A quality improvement project to improve pediatric medical provider sleep and communication during night shifts.

QUALITY PROBLEM OR ISSUE: Night-shift medical providers frequently experience limited sleep resulting in fatigue, often because of paging activity. Streamlined medical-specific communication interventions are known to improve sleep and communication among these providers. INITIAL ASSESSMENT: We found that non-urgent paging communication occurred frequently during night-shifts, leading to provider sleep disturbances within our institution. We tested a quality improvement (QI) intervention to improve paging practices and determined its effect on provider sleep. CHOICE OF SOLUTION: We used a Plan-Do-Study-Act QI model aimed at improving clinician sleep and paging communications. IMPLEMENTATION: We initially conducted focus groups of nurses and physician trainees to inform the creation of a standardized paging intervention. We collected actigraphy and sleep log data from physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician trainees and performed electronic collection of paging frequency data. EVALUATION: Data were collected between December 2015 and March 2017 from pediatric residents, pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO) fellows, hospitalist medicine nocturnists and nurses working during night-shift hours in PHO inpatient units. We collected baseline data before implementation of the QI intervention and at 1 month post-implementation. Although objective measures and provider reports demonstrated improved medical-specific communication paging practices, provider sleep was not affected. LESSONS LEARNED: Provider-based standardization of paging communication was associated with improved medical-specific communication between nurses and providers; however, provider sleep was not affected. The strategies used in this intervention may be transferable to other clinics and institutions to streamline medical-specific communication.

Prevalence, risk factors, and response to treatment for hypersomnia of central origin in survivors of childhood brain tumors.

Daytime sleepiness is recognized in childhood brain tumor survivors. Our objective was to determine prevalence, risk factors for PSG/MLST proven hypersomnia/narcolepsy, and response to stimulants in childhood brain tumor survivors. Standard PSG/MSLT criteria were used to diagnose hypersomnia/narcolepsy. Medical records of brain tumor survivors having undergone a PSG/MSLT were reviewed for the diagnostic code of hypersomnia/narcolepsy. Survivors with hypersomnia/narcolepsy were matched with 2-3 survivors without reported hypersomnia/narcolepsy by age at tumor diagnosis, gender, and time from tumor diagnosis. Between January 2000 to April 2015, 39 of the 2336 brain tumor patients treated at our institution were diagnosed with hypersomnia/narcolepsy for a prevalence rate of 1670/100,000. Hypersomnia/narcolepsy was diagnosed at a median of 6.1 years (range 0.4-13.2) from tumor diagnosis and 4.7 years (range - 1.5 to 10.4) from cranial radiation. Midline tumor location (OR 4.6, CI 1.7-12.2, p = 0.002) and anti-epilepsy drug (AED) use (OR 11, CI 2.4-54) correlated with hypersomnia/narcolepsy while radiation dose > 30 Gray trended towards significance (OR 1.8, CI 0.9-3.6); posterior fossa tumor location reduced the risk (OR 0.1, CI 0.04-0.5, p = 0.002). AED use also correlated with midline tumor location. Thirty-seven survivors were treated with stimulants and reported improved wakefulness and school performance [response rate CI 0.97 (0.86-0.99) and 0.83 (0.65-0.94)]. Prevalence of hypersomnia/narcolepsy among childhood brain tumor survivors was higher than the general population. Tumor location and radiation dose were possible risk factors, and stimulants were reported to be beneficial.

Adapted Delivery of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Study.

Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYACS) are at risk for the development of insomnia, though it remains vastly undertreated. Limited research has evaluated cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBT-I) in AYACS. The present study piloted adapted CBT-I designed to improve treatment accessibility by delivering a three-session intervention in person and via videoconference. AYACS with insomnia (N = 12) enrolled in the study. Ten AYACS completed the intervention, with six in person and four via videoconference. Sleep variables improved immediately postintervention and were sustained at two-month follow-up. Within sample effect sizes of the adapted intervention for sleep, variables were large, and there were no noted differences on sleep outcomes between the in-person and videoconference participants. These pilot findings indicate that an adapted CBT-I intervention is feasible and promising in AYACS populations.

Investigating the Role of Hypothalamic Tumor Involvement in Sleep and Cognitive Outcomes Among Children Treated for Craniopharyngioma.

OBJECTIVE: Despite excellent survival prognosis, children treated for craniopharyngioma experience significant morbidity. We examined the role of hypothalamic involvement (HI) in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and attention regulation in children enrolled on a Phase II trial of limited surgery and proton therapy. METHODS: Participants completed a sleep evaluation (N = 62) and a continuous performance test (CPT) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI; n = 29) prior to proton therapy. RESULTS: EDS was identified in 76% of the patients and was significantly related to increased HI extent (p = .04). There was no relationship between CPT performance during fMRI and HI or EDS. Visual examination of group composite fMRI images revealed greater spatial extent of activation in frontal cortical regions in patients with EDS, consistent with a compensatory activation hypothesis. CONCLUSION: Routine screening for sleep problems during therapy is indicated for children with craniopharyngioma, to optimize the timing of interventions and reduce long-term morbidity.

Mechanisms of sleep disturbances in long-term cancer survivors: a childhood cancer survivor study report.

BACKGROUND: Sleep problems following childhood cancer treatment may persist into adulthood, exacerbating cancer-related late effects and putting survivors at risk for poor physical and psychosocial functioning. This study examines sleep in long-term survivors and their siblings to identify risk factors and disease correlates. METHODS: Childhood cancer survivors (≥5 years from diagnosis; n = 12 340; 51.5% female; mean [SD] age = 39.4 [9.6] years) and siblings (n = 2395; 57.1% female; age = 44.6 [10.5] years) participating in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Multivariable Poisson-error generalized estimating equation compared prevalence of binary sleep outcomes between survivors and siblings and evaluated cancer history and chronic health conditions (CHC) for associations with sleep outcomes, adjusting for age (at diagnosis and current), sex, race/ethnicity, and body mass index. RESULTS: Survivors were more likely to report clinically elevated composite PSQI scores (>5; 45.1% vs 40.0%, adjusted prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.13 to 1.27), symptoms of insomnia (38.8% vs 32.0%, PR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.18 to 1.35), snoring (18.0% vs 17.4%, PR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.23), and sleep medication use (13.2% vs 11.5%, PR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.12 to 1.45) compared with siblings. Within cancer survivors, PSQI scores were similar across diagnoses. Anthracycline exposure (PR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.25), abdominal radiation (PR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.29), and increasing CHC burden were associated with elevated PSQI scores (PRs = 1.21-1.48). CONCLUSIONS: Among survivors, sleep problems were more closely related to CHC than diagnosis or treatment history, although longitudinal research is needed to determine the direction of this association. Frequent sleep-promoting medication use suggests interest in managing sleep problems; behavioral sleep intervention is advised for long-term management.

Sleep and Pain in Pediatric Illness: A Conceptual Review.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disruption is a common comorbidity of pediatric pain. Consequences of pain and disrupted sleep, evidence for the pain-sleep relation, and how aspects of illness, treatment, and pharmacological pain management may contribute to or exacerbate these issues are presented. AIMS: This conceptual review explored the relation between pain and sleep in children diagnosed with chronic medical or developmental conditions. The goal of this review is to expand upon the literature by examining common themes in sleep disturbances associated with painful conditions across multiple pediatric illnesses. Populations reviewed include youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), migraines, cystic fibrosis (CF), sickle cell disease (SCD), cancer, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM), and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). RESULTS: Consistent evidence demonstrates that children with medical or developmental conditions are more vulnerable to experiencing pain and subjective sleep complaints than healthy peers. Objective sleep concerns are common but often under-studied. Evidence of the pain-sleep relationship exists, particularly in pediatric SCD, IDD, and JIA, with a dearth of studies directly examining this relation in pediatric cancer, JFM, CF, and FGIDs. Findings suggest that assessing and treating pain and sleep disruption is important when optimizing functional outcomes. CONCLUSION: It is essential that research further examine objective sleep, elucidate the pain-sleep relationship, consider physiological and psychosocial mechanisms of this relationship, and investigate nonpharmacological interventions aimed at improving pain and sleep in vulnerable pediatric populations.

Actigraphic recordings in quantification of periodic leg movements during sleep in children.

BACKGROUND: Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) has recently emerged as a relatively frequent and markedly underdiagnosed condition in children that induces arousals and sleep fragmentation and leads to poor learning and behavioral problems. Because a cost-effective and widely available alternative to pediatric polysomnography is needed for diagnosis of limb movement disorders, this study sought to examine whether periodic leg movements in children could be reliably identified using recently developed actigraphy software. METHODS: Bilateral actigraphs were worn around the feet by 99 children ages 4-12 years during standard clinical overnight polysomnography, which included bilateral anterior tibial electromyogram (EMG). Left and right leg movements were scored independently for comparison purposes. RESULTS: Agreement between tibial EMG and actigraphy-derived events were initially low, with movement indices being overestimated by actigraphy. This agreement was improved when a correction factor based on the average number of movements during arousals as measured by EMG was applied. However, the correction factor itself was found to differ substantially for patients who were diagnosed with PLMD compared to other patients. CONCLUSIONS: A novel actigraphic approach currently used for detection of PLM events during sleep in adults is insufficiently accurate to permit reliable estimates in children.

Inpatient pediatric consultation-liaison: a case-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a prospective case-controlled study of pediatric inpatients referred for consultation in a tertiary care children's medical center. METHOD: Referrals (n = 104) were matched with nonreferrals (n = 104) for age (4 to 18 years), gender, and illness type/severity and completed parent- and self-report (dependent on age) behavioral rating scales to assess for adjustment/functioning. Nurses completed in-hospital ratings of behavioral/adjustment difficulties. Goal attainment and satisfaction ratings were obtained from the referring physicians, parents/guardians, and the consultant. RESULTS: Referrals exhibited more behavior/adjustment/coping difficulties than nonreferrals by parent, nurse, and self report. Frequently employed interventions included coping-strategies intervention, cognitive and behavioral therapies, and case management. Referring physician and consultant ratings of goal attainment were high, as were physician ratings of satisfaction and parent/guardian ratings of overall helpfulness. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric inpatients referred by their physicians had significantly more internalizing and externalizing disturbances than their nonreferred hospitalized peers. Many of the behavioral and adjustment problems that lead to in-hospital consultation referral were evident in global behavior difficulties prior to hospitalization. Referring pediatricians, parents/guardians, and consultants rate the outcome as benefiting the patients via assisting in the overall management of their health concerns, coping, and adjustment.