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Pediatric retinoblastoma survivors exhibit visual deficits. How these visual deficits impact reading skills is unknown. The purpose of this study is to assess reading level, reading acuity, and reading speed among retinoblastoma survivors. Parents of English-speaking retinoblastoma survivors between ages of 8 and 17 consented/assented to participate. Children completed MNRead for reading speed and reading acuity. The Gray Oral Reading Test-Fifth Edition (GORT) was administered to assess reading rate, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Five children participated in the study. Two out of five participants fell within the "Below Average" range on the GORT while 3/5 were "Average". One participant with below average performance ranked below average in all four subtests, while the other participant was below average in accuracy and comprehension only. On the MNRead, all five participants had slower maximum reading speeds and worse reading acuity than the baseline measure for their age. Four out of five participants had a higher (i,e., worse) CPS than their expected baseline measure, suggesting that these individuals may require larger print or higher magnification than their peers to achieve effortless reading. These findings suggest that retinoblastoma survivors may experience reading difficulties. Characterizing the reading challenges in retinoblastoma survivors will be critical in advancing interventions to optimize educational attainment in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic red blood cell transfusion therapy (CRTT) prevents strokes and silent cerebral infarcts (SCIs) in children with sickle cell disease (SCD).[1] Deferasirox, a once-daily oral iron chelator, is used to manage transfusion-related iron overload. Deferasirox (Exjade, 25 mg/kg/day) was started in 2014 (ferritin 2232 ng/mL), held in 2015 (ferritin <500 ng/mL) and restarted in 2016 (ferritin 1050 ng/mL). Hyperammonemia and acute liver failure (ALF) have occurred in deferasirox-treated children with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia (TDT).[[2], [4]] We report two deferasirox-treated teens with SCD who developed hyperammonemia and ALF. [Extracted from the article]

Background Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a significant source of morbidity in pediatric cancer patients. Few reports to date have evaluated risk factors and short-term outcomes for this population. Methods We retrospectively evaluated pediatric oncology admissions at St Louis Children's Hospital from 2009 to 2018. All inpatient cases of diagnosed initial CDI were identified. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of CDI and associated risk factors, including coadmission with another patient with CDI, and to evaluate short-term outcomes including length of stay and delays in subsequent scheduled chemotherapy. Results Review of 6567 admissions from 952 patients revealed 109 CDI cases (11.4% of patients). Patients with leukemia or lymphoma, compared to those with solid tumors, were more likely to have CDI (odds ratio [OR], 3 [95% CI, 1.4–6.6], and 3 [95% CI, 1.3–6.8], respectively). Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) was also a risk factor (OR, 3.5 [95% CI, 1.7–7.4]). Prior antibiotic exposure independently increased the risk for CDI (OR, 3.0 [95% CI, 1.8–4.8]). Concurrent admission with another patient with CDI also significantly increased the risk (OR, 84.7 [95% CI, 10.5–681.8]). In contrast to previous reports, exposure to acid-suppressing medications decreased the risk for CDI (OR, 0.5 [95% CI,.3–.7]). CDI was associated with increased length of stay (mean difference, 8 days [95% CI, 4.6–11.4]) and prolonged delays for subsequent chemotherapy (mean difference, 1.4 days [95% CI,.1–2.7]). Conclusions CDI in pediatric oncology patients significantly prolongs hospitalization and delays chemotherapy treatment plans. Interventions to control CDI will improve the care of pediatric oncology patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]