Expert consensus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infections in children

Background Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)is the leading global cause of respiratory infections and is responsible for about 3 million hospitalizations and more than 100,000 deaths annually in children younger than 5 years,representing a major global healthcare burden.There is a great unmet need for new agents and universal strategies to prevent RSV infections in early life.A multidisciplinary consensus development group comprising experts in epidemiology,infectious diseases,respiratory medicine,and methodology aims to develop the current consensus to address clinical issues of RSV infections in children.Data sources The evidence searches and reviews were conducted using electronic databases,including PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library,using variations in terms for"respiratory syncytial virus","RSV","lower respiratory tract infection","bronchiolitis","acute","viral pneumonia","neonatal","infant""children",and"pediatric".Results Evidence-based recommendations regarding diagnosis,treatment,and prevention were proposed with a high degree of consensus.Although supportive care remains the cornerstone for the management of RSV infections,new monoclonal antibodies,vaccines,drug therapies,and viral surveillance techniques are being rolled out.Conclusions This consensus,based on international and national scientific evidence,reinforces the current recommendations and integrates the recent advances for optimal care and prevention of RSV infections.Further improvements in the management of RSV infections will require generating the highest quality of evidence through rigorously designed studies that possess little bias and sufficient capacity to identify clinically meaningful end points.

Diagnosis,treatment and prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in children:experts'consensus statement updatedforthe Omicron variant

It has been more than 3 years since the novel coronavirus(SARS-CoV-2)pandemic raged globally.The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has greatly influenced human society.According to data from the World Health Organization(WHO),there were over 656 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world as of January 1,2023,including over 6.6 million deaths[1].

Diagnosis,treatment,and prevention of monkeypox in children:an experts'consensus statement

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease.Since the first human monkeypox case was detected in 1970,it has been prevalent in some countries in central and western Africa.Since May 2022,monkeypox cases have been reported in more than 96 non-endemic countries and regions worldwide.As of September 14,2022,there have been more than 58,200 human monkeypox cases,and there is community transmission.The cessation of smallpox vaccination in 1980,which had some cross-protection with monkeypox,resulted in a general lack of immunity to monkeypox,which caused global concern and vigilance.As of Sep-tember 14,2022,there are four monkeypox cases in China,including three in Taiwan province and one in Hong Kong city.Previous foreign studies have shown that children are vulnerable to monkeypox and are also at high risk for severe disease or complications.In order to improve pediatricians'understanding of monkeypox and achieve early detection,early diagno-sis,early treatment,and early disposal,we have organized national authoritative experts in pediatric infection,respiratory,dermatology,critical care medicine,infectious diseases,and public health and others to formulate this expert consensus,on the basis of the latest"Clinical management and infection prevention and control for monkeypox"released by The World Health Organization,the"guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of monkeypox(version 2022)"issued by National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China and other relevant documents.During the development of this consensus,multidisciplinary experts have repeatedly demonstrated the etiology,epidemiology,transmission,clinical manifestations,laboratory examinations,diagnosis,differential diagnosis,treatment,discharge criteria,prevention,disposal process,and key points of prevention and control of suspected and confirmed cases.

Effects of methylprednisolone or immunoglobulin when added to standard treatment with intravenous azithromycin for refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children

Background:The prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia has increased considerably in recent years.To evaluate the efficacy of combined treatment of azithromycin with intravenous immunoglo-bulin (IVIG) or methylprednisolone in children with refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP).Methods:Children with RMPP were randomly allocated to group A [intravenous azithromycin (IA)+ methylprednisolone],group B (IA+IVIG) or group C (IA alone).Following a 7-day treatment,group C patients were randomly separated into two sub-groups:group C1 (IA+methylprednisolone) and group C2 (IA+IVIG).Temperature,respiratory symptoms and signs were examined.The average febrile period after treatment (F2),average total febrile period (F3),infiltration absorption,atelectasis resolution,pleural effusion disappearance were determined.The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP),D-dimer,and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured.Results:Seven days after enrollment,the average F2 after treatment of group A was the shortest.Compared with the control group C,the combined treatment group A and B showed higher rates of infiltration absorption,atelectasis resolution and pleural effusion disappearance,while lower levels of serum CRP,D-dimer and LDH.Fourteen days after enrollment,all children with combined therapy clinically improved,and presented better laboratory results.Group C1 showed shorter F3 and lower levels of CRP and LDH than those of group C2.Overall,group A showed the shortest F3,also has the lowest CRP and LDH.Conclusions:Azithromycin with IVIG or methylprednisolone was better treatment for children with RMPP than azithromycin alone.IVIG treatment may be beneficial,especially when the efficacy of corticosteroids is insecure,thus could be considered as an alternative of primary therapeutic approaches.

Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease (2018 edition)

Background Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infectious disease in childhood caused by an enterovirus (EV), and which is principally seen in children under 5 years of age. To promote diagnostic awareness and effective treat-ments, to further standardize and strengthen the clinical management and to reduce the mortality of HFMD, the guidelines for diagnosis and treatment have been developed. Methods National Health Commission of China assembled an expert committee for a revision of the guidelines. The com-mittee included 33 members who are specialized in diagnosis and treatment of HFMD. Results Early recognition of severe cases is utmost important in diagnosis and treatment of patients with HFMD. The key to diagnosis and treatment of severe cases lies in the timely and accurate recognition of stages 2 and 3 of HFMD, in order to stop progression to stage 4. Clinicians should particularly pay attention to those EV-A71 cases in children aged less than 3 years, and those with disease duration less than 3 days. The following indicators should alert the clinician of possible deterioration and impending critical disease: (1) persistent hyperthermia;(2) involvement of nervous system;(3) worsening respiratory rate and rhythm;(4) circulatory dysfunction;(5) elevated peripheral WBC count;(6) elevated blood glucose and (7) elevated blood lactic acid. For treatment, most mild cases can be treated as outpatients. Patients should be isolated to avoid cross-infection. Intense treatment modalities should be given for those severe cases. Conclusion The guidelines can provide systematic guidance on the diagnosis and management of HFMD.

Updated diagnosis, treatment and prevention of COVID-19 in children: experts' consensus statement (condensed version of the second edition)

In the early February,2020,we called up an experts' committee with more than 30 Chinese experts from 11 national medical academic organizations to formulate the first edition of consensus statement on diagnosis,treatment and prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children,which has been published in this journal.With accumulated experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in children,we have updated the consensus statement and released the second edition recently.The current version in English is a condensed version of the second edition of consensus statement on diagnosis,treatment and prevention of COVID-19 in children.In the current version,diagnosis and treatement criteria have been optimized,and early identification of severe and critical cases is highlighted.The early warning indicators for severe pediatric cases have been summarized which is utmost important for clinical practice.This version of experts consensus will be valuable for better prevention,diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 in children worldwide.

Expert consensus on COVID-19 vaccination in children

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a public health disaster that has not been encountered for a hundred years.On January 12,2020,the World Health Organization(WHO)confirmed and named the coronavirus which caused unexplained pneumonia as 2019 novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV).Since then,the disease caused by this virus had been named as coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).On February 11,2020,the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses announced that the English name of the novel coronavirus was severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)[1].At present,SARS-CoV-2 infection is still rampant worldwide.As of September 10,2021,there were about 222 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 4.5 million deaths worldwide[2].According to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,by July 29,2021,4.19 million pediatric COVID-19 cases had been reported in the United States。