Use and Cost Analysis of Comprehensive Respiratory Panel Testing in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES: Fever and respiratory infections are among the leading causes of pediatric emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Although typically self-resolving, clinicians may perform diagnostic tests to determine microbial etiologies of these illnesses. Although comprehensive respiratory viral panels can quickly identify causative organisms, cost to the hospital and patient may be significant. The objective of this study was to analyze the financial impact of comprehensive respiratory viral panel use in relation to associated clinical outcomes. METHODS: This study was a single-center, retrospective chart review of pediatric emergency department patients who were evaluated between October 1, 2016, and April 30, 2018, with International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code diagnoses of acute upper respiratory infection, fever unspecified, and/or bronchiolitis. Our primary outcome was the effect of comprehensive respiratory viral panel testing and results on the total health care charge to patients. Secondary outcomes were the effect of comprehensive respiratory viral panel testing and results on emergency department length of stay and antimicrobial use. RESULTS: A total of 5766 visits were included for primary analysis, with 229 (4%) undergoing comprehensive respiratory viral panel testing. Of these, 163 had a positive result (71%) for at least 1 organism. The total cost was significantly higher in the group that underwent comprehensive respiratory viral panel testing ($643.39 [$534.18-$741.15] vs $295.15 [$249.72-$353.92]; P < 0.001). There was no decrease in emergency department length of stay or significant change in antimicrobial use associated with comprehensive respiratory viral panel use. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the utilization of comprehensive respiratory viral panels in pediatric emergency department patients with bronchiolitis, unspecified fever, and/or acute upper respiratory infection adds significant cost to patient care without a decrease in their length of stay or antimicrobial use. Further studies are needed to determine the appropriate targeted use of comprehensive respiratory viral panels.

Emergency physician performed ultrasound-assisted lumbar puncture in children: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Lumbar puncture (LP) is one of the most common procedures performed in pediatric emergency departments but first-attempt success rates remain low and traumatic LP remains frequent. The aim of this study was to determine if ultrasound performed by emergency physicians improves the probability of first-attempt success for lumbar puncture in children. METHODS: This was a prospective randomized controlled trial conducted in two tertiary care, pediatric, university-affiliated emergency departments in 2017-2018. Eligible participants were children younger than 19 years old requiring an LP in the emergency department. They were randomized to either the standard landmark-based LP (SLP) or ultrasound-assisted LP (UALP) groups. Our primary outcome was the first-attempt LP success rate. RESULTS: 166 patients were enrolled, with 84 in the UALP and 82 in the SLP group. A total of 23 physicians performed ultrasounds in the study. The proportion of successful first-attempt LP was higher in the ultrasound group (60/84; 68%) than for the standard procedure (52/82; 60%), but this failed to reach statistical significance (difference: 8.1%; 95% CI: -6.4 to 22.2). CONCLUSION: Our study does not support the routine use of ultrasound for performing lumbar puncture in children. Considering the minimal harm and ease of performance, ultrasound may be used as an adjunct and teaching tool in certain clinical situations.

Emergency Physician-Performed Bedside Ultrasound in the Evaluation of Acute Appendicitis in a Pediatric Population.

Background/Objective Many pediatric emergency departments in the United States have adopted a staged ultrasound and CT pathway for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. However, most algorithms only include radiology-performed ultrasound (RUS) and not emergency physician- performed bedside ultrasound (BUS). Our objective was to determine if emergency physician-performed BUS provides sufficient diagnostic accuracy for acute appendicitis in a pediatric population, thereby limiting additional cost and/or delays in disposition. Methods This is a single-center prospective study of pediatric patients with concern for and requiring further work-up for acute appendicitis. Each patient had a focused bedside ultrasound (BUS) performed by an emergency physician with training in BUS. Diagnostic accuracy was compared with surgical pathology standard, as well as radiology- performed ultrasound (RUS), computed tomography (CT), and clinical follow-up. Results Among46 enrolledpatients, 12were diagnosed with acute appendicitis (26%). There were no negative laparotomies in those who had surgery. There was one case of missed appendicitis at 4-week follow-up. BUS had a sensitivity of 100% (95% Cl: 72% to 100%) and. a specificity of 81% (61% to 93%) when the app6ndix'was visualized (37). This resulted in positive likelihood ratio of5.2 and a negative likelihood ratio ofo. In the cases where the appendix was not visualized on BUS (9), 1 patient was diagnosed with appendicitis, and the other 8 patients were negative for appendicitis. In RUS both the sensitivity and specificity was 100% when the appendix was visualized. The sensitivity and specificity of CT in our studywas 90% and 100% respectively. Conclusions Emergency physicians can perform bedside ultrasound with high accuracy for acute appendicitis in a pediatric population. When the appendix is not visualized by ultrasound, a staged ultrasound and CT pathway should be considered.

Pediatric sinusitis: complications and management in the emergency department.

Upper respiratory infections are some of the most common reasons for pediatric patients to present to the emergency department. A small percentage of these viral infections can evolve into acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS), which can be further complicated by the development of orbital, intracranial, and osseous complications. Differentiating between viral upper respiratory infections and ABS and identifying cases of ABS that require antibiotics can pose a challenge. This issue highlights the patterns of illness that are most consistent with ABS, based on the most current clinical practice guidelines. Additionally, this issue reviews clinical features that should raise suspicion for complicated disease and provides associated diagnostic and management pearls.

Advancements in the management of acute ischemic stroke: A narrative review.

Primary literature detailing updated management principles of acute ischemic stroke outpaces current guidelines, resulting in heterogenous practices. Recent advancements in neuroimaging have shifted treatment from a time-based approach to an individualized, image-guided appraisal directed by the presence or absence of salvageable brain tissue. In addition, tenecteplase appears to be a safe and effective for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke and is becoming an attractive agent due to its practical administration. Several factors must be accounted for when implementing tenecteplase into the health-system including cost, education, and changes in clinician workflows. Larger studies with broad patient populations are needed to more definitively evaluate whether intravenous thrombolytics should be used in combination with endovascular thrombectomy in patients with anterior large-vessel occlusions. Although debate regarding the safety and efficacy of various endovascular therapies, delays encountered in the identification, triage, and care of acute ischemic stroke patients increase the likelihood of necrotic core lesion development and loss of salvageable penumbra.

A role for decorin in a murine model of allergen-induced asthma.

Decorin (Dcn) is an extracellular matrix proteoglycan, which affects airway mechanics, airway-parenchymal interdependence, airway smooth muscle proliferation and apoptosis, and transforming growth factor-ß bioavailability. As Dcn deposition is differentially altered in asthma, we questioned whether Dcn deficiency would impact the development of allergen-induced asthma in a mouse model. Dcn(-/-) and Dcn(+/+) mice (C57Bl/6) were sensitized with ovalbumin (OA) and challenged intranasally 3 days/wk × 3 wk. After OA challenge, mice were anesthetized, and respiratory mechanics measured under baseline conditions and after delivery of increasing concentrations of methacholine aerosol. Complex impedance was partitioned into airway resistance and tissue elastance and damping. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed. Lungs were excised, and tissue sections evaluated for inflammatory cell influx, α-smooth muscle actin, collagen, biglycan, and Dcn deposition. Changes in TH-2 cytokine mRNA and protein were also measured. Airway resistance was increased in OA-challenged Dcn(+/+) mice only (P < 0.05), whereas tissue elastance and damping were increased in both OA-challenged Dcn(+/+) and Dcn(-/-), but more so in Dcn(+/+) mice (P < 0.001). Inflammation and collagen staining within the airway wall were increased with OA in Dcn(+/+) only (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively, vs. saline). IL-5 and IL-13 mRNA were increased in lung tissue of OA-challenged Dcn(+/+) mice. Dcn deficiency resulted in more modest OA-induced hyperresponsiveness, evident at the level of the central airways and distal lung. Differences in physiology were accompanied by differences in inflammation and remodeling. These findings may be, in part, due to the well-described ability of Dcn to bind transforming growth factor-ß and render it less bioavailable.

An emergency department medical record review for adolescent intentional self-harm injuries.

BACKGROUND: Non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts are increasing problems among American adolescents. This study developed a definition for identifying intentional self-harm (ISH) injuries in emergency department (ED) records coded with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes. The definition is based on the injury-reporting framework proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study sought to estimate the definition's positive predictive value (PPV), and the proportion of ISH injuries with intent to die (i.e., suicide attempt). METHODS: The study definition, based on first-valid external cause-of-injury ICD-10-CM codes X71-X83, T14.91, T36-T65, or T71, captured 207 discharge records for initial encounters for ISH in one Kentucky ED. Medical records were reviewed to confirm provider-documented diagnosis for ISH, and identify intent to die or suicide ideation. The PPV of the study definition for capturing provider-documented ISH injuries was reported with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: The estimated PPV for the study definition to capture ISH injuries was 88.9%, 95% CI (83.8%, 92.8%). The estimated percentage of ISH with intent to die was 45.9, 95% CI (47.1, 61.0%). The ICD-10-CM code "suicide attempt" (T14.91) captured only 7 cases, but coding guidelines restrict assignment of this code to cases in which the mechanism of the suicide attempt is unknown. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed case definition supported a robust PPV for ISH injuries. Our findings add to the evidence that the current ICD-10-CM coding system and coding guidelines do not allow identification of ISH with intent to die; modifications are needed to address this issue.