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Abstract Background Varicella is considered a mild and self-limiting disease, but, in some cases, it may complicate and require hospitalization. Antibiotics are not the first line therapy but in some cases are prescribed either for the management of varicella-related complications or as a preventive strategy. Aim of this study is to analyze the rate and the patterns of antibiotics used in pediatric patients hospitalized for varicella as well as the relative costs in order to increase insights in antibiotic use in varicella. Methods Patients less than 18 years hospitalized for varicella at the Bambino Gesù Children’s IRCCS Hospital in Rome, Italy, from the 1st of November 2005 to the 1st of November 2021 entered the study. Retrospective data were collected from the hospital's database electronic medical records. The rate, the patterns and the costs of antibiotics used were considered. Results According to the inclusion criteria, we enrolled 810 patients, with a median age of 2.4 years. Out of them, 345 patients (42.6%) underwent antibiotic therapy, of which 307 for a complication (90.0%) and the other 10.0%, antibiotic for the fear of developing complications. The cost for varicella hospitalizations was EUR 2,928,749 (median cost EUR 2689). As for antibiotic therapy, it represented the 5.9% of the total cost (EUR 174,527), with a median cost of EUR 198.8. The cost in patients who underwent antibiotic therapy was significantly higher than in those who did not (p-value

Objectives and studyApproximately 46–90% of children with neurological disorders (NDs) suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), constipation, or malnutrition. Therefore, enteral feeding is often necessary to achieve nutritional requirements. The treatment of GERD could be based on pharmacological therapy, nutritional treatment (changing the type of formula), or surgical treatment (Nissen Fundoplication, NF). The aim of this study was to describe and compare resource consumption between NE based on different formulas and NF in patients with ND.MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis on all children with neurological damage (age: 29 days−17 years) treated from January 2009 to January 2019 due to nutritional problems and food and/or gastrointestinal intolerances. For all patients, demographic and anthropometric characteristics, symptoms, type of nutrition (formula and enteral access), and number and type of outpatient or emergency room visits were collected. Patients with

(1) Background: Massive social efforts to prevent the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic have affected the epidemiological features of respiratory infections. (2) Methods: The study aims to describe the trend of hospitalizations for bronchiolitis among newborns and infants up to three months of life in Rome (Italy), in the pre-COVID-19 era and during the pandemic. (3) Results: We observed a marked decrease in the number of neonates and infants with bronchiolitis after national lockdowns in 2020 and the first months of 2021 and a similar trend in the number of bronchiolitis caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV was the leading pathogen responsible for bronchiolitis before the national lockdown in March 2020 (70.0% of cases), while Rhinovirus was the leading pathogen responsible for bronchiolitis (62.5%) during the pandemic while strict restrictions were ongoing. As Italy approached the COVID-19 vaccination target, the national government lifted some COVID-19-related restrictions. A surprising rebound of bronchiolitis (particularly cases caused by RSV) was observed in October 2021. (4) Conclusions: In this study, we describe for the first time the fluctuations over time of RSV bronchiolitis among newborns and young infants in Italy in relation to the restrictive measures containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results are in line with other countries’ reports.