Background: Our study aimed to explore the way artificial intelligence (AI) utilization is perceived in pediatric medicine, examining its acceptance among patients (in this case represented by their adult parents), and identify the challenges it presents in order to understand the factors influencing its adoption in clinical settings. Methods: A structured questionnaire was applied to caregivers (parents or grandparents) of children who presented in tertiary pediatric clinics. Results: The most significant differentiations were identified in relation to the level of education (e.g., aversion to AI involvement was 22.2% among those with postgraduate degrees, 43.9% among those with university degrees, and 54.5% among those who only completed high school). The greatest fear among respondents regarding the medical use of AI was related to the possibility of errors occurring (70.1%). Conclusions: The general attitude toward the use of AI can be considered positive, provided that it remains human-supervised, and that the technology used is explained in detail by the physician. However, there were large differences among groups (mainly defined by education level) in the way AI is perceived and accepted.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) represents one of the most frequent chronic illnesses affecting children. The early diagnosis of this disease is crucial, as it plays a key role in preventing the development of a life-threatening acute complication: diabetic ketoacidosis. The etiopathogenetic role of viral infections has long been suggested and emerging data are pointing towards a complex bidirectional relationship between diabetes and COVID-19. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and severity of new T1DM cases in children in Romania. We analyzed the differences between a group of 312 patients diagnosed with T1DM in the period 2003–2019 and a group of 147 children diagnosed during the pandemic. The data were investigated using statistical analysis of a series of relevant variables. The total number of newly diagnosed T1DM increased by 30.08% in the period March 2020–February 2021 compared to the previous years. The patients in the pandemic group had a higher mean age at the onset of T1DM, were less frequently living in an urban area, and presented a higher mean value of HbA1c. Diabetic ketoacidosis at the onset of T1DM was 67.40% more frequent, and a higher percentage of these patients presented with a severe form. The duration of T1DM symptoms did not differ significantly between the two groups. A number of 8 patients associated SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of T1DM diagnosis.

Childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD) includes a heterogeneous spectrum of rare respiratory disorders in children associated with substantial morbi-mortality. Interstitial tissue, and other pulmonary structures, epithelium, blood vessels, or pleura are involved, resulting in a restrictive lung disfunction. Respiratory symptoms set in progressively and are often subtle, making thorough clinical history and physical examination fundamental. The etiology often is obscure. The clinical presentation mimics pneumonia or asthma, leading to a diagnostic delay. Challenging diagnosis may require genetic tests, bronchoalveolar lavage, or lung biopsy. Alongside general supportive therapeutic measures, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive or antifibrotic agents may be used, based on data derived from adult studies. However, if accurate diagnosis and treatment are delayed, irreversible chronic respiratory failure may ensue, impacting prognosis. The most frequent chILD is hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), although it is rare in children. HP is associated with exposure to an environmental antigen, resulting in inflammation of the airways. Detailed antigen exposure history and identification of the inciting trigger are the cornerstones of diagnostic. This article provides the current state of chILD, revealing specific features of HP, based on a clinical case report of a patient admitted in our clinic, requiring extensive investigations for diagnosis, with a favorable long-term outcome.

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease affecting children, with a negative impact on their quality of life. Asthma is often associated with comorbid allergic diseases, and its severity may be modulated by immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergen sensitization. Omalizumab is a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, the first biological therapy approved to treat patients aged ≥6 years with severe allergic asthma. The primary objective of our study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of Omalizumab in Romanian children with severe allergic asthma. Methods: In this observational real-life study, 12 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years (mean 12.4 years) with severe allergic asthma received Omalizumab as an add-on treatment. Asthma control, exacerbations, lung function, and adverse events were evaluated at baseline and after the first year of treatment. Results: We observed general improvement in total asthma symptom scores and reduction in the rate of exacerbation of severe asthma. Omalizumab treatment was associated with improvement in the measures of lung function, and no serious adverse reactions were reported. FEV1 improved significantly after one year of treatment with Omalizumab [ΔFEV1 (% pred.) = 18.3], and [similarly, ΔMEF50 (%) = 25.8]. The mean severe exacerbation rate of asthma decreased from 4.1 ± 2.8 to 1.15 ± 0.78 (p < 0.0001) during the year of treatment with Omalizumab. Conclusions: This study showed that Omalizumab can be an effective and safe therapeutic option for Romanian children and adolescents with severe allergic asthma, providing clinically relevant information on asthma control and exacerbation rate in children and adolescents. The results demonstrated the positive effect of Omalizumab in young patients with asthma, starting from the first year of treatment.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, and potentially fatal, syndrome, characterized by immune system dysregulation, with excessive activation of the macrophages and cytotoxic T cells. It can be classified into primary (genetic) and secondary (acquired) forms. HLH presents with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenia, and hyperferritinemia, with involvement of various organs. The initial symptoms of HLH are non-specific, but as, if untreated, it can progress rapidly to multiorgan failure, timely diagnosis is essential. We present here two cases of HLH in infants that illustrate the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, along with a short review of HLH.

Severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus discovered in 2019 that caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19). During the last year, over 70 million people were infected and more than 1.5 million people died. Despite the tremendous number of people infected, children were less affected and presented milder forms of the disease. A short time after the pandemic was declared, a new hyperinflammatory syndrome resembling Kawasaki disease (KD) was described in children with confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection named multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). The incidence of MIS-C is low and it has a polymorphous clinical presentation, making the diagnosis difficult. Although the incidence is reduced, there is a high risk of cardiovascular complications. In order to raise awareness, we present the cases of two pediatric patients diagnosed with MIS-C in our clinic.