Burnout and Resiliency Trends in Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows.

OBJECTIVE: Burnout is a problem among physicians. Debriefing may be a tool to decrease burnout and increase resiliency in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) providers. The objective of this study was to determine rates of burnout and resiliency in PEM fellows and their experience with debriefing. METHODS: A validated survey was administered to PEM fellows during their first and then third years of fellowship. The survey included the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Index (MBI), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and debriefing experience. The percent of respondents with moderate to high burnout was determined by their scores in each of 3 MBI categories. Their resilience was determined by the BRS score. The effect of debriefing on resiliency scores was analyzed. RESULTS: There were 47 first-year respondents (of 148 first-year PEM fellows) and 34 third-year respondents (of 118 third-year PEM fellows). There were burnout scores in at least 1 MBI category in 80.9% of first years and 65% of third years. In first years, 42.6% showed burnout in personal accomplishment, 38.3% in depersonalization, and 55.3% in emotional exhaustion. By third year, they were 35.3%, 29.4%, and 52.9%, respectively. About 59% of first and third years had low resiliency scores. Fifty-five percent of first year respondents felt comfortable with debriefing compared with 67.6% of third years. The fellows' comfort and experience with debriefing did not significantly affect their BRS score. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that many first-year PEM fellows already have signs of burnout and low resiliency. However, by third year, there was improvement in burnout scores. Additional tools provided in fellowship may help prevent burnout in PEM fellows.

Predicting Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome and Renal Replacement Therapy in Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli-infected Children.

BACKGROUND: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections are leading causes of pediatric acute renal failure. Identifying hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) risk factors is needed to guide care. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, historical cohort study to identify features associated with development of HUS (primary outcome) and need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) (secondary outcome) in STEC-infected children without HUS at initial presentation. Children aged <18 years who submitted STEC-positive specimens between January 2011 and December 2015 at a participating study institution were eligible. RESULTS: Of 927 STEC-infected children, 41 (4.4%) had HUS at presentation; of the remaining 886, 126 (14.2%) developed HUS. Predictors (all shown as odds ratio [OR] with 95% confidence interval [CI]) of HUS included younger age (0.77 [.69-.85] per year), leukocyte count ≥13.0 × 103/µL (2.54 [1.42-4.54]), higher hematocrit (1.83 [1.21-2.77] per 5% increase) and serum creatinine (10.82 [1.49-78.69] per 1 mg/dL increase), platelet count <250 × 103/µL (1.92 [1.02-3.60]), lower serum sodium (1.12 [1.02-1.23 per 1 mmol/L decrease), and intravenous fluid administration initiated ≥4 days following diarrhea onset (2.50 [1.14-5.46]). A longer interval from diarrhea onset to index visit was associated with reduced HUS risk (OR, 0.70 [95% CI, .54-.90]). RRT predictors (all shown as OR [95% CI]) included female sex (2.27 [1.14-4.50]), younger age (0.83 [.74-.92] per year), lower serum sodium (1.15 [1.04-1.27] per mmol/L decrease), higher leukocyte count ≥13.0 × 103/µL (2.35 [1.17-4.72]) and creatinine (7.75 [1.20-50.16] per 1 mg/dL increase) concentrations, and initial intravenous fluid administration ≥4 days following diarrhea onset (2.71 [1.18-6.21]). CONCLUSIONS: The complex nature of STEC infection renders predicting its course a challenge. Risk factors we identified highlight the importance of avoiding dehydration and performing close clinical and laboratory monitoring.

A novel streamlined trauma response team training improves imaging efficiency for pediatric blunt abdominal trauma patients.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The morbidity and mortality of children with traumatic injuries are directly related to the time to definitive management of their injuries. Imaging studies are used in the trauma evaluation to determine the injury type and severity. The goal of this project is to determine if a formal streamlined trauma response improves efficiency in pediatric blunt trauma by evaluating time to acquisition of imaging studies and definitive management. METHODS: This study is a chart review of patients <18 years who presented to a pediatric trauma center following blunt trauma requiring trauma team activation. 413 records were reviewed to determine if training changed the efficiency of CT acquisition and 652 were evaluated for FAST efficiency. The metrics used for comparison were time from ED arrival to CT image, FAST, and disposition. RESULTS: Time from arrival to CT acquisition decreased from 37 (SD 23) to 28 (SD27) min (p < 0.05) after implementation. The proportion of FAST scans increased from 315 (63.5%) to 337 (80.8%) and the time to FAST decreased from 18 (SD15) to 8 (SD10) min (p < 0.05). The time to operating room (OR) decreased after implementation. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a streamlined trauma team approach is associated with both decreased time to CT, FAST, OR, and an increased proportion of FAST scans in the pediatric trauma evaluation. This could result in the rapid identification of injuries, faster disposition from the ED, and potentially improve outcomes in bluntly injured children. TYPE OF STUDY: Therapeutic LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

The implementation of a longitudinal POCUS curriculum for physicians working at rural outpatient clinics in Chiapas, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Medical care in resource limited settings is challenging, particularly with limited access to diagnostic and imaging studies. The most portable and cost effective diagnostic imaging in these areas is ultrasound. Ultrasound is a very teachable skill with a short, single intensive training course and hands-on teaching; however, there are limited data on a longitudinal point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum in resource limited settings. The goal of this intervention is to develop an effective longitudinal POCUS curriculum for local physicians working in rural clinics in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, and evaluate its effectiveness on patient care. METHODS: This is a 12-month longitudinal ultrasound educational curriculum for local supervising physicians working in rural clinics in Chiapas, Mexico. The 10 clinics are a collaboration of the Mexican government and Compañeros En Salud with limited access to any diagnostic imaging or laboratory studies. The investigators assisted in obtaining four portable ultrasound machines for use in the clinics. Next, they organized four point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) teaching sessions over a year, each session focusing on several distinct concepts. The sessions included lectures and hands-on teaching with both healthy volunteers and with patients in the various communities. Over the 12 months, the POCUS were logged and the majority of images saved. The logs were analyzed to determine if POCUS affected the medical management of the patients. The primary investigator reviewed 35.2% of the total ultrasounds completed, which was 52.2% of the save images, for quality assurance and feedback. RESULTS: Over the 12 months, there were 584 ultrasound studies documented. The most common study was a transabdominal obstetric examination (45.5%) followed by abdomen/pelvis (26.6%) and musculoskeletal (5.7%) and skin and soft tissue (5.7%). The use of POCUS changed the patient diagnosis after 194 scans (34%) and changed the clinical management for the patient encounter in 171 (30%) scans. In the 194 scans in which POCUS changed the diagnosis, the clinical management was changed, as a direct result of the scan results, in 152 (78.4%) of those patient encounters. CONCLUSION: A longitudinal POCUS educational curriculum is an effective way to equip local physicians in resource limited countries with a tool to improve their clinical management of patients.

Are We Adequately Treating Pain in Children Who Present to US Emergency Departments?: Factors That Contribute to Pain Treatment in Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVES: There are no recent national data on analgesic use for pain treatment in children. Our objective was to determine if there is adequate pain treatment for children in US emergency departments (EDs) and determine predictors of nonopioid and opioid analgesic administration. METHODS: Children younger than 18 years with the diagnosis of extremity fracture, appendicitis, or urinary tract stones were obtained from the National Health Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) (2006-2010) and analyzed using logistic regression for complex samples. There were 2 analyses: (1) those who received analgesics versus those who did not; and (2) of those who received analgesics, opioid versus nonopioid analgesic use. RESULTS: There were 1341 records analyzed representing 4.5 million ED visits. Those who received analgesics were more likely to be older than age of 3 years (P = 0.05), be discharged from the hospital (odds ratio [OR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-2.94), arrive between noon and midnight (OR, 0.1.85; CI, 1.12-3.03), and have a higher pain rating (P < 0.01). Children who received opioid analgesics were more likely to live outside the Northeast (P = 0.04), require admission (OR, 2.95; CI, 1.09-7.98), have a higher acuity triage level (OR, 1.79; CI, 1.04-3.06), have higher pain scores (P < 0.01), and have private insurance (OR, 1.75; CI, 1.06-2.94). CONCLUSIONS: There is still a lot of room for improvement of pediatric pain control in US EDs. We aim to apply this information toward direct physician and nursing education interventions, including the recognition of age appropriate pain cues, and parental information and guidance to improve pediatric pain treatment in US EDs.

The Utility of Head Computed Tomography in the Evaluation of Apparent Life-Threatening Event.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of empiric head computed tomography (CT) in apparent life threatening event (ALTE). METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of children younger than 12 months presenting to an urban pediatric hospital and its suburban satellite for an ALTE from October 2009 to December 2012. The ALTE cases were identified as having had a diagnosis of ALTE (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision 799.82) or as having had a constellation of studies performed consistent with our institutional protocol for ALTE evaluation. Exclusion criteria were known trauma and cases lacking an identifiable ALTE feature on review. RESULTS: There were 631 cases identified, of which 617 met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of those, 537 had a head CT performed. Five patients were identified with clinically important head CT findings: a case of congenital toxoplasmosis, a case of intraventricular hemorrhage, and 3 cases of nonaccidental trauma (NAT). One of the NAT patients had a bruise on his forehead; the other patients had no historical, physical examination, and other laboratory or radiologic findings to raise concern for significant finding on head CT. The rate of clinically significant findings and occult clinically significant findings was 5/537 (0.93%) (95% confidence interval, 0.30%-2.16%; number needed to treat = 108) and 4/537 (0.75%) (95% confidence interval, 0.20%-1.90%; number needed to treat = 135), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of clinically important head CT findings in ALTE evaluation was relatively rare, at 0.93%. Given the severe consequences of missing these cases, these data establish a role for empiric head CT in the evaluation of ALTE.

Emergency medical services system utilization over the last 10 years: what predicts transport of children?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of pediatric ambulance transport and evaluate changes in utilization over a 10-year period. METHODS: The National Health Ambulatory Medical Care Survey emergency department (ED) data for visits by children aged younger than 19 years from 2000 to 2009 were analyzed using logistic regression. Age, ethnicity, race, sex, triage level, time of arrival, injury/poisoning, insurance, disposition, critical patient status, metropolitan statistical area (MSA), region, and hospital type were used to predict the mode of arrival (ambulance or nonambulance). Significant variables were evaluated for trends over time. RESULTS: Representing 209 million ED visits, 60,761 records were analyzed. Ambulance transport was more likely among children who were aged 12 to 18 years (P < 0.05), black (odds ratio [OR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.38), evaluated for an injury/poisoning (OR, 3.03; 95% CI, 2.75-3.34), publicly insured (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03-1.31), living in an MSA (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.34-2.23), living in the northeast (P < 0.05), and overnight arrivals (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.26-1.7). They were more likely to have an urgency of less than 15 minutes (OR, 4.46; 95% CI, 3.56-5.59), require admission (OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 2.33-3.41), and considered critical (OR, 5.15; 95% CI, 3.43-7.73). There was no significant change in ambulance utilization in children; however, about half of critical patients and over 80% of those with a high triage level did not arrive by ambulance. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulance transport to the ED is used more often by teens, blacks, publicly insured, overnight arrivals, and those living in an MSA or the northeast. It is concerning that many children triaged with a high urgency or requiring critical care did not arrive by ambulance.

Is there a relationship between hygiene practices and skin and soft tissue infections in diapered children?

OBJECTIVES: The perineal and gluteal regions are the most frequent areas of skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) in diapered children. No studies have investigated the relationship between perineal and general hygiene practices and SSTIs in this population. This study was conducted to evaluate this relationship. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in an urban pediatric emergency department. Subjects were recruited into 3 study groups as follows: gluteal/perineal SSTIs (SSTI), diaper dermatitis (DD), or healthy normal skin (NS). Survey responses were analyzed for significance followed by a clinically oriented staged regression to model predictors of SSTI compared with the NS and DD groups. RESULTS: There were 100 subjects in the SSTI, 206 in the NS, and 151 in the DD groups. Race was the only demographic characteristic that differed between the groups. After adjustment for race, no day care attendance, history of SSTI, household contact with SSTI history, and higher propensity for diaper rash were associated with SSTI compared with NS. Regression results comparing SSTI to DD revealed no day care attendance, history of SSTI, household contact with SSTI history, less sensitive skin, and less diaper cream use to be predictors of SSTI. CONCLUSIONS: Perineal and general hygiene practices were not significantly different between children with SSTI compared with children with NS or DD. Based on the results of this study, further prospective studies should evaluate diaper hygiene practices that prevent DD and subsequent SSTIs, the preventative role of day care attendance, and effective interventions that minimize the risk of recurrent SSTIs.