Pediatric Emergency Physicians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Regarding Confidential Adolescent Care.

OBJECTIVES: More than 19 million adolescents seek care in the emergency department (ED) annually. We aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to confidential adolescent care among pediatric ED physicians. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire of US physician members of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Collaborative Research Committee survey listserv. The 24-item questionnaire assessed familiarity with adolescent confidentiality laws, attitudes toward providing confidential care, frequency of discussing behavioral health topics confidentially, and factors influencing the decision to provide confidential care. We dichotomized Likert responses and used χ2 to compare subgroups. RESULTS: Of 476 eligible physicians, 151 (32%) participated. Most (91. 4%) had completed pediatric emergency medicine fellowship. More participants reported familiarity with all sexual health-related laws compared with all mental health-related laws (64% vs 49%, P < 0.001). The median age at which participants thought it was important to begin routinely providing confidential care was 12 years; 9% thought confidential interviews should not be routinely conducted until older adolescence or at all. Their decision to provide confidential care was influenced by the following: chief complaint (97%), time (43%), language (24%), presence of family (23%) or friends (14%), and space (22%). CONCLUSIONS: Respondents reported moderate familiarity with adolescent confidentiality laws. Although they viewed confidential care as something they were comfortable providing, the likelihood of doing so varied. Barriers to confidential care were influenced by their assessment of adolescents' behavioral health risk, which may contribute to health inequity. Future efforts are needed to develop strategies that augment confidential ED care for adolescents.

Efficacy of Comedy on Health-Related Quality of Life and Oxidative Stress in Cancer Survivors.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer survivors have reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) due to impaired daily functioning. In addition, daily stress leads to worsening oxidative stress. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of laughter therapy on HRQOL and oxidative stress in cancer survivors. METHODS: This before-and-after study asked cancer survivors to watch a 15-minute or longer comedy video over a four-week period to assess the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), EuroQOL 5 dimension 3-level (EQ-5D-3L), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), biological Antioxidant Potential (BAP), Reactive Oxygen Metabolites-derived compounds (d-ROMs), Oxidative Stress Index (OSI), and the antioxidant/oxidative stress ratio. RESULTS: The nonparametric Friedman test showed significant increases from baseline in FACT-G and EQ-VAS scores and significant decreases in HADS-Anxiety and HADS-Depression scores. Post hoc analyses showed that these items commonly differed significantly at baseline versus three and four weeks after Bonferroni correction. T-test results in the biological analysis revealed small and moderate effects with significant differences in BAP (p < 0.01, d = 0.49), OSI (p = 0.03, d = 0.33), and BAP/d-ROMs (p < 0.01, d = 0.51). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that daily comedy viewing may be an effective intervention to improve quality of life and antioxidant capacity in cancer survivors. Considering its safety, convenience, and low cost, it should be considered a high-value intervention for cancer survivors.

Novel single nucleotide polymorphism biomarkers to predict opioid effects for cancer pain.

There have been few studies on predictive biomarkers that may be useful to select the most suitable opioids to optimize therapeutic efficacy in individual patients with cancer pain. We recently investigated the efficacy of morphine and oxycodone using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 gene as a biomarker (RELIEF study). To explore additional biomarkers that may enable the selection of an appropriate opioid for individual patients with cancer pain, three SNPs were examined: C-C motif chemokine ligand 11 (CCL11; rs17809012), histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT; rs1050891) and transient receptor potential V1 (TRPV1; rs222749), which were screened from 74 pain-related SNPs. These SNPs, which were identified as being significantly associated with the analgesic effect of morphine, were then used to genotype the 135 patients in the RELIEF study who had been randomized into a morphine group (n=69) or an oxycodone group (n=66). The present study then assessed whether the SNPs could also be used as selective biomarkers to predict which opioid(s) might be the most suitable to provide pain relief for patients with cancer. Oxycodone tended to provide superior analgesic effects over morphine in patients carrying the genotype AA for the CCL11 rs17809012 SNP (P=0.012 for interaction), suggesting that it could serve as a potential biomarker for personalized analgesic therapy for patients suffering with cancer pain.

Morphine Versus Oxycodone for Cancer Pain Using a Catechol-O-methyltransferase Genotype Biomarker: A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label, Phase III Clinical Trial (RELIEF Study).

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that the high-dose opioid requirement in patients carrying the rs4680-GG variant in the COMT gene encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase would be greater for patients taking morphine than for those taking oxycodone, thus providing a much-needed biomarker to inform opioid selection for cancer pain. METHODS: A randomized, multicenter, open-label trial was conducted at a Japanese hospital's palliative care service. Patients with cancer pain treated with regular doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or acetaminophen were enrolled and randomized (1:1) into morphine (group M) and oxycodone (group O) groups. The minimum standard dose of immediate-release (IR) oral opioids was repeatedly administered by palliative care physicians to achieve pain-reduction goals (Pain reduction ≥ 33% from baseline and up to ≤ 3 on a numerical rating scale). The primary endpoint was the proportion of subjects requiring high-dose opioids on day 0 with the GG genotype. RESULTS: Of 140 participants who developed cancer-related pain among 378 subjects registered and pre-screened for the genotype, 139 were evaluated in the current study. Among patients carrying a COMT rs4680-GG genotype, 48.3% required high-dose opioids in group M, compared with the 20.0% in group O (95% CI, 3.7%-50.8%; P = .029). Of those with the non-GG genotype, 41.5% treated with morphine and 23.1% with oxycodone required high-dose opioids (95% CI, 3.3%-38.3%; P = 0.098). CONCLUSION: Using the COMT rs4680 genotype alone is not recommended for selecting between morphine and oxycodone for pain relief.

Analysis of Various Factors Associated With Opioid Dose Escalation in Patients With Cancer Pain.

Introduction Pain is one of the most important symptoms in terms of prevalence and a major cause of distress in patients with cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze and identify the factors that influence the worsening of pain in patients with cancer necessitating opioid dose escalation. Methods The study was conducted in a single center. This study is a retrospective cohort study of 390 adult cancer patients. The primary endpoint was dose escalation for strong opioids. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a logistic regression model to evaluate the relationships of factors with opioid dose escalation for cancer pain. Results Polypharmacy was associated with opioid dose escalation (aOR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.486-4.370, p = 0.001). Conversely, alcohol consumption was associated with a reduced need for dose escalation (aOR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.376-0.985, p = 0.043). Conclusion The results of this study indicate that moderate alcohol consumption does not reduce the efficacy of opioids in patients with cancer pain. Meanwhile, patients receiving polypharmacy may be able to more rapidly alleviate their pain via early opioid dose modification.

Comparison of Targeted and Routine Adolescent HIV Screening in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were (1) to compare targeted and routine HIV screening in a pediatric emergency department (PED) and (2) to compare provider documented HIV risk assessment with adolescent perception of HIV risk assessment conducted during the PED visit. METHODS: This prospective study ran concurrent to a PED routine HIV screening pilot. Adolescents could be tested for HIV by the PED provider per usual care (targeted testing); if not tested, they were approached for the routine screening pilot. A subset of adolescents completed a questionnaire on HIV risk. χ 2 analysis compared adolescents with targeted testing and routine screening. HIV-tested patients were asked if HIV risk was assessed; κ analysis compared this with documentation in the provider note. RESULTS: Over 4 months, 107 adolescents received targeted testing and 344 received routine screening. One 14-year-old patient tested positive by routine screening; this adolescent had 2 PED visits without targeted testing within 60 days. Compared with routine screening, adolescents with targeted testing were more likely female (82% vs 57%, P < 0.001), 16 years or older (71% vs 44%, P < 0.001), or had genitourinary/gynecologic concerns (48% vs 6%, P < 0.001). Adolescents with HIV risk factors were missed by targeted testing but received routine screening. Adolescents with documented HIV risk assessment were more likely to receive targeted testing. There was moderate agreement (κ = 0.61) between provider documentation and adolescent perception of HIV risk assessment. CONCLUSIONS: There are gaps in PED HIV risk assessment and testing, which may miss opportunities to diagnose adolescent HIV. Routine HIV screening addresses these gaps and expands adolescent HIV testing in the PED.

Phase III, international, multicentre, double-blind, dose increment, parallel-arm, randomised controlled trial of duloxetine versus pregabalin for opioid-unresponsive neuropathic cancer pain: a JORTC-PAL16 trial protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Management of neuropathic cancer pain (NCP) refractory to regular opioids remains an important challenge. The efficacy of pregabalin for NCP except chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) has already been confirmed in two randomised controlled trials (RCTs) compared with placebo. Duloxetine offers the potential of analgesia in opioid refractory NCP. However, there are no RCT of duloxetine for the management of opioid-refractory NCP as a first line treatment. Both classes of drugs have the potential to reduce NCP, but there has been no head-to-head comparison for the efficacy and safety, especially given differing side effect profiles. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: An international, multicentre, double-blind, dose increment, parallel-arm, RCT is planned. Inclusion criteria include: adults with cancer experiencing NCP refractory to opioids; Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)-item 3 (worst pain) of ≥4; Neuropathic Pain on the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs Pain Scale of ≥12 despite of an adequate trial of regular opioid medication (≥60 mg/day oral morphine equivalent dose). Patients with CIPN are excluded.The study will recruit from palliative care teams (both inpatients and outpatients) in Japan and Australia. Participants will be randomised (1:1 allocation ratio) to duloxetine or pregabalin arm. Dose escalation is until day 14 and from day 14 to 21 is a dose de-escalation period to avoid withdrawal effects. The primary endpoint is defined as the mean difference in BPI item 3 for worst pain intensity over the previous 24 hours at day 14 between groups. A sample size of 160 patients will be enrolled between February 2020 and March 2023. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained at Osaka City University Hospital Certified Review Board and South Western Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee. The results of this study will be submitted for publication in international journals and the key findings presented at international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: jRCTs051190097, ACTRN12620000656932.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Education on Adolescent Sexual Health Care.

OBJECTIVES: Many adolescents use the emergency department as their sole resource for primary care and sexual health care. This provides an opportunity to prevent sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy as well as to educate teenagers about their bodies and sexual health. There is no standard curriculum on sexual health as part of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowship education. Our goal is to evaluate what is taught in PEM fellowship about adolescent sexual health. METHODS: We administered an anonymous questionnaire to both PEM fellows and program directors (PDs). The questionnaire was distributed through the PEM Program Director Survey Committee. The questionnaire was sent to 88 PDs and 305 fellows total. An introductory email explaining the purpose of the study and a link to the online questionnaire was sent. The questionnaire was created using SurveyMonkey (www.surveymonkey.com). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: We achieved a 43% survey response rate from PDs (38 of 88) and a 24% survey response rate from fellows (73 of 305). The PD respondents included 61% females, and almost all (86%) are between ages 35 and 54 years. Seventy-three percent of the fellows are female, and they are all between 25 to 44 years old. There was a great deal of variability in the amount of adolescent sexual health education PDs provide their fellows in the form of lectures and bedside teaching cases. A majority of survey respondents (86% of fellows and 66% of the PDs) agreed that there should be a standard PEM curriculum to teach about adolescent sexual health. More than half (53% of PDs and 56% of fellows) are not satisfied with the number of training opportunities for adolescent sexual health. CONCLUSIONS: We found variability in adolescent sexual health training during PEM fellowship, although fellows and PDs agree that there should be a standardized curriculum. We recommend that the American Board of Pediatrics form a committee to decrease variability in the training of PEM fellows on adolescent sexual health.

Malrotation With Midgut Volvulus in an Adolescent Male.

ABSTRACT: Malrotation and midgut volvulus are conditions commonly described in infants, typically diagnosed within the first month of life. We present an unusual occurrence of high-grade obstruction because of malrotation and volvulus in an adolescent male. His symptoms at presentation, abdominal pain and vomiting, were similar to previous episodes in which he had been diagnosed with constipation or viral gastroenteritis and discharged home. His main criteria for admission for this occurrence were related to his degree of dehydration.

Missed Opportunities for Sexual History Documentation and Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

PURPOSE: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are disproportionally prevalent in adolescents, and adolescents often present to the pediatric emergency department (PED) for STI care. Prior studies have found low rates of sexual history documentation and STI testing in the PED. However, these studies have had limited sample sizes because of the burden of manual chart review. We aimed to estimate the rate of sexual history documentation and identify factors associated with STI testing in a large cohort of adolescents using natural language processing (NLP). METHODS: We applied a validated NLP algorithm to all adolescent visits over a three-year period to the PED at a single large children's health care organization with a chief complaint potentially related to an STI. We utilized NLP to determine the prevalence of sexual history documentation in these patients. We applied logistic regression models to determine associations between sexual history documentation, patient demographic factors, and STI testing. RESULTS: Of the 1,987 patient encounters included, only 56% had a sexual history documented, and only 40% of all patients were tested for STIs. Patients were more likely to have a sexual history documented and to be tested for STIs if they were of non-Hispanic black race/ethnicity, were >15 years of age, and had nonprivate insurance. Patients with a sexual history documented were seven times more likely to have STI testing ordered. Of patients tested (n = 728), 25% were positive for an STI. CONCLUSIONS: Despite presenting to the PED with symptoms potentially related to an STI, many adolescents are not receiving recommended sexual health care. Rates of sexual history documentation and STI testing varied by demographic factors including race, age, and insurance status. Utilizing NLP technology allowed us to examine a larger sample size than previously documented in the adolescent sexual history and PED literature. This study highlights critical opportunities to improve sexual health provision and equity of care provided in the PED.

Identifying the Needs Based on the Patients' Performance Status for Palliative Care Team: An Observational Study.

OBJECTIVES: The study aim was to determine the association between patient performance status (PS) and the contents of a palliative care team (PCT) intervention. Identifying intervention requirements for differing PS may help to provide appropriate palliative care in under-resourced facilities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected data from medical records of inpatients (n = 496) admitted to PCT services at a centre for palliative care at Kindai University Hospital, Japan, from April 2017 to March 2019. We analysed the content of PCT activities according to each PS using Pearson's Chi-square test. RESULTS: The following PCT activities were provided in full regardless of PS: Gastrointestinal symptoms, depression, medical staff support, food and nutrition support and oral care. The following PCT responses were associated with PS: Pain, respiratory symptoms, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, delirium, decision-making support, family support and rehabilitation. PS3 patients tended to receive those PCT interventions associated with PS, except for anxiety and fatigue. PS4 patients received PCT interventions for respiratory symptoms, delirium and family support. Patients with good PS (0-1) tended to receive PCT interventions for anxiety. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that there were different needs for different PS. The results may allow for efficient interventions even in facilities with limited resources.

Addressing long-acting reversible contraception access, bias, and coercion: supporting adolescent and young adult reproductive autonomy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is comprised of highly effective methods (the subdermal implant and intrauterine devices) available to adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Professional medical societies endorse LARC use in AYAs and, more recently, have emphasized the importance of using a reproductive justice framework when providing LARC. This article reviews reproductive justice, discusses contraceptive coercion, examines bias, and highlights interventions that promote equitable reproductive healthcare. RECENT FINDINGS: Research indicates that both bias and patient characteristics influence provider LARC practices. AYA access to comprehensive LARC services is limited, as counseling, provision, management, and removal are not offered at all sites providing reproductive healthcare to AYAs. Interventions aimed at addressing provider bias and knowledge, clinic policies, confidentiality concerns, insurance reimbursement, and systems of oppression can improve AYA access to equitable, comprehensive contraceptive care. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequities in reproductive healthcare, as well as provided unique innovations to decrease barriers, including telemedicine LARC services. SUMMARY: Clinicians who care for AYAs should honor reproductive autonomy by approaching contraceptive services with a reproductive justice lens. This includes implementing patient-centered contraceptive counseling, increasing access to LARC, eliminating barriers to LARC removal, and committing to systemic changes to address healthcare inequities.

Fentanyl Infusion Is Effective in the Treatment of Dyspnea in End-Stage Heart Failure With Renal Failure: A Case Report.

Patients with end-stage heart failure may require hospitalization for the treatment of respiratory distress. Morphine may be used to relieve symptoms. However, use of morphine is problematic because heart failure is often associated with renal dysfunction. In this case report, intravenous fentanyl infusion reduced dyspnea in a patient with end-stage heart failure who was on dialysis induction to treat renal failure. The patient was able to eat and sleep after administration of an intravenous fentanyl solution and experienced no apparent respiratory depression as a side effect of fentanyl. There have been few reports of dyspnea relief with fentanyl infusion. Because of its adjustable duration of effect, intravenous fentanyl may be a more effective and useful option than rapid or extended-release agents in cases such as this one.

The current clinical use of adjuvant analgesics for refractory cancer pain in Japan: a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Although adjuvant analgesics are used to treat opioid-refractory cancer pain, there is insufficient evidence to support this practice and limited data to guide the choice depending on cancer pain pathophysiology, dose titration and starting dose. This survey aimed to clarify the current use of adjuvant analgesics for treating opioid-refractory cancer pain. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we sent an online survey questionnaire to 208 certified palliative care specialists. Primary outcomes were (i) effective pathophysiological mechanism of cancer pain and (ii) initiating doses and time period to the first response to each adjuvant analgesic therapy. RESULTS: In total, 87 (42%) palliative care specialists responded. Of all patients with cancer pain, 40% of patients (median) with refractory cancer pain were prescribed adjuvant analgesics. Additionally, 94.3, 93.1 and 86.2% of palliative care specialists found dexamethasone/betamethasone effective for neuropathic pain caused by tumor-related spinal cord compression, pregabalin effective for malignant painful radiculopathy and dexamethasone/betamethasone effective for brain tumor or leptomeningeal metastases-related headache, respectively. The median starting dose of pregabalin, dexamethasone/betamethasone, lidocaine and ketamine were 75, 4, 200, and 50 mg/day, respectively, and the median time to the first response of those medications were 5, 3, 2 and 3 days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Many palliative care specialists select adjuvant analgesics depending on the pathophysiological mechanism of cancer pain in each case. They used such adjuvant analgesics in low doses for cancer pain with short first-response periods.

The effect of early puberty suppression on treatment options and outcomes in transgender patients.

In the past 10-15 years, paediatric transgender care has emerged at the forefront of several general practice and subspecialty guidelines and is the topic of continuing medical education for various medical disciplines. Providers in specialties ranging from family medicine, paediatrics and adolescent medicine to endocrinology, gynaecology and urology are caring for transgender patients in increasing numbers. Current and evolving national and international best practice guidelines recommend offering a halt of endogenous puberty for patients with early gender dysphoria, in whom impending puberty is unacceptable for their psychosocial health and wellness. Pubertal blockade has implications for fertility preservation, transgender surgical care and psychosocial health, all of which must be considered and discussed with the patient and their family and/or legal guardian before initiation.

Effective Therapy Against Severe Anxiety Caused by Cancer: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Anxiety can make it difficult for patients to manage their illness. Therefore, it is important to reduce their anxiety if possible. However, few studies have examined the efficacy of drugs in the treatment of anxiety in patients with cancer. Our case had failed to respond to benzodiazepines, and it was difficult to use a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) as the next drug. This case report describes the effective use of quetiapine to treat anxiety. We report this rare case along with a literature review. Few studies have assessed the treatment of anxiety in patients with rare cancers. In our case, quetiapine effectively alleviated anxiety associated with cystic adenoid carcinoma. However, in clinical practice, it is possible that anxiety is treated without differentiating the effects of cancer status, e.g. life prognosis, treatment progress. In our patient, benzodiazepines had no effect on anxiety. Thus, different drugs may be required to treat anxiety associated with cancer. The present study demonstrated that quetiapine is a useful modality for the palliative care of patients with rare cancer and intractable anxiety. Quetiapine may be an effective alternative to benzodiazepines (BZ) and SSRIs for treating anxiety in patients with cancer. However, further investigation is needed to clarify the efficacy of treatments for anxiety associated with rare cancers.

Unique Needs for the Implementation of Emergency Department Human Immunodeficiency Virus Screening in Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend universal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening starting at 13 years, which has been implemented in many general U.S. emergency departments (EDs) but infrequently in pediatric EDs. We aimed to 1) implement a pilot of routine adolescent HIV screening in a pediatric ED and 2) determine the unique barriers to CDC-recommended screening in this region of high HIV prevalence. METHODS: This was a prospective 4-month implementation of a routine HIV screening pilot in a convenience sample of adolescents 13 to 18 years at a single pediatric ED, based on study personnel availability. Serum-based fourth-generation HIV testing was run through a central laboratory. Parents were allowed to remain in the room for HIV counseling and testing. Data were collected regarding patient characteristics and HIV testing quality metrics. Comparisons were made using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Regression analysis was performed to assess for an association between parent presence at the time of enrollment and adolescent decision to participate in HIV screening. RESULTS: Over 4 months, 344 of 806 adolescents approached consented to HIV screening (57% female, mean ± SD = 15.1 ± 1.6 years). Adolescents with HIV screening were more likely to be older than those who declined (p = 0.025). Other blood tests were collected with the HIV sample for 21% of adolescents; mean time to result was 105 minutes (interquartile range = 69 to 123) and 79% were discharged before the result was available. Having a parent present for enrollment was not associated with adolescent participation (adjusted odds ratio = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.67 to 1.70). Barriers to testing included: fear of needlestick, time to results, cost, and staff availability. One of 344 tests was positive in a young adolescent with Stage 1 HIV. CONCLUSIONS: Routine HIV screening in adolescents was able to be implemented in this pediatric ED and led to the identification of early infection in a young adolescent who would have otherwise been undetected at this stage of disease. Addressing the unique barriers to adolescent HIV screening is critical in high-prevalence regions and may lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment in this vulnerable population.