Actions to Avoid in Pain Management and Sedoanalgesia Procedures in Pediatric Emergencies.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to show the process of elaboration and the results obtained of the list of "do not do" recommendations for pain management and sedoanalgesia procedures in pediatric patients within the Working Group on Analgesia and Sedation of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Emergencies (Grupo de Trabajo de Analgesia y Sedación de la Sociedad Española de Urgencias de Pediatría [GTAS-SEUP]). METHODS: The process of drawing up the list was carried out in 3 phases: (1) "brainstorming," open to all members of the GTAS-SEUP; (2) selection of recommendations, after a modified Delphi methodology; and (3) drafting and consensus of the final document. RESULTS: Initially, 57 proposed recommendations were obtained, which were reduced to 39 by unifying those that were similar. Of the 14 "do not do" in pain management, 6 were accepted: 3 in the first round and 3 in the second round. Of the 25 "do not do" recommendations for sedoanalgesia procedures, 6 were accepted: 4 in the first round and 2 in the second round. The final text consisted of 12 actions to avoid, 6 referring to pain management and 6 to sedoanalgesia procedures. CONCLUSIONS: The list of "do not do" recommendations for pain management and sedoanalgesia procedures in the pediatric patient is a consensual tool, within the GTAS-SEUP. These recommendations promote an improvement in the quality of care offered to these patients, based on avoiding unnecessary measures, which can sometimes be harmful.

Burnout syndrome in paediatricians working in paediatric emergency care settings. Prevalence and associated factors: a multilevel analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study was to describe the prevalence of burnout syndrome (BOS) in paediatricians working in paediatric emergency care settings and to analyse its association with potential risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Multicentre cross-sectional study through a survey of paediatricians working in paediatric emergency care settings in hospitals affiliated to the Research Network of the Spanish Society of Paediatric Emergency Medicine (SEUP) between September 2019 and January 2020. We analysed the association between social/family-related, demographic, occupational and satisfaction factors and the presence of BOS by means of multivariate and multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of BOS was 36.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 31.7 %-41.2%). In the multivariate analysis, lacking a stable group of friends (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.10-5.97), problems in and out of the work setting (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 1.60-5.88) and a work experience of 9 years or less (OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.37-3.90) were identified as individual factors that increased the risk of SBO, while feeling acknowledged by coworkers (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.30-0.79) and acknowledged by one's supervisor (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41-0.93) were protective factors. In relation to the hospital, the paediatric emergency unit being a subdepartment of the Department of Paediatrics (OR, 3.81; 95% CI, 1.85-7.85), the presence of an on-call emergency medicine specialist around the clock (OR, 3.53; 95% CI,1.62-7.73) and a volume of 28 or more paediatric emergency encounters a day to be managed per on-call physician (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.01-4.16) were identified as independent risk factors for SBO. There was no variability in the prevalence of BOS attributable to differences between hospitals and autonomous communities, save for the described situations. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of SBO among these providers is high. There are modifiable factors that we can intervene on to address BOS, independently of the hospital or region.

How Much Do Parents Know About Pain in Their Children?

OBJECTIVES: Adequate pain control is essential to the comprehensive management of pediatric patients within the emergency department.The aim of this study is to evaluate parents' knowledge about pain in the pediatric population patient and secondarily describe erroneous concepts that can affect a correct children's pain management. METHODS: A single-center descriptive study of cross-sectional surveys was performed between October and December 2018, with a previously validated ad hoc and anonymous questionnaire consisting of 9 items. All parents/guardians participating in the study had a child aged 0 to 18 years who had been admitted to the emergency department. RESULTS: Sixty-nine percent (n = 315) were women, 49.9% (n = 226) had university degrees and only 11% (n = 50) had professions related to the healthcare system. A linear association was observed between the number of correct answers and the level of education (ß = 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-1.32; P < 0.001), as well as between parents with professions related to the healthcare system compared with other professions (61.4% vs 51.2% with P = 0.005). The responses of Spanish parents offered better results than answers obtained from parents from the American continent (56.4% vs 41.4% with P < 0.001). No differences were observed between parents of children with chronic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we observed that a considerable percentage of parents hold misconceptions about how children express pain, and therefore, it would be necessary to encourage formation programs for parents to help identify, evaluate, and correctly treat pain in their children.

Recommendations for non-anaesthesia providers in sedation and analgesia procedures.

Pain and the anxiety that it produces are the main sources of suffering in children managed in emergency departments, eliciting a growing interest in parents and health care providers in the adequate provision of sedation and analgesia. In consequence, the number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that require sedation and/or analgesia in paediatric emergency departments has increased in recent years, which has generated a need to train non-anaesthesiologists on how to provide this care without affecting patient safety. The objective of this document is to establish evidence-based recommendations, developed by consensus by the Working Group on Sedation and Analgesia of the Sociedad Española de Urgencias de Pediatría, regarding the competencies and training of staff who perform sedation or analgesia procedures to achieve the greatest possible quality in the management of paediatric patients before, during and after these procedures in the paediatric emergency care setting. The consensus document has been structured in two parts: the first addresses the competencies of non-anaesthesiologists who perform sedoanalgesia procedures, and the second how to obtain the necessary training. A list of research questions was prepared, keywords defined and a literature search carried out to break down and summarise the available evidence. The results are presented in the form of conclusions, which were subjected to anonymous voting by each of the members of the working group. For each of the conclusions, we provide the percent agreement obtained in the voting.

Challenges and current status of children pain management in Spain.

Pain in children population is prevalent, but its proper diagnosis and management are frequently insufficient in pediatrics daily practice. Lack of knowledge of the professionals in charge is a recognized barrier to ensure an appropiate approach to pain in this population. Our present study reflects the current status of pain management and the challenges in diagnosis and treatment that pediatricians face in their daily work. This information is obtained from a survey made with a voluntary questionaire, desinged and distributed online by "Grupo Español para el Estudio del Dolor Pediátrico (GEEDP)" to pediatricians in Spain from october 2021 to march 2022. The final objective of the questionaire was to shed some light into the problem and find out which areas of pain management knowledge are in need of improvent.

Pain Prevalence Among Children Visiting Pediatric Emergency Departments.

OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, characteristics, and intensity of children's pain in emergency departments. The secondary purpose was to evaluate the interobserver agreement regarding the level of pain perceived by professionals, parents, and children. METHODS: This was a multicenter, survey-based research study on 0- to 18-year-old patients visiting 1 of the 15 hospitals that form part of the Working Group on Analgesia and Sedation of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine between October and December 2018. The surveys recorded pain presence, intensity, characteristics, and location. RESULTS: The study included 1216 surveys. At the time of the interview, 646 patients were experiencing pain, a prevalence of 53.1% (95% confidence interval, 50.3%-55.9%), with 25.38% reporting mild, 36.68% moderate, and 37.46% intense pain. Among the patients, 29.9% had abdominal pain and 14.1% pain in their legs.The pain lasted less than 24 hours in 48.2% of the patients, whereas only 3.0% experienced pain during more than 15 days. The parents of 50.7% of the children had provided an analgesic at home.Interrater agreement regarding pain levels was k = 0.35 between professionals and children, k = 0.38 between children and parents, and k = 0.17 between parents and professionals. For children unable to cooperate, the agreement between professional/child and the parents was k = 0.11. CONCLUSIONS: Pain is a common symptom among emergency department patients, and its evaluation should therefore be obligatory. We found low interrater agreement on pain levels between patients, professionals, and parents, which confirms how difficult it is to accurately evaluate pain intensity.

Contamination in Urine Samples Collected Using Bladder Stimulation and Clean Catch Versus Urinary Catheterization in Infants Younger Than 90 Days.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the risk of contamination for urine samples collected from patients younger than 90 days using 2 different techniques: bladder stimulation and "clean catch" (CC) and urinary catheterization (CATH). METHODS: A case-control study was carried out in the pediatric emergency room of a tertiary hospital between January 2016 and September 2017. All urine samples collected from patients younger than 90 days by CC or CATH were included. The incidence of contaminated urine samples was compared for both methods, and the risk of contamination was estimated using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A total of 473 urine samples were collected, 310 via CATH (65.5%) and 163 via CC (34.5%). The median age was 1.4 months (interquartile range, 0.8-2.1 months), and 54.1% were males. Seventeen patients had a history of urinary tract infection (3.6%), and 16 were diagnosed with a congenital urorenal anomaly (3.4%). Sixteen urine samples were found to be contaminated (3.4%): 5 collected via CATH (1.6%) and 11 via CC (6.8%). The univariate analysis revealed a greater risk of contamination in specimens obtained using CC versus CATH (odds ratio, 4.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-12.93), and the multivariate analysis confirmed CC collection as an independent risk factor for contamination (odds ratio, 5.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.83-17.19). CONCLUSIONS: The number of contaminated urine samples in infants younger than 90 days in our pediatric emergency department is low. However, using the CC urine collection technique seems to be an independent risk factor for sample contamination.

Acute Anisakiasis: Pharmacological Evaluation of Various Drugs in an Animal Model.

BACKGROUND: The accidental ingestion of the third larval stage of Anisakis can cause acute clinical symptoms, which are relieved via extraction of the larvae. Although this is a highly effective technique, it can only be practiced when the larvae are found in accessible areas of the gastrointestinal tract, and therefore instead the condition has often been treated using various different drugs. AIMS: This study evaluates the effectiveness of gastric acid secretion inhibitors (omeprazole and ranitidine), gastric mucosal protectants (sucralfate) and anthelmintics (mebendazole and flubendazole) in treating anisakiasis in Wistar rats. METHODS: Rats were infected with Anisakis-type I larvae and administered the drugs via a gastric probe. Data were recorded regarding the number of live and dead larvae, their location both within the animal and in its feces, and the presence of gastrointestinal lesions. Additionally, gastric pH was measured and histology performed. RESULTS: While rats in all experimental groups exhibited lesions; those treated with ranitidine and mebendazole showed significantly fewer lesions (50% and 35% of rats exhibited lesions, respectively). Histological examination of the gastric lesions revealed infection-induced changes, but no significant differences were observed between the treated and untreated rats. CONCLUSIONS: Mebendazole was found to be most efficacious in preventing gastrointestinal lesions, followed by ranitidine, which was the most effective antacid of those studied. Both these drugs could thus be considered as part of the conservative management of anisakiasis.

Factores predictores de reconsulta por gastroenteritis aguda en urgencias pediátricas: estudio de casos y controles / Predictor factors for emergency department revisiting of children with acute gastroenteritis: case-control study

INTRODUCCIÓN: El objetivo de este trabajo es describir factores de riesgo de reconsulta en pacientes con diagnóstico de gastroenteritis aguda, identificables en su primera visita a Urgencias. PACIENTES Y MÉTODO: Estudio casos-control, incluye pacientes entre 0-16 años que consultan en Urgencias de un hospital terciario durante 4 años. Se define caso el episodio de Urgencias con diagnóstico de gastroenteritis que reconsulta durante las 72 h posteriores. Se seleccionó un control por cada caso, siendo este el primer paciente que consultó tras cada caso con el mismo diagnóstico y que no reconsultó posteriormente. Se estudiaron variables epidemiológicas, clínicas e intervenciones diagnóstico-terapéuticas llevadas a cabo durante la primera visita, realizándose análisis uni y multivariable del riesgo de reconsulta utilizando modelos de regresión logística. RESULTADOS: Los diagnósticos de gastroenteritis supusieron el 5,3% de todas las visitas a urgencias. 745 pacientes (6,2%) reconsultaron en las siguientes 72 h. En el análisis multivariado se encontró asociación entre la reconsulta con cada año de aumento de edad (OR 0,94; IC 95%: 0,91-0,97), ausencia de vacunación de rotavirus (OR 1,47; IC 95%: 1,11-1,95), no valoración previa en atención primaria (OR 1,55; IC 95%: 1,09-2,19), mayor número de deposiciones en las últimas 24 h (OR 1,06; IC 95% 1,02-1,10) y recogida de coprocultivo en Urgencias (OR 1,54; IC 95%: 1,05-2,24). CONCLUSIONES: Los pacientes de menor edad con elevada frecuencia de deposiciones son especialmente susceptibles de volver a consultar en los servicios de Urgencias. La vacunación frente a rotavirus podría disminuir las reconsultas. Ninguna de las actuaciones diagnóstico-terapéuticas realizadas parece disminuir el número de revisitas a Urgencias.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this work is to describe risk factors for reconsultation in patients with an acute gastroenteritis diagnosis, identifiable in their first visit to the Emergency Department. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Case-control study, including patients aged between 0-16 years who consulted in the Emer gency Department (ED) of a tertiary hospital for 4 years. The case is defined as the episode with a gastroenteritis diagnosis that reconsulted within 72 hours. A control was selected for each case, which was the first patient to consult after each case with the same diagnosis and not reconsulted later. Epidemiological and clinical variables, and diagnostic-therapeutic interventions carried out during the first visit were studied. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the reconsultation risk were per formed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Gastroenteritis diagnoses accounted for 5.3% of all ED visits. 745 patients (6.2%) reconsulted within 72 hours. Multivariate analysis found association between reconsultation with each year of increasing age (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.91-0.97), absence of rotavirus vaccination (OR 1.47, 95% CI: 1.11-1.95), no prior assessment in primary care (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.09-2.19), increased stool output in the last 24 hours (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.10), and stool collection in the ED (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.05-2.24). CONCLUSIONS: Younger patients with an increased stool output are especially susceptible to return to the ED for consultation. Rotavirus vaccination could reduce reconsultation. None of the diagnostic-therapeutic actions carried out seems to reduce the number of visits to the ED.

Predictor Factors for Emergency Department revisiting of children with acute gastroenteritis: Case-control study. / Factores predictores de reconsulta por Gastroenteritis Aguda en Urgencias Pediátricas: Estudio de casos y controles.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this work is to describe risk factors for reconsultation in patients with an acute gastroenteritis diagnosis, identifiable in their first visit to the Emergency Department. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Case-control study, including patients aged between 0-16 years who consulted in the Emer gency Department (ED) of a tertiary hospital for 4 years. The case is defined as the episode with a gastroenteritis diagnosis that reconsulted within 72 hours. A control was selected for each case, which was the first patient to consult after each case with the same diagnosis and not reconsulted later. Epidemiological and clinical variables, and diagnostic-therapeutic interventions carried out during the first visit were studied. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the reconsultation risk were per formed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Gastroenteritis diagnoses accounted for 5.3% of all ED visits. 745 patients (6.2%) reconsulted within 72 hours. Multivariate analysis found association between reconsultation with each year of increasing age (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.91-0.97), absence of rotavirus vaccination (OR 1.47, 95% CI: 1.11-1.95), no prior assessment in primary care (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.09-2.19), increased stool output in the last 24 hours (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.10), and stool collection in the ED (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.05-2.24). CONCLUSIONS: Younger patients with an increased stool output are especially susceptible to return to the ED for consultation. Rotavirus vaccination could reduce reconsultation. None of the diagnostic-therapeutic actions carried out seems to reduce the number of visits to the ED.

Patient considerations in cataract surgery - the role of combined therapy using phenylephrine and ketorolac.

Cataract, a degradation of the optical quality of the crystalline lens, progressive and age-related, is the leading cause of treatable blindness worldwide. Cataract surgery is the most common surgical procedure performed by ophthalmologists and is the only effective treatment for cataracts. Advances in the surgical techniques and better postoperative visual outcomes have progressively changed the primary concern of cataract surgery to become a procedure refined to yield the best possible refractive results. Sufficient mydriasis during cataract removal is critical to a successful surgical outcome. Poor pupil dilation can lead to serious sight-threatening complications that significantly increase the cost of surgery and decrease patients comfort. Mydriasis is obtained using anticholinergic and sympathomimetic drugs. Phenylephrine, an α1-adrenergic receptor agonist, can efficiently dilate the pupil when administered by intracameral injection. Additionally, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ketorolac, which inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins, are used to decrease intraoperative miosis, control pain and inflammation associated with cataract surgery, and to prevent the development of cystoid macular edema following surgery. Recently, a new combination of phenylephrine and ketorolac (Omidria®) has been approved by United States Food and Drug Administration for use during cataract surgery to maintain intraoperative mydriasis, prevent miosis, and reduce postoperative pain and inflammation. Clinical trials have shown that this new combination is effective, combining the positive effects of both drugs with a good safety profile and patient tolerability. Moreover, recent reports suggest that this combination is also effective in patients with high risk of poor pupil dilation. In conclusion, cataract is a global problem that significantly affects patients' quality of life. However, they can be managed with a safe and minimally invasive surgery. Advances in surgical techniques and newer pharmacological agents such as the combination of phenylephrine and ketorolac, together with better intraocular lenses, have greatly improved visual outcomes and thus patients' expectations regarding visual recovery are also increasing.

Experimental demonstration of pathogenic potential of Anisakis physeteris and Anisakis paggiae in Wistar rats.

Anisakis morphotype I is the principal etiologic agent of human anisakiasis, with differences in pathogenicity found between the Anisakis simplex s.s. and A. pegreffii species; however, the role of morphotype II larvae in this illness is not well understood. The purpose of this study is to verify the ability of morphotype II larvae to invade tissues via the experimental infection of Wistar rats, an animal model which simulates infection in humans. In the in vivo assay, 7.1% (4/56 L3 morphotype II) showed pathogenic potential, defined as the capacity of the larvae to cause lesions, attach to the gastrointestinal wall or penetrate it. Two of these larvae, one of A. physeteris and one of A. paggiae, penetrated the stomach wall and were found within the abdominal cavity, with the first one producing a small lesion with blood vessel breakage. The majority of the L3 larvae of morphotype II were found in the intestine (51.8%; 29/56) with the caecum being the least frequent location (8.9%; 5/56). In contrast, 44.0% (11/25) of the morphotype I larvae demonstrated pathogenic potential. Isoenzyme electrophoresis, PCR-RFLP of ITS1-5.8 s-ITS2 and PCR-sequencing of the cox2 mitochondrial gene were used to identify these larvae as A. physeteris (42.9%), A. paggiae (30.3%) and A. brevispiculata (1.8%). Although the morphotype II larvae of A. physeteris and A. paggiae have lower pathogenic potential than morphotype I larvae of A. simplex s.s. (93 and 91% lower, respectively), they may still be implicated in human anisakiasis, as they are capable of attaching to and penetrating the gastrointestinal wall of animals, demonstrating a similar pathogenicity to that of A. pegreffii. The techniques used for the identification of species reveal a great genetic heterogeneity of A. paggiae and A. physeteris, suggesting the existence of sibling species.

Position of the Spanish Menopause Society regarding vaginal health care in postmenopausal women.

Vaginal health, defined as the vaginal state in which the physiological condition remains stable, being protected from the onset of symptoms and facilitating a satisfying sex life, is one of the most common and less valued concerns in postmenopausal women. Many of the conditions that affect the vagina are related to its trophism and susceptibility to infection by unusual germs, which are phenomena strongly influenced by estrogen impregnation and the microbiota composition, ultimately affecting sexuality and the quality of life. An expert panel of the Spanish Menopause Society met to establish criteria for diagnosing and treating the processes that affect overall vaginal health and to decide the optimal timing and methods based on the best evidence available.

Position of the Spanish Menopause Society regarding the management of menopausal symptoms in breast cancer patients.

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in Spain. Its high prevalence, its high survival rate, and its incidence are the reasons treatment is increasingly sought for common problems by young women who have survived it. Besides the contraception and fertility issues, many breast cancer survivors develop sexual disorders and menopausal symptoms, whether as a consequence of treatment-induced menopause or side effects of treatment. For such reasons, a panel of experts from the Spanish Menopause Society has met to develop usage recommendations for the relief of vasomotor symptoms and for sexual and reproductive health in patients with breast cancer based on the best evidence available.

Workplace mobbing and effects on workers' health.

In this work, we analyze various consequences of the phenomenon of mobbing on the health of a work sector with special characteristics: the agro fruit sector. For this purpose, we collected data from a sample of 396 workers (61 men and 331 women) belonging to this sector in the Region of Murcia (Spain). A questionnaire with the following measurement instruments was administered: a Spanish adaptation of the revised Negative Acts Questionnaire (Sáez, García, & Llor, 2003), the Psychosomatic Problems Questionnaire (Hock, 1988), and a measure of absenteeism. The results revealed a significant and positive relation between workplace mobbing and psychosomatic symptoms, but not with absenteeism. The implications of the results for future research are discussed.