Emergent Mental Health Visits to a Pediatric Hospital: Impact on Firearm Storage Practices.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to describe firearm storage practices in homes of patients evaluated for mental health (MH) complaints at a tertiary care children's hospital and to describe storage practice changes after treatment. METHODS: We surveyed families of children with MH complaints presenting to the emergency department or psychiatry unit who stored firearms in their homes between February 12, 2016, and January 14, 2017. Patients and families received standard care, including routine counseling on limiting access to methods of suicide. Participants completed surveys at baseline, 7, and 30 days after discharge. The primary outcome was triple safe firearm storage-storage of firearms unloaded, locked, and with ammunition stored and locked separately. RESULTS: Ninety-one household members of MH patients who stated they had firearms were enrolled at baseline. Seventy-seven (85%) completed at least 1 follow-up survey, and 63 (69%) completed both. At baseline, 21% (19/91) of participants reported engaging in triple safe firearm storage, 26% had an unlocked firearm, 23% had a loaded firearm, and 65% stored ammunition either unlocked or with their firearm. Triple safe storage rates increased to 31% at both 7 days and 30 days. Ten (17%) of 59 (P < 0.01) participants who did not report triple safe storage at baseline and completed a follow-up survey changed to reporting triple safe storage on follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of firearm-storing family members of children with MH complaints do not follow triple safe storage practices. Storage practices modestly improved after an emergent MH visit, but over two thirds of participants reported unsecured or partially secured firearms 7 and 30 days later.

Impact of a Firearm Safety Device Distribution Intervention on Storage Practices After an Emergent Mental Health Visit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if providing firearm storage devices with training during clinical care improves safe storage practices in household members of children who present to a pediatric hospital with an emergent mental health complaint. METHODS: Prospective, pre-post study. Enrollment occurred in the emergency department or the inpatient psychiatric unit. Participants in the observation phase received usual care. Participants in the intervention phase were randomized to be offered a firearm storage device at either no or low ($5) cost and trained in its use. We surveyed participants at enrollment, 7, & 30 days post visit. Our primary outcome was triple-safe storage (TSS) - storing firearms unloaded, locked, and with ammunition stored and locked separately. RESULTS: About 256 participants enrolled. In the observation phase TSS increased from 21% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14%-30%) at baseline to 31% (95% CI 21%-42%) at 7 and 31% (95% CI 21%-43%) at 30 days. In the intervention phase, TSS increased from 32% (95% CI 25%-39%) at baseline to 56% (95% CI 48%-64%) at 7 and 56% (95% CI 47%-64%) at 30 days. Among those not practicing TSS at baseline, 7-day TSS was higher in the intervention (38%) versus the observation phase (14%, P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Distribution and training in the use of firearm storage devices increased TSS in the study population, improves pediatric safety and should be part of the routine care of these high-risk patients.

Predictors of insulin regimens and impact on outcomes in youth with type 1 diabetes: the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the insulin regimens used to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in youth in the United States, to explore factors related to insulin regimen, and to describe the associations between insulin regimen and clinical outcomes, particularly glycemic control. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 2743 subjects participated in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study, an observational population-based study of youth diagnosed with T1DM, conducted at 6 centers. Data collected during a study visit included clinical and sociodemographic information, body mass index, laboratory measures, and insulin regimen. RESULTS: Sociodemographic characteristics were associated with insulin regimen. Insulin pump therapy was more frequently used by older youth, females, non-Hispanic whites, and families with higher income and education (P = .02 for females, P < .001 for others). Insulin pump use was associated with the lowest hemoglobin A1C levels in all age groups. A1C levels were >7.5% in >70% of adolescents, regardless of regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Youth using insulin pumps had the lowest A1C; A1C was unacceptably high in adolescents. There is a need to more fully assess and understand factors associated with insulin regimens recommended by providers and the influence of race/ethnicity, education, and socioeconomic status on these treatment recommendations and to develop more effective treatment strategies, particularly for adolescents.

Miscellaneous causes of pediatric chest pain.

This article describes some of the miscellaneous etiologies of pediatric chest pain that are important to recognize early and diagnose. Up to 45% of pediatric chest pain cases may elude definitive diagnosis. Serious morbidity or mortality is infrequent. Accurate diagnosis of more obscure causes may help to avoid unnecessary emergency department evaluation and cardiology referral, while also alleviating the concern and stress families and patients experience when dealing with chest pain.

Environmental factors associated with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus: an exploration of the hygiene and overload hypotheses.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between selected maternal and infant characteristics and risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus, specifically characteristics identified from birth records that may pertain to the hygiene or overload hypotheses. DESIGN: Population-based case-control study. SETTING: Washington State from 1987 to 2005. PARTICIPANTS: All children younger than 19 years hospitalized for type 1 diabetes (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes 250.x1 and 250.x3) identified (n=1852) from hospital discharge data and linked with their birth certificates. Controls (n=7408) were randomly selected from birth records, frequency matched on year of birth. MAIN EXPOSURES: Maternal factors included age, race, educational attainment, marital status, use of Medicaid insurance, body mass index, prepregnancy weight, prior births, timing and adequacy of prenatal care, and cesarean delivery. Infant factors included birth weight, size for gestational age, and gestational age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome was first hospitalization for type 1 diabetes mellitus; adjusted odds ratios were estimated for the association of selected maternal and infant characteristics with type 1 diabetes. RESULTS: Consistent with the hygiene hypothesis, type 1 diabetes was negatively associated with having older siblings (for >or=3 siblings, odds ratio [OR], 0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-0.70) and with indicators of lower economic status or care access, such as an unmarried mother (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.69-0.91), inadequate prenatal care (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.40-0.71), or Medicaid insurance (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.58-0.77). Related to the overload hypothesis, maternal body mass index of 30 or higher (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.01-1.64) was associated with increased risk of diabetes. CONCLUSION: Environmental factors related to decreased antigenic stimulation in early life and maternal obesity may be associated with type 1 diabetes.

A randomized, clinical trial of oral midazolam plus placebo versus oral midazolam plus oral transmucosal fentanyl for sedation during laceration repair.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a combination of oral transmucosal fentanyl (Fentanyl Oralet, Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL) plus oral midazolam has an acceptable safety profile and is more effective than oral midazolam alone for sedation during laceration repair in a pediatric emergency department (ED). METHODS: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. Patients between 2 and 8 years of age who weighed >10 kg and presented to the ED with a laceration in need of repair under sedation were eligible for inclusion. All patients received oral midazolam (0.5 mg/kg; maximum dose 10 mg) and either fentanyl (5-10 microg/kg) or placebo in oralet form. Data collected every 5 minutes included the following: heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, pain as measured on a Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Score (CHEOPS) scale (range: 4-13), and an activity scale (range: 1-5). Effectiveness of sedation was measured by CHEOPS and activity scores compared between the treatment groups. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were randomized to receive oral midazolam plus fentanyl (N = 28) or oral midazolam plus placebo (N = 23). Age, weight, gender, or baseline pain and activity scores did not differ between the 2 groups. Seven patients in the fentanyl group vomited compared with 0 patients in the placebo group. Three patients in the fentanyl group and no patients in the placebo group had brief oxygen saturation below 93% on room air. The mean pain score within 5 minutes of the start of the procedure did not differ between the 2 groups (fentanyl group, 9.4 versus placebo group, 8.8). Mean activity scores within 5 minutes of the start of the procedure were also similar (fentanyl group, 4.3 versus placebo group, 4.3). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of oral transmucosal fentanyl to oral midazolam did not improve pain or activity scores in pediatric patients given sedation for laceration repair. Patients who received Fentanyl Oralet suffered significantly more side effects despite the relatively low doses administered in this study. Oral transmucosal fentanyl should not be used for procedural sedation in the ED.