Evaluating Children's Drawings as a Means of Expression in Children with Chronic Diseases.

Background: Children's drawings are considered an important tool for detecting emotions and experiences that a child may be unable or unwilling to express verbally.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the emotional state, psychological development, and adjustment mechanisms of children with chronic diseases using projective drawing tests, and to compare their responses with those of healthy children.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was implemented in one region of Greece, involving 100 children aged 6-12 years.

Adult Vaccinations Today-Innovations and Challenges for the Coming Years.

Routine pediatric vaccinations have resulted in dramatic declines in the incidence and complications of several vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) over the past fifty years. At the same time, the prolongation of life expectancy and the large number of adults living with chronic medical conditions changed the demographic profile and, accordingly, the healthcare needs. The recognition of the burden and effects of several VPDs in adults and in particular risk groups and the comprehension of the age-dependent deterioration of immune responses have driven the extension of routine vaccination programs beyond adolescence.

Assessing the Implementation and Awareness of Children's Rights in Pediatric Hospital: A Comparative Study of Parents' and Children's Perspectives.

To evaluate and compare the awareness and implementation of children's rights in pediatric hospital settings from the perspectives of parents and children, this study emphasizes ethical considerations in healthcare, focusing on communication practices, privacy, and participation rights. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the largest pediatric hospital in Greece between February and April 2023. A total of 250 parents and 150 children participated.

Blood Adhesion Molecules as Biomarkers in Children with Chronic Urticaria.

Background: The prevailing etiological model of both acute and chronic urticaria implicates specific allergen exposure that triggers the local release of vasoactive factors and inflammatory adhesion molecules, including vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1 (ELAM-1), P-selectin and E-selectin in the superficial dermis. This study focused on the possible role of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 as biomarkers in children with acute and chronic urticaria.

Methods: This study involved 184 children, 40 with acute urticaria, 71 with chronic urticaria, and 73 matched comparison subjects.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on nutritional and dietary interventions for the treatment of acute respiratory infection in pediatric patients: An EAACI taskforce.

Acute respiratory infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. Dietary and nutritional interventions, including minerals and vitamin supplementation, have been explored as potential treatments for these infections. However, the evidence on their efficacy is limited and inconclusive.

Ιnterleukin-17A-Enriched Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Promote Immunofibrotic Aspects of Childhood Asthma Exacerbation.

Childhood asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disorder that can drive tissue remodeling. Neutrophils are amongst the most prominent inflammatory cells contributing to disease manifestations and may exert a potent role in the progression of inflammation to fibrosis. However, their role in asthma exacerbation is still understudied.

Drug allergy evaluation in children with suspected mild antibiotic allergy.

Background: Adverse antibiotic reactions caused by an immunological mechanism are known as allergic reactions. The percentage of reported antibiotic allergies is likely to differ from the one validated after a drug provocation test (DPT) with the culprit antibiotic. This study aimed to compare the percentage of children who were thought to be allergic to a certain antibiotic with those who have a true allergy, as confirmed by DPTs.

: The Journey from the Environment to the Blood.

An outbreak of a potentially fatal form of pneumonia in 1976 and in the annual convention of the American Legion was the first time that spp. was identified. Thereafter, the term Legionnaires' disease (LD) was established.

Management of antibiotic allergy in children: a practical approach.

Background: About 10% of children are declared as allergic to antibiotics, with beta(β)-lactams being the most common perpetrators. However, few of these are confirmed by allergy tests. This characteristic of being allergic follows a child well into adulthood, leading to alternative, usually more expensive broad-spectrum antibiotics, contributing to antibiotic resistance and increasing healthcare expenses.

Views and Attitudes of Blood Donors toward Blood Donation during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Thrace Region, Greece.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for the last two years and it has affected our society and, amongst other things, has had a negative impact on blood donation, which has led to a significant reduction in blood supplies worldwide. The imposed restrictions in terms of physical presence and transportation, and the fear of the unknown, have aggravated the situation. In Greece, after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported, the blood supplies at the blood transfusion units (BTUs) were dramatically reduced.

Vaccination programs for children aged up to 18 years in Europe, 2020.

Although all European countries have vaccination policies for children, there are no comprehensive studies of pediatric vaccination programs in Europe. We studied vaccination programs for children in Europe. Vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, type b, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and influenza existed in 42 countries, against human papilloma virus in 41 countries, and against pneumococcus in 40 countries.

Prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in a group of patients, a control group, and healthcare workers of Thrace area in Greece, by the use of two distinct methods.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical performance of different automated immunoassays available in Europe to detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; an ELISA assay and a CLIA. The second goal was to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among healthcare workers in Evros area during the first pandemic wave of COVID-19.

Methods: The study included serum samples from 101 patients with confirmed COVID-19 by RT-PCR and 208 negative patients.

Influence of education and residence on the parental search for pediatric surgical information on the internet.

Background: The internet is a valuable tool for access to health-related information. There is limited literature regarding its use by parents of children with surgical conditions.

Aim: To investigate internet usage by parents seeking information about the surgical conditions of their offspring in relation to epidemiological factors such as family residential area and parental educational level and to subsequently review the literature regarding this topic.

Vaccination programs for pregnant women in Europe, 2021.

Vaccination during pregnancy is increasingly adopted worldwide in order to protect the mother and her offspring. We studied the current vaccination programs specifically for pregnant women in 42 European countries. Vaccination programs for pregnant women are in place in 37 countries, as follows: influenza (36 countries), pertussis (28), hepatitis B (12), tetanus (10), pneumococcal disease (10), meningococcal disease (10), rabies (8), tick-borne encephalitis (6), hepatitis A (5), poliomyelitis (4), diphtheria (3), Haemophilus influenzae (2), and human papilloma virus (1).

Parents under siege: the psychological impact of COVID-19 outbreak on children's caregivers.

AIMS OF THE STUDY: It is well known that parenting stress is an important but often underestimated psychosocial variable. Data regarding the impact of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on parental psychology are currently lacking. The aim of the present study was to assess parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece.

Levels of Produced Antibodies after Vaccination with mRNA Vaccine; Effect of Previous Infection with SARS-CoV-2.

The aim of this study was to estimate the immunogenic effect of mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. This study included 510 participants who received mRNA vaccine. The measurement of anti-COVID-19 antibodies was performed using the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG quantitative assay (Abbott).

Tacrolimus Immunosuppression Causes Drug-Induced Hypersensitivity Reactions in Liver-Transplant Patients: A 3-Case Report.

Background: Drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions attributed to the immunosuppressive agent tacrolimus after an organ transplant are rare in the literature. We present 3 cases of male adult patients grafted with a cadaveric liver who developed delayed hypersensitivity reactions to tacrolimus in the form of the prolonged-release capsules (Advagraf). Furthermore, the appropriate drug concentration solutions used for allergy testing are proposed.

The prevalence of HCV RNA positivity in anti-HCV antibodies-negative hemodialysis patients in Thrace Region. Multicentral study.

Introduction: HCV infection in patients under hemodialysis for end stage chronic kidney disease (ESCKD) may exist despite the absence of anti-HCV antibodies. Molecular methods are widely accepted as "gold standard" techniques for the detection of viral RNA. However, the molecular methods are more expensive in comparison to conventional methods and their replacement is not cost-effective.

Subjective sleep-related breathing disorders and executive function in children with intermittent or mild persistent asthma.

Objective: The impact on executive function performance of sleep-related disorders in asthmatic children has been scarcely studied in community settings. The aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) in children with intermittent or mild persistent asthma in primary care settings, and to examine the possible correlations with measures of executive function.

Methods: We performed a case-control study including 76 children with asthma (intermittent or mild persistent) and 85 healthy controls.

Constipation and dilated bowel: Hirschsprung's disease is not always the case.

A case of a 2-month-old boy with constipation and a localized abdominal distension in the right abdomen and hypogastrium is presented. Plain radiograph, ultrasound exam as well as a barium enema were suggestive of Hirschsprung's disease (HD) (ultrashort segment disease). Nevertheless, rectal suction biopsy was negative for neuronal abnormalities and unexpectedly on plain radiograph vertebral abnormalities were noticed.

Adolescent obesity: Confessions of the young mind.

Background: Obesity represents a worldwide leading health problem. Although the proportion of adolescent obesity is continuously rising, yet little is known considering adolescent's opinions regarding this condition.

Aim: To investigate adolescent's perceptions in relation to various aspects of obesity in a prospective cohort study.