Prevalence of COVID-19 and Risk Factors for Infection Among Pediatric Anesthesia Patients: A Report From the PEACOC Research Network.

BACKGROUND: The Pediatric Anesthesia COVID-19 Collaborative (PEACOC) is a research network to advance the care of children during the pandemic. Here we calculate the prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among children undergoing anesthesia, look at prevalence in the population data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and assess independent risk factors for infection. METHODS: This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational study. Children aged 28 days to 18 years scheduled for anesthesia services at 12 centers requiring universal COVID-19 testing from March 29, 2020 to June 30, 2020 were included. COVID-19 positivity rates among those tested were plotted and trends were assessed using the Cochran Armitage test of trend. Independent risk factors were explored using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Data were collected and analyzed on 33,320 anesthesia encounters including 265 children with COVID-19. Over the study period, the rates of infections in the pediatric anesthesia population did not demonstrate a significant trend. In the general population, there was a significant downward trend in infection rates ( P < .001). In exploratory analysis, multivariable risk factors for a COVID-19 positive test were Black/African American race, Hispanic ethnicity, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status III or above, overweight and obese body mass index (BMI), orthopedic cases, abdominal cases, emergency cases, absence of injury and trauma, and West region (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Rates of COVID-19 in pediatric anesthesia patients were consistently lower than in the general population. Independent risk factors of a positive test for children were identified. This is the first time universal testing for a single infectious disease was undertaken on a wide scale. As such, the association of infection with surgical case type or emergency case status is unprecedented.

Continued challenges in pediatric anesthesia during COVID-19 in 2022: An international survey from the pediatric anesthesia COVID-19 collaborative.

INTRODUCTION: This international survey explored the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on pediatric anesthesiology. It assessed COVID-19's impact on the practice of pediatric anesthesiology, staffing, job satisfaction, and retention at the beginning of 2022 and addressed what should be done to ameliorate COVID-19's impact and what initiatives hospitals had implemented. METHODS: This survey focused on five major domains: equipment/medication, vaccination/testing, staffing, burnout, and economic repercussions. Pilot testing for questionnaire clarity was conducted by members of the Pediatric Anesthesia COVID-19 Collaborative. The survey was administered by e-mail to a representative of the 72 collaborative centers. Respondents were instructed to answer based on their institution's practice from February through April of 2022. Descriptive statistics with 95% confidence intervals are reported. RESULTS: Seventy of seventy-two institutions participated in this survey (97% response rate). Fifty-nine (84%) were from the United States, and 11 (16%) included other countries. The majority experienced equipment (68%) and medication (60%) shortages. Many institutions reported staffing shortages in nursing (37%), perioperative staff (27%), and attending anesthesiologists (11%). Sixty-two institutions (89%) indicated burnout was a frequent topic of conversation among pediatric anesthesiologists. Forty-three institutions (61%) reported anesthesiologists leaving current practice and 37 (53%) early retirement. Twenty-eight institutions (40%) canceled elective cases. The major suggestions for improving job retention included improving financial compensation (76%), decreasing clinical time (67%), and increasing flexibility in scheduled clinical time (66%). Only a minority of institutions had implemented the following initiatives: improving financial compensation (19%), increased access to mental health/counseling services (30%), and assistance with child or elder care (7%). At the time of the survey, 34% of institutions had not made any changes. CONCLUSION: Our study found that COVID-19 has continued to impact pediatric anesthesiology. There are major discrepancies between what anesthesiologists believe are important for job satisfaction and faculty retention compared to implemented initiatives. Data from this survey provide insight for institutions and departments for addressing these challenges.

A survey of the global impact of COVID-19 on the practice of pediatric anesthesia: A study from the pediatric anesthesia COVID-19 Collaborative Group.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric anesthesiology has been greatly impacted by COVID-19 in the delivery of care to patients and to the individual providers. With this study, we sought to survey pediatric centers and highlight the variations in care related to perioperative medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the availability of protective equipment, the practice of pediatric anesthesia, and economic impact. AIM: The aim of the survey was to determine how COVID-19 directly impacted pediatric anesthesia practices during the study period. METHODS: A survey concerning four major domains (testing, safety, clinical management/policy, economics) was developed. It was pilot tested for clarity and content by members of the Pediatric Anesthesia COVID-19 Collaborative. The survey was administered by email to all Pediatric Anesthesia COVID-19 Collaborative members on September 1, 2020. Respondents had six weeks to complete the survey and were instructed to answer the questions based on their institution's practice during September 1 - October 13, 2020. RESULTS: Sixty-three institutions (100% response rate) participated in the COVID-19 Pediatric Anesthesia Survey. Forty-one hospitals (65%) were from the United States, and 35% included other countries. N95 masks were available to anesthesia teams at 91% of institutions (n = 57) (95% CI: 80%-96%). COVID-19 testing criteria of anesthesia staff and guidelines to return to work varied by institution. Structured simulation training aimed at improving COVID-19 safety and patient care occurred at 62% of institutions (n = 39). Pediatric anesthesiologists were economically affected by a reduction in their employer benefits and restriction of travel due to employer imposed quarantine regulations. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the testing, safety, clinical management, and economics of pediatric anesthesia practice. Further investigation into the long-term consequences for the specialty is indicated.

Pediatric obesity and perioperative medicine.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Childhood obesity is a public health emergency that has reached a pandemic level and imposed a massive economic burden on healthcare systems. Our objective was to provide an update on (1) challenges of obesity definition and classification in the perioperative setting, (2) challenges of perioperative patient positioning and vascular access, (3) perioperative implications of childhood obesity, (3) anesthetic medication dosing and opioid-sparing techniques in obese children, and (4) research gaps in perioperative childhood obesity research including a call to action. RECENT FINDINGS: Despite the near axiomatic observation that obesity is a pervasive clinical problem with considerable impact on perioperative health, there have only been a handful of research into the many ramifications of childhood obesity in the perioperative setting. A nuanced understanding of the surgical and anesthetic risks associated with obesity is essential to inform patients' perioperative consultation and their parents' counseling, improve preoperative risk mitigation, and improve patients' rescue process when complications occur. SUMMARY: Anesthesiologists and surgeons will continue to be confronted with an unprecedented number of obese or overweight children with a high risk of perioperative complications.

Weight Gain Trajectory and Pain Interference in Young Adulthood: Evidence from a Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is associated with chronic pain, but the contribution of body mass index (BMI) trajectories over the life course to the onset of pain problems remains unclear. We retrospectively analyzed how BMI trajectories during the transition to adulthood were associated with a measure of pain interference obtained at age 29 in a longitudinal birth cohort study. METHODS: Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 Cohort (follow-up from 1997 to 2015), were used to determine BMI trajectories from age 14 to 29 via group trajectory modeling. At age 29, respondents described whether pain interfered with their work inside and outside the home over the past four weeks (not at all, a little, or a lot). Multivariable ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate pain interference according to BMI trajectory and study covariates. RESULTS: Among 7,875 respondents, 11% reported "a little" and 4% reported "a lot" of pain interference at age 29. Four BMI trajectory groups were identified, varying in starting BMI and rate of weight gain. The "obese" group (8% of respondents) had a starting BMI of 30 kg/m2 and gained an average of 0.7 kg/m2/y. On multivariable analysis, this group was the most likely to have greater pain interference, compared with "high normal weight" (odds ratio [OR] = 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-1.88), "low normal weight" (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.13-1.87), and "overweight" trajectories (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.02-1.73). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and rapid weight gain during the transition to adulthood were associated with higher risk of pain interference among young adults.

Pediatric Airway Management in COVID-19 Patients: Consensus Guidelines From the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia's Pediatric Difficult Intubation Collaborative and the Canadian Pediatric Anesthesia Society.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) pandemic has challenged medical systems and clinicians globally to unforeseen levels. Rapid spread of COVID-19 has forced clinicians to care for patients with a highly contagious disease without evidence-based guidelines. Using a virtual modified nominal group technique, the Pediatric Difficult Intubation Collaborative (PeDI-C), which currently includes 35 hospitals from 6 countries, generated consensus guidelines on airway management in pediatric anesthesia based on expert opinion and early data about the disease. PeDI-C identified overarching goals during care, including minimizing aerosolized respiratory secretions, minimizing the number of clinicians in contact with a patient, and recognizing that undiagnosed asymptomatic patients may shed the virus and infect health care workers. Recommendations include administering anxiolytic medications, intravenous anesthetic inductions, tracheal intubation using video laryngoscopes and cuffed tracheal tubes, use of in-line suction catheters, and modifying workflow to recover patients from anesthesia in the operating room. Importantly, PeDI-C recommends that anesthesiologists consider using appropriate personal protective equipment when performing aerosol-generating medical procedures in asymptomatic children, in addition to known or suspected children with COVID-19. Airway procedures should be done in negative pressure rooms when available. Adequate time should be allowed for operating room cleaning and air filtration between surgical cases. Research using rigorous study designs is urgently needed to inform safe practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Until further information is available, PeDI-C advises that clinicians consider these guidelines to enhance the safety of health care workers during airway management when performing aerosol-generating medical procedures. These guidelines have been endorsed by the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia and the Canadian Pediatric Anesthesia Society.

Patterns of Health Insurance Discontinuity and Children's Access to Health Care.

Objectives This study classified patterns of discontinuous health insurance coverage, including change in coverage type and gaps in coverage, and described their associations with children's access to health care. Methods Using the 2011-2013 National Health Interview Survey data, we determined children's insurance coverage over the past year, and whether children had a usual source of care, had to delay getting care, or had unmet health care needs. Using multivariable logistic regression, we compared measures of access to care across insurance coverage patterns, classified as continuous private coverage; continuous public coverage; continuous lack of coverage; change in coverage type (public versus private) without gaps in coverage; and any gap in coverage. A subgroup analysis repeated this comparison for children with a caregiver-reported chronic physical illness. Results The analysis included 34,105 children, of whom 7% had a gap in coverage and 1% had a change in coverage type. On multivariable analysis, gaps in coverage were associated with increased likelihood of unmet health care needs, compared to continuous private (OR 6.9; 95% CI 5.9, 8.0) or continuous public coverage (OR 5.1; 95% CI 4.4, 6.0). Seamless changes in coverage were also associated with greater likelihood of unmet health care needs [OR vs. private: 3.8 (95% CI 2.3, 6.1); OR vs. public: 2.8 (95% CI 1.8, 4.6); all p < 0.001]. Results were similar for other study outcomes, and among children with chronic physical illness. Conclusions for Practice Both gaps in coverage and seamless changes between coverage types were associated with limited health care access for children.

Videolaryngoscopy versus Fiber-optic Intubation through a Supraglottic Airway in Children with a Difficult Airway: An Analysis from the Multicenter Pediatric Difficult Intubation Registry.

BACKGROUND: The success rates and related complications of various techniques for intubation in children with difficult airways remain unknown. The primary aim of this study is to compare the success rates of fiber-optic intubation via supraglottic airway to videolaryngoscopy in children with difficult airways. Our secondary aim is to compare the complication rates of these techniques. METHODS: Observational data were collected from 14 sites after management of difficult pediatric airways. Patient age, intubation technique, success per attempt, use of continuous ventilation, and complications were recorded for each case. First-attempt success and complications were compared in subjects managed with fiber-optic intubation via supraglottic airway and videolaryngoscopy. RESULTS: Fiber-optic intubation via supraglottic airway and videolaryngoscopy had similar first-attempt success rates (67 of 114, 59% vs. 404 of 786, 51%; odds ratio 1.35; 95% CI, 0.91 to 2.00; P = 0.16). In subjects less than 1 yr old, fiber-optic intubation via supraglottic airway was more successful on the first attempt than videolaryngoscopy (19 of 35, 54% vs. 79 of 220, 36%; odds ratio, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.04 to 4.31; P = 0.042). Complication rates were similar in the two groups (20 vs. 13%; P = 0.096). The incidence of hypoxemia was lower when continuous ventilation through the supraglottic airway was used throughout the fiber-optic intubation attempt. CONCLUSIONS: In this nonrandomized study, first-attempt success rates were similar for fiber-optic intubation via supraglottic airway and videolaryngoscopy. Fiber-optic intubation via supraglottic airway is associated with higher first-attempt success than videolaryngoscopy in infants with difficult airways. Continuous ventilation through the supraglottic airway during fiber-optic intubation attempts may lower the incidence of hypoxemia.

Discontinuous insurance coverage predicts prolonged hospital stay after pediatric adenotonsillectomy.

BACKGROUND: Changes in health insurance coverage have been implicated in limiting access to care and increasing morbidity risk. The consequences of insurance discontinuity for surgical outcomes are unclear. In this study, we explored whether recent insurance discontinuity was associated with prolonged inpatient hospitalization after adenotonsillectomy in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated single-center data on children aged 2-18 y undergoing adenotonsillectomy with overnight stay in 2009-2014. Insurance coverage at surgery and over the preceding year was categorized as (1) continuous private, (2) continuous Medicaid, or (3) discontinuous (changes or gaps in coverage). The association between insurance discontinuity and prolonged hospitalization (≥2 d) was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: The study included 1013 girls and 983 boys (aged 4.5 ± 2.9 y), of whom 205 (10%) required prolonged hospitalization. Insurance was continuous private for 749 patients (38%), continuous Medicaid for 1121 patients (56%), and discontinuous for 126 patients (6%). Prolonged stay was most common with discontinuous insurance (23/126, 18%), followed by continuous Medicaid (117/1,121, 10%), and continuous private insurance (65/749, 9%; P = 0.004). In multivariable analysis, discontinuous insurance remained associated with prolonged hospital stay, compared with continuous private insurance (odds ratio = 1.88; 95% confidence interval: 1.06-3.33; P = 0.031), and compared with continuous Medicaid (odds ratio = 1.86; 95% confidence interval: 1.09-3.19; P = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates greater odds of prolonged hospitalization after adenotonsillectomy among children with recent gaps or changes in insurance coverage and illustrates the feasibility of studying influences of health insurance change on surgical outcomes using existing data in hospital electronic records.

Point-of-care testing for coagulation function: CoaguChek® XS System versus standard laboratory testing in pediatric patients with normal and abnormal coagulation function.

PURPOSE: Intraoperative abnormalities of coagulation function may occur for various reasons. In most scenarios, treatment is directed by laboratory parameters. Unfortunately, standard laboratory testing may take 1-2 h. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate a point-of-care testing device (CoaguChek® XS System) in pediatric patients. METHODS: Patients ranging in age from 2 to 18 years, undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF) or cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were eligible for inclusion. After CPB and/or the surgical procedure, 2.8 ml of blood was obtained and simultaneously tested on both the standard laboratory apparatus and the CoaguChek® XS System. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 100 patients (50 PSF and 50 cardiac cases) with 13 cases excluded, leaving 87 patients (49 PSF and 38 cardiac cases) for analysis. In PSF cases, reference laboratory international normalized ratio (INR) ranged from 0.98 to 1.77 while CoaguChek® XS INR ranged from 1.0 to 1.3. The correlation coefficient was 0.69. The results of the Bland-Altman analysis showed a bias of 0.09, precision of 0.1, and 95% limits of agreement ranging from -0.11 to 0.28. In cardiac cases, reference INR ranged from 1.68 to 14.19, while CoaguChek® XS INR ranged from 1.4 to 7.9. The correlation coefficient was 0.35. The results of the Bland-Altman analysis showed a bias of -1.8, precision of 2.1, and 95% limits of agreement ranging from -6.0 to 2.4. CONCLUSIONS: INR values obtained from CoaguChek® XS showed a moderate correlation with reference laboratory values within the normal range. However, in the presence of coagulopathy, the discrepancy was significantly greater, thereby making the CoaguChek® XS clinically unreliable.

Utility of screening questionnaire, obesity, neck circumference, and sleep polysomnography to predict sleep-disordered breathing in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Polysomnography (PSG) remains the gold standard for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep-disordered breathing in children. Yet, simple screening tools are needed as it is not feasible to perform PSG in all patients with possible OSA. AIM: The study adapted questions from the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire-Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder (SRBD) Questionnaire to develop a predictive scale for OSA identified on PSG. We also tested whether adding anthropometric measurements (body mass index and neck circumference) improved prediction of OSA. METHODS: After IRB approval, OSA questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were collected on 948 consecutive patients scheduled for PSG, aged 4 months to 24.5 years (median = 8.5 years). The sample was reduced to 636 patients in the age range (6-18 years old) where normative values for neck circumference are defined. OSA was characterized using the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). After identifying questions related to OSA in univariate logistic regression, multivariable models were fitted to select questions for a short scale, and points for exceeding body mass or neck circumference cutoffs were added to assess improvement in predictive value. RESULTS: A long scale of 16 questionnaire items was constructed using univariate models, while six items were selected for the short scale by multivariable regression. The short scale was associated with greater odds of moderate/severe OSA (OR = 1.964; 95% CI = 1.620, 2.381; P < 0.001) and attained good predictive value (area under receiver operating characteristics curve [AUC] = 0.74), which was not significantly improved by addition of BMI and neck circumference data (AUC = 0.75). CONCLUSIONS: We developed a six-question scale with good predictive utility for OSA. These findings may contribute to developing a preoperative clinical tool to help clinicians identify children with OSA for determining risk stratification and postoperative disposition.

Economic Impact of COVID-19 on a Free-Standing Pediatric Ambulatory Center.

Background: Operating safely throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has required surgical centers to adapt and raise their level of readiness. Intuitively, additional expenses related to such adaptation may have resulted in an increase in the cost of surgical care. However, little is known about the magnitude of such an increase, and no study has evaluated the temporal variation in the costs of care throughout the pandemic. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the cost of surgical and anesthetic care in a free-standing, pediatric ambulatory care center. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the electronic medical record (EMR) and financial data for pediatric ambulatory settings between 2019 and 2020 (April - August) from our tertiary care children's hospital. The primary outcomes were the inflation-adjusted surgical cost for elective tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and tympanostomy tubes (BTI) placement procedures in children less than 18 years of age. These data were obtained from financial databases and aggregated into categories including anesthesia services, operating room services, recovery room services, and supply and medical devices. Results: Costs per case to provide care were significantly higher following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 compared to 2019 across all services: anesthesia ($1,268 versus $1,143; cost ratio (CR): 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08 - 1.14, P-value < 0.001), operating room ($1,221 vs. $1,255; CR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02 - 1.04, P-value < 0.001), recovery room ($659 vs. $751; CR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.10 - 1.18, P-value < 0.001), and supply ($150 vs. $271; CR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.26 - 2.6, P-value = 0.001). There was an overall increase in healthcare service costs in 2020, with significant fluctuations in the early and mid-year months. Conclusion: Our study identified specific economic impacts of COVID-19 on free-standing pediatric ambulatory centers, thereby highlighting the need for innovative practices with cost containment for sustainability of such specialized centers when dealing with future pandemics related to COVID-19 or other viral pathogens.

Current Trends in Mortality Attributable to Racial or Ethnic Disparities in Post-Surgical Population in The United States: A Population-Based Study.

Background: No study has contextualized the excess mortality attributable to racial and ethnic disparities in surgical outcomes. Further, not much effort has been made to quantify the effort needed to eliminate these disparities. Objective: We examined the current trends in mortality attributable to racial or ethnic disparities in the US postsurgical population. We then identified the target for mortality reduction that would be necessary to eliminate these disparities by 2030. Methods: We performed a population-based study of 1,512,974 high-risk surgical procedures among adults (18-64 years) performed across US hospitals between 2000 and 2020. Results: Between 2000 and 2020, the risk-adjusted mortality rates declined for all groups. Nonetheless, Black patients were more likely to die following surgery (adjusted relative risk 1.42; 95% CI, 1.39-1.46) driven by higher Black mortality in the northeast (1.60; 95% CI, 1.52-1.68), as well as the West (1.53; 95% CI, 1.43-1.62). Similarly, mortality risk remained consistently higher for Hispanics compared with White patients (1.21; 95% CI, 1.19-1.24), driven by higher mortality in the West (1.26; 95% CI, 1.21-1.31). Overall, 8364 fewer deaths are required for Black patients to experience mortality on the same scale as White patients. Similar figures for Hispanic patients are 4388. To eliminate the disparity between Black and White patients by 2030, we need a 2.7% annualized reduction in the projected mortality among Black patients. For Hispanics, the annualized reduction needed is 0.8%. Conclusions: Our data provides a framework for incorporating population and health systems measures for eliminating disparity in surgical mortality within the next decade.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: A Quality Improvement Approach.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols exist to optimize perioperative care for patients of all ages. The efficacy of ERAS protocols has been studied in various surgical specialties, including pediatric surgery and otolaryngology, but its role in pediatric otolaryngology has not been widely demonstrated in the literature. This review article attempts to assess the current state of ERAS within otolaryngology, pediatric surgery, and more specifically, pediatric otolaryngology to identify opportunities for future development and utilization.