The Effects of Hospital Length of Stay on Readmissions for Children With Newly Diagnosed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Although regimens for induction therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are similar across the United States, typical practice with regard to inpatient length of stay (LOS) varies by institution. US children's hospitals were categorized by typical induction LOS; and readmissions, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions, and average adjusted charges were compared for the first 30 days from initial admission. Using Pediatric Health Information System data, we extracted ALL induction admissions from 2007 to 2013. We categorized hospitals into 3 categories based on median LOS: short (≤7 d), medium (8 to 15 d), or long (≥16 d). Median LOS varied from 5 to 31 days across hospitals. Thirty-day median inpatient costs per patient ranged from $32 K for short LOS, $40 K for medium LOS, and $47 K for long LOS. Compared with short LOS hospitals (n=14), medium LOS (n=8) and long LOS hospitals (n=8) had lower odds of PICU readmissions (odds ratio [OR], 0.68; P=0.0124 and OR, 0.31; P<0.001, respectively), and long LOS hospitals had lower odds of any readmission (OR, 0.44; P<0.0001). Average LOS for children with newly diagnosed ALL varies widely by institution. Children's hospitals that typically admit new ALL patients for >7 days have fewer PICU readmissions but substantial increase in total induction inpatient costs.

Comparison of Thyroid Nodule Prevalence by Ultrasound in Childhood Cancer Survivors With and Without Thyroid Radiation Exposure.

PURPOSE: Children receiving radiotherapy of the head, neck, or chest as treatment of primary malignancies are at increased risk for secondary thyroid malignancy. We hypothesized that current standards (yearly thyroid physical examination) lead to a substantial number of missed thyroid nodules. Our objectives were: (1) use thyroid ultrasound to assess thyroid nodules in childhood cancer survivors; and (2) compare prevalence of thyroid nodules in thyroid radiation-exposed patients as compared with cancer survivors without radiation exposure. METHODS: We recruited 60 patients with thyroid radiation and chemotherapy exposure (median age at cancer diagnosis 10.8 y) and 59 patients with chemotherapy exposure alone (median age at diagnosis 4.3 y) from our long-term survivorship clinics. Each patient had a thyroid physical examination and thyroid ultrasound performed. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients (27.7%) had nodules >0.3 cm of which 2 were palpated (6.1%). We found 22 radiated patients (36.7%) with nodules versus 11 nonradiated patients (18.6%) (P=0.03). Eleven patients were biopsied and 1 diagnosis of secondary papillary thyroid carcinoma was confirmed. CONCLUSION: Our study supports further examination of incorporating thyroid ultrasounds into long-term survivorship follow-up guidelines in radiation-exposed patients for the detection of thyroid nodules and secondary malignancies.

Outcomes of matched sibling donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe sickle cell disease with myeloablative conditioning and intermediate-dose of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin.

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD) in children. Despite excellent outcomes of matched sibling donor (MSD) HSCT, there is still 5-10% chance of rejection and transplant related mortality (TRM) with 12-23% incidence of graft versus host disease (GVHD). We postulated that an intermediate dose of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (r-ATG, 10 mg/kg cumulative) would be effective in preventing both rejection and GVHD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients, median age 5 (range 1.5-18) years, underwent MSD HSCT using busulfan (≥ 12.8 mg/kg with first dose pharmacokinetics), cyclophosphamide (total 200 mg/kg) and r-ATG. Bone marrow was the stem cell source; tacrolimus and methotrexate were given for GVHD prophylaxis. RESULTS: All patients achieved donor engraftment and there was no TRM. One patient rejected donor cells at 2 months post-transplant. Majority of the patients had high and sustained level of donor chimerism. None of the patients developed ≥ Grade II GVHD. Incidence of CMV (10%) and EBV (9%) reactivations was low with rapid immune-reconstitution. Overall survival was 100% with event free survival of 93%. CONCLUSIONS: Eliminating the risks of TRM and GVHD by optimizing the regimen may lead to further acceptance of HSCT for SCD.

Iron Deficiency without Anemia: A Common Yet Under-Recognized Diagnosis in Young Women with Heavy Menstrual Bleeding.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the proportion of iron deficiency that is not detected with a screening hemoglobin or complete blood count (CBC) alone in young women with heavy menstrual bleeding. DESIGN: Retrospective review of electronic medical records. SETTING: Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: One hundred fourteen young women aged 9-19 years consecutively referred to a young women's hematology clinic with a complaint of heavy menstrual bleeding. RESULTS: Fifty-eight (50.9%) of all patients had ferritin <20 ng/mL indicating iron deficiency. Of the 58 patients with iron deficiency, only 24 (41.4%) were anemic and 25 (46.3%) were microcytic. The sensitivity of hemoglobin alone and CBC alone for identifying women with ferritin <20 ng/mL was 41.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.7-54.1) and 46.3% (95% CI, 33.0-59.6), respectively. Both tests had reasonable specificity at 91.1% (95% CI, 83.6-98.5) for hemoglobin and 83.9% for CBC (95% CI, 74.3-93.6). Patients had significantly higher odds of having iron deficiency if they were overweight or obese (odds ratio, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.25-6.29) compared with patients with normal body mass index. Age at presentation for heavy menstrual bleeding, presence of an underlying bleeding disorder, and median household income were not significantly associated with iron deficiency. CONCLUSION: In adolescents with heavy menstrual bleeding, fewer than half of iron deficiency cases are detected when screening is performed with hemoglobin or blood count alone. Measuring ferritin levels in at-risk patients might allow for earlier implementation of iron therapy and improvement in symptoms.