This vaccine was efficacious in preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis, decreasing severe disease and health care contacts. The risk of intussusception was similar in vaccine and placebo recipients. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00090233.)

In this post hoc analysis of healthy premature infants, the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine was generally well-tolerated and substantially reduced rotavirus-attributable hospitalizations and emergency department visits compared with placebo. Overall, vaccine safety and efficacy seemed to be generally comparable to the results in the REST study population as a whole. These results support vaccinating healthy premature infants on the same schedule as term infants.

In this study, antibody responses to the concomitantly administered vaccines were generally similar in PRV and placebo recipients. PRV was efficacious and well tolerated when given concomitantly with pediatric vaccines licensed in the United States.

In an attempt to decrease the incidence of central venous catheter sepsis in children with cancer, we conducted a study to evaluate the benefit of adding broad‐spectrum antibiotics to the catheter “flush solution.” In a prospective, placebo‐controlled, double‐blinded, randomized trial, 69 children with different types of malignancies were studied. The central venous catheters in these children were flushed with either the standard solution (normal saline + 100 U/ml of heparin) or the study solution (25 μg/ml of both amikacin and vancomycin added to the standard solution). At the conclusion of the study, 64 children with a total of 67 indwelling central venous lines were assessable. The total catheter days on study were 20,700 days, with a median of 323 catheter days per patient. We documented 10 events of catheter‐related infections (0.49 events/1,000 catheter days at risk). Five of these events were catheter‐related sepsis (0.24 sepses/1,000 catheter days): two were fungal and three were bacterial. Due to the low incidence of catheter‐related sepsis in this study, no statement regarding the prophylactic use of antibiotics could be made. The extremely low rate of catheter‐related sepsis reported herein may be retrospectively attributed to continuous staff education regarding aseptic techniques in handling these catheters. Staff education is essential, and probably the most effective factor in preventing catheter‐related sepsis. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

In an attempt to decrease the incidence of central venous catheter sepsis in children with cancer, we conducted a study to evaluate the benefit of adding broad-spectrum antibiotics to the catheter "flush solution." In a prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial, 69 children with different types of malignancies were studied. The central venous catheters in these children were flushed with either the standard solution (normal saline + 100 U/ml of heparin) or the study solution (25 @nl of both arnikacin and vancomycin added to the standard solution). At the conclusion of the study, 64 children with a total of 67 indwelling central venous lines were assessable. The total catheter days on study were 20,700 days, with a median of 323 catheter days per patient. We documented 10 events of catheter-related infections (0.49 eventdl ,000 catheter days at risk). Five of these events were catheter-related sepsis (0.24 sepses/l ,000 catheter days): two were fungal and three were bacterial. Due to the low incidence of catheter-related sepsis in this study, no statement regarding the prophylactic use of antibiotics could be made. The extremely low rate of catheter-related sepsis reported herein may be retrospectively attributed to continuous staff education regarding aseptic techniques in handling these catheters. Staff education is essential, and probably the most effective factor in preventing catheterrelated sepsis. o 19% ~i~e y -~i s s , Inc.

Objectives-To estimate birth prevalence of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) in HIVexposed uninfected children born in the current era of combination antiretroviral therapy and describe cCMV-related neurodevelopmental and hearing outcomes.Study design-The Surveillance Monitoring for ART Toxicities cohort study follows HIVexposed uninfected children at 22 sites in the US and Puerto Rico. Birth cCMV prevalence was estimated in a subset of participants who had blood pellets collected within three weeks of birth and underwent ≥1 of 6 assessments evaluating cognitive and language development including an audiologic examination between 1 and 5 years of age. Detection of CMV DNA by polymerase chain reaction testing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was used to diagnose cCMV. Proportions of suboptimal assessment scores were compared by cCMV status using Fisher exact test.Results-Mothers of 895 eligible HIV-exposed uninfected children delivered between 2007 and 2015. Most (90%) were on combination antiretroviral therapy, 88% had an HIV viral load of ≤400 copies/mL, and 93% had CD4 cell counts of ≥200 cells/μL. Eight infants were diagnosed with cCMV, yielding an estimated prevalence of 0.89% (95% CI, 0.39%−1.75%). After adjusting for a sensitivity of 70%−75% for the testing method, projected prevalence was 1.2%−1.3%. No differences were observed in cognitive, language and hearing assessments by cCMV status.Conclusions-Although birth cCMV prevalence in HIV-exposed uninfected children born to women with well-controlled HIV is trending down compared with earlier combination antiretroviral therapy-era estimates, it is above the 0.4% reported for the general US population. HIV-exposed uninfected children remain at increased risk for cCMV.

A diagnosis of AIDS and/or severe immunosuppression was associated with increased risk of GNB, especially among younger children. Because of the high mortality of GNB, a broad spectrum antimicrobial therapy that effectively covers these organisms should be promptly instituted when bacteremia is suspected in HIV-infected children.

IMPAACT 1025, NCT00028145.