Measuring Overcrowding in a Large Academic Tertiary Care Pediatric Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVE: Overcrowding scores have been studied extensively in adult emergency departments (EDs), but few studies have determined utility in the pediatric setting. The objective of this study was to determine the association between a modified National Emergency Department Overcrowding Score (mNEDOCS) and established ED metrics in a large academic tertiary care pediatric ED. METHODS: NEDOCS was modified to increase applicability in the pediatric setting by including the number of patients in resuscitation rooms instead of a number of patients on ventilators. Patient characteristics, ED disposition, ED length of stay (LOS), rate of left without being seen (LWBS), hospital LOS (HLOS), ED returns within 72 hours, and mNEDOCS were acquired retrospectively for every ED encounter in 2016-2019 using the electronic health record. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and multivariate analyses were calculated to evaluate the association between specific ED metrics and mNEDOCS. RESULTS: Modified NEDOCS positively correlated with ED LOS, LWBS, and rate of 72-hour return visits. A negative correlation was found between mNEDOCS and HLOS. When controlling for select covariates, the odds of LWBS doubled with each increase in mNEDOCS category (odds ratio, 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.00-2.06), ED LOS was associated with an increase of 27 minutes as mNEDOCS category increased (ß = 26.80; 95% CI, 26.44-27.16), and the odds of 72-hour return visits increased by 6% when mNEDOCS increased by one category (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.05-1.07). Hospital LOS was associated with a 100-minute decrease per increase in mNEDOCS category (ß = -99.85; 95% CI, -180.68 to -18.48) when controlling for covariates. CONCLUSION: Modified NEDOCS is positively associated with ED LOS, LWBS, and 72-hour return visits, consistent with adult data. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the association between mNEDOCS and HLOS. This study illustrates the utility of mNEDOCS as a measure of overcrowding in a pediatric ED.

The Diagnostic Error Index: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Identify and Measure Diagnostic Errors.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a diagnostic error index (DEI) aimed at providing a practical method to identify and measure serious diagnostic errors. STUDY DESIGN: A quality improvement (QI) study at a quaternary pediatric medical center. Five well-defined domains identified cases of potential diagnostic errors. Identified cases underwent an adjudication process by a multidisciplinary QI team to determine if a diagnostic error occurred. Confirmed diagnostic errors were then aggregated on the DEI. The primary outcome measure was the number of monthly diagnostic errors. RESULTS: From January 2017 through June 2019, 105 cases of diagnostic error were identified. Morbidity and mortality conferences, institutional root cause analyses, and an abdominal pain trigger tool were the most frequent domains for detecting diagnostic errors. Appendicitis, fractures, and nonaccidental trauma were the 3 most common diagnoses that were missed or had delayed identification. CONCLUSIONS: A QI initiative successfully created a pragmatic approach to identify and measure diagnostic errors by utilizing a DEI. The DEI established a framework to help guide future initiatives to reduce diagnostic errors.

The Medical Resuscitation Committee: Interprofessional Program Development to Optimize Care for Critically Ill Medical Patients in an Academic Pediatric Emergency Department.

ABSTRACT: Provision of optimal care to critically ill patients in a pediatric emergency department is challenging. Specific challenges include the following: (a) patient presentations are highly variable, representing the full breadth of human disease and injury, and are often unannounced; (b) care team members have highly variable experience and skills and often few meaningful opportunities to practice care delivery as a team; (c) valid data collection, for quality assurance/improvement and clinical research, is limited when relying on traditional approaches such as medical record review or self-report; (d) specific patient presentations are relatively uncommon for individual providers, providing few opportunities to establish and refine the requisite knowledge and skill; and (e) unscientific or random variation in care delivery. In the current report, we describe our efforts for the last decade to address these challenges and optimize care delivery to critically ill patients in a pediatric emergency department. We specifically describe the grassroots development of an interprofessional medical resuscitation program. Key components of the program are as follows: (a) a database of all medical patients undergoing evaluation in the resuscitation suite, (b) peer review and education through video-based case review, (c) a program of emergency department in situ simulation, and (d) the development of cognitive aids for high-acuity, low-frequency medical emergencies.

Optimizing Rapid Sequence Intubation for Medical and Trauma Patients in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) is a critical procedure for severely ill and injured patients presenting to the pediatric emergency department (PED). This procedure has a high risk of complications, and multiple attempts increase this risk. We aimed to increase successful intubation within two attempts, focusing on medical and trauma patients separately to identify improvement barriers for each group. METHODS: A multifaceted intervention was implemented using quality improvement methods. The analysis included adherence to the standardized process, successful intubation within two attempts, and frequency of oxygen saturations <92% during laryngoscopy. Trauma and medical patients were analyzed separately as team composition differed for each. RESULTS: This project began in February 2018, and we included 290 patients between April 2018 and December 2019. Adherence to the standardized process was sustained at 91% for medical patients and a baseline of 55% for trauma patients with a trend toward improvement. In May 2018, we observed and sustained special cause variations for medical patients' successful intubations within two attempts (77-89%). In September 2018, special cause variation was observed and sustained for the successful intubation of trauma patients within two attempts (89-96%). The frequency of oxygen saturation of <92% was 21% for medical patients; only one trauma patient experienced oxygen desaturation. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a standardized process significantly improved successful intubations within two attempts for medical and trauma patients. Trauma teams had more gradual adherence to the standardized process, which may be related to the relative infrequency of intubations and variable team composition.

Improving Emergency Department Care for Pediatric Victims of Sexual Abuse.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Evidence-based medical care of sexual abuse victims who present to the pediatric emergency department (PED) is necessary to facilitate forensic evidence collection and prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Adherence to testing and treatment guidelines remains low in PEDs, despite recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We aimed to increase the proportion of patient encounters at a PED for reported sexual abuse that receive algorithm-adherent care from 57% to 90% within 12 months. METHODS: Our team of PED and child abuse pediatricians outlined our theory for improvement, and multiple plan-do-study-act cycles were conducted to test interventions that were aimed at key drivers. Interventions included the construction of a best practice algorithm derived from published guidelines, targeted clinician education, and integration of an electronic order set. Our primary outcome was the proportion of patient encounters in which care adhered to algorithm recommendations. Data were abstracted from the records of all patient encounters evaluated in the PED for reported sexual abuse. RESULTS: We analyzed 657 visits between July 2015 and January 2018. The proportion of patient encounters with algorithm-adherent care improved from 57% to 87% during the study period. This improvement has been sustained for 13 months. Failure to test for hepatitis and syphilis constituted the majority of nonadherent care. CONCLUSIONS: Using improvement methodology, we successfully increased algorithm-adherent evaluation and management of patients presenting for sexual abuse. Targeted education and an electronic order set were associated with improved adherence to a novel care algorithm.

Standardizing the Evaluation of Nonaccidental Trauma in a Large Pediatric Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Variability exists in the evaluation of nonaccidental trauma (NAT) in the pediatric emergency department because of misconceptions and individual bias of clinicians. Further maltreatment, injury, and death can ensue if these children are not evaluated appropriately. The implementation of guidelines for NAT evaluation has been successful in decreasing differences in care as influenced by race and ethnicity of the patient and their family. Our Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely aim was to increase the percent of patients evaluated in the emergency department for NAT who receive guideline-adherent evaluation from 47% to 80% by December 31, 2016. METHODS: The team determined key drivers for the project and tested them by using multiple plan-do-study-act cycles. Interventions included construction of a best practice guideline, provider education, integration of the guideline into workflow, and order set construction to support guideline recommendations. Data were compiled from electronic medical records to identify patients <3 years of age evaluated in the pediatric emergency department for suspected NAT based on chart review. Adherence to guideline recommendations for age-specific evaluation (<6, 6-12, and >12-36 months) was tracked over time on statistical process control charts to evaluate the impact of the interventions. RESULTS: A total of 640 encounters had provider concern for NAT and were included in the analysis. Adherence to age-specific guideline recommendations improved from a baseline of 47% to 69%. CONCLUSIONS: With our improvement methodology, we successfully increased guideline-adherent evaluation for patients with provider concern for NAT. Education and electronic support at the point of care were key drivers for initial implementation.

Healthy families: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment intervention for caregivers to reduce secondhand smoke exposure among pediatric emergency patients.

BACKGROUND: Involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke (SHSe) is an important cause of morbidity in children who present to the pediatric emergency department (PED) and urgent care (UC). SHSe interventions delivered in the PED and UC would benefit both the smoker and child, but there have been no large trials testing the efficacy of such interventions. The Healthy Families program is the first randomized controlled trial to test whether a screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) intervention delivered in the PED and UC will be effective in decreasing SHSe in children and increasing cessation in smokers. METHODS/DESIGN: This trial uses a randomized, two-group design in which caregiver-smokers of children 0-17 years old are recruited from the PED and UC. Eligible caregiver-smokers are randomized to either the: 1) SBIRT Condition with face-to-face, tailored counseling that focuses on the child's illness, the importance of reducing child SHSe, caregiver smoking cessation, and the option to receive nicotine replacement therapy; or 2) Healthy Habits Control Condition which includes face-to-face, tailored attention control "5-2-1-0" counseling that focuses on improving the child's health. Dyadic assessments are conducted in-person at baseline, and via email, phone, or in-person at 6-weeks and 6-months. The primary outcomes are biochemically-verified, 7-day point prevalence and prolonged smoking abstinence. Secondary outcomes are cigarettes smoked per week, 24 h quit attempts, and biochemically validated child SHSe at each time point. The costs of this intervention will also be analyzed. DISCUSSION: This study will test an innovative, multilevel intervention designed to reduce child SHSe and increase smoking cessation in caregivers. If effective and routinely used, this SBIRT model could reach at least one million smokers a year in the U.S., resulting in significant reductions in caregivers' tobacco use, SHSe-related pediatric illness, and healthcare costs in this population of children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02531594. Date of registration: August 4, 2015.

Is the Use of Physical Discipline Associated with Aggressive Behaviors in Young Children?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between use of physical discipline and parental report of physically aggressive child behaviors in a cohort of young children who were without indicators of current or past physical abuse. METHODS: The data for this study were analyzed from an initial cohort of patients enrolled in a prospective, observational, multicenter pediatric emergency department-based study investigating bruising and familial psychosocial characteristics of children younger than 4 years of age. Over a 7-month period, structured parental interviews were conducted regarding disciplinary practices, reported child behaviors, and familial psychosocial risk factors. Children with suspected physical abuse were excluded from this study. Trained study staff collected data using standardized questions. Consistent with grounded theory, qualitative coding by 2 independent individuals was performed using domains rooted in the data. Inter-rater reliability of the coding process was evaluated using the kappa statistic. Descriptive statistics were calculated and multiple logistic regression modeling was performed. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-two parental interviews were conducted. Parents who reported using physical discipline were 2.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-4.5) times more likely to report aggressive child behaviors of hitting/kicking and throwing. Physical discipline was used on 38% of children overall, and was 2.4 (95% CI, 1.4-4.1) times more likely to be used in families with any of the psychosocial risk factors examined. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that the use of physical discipline was associated with higher rates of reported physically aggressive behaviors in early childhood as well as with the presence of familial psychosocial risk factors.

The Prevalence of Bruising Among Infants in Pediatric Emergency Departments.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Bruising can indicate abuse for infants. Bruise prevalence among infants in the pediatric emergency department (ED) setting is unknown. Our objective is to determine prevalence of bruising, associated chief complaints, and frequency of abuse evaluations in previously healthy infants presenting to pediatric EDs. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, observational, multicenter study of infants aged 12 months or younger presenting to pediatric EDs. Structured sampling was used. Pediatric emergency medicine clinicians performed complete skin examinations to screen for bruising. Study investigators documented skin findings, date of visit, patient's age, chief complaint, and abuse evaluation. The primary outcome was prevalence of bruising. Secondary outcomes were prevalence of bruising based on chief complaint and frequency of abuse evaluation. Point estimates of bruise prevalence and differences in bruise prevalence between patient subgroups were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Bruising was identified in 88 of 2,488 infants (3.5%; 95% CI 2.9% to 4.4%). Rates of bruising for infants 5 months and younger and older than 5 months were 1.3% and 6.4%, respectively (difference 5.1%; 95% CI 3.6% to 6.8%). For infants 5 months and younger, 83% of bruising was associated with a trauma chief complaint and only 0.2% of infants presenting with a medical chief complaint had bruising. Pediatric emergency medicine clinicians obtained abuse evaluations on 23% of infants with bruising, and that rate increased to 50% for infants 5 months and younger. CONCLUSION: Bruising prevalence in children 12 months and younger who were evaluated in pediatric EDs was low, increased within age strata, and was most often associated with a trauma chief complaint. Most bruised infants did not undergo an abuse evaluation.

Serum Cardiac Troponin I in the Evaluation of Nonaccidental Trauma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if troponin I is more often elevated in children with suspected nonaccidental trauma (NAT) compared with uninjured children of similar age, and describe associations between troponin I elevation and NAT injuries. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective 2-group study of children less than 2 years of age presenting to the emergency department with nonaccidental abdominal, thoracic, or intracranial injuries, and similarly aged uninjured children. Primary outcome was serum troponin I (≥ 0.04 ng/mL) using frozen blood samples from the 2 groups. Secondary outcomes included descriptive analyses of age, injury characteristics, and clinical appearance. RESULTS: There were 129 subjects; 60 injured patients and 69 uninjured patients. Groups had similar age and sex. Troponin I was elevated in 38% of injured children compared with 17% of uninjured children (P = .008). No uninjured patient over 3 months of age had elevated troponin I. Abdominal trauma, acute rib fractures, or the child's ill-appearance in the emergency department were associated with having elevated troponin I. CONCLUSIONS: Troponin I is more often elevated in children with suspected NAT than uninjured children. Elevation of troponin I in children greater than 3 months of age with suspected NAT is concerning for trauma. Occult cardiac injury is more likely to occur in children with inflicted abdominal trauma, acute rib fractures, or ill appearance.

Elevated cardiac troponin I level in cases of thoracic nonaccidental trauma.

BACKGROUND: Injury patterns in nonaccidental trauma (NAT) often include injury to the chest. However, signs and symptoms of cardiac insult are often nonspecific and may be missed. Evaluation with serum cardiac troponin I (CTnI), a specific indicator of myocardial injury, could improve the comprehensive evaluation of patients with suspected NAT. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the patient characteristics and results of CTnI testing in children with thoracic NAT. METHODS: Children presenting to the emergency department were included if CTnI was obtained and they had at least one of the following: history of blunt trauma to the chest, bruising or abrasions to the chest, or fractures of the ribs, sternum, or clavicles. A serum CTnI level above 0.04 ng/mL was considered elevated. RESULTS: Ten patients (6 males) with an age range from 2 months to 4 years (mean [SD], 20 [20] months) were identified during the 17-month study period. All patients were evaluated with NAT. Cardiac troponin I level was elevated in 7 (70%) of 10 patients with levels between 2 and 50 times the upper limit of normal. CONCLUSIONS: This report is the first to document elevation of CTnI levels in cases of thoracic NAT. The elevation of the level of this specific biomarker may be indicative of sufficient chest trauma to result in the heart being injured, independent of the presence of cardiac decompensation or shock from other causes. Prospective evaluation of the forensic and clinical use of CTnI in this population is warranted.

Retrospective review to determine the utility of follow-up skeletal surveys in child abuse evaluations when the initial skeletal survey is normal.

OBJECTIVE: The AAP recommends that a follow-up skeletal survey be obtained for all children < 24 months of age who are strongly suspected to be victims of abuse. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the utility of a follow-up skeletal survey in suspected child physical abuse evaluations when the initial skeletal survey is normal. METHODS: A retrospective review of radiology records from September 1, 1998 - January 31, 2007 was conducted. Suspected victims of child abuse who were < 24 months of age and received initial and follow-up skeletal surveys within 56 days were enrolled in the study. Children with a negative initial skeletal survey were included for further analysis. RESULTS: Forty-seven children had a negative initial skeletal survey and were included for analysis. The mean age was 6.9 months (SD 5.7); the mean number of days between skeletal surveys was 18.7 (SD 10.1)Four children (8.5%) had signs of healing bone trauma on a follow-up skeletal survey. Three of these children (75%) had healing rib fractures and one child had a healing proximal humerus fracture. The findings on the follow-up skeletal survey yielded forensically important information in all 4 cases and strengthened the diagnosis of non-accidental trauma. CONCLUSION: 8.5 percent of children with negative initial skeletal surveys had forensically important findings on follow-up skeletal survey that increased the certainty of the diagnosis of non-accidental trauma. A follow-up skeletal survey can be useful even when the initial skeletal survey is negative.

LDH concentration in nasal-wash fluid as a biochemical predictor of bronchiolitis severity.

OBJECTIVE: Because the decision to hospitalize an infant with bronchiolitis is often supported by subjective criteria and objective indicators of bronchiolitis severity are lacking, we tested the hypothesis that lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), which is released from injured cells, is a useful biochemical indicator of bronchiolitis severity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed a study of children <24 months old presenting to the emergency department with bronchiolitis. Demographic, clinical information, nasal wash (NW), and serum specimens were obtained. NW samples were analyzed for respiratory viruses, caspase 3/7 activity, and a panel of cytokines and chemokines. Total LDH activity was tested in NW samples and sera. RESULTS: Of 101 enrolled children (median age: 5.6 months), 98 had NW specimens available. A viral etiology was found for 82 patients (83.6%), with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (66%) and rhinovirus (19%) being the most common viruses detected. Concentrations of LDH in NW specimens were independent from those in sera and were higher in children with RSV infection or with dual infection. Significant correlations were found between NW LDH and NW cytokines/chemokines. Similarly, NW LDH correlated with NW-caspase 3/7 activity (r = 0.75; P < .001). In a multivariate analysis, NW LDH concentration in the upper quartile was significantly associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization (odds ratio: 0.19 [95% confidence interval: 0.05-0.68]; P = .011). CONCLUSIONS: NW LDH levels in young children with bronchiolitis varied according to viral etiology and disease severity. Values in the upper quartile were associated with approximately 80% risk reduction in hospitalization, likely reflecting a robust antiviral response. NW LDH may be a useful biomarker to assist the clinician in the decision to hospitalize a child with bronchiolitis.

Eliminating disparity in evaluation for abuse in infants with head injury: use of a screening guideline.

PURPOSE: Minority and disadvantaged children are evaluated for nonaccidental trauma (NAT) at higher rates than other children. At our institution, we implemented a guideline to perform skeletal surveys to screen for occult fractures in all infants with unwitnessed head injury (UHI). The goal was to determine if this guideline decreased disparities in the screening of African American (AA) and uninsured children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: For 54 months, rates of skeletal surveillance and abuse determination were compared between AA and white infants admitted with UHI before and after implementation of our guideline. Logistic regression was used to control for confounders. RESULTS: Before the guideline, AAs underwent skeletal surveillance more than whites (n = 208; 90.5% vs 69.3%; P = .01), with 20% of screened infants determined to be probable victims of NAT. Whites with private insurance were less likely to be screened compared to those without private insurance (50.0% vs 88.1%; P < .001). After the guideline, AA and whites were surveyed equally (n = 52; 92.3% vs 84.6%; P = 1.0), with 22% found to be probable cases of NAT. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of a successful policy-based intervention to decrease disparity in care. The maintenance of a stable rate of NAT determination despite increased screening suggests more victims of abuse may be identified with guideline use, and therefore, this may be an additional benefit of the guideline.

Rotavirus antigenemia in children is associated with viremia.

BACKGROUND: Antigenemia is commonly detected in rotavirus-infected children. Although rotavirus RNA has been detected in serum, definitive proof of rotavirus viremia has not been shown. We aimed to analyze a defined patient population to determine if infectious virus could be detected in sera from children with rotavirus antigenemia. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Serum samples obtained upon hospitalization from children with gastroenteritis (57 stool rotavirus-positive and 41 rotavirus-negative), children with diagnosed bronchiolitis of known (n = 58) or unknown (n = 17) viral etiology, children with noninfectious, nonchronic conditions (n = 17), and healthy adults (n = 28) were tested for rotavirus antigen by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Results of serum antigen testing were assessed for association with clinical and immunological attributes of the children. Rotavirus antigenemia was detected in 90% (51/57) of children with rotavirus-positive stools, in 89% (8/9) of children without diarrhea but with rotavirus-positive stools, in 12% (2/17) of children with bronchiolitis of unknown etiology without gastroenteritis, and in 12% (5/41) of children with gastroenteritis but with rotavirus-negative stools. Antigenemia was not detected in sera from children with noninfectious nonchronic conditions, children with bronchiolitis of known etiology and no gastroenteritis, or healthy adults. Neither age nor timing of serum collection within eight days after onset of gastroenteritis significantly affected levels of antigenemia, and there was no correlation between antigenemia and viral genotype. However, there was a negative correlation between serum rotavirus antigen and acute rotavirus-specific serum IgA (r = -0.44, p = 0.025) and IgG (r = -0.40, p = 0.01) titers. We examined 11 antigen-positive and nine antigen-negative sera for infectious virus after three blind serial passages in HT-29 cells using immunofluorescence staining for rotavirus structural and nonstructural proteins. Infectious virus was detected in 11/11 (100%) sera from serum antigen-positive children and in two out of nine (22%) sera samples from antigen-negative children (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Most children infected with rotavirus are viremic. The presence of viremia is directly related to the detection of antigenemia and is independent of the presence of diarrhea. Antigenemia load is inversely related to the titer of antirotavirus antibody in the serum. The finding of infectious rotavirus in the blood suggests extraintestinal involvement in rotavirus pathogenesis; however, the impact of rotavirus viremia on clinical manifestations of infection is unknown.

Immunopathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to elucidate the relation between respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and cytokine/chemokine concentrations, as well as the impact that these factors have on the severity of bronchiolitis. METHODS: Children <24 months old who presented to the emergency department with clinical symptoms of bronchiolitis were prospectively enrolled in the study. Nasal-wash samples were analyzed to identify viral pathogens and to quantify RSV and cytokine/chemokine concentrations. Severe cases of disease were defined as those requiring hospitalization, and severity was further determined on the basis of the duration of supplemental-oxygen and/or intravenous-fluid therapy. RESULTS: A total of 101 children were enrolled, 63 of whom were infected with RSV and 13 of whom were infected with other respiratory viruses; in 22 children, no virus was detected. RSV bronchiolitis was associated with a greater inflammatory response than was non-RSV bronchiolitis, although RSV infection was not associated with more-severe disease. Levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1beta were significantly inversely correlated with the duration of supplemental-oxygen therapy. CONCLUSION: The robust inflammatory response associated with RSV infection does not contribute to the severity of RSV bronchiolitis any more than it contributes to the severity of non-RSV bronchiolitis. Elevated levels of proinflammatory mediators IL-6, IL-8, IFN-gamma, and MIP-1beta, as well as of the regulatory cytokine IL-10, may be protective against hypoxia in bronchiolitis.