. M. Azar II gives state, tribal, and local health departments additional flexibility to request assistance from the federal government in responding to the coronavirus.
"While this virus poses a serious public health threat, the risk to the American public remains low at this time, and we are working to keep this risk low."*
2019-nCoV—the first such action taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in more than 50 years.
“This decision is based on the current scientific facts,” Nancy Messonnier, MD, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a press briefing Jan. 31. “While we understand the action seems drastic, our goal today, tomorrow, and always continues to be the safety of the American public. We would rather be remembered for over-reacting than under-reacting.”
These actions come on the heels of the World Health Organization’s Jan. 30 declaration of 2019-nCoV as a public health emergency of international concern, and from a recent spike in cases reported by Chinese health officials. “Every day this week China has reported additional cases,” Dr. Messonnier said. “Today’s numbers are a 26% increase since yesterday. Over the course of the last week, there have been nearly 7,000 new cases reported. This tells us the virus is continuing to spread rapidly in China. The reported deaths have continued to rise as well. In addition, locations outside China have continued to report cases. There have been an increasing number of reports of person-to-person spread, and now, most recently, a report in the New England Journal of Medicine of asymptomatic spread.”
The quarantine of passengers will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan, China. Martin Cetron, MD, who directs the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said that the quarantine order “offers the greatest level of protection for the American public in preventing introduction and spread. That is our primary concern. Prior epidemics suggest that when people are properly informed, they’re usually very compliant with this request to restrict their movement. This allows someone who would become symptomatic to be rapidly identified. Offering early, rapid diagnosis of their illness could alleviate a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. In addition, this is a protective effect on family members. No individual wants to be the source of introducing or exposing a family member or a loved one to their virus. Additionally, this is part of their civic responsibility to protect their communities.”
* This story was updated on 01/31/2020.
Is anxiety about the coronavirus out of proportion?
A number of years ago, a patient I was treating mentioned that she was not eating tomatoes. There had been stories in the news about people contracting bacterial infections from tomatoes, but I paused for a moment, then asked her: “Have there been any contaminated tomatoes here in Maryland?” There had not been and I was still happily eating salsa, but my patient thought about this differently: If disease-causing tomatoes were to come to our state, someone would be the first person to become ill. She did not want to take any risks. My patient, however, was a heavy smoker and already grappling with health issues that were caused by smoking, so I found her choice of what she should worry about and how it influenced her behavior to be perplexing. I realize it’s not the same; nicotine is an addiction, while tomatoes remain a choice for most of us, and it’s common for people to worry about very unlikely events even when we are surrounded by very real and statistically more probable threats to our well-being.
Today’s news reports are filled with stories about 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), an illness that started in Wuhan, China; as of Jan. 31, 2020, there were 9,776 confirmed cases and 213 deaths. There have been an additional 118 cases reported outside of mainland China, including 6 in the United States, and no one outside of China has died.
The response to the virus has been remarkable: Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million inhabitants, is on lockdown, as are 15 other cities in China; 46 million people have been affected, the largest quarantine in human history. Travel is restricted in parts of China, airports all over the world are screening those who fly in from Wuhan, foreign governments are bringing their citizens home from Wuhan, and even Starbucks has temporarily closed half its stores in China. The economics of containing this virus are astounding.
In the meantime, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, as of the week of Jan. 25, there have been 19 million cases of the flu in the United States. Of those stricken, 180,000 people have been hospitalized and 10,000 have died, including 68 pediatric patients. No cities are on lockdown, public transportation runs as usual, airports don’t screen passengers for flu symptoms, and Starbucks continues to serve vanilla lattes to any willing customer. Anxiety about illness is not new; we’ve seen it with SARS, Ebola, measles, and even around Chipotle’s food poisoning cases – to name just a few recent scares. We have also seen a lot of media on vaping-related deaths, and as of early January 2020, vaping-related illnesses affected 2,602 people with 59 deaths. It has been a topic of discussion among legislators, with an emphasis on either outlawing the flavoring that might appeal to younger people or simply outlawing e-cigarettes. No one, however, is talking about outlawing regular cigarettes, despite the fact that many people have switched from cigarettes to vaping products as a way to quit smoking. So, while vaping has caused 59 deaths since 2018, cigarettes are responsible for 480,000 fatalities a year in the United States and smokers live, on average, 10 years less than nonsmokers.
So what fuels anxiety about the latest health scare, and why aren’t we more anxious about the more common causes of premature mortality? Certainly, the newness and the unknown are factors in the coronavirus scare. It’s not certain how this illness was introduced into the human population, although one theory is that it started with the consumption of bats who carry the virus. It’s spreading fast, and in some people, it has been lethal. The incubation period is not known, or whether it is contagious before symptoms appear. Coronavirus is getting a lot of public health attention and the World Health Organization just announced that the virus is a public health emergency of international concern. On the televised news on Jan. 29, 2020, coronavirus was the top story in the United States, even though an impeachment trial is in progress for our country’s president.
The public health response of locking down cities may help contain the outbreak and prevent a global epidemic, although millions of people had already left Wuhan, so the heavy-handed attempt to prevent spread of the virus may well be too late. In the case of the Ebola virus – a much more lethal disease that was also thought to be introduced by bats – public health measures certainly curtailed global spread, and the epidemic of 2014-2016 was limited to 28,600 cases and 11,325 deaths, nearly all of them in West Africa.
Most of the things that cause people to die are not new and are not topics the media chooses to sensationalize. Dissemination of news has changed over the decades, with so much more of it, instant reports on social media, and competition for viewers that leads journalists to pull at our emotions. And while we may, or may not, get flu shots and avoid those who have the flu, how and where we position both our anxiety and our resources does not always make sense. Certainly some people are predisposed to worry about both common and uncommon dangers, while others seem never to worry and engage in acts that many of us would consider dangerous. If we are looking for logic, it may be hard to find – there are those who would happily go bungee jumping but wouldn’t dream of leaving the house out without hand sanitizer.
The repercussions from this massive response to the Wuhan coronavirus are significant. For the millions of people on lockdown in China, each day gets emotionally harder; some may begin to have issues procuring food, and the financial losses for the economy will be significant. It’s not really possible to know yet if this response is warranted; we do know that infectious diseases can kill millions. The AIDS pandemic has taken the lives of 36 million people since 1981, and the influenza pandemic of 1918 resulted in an estimated 20 million to 50 million deaths after infecting 500 million people. Still, one might wonder if other, more mundane causes of morbidity and mortality – the ones that no longer garner our dread or make it to the front pages – might also be worthy of more hype and resources.
Dr. Miller is coauthor with Annette Hanson, MD, of “Committed: The Battle Over Involuntary Psychiatric Care” (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 2016). She has a private practice and is assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins, both in Baltimore.
A number of years ago, a patient I was treating mentioned that she was not eating tomatoes. There had been stories in the news about people contracting bacterial infections from tomatoes, but I paused for a moment, then asked her: “Have there been any contaminated tomatoes here in Maryland?” There had not been and I was still happily eating salsa, but my patient thought about this differently: If disease-causing tomatoes were to come to our state, someone would be the first person to become ill. She did not want to take any risks. My patient, however, was a heavy smoker and already grappling with health issues that were caused by smoking, so I found her choice of what she should worry about and how it influenced her behavior to be perplexing. I realize it’s not the same; nicotine is an addiction, while tomatoes remain a choice for most of us, and it’s common for people to worry about very unlikely events even when we are surrounded by very real and statistically more probable threats to our well-being.
Today’s news reports are filled with stories about 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), an illness that started in Wuhan, China; as of Jan. 31, 2020, there were 9,776 confirmed cases and 213 deaths. There have been an additional 118 cases reported outside of mainland China, including 6 in the United States, and no one outside of China has died.
The response to the virus has been remarkable: Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million inhabitants, is on lockdown, as are 15 other cities in China; 46 million people have been affected, the largest quarantine in human history. Travel is restricted in parts of China, airports all over the world are screening those who fly in from Wuhan, foreign governments are bringing their citizens home from Wuhan, and even Starbucks has temporarily closed half its stores in China. The economics of containing this virus are astounding.
In the meantime, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, as of the week of Jan. 25, there have been 19 million cases of the flu in the United States. Of those stricken, 180,000 people have been hospitalized and 10,000 have died, including 68 pediatric patients. No cities are on lockdown, public transportation runs as usual, airports don’t screen passengers for flu symptoms, and Starbucks continues to serve vanilla lattes to any willing customer. Anxiety about illness is not new; we’ve seen it with SARS, Ebola, measles, and even around Chipotle’s food poisoning cases – to name just a few recent scares. We have also seen a lot of media on vaping-related deaths, and as of early January 2020, vaping-related illnesses affected 2,602 people with 59 deaths. It has been a topic of discussion among legislators, with an emphasis on either outlawing the flavoring that might appeal to younger people or simply outlawing e-cigarettes. No one, however, is talking about outlawing regular cigarettes, despite the fact that many people have switched from cigarettes to vaping products as a way to quit smoking. So, while vaping has caused 59 deaths since 2018, cigarettes are responsible for 480,000 fatalities a year in the United States and smokers live, on average, 10 years less than nonsmokers.
So what fuels anxiety about the latest health scare, and why aren’t we more anxious about the more common causes of premature mortality? Certainly, the newness and the unknown are factors in the coronavirus scare. It’s not certain how this illness was introduced into the human population, although one theory is that it started with the consumption of bats who carry the virus. It’s spreading fast, and in some people, it has been lethal. The incubation period is not known, or whether it is contagious before symptoms appear. Coronavirus is getting a lot of public health attention and the World Health Organization just announced that the virus is a public health emergency of international concern. On the televised news on Jan. 29, 2020, coronavirus was the top story in the United States, even though an impeachment trial is in progress for our country’s president.
The public health response of locking down cities may help contain the outbreak and prevent a global epidemic, although millions of people had already left Wuhan, so the heavy-handed attempt to prevent spread of the virus may well be too late. In the case of the Ebola virus – a much more lethal disease that was also thought to be introduced by bats – public health measures certainly curtailed global spread, and the epidemic of 2014-2016 was limited to 28,600 cases and 11,325 deaths, nearly all of them in West Africa.
Most of the things that cause people to die are not new and are not topics the media chooses to sensationalize. Dissemination of news has changed over the decades, with so much more of it, instant reports on social media, and competition for viewers that leads journalists to pull at our emotions. And while we may, or may not, get flu shots and avoid those who have the flu, how and where we position both our anxiety and our resources does not always make sense. Certainly some people are predisposed to worry about both common and uncommon dangers, while others seem never to worry and engage in acts that many of us would consider dangerous. If we are looking for logic, it may be hard to find – there are those who would happily go bungee jumping but wouldn’t dream of leaving the house out without hand sanitizer.
The repercussions from this massive response to the Wuhan coronavirus are significant. For the millions of people on lockdown in China, each day gets emotionally harder; some may begin to have issues procuring food, and the financial losses for the economy will be significant. It’s not really possible to know yet if this response is warranted; we do know that infectious diseases can kill millions. The AIDS pandemic has taken the lives of 36 million people since 1981, and the influenza pandemic of 1918 resulted in an estimated 20 million to 50 million deaths after infecting 500 million people. Still, one might wonder if other, more mundane causes of morbidity and mortality – the ones that no longer garner our dread or make it to the front pages – might also be worthy of more hype and resources.
Dr. Miller is coauthor with Annette Hanson, MD, of “Committed: The Battle Over Involuntary Psychiatric Care” (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 2016). She has a private practice and is assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins, both in Baltimore.
A number of years ago, a patient I was treating mentioned that she was not eating tomatoes. There had been stories in the news about people contracting bacterial infections from tomatoes, but I paused for a moment, then asked her: “Have there been any contaminated tomatoes here in Maryland?” There had not been and I was still happily eating salsa, but my patient thought about this differently: If disease-causing tomatoes were to come to our state, someone would be the first person to become ill. She did not want to take any risks. My patient, however, was a heavy smoker and already grappling with health issues that were caused by smoking, so I found her choice of what she should worry about and how it influenced her behavior to be perplexing. I realize it’s not the same; nicotine is an addiction, while tomatoes remain a choice for most of us, and it’s common for people to worry about very unlikely events even when we are surrounded by very real and statistically more probable threats to our well-being.
Today’s news reports are filled with stories about 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), an illness that started in Wuhan, China; as of Jan. 31, 2020, there were 9,776 confirmed cases and 213 deaths. There have been an additional 118 cases reported outside of mainland China, including 6 in the United States, and no one outside of China has died.
The response to the virus has been remarkable: Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million inhabitants, is on lockdown, as are 15 other cities in China; 46 million people have been affected, the largest quarantine in human history. Travel is restricted in parts of China, airports all over the world are screening those who fly in from Wuhan, foreign governments are bringing their citizens home from Wuhan, and even Starbucks has temporarily closed half its stores in China. The economics of containing this virus are astounding.
In the meantime, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, as of the week of Jan. 25, there have been 19 million cases of the flu in the United States. Of those stricken, 180,000 people have been hospitalized and 10,000 have died, including 68 pediatric patients. No cities are on lockdown, public transportation runs as usual, airports don’t screen passengers for flu symptoms, and Starbucks continues to serve vanilla lattes to any willing customer. Anxiety about illness is not new; we’ve seen it with SARS, Ebola, measles, and even around Chipotle’s food poisoning cases – to name just a few recent scares. We have also seen a lot of media on vaping-related deaths, and as of early January 2020, vaping-related illnesses affected 2,602 people with 59 deaths. It has been a topic of discussion among legislators, with an emphasis on either outlawing the flavoring that might appeal to younger people or simply outlawing e-cigarettes. No one, however, is talking about outlawing regular cigarettes, despite the fact that many people have switched from cigarettes to vaping products as a way to quit smoking. So, while vaping has caused 59 deaths since 2018, cigarettes are responsible for 480,000 fatalities a year in the United States and smokers live, on average, 10 years less than nonsmokers.
So what fuels anxiety about the latest health scare, and why aren’t we more anxious about the more common causes of premature mortality? Certainly, the newness and the unknown are factors in the coronavirus scare. It’s not certain how this illness was introduced into the human population, although one theory is that it started with the consumption of bats who carry the virus. It’s spreading fast, and in some people, it has been lethal. The incubation period is not known, or whether it is contagious before symptoms appear. Coronavirus is getting a lot of public health attention and the World Health Organization just announced that the virus is a public health emergency of international concern. On the televised news on Jan. 29, 2020, coronavirus was the top story in the United States, even though an impeachment trial is in progress for our country’s president.
The public health response of locking down cities may help contain the outbreak and prevent a global epidemic, although millions of people had already left Wuhan, so the heavy-handed attempt to prevent spread of the virus may well be too late. In the case of the Ebola virus – a much more lethal disease that was also thought to be introduced by bats – public health measures certainly curtailed global spread, and the epidemic of 2014-2016 was limited to 28,600 cases and 11,325 deaths, nearly all of them in West Africa.
Most of the things that cause people to die are not new and are not topics the media chooses to sensationalize. Dissemination of news has changed over the decades, with so much more of it, instant reports on social media, and competition for viewers that leads journalists to pull at our emotions. And while we may, or may not, get flu shots and avoid those who have the flu, how and where we position both our anxiety and our resources does not always make sense. Certainly some people are predisposed to worry about both common and uncommon dangers, while others seem never to worry and engage in acts that many of us would consider dangerous. If we are looking for logic, it may be hard to find – there are those who would happily go bungee jumping but wouldn’t dream of leaving the house out without hand sanitizer.
The repercussions from this massive response to the Wuhan coronavirus are significant. For the millions of people on lockdown in China, each day gets emotionally harder; some may begin to have issues procuring food, and the financial losses for the economy will be significant. It’s not really possible to know yet if this response is warranted; we do know that infectious diseases can kill millions. The AIDS pandemic has taken the lives of 36 million people since 1981, and the influenza pandemic of 1918 resulted in an estimated 20 million to 50 million deaths after infecting 500 million people. Still, one might wonder if other, more mundane causes of morbidity and mortality – the ones that no longer garner our dread or make it to the front pages – might also be worthy of more hype and resources.
Dr. Miller is coauthor with Annette Hanson, MD, of “Committed: The Battle Over Involuntary Psychiatric Care” (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 2016). She has a private practice and is assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins, both in Baltimore.
Systemic therapy options for pediatric skin diseases are improving
ORLANDO – Because Food and Drug Administration–approved treatment options for medications. However, this scenario is changing, A. Yasmine Kirkorian, MD, said at the ODAC Dermatology, Aesthetic & Surgical Conference.
“I really would like to emphasize that children with severe disease need to be treated,” added Dr. Kirkorian, a pediatric dermatologist at George Washington University, Washington, and Children’s National Health System, where she is interim chief of the division of dermatology.
Current on-label systemic therapies for pediatric skin disease include etanercept for psoriasis (4 years and older), ustekinumab for psoriasis (12 years and older), adalimumab for hidradenitis suppurativa (12 years and older), and omalizumab for chronic idiopathic urticaria (12 years and older). A new addition to the list is dupilumab, which was approved for children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis (AD) aged 12 years and older in 2019, she noted.
Dupilumab is currently being studied in children aged 6 months to 12 years, and other clinical trials are evaluating more options for pediatric patients with AD, alopecia areata, and psoriasis. They include a clinical trial of the oral Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) inhibitor PF-06651600 in patients aged 12 years and older with alopecia areata. Six biologic therapies are being evaluated for psoriasis in patients beginning at 6 years: ixekizumab, secukinumab, ustekinumab, guselkumab, brodalumab, and apremilast.
Some systemic therapies are off-label “but used all the time” for dermatologic diseases in pediatrics, Dr. Kirkorian noted. One example is methotrexate, which is approved by the FDA for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, meningeal leukemia, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis down to infancy. Having existing efficacy and safety data for a medication in a pediatric population, even for a different disease, can be helpful when counseling parents of children with severe dermatologic disease. “If you have something, even in an older population of children, it can be reassuring, or you can use evidence from other diseases,” she said.
While methotrexate is a cheap option and approved by the FDA for other pediatric indications down to infancy, the cons of using it to treat AD in pediatric patients are numerous. Treatment requires a number of blood draws for lab testing, which can be discouraging for younger patients, and the reported adverse effect profile may be concerning to some parents, while “in practice doesn’t really occur,” she said. Methotrexate is a teratogen so is not appropriate for teenagers who are sexually active and not using contraception.
The “biggest problem,” though, is the issue of whether methotrexate is effective, since it doesn’t always work for AD, Dr. Kirkorian said. “Even at the highest doses, I often feel that we fail the atopic children,” as opposed to using it to treat psoriasis, “where you know I’m going to get you on something that works.”
In contrast, cyclosporine is FDA approved down to infancy, and works quickly as a bridge to other therapy, and is not expensive, Dr. Kirkorian said. Cons include the need for blood draws, blood pressure checks, drug interactions, and adverse effects, she noted, adding that she tries to use cyclosporine as a bridge to on-label and off-label dupilumab.
Even with FDA approval for dupilumab down to age 12 years, she said it can be difficult to get insurance approval for the on-label treatment for patients in this age group with AD, before they first fail other therapies (even with off-label systemic drugs). For patients under age 12 years, getting approval is even more challenging and requires rigorous documentation of what therapies the child has failed, and how it has affected their quality of life, she said.
“If you send in a letter to the insurance company without an IGA [Investigator Global Assessment] or SCORAD, you’re going to get rejected,” Dr. Kirkorian said. In addition to those two measures, she provides “everything else,” including the impact of the disease on quality of life of patients, and school, she said, adding, “Did they miss school, did they get hospitalized for infections? And do they have comorbid diseases that might help you get approval?”
In pediatric patients with psoriasis, common issues are more likely to be about how insurance dictates step therapy. She has often found that young children may stop responding to etanercept after a few years, which can justify a switch to ustekinumab or a new treatment in a clinical trial, she said. Adolescents with psoriasis can receive ustekinumab, which is approved for psoriasis in patients aged 12-17 years, she said, noting that the infrequent ustekinumab dosing schedule is often beneficial in this population.
When all other approved options fail for young patients with psoriasis, justifying off-label use isn’t always easy. “You just have to make a justification based on the literature, even though it’s off label,” citing available safety information for other diseases, and “demonstrate over and over the impact on quality of life,” which works “most of the time,” Dr. Kirkorian said.
She reported having no conflicts of interest.
ORLANDO – Because Food and Drug Administration–approved treatment options for medications. However, this scenario is changing, A. Yasmine Kirkorian, MD, said at the ODAC Dermatology, Aesthetic & Surgical Conference.
“I really would like to emphasize that children with severe disease need to be treated,” added Dr. Kirkorian, a pediatric dermatologist at George Washington University, Washington, and Children’s National Health System, where she is interim chief of the division of dermatology.
Current on-label systemic therapies for pediatric skin disease include etanercept for psoriasis (4 years and older), ustekinumab for psoriasis (12 years and older), adalimumab for hidradenitis suppurativa (12 years and older), and omalizumab for chronic idiopathic urticaria (12 years and older). A new addition to the list is dupilumab, which was approved for children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis (AD) aged 12 years and older in 2019, she noted.
Dupilumab is currently being studied in children aged 6 months to 12 years, and other clinical trials are evaluating more options for pediatric patients with AD, alopecia areata, and psoriasis. They include a clinical trial of the oral Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) inhibitor PF-06651600 in patients aged 12 years and older with alopecia areata. Six biologic therapies are being evaluated for psoriasis in patients beginning at 6 years: ixekizumab, secukinumab, ustekinumab, guselkumab, brodalumab, and apremilast.
Some systemic therapies are off-label “but used all the time” for dermatologic diseases in pediatrics, Dr. Kirkorian noted. One example is methotrexate, which is approved by the FDA for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, meningeal leukemia, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis down to infancy. Having existing efficacy and safety data for a medication in a pediatric population, even for a different disease, can be helpful when counseling parents of children with severe dermatologic disease. “If you have something, even in an older population of children, it can be reassuring, or you can use evidence from other diseases,” she said.
While methotrexate is a cheap option and approved by the FDA for other pediatric indications down to infancy, the cons of using it to treat AD in pediatric patients are numerous. Treatment requires a number of blood draws for lab testing, which can be discouraging for younger patients, and the reported adverse effect profile may be concerning to some parents, while “in practice doesn’t really occur,” she said. Methotrexate is a teratogen so is not appropriate for teenagers who are sexually active and not using contraception.
The “biggest problem,” though, is the issue of whether methotrexate is effective, since it doesn’t always work for AD, Dr. Kirkorian said. “Even at the highest doses, I often feel that we fail the atopic children,” as opposed to using it to treat psoriasis, “where you know I’m going to get you on something that works.”
In contrast, cyclosporine is FDA approved down to infancy, and works quickly as a bridge to other therapy, and is not expensive, Dr. Kirkorian said. Cons include the need for blood draws, blood pressure checks, drug interactions, and adverse effects, she noted, adding that she tries to use cyclosporine as a bridge to on-label and off-label dupilumab.
Even with FDA approval for dupilumab down to age 12 years, she said it can be difficult to get insurance approval for the on-label treatment for patients in this age group with AD, before they first fail other therapies (even with off-label systemic drugs). For patients under age 12 years, getting approval is even more challenging and requires rigorous documentation of what therapies the child has failed, and how it has affected their quality of life, she said.
“If you send in a letter to the insurance company without an IGA [Investigator Global Assessment] or SCORAD, you’re going to get rejected,” Dr. Kirkorian said. In addition to those two measures, she provides “everything else,” including the impact of the disease on quality of life of patients, and school, she said, adding, “Did they miss school, did they get hospitalized for infections? And do they have comorbid diseases that might help you get approval?”
In pediatric patients with psoriasis, common issues are more likely to be about how insurance dictates step therapy. She has often found that young children may stop responding to etanercept after a few years, which can justify a switch to ustekinumab or a new treatment in a clinical trial, she said. Adolescents with psoriasis can receive ustekinumab, which is approved for psoriasis in patients aged 12-17 years, she said, noting that the infrequent ustekinumab dosing schedule is often beneficial in this population.
When all other approved options fail for young patients with psoriasis, justifying off-label use isn’t always easy. “You just have to make a justification based on the literature, even though it’s off label,” citing available safety information for other diseases, and “demonstrate over and over the impact on quality of life,” which works “most of the time,” Dr. Kirkorian said.
She reported having no conflicts of interest.
ORLANDO – Because Food and Drug Administration–approved treatment options for medications. However, this scenario is changing, A. Yasmine Kirkorian, MD, said at the ODAC Dermatology, Aesthetic & Surgical Conference.
“I really would like to emphasize that children with severe disease need to be treated,” added Dr. Kirkorian, a pediatric dermatologist at George Washington University, Washington, and Children’s National Health System, where she is interim chief of the division of dermatology.
Current on-label systemic therapies for pediatric skin disease include etanercept for psoriasis (4 years and older), ustekinumab for psoriasis (12 years and older), adalimumab for hidradenitis suppurativa (12 years and older), and omalizumab for chronic idiopathic urticaria (12 years and older). A new addition to the list is dupilumab, which was approved for children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis (AD) aged 12 years and older in 2019, she noted.
Dupilumab is currently being studied in children aged 6 months to 12 years, and other clinical trials are evaluating more options for pediatric patients with AD, alopecia areata, and psoriasis. They include a clinical trial of the oral Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) inhibitor PF-06651600 in patients aged 12 years and older with alopecia areata. Six biologic therapies are being evaluated for psoriasis in patients beginning at 6 years: ixekizumab, secukinumab, ustekinumab, guselkumab, brodalumab, and apremilast.
Some systemic therapies are off-label “but used all the time” for dermatologic diseases in pediatrics, Dr. Kirkorian noted. One example is methotrexate, which is approved by the FDA for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, meningeal leukemia, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis down to infancy. Having existing efficacy and safety data for a medication in a pediatric population, even for a different disease, can be helpful when counseling parents of children with severe dermatologic disease. “If you have something, even in an older population of children, it can be reassuring, or you can use evidence from other diseases,” she said.
While methotrexate is a cheap option and approved by the FDA for other pediatric indications down to infancy, the cons of using it to treat AD in pediatric patients are numerous. Treatment requires a number of blood draws for lab testing, which can be discouraging for younger patients, and the reported adverse effect profile may be concerning to some parents, while “in practice doesn’t really occur,” she said. Methotrexate is a teratogen so is not appropriate for teenagers who are sexually active and not using contraception.
The “biggest problem,” though, is the issue of whether methotrexate is effective, since it doesn’t always work for AD, Dr. Kirkorian said. “Even at the highest doses, I often feel that we fail the atopic children,” as opposed to using it to treat psoriasis, “where you know I’m going to get you on something that works.”
In contrast, cyclosporine is FDA approved down to infancy, and works quickly as a bridge to other therapy, and is not expensive, Dr. Kirkorian said. Cons include the need for blood draws, blood pressure checks, drug interactions, and adverse effects, she noted, adding that she tries to use cyclosporine as a bridge to on-label and off-label dupilumab.
Even with FDA approval for dupilumab down to age 12 years, she said it can be difficult to get insurance approval for the on-label treatment for patients in this age group with AD, before they first fail other therapies (even with off-label systemic drugs). For patients under age 12 years, getting approval is even more challenging and requires rigorous documentation of what therapies the child has failed, and how it has affected their quality of life, she said.
“If you send in a letter to the insurance company without an IGA [Investigator Global Assessment] or SCORAD, you’re going to get rejected,” Dr. Kirkorian said. In addition to those two measures, she provides “everything else,” including the impact of the disease on quality of life of patients, and school, she said, adding, “Did they miss school, did they get hospitalized for infections? And do they have comorbid diseases that might help you get approval?”
In pediatric patients with psoriasis, common issues are more likely to be about how insurance dictates step therapy. She has often found that young children may stop responding to etanercept after a few years, which can justify a switch to ustekinumab or a new treatment in a clinical trial, she said. Adolescents with psoriasis can receive ustekinumab, which is approved for psoriasis in patients aged 12-17 years, she said, noting that the infrequent ustekinumab dosing schedule is often beneficial in this population.
When all other approved options fail for young patients with psoriasis, justifying off-label use isn’t always easy. “You just have to make a justification based on the literature, even though it’s off label,” citing available safety information for other diseases, and “demonstrate over and over the impact on quality of life,” which works “most of the time,” Dr. Kirkorian said.
She reported having no conflicts of interest.
EXPERT ANALYSIS FROM ODAC 2020
Get familiar with evidence on these supplements
NEW ORLEANS – With more than 10% of children receiving complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), you should be familiar with what does and doesn’t work when it comes to using supplements for various medical issues, said Cora Breuner, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle, and attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Breuner presented an overview of more than a dozen popular supplements with their uses and evidence at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting. Most of the evidence comes from studies in adults, not children, and the evidence overall is sometimes scant, but it can guide physicians in discussing options with parents interested in CAM.
Butterbur
This root primarily is used to treat migraines via anti-inflammatory effects. The ideal dose is 50-75 mg daily in 2-3 divided doses for children aged 8-9 years and 100-150 mg daily in 2-3 divided doses for those aged 10 and older (Headache. 2005 Mar;45:196-203; Eur J Pain. 2008;12:301-13; Neurology. 2012 Apr 24;78[17]:1346-53).
Adverse effects are mostly gastrointestinal, such as diarrhea and stomach upset, and dermal/allergic reactions, such as itchy eyes, asthma, and itching.
Caffeine
Caffeine is the most popular drug of choice for reducing drowsiness and increasing alertness and has the strongest evidence base, including for improving sports and work performance (J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jan;24[1]:257-65). Regular caffeine use can lead to dependence, however, and it can cause anxiety, nervousness, irritability, insomnia, peptic ulcers, palpitations, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and tremors. Withdrawal can involve headaches, irritability, and anxiety.
Cannabidiol
Marijuana has more than 80 cannabinoids, and a nonpsychoactive one, cannabidiol, makes up about 40% of cannabis extracts, Dr. Breuner said. It’s been used as an anticonvulsant and to combat anxiety, psychosis, nausea and rheumatoid arthritis pain. In a study using a rat model for arthritis, inflammation and pain-related behaviors decreased in rats that received cannabidiol (Eur J Pain. 2016 Jul;20[6]:936-48).
A human dose would be about 160-300 mg daily, but side effects can include dry mouth, hypotension, lightheadedness, psychomotor slowing, sedation, and sleepiness.
Coenzyme Q10
This antioxidant is fat-soluble and has a chemical structure similar to vitamin K. It has been used in people with autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, fatigue from chemotherapy, Lyme disease, and muscular dystrophy, but the evidence focuses on fibromyalgia. One study of patients with fibromyalgia found that a 300-mg daily dose for 40 days reduced pain by 52%-56%, fatigue by 47%, morning tiredness by 56%, and tender points by 44%, compared with baseline (Antioxid Redox Signal. 2013;19[12]:1356-61.)
In another, 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 with 200 mg ginkgo daily for 3 months resulted in improvement of quality of life measures, including physical fitness levels, emotional feelings, social activities, overall health, and pain (J Int Med Res. 2002;30:195-9).
Potential adverse effects of coenzyme Q10 include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, appetite suppression, and heartburn, albeit typically in less than 1% of patients.
Echinacea
Echinacea actually is approved in Germany for supportive therapy in treating upper respiratory tract infections, urogenital infections, and wound healing, Dr. Breuner said. Hypothesized mechanisms of action include stimulation of the alternate complement pathway, immune-modulating effects, activating nonspecific T cells, inhibiting viral replication, and enhancing phagocytosis.
However, in clinical studies, echinacea did not reduce the duration or severity of upper respiratory tract infections or the occurrence or severity of infection, compared with placebo (JAMA. 2003 Dec 3;290[21]:2824-30; N Engl J Med. 2005 Jul 28;353[4]:341-8); this was tested in children aged 2-11 years in the first study, and the mean age of the subjects in the second study was 21 years. A 2014 Cochrane review found no overall benefits for treating common colds but noted the possibility of “a weak benefit from some echinacea products” based on individual trials with consistently positive, yet nonsignificant, trends, albeit with “questionable clinical relevance” (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Feb 20;[2]:CD000530).
People with autoimmune conditions or who are immunocompromised should not use echinacea.
Magnesium
Magnesium also is used to treat migraines with a dose of 300-500 mg daily, although also it can be consumed in food, such as soy beans, black beans, tofu, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and shellfish (Expert Rev Neurother. 2009 Mar;9[3]:369-79; Neurology. 2012 Apr 24;78[17]:1346-53).
Side effects can include diarrhea and interactions with bisphosphonates, antibiotics] and diuretics. Taking proton pump inhibitors also may reduce magnesium levels.
Melatonin
Melatonin, a synthetic version of the hormone produced in humans to signal the onset of nighttime, has been studied extensively for jet lag, insomnia, shift-work disorder, circadian rhythm disorders, and withdrawal from benzodiazepine and nicotine.
Research shows that melatonin can improve sleep onset, duration, and quality. Some research has shown increased total sleep time (PLoS One. 2013 May 17;8(5):e63773).
Some evidence suggests it has endocrine-disrupting adverse effects, such as inhibiting ovulation and impairing glucose utilization.
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
Although it’s primarily an antidote for acetaminophen and carbon monoxide poisoning, NAC has been used for a wide range of conditions, including reducing lipoprotein levels with hyperlipidemia and reducing risk of cardiovascular events in people with end-stage renal disease and other conditions. It also has been used in people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, substance disorders, and Tourette syndrome.
“Some clinical research shows that taking NAC 900 mg daily for 4 weeks, followed by 900 mg twice daily for 4 weeks and then 900 mg three times daily for 4 weeks improves symptoms of irritability in children with autism,” Dr. Breuner said. Other research showed reduced irritability in children with autism when they took 1,200 mg of NAC daily with risperidone, compared with risperidone alone. One study also has found “that NAC adds to the effect of citalopram in improving resistance/control to compulsions in OCD children and adolescents” (Iran J Psychiatry. 2017 Apr;12[2]:134-141).
Side effects can include diarrhea, nausea, and heartburn.
Omega-3 fatty acids: DHA and EHA
Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EHA) have been used to treat ADHD, depression, heart disease, and also to lower the risk of macular degeneration.
A systematic review of 25 randomized controlled trials of more than 3,600 subjects found that “omega-3 supplementation generally correlated with improvements in blood biomarkers” (Nutrients. 2018 Aug 15;10[8]. pii: E1094). A small study in children with Tourette syndrome found that omega-3 fatty acids did not reduce tic scores, but “may be beneficial in reduction of tic-related impairment” for some children and teens (Pediatrics. 2012 Jun;129[6]:e1493-500).
Possible adverse effects include fishy taste, belching, nosebleeds, nausea, loose stools, and – at higher doses – decreased blood coagulation.
St. John’s wort
This herb has long been used to treat depression and appears to work by inhibiting serotonin reuptake, monoamine oxidase (MAO), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine, noradrenaline, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate. A 2005 Cochrane review found St. John’s wort to work better than placebo with similar effectiveness as standard antidepressants for mild to moderate depression, but its benefit for major depression is questionable (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Apr 18;[2]:CD000448).
An ideal dose is 300 mg daily, but physicians should be aware of the herb’s potential for certain drug interactions. It may increase metabolism of warfarin, cyclosporin, HIV protease inhibitors, theophylline, digoxin, and oral contraceptives (Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2012 Jun;8[6]:691-708). Other potential side effects include decreased platelet aggregation, serotonin syndrome, and photosensitivity.
Turmeric (curcumin)
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory agent used for a wide range of complaints, but research primarily has focused on its use for pain. No studies exist in children, but a handful of studies have found reduction in joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in adults with 500-mg doses twice daily (Phytother Res. 2012 Nov;26[11]:1719-25; J Med Food. 2017 Oct;20[10]:1022-30). One of these studies focused on a specific product, Instaflex, that contained turmeric among multiple other active ingredients (Nutr J. 2013 Nov 25;12[1]:154).
Potential adverse effects of turmeric/curcumin include constipation, dyspepsia, diarrhea, dissension, reflux, nausea, vomiting, itching, and hives.
Zinc
Like echinacea, zinc is commonly used to treat the common cold. A 2013 Cochrane review of randomized, controlled trials found that taking zinc “within 24 hours of onset of symptoms reduces the duration of common cold symptoms in healthy people, but some caution is needed due to the heterogeneity of the data” (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jun 18;[6]:CD001364). The dose is 75 mg a day, and potential adverse effects include bad taste, nausea, and anosmia.
Dr. Breuner said she had no relevant financial disclosures.
NEW ORLEANS – With more than 10% of children receiving complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), you should be familiar with what does and doesn’t work when it comes to using supplements for various medical issues, said Cora Breuner, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle, and attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Breuner presented an overview of more than a dozen popular supplements with their uses and evidence at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting. Most of the evidence comes from studies in adults, not children, and the evidence overall is sometimes scant, but it can guide physicians in discussing options with parents interested in CAM.
Butterbur
This root primarily is used to treat migraines via anti-inflammatory effects. The ideal dose is 50-75 mg daily in 2-3 divided doses for children aged 8-9 years and 100-150 mg daily in 2-3 divided doses for those aged 10 and older (Headache. 2005 Mar;45:196-203; Eur J Pain. 2008;12:301-13; Neurology. 2012 Apr 24;78[17]:1346-53).
Adverse effects are mostly gastrointestinal, such as diarrhea and stomach upset, and dermal/allergic reactions, such as itchy eyes, asthma, and itching.
Caffeine
Caffeine is the most popular drug of choice for reducing drowsiness and increasing alertness and has the strongest evidence base, including for improving sports and work performance (J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jan;24[1]:257-65). Regular caffeine use can lead to dependence, however, and it can cause anxiety, nervousness, irritability, insomnia, peptic ulcers, palpitations, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and tremors. Withdrawal can involve headaches, irritability, and anxiety.
Cannabidiol
Marijuana has more than 80 cannabinoids, and a nonpsychoactive one, cannabidiol, makes up about 40% of cannabis extracts, Dr. Breuner said. It’s been used as an anticonvulsant and to combat anxiety, psychosis, nausea and rheumatoid arthritis pain. In a study using a rat model for arthritis, inflammation and pain-related behaviors decreased in rats that received cannabidiol (Eur J Pain. 2016 Jul;20[6]:936-48).
A human dose would be about 160-300 mg daily, but side effects can include dry mouth, hypotension, lightheadedness, psychomotor slowing, sedation, and sleepiness.
Coenzyme Q10
This antioxidant is fat-soluble and has a chemical structure similar to vitamin K. It has been used in people with autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, fatigue from chemotherapy, Lyme disease, and muscular dystrophy, but the evidence focuses on fibromyalgia. One study of patients with fibromyalgia found that a 300-mg daily dose for 40 days reduced pain by 52%-56%, fatigue by 47%, morning tiredness by 56%, and tender points by 44%, compared with baseline (Antioxid Redox Signal. 2013;19[12]:1356-61.)
In another, 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 with 200 mg ginkgo daily for 3 months resulted in improvement of quality of life measures, including physical fitness levels, emotional feelings, social activities, overall health, and pain (J Int Med Res. 2002;30:195-9).
Potential adverse effects of coenzyme Q10 include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, appetite suppression, and heartburn, albeit typically in less than 1% of patients.
Echinacea
Echinacea actually is approved in Germany for supportive therapy in treating upper respiratory tract infections, urogenital infections, and wound healing, Dr. Breuner said. Hypothesized mechanisms of action include stimulation of the alternate complement pathway, immune-modulating effects, activating nonspecific T cells, inhibiting viral replication, and enhancing phagocytosis.
However, in clinical studies, echinacea did not reduce the duration or severity of upper respiratory tract infections or the occurrence or severity of infection, compared with placebo (JAMA. 2003 Dec 3;290[21]:2824-30; N Engl J Med. 2005 Jul 28;353[4]:341-8); this was tested in children aged 2-11 years in the first study, and the mean age of the subjects in the second study was 21 years. A 2014 Cochrane review found no overall benefits for treating common colds but noted the possibility of “a weak benefit from some echinacea products” based on individual trials with consistently positive, yet nonsignificant, trends, albeit with “questionable clinical relevance” (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Feb 20;[2]:CD000530).
People with autoimmune conditions or who are immunocompromised should not use echinacea.
Magnesium
Magnesium also is used to treat migraines with a dose of 300-500 mg daily, although also it can be consumed in food, such as soy beans, black beans, tofu, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and shellfish (Expert Rev Neurother. 2009 Mar;9[3]:369-79; Neurology. 2012 Apr 24;78[17]:1346-53).
Side effects can include diarrhea and interactions with bisphosphonates, antibiotics] and diuretics. Taking proton pump inhibitors also may reduce magnesium levels.
Melatonin
Melatonin, a synthetic version of the hormone produced in humans to signal the onset of nighttime, has been studied extensively for jet lag, insomnia, shift-work disorder, circadian rhythm disorders, and withdrawal from benzodiazepine and nicotine.
Research shows that melatonin can improve sleep onset, duration, and quality. Some research has shown increased total sleep time (PLoS One. 2013 May 17;8(5):e63773).
Some evidence suggests it has endocrine-disrupting adverse effects, such as inhibiting ovulation and impairing glucose utilization.
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
Although it’s primarily an antidote for acetaminophen and carbon monoxide poisoning, NAC has been used for a wide range of conditions, including reducing lipoprotein levels with hyperlipidemia and reducing risk of cardiovascular events in people with end-stage renal disease and other conditions. It also has been used in people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, substance disorders, and Tourette syndrome.
“Some clinical research shows that taking NAC 900 mg daily for 4 weeks, followed by 900 mg twice daily for 4 weeks and then 900 mg three times daily for 4 weeks improves symptoms of irritability in children with autism,” Dr. Breuner said. Other research showed reduced irritability in children with autism when they took 1,200 mg of NAC daily with risperidone, compared with risperidone alone. One study also has found “that NAC adds to the effect of citalopram in improving resistance/control to compulsions in OCD children and adolescents” (Iran J Psychiatry. 2017 Apr;12[2]:134-141).
Side effects can include diarrhea, nausea, and heartburn.
Omega-3 fatty acids: DHA and EHA
Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EHA) have been used to treat ADHD, depression, heart disease, and also to lower the risk of macular degeneration.
A systematic review of 25 randomized controlled trials of more than 3,600 subjects found that “omega-3 supplementation generally correlated with improvements in blood biomarkers” (Nutrients. 2018 Aug 15;10[8]. pii: E1094). A small study in children with Tourette syndrome found that omega-3 fatty acids did not reduce tic scores, but “may be beneficial in reduction of tic-related impairment” for some children and teens (Pediatrics. 2012 Jun;129[6]:e1493-500).
Possible adverse effects include fishy taste, belching, nosebleeds, nausea, loose stools, and – at higher doses – decreased blood coagulation.
St. John’s wort
This herb has long been used to treat depression and appears to work by inhibiting serotonin reuptake, monoamine oxidase (MAO), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine, noradrenaline, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate. A 2005 Cochrane review found St. John’s wort to work better than placebo with similar effectiveness as standard antidepressants for mild to moderate depression, but its benefit for major depression is questionable (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Apr 18;[2]:CD000448).
An ideal dose is 300 mg daily, but physicians should be aware of the herb’s potential for certain drug interactions. It may increase metabolism of warfarin, cyclosporin, HIV protease inhibitors, theophylline, digoxin, and oral contraceptives (Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2012 Jun;8[6]:691-708). Other potential side effects include decreased platelet aggregation, serotonin syndrome, and photosensitivity.
Turmeric (curcumin)
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory agent used for a wide range of complaints, but research primarily has focused on its use for pain. No studies exist in children, but a handful of studies have found reduction in joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in adults with 500-mg doses twice daily (Phytother Res. 2012 Nov;26[11]:1719-25; J Med Food. 2017 Oct;20[10]:1022-30). One of these studies focused on a specific product, Instaflex, that contained turmeric among multiple other active ingredients (Nutr J. 2013 Nov 25;12[1]:154).
Potential adverse effects of turmeric/curcumin include constipation, dyspepsia, diarrhea, dissension, reflux, nausea, vomiting, itching, and hives.
Zinc
Like echinacea, zinc is commonly used to treat the common cold. A 2013 Cochrane review of randomized, controlled trials found that taking zinc “within 24 hours of onset of symptoms reduces the duration of common cold symptoms in healthy people, but some caution is needed due to the heterogeneity of the data” (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jun 18;[6]:CD001364). The dose is 75 mg a day, and potential adverse effects include bad taste, nausea, and anosmia.
Dr. Breuner said she had no relevant financial disclosures.
NEW ORLEANS – With more than 10% of children receiving complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), you should be familiar with what does and doesn’t work when it comes to using supplements for various medical issues, said Cora Breuner, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle, and attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Breuner presented an overview of more than a dozen popular supplements with their uses and evidence at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual meeting. Most of the evidence comes from studies in adults, not children, and the evidence overall is sometimes scant, but it can guide physicians in discussing options with parents interested in CAM.
Butterbur
This root primarily is used to treat migraines via anti-inflammatory effects. The ideal dose is 50-75 mg daily in 2-3 divided doses for children aged 8-9 years and 100-150 mg daily in 2-3 divided doses for those aged 10 and older (Headache. 2005 Mar;45:196-203; Eur J Pain. 2008;12:301-13; Neurology. 2012 Apr 24;78[17]:1346-53).
Adverse effects are mostly gastrointestinal, such as diarrhea and stomach upset, and dermal/allergic reactions, such as itchy eyes, asthma, and itching.
Caffeine
Caffeine is the most popular drug of choice for reducing drowsiness and increasing alertness and has the strongest evidence base, including for improving sports and work performance (J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jan;24[1]:257-65). Regular caffeine use can lead to dependence, however, and it can cause anxiety, nervousness, irritability, insomnia, peptic ulcers, palpitations, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and tremors. Withdrawal can involve headaches, irritability, and anxiety.
Cannabidiol
Marijuana has more than 80 cannabinoids, and a nonpsychoactive one, cannabidiol, makes up about 40% of cannabis extracts, Dr. Breuner said. It’s been used as an anticonvulsant and to combat anxiety, psychosis, nausea and rheumatoid arthritis pain. In a study using a rat model for arthritis, inflammation and pain-related behaviors decreased in rats that received cannabidiol (Eur J Pain. 2016 Jul;20[6]:936-48).
A human dose would be about 160-300 mg daily, but side effects can include dry mouth, hypotension, lightheadedness, psychomotor slowing, sedation, and sleepiness.
Coenzyme Q10
This antioxidant is fat-soluble and has a chemical structure similar to vitamin K. It has been used in people with autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, fatigue from chemotherapy, Lyme disease, and muscular dystrophy, but the evidence focuses on fibromyalgia. One study of patients with fibromyalgia found that a 300-mg daily dose for 40 days reduced pain by 52%-56%, fatigue by 47%, morning tiredness by 56%, and tender points by 44%, compared with baseline (Antioxid Redox Signal. 2013;19[12]:1356-61.)
In another, 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 with 200 mg ginkgo daily for 3 months resulted in improvement of quality of life measures, including physical fitness levels, emotional feelings, social activities, overall health, and pain (J Int Med Res. 2002;30:195-9).
Potential adverse effects of coenzyme Q10 include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, appetite suppression, and heartburn, albeit typically in less than 1% of patients.
Echinacea
Echinacea actually is approved in Germany for supportive therapy in treating upper respiratory tract infections, urogenital infections, and wound healing, Dr. Breuner said. Hypothesized mechanisms of action include stimulation of the alternate complement pathway, immune-modulating effects, activating nonspecific T cells, inhibiting viral replication, and enhancing phagocytosis.
However, in clinical studies, echinacea did not reduce the duration or severity of upper respiratory tract infections or the occurrence or severity of infection, compared with placebo (JAMA. 2003 Dec 3;290[21]:2824-30; N Engl J Med. 2005 Jul 28;353[4]:341-8); this was tested in children aged 2-11 years in the first study, and the mean age of the subjects in the second study was 21 years. A 2014 Cochrane review found no overall benefits for treating common colds but noted the possibility of “a weak benefit from some echinacea products” based on individual trials with consistently positive, yet nonsignificant, trends, albeit with “questionable clinical relevance” (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Feb 20;[2]:CD000530).
People with autoimmune conditions or who are immunocompromised should not use echinacea.
Magnesium
Magnesium also is used to treat migraines with a dose of 300-500 mg daily, although also it can be consumed in food, such as soy beans, black beans, tofu, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and shellfish (Expert Rev Neurother. 2009 Mar;9[3]:369-79; Neurology. 2012 Apr 24;78[17]:1346-53).
Side effects can include diarrhea and interactions with bisphosphonates, antibiotics] and diuretics. Taking proton pump inhibitors also may reduce magnesium levels.
Melatonin
Melatonin, a synthetic version of the hormone produced in humans to signal the onset of nighttime, has been studied extensively for jet lag, insomnia, shift-work disorder, circadian rhythm disorders, and withdrawal from benzodiazepine and nicotine.
Research shows that melatonin can improve sleep onset, duration, and quality. Some research has shown increased total sleep time (PLoS One. 2013 May 17;8(5):e63773).
Some evidence suggests it has endocrine-disrupting adverse effects, such as inhibiting ovulation and impairing glucose utilization.
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
Although it’s primarily an antidote for acetaminophen and carbon monoxide poisoning, NAC has been used for a wide range of conditions, including reducing lipoprotein levels with hyperlipidemia and reducing risk of cardiovascular events in people with end-stage renal disease and other conditions. It also has been used in people with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, substance disorders, and Tourette syndrome.
“Some clinical research shows that taking NAC 900 mg daily for 4 weeks, followed by 900 mg twice daily for 4 weeks and then 900 mg three times daily for 4 weeks improves symptoms of irritability in children with autism,” Dr. Breuner said. Other research showed reduced irritability in children with autism when they took 1,200 mg of NAC daily with risperidone, compared with risperidone alone. One study also has found “that NAC adds to the effect of citalopram in improving resistance/control to compulsions in OCD children and adolescents” (Iran J Psychiatry. 2017 Apr;12[2]:134-141).
Side effects can include diarrhea, nausea, and heartburn.
Omega-3 fatty acids: DHA and EHA
Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentanoic acid (EHA) have been used to treat ADHD, depression, heart disease, and also to lower the risk of macular degeneration.
A systematic review of 25 randomized controlled trials of more than 3,600 subjects found that “omega-3 supplementation generally correlated with improvements in blood biomarkers” (Nutrients. 2018 Aug 15;10[8]. pii: E1094). A small study in children with Tourette syndrome found that omega-3 fatty acids did not reduce tic scores, but “may be beneficial in reduction of tic-related impairment” for some children and teens (Pediatrics. 2012 Jun;129[6]:e1493-500).
Possible adverse effects include fishy taste, belching, nosebleeds, nausea, loose stools, and – at higher doses – decreased blood coagulation.
St. John’s wort
This herb has long been used to treat depression and appears to work by inhibiting serotonin reuptake, monoamine oxidase (MAO), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine, noradrenaline, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamate. A 2005 Cochrane review found St. John’s wort to work better than placebo with similar effectiveness as standard antidepressants for mild to moderate depression, but its benefit for major depression is questionable (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Apr 18;[2]:CD000448).
An ideal dose is 300 mg daily, but physicians should be aware of the herb’s potential for certain drug interactions. It may increase metabolism of warfarin, cyclosporin, HIV protease inhibitors, theophylline, digoxin, and oral contraceptives (Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2012 Jun;8[6]:691-708). Other potential side effects include decreased platelet aggregation, serotonin syndrome, and photosensitivity.
Turmeric (curcumin)
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory agent used for a wide range of complaints, but research primarily has focused on its use for pain. No studies exist in children, but a handful of studies have found reduction in joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in adults with 500-mg doses twice daily (Phytother Res. 2012 Nov;26[11]:1719-25; J Med Food. 2017 Oct;20[10]:1022-30). One of these studies focused on a specific product, Instaflex, that contained turmeric among multiple other active ingredients (Nutr J. 2013 Nov 25;12[1]:154).
Potential adverse effects of turmeric/curcumin include constipation, dyspepsia, diarrhea, dissension, reflux, nausea, vomiting, itching, and hives.
Zinc
Like echinacea, zinc is commonly used to treat the common cold. A 2013 Cochrane review of randomized, controlled trials found that taking zinc “within 24 hours of onset of symptoms reduces the duration of common cold symptoms in healthy people, but some caution is needed due to the heterogeneity of the data” (Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jun 18;[6]:CD001364). The dose is 75 mg a day, and potential adverse effects include bad taste, nausea, and anosmia.
Dr. Breuner said she had no relevant financial disclosures.
EXPERT ANALYSIS FROM AAP 19
For pediatric use of supplements, rely on resources, evidence
NEW ORLEANS – More than 1 in 10 children (12%) have received complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. It’s therefore vital that you are familiar with the options and evidence on these treatments, according to Cora Breuner, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle, and attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“Use of CAM by a parent was strongly associated with the child’s use of CAM,” Dr. Breuner told attendees at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parents of children using CAM were more likely to have a college education and to use prescription medication, the National Health Interview Survey found, and teens were more frequent users of CAM than infants.
The most common conditions treated in children with CAM were back and neck pain, colds, anxiety, stress, ADHD, insomnia, and general musculoskeletal conditions or complaints. Fish oil, melatonin, probiotics, and chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation were used more frequently than any other CAM treatments, but Dr. Breuner’s presentation focused specifically on supplements, including vitamins and herbs.
of how lax the law is when it comes to the safety and effectiveness of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other dietary supplements.
“Products can go on the market with no testing of efficacy, and companies do not have to prove that their products are safe – only offer reasonable assurance of safety,” Dr. Breuner explained. “Supplements do not have to be manufactured to any standards, and FDA [Food and Drug Administration] approval is not needed for package or marketing claims,” although the reputable manufacturers favor standards.
She cited a 2011 study of popular supplement products on the market that found 75% of them did not include key safety messages (BMC Med. 2011 Aug 9;9:94). The study focused on St. John’s wort, ginkgo, ginseng, garlic, and echinacea products, and it’s likely other products lack such safety information as well. Yet researchers have identified a wide range of potential adverse effects from herbal medicines (Clin Med [Lond]. 2013 Feb;13[1]:7-12).
Physicians and consumers can rely on a handful of voluntary standards and online databases to guide therapeutic decisions and learn more about the evidence on specific products. The U.S. Pharmacopeia Dietary Supplement Verification Program is a seal consumers can look for on supplement products that indicates the product meets stricter standards than what the FDA allows.
Other resources include ConsumerLab.com, the Natural Medicines Research Collaboration, and the Pubmed Dietary Supplement Subset database from the National Institute of Medicine. The latter contains more than 676,000 unique scientific citations on published studies about vitamins, minerals, and botanicals, Dr. Breuner said.
Dr. Breuner presented an overview of more than a dozen popular supplements that included their uses and the evidence related to their use. Although not exhaustive, her list included the most common supplements for which some research has been done: butterbur, caffeine, cannabidiol, coenzyme Q10, echinacea, magnesium, melatonin, N-acetylcysteine, omega 3 fatty acids, St. John’s wort, turmeric (curcumin), and zinc.
The findings from these studies, however, vary greatly, and the studies themselves are often small and limited to adults. Shared decision making is key in working with families interested in using CAM, and families should be aware that supplements can have side effects just as FDA-approved drugs do.
Dr. Breuner reported that she had no relevant financial disclosures.
NEW ORLEANS – More than 1 in 10 children (12%) have received complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. It’s therefore vital that you are familiar with the options and evidence on these treatments, according to Cora Breuner, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle, and attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“Use of CAM by a parent was strongly associated with the child’s use of CAM,” Dr. Breuner told attendees at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parents of children using CAM were more likely to have a college education and to use prescription medication, the National Health Interview Survey found, and teens were more frequent users of CAM than infants.
The most common conditions treated in children with CAM were back and neck pain, colds, anxiety, stress, ADHD, insomnia, and general musculoskeletal conditions or complaints. Fish oil, melatonin, probiotics, and chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation were used more frequently than any other CAM treatments, but Dr. Breuner’s presentation focused specifically on supplements, including vitamins and herbs.
of how lax the law is when it comes to the safety and effectiveness of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other dietary supplements.
“Products can go on the market with no testing of efficacy, and companies do not have to prove that their products are safe – only offer reasonable assurance of safety,” Dr. Breuner explained. “Supplements do not have to be manufactured to any standards, and FDA [Food and Drug Administration] approval is not needed for package or marketing claims,” although the reputable manufacturers favor standards.
She cited a 2011 study of popular supplement products on the market that found 75% of them did not include key safety messages (BMC Med. 2011 Aug 9;9:94). The study focused on St. John’s wort, ginkgo, ginseng, garlic, and echinacea products, and it’s likely other products lack such safety information as well. Yet researchers have identified a wide range of potential adverse effects from herbal medicines (Clin Med [Lond]. 2013 Feb;13[1]:7-12).
Physicians and consumers can rely on a handful of voluntary standards and online databases to guide therapeutic decisions and learn more about the evidence on specific products. The U.S. Pharmacopeia Dietary Supplement Verification Program is a seal consumers can look for on supplement products that indicates the product meets stricter standards than what the FDA allows.
Other resources include ConsumerLab.com, the Natural Medicines Research Collaboration, and the Pubmed Dietary Supplement Subset database from the National Institute of Medicine. The latter contains more than 676,000 unique scientific citations on published studies about vitamins, minerals, and botanicals, Dr. Breuner said.
Dr. Breuner presented an overview of more than a dozen popular supplements that included their uses and the evidence related to their use. Although not exhaustive, her list included the most common supplements for which some research has been done: butterbur, caffeine, cannabidiol, coenzyme Q10, echinacea, magnesium, melatonin, N-acetylcysteine, omega 3 fatty acids, St. John’s wort, turmeric (curcumin), and zinc.
The findings from these studies, however, vary greatly, and the studies themselves are often small and limited to adults. Shared decision making is key in working with families interested in using CAM, and families should be aware that supplements can have side effects just as FDA-approved drugs do.
Dr. Breuner reported that she had no relevant financial disclosures.
NEW ORLEANS – More than 1 in 10 children (12%) have received complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. It’s therefore vital that you are familiar with the options and evidence on these treatments, according to Cora Breuner, MD, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle, and attending physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“Use of CAM by a parent was strongly associated with the child’s use of CAM,” Dr. Breuner told attendees at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parents of children using CAM were more likely to have a college education and to use prescription medication, the National Health Interview Survey found, and teens were more frequent users of CAM than infants.
The most common conditions treated in children with CAM were back and neck pain, colds, anxiety, stress, ADHD, insomnia, and general musculoskeletal conditions or complaints. Fish oil, melatonin, probiotics, and chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation were used more frequently than any other CAM treatments, but Dr. Breuner’s presentation focused specifically on supplements, including vitamins and herbs.
of how lax the law is when it comes to the safety and effectiveness of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other dietary supplements.
“Products can go on the market with no testing of efficacy, and companies do not have to prove that their products are safe – only offer reasonable assurance of safety,” Dr. Breuner explained. “Supplements do not have to be manufactured to any standards, and FDA [Food and Drug Administration] approval is not needed for package or marketing claims,” although the reputable manufacturers favor standards.
She cited a 2011 study of popular supplement products on the market that found 75% of them did not include key safety messages (BMC Med. 2011 Aug 9;9:94). The study focused on St. John’s wort, ginkgo, ginseng, garlic, and echinacea products, and it’s likely other products lack such safety information as well. Yet researchers have identified a wide range of potential adverse effects from herbal medicines (Clin Med [Lond]. 2013 Feb;13[1]:7-12).
Physicians and consumers can rely on a handful of voluntary standards and online databases to guide therapeutic decisions and learn more about the evidence on specific products. The U.S. Pharmacopeia Dietary Supplement Verification Program is a seal consumers can look for on supplement products that indicates the product meets stricter standards than what the FDA allows.
Other resources include ConsumerLab.com, the Natural Medicines Research Collaboration, and the Pubmed Dietary Supplement Subset database from the National Institute of Medicine. The latter contains more than 676,000 unique scientific citations on published studies about vitamins, minerals, and botanicals, Dr. Breuner said.
Dr. Breuner presented an overview of more than a dozen popular supplements that included their uses and the evidence related to their use. Although not exhaustive, her list included the most common supplements for which some research has been done: butterbur, caffeine, cannabidiol, coenzyme Q10, echinacea, magnesium, melatonin, N-acetylcysteine, omega 3 fatty acids, St. John’s wort, turmeric (curcumin), and zinc.
The findings from these studies, however, vary greatly, and the studies themselves are often small and limited to adults. Shared decision making is key in working with families interested in using CAM, and families should be aware that supplements can have side effects just as FDA-approved drugs do.
Dr. Breuner reported that she had no relevant financial disclosures.
EXPERT ANALYSIS FROM AAP 19
WHO declares public health emergency for novel coronavirus
Amid the rising spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV),
The declaration was made during a press briefing on Jan. 30 after a week of growing concern and pressure on WHO to designate the virus at a higher emergency level. WHO’s Emergency Committee made the nearly unanimous decision after considering the increasing number of coronavirus cases in China, the rising infections outside of China, and the questionable measures some countries are taking regarding travel, said committee chair Didier Houssin, MD, said during the press conference.
As of Jan. 30, there were 8,236 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in China and 171 deaths, with another 112 cases identified outside of China in 21 other countries.
“Declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern is likely to facilitate [WHO’s] leadership role for public health measures, holding countries to account concerning additional measures they may take regarding travel, trade, quarantine or screening, research efforts, global coordination and anticipation of economic impact [and] support to vulnerable states,” Dr. Houssin said during the press conference. “Declaring a PHEIC should certainly not be seen as manifestation of distrust in the Chinese authorities and people which are doing tremendous efforts on the frontlines of this outbreak, with transparency, and let us hope, with success.”
What happens next?
Once a PHEIC is declared, WHO launches a series of steps, including the release of temporary recommendations for the affected country on health measures to implement and guidance for other countries on preventing and reducing the international spread of the disease, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in an interview.
“The purpose of declaring a PHEIC is to advise the world on what measures need to be taken to enhance global health security by preventing international transmission of an infectious hazard,” he said.
Following the Jan. 30 press conference, WHO released temporary guidance for China and for other countries regarding identifying, managing, containing, and preventing the virus. China is advised to continue updating the population about the outbreak, continue enhancing its public health measures for containment and surveillance of cases, and to continue collaboration with WHO and other partners to investigate the epidemiology and evolution of the outbreak and share data on all human cases.
Other countries should be prepared for containment, including the active surveillance, early detection, isolation, case management, and prevention of virus transmission and to share full data with WHO, according to the recommendations.
Under the International Health Regulations (IHR), countries are required to share information and data with WHO. Additionally, WHO leaders advised the global community to support low- and middle-income countries with their response to the coronavirus and to facilitate diagnostics, potential vaccines, and therapeutics in these areas.
The IHR requires that countries implementing health measures that go beyond what WHO recommends must send to WHO the public health rationale and justification within 48 hours of their implementation for WHO review, Mr. Jasarevic noted.
“WHO is obliged to share the information about measures and the justification received with other countries involved,” he said.
PHEIC travel and resource impact
Declaration of a PHEIC means WHO will now oversee any travel restrictions made by other countries in response to 2019-nCoV. The agency recommends that countries conduct a risk and cost-benefit analysis before enacting travel restrictions and other countries are required to inform WHO about any travel measures taken.
“Countries will be asked to provide public health justification for any travel or trade measures that are not scientifically based, such as refusal of entry of suspect cases or unaffected persons to affected areas,” Mr. Jasarevic said in an interview.
As far as resources, the PHEIC mechanism is not a fundraising mechanism, but some donors might consider a PHEIC declaration as a trigger for releasing additional funding to respond to the health threat, he said.
Allison T. Chamberlain, PhD, acting director for the Emory Center for Public Health Preparedness and Research at the Emory Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, said national governments and nongovernmental aid organizations are among the most affected by a PHEIC because they are looked at to provide assistance to the most heavily affected areas and to bolster public health preparedness within their own borders.
“In terms of resources that are deployed, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern raises levels of international support and commitment to stopping the emergency,” Dr. Chamberlain said in an interview. “By doing so, it gives countries the needed flexibility to release financial resources of their own accord to support things like response teams that might go into heavily affected areas to assist, for instance.”
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that cooperation among countries is key during the PHEIC.
“We can only stop it together,” he said during the press conference. “This is the time for facts, not fear. This is the time for science, not rumors. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.”
This is the sixth PHEIC declared by WHO in the last 10 years. Such declarations were made for the 2009 H1NI influenza pandemic, the 2014 polio resurgence, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the 2016 Zika virus, and the 2019 Kivu Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Amid the rising spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV),
The declaration was made during a press briefing on Jan. 30 after a week of growing concern and pressure on WHO to designate the virus at a higher emergency level. WHO’s Emergency Committee made the nearly unanimous decision after considering the increasing number of coronavirus cases in China, the rising infections outside of China, and the questionable measures some countries are taking regarding travel, said committee chair Didier Houssin, MD, said during the press conference.
As of Jan. 30, there were 8,236 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in China and 171 deaths, with another 112 cases identified outside of China in 21 other countries.
“Declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern is likely to facilitate [WHO’s] leadership role for public health measures, holding countries to account concerning additional measures they may take regarding travel, trade, quarantine or screening, research efforts, global coordination and anticipation of economic impact [and] support to vulnerable states,” Dr. Houssin said during the press conference. “Declaring a PHEIC should certainly not be seen as manifestation of distrust in the Chinese authorities and people which are doing tremendous efforts on the frontlines of this outbreak, with transparency, and let us hope, with success.”
What happens next?
Once a PHEIC is declared, WHO launches a series of steps, including the release of temporary recommendations for the affected country on health measures to implement and guidance for other countries on preventing and reducing the international spread of the disease, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in an interview.
“The purpose of declaring a PHEIC is to advise the world on what measures need to be taken to enhance global health security by preventing international transmission of an infectious hazard,” he said.
Following the Jan. 30 press conference, WHO released temporary guidance for China and for other countries regarding identifying, managing, containing, and preventing the virus. China is advised to continue updating the population about the outbreak, continue enhancing its public health measures for containment and surveillance of cases, and to continue collaboration with WHO and other partners to investigate the epidemiology and evolution of the outbreak and share data on all human cases.
Other countries should be prepared for containment, including the active surveillance, early detection, isolation, case management, and prevention of virus transmission and to share full data with WHO, according to the recommendations.
Under the International Health Regulations (IHR), countries are required to share information and data with WHO. Additionally, WHO leaders advised the global community to support low- and middle-income countries with their response to the coronavirus and to facilitate diagnostics, potential vaccines, and therapeutics in these areas.
The IHR requires that countries implementing health measures that go beyond what WHO recommends must send to WHO the public health rationale and justification within 48 hours of their implementation for WHO review, Mr. Jasarevic noted.
“WHO is obliged to share the information about measures and the justification received with other countries involved,” he said.
PHEIC travel and resource impact
Declaration of a PHEIC means WHO will now oversee any travel restrictions made by other countries in response to 2019-nCoV. The agency recommends that countries conduct a risk and cost-benefit analysis before enacting travel restrictions and other countries are required to inform WHO about any travel measures taken.
“Countries will be asked to provide public health justification for any travel or trade measures that are not scientifically based, such as refusal of entry of suspect cases or unaffected persons to affected areas,” Mr. Jasarevic said in an interview.
As far as resources, the PHEIC mechanism is not a fundraising mechanism, but some donors might consider a PHEIC declaration as a trigger for releasing additional funding to respond to the health threat, he said.
Allison T. Chamberlain, PhD, acting director for the Emory Center for Public Health Preparedness and Research at the Emory Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, said national governments and nongovernmental aid organizations are among the most affected by a PHEIC because they are looked at to provide assistance to the most heavily affected areas and to bolster public health preparedness within their own borders.
“In terms of resources that are deployed, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern raises levels of international support and commitment to stopping the emergency,” Dr. Chamberlain said in an interview. “By doing so, it gives countries the needed flexibility to release financial resources of their own accord to support things like response teams that might go into heavily affected areas to assist, for instance.”
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that cooperation among countries is key during the PHEIC.
“We can only stop it together,” he said during the press conference. “This is the time for facts, not fear. This is the time for science, not rumors. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.”
This is the sixth PHEIC declared by WHO in the last 10 years. Such declarations were made for the 2009 H1NI influenza pandemic, the 2014 polio resurgence, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the 2016 Zika virus, and the 2019 Kivu Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Amid the rising spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV),
The declaration was made during a press briefing on Jan. 30 after a week of growing concern and pressure on WHO to designate the virus at a higher emergency level. WHO’s Emergency Committee made the nearly unanimous decision after considering the increasing number of coronavirus cases in China, the rising infections outside of China, and the questionable measures some countries are taking regarding travel, said committee chair Didier Houssin, MD, said during the press conference.
As of Jan. 30, there were 8,236 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in China and 171 deaths, with another 112 cases identified outside of China in 21 other countries.
“Declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern is likely to facilitate [WHO’s] leadership role for public health measures, holding countries to account concerning additional measures they may take regarding travel, trade, quarantine or screening, research efforts, global coordination and anticipation of economic impact [and] support to vulnerable states,” Dr. Houssin said during the press conference. “Declaring a PHEIC should certainly not be seen as manifestation of distrust in the Chinese authorities and people which are doing tremendous efforts on the frontlines of this outbreak, with transparency, and let us hope, with success.”
What happens next?
Once a PHEIC is declared, WHO launches a series of steps, including the release of temporary recommendations for the affected country on health measures to implement and guidance for other countries on preventing and reducing the international spread of the disease, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said in an interview.
“The purpose of declaring a PHEIC is to advise the world on what measures need to be taken to enhance global health security by preventing international transmission of an infectious hazard,” he said.
Following the Jan. 30 press conference, WHO released temporary guidance for China and for other countries regarding identifying, managing, containing, and preventing the virus. China is advised to continue updating the population about the outbreak, continue enhancing its public health measures for containment and surveillance of cases, and to continue collaboration with WHO and other partners to investigate the epidemiology and evolution of the outbreak and share data on all human cases.
Other countries should be prepared for containment, including the active surveillance, early detection, isolation, case management, and prevention of virus transmission and to share full data with WHO, according to the recommendations.
Under the International Health Regulations (IHR), countries are required to share information and data with WHO. Additionally, WHO leaders advised the global community to support low- and middle-income countries with their response to the coronavirus and to facilitate diagnostics, potential vaccines, and therapeutics in these areas.
The IHR requires that countries implementing health measures that go beyond what WHO recommends must send to WHO the public health rationale and justification within 48 hours of their implementation for WHO review, Mr. Jasarevic noted.
“WHO is obliged to share the information about measures and the justification received with other countries involved,” he said.
PHEIC travel and resource impact
Declaration of a PHEIC means WHO will now oversee any travel restrictions made by other countries in response to 2019-nCoV. The agency recommends that countries conduct a risk and cost-benefit analysis before enacting travel restrictions and other countries are required to inform WHO about any travel measures taken.
“Countries will be asked to provide public health justification for any travel or trade measures that are not scientifically based, such as refusal of entry of suspect cases or unaffected persons to affected areas,” Mr. Jasarevic said in an interview.
As far as resources, the PHEIC mechanism is not a fundraising mechanism, but some donors might consider a PHEIC declaration as a trigger for releasing additional funding to respond to the health threat, he said.
Allison T. Chamberlain, PhD, acting director for the Emory Center for Public Health Preparedness and Research at the Emory Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, said national governments and nongovernmental aid organizations are among the most affected by a PHEIC because they are looked at to provide assistance to the most heavily affected areas and to bolster public health preparedness within their own borders.
“In terms of resources that are deployed, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern raises levels of international support and commitment to stopping the emergency,” Dr. Chamberlain said in an interview. “By doing so, it gives countries the needed flexibility to release financial resources of their own accord to support things like response teams that might go into heavily affected areas to assist, for instance.”
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that cooperation among countries is key during the PHEIC.
“We can only stop it together,” he said during the press conference. “This is the time for facts, not fear. This is the time for science, not rumors. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.”
This is the sixth PHEIC declared by WHO in the last 10 years. Such declarations were made for the 2009 H1NI influenza pandemic, the 2014 polio resurgence, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the 2016 Zika virus, and the 2019 Kivu Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
2019 Novel Coronavirus: Frequently asked questions for clinicians
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak has unfolded so rapidly that many clinicians are scrambling to stay on top of it. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about how to prepare your clinic to respond to this outbreak.
Keep in mind that the outbreak is moving rapidly. Though scientific and epidemiologic knowledge has increased at unprecedented speed, there is much we don’t know, and some of what we think we know will change. Follow the links for the most up-to-date information.
What should our clinic do first?
Plan ahead with the following:
- Develop a plan for office staff to take travel histories from anyone with a respiratory illness and provide training for those who need it. Travel history at present should include asking about travel to China in the past 14 days, specifically Wuhan city or Hubei province.
- Review up-to-date infection control practices with all office staff and provide training for those who need it.
- Take an inventory of supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gowns, gloves, masks, eye protection, and N95 respirators or powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), and order items that are missing or low in stock.
- Fit-test users of N95 masks for maximal effectiveness.
- Plan where a potential patient would be isolated while obtaining expert advice.
- Know whom to contact at the state or local health department if you have a patient with the appropriate travel history.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has prepared a toolkit to help frontline health care professionals prepare for this virus. Providers need to stay up to date on the latest recommendations, as the situation is changing rapidly.
When should I suspect 2019-nCoV illness, and what should I do?
Take the following steps to assess the concern and respond:
- If a patient with respiratory illness has traveled to China in the past 14 days, immediately put a mask on the patient and move the individual to a private room. Use a negative-pressure room if available.
- Put on appropriate PPE (including gloves, gown, eye protection, and mask) for contact, droplet, and airborne precautions. CDC recommends an N95 respirator mask if available, although we don’t know yet if there is true airborne spread.
- Obtain an accurate travel history, including dates and cities. (Tip: Get the correct spelling, as the English spelling of cities in China can cause confusion.)
- If the patient meets the current CDC definition of “person under investigation” or PUI, or if you need guidance on how to proceed, notify infection control (if you are in a facility that has it) and call your state or local health department immediately.
- Contact public health authorities who can help decide whether the patient should be admitted to airborne isolation or monitored at home with appropriate precautions.
What is the definition of a PUI?
The current definition of a PUI is a person who has fever and symptoms of a respiratory infection (cough, shortness of breath) AND who has EITHER been in Wuhan city or Hubei province in the past 14 days OR had close contact with a person either under investigation for 2019-nCoV infection or with confirmed infection. The definition of a PUI will change over time, so check this link.
How can I test for 2019-nCoV?
As of Jan. 30, 2020, testing is by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and is available in the United States only through the CDC in Atlanta. Testing should soon be available in state health department laboratories. If public health authorities decide that your patient should be tested, they will instruct you on which samples to obtain.
The full sequence of 2019-nCoV has been shared, so some reference laboratories may develop and validate tests, ideally with assistance from CDC. If testing becomes available, make certain that it is a reputable lab that has carefully validated the test.
Should I test for other viruses?
Because the symptoms of 2019-nCoV infection overlap with those of influenza and other respiratory viruses, PCR testing for other viruses should be considered if it will change management (i.e., change the decision to provide influenza antivirals). Use appropriate PPE while collecting specimens, including eye protection. If 2019-nCoV is a consideration, you may want to send the specimen to a hospital lab for testing, where the sample will be processed under a biosafety hood, rather than doing point-of-care testing in the office.
How dangerous is 2019-nCoV?
The current estimated mortality rate is 2%-3%. That is probably an overestimate, as those with severe disease and those who die are more likely to be tested and reported early in an epidemic.
Our current knowledge is based on preliminary reports from hospitalized patients and will probably change. From the speed of spread and a single family cluster, it seems likely that there are milder cases and perhaps asymptomatic infection.
What else do I need to know about coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a large and diverse group of viruses, many of which are animal viruses. Before the discovery of the 2019-nCoV, six coronaviruses were known to infect humans. Four of these (HKU1, NL63, OC43, and 229E) predominantly caused mild to moderate upper respiratory illness, and they are thought to be responsible for 10%-30% of colds. They occasionally cause viral pneumonia and can be detected by some commercial multiplex panels.
Two other coronaviruses have caused outbreaks of severe respiratory illness in people: SARS, which emerged in Southern China in 2002, and MERS in the Middle East, in 2012. Unlike SARS, sporadic cases of MERS continue to occur.
The current outbreak is caused by 2019-nCoV, a previously unknown beta coronavirus. It is most closely related (~96%) to a bat virus and shares about 80% sequence homology with SARS CoV.
Andrew T. Pavia, MD, is the George and Esther Gross Presidential Professor and chief of the division of pediatric infectious disease in the department of pediatrics at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. He is also director of hospital epidemiology and associate director of antimicrobial stewardship at Primary Children’s Hospital, Salt Lake City. Dr. Pavia has disclosed that he has served as a consultant for Genentech, Merck, and Seqirus and that he has served as associate editor for The Sanford Guide.
This article first appeared on Medscape.com.
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak has unfolded so rapidly that many clinicians are scrambling to stay on top of it. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about how to prepare your clinic to respond to this outbreak.
Keep in mind that the outbreak is moving rapidly. Though scientific and epidemiologic knowledge has increased at unprecedented speed, there is much we don’t know, and some of what we think we know will change. Follow the links for the most up-to-date information.
What should our clinic do first?
Plan ahead with the following:
- Develop a plan for office staff to take travel histories from anyone with a respiratory illness and provide training for those who need it. Travel history at present should include asking about travel to China in the past 14 days, specifically Wuhan city or Hubei province.
- Review up-to-date infection control practices with all office staff and provide training for those who need it.
- Take an inventory of supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gowns, gloves, masks, eye protection, and N95 respirators or powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), and order items that are missing or low in stock.
- Fit-test users of N95 masks for maximal effectiveness.
- Plan where a potential patient would be isolated while obtaining expert advice.
- Know whom to contact at the state or local health department if you have a patient with the appropriate travel history.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has prepared a toolkit to help frontline health care professionals prepare for this virus. Providers need to stay up to date on the latest recommendations, as the situation is changing rapidly.
When should I suspect 2019-nCoV illness, and what should I do?
Take the following steps to assess the concern and respond:
- If a patient with respiratory illness has traveled to China in the past 14 days, immediately put a mask on the patient and move the individual to a private room. Use a negative-pressure room if available.
- Put on appropriate PPE (including gloves, gown, eye protection, and mask) for contact, droplet, and airborne precautions. CDC recommends an N95 respirator mask if available, although we don’t know yet if there is true airborne spread.
- Obtain an accurate travel history, including dates and cities. (Tip: Get the correct spelling, as the English spelling of cities in China can cause confusion.)
- If the patient meets the current CDC definition of “person under investigation” or PUI, or if you need guidance on how to proceed, notify infection control (if you are in a facility that has it) and call your state or local health department immediately.
- Contact public health authorities who can help decide whether the patient should be admitted to airborne isolation or monitored at home with appropriate precautions.
What is the definition of a PUI?
The current definition of a PUI is a person who has fever and symptoms of a respiratory infection (cough, shortness of breath) AND who has EITHER been in Wuhan city or Hubei province in the past 14 days OR had close contact with a person either under investigation for 2019-nCoV infection or with confirmed infection. The definition of a PUI will change over time, so check this link.
How can I test for 2019-nCoV?
As of Jan. 30, 2020, testing is by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and is available in the United States only through the CDC in Atlanta. Testing should soon be available in state health department laboratories. If public health authorities decide that your patient should be tested, they will instruct you on which samples to obtain.
The full sequence of 2019-nCoV has been shared, so some reference laboratories may develop and validate tests, ideally with assistance from CDC. If testing becomes available, make certain that it is a reputable lab that has carefully validated the test.
Should I test for other viruses?
Because the symptoms of 2019-nCoV infection overlap with those of influenza and other respiratory viruses, PCR testing for other viruses should be considered if it will change management (i.e., change the decision to provide influenza antivirals). Use appropriate PPE while collecting specimens, including eye protection. If 2019-nCoV is a consideration, you may want to send the specimen to a hospital lab for testing, where the sample will be processed under a biosafety hood, rather than doing point-of-care testing in the office.
How dangerous is 2019-nCoV?
The current estimated mortality rate is 2%-3%. That is probably an overestimate, as those with severe disease and those who die are more likely to be tested and reported early in an epidemic.
Our current knowledge is based on preliminary reports from hospitalized patients and will probably change. From the speed of spread and a single family cluster, it seems likely that there are milder cases and perhaps asymptomatic infection.
What else do I need to know about coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a large and diverse group of viruses, many of which are animal viruses. Before the discovery of the 2019-nCoV, six coronaviruses were known to infect humans. Four of these (HKU1, NL63, OC43, and 229E) predominantly caused mild to moderate upper respiratory illness, and they are thought to be responsible for 10%-30% of colds. They occasionally cause viral pneumonia and can be detected by some commercial multiplex panels.
Two other coronaviruses have caused outbreaks of severe respiratory illness in people: SARS, which emerged in Southern China in 2002, and MERS in the Middle East, in 2012. Unlike SARS, sporadic cases of MERS continue to occur.
The current outbreak is caused by 2019-nCoV, a previously unknown beta coronavirus. It is most closely related (~96%) to a bat virus and shares about 80% sequence homology with SARS CoV.
Andrew T. Pavia, MD, is the George and Esther Gross Presidential Professor and chief of the division of pediatric infectious disease in the department of pediatrics at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. He is also director of hospital epidemiology and associate director of antimicrobial stewardship at Primary Children’s Hospital, Salt Lake City. Dr. Pavia has disclosed that he has served as a consultant for Genentech, Merck, and Seqirus and that he has served as associate editor for The Sanford Guide.
This article first appeared on Medscape.com.
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak has unfolded so rapidly that many clinicians are scrambling to stay on top of it. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about how to prepare your clinic to respond to this outbreak.
Keep in mind that the outbreak is moving rapidly. Though scientific and epidemiologic knowledge has increased at unprecedented speed, there is much we don’t know, and some of what we think we know will change. Follow the links for the most up-to-date information.
What should our clinic do first?
Plan ahead with the following:
- Develop a plan for office staff to take travel histories from anyone with a respiratory illness and provide training for those who need it. Travel history at present should include asking about travel to China in the past 14 days, specifically Wuhan city or Hubei province.
- Review up-to-date infection control practices with all office staff and provide training for those who need it.
- Take an inventory of supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gowns, gloves, masks, eye protection, and N95 respirators or powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), and order items that are missing or low in stock.
- Fit-test users of N95 masks for maximal effectiveness.
- Plan where a potential patient would be isolated while obtaining expert advice.
- Know whom to contact at the state or local health department if you have a patient with the appropriate travel history.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has prepared a toolkit to help frontline health care professionals prepare for this virus. Providers need to stay up to date on the latest recommendations, as the situation is changing rapidly.
When should I suspect 2019-nCoV illness, and what should I do?
Take the following steps to assess the concern and respond:
- If a patient with respiratory illness has traveled to China in the past 14 days, immediately put a mask on the patient and move the individual to a private room. Use a negative-pressure room if available.
- Put on appropriate PPE (including gloves, gown, eye protection, and mask) for contact, droplet, and airborne precautions. CDC recommends an N95 respirator mask if available, although we don’t know yet if there is true airborne spread.
- Obtain an accurate travel history, including dates and cities. (Tip: Get the correct spelling, as the English spelling of cities in China can cause confusion.)
- If the patient meets the current CDC definition of “person under investigation” or PUI, or if you need guidance on how to proceed, notify infection control (if you are in a facility that has it) and call your state or local health department immediately.
- Contact public health authorities who can help decide whether the patient should be admitted to airborne isolation or monitored at home with appropriate precautions.
What is the definition of a PUI?
The current definition of a PUI is a person who has fever and symptoms of a respiratory infection (cough, shortness of breath) AND who has EITHER been in Wuhan city or Hubei province in the past 14 days OR had close contact with a person either under investigation for 2019-nCoV infection or with confirmed infection. The definition of a PUI will change over time, so check this link.
How can I test for 2019-nCoV?
As of Jan. 30, 2020, testing is by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and is available in the United States only through the CDC in Atlanta. Testing should soon be available in state health department laboratories. If public health authorities decide that your patient should be tested, they will instruct you on which samples to obtain.
The full sequence of 2019-nCoV has been shared, so some reference laboratories may develop and validate tests, ideally with assistance from CDC. If testing becomes available, make certain that it is a reputable lab that has carefully validated the test.
Should I test for other viruses?
Because the symptoms of 2019-nCoV infection overlap with those of influenza and other respiratory viruses, PCR testing for other viruses should be considered if it will change management (i.e., change the decision to provide influenza antivirals). Use appropriate PPE while collecting specimens, including eye protection. If 2019-nCoV is a consideration, you may want to send the specimen to a hospital lab for testing, where the sample will be processed under a biosafety hood, rather than doing point-of-care testing in the office.
How dangerous is 2019-nCoV?
The current estimated mortality rate is 2%-3%. That is probably an overestimate, as those with severe disease and those who die are more likely to be tested and reported early in an epidemic.
Our current knowledge is based on preliminary reports from hospitalized patients and will probably change. From the speed of spread and a single family cluster, it seems likely that there are milder cases and perhaps asymptomatic infection.
What else do I need to know about coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a large and diverse group of viruses, many of which are animal viruses. Before the discovery of the 2019-nCoV, six coronaviruses were known to infect humans. Four of these (HKU1, NL63, OC43, and 229E) predominantly caused mild to moderate upper respiratory illness, and they are thought to be responsible for 10%-30% of colds. They occasionally cause viral pneumonia and can be detected by some commercial multiplex panels.
Two other coronaviruses have caused outbreaks of severe respiratory illness in people: SARS, which emerged in Southern China in 2002, and MERS in the Middle East, in 2012. Unlike SARS, sporadic cases of MERS continue to occur.
The current outbreak is caused by 2019-nCoV, a previously unknown beta coronavirus. It is most closely related (~96%) to a bat virus and shares about 80% sequence homology with SARS CoV.
Andrew T. Pavia, MD, is the George and Esther Gross Presidential Professor and chief of the division of pediatric infectious disease in the department of pediatrics at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. He is also director of hospital epidemiology and associate director of antimicrobial stewardship at Primary Children’s Hospital, Salt Lake City. Dr. Pavia has disclosed that he has served as a consultant for Genentech, Merck, and Seqirus and that he has served as associate editor for The Sanford Guide.
This article first appeared on Medscape.com.
CDC: First person-to-person spread of novel coronavirus in U.S.
A Chicago woman in her 60s who tested positive for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) after returning from Wuhan, China, earlier this month has infected her husband, becoming the first known instance of person-to-person transmission of the 2019-nCoV in the United States.
“Limited person-to-person spread of this new virus outside of China has already been seen in nine close contacts, where travelers were infected and transmitted the virus to someone else,” Robert R. Redfield, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press briefing on Jan. 30, 2020. “However, the full picture of how easy and how sustainable this virus can spread is unclear. Today’s news underscores the important risk-dependent exposure. The vast majority of Americans have not had recent travel to China, where sustained human-to-human transmission is occurring. Individuals who are close personal contacts of cases, though, could have a risk.”
The affected man, also in his 60s, is the spouse of the first confirmed travel-associated case of 2019-nCoV to be reported in the state of Illinois, according to Ngozi O. Ezike, MD, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. The man had no history of recent travel to China. “This person-to-person spread was between two very close contacts: a wife and husband,” said Dr. Ezike, who added that 21 individuals in the state are under investigation for 2019-nCoV. “The virus is not spreading widely across the community. At this time, we are not recommending that people in the general public take additional precautions such as canceling activities or avoiding going out. While there is concern with this second case, public health officials are actively monitoring close contacts, including health care workers, and we believe that people in Illinois are at low risk.”
Jennifer Layden, MD, state epidemiologist at the Illinois Department of Public Health, said that the infected Chicago woman returned from Wuhan, China on Jan. 13, 2020. She is hospitalized in stable condition “and continues to do well,” Dr. Layden said. “Public health officials have been actively and closely monitoring individuals who had contacts with her, including her husband, who had close contact for symptoms. He recently began reporting symptoms and was immediately admitted to the hospital and placed in an isolation room, where he is in stable condition. We are actively monitoring individuals such as health care workers, household contacts, and others who were in contact with either of the confirmed cases in the goal to contain and reduce the risk of additional transmission.”
Nancy Messonnier, MD, director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, expects that more cases of 2019-nCoV will transpire in the United States.
“More cases means the potential for more person-to-person spread,” Dr. Messonnier said. “We’re trying to strike a balance in our response right now. We want to be aggressive, but we want our actions to be evidence-based and appropriate for the current circumstance. For example, CDC does not currently recommend use of face masks for the general public. The virus is not spreading in the general community.”
A Chicago woman in her 60s who tested positive for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) after returning from Wuhan, China, earlier this month has infected her husband, becoming the first known instance of person-to-person transmission of the 2019-nCoV in the United States.
“Limited person-to-person spread of this new virus outside of China has already been seen in nine close contacts, where travelers were infected and transmitted the virus to someone else,” Robert R. Redfield, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press briefing on Jan. 30, 2020. “However, the full picture of how easy and how sustainable this virus can spread is unclear. Today’s news underscores the important risk-dependent exposure. The vast majority of Americans have not had recent travel to China, where sustained human-to-human transmission is occurring. Individuals who are close personal contacts of cases, though, could have a risk.”
The affected man, also in his 60s, is the spouse of the first confirmed travel-associated case of 2019-nCoV to be reported in the state of Illinois, according to Ngozi O. Ezike, MD, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. The man had no history of recent travel to China. “This person-to-person spread was between two very close contacts: a wife and husband,” said Dr. Ezike, who added that 21 individuals in the state are under investigation for 2019-nCoV. “The virus is not spreading widely across the community. At this time, we are not recommending that people in the general public take additional precautions such as canceling activities or avoiding going out. While there is concern with this second case, public health officials are actively monitoring close contacts, including health care workers, and we believe that people in Illinois are at low risk.”
Jennifer Layden, MD, state epidemiologist at the Illinois Department of Public Health, said that the infected Chicago woman returned from Wuhan, China on Jan. 13, 2020. She is hospitalized in stable condition “and continues to do well,” Dr. Layden said. “Public health officials have been actively and closely monitoring individuals who had contacts with her, including her husband, who had close contact for symptoms. He recently began reporting symptoms and was immediately admitted to the hospital and placed in an isolation room, where he is in stable condition. We are actively monitoring individuals such as health care workers, household contacts, and others who were in contact with either of the confirmed cases in the goal to contain and reduce the risk of additional transmission.”
Nancy Messonnier, MD, director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, expects that more cases of 2019-nCoV will transpire in the United States.
“More cases means the potential for more person-to-person spread,” Dr. Messonnier said. “We’re trying to strike a balance in our response right now. We want to be aggressive, but we want our actions to be evidence-based and appropriate for the current circumstance. For example, CDC does not currently recommend use of face masks for the general public. The virus is not spreading in the general community.”
A Chicago woman in her 60s who tested positive for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) after returning from Wuhan, China, earlier this month has infected her husband, becoming the first known instance of person-to-person transmission of the 2019-nCoV in the United States.
“Limited person-to-person spread of this new virus outside of China has already been seen in nine close contacts, where travelers were infected and transmitted the virus to someone else,” Robert R. Redfield, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press briefing on Jan. 30, 2020. “However, the full picture of how easy and how sustainable this virus can spread is unclear. Today’s news underscores the important risk-dependent exposure. The vast majority of Americans have not had recent travel to China, where sustained human-to-human transmission is occurring. Individuals who are close personal contacts of cases, though, could have a risk.”
The affected man, also in his 60s, is the spouse of the first confirmed travel-associated case of 2019-nCoV to be reported in the state of Illinois, according to Ngozi O. Ezike, MD, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. The man had no history of recent travel to China. “This person-to-person spread was between two very close contacts: a wife and husband,” said Dr. Ezike, who added that 21 individuals in the state are under investigation for 2019-nCoV. “The virus is not spreading widely across the community. At this time, we are not recommending that people in the general public take additional precautions such as canceling activities or avoiding going out. While there is concern with this second case, public health officials are actively monitoring close contacts, including health care workers, and we believe that people in Illinois are at low risk.”
Jennifer Layden, MD, state epidemiologist at the Illinois Department of Public Health, said that the infected Chicago woman returned from Wuhan, China on Jan. 13, 2020. She is hospitalized in stable condition “and continues to do well,” Dr. Layden said. “Public health officials have been actively and closely monitoring individuals who had contacts with her, including her husband, who had close contact for symptoms. He recently began reporting symptoms and was immediately admitted to the hospital and placed in an isolation room, where he is in stable condition. We are actively monitoring individuals such as health care workers, household contacts, and others who were in contact with either of the confirmed cases in the goal to contain and reduce the risk of additional transmission.”
Nancy Messonnier, MD, director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, expects that more cases of 2019-nCoV will transpire in the United States.
“More cases means the potential for more person-to-person spread,” Dr. Messonnier said. “We’re trying to strike a balance in our response right now. We want to be aggressive, but we want our actions to be evidence-based and appropriate for the current circumstance. For example, CDC does not currently recommend use of face masks for the general public. The virus is not spreading in the general community.”
Smoking ban in cars: 72% relative drop in percentage of kids’ smoke exposure
England’s ban on smoking in cars carrying children led to a 72% relative reduction in the percentage of children self-reporting exposure to tobacco smoke in cars.
“Given children’s known vulnerability to secondhand smoke, reductions in exposure will probably result in improved health,” wrote Anthony A. Laverty, PhD, of Imperial College London and coauthors. Their findings were published in Thorax.
To determine the impact of a 2015 ban on smoking in cars carrying children in England and a 2016 ban in Scotland, the researchers analyzed survey data from 2012, 2014, and 2016 for each of the two countries. In England, children aged 13-15 years were asked, “In the past year, how often were you in a car with somebody smoking?” In Scotland, they were asked, “Are you regularly exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke in any of these places?” with cars/vehicles being one of the options.
Overall, 15,318 responses were received in England and 822 were received in Scotland. In England, self-reported regular exposure to smoke in cars was 6% in 2012, 6% in 2014 and 2% in 2016. In Scotland, it was 3% in 2012, 2% in 2014 and 1% in 2016. From 2014-2016 in England, implementation of the smoke-free policy was associated with a 4% absolute reduction – or a 72% relative reduction – in the percentage of children self-reporting exposure.
The authors acknowledged their study’s limitations, including exposure being based on self-reporting alone and the analyses using only three data points. “Future analyses with more data are recommended,” they wrote, “and may provide discrepant results.”
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research. One author was funded by the Medical Research Council on a clinician scientist fellowship. The others reported no potential conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Laverty AA et al. Thorax. 2020 Jan 27. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2019-213998.
England’s ban on smoking in cars carrying children led to a 72% relative reduction in the percentage of children self-reporting exposure to tobacco smoke in cars.
“Given children’s known vulnerability to secondhand smoke, reductions in exposure will probably result in improved health,” wrote Anthony A. Laverty, PhD, of Imperial College London and coauthors. Their findings were published in Thorax.
To determine the impact of a 2015 ban on smoking in cars carrying children in England and a 2016 ban in Scotland, the researchers analyzed survey data from 2012, 2014, and 2016 for each of the two countries. In England, children aged 13-15 years were asked, “In the past year, how often were you in a car with somebody smoking?” In Scotland, they were asked, “Are you regularly exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke in any of these places?” with cars/vehicles being one of the options.
Overall, 15,318 responses were received in England and 822 were received in Scotland. In England, self-reported regular exposure to smoke in cars was 6% in 2012, 6% in 2014 and 2% in 2016. In Scotland, it was 3% in 2012, 2% in 2014 and 1% in 2016. From 2014-2016 in England, implementation of the smoke-free policy was associated with a 4% absolute reduction – or a 72% relative reduction – in the percentage of children self-reporting exposure.
The authors acknowledged their study’s limitations, including exposure being based on self-reporting alone and the analyses using only three data points. “Future analyses with more data are recommended,” they wrote, “and may provide discrepant results.”
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research. One author was funded by the Medical Research Council on a clinician scientist fellowship. The others reported no potential conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Laverty AA et al. Thorax. 2020 Jan 27. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2019-213998.
England’s ban on smoking in cars carrying children led to a 72% relative reduction in the percentage of children self-reporting exposure to tobacco smoke in cars.
“Given children’s known vulnerability to secondhand smoke, reductions in exposure will probably result in improved health,” wrote Anthony A. Laverty, PhD, of Imperial College London and coauthors. Their findings were published in Thorax.
To determine the impact of a 2015 ban on smoking in cars carrying children in England and a 2016 ban in Scotland, the researchers analyzed survey data from 2012, 2014, and 2016 for each of the two countries. In England, children aged 13-15 years were asked, “In the past year, how often were you in a car with somebody smoking?” In Scotland, they were asked, “Are you regularly exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke in any of these places?” with cars/vehicles being one of the options.
Overall, 15,318 responses were received in England and 822 were received in Scotland. In England, self-reported regular exposure to smoke in cars was 6% in 2012, 6% in 2014 and 2% in 2016. In Scotland, it was 3% in 2012, 2% in 2014 and 1% in 2016. From 2014-2016 in England, implementation of the smoke-free policy was associated with a 4% absolute reduction – or a 72% relative reduction – in the percentage of children self-reporting exposure.
The authors acknowledged their study’s limitations, including exposure being based on self-reporting alone and the analyses using only three data points. “Future analyses with more data are recommended,” they wrote, “and may provide discrepant results.”
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research. One author was funded by the Medical Research Council on a clinician scientist fellowship. The others reported no potential conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Laverty AA et al. Thorax. 2020 Jan 27. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2019-213998.
FROM THORAX