RESUMEN
Background and Objectives: Pediatric headaches, including migraine, are a common reason for emergency department (ED) presentation. IV valproic acid (VPA) followed by oral VPA tapers are often used to abort pediatric headache and reduce recurrence, though limited data exist regarding this approach. This study evaluated the effectiveness of IV VPA and oral VPA tapers for the treatment of acute pediatric headaches in the ED in preventing return encounters. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 5-21 years presenting to a tertiary-care pediatric ED from 2010 to 2016 who received IV VPA for headache or migraine. Primary outcomes were ED disposition, percent pain reduction (initial vs 2-hour patient-reported pain score [10-point scale]), and return for acute headache treatment within 1 month. Results: A total of 486 ED encounters were included with a median patient age of 15 years; most of them were females (76%, 369/486). Of available pain scores within 2 hours of IV VPA administration, 41% (173/425) had ≥50% pain reduction. Fifty-two percent (254/486) were discharged without additional treatment, 14% (69/486) were discharged after additional treatment, and 33% (163/486) were admitted to the hospital. Initial pain score, number of preceding home treatments, and number of preceding ED treatments were not associated with ED disposition. Oral VPA tapers were prescribed in 39% (94/253) of encounters when the patient was discharged after IV VPA. Oral VPA tapers produced a transient decrease in recurrence at 72 hours, which was no longer present at 1 week nor 1 month. There was no difference in the time to recurrence or total number of return visits within 1 month. Discussion: IV VPA was efficacious in treating pediatric headaches evaluated in the ED, with nearly two-thirds of patients discharged home after administration. Oral VPA tapers did not reduce total headache recurrence nor time to recurrence. Given the limited benefit of oral VPA tapers, this practice should be re-examined. Classification of Evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that for children with headache seen in the ED, IV VPA reduces head pain and Class III evidence that following this with an oral VPA taper is of no benefit.
RESUMEN
Background and Objectives: Neuroimaging is often part of the workup for a pediatric patient presenting with a seizure to an emergency department (ED). We aim to evaluate when neuroimaging in the ED for children with a non-first-time seizure, or nonindex seizure (NIS), is associated with an acute change in management (ACM). Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of all pediatric patients presenting to an ED from 2008 to 2018 with a NIS, excluding repeat febrile seizures, who underwent neuroimaging. Clinical characteristics were extracted from the electronic medical record. The primary outcome was new abnormal neuroimaging resulting in an ACM, defined as admission to the hospital, neurosurgical intervention, or new nonseizure medication administration. Results: We identified 492 encounters. Neuroimaging revealed new findings in 21% of encounters and led to ACMs in 5% of encounters. ACMs included admissions, neurosurgical interventions, and nonseizure medication changes. Factors associated with ACM included new seizure type (odds ratio [OR] 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-8.0), new focal examination finding (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.3-7.1), altered mental status (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.2-7.0), and a history of only provoked seizures (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.0-7.5). Patients with 2 risk factors had an OR of 6.9 (95% CI 1.8-26.5) for an ACM, and those with 3-4 risk factors had an OR of 45.8 (95% CI 9.8-213.2). The negative predictive value for ACM in a patient with no risk factors was 98.6% (95% CI 95.9-99.5). Discussion: Patients with a NIS who have abnormal neuroimaging associated with an ACM present with unique risk factors. Prospectively validating these factors may allow for a prediction tool for NIS in EDs where reduced exposure to ionizing radiation, sedation, and resource utilization are critically important.
RESUMEN
The dopaminergic system is involved in motivation, reward and the associated motor activities. Mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) regulate motivation and reward, whereas those in the substantia nigra (SN) are essential for motor control. Defective VTA dopaminergic transmission has been implicated in schizophrenia, drug addiction and depression whereas dopaminergic neurons in the SN are lost in Parkinson's disease. Maternal immune activation (MIA) leading to in utero inflammation has been proposed to be a risk factor for these disorders, yet it is unclear how this stimulus can lead to the diverse disturbances in dopaminergic-driven behaviors that emerge at different stages of life in affected offspring. Here we report that gestational age is a critical determinant of the subsequent alterations in dopaminergic-driven behavior in rat offspring exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced MIA. Behavioral analysis revealed that MIA on gestational day 16 but not gestational day 12 resulted in biphasic impairments in motor behavior. Specifically, motor impairments were evident in early life, which were resolved by adolescence, but subsequently re-emerged in adulthood. In contrast, reward seeking behaviors were altered in offspring exposed MIA on gestational day 12. These changes were not due to a loss of dopaminergic neurons per se in the postnatal period, suggesting that they reflect functional changes in dopaminergic systems. This highlights that gestational age may be a key determinant of how MIA leads to distinct alterations in dopaminergic-driven behavior across the lifespan of affected offspring.
