Competencies of junior medical doctors in managing seriously ill and injured children: time to rethink our current training approach?

BACKGROUND: The correct treatment of very ill and injured children is critical, yet little is known about the competencies of South African (SA) junior doctors in managing these children. METHODS: This survey documents SA junior doctors' reported resuscitation training opportunities, experience, skills and knowledge. RESULTS: A total of 118 doctors (interns, medical officers and registrars) from paediatric departments affiliated with 7 medical schools, participated. Resuscitations were not rare events with 71% (84/118) reporting participation in >10 resuscitations during the preceding 2 years. Yet a third of doctors have not attended an accredited resuscitation training course within the last 2 years; 34% (12/35) medical officers and 29% (18/63) registrars, respectively, with 42% (49/118) of all participants never receiving any formal resuscitation training during employment. Feedback on performance is not standard practice with only 8% (10/118) reporting consistent debriefing after a resuscitation. Although 72% (85/118) reported their resuscitation knowledge as adequate, 56% (66/118) passed the knowledge test. CONCLUSION: This study recognized missed learning opportunities in junior doctors' training, assessment, debriefing and knowledge which may adversely affect the quality of care in managing paediatric emergencies. This has implications for departmental and post-graduate training programmes.

The correct treatment of very ill and injured children is critical, yet little is known about the competencies of South African (SA) junior doctors in managing these children. This study surveyed SA junior doctors' reported life-saving training opportunities, experience, skills and knowledge, with 118 doctors working at hospitals affiliated with 7 medical schools participating. Resuscitations were not rare events with 71% (84/118) reporting participation in >10 resuscitations during the preceding 2 years. Yet about one-third of medical officers (34%; 12/35) and paediatric registrars (29%; 18/63) have not attended an accredited resuscitation training course within the last 2 years, and 42% (49/118) of all participants reportedly did not receive any formal resuscitation training during employment. Feedback on performance after resuscitations is not standard practice and only 8% (10/118) reported consistent debriefing afterwards. Although 72% (85/118) reported their resuscitation knowledge as adequate, only 56% (66/118) passed the knowledge test. Inadequate knowledge of the treatment of very ill and injured children may adversely affect the quality of care provided in paediatric emergencies. There appear to be several missed formal and informal learning opportunities which may improve both quality of care and doctor wellbeing. This has implications for training programmes.

COVID-19 lockdown effect on healthcare utilization and in-hospital mortality in children under 5 years in Cape Town, South Africa: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic measures resulted in the de-escalation of non-COVID-19 healthcare provision. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study of routinely collected data was done to investigate the effect of COVID-19 policies on the healthcare utilization and mortality of children younger than 5 years in Eastern Cape Town, South Africa. We compared visits to primary and urgent care facilities, hospitalization, in-hospital deaths, and vaccine uptake from 1 January to 31 December 2020 to similar periods in 2018 and 2019. RESULTS: During April and May 2020, the most restricted period, visits to primary care facilities declined from 126 049 in 2019 to 77 000 (1.8-fold; p < 0.05). This corresponded with a 1.2-fold reduction in the provision of the first dose of measles vaccine at 6 months compared to 2019. Throughout 2020 there was a 4-fold decline in the number of fully immunized children at 1 year of age (p = 0.84). Emergency room visits fell by 35.7% in 2020 (16 368) compared to 2019 (25 446). Hospital admissions decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in 2020 (9810) compared to 2018 (11 698) and 2019 (10 247). The in-hospital mortality rate increased from 2.3% (96/4163) in 2019 to 3.8% (95/2498) (p < 0.01) in Tygerberg Hospital, where 80% (95/119) of deaths were recorded. Twelve of the 119 (10%) deaths occurred in HIV-positive children (p = <0.01). CONCLUSION: Measures instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to healthcare services for children. This resulted in an immediate, and potential future, indirect effect on child morbidity and mortality in Cape Town.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, lockdown policies restricted movement of people and non-COVID-19 healthcare services were de-escalated. In a large district, Metro East, in Cape Town, South Africa, this resulted in a 1.8-fold decline in primary healthcare clinic visits in children less than 5 years of age. Routine immunizations were negatively impacted with a 1.2-fold decline in the uptake of the first dose of measles vaccine at 6 months of age and a 1.4-fold decline in the number of fully immunized children at 1 year of age. Hospital admissions decreased significantly from 10 247 and 11 698 in 2019 and 2018, respectively, to 9810 admissions in 2020. Although fewer deaths (119) were reported in hospitals in Metro East District, Cape Town, South Africa in 2020, the deaths per number of admissions increased from 2.3% (96/4163) in 2019 to 3.8% (95/2498) in Tygerberg Hospital, where 80% (95/119) of deaths were recorded. Measures instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 thus disrupted the access to healthcare services for children. This resulted in an immediate, and potential future, indirect effect on child health and survival in Cape Town.

Clinical Experience With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2-Related Illness in Children: Hospital Experience in Cape Town, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Children seem relatively protected from serious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related disease, but little is known about children living in settings with high tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden. This study reflects clinical data on South African children with SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: We collected clinical data of children aged <13 years with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 presenting to Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, between 17 April and 24 July 2020. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-nine children (median age, 48.0 months [interquartile range {IQR}, 12.0-106.0 months]) were included. Hospitalized children (n = 62), with a median age of 13.5 months (IQR, 1.8-43.5 months) were younger than children not admitted (n = 97; median age, 81.0 months [IQR, 34.5-120.5 months]; P < .01.). Thirty-three of 159 (20.8%) children had preexisting medical conditions. Fifty-one of 62 (82.3%) hospitalized children were symptomatic; lower respiratory tract infection was diagnosed in 21 of 51 (41.2%) children, and in 11 of 16 (68.8%) children <3 months of age. Respiratory support was required in 25 of 51 (49.0%) children; 13 of these (52.0%) were <3 months of age. One child was HIV infected and 11 of 51 (21.2%) were HIV exposed but uninfected, and 7 of 51 (13.7%) children had a recent or new diagnosis of tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: Children <1 year of age hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 in Cape Town frequently required respiratory support. Access to oxygen may be limited in some low- and middle-income countries, which could potentially drive morbidity and mortality. HIV infection was uncommon but a relationship between HIV exposure, tuberculosis, and SARS-CoV-2 should be explored.

Clinical Presentation and Outcome of Acute Respiratory Illnesses in South African Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) show higher morbidity and mortality in children with acute respiratory illness (ARI) from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, whether SARS-CoV-2 infection is distinct from other causes of ARI in this regard is unclear. We describe clinical characteristics and outcomes of South African children with SARS-CoV-2 and non-SARS-CoV-2 ARIs. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study including 0-13 years old children admitted to Tygerberg Hospital between May and December 2020 with an ARI. Routine clinical data were collected by the attending clinicians. All children underwent SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction testing. For severity of disease, the need for respiratory support and duration of support was considered. Multivariable logistic regression models were built to determine the factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity. RESULTS: Data for 176 children were available, 38 (22%) children were SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction positive and 138 (78%) were negative. SARS-CoV-2 positive children were more likely to be female (OR: 2.68, 95% CI: 1.18-6.07), had lower weight-for-age Z score (OR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63-0.93), presented more frequently with fever (OR: 3.56, 95% CI: 1.54-8.24) and less often with cough (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.11-0.66). SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with significantly longer duration of oxygen treatment (median 8 vs. 3 days; OR: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.01-1.20). Overall, 66% of children had viral coinfection, with no significant difference between the groups. In total, 18% of SARS-CoV-2 positive children were readmitted within 3 months for a respiratory reason, compared with 15% SARS-CoV-2 negative children ( P = 0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that ARIs from SARS-CoV-2 cannot be easily differentiated, but were associated with a higher morbidity compared with ARIs from other causes. Overall outcomes were good. The long-term implications of severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in young children in low- and middle-income countries require further study.

SARS-CoV-2 in children and their accompanying caregivers: Implications for testing strategies in resource limited hospitals.

Background: Identification of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals is imperative to prevent hospital transmission, but symptom-based screening may fail to identify asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic infectious children and their caregivers. Methods: A COVID-19 period prevalence study was conducted between 13 and 26 August 2020 at Tygerberg Hospital, testing all children and their accompanying asymptomatic caregivers after initial symptom screening. One nasopharyngeal swab was submitted for SARS-CoV-2 using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). An additional Respiratory Viral 16-multiplex rRT-PCR test was simultaneously done in children presenting with symptoms compatible with possible SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: SARS-Co-V 2 RT-PCR tests from 196 children and 116 caregivers were included in the analysis. The SARS-CoV-2 period prevalence in children was 5.6% (11/196) versus 15.5% (18/116) in asymptomatic caregivers (p<0.01). Presenting symptoms did not correlate with SARS-CoV-2 test positivity; children without typical symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 were more likely to be positive than those with typical symptoms (10.2% [10/99] vs 1% [1/97]; p<0.01). Children with typical symptoms (97/196; 49.5%) mainly presented with acute respiratory (68/97; 70.1%), fever (17/97; 17.5%), or gastro-intestinal complaints (12/97; 12.4%); Human Rhinovirus (23/81; 28.4%) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (18/81; 22.2%) were frequently identified in this group. Children-caregiver pairs' SARS-CoV-2 tests were discordant in 83.3%; 15/18 infected caregivers' children tested negative. Symptom-based COVID-19 screening alone would have missed 90% of the positive children and 100% of asymptomatic but positive caregivers. Conclusion: Given the poor correlation between SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and RT-PCR test positivity, universal testing of children and their accompanying caregivers should be considered for emergency and inpatient paediatric admissions during high COVID-19 community transmission periods. Universal PPE and optimising ventilation is likely the most effective way to control transmission of respiratory viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, where universal testing is not feasible. In these settings, repeated point prevalence studies may be useful to inform local testing and cohorting strategies.

Infants 21-90 days presenting with a possible serious bacterial infection - are evaluation algorithms from high income countries applicable in the South African public health sector?

BACKGROUND: Young infants with a possible serious bacterial infection (SBI) are a very common presentation to emergency centres (ECs). It is often difficult to distinguish clinically between self-limiting viral infections and an SBI. Available evaluation algorithms to assist clinicians are mostly from high-income countries. Data to inform clinical practice in low- and middle-income countries are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To determine the period prevalence of SBI and invasive bacterial infection (IBI) and describe current practice in the assessment and management of young infants aged 21-90 days presenting with a possible SBI to a Paediatric Emergency centre (PEC) in Cape Town, South Africa. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional review of infants 21-90 days old presenting to the Tygerberg Hospital PED between 1 January 2016 and 31 May 2016. RESULTS: A total of 248 infants 21-90 days were included in the study. Sixty-two patients (25%, 95% CI 20-30) had an SBI and 13 (5.2%, 95% CI 3-8) had an IBI. One hundred and sixty-five infants had a possible SBI based on WHO IMCI criteria. The sensitivity of the WHO IMCI criteria in detecting SBI was 82.3% (95% CI 70.5-90.8) and the specificity 38.7% (95% CI 31.7-46.1). More than half (51.2%) of the infants received antibiotics within the 48 h prior to presentation, of which 33.5% included intramuscular injection of Ceftriaxone. Only 20 (8.0%) patients in this age group were discharged home after initial evaluation. A significant relationship was noted between fever and the risk of SBI (p-value 0.010) and IBI (p-value 0.009). There also appeared to be a significant relationship between nutritional status and IBI (p-value 0.013). CONCLUSION: Period prevalence of SBI and IBI was higher compared to that published in the literature. Validated evaluation algorithms to stratify risk of SBI are needed to assist clinicians in diagnosing and managing infants appropriately in low- and middle-income settings.