Emergency department evaluation of transplanted children with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Children usually have an asymptomatic or mild course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, studies in immunocompromised patients have shown a different evolution. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical, laboratory, and radiologic manifestations of pediatric solid organ transplant (SOT) and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective, observational descriptive study was conducted in 3 tertiary hospitals in Madrid (Spain) between March 2020 and December 2022. Consecutive patients aged 0-18 attending the corresponding pediatric emergency departments with a positive result in the real-time polymerase chain reaction test or antigenic test to detect SARS-CoV-2 in the nasopharyngeal sample were included. RESULTS: A total of 31 children were included in the study. Sixteen (51.6%) were patients with HSCT and 15 (48.3) were patients with SOT. The median time from transplantation to COVID-19 was 1.2 years (IQR:0.5-5.1). The SOT cohort included liver (n = 4, 12.9%), kidney (n = 4, 12.9%), heart (n = 3, 9.7%), multivisceral (n = 3, 9.7%), and lung (n = 1, 3.2%). Of the 31 patients, only one was asymptomatic. The most common symptom on presentation was fever (76.7%). Abnormalities were seen on chest X-ray in 8 (66.6%) of the 12 patients. There was no significant difference in clinical manifestations, lymphopenia and radiological findings regardless of the type of transplantation or immunosuppression status. Thirteen patients (41.9%) were hospitalized. There were no patient deaths. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we found that the clinical course and outcome of SOT and HSCT pediatric patients with COVID-19 were generally favorable.

[Frequent users in paediatric emergency departments. Who are they? Why do they consult?] / Hiperfrecuentadores en urgencias. ¿Quiénes son? ¿Por qué consultan?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of frequent Paediatric Emergency Departments users and to analyse their characteristics, comparing initial consultations and re-consultations. METHODS: This is a multicentre retrospective cohort study of all patients who made 10 or more visits to the Paediatric Emergency Departments of 5 public hospitals between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013. An analysis was performed on the patient demographics and clinical data of the first consultation and consecutive re-consultations. RESULTS: Frequent users represented 0.60% (95% CI: 0.56-0.64%) of Emergency Department users, and accounted for 3.93% (95% CI: 3.47-4.39%) of all visits. The most numerous age group consisted of children under 2 years old (66.6%). Frequent users distributed their visits throughout the year (62.3%; P<.001), and did not have a chronic condition associated with their chief complaint (86.4%; P<.001). They were usually classified as non-urgent or less urgent in triage (3,186 vs. 1,812; P<.001), and often did not require any intervention, such as complementary tests (79.4%) or observation/treatment (60%). Admission rate was similar to the general paediatric population (5.3%). Re-consultations represented 27% of these patient visits, mostly related to persistence of symptoms (56.3%), with 13.8% of them consulting their Primary Care physician before seeking successive medical attention in the Paediatric Emergency Department. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric frequent users often ask for medical care in the Emergency Department before consulting their Primary Care physician. They present with less urgent processes and do not systematically need diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. Re-consultations make up a significant number of visits, in which more interventions are done and more children are admitted.

Hiperfrecuentadores en urgencias. ¿Quiénes son? ¿Por qué consultan? / Frequent users in paediatric emergency departments. Who are they? Why do they consult?

OBJETIVO: Determinar la prevalencia de hiperfrecuentadores en urgencias y analizar sus características, comparando secundariamente las primeras consultas y las reconsultas. MÉTODO: Estudio multicéntrico de cohorte retrospectivo. Se cuantifican las visitas a urgencias de pediatría de 5 hospitales públicos entre el 1 de enero y 31 de diciembre de 2013 y se seleccionan los pacientes con 10 o más visitas realizadas. Se recogen variables demográficas y clínicas y se analiza cada visita en función de si se trata de una primera consulta o una reconsulta. RESULTADOS: Los pacientes hiperfrecuentadores constituyeron el 0,60% (IC 95%: 0,56-0,64%) de los usuarios de urgencias y generaron el 3,93% (IC 95%: 3,47-4,39%) de las consultas. Los menores de 2años fueron el grupo de edad más numeroso (66,6%). Distribuyeron sus consultas durante los 4 trimestres (62,3%; p < 0,001) y no presentaron patología de base relacionada con el motivo de consulta (86,4%; p < 0,001). La mayoría se clasificaron como poco urgentes (3.186 vs. 1.812; p < 0,001) y habitualmente no precisaron intervenciones en forma de pruebas complementarias (79,4%) u observación/tratamiento (60%). La tasa de ingreso fue similar a la de la población general pediátrica (5,3%). Las reconsultas representaron el 27% de las visitas de estos pacientes, el 13,82% de ellos consultó en atención primaria antes de las siguientes visitas y fueron justificadas preferentemente por persistencia de los síntomas (56,34%). CONCLUSIONES: El hiperfrecuentador pediátrico consulta en urgencias como primera opción por procesos generalmente poco urgentes que no requieren intervenciones diagnóstico-terapéuticas de forma sistemática. Las reconsultas constituyen un número importante de visitas, se caracterizan por precisar más intervenciones y se indican más ingresos hospitalarios

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of frequent Paediatric Emergency Departments users and to analyse their characteristics, comparing initial consultations and re-consultations. METHODS: This is a multicentre retrospective cohort study of all patients who made 10 or more visits to the Paediatric Emergency Departments of 5 public hospitals between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013. An analysis was performed on the patient demographics and clinical data of the first consultation and consecutive re-consultations. RESULTS: Frequent users represented 0.60% (95% CI: 0.56-0.64%) of Emergency Department users, and accounted for 3.93% (95% CI: 3.47-4.39%) of all visits. The most numerous age group consisted of children under 2 years old (66.6%). Frequent users distributed their visits throughout the year (62.3%; P<.001), and did not have a chronic condition associated with their chief complaint (86.4%; P<.001). They were usually classified as non-urgent or less urgent in triage (3,186 vs. 1,812; P<.001), and often did not require any intervention, such as complementary tests (79.4%) or observation/treatment (60%). Admission rate was similar to the general paediatric population (5.3%). Re-consultations represented 27% of these patient visits, mostly related to persistence of symptoms (56.3%), with 13.8% of them consulting their Primary Care physician before seeking successive medical attention in the Paediatric Emergency Department. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric frequent users often ask for medical care in the Emergency Department before consulting their Primary Care physician. They present with less urgent processes and do not systematically need diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. Re-consultations make up a significant number of visits, in which more interventions are done and more children are admitted