Publications by authors named "Akshat Kapur"
Objectives: Children and young people with complex neurodisability (CYPCN) are at high risk of respiratory illness, frequent hospital admissions and premature death. This study aimed to test the acceptability and feasibility of Breathe-Easy, a novel night-time postural intervention to improve respiratory health in CYPCN.
Design: Case series design incorporating a pre-post interventional study and qualitative study.
Article Synopsis
- - The study explored the feasibility of using high-flow humidified oxygen (HiFlo) as a treatment for children aged 2-11 with acute severe asthma (ASA) who did not respond to standard inhaled bronchodilator treatment.
- - In a randomized controlled trial involving 56 children, those receiving HiFlo experienced a lower treatment failure rate (64%) compared to the standard care group (86%), and they also had a faster time to meet hospital discharge criteria (29.3 hours vs. 36.8 hours).
- - The findings suggest that HiFlo could be a promising intervention for childhood ASA, warranting a larger definitive trial to evaluate its effectiveness despite the initial lack of evidence.
Article Synopsis
- Acute severe asthma (ASA) is a major reason children visit the hospital, with standard treatments often inadequate for some patients, highlighting the need for improved therapies like high-flow humidified oxygen (HiFlo).
- This study aims to determine if a full randomized controlled trial (RCT) on HiFlo therapy for ASA in children can be done effectively, evaluating recruitment methods and outcome measures.
- A feasibility RCT was conducted with children aged 2-11 not responding to standard care to assess HiFlo's impact on treatment failure rates and hospital discharge times, gathering patient and parent feedback for comprehensive evaluation.
Background. In the fall of 2014, a North American outbreak of enterovirus D68 resulted in a significant number of pediatric hospital admissions for respiratory illness throughout North America. This study characterized the clinical presentation and risk factors for a severe clinical course in children admitted to British Columbia Children's Hospital during the 2014 outbreak.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite the obvious challenges faced by families caring for children on home ventilation, there is surprisingly little research into the details of their daily lives. In particular, little is known about the quality of life of the child and caregiver plus the associated social and economic burdens of care.
Methods: We prospectively studied 90 families enrolled in a paediatric home ventilation service in British Columbia.
The natural history of acute upper respiratory tract infections in children.
Prim Health Care Res Dev
October 2011
Aim: To describe the natural history of acute upper respiratory tract infections (AURIs) in primary-school children, by recording their daily symptoms.
Background: AURIs in children are one of the most common reasons for people seeking advice from general practitioners (GPs); however, little is known about the natural history of AURIs in terms of the length and severity of symptoms, because the majority of illnesses are contracted at home.
Method: After an initial pilot study to test the feasibility of parents recording symptoms in a diary based on the Canadian Acute Respiratory Illness and Flu Scale (CARIFS), a random selection of primary schools operating in the region was carried out in order to minimise selection bias.