High-risk Opioid Prescribing Associated with Postoperative New Persistent Opioid Use in Adolescents and Young Adults.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we explored which postoperative opioid prescribing practices were associated with persistent opioid use among adolescents and young adults. BACKGROUND: Approximately 5% of adolescents and young adults develop postoperative new persistent opioid use. The impact of physician prescribing practices on persistent use among young patients is unknown. METHODS: We identified opioid-naïve patients aged 13 to 21 who underwent 1 of 13 procedures (2008-2016) and filled a perioperative opioid prescription using commercial insurance claims (Optum Deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart Database). Persistent use was defined as ≥ 1 opioid prescription fill 91 to 180 days after surgery. High-risk opioid prescribing included overlapping opioid prescriptions, co-prescribed benzodiazepines, high daily prescribed dosage, long-acting formulations, and multiple prescribers. Logistic regression modeled persistent use as a function of exposure to high-risk prescribing, adjusted for patient demographics, procedure, and comorbidities. RESULTS: High-risk opioid prescribing practices increased from 34.9% to 43.5% over the study period; the largest increase was in co-prescribed benzodiazepines (24.1%-33.4%). High-risk opioid prescribing was associated with persistent use (aOR 1.235 [1.12,1.36]). Receipt of prescriptions from multiple opioid prescribers was individually associated with persistent use (aOR 1.288 [1.16,1.44]). The majority of opioid prescriptions to patients with persistent use beyond the postoperative period were from nonsurgical prescribers (79.6%). CONCLUSIONS: High-risk opioid prescribing practices, particularly receiving prescriptions from multiple prescribers across specialties, were associated with a significant increase in adolescent and young adult patients' risk of persistent opioid use. Prescription drug monitoring programs may help identify young patients at risk of persistent opioid use.

Association of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid Expansion With Secondary Overtriage among Young Adult Trauma Patients.

BACKGROUND: Previous work has shown that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion decreased the uninsured rate and improved some trauma outcomes among young adult trauma patients, but no studies have investigated the impact of ACA Medicaid expansion on secondary overtriage, namely the unnecessary transfer of non-severely injured patients to tertiary trauma centers. METHODS: Statewide hospital inpatient and emergency department discharge data from two Medicaid expansion and one non-expansion state were used to compare changes in insurance coverage and secondary overtriage among trauma patients aged 19-44 y transferred into a level I or II trauma center before (2011-2013) to after (2014-quarter 3, 2015) Medicaid expansion. Difference-in-difference (DD) analyses were used to compare changes overall, by race/ethnicity, and by ZIP code-level median income quartiles. RESULTS: Medicaid expansion was associated with a decrease in the proportion of patients uninsured (DD: -4.3 percentage points; 95% confidence interval (CI): -7.4 to -1.2), an increase in the proportion of patients insured by Medicaid (DD: 8.2; 95% CI: 5.0 to 11.3), but no difference in the proportion of patients who experienced secondary overtriage (DD: -1.5; 95% CI: -4.8 to 1.8). There were no differences by race/ethnicity or community income level in the association of Medicaid expansion with secondary overtriage. CONCLUSIONS: In the first 2 y after ACA Medicaid expansion, insurance coverage increased but secondary overtriage rates were unchanged among young adult trauma patients transferred to level I or II trauma centers.

Evaluating the Regional Differences in Pediatric Injury Patterns During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Reports of pediatric injury patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic are conflicting and lack the granularity to explore differences across regions. We hypothesized there would be considerable variation in injury patterns across pediatric trauma centers in the United States. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective study evaluating patients <18 y old with traumatic injuries meeting National Trauma Data Bank criteria was performed. Patients injured after stay-at-home orders through September 2020 ("COVID" cohort) were compared to "Historical" controls from an averaged period of equivalent dates in 2016-2019. Differences in injury type, intent, and mechanism were explored at the site level. RESULTS: 47,385 pediatric trauma patients were included. Overall trauma volume increased during the COVID cohort compared to the Historical (COVID 7068 patients versus Historical 5891 patients); however, some sites demonstrated a decrease in overall trauma of 25% while others had an increase of over 33%. Bicycle injuries increased at every site, with a range in percent change from 24% to 135% increase. Although the greatest net increase was due to blunt injuries, there was a greater relative increase in penetrating injuries at 7/9 sites, with a range in percent change from a 110% increase to a 69% decrease. CONCLUSIONS: There was considerable discrepancy in pediatric injury patterns at the individual site level, perhaps suggesting a variable impact of the specific sociopolitical climate and pandemic policies of each catchment area. Investigation of the unique response of the community during times of stress at pediatric trauma centers is warranted to be better prepared for future environmental stressors.

Pediatric Injury Transfer Patterns During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Interrupted time Series Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: With the expected surge of adult patients with COVID-19, the Children's Hospital Association recommended a tiered approach to divert children to pediatric centers. Our objective was understanding changes in interfacility transfer to Pediatric Trauma Centers (PTCs) during the first 6 mo of the pandemic. METHODS: Children aged < 18 y injured between January 1, 2016 and September 30, 2020, who met National Trauma Databank inclusion criteria from 9 PTCs were included. An interrupted time-series analysis was used to estimate an expected number of transferred patients compared to observed volume. The "COVID" cohort was compared to a historical cohort (historical average [HA]), using an average across 2016-2019. Site-based differences in transfer volume, demographics, injury characteristics, and hospital-based outcomes were compared between cohorts. RESULTS: Twenty seven thousand thirty one/47,382 injured patients (57.05%) were transferred to a participating PTC during the study period. Of the COVID cohort, 65.4% (4620/7067) were transferred, compared to 55.7% (3281/5888) of the HA (P < 0.001). There was a decrease in 15-y-old to 17-y-old patients (10.43% COVID versus 12.64% HA, P = 0.003). More patients in the COVID cohort had injury severity scores ≤ 15 (93.25% COVID versus 87.63% HA, P < 0.001). More patients were discharged home after transfer (31.80% COVID versus 21.83% HA, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Transferred trauma patients to Level I PTC increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proportion of transferred patients discharged from emergency departments increased. Pediatric trauma transfers may be a surrogate for referring emergency department capacity and resources and a measure of pediatric trauma triage capability.

Legal epidemiology of paediatric dog bite injuries.

BACKGROUND: Dog bite injuries cause over 100 000 paediatric emergency department visits annually. Our objective was to analyse associations between regional dog ownership laws and incidence of paediatric dog bites. METHODS: This observational study used an online search to locate local dog-related policies within Ohio cities. Data collected by Ohio Partners For Kids from 2011 through 2020 regarding claims for paediatric dog bite injuries were used to compare areas with and without located policies and the incidence of injury. RESULTS: Our cohort consisted of 6175 paediatric patients with dog bite injury encounters. A majority were white (79.1%), male (55.0%), 0-5 years old (39.2%) and did not require hospital admission (98.1%). Seventy-nine of 303 cities (26.1%) had city-specific policies related to dogs. Overall, the presence of dog-related policies was associated with lower incidence of dog bite injury claims (p=0.01). Specifically, metropolitan areas and the Central Ohio region had a significantly lower incidence when dog-related policies were present (324.85 per 100 000 children per year when present vs 398.56 when absent; p<0.05; 304.87 per 100 000 children per year when present vs 411.43 when absent; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of city-specific dog-related policies is associated with lower incidence of paediatric dog bite injury claims, suggesting that local policy impacts this important public health issue. There are limited dog-related policies addressing dog bite prevention, with inconsistencies in breadth and depth. Creating consistent, practical requirements among policies with vigorous enforcement could ameliorate public health concerns from paediatric dog bite injuries.

Fetal Risk Stratification and Outcomes in Children with Prenatally Diagnosed Lung Malformations: Results from a Multi-Institutional Research Collaborative.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess current clinical outcomes in children with prenatally diagnosed congenital lung malformations (CLMs) and to identify prenatal characteristics associated with adverse outcomes. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Despite a wide spectrum of clinical disease, the identification of fetal CLM subgroups at increased risk for hydrops and respiratory compromise at delivery has not been well defined. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using an operative database of prenatally diagnosed CLMs managed at 11 children's hospitals from 2009 to 2016. Statistical analyses were performed using nonparametric bivariate or multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Three hundred forty-four children were analyzed. Fifteen (5.5%) fetuses were managed with maternal steroids in the setting of hydrops, and prenatal surgical intervention was uncommon (1.7%). Seventy-five (21.8%) had respiratory symptoms at birth, and 34 (10.0%) required neonatal lung resection. Congenital pulmonary airway malformation volume ratio (CVR) measurements were recorded in 169 (49.1%) cases and were significantly associated with perinatal outcome, including hydrops, respiratory distress at birth, need for supplemental oxygen, neonatal ventilator use, and neonatal resection ( P < 0.001). An initial CVR ≤1.4 was significantly correlated with a reduced risk for hydrops [area under the curve (AUC), 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87-1.00]. A maximum CVR <0.9 (AUC, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.67-0.85) was associated with a low risk for respiratory symptoms at birth. CONCLUSIONS: In this large, multi-institutional study, an initial CVR ≤ 1.4 identifies fetuses at very low risk for hydrops, and a maximum CVR < 0.9 is associated with asymptomatic disease at birth. These findings represent an opportunity for standardization and quality improvement for prenatal counseling and delivery planning.

Examining the Utility of Preoperative Telemedicine Care Across Multiple Pediatric Surgery Disciplines.

INTRODUCTION: Telemedicine use within pediatric surgery fields has been growing, but research on the utility of remote evaluation in the perioperative period remains scarce. The objective of this study was to examine the utility of perioperative telemedicine care for the pediatric patient by evaluating the outcomes following completion of an outpatient appointment with a surgical provider. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients who completed a telemedicine appointment with a provider across nine pediatric surgery divisions, without a limitation based on patient-specific characteristics or telemedicine platform. We examined the result of the initial telemedicine appointment and the outcome of any surgical procedure that was performed as a result. RESULTS: A total of 803 patients were evaluated by telemedicine during the study period. Of the 164 encounters (20.2%) that were followed by a surgery, nearly 70% were performed using a video. There was no discordance in the preoperative and postoperative diagnoses for more than 98% of patients. Nearly 25% of operations were followed by at least a 1-night hospital stay and 6.7% of patients developed a postoperative complication. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine is a safe tool for evaluating pediatric patients in the preoperative and postoperative phases of care and offers potential value for families seeking an alternative to the traditional in-person appointment. Ongoing support will require permanent legislative changes aimed at ensuring comparable compensation and the development of strategies to adapt the outpatient healthcare model to better accommodate the evolving requirements of remotely evaluating and treating pediatric patients.

Disparities in the Management of Pediatric Breast Masses.

INTRODUCTION: Disparities in surgical management have been documented across a range of disease processes. The objective of this study was to investigate sociodemographic disparities in young females undergoing excision of a breast mass. METHODS: A retrospective study of females aged 10-21 y who underwent surgery for a breast lesion across eleven pediatric hospitals from 2011 to 2016 was performed. Differences in patient characteristics, workup, management, and pathology by race/ethnicity, insurance status, median neighborhood income, and urbanicity were evaluated with bivariate and multivariable regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 454 females were included, with a median age of 16 y interquartile range (IQR: 3). 44% of patients were nonHispanic (NH) Black, 40% were NH White, and 7% were Hispanic. 50% of patients had private insurance, 39% had public insurance, and 9% had other/unknown insurance status. Median neighborhood income was $49,974, and 88% of patients resided in a metropolitan area. NH Whites have 4.5 times the odds of undergoing preoperative fine needle aspiration or core needle biopsy compared to NH Blacks (CI: 2.0, 10.0). No differences in time to surgery from the initial imaging study, size of the lesion, or pathology were observed on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant differences by race/ethnicity, insurance status, household income, or urbanicity in the time to surgery after the initial imaging study. The only significant disparity noted on multivariable analysis was NH White patients were more likely to undergo preoperative biopsy than were NH Black patients; however, the utility of biopsy in pediatric breast masses is not well established.

Benchmarking utilization, length of stay, and complications following minimally invasive repair of major congenital anomalies.

INTRODUCTION: Infants with newborn congenital anomalies are increasingly undergoing minimally invasive surgical (MIS) repair. Currently available data on outcomes are limited. This study provides national estimates for length of stay and 30-day complications following MIS for congenital anomalies. METHODS: Using the ACS-NSQIP Pediatric (2013-2018), a retrospective analysis of MIS for congenital anomalies was performed. MIS repairs for the following diagnoses were included: pyloric stenosis (PS), congenital lung lesion (LL), mediastinal mass (MM), congenital malrotation (CM), anorectal malformation (ARM), Hirschsprung's disease (HD), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), biliary atresia/choledochal cyst (HB), and intestinal atresia (IA). Postoperative LOS (pLOS) and complication rates were examined using multivariable analysis for risk factors after categorizing surgeries by complexity of care related to congenital anomaly: Simple (PS), Complex Group 1 (LL, MM, CM, and ARM), and Complex Group 2 (HD, CDH, TEF, HB, and IA). RESULTS: Across 10 anomalies, 8,326 repairs were performed using an MIS approach. Procedure-specific median postoperative LOS (75th-percentile, 90th-percentile) for PS was 1 day (1, 3); LL was 3 (4, 7); MM was 2 (3, 5); CM was 4 (7, 14); ARM was 3 (5, 8); HD was 5 (8, 12); CDH was 8 (18, 31); HB was 5 (8, 12); TEF was 20 (31, 53); and IA was 17 (25, 40). The overall surgical complication rates (95% CI) were: PS, 5.1% (4.7%-5.6%); LL, 14.2% (12.3-16.4); MM, 8.4% (6.4-11.0); CM, 14.6% (11.9-17.9); ARM, 12.0% (7.1-19.5); HD, 22.1% (19.5-25.0); CDH, 21.1% (17.1-25.6); HB, 20.6% (13.7-29.7); TEF, 36% (27.5-45.5); and IA, 28.6% (19.3-40.1). Risk factors for increased pLOS and complications varied by procedure category and included patient-level and admission characteristics. CONCLUSION: This study provides national benchmarks and risk factors for expected postoperative LOS and 30-day complications following MIS for congenital anomalies.

Recognizing the Benefit of Telemedicine Before and After COVID-19: A Survey of Pediatric Surgery Providers.

BACKGROUND: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telemedicine to evaluate pediatric surgery patients was uncommon. Due in part to restrictions imposed to mitigate the spread of the virus, the use of telemedicine within pediatric surgery has significantly expanded. METHODS: Prior to the use of telemedicine within surgery divisions at our institution, pediatric surgeons were surveyed to determine their perspectives on the use of telemedicine. Following the expanded use of telemedicine in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a follow up survey was distributed to determine the impact of telemedicine and the perceived benefits and barriers of continuing its use going forward. RESULTS: The pre-COVID survey was completed by 37 surgeons and the post-COVID survey by 36 surgeons and advanced practice providers across 10 pediatric surgical divisions. General surgeons were the most represented division for both the pre- (25%) and post-COVID (33.3%) survey. Less than 25% of providers reported use of telemedicine at any point in their career prior to COVID-19; but following the expanded use of telemedicine 95% of respondents reported interest in continuing its use. After expansion, 25% of respondents were concerned with the possibility of inaccurate diagnoses when using telemedicine compared to nearly 50% prior to expanded use. CONCLUSION: Following the expanded use of telemedicine within pediatric surgery, there was a decrease in the concern for inaccurate diagnoses and a near uniform desire to continue its use. Going forward, it will be imperative for pediatric surgeons to take an active role in creating a process for implementing telemedicine that best fits their needs and the needs of their patients and patients' families.

Room for Improvement: The Trephination Procedure for Pediatric Patients with Pilonidal Disease.

BACKGROUND: Pilonidal disease is common amongst adolescent males and females and often leads to recurrent symptoms and life-altering morbidity. The traditional surgical approach includes wide excision of the involved area and carries a high rate of postoperative morbidity. A minimally invasive surgical approach using trephines was described by Gips in 2008 and has since been widely adopted by many surgeons. The aim of this study was to explore outcomes of the trephination procedure for pediatric and adolescent patients by evaluating postoperative wound healing and disease recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study for patients that underwent the trephination procedure as part of standard of care for the treatment of pilonidal disease from November 1, 2019-November 1, 2020 was performed. Patient demographics, presenting characteristics, and previous treatment history were identified. Outcome measures included healing time, recurrent disease, and need for reoperation. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients underwent the trephination procedure at a mean age of 16.4 years of age. An average of 3.8 pits were excised and there were no reported intraoperative complications. Following trephination, 26.3% of patients were healed at 30-day's, with just over 40% showing complete healing by 6-months. The recurrence rate was 16.1% at 6-months and approximately 15% of patients required a second surgery. CONCLUSION: Early results for trephination at our institution show a high rate of healing complications and frequent reoperation. Future research is needed to establish the role of the trephination procedure in the context of defining the best practices for treating this challenging disease.

Relationships Between Hospital and Surgeon Operative Volumes and Surgical Outcomes in Hirschsprung's Disease.

BACKGROUND: The impact of surgical volume on outcomes in Hirschsprung's disease (HD) remains uninvestigated. We aimed to determine whether higher surgeon and hospital-level HD operative volumes are associated with improved surgical outcomes following primary surgery for neonatal HD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Neonates who underwent either an ostomy or pull-through (PT) procedure for HD before 60 d of life and a PT procedure by age 1 y were identified in the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS). Index admissions from January 2000 to September 2012 across 41 tertiary childrens hospitals were included. Surgeon and hospital-level HD operative volume were defined as the average annual number of PT procedures performed for HD in the 2 y preceding each included case. We examined the relationship between operative volumes and all-cause readmission, readmission for Hirschsprung's associated enterocolitis (HAEC), and rates of reoperation within 30 d and 2 y. RESULTS: A total of 1268 infants were included. There were 218 patients (17.2%) readmitted to the hospital within 30 d and 540 (42.6%) within 2 y. A total of 119 patients (9.4%) had HAEC-related readmission within 30 d, and 271 (21.4%) had HAEC-related readmission within 2 y. A total of 57 patients (4.5%) had a reoperation within 30 d and 129 (10.2%) within 2 y. In risk-adjusted analyses, there were no significant associations between either surgeon or hospital HD operative volumes and readmission/reoperation rates within 30 d or 2 y. CONCLUSIONS: Neither surgeon nor hospital PT volumes were significantly associated with readmission or reoperation rates for infants with Hirschsprung's disease. Future work is needed to evaluate whether operative volumes are associated with functional outcomes following PT for HD.

Management of Pediatric Breast Masses: A Multi-institutional Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of our study was to describe the workup, management, and outcomes of pediatric patients with breast masses undergoing operative intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of girls 10-21 y of age who underwent surgery for a breast mass across 11 children's hospitals from 2011 to 2016. Demographic and clinical characteristics were summarized. RESULTS: Four hundred and fifty-three female patients with a median age of 16 y (IQR: 3) underwent surgery for a breast mass during the study period. The most common preoperative imaging was breast ultrasound (95%); 28% reported the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classification. Preoperative core biopsy was performed in 12%. All patients underwent lumpectomy, most commonly due to mass size (45%) or growth (29%). The median maximum dimension of a mass on preoperative ultrasound was 2.8 cm (IQR: 1.9). Most operations were performed by pediatric surgeons (65%) and breast surgeons (25%). The most frequent pathology was fibroadenoma (75%); 3% were phyllodes. BI-RADS scoring ≥4 on breast ultrasound had a sensitivity of 0% and a negative predictive value of 93% for identifying phyllodes tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Most pediatric breast masses are self-identified and benign. BI-RADS classification based on ultrasound was not consistently assigned and had little clinical utility for identifying phyllodes.

Factors Associated with Torsion in Pediatric Patients with Ovarian Masses.

BACKGROUND: Management of ovarian torsion has evolved toward ovarian preservation regardless of ovarian appearance during surgery. However, patients with torsion and an ovarian neoplasm undergo a disproportionately high rate of oophorectomy. Our objectives were to identify factors associated with ovarian torsion among females with an ovarian mass and to determine if torsion is associated with malignancy. METHODS: A retrospective review of females aged 2-21 y who underwent an operation for an ovarian cyst or neoplasm between 2010 and 2016 at 10 children's hospitals was performed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with torsion. Imaging data were assessed for sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value in identifying ovarian torsion. RESULTS: Of 814 girls with an ovarian neoplasm, 180 (22%) had torsion. In risk-adjusted analyses, patients with a younger age, mass size >5 cm, abdominal pain, and vomiting had an increased likelihood of torsion (P < 0.01 for all). Patients with a mass >5 cm had two times the odds of torsion (odds ratio: 2.1; confidence interval: 1.2, 3.6). Imaging was not reliable at identifying torsion (sensitivity 34%, positive predictive value 49%) or excluding torsion (specificity 72%, negative predictive value 87%). The rates of malignancy were lower in those with an ovarian mass and torsion than those without torsion (10% versus 17%, P = 0.01). Among the 180 girls with torsion and a mass, 48% underwent oophorectomy of which 14% (n = 12) had a malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: In females with an ovarian neoplasm, torsion is not associated with an increased risk of malignancy and ovarian preservation should be considered.

Establishing Reference Values for Lean Muscle Mass in the Pediatric Patient.

OBJECTIVES: Adults with decreased muscle mass experience worse outcomes and more frequent complications. The effects of sarcopenia on pediatric outcomes are unknown. Our objective was to define reference values for lean muscle mass in a healthy pediatric population to facilitate future studies on the impact of lean muscle mass on pediatric outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Bilateral psoas muscle surface area was measured by computed tomography in a healthy pediatric population undergoing evaluation after trauma. Pearson correlation coefficients (PCCs) were calculated for age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), total psoas muscle area, and psoas muscle index (PMI; defined as psoas muscle area divided by height squared). Quantile regression was used to determine age- and sex-specific percentiles of psoas muscle area and PMI. RESULTS: Analysis of 494 male and 288 female patients with available imaging (median age: 9.3 years, interquartile range: 5.4-13.4; 63.1% male) was performed. For males, age correlated strongly with total psoas volume (PCC = 0.87), height (0.95), and weight (0.88) and poorly with BMI (0.45). In females, age correlated strongly with total psoas volume (0.88), height (0.92), weight (0.88) and poorly with BMI (0.19). Gender-specific curves and charts were created using output from the quantile regression from reference values of the total psoas muscle area corresponding to the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles across all ages. CONCLUSIONS: We created gender-specific reference charts for total and height-normalized psoas muscle area in healthy children based on age. These results can be used in future studies to establish the effects of sarcopenia in pediatric patients.

Effect of drug disposal bag provision on families' disposal of children's unused opioids.

OBJECTIVE: One strategy to combat opioid misuse is to remove excess opioids from circulation by providing patients with drug disposal products that enable the safe disposal of opioids. We aimed to evaluate opioid use and disposal of unused opioids among children and young adults before and after pharmacy staff at our institution began to provide patients and families filling opioid prescriptions with a drug disposal bag. METHODS: We performed a prospective pre-post cohort study of patients who filled an opioid prescription in May-August 2019 at the outpatient pharmacies of a large tertiary children's hospital. Patients and caregivers were enrolled at the time the opioids were dispensed. During the first half of the study period, standard opioid-related education was offered by pharmacy staff. During the second half of the study period, standard education was offered, and a drug disposal bag and instructions on its use were provided when the opioids were dispensed. A follow-up survey to assess opioid use and disposal was completed online or by telephone 4-7 weeks after the opioids were dispensed. RESULTS: A total of 215 participants were enrolled; 117 received a drug disposal bag and 98 did not. Of those, 68% of the participants completed a follow-up survey. In both groups, the median patient age was 11 years, and most patients had been prescribed opioids after a procedure. More than 70% had opioids leftover after they had stopped taking them, and this did not vary by group. However, among families with leftover opioids, the receipt of a drug disposal bag was associated with a higher likelihood of disposal of the unused opioids (71.7% vs. 52.1%, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Providing a drug disposal bag to families of children receiving opioids increases the likelihood of excess opioid disposal. Greater availability of drug disposal products can complement prescribing reduction efforts aimed at decreasing prescription opioid misuse.

Racial Disparities in Receipt of Postoperative Opioids After Pediatric Cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric postoperative opioid prescribing has come under scrutiny as a result of the ongoing opioid epidemic. Previous research has demonstrated that African American adults are less likely to receive analgesics, particularly opioids, after surgery, even after controlling for pain severity. We sought to examine racial disparities in the filling of opioid prescriptions by pediatric surgical patients after cholecystectomy. METHODS: We studied patients aged 1 to 18 y who were enrolled in Ohio Medicaid and underwent cholecystectomy. Procedures performed in January 2013-July 2016 were included. The percentage of patients who filled a postoperative opioid prescription within 14 d of their procedure was compared between black and white patients using log binomial regression models fit using generalized estimating equations to account for patient clustering within hospitals. RESULTS: We identified 1277 patients who underwent a cholecystectomy. In unadjusted analyses, black children were significantly less likely than white children to fill an opioid prescription postoperatively (74.9% versus 85.7%, P < 0.001). After adjustment for patient-level clinical and demographic characteristics, we found that black children treated at non-children's hospitals in large-/medium-sized urban counties were significantly less likely to fill an opioid prescription after cholecystectomy when compared with white children treated at urban children's hospitals or to white children treated in non-children's hospitals in either large/medium urban counties or other counties. However, this association was partly explained by a longer average length of stay among black children. CONCLUSIONS: Black children who undergo cholecystectomy at urban non-children's hospitals are less likely to fill a postoperative opioid prescription than white children who undergo cholecystectomy at those same hospitals or other hospitals. Further research is needed to identify whether this disparity is due to a lower rate of opioid prescribing or a lower rate of prescription filling.

Inter-rater Reliability of Sacral Ratio Measurements in Patients with Anorectal Malformations.

BACKGROUND: Anorectal malformations (ARMs) are a spectrum of congenital anomalies with varying prognosis for fecal continence. The sacral ratio (SR) is a measure of sacral development that has been proposed as a method to predict future fecal continence in children with ARM. The aim of this study was to quantify the inter-rater reliability (IRR) of SR calculations by radiologists at different institutions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: x-Rays in the anteroposterior (AP) and lateral planes were reviewed by a pediatric radiologist at each of six different institutions. Subsequently, images were reviewed by a single, central radiologist. The IRR was assessed by calculating Pearson correlation coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients from linear mixed models with patient and rater-level random intercepts. RESULTS: Imaging from 263 patients was included in the study. The mean inter-rater absolute difference in the AP SR was 0.05 (interquartile range, 0.02-0.10), and in the lateral SR was 0.16 (interquartile range, 0.06-0.25). Overall, the IRR was excellent for AP SRs (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 81.5%; 95% confidence interval, 75.1%-86.0%) and poor for lateral SRs (ICC, 44.0%; 95% CI, 29.5%-59.2%). For both AP and lateral SRs, ICCs were similar when examined by the type of radiograph used for calculation, severity of the ARM, presence of sacral or spinal anomalies, and age at imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Across radiologists, the reliability of SR calculations was excellent for the AP plane but poor for the lateral plane. These results suggest that better standardization of lateral SR measurements is needed if they are going to be used to counsel families of children with ARM.

Association of Nonoperative Management Using Antibiotic Therapy vs Laparoscopic Appendectomy With Treatment Success and Disability Days in Children With Uncomplicated Appendicitis.

Importance: Nonoperative management with antibiotics alone has the potential to treat uncomplicated pediatric appendicitis with fewer disability days than surgery. Objective: To determine the success rate of nonoperative management and compare differences in treatment-related disability, satisfaction, health-related quality of life, and complications between nonoperative management and surgery in children with uncomplicated appendicitis. Design, Setting, and Participants: Multi-institutional nonrandomized controlled intervention study of 1068 children aged 7 through 17 years with uncomplicated appendicitis treated at 10 tertiary children's hospitals across 7 US states between May 2015 and October 2018 with 1-year follow-up through October 2019. Of the 1209 eligible patients approached, 1068 enrolled in the study. Interventions: Patient and family selection of nonoperative management with antibiotics alone (nonoperative group, n = 370) or urgent (≤12 hours of admission) laparoscopic appendectomy (surgery group, n = 698). Main Outcomes and Measures: The 2 primary outcomes assessed at 1 year were disability days, defined as the total number of days the child was not able to participate in all of his/her normal activities secondary to appendicitis-related care (expected difference, 5 days), and success rate of nonoperative management, defined as the proportion of patients initially managed nonoperatively who did not undergo appendectomy by 1 year (lowest acceptable success rate, ≥70%). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to adjust for differences between treatment groups for all outcome assessments. Results: Among 1068 patients who were enrolled (median age, 12.4 years; 38% girls), 370 (35%) chose nonoperative management and 698 (65%) chose surgery. A total of 806 (75%) had complete follow-up: 284 (77%) in the nonoperative group; 522 (75%) in the surgery group. Patients in the nonoperative group were more often younger (median age, 12.3 years vs 12.5 years), Black (9.6% vs 4.9%) or other race (14.6% vs 8.7%), had caregivers with a bachelor's degree (29.8% vs 23.5%), and underwent diagnostic ultrasound (79.7% vs 74.5%). After IPTW, the success rate of nonoperative management at 1 year was 67.1% (96% CI, 61.5%-72.31%; P = .86). Nonoperative management was associated with significantly fewer patient disability days at 1 year than did surgery (adjusted mean, 6.6 vs 10.9 days; mean difference, -4.3 days (99% CI, -6.17 to -2.43; P < .001). Of 16 other prespecified secondary end points, 10 showed no significant difference. Conclusion and Relevance: Among children with uncomplicated appendicitis, an initial nonoperative management strategy with antibiotics alone had a success rate of 67.1% and, compared with urgent surgery, was associated with statistically significantly fewer disability days at 1 year. However, there was substantial loss to follow-up, the comparison with the prespecified threshold for an acceptable success rate of nonoperative management was not statistically significant, and the hypothesized difference in disability days was not met. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02271932.

Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Mortality Is Related to Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Volume in US Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to examine extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) utilization and determine whether pediatric-specific and overall ECMO volumes are associated with mortality rates. METHODS: State Inpatient Databases from 17 states were queried for ECMO admissions during 2008-2014. Hospitals in which >90% of their ECMO patients were ≤18 y old were considered pediatric ECMO centers. Hospital overall ECMO volumes were calculated as the average annual number of admissions, of any age, and categorized as <6, 6-14, 15-30, and >30. Multivariable analyses were conducted to examine the impact of ECMO volume on pediatric in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: There were 4546 pediatric ECMO admissions across 84 hospitals. Most patients were neonates (59.9%), and the most common indication for ECMO was neonatal respiratory failure (20.1%). Approximately 35% of hospitals offering pediatric ECMO averaged <6 annual ECMO admissions. Centers with >30 annual ECMO admissions had significantly lower mortality than hospitals with lower ECMO volume. Among the high-volume centers, pediatric ECMO centers had significantly lower mortality rates than high-volume nonpediatric ECMO centers (17.4% versus 38.2%). CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of hospitals performing pediatric ECMO have a low number of annual ECMO admissions. Pediatric centers with high volume had the lowest risk-adjusted mortality rates for pediatric ECMO.