A New Risk Assessment Model for Hospital-Acquired Venous Thromboembolism in Critically Ill Children: A Report From the Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis Consortium.

OBJECTIVES: To create a risk model for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism in critically ill children upon admission to an ICU. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: ICUs from eight children's hospitals throughout the United States. SUBJECTS: Critically ill children with hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (cases) 0-21 years old and similar children without hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (controls) from January 2012 to December 2016. Children with a recent cardiac surgery, asymptomatic venous thromboembolism, or a venous thromboembolism diagnosed before ICU admission were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The multi-institutional Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis registry was used to identify cases and controls. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association between hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism and putative risk factors present at or within 24 hours of ICU admission to develop the final model. A total of 548 hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism cases (median age, 0.8 yr; interquartile range, 0.1-10.2) and 187 controls (median age, 2.4 yr; interquartile range, 0.2-8.3) were analyzed. In the multivariable model, recent central venous catheter placement (odds ratio, 4.4; 95% CI, 2.7-7.1), immobility (odds ratio 3.6, 95% CI, 2.1-6.2), congenital heart disease (odds ratio 2.9, 95% CI, 1.7-4.7), length of hospital stay prior to ICU admission greater than or equal to 3 days (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.6), and history of autoimmune/inflammatory condition or current infection (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-3.4) were each independently associated with hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism. The risk model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.79 (95% CI, 0.73-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Using the multicenter Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis registry, we identified five independent risk factors for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism in critically ill children, deriving a new hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism risk assessment model. A prospective validation study is underway to define a high-risk group for risk-stratified interventional trials investigating the efficacy and safety of prophylactic anticoagulation in critically ill children.

Comparison of general endotracheal anesthesia versus sedation without endotracheal intubation during initial percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy insertion for infants: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Critical airway incidents are a major cause of morbidity and mortality during anesthesia. Delayed management of airway obstruction quickly leads to severe complications due to the reduced apnea tolerance in infants and neonates. The decision of whether to intubate the trachea during anesthesia is therefore of great importance, particularly as an increasing number of procedures are performed outside of the operating room. AIM: In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated airway management for infants below 6 months of age undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy insertion. We compared demographic, procedural, and health outcome-related data for infants undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy insertion under general endotracheal anesthesia (n = 105) to those receiving monitored anesthesia care (n = 44) without endotracheal intubation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was completed for all infants <6 months of age who underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy insertion in our institution's endoscopy suite between January 2002 and January 2017. Descriptive statistics summarized numeric variables using medians and corresponding ranges (minimum-maximum), and categorical variables using frequencies and percentages. Differences in study outcomes between patients undergoing general anesthesia or monitored anesthesia care were evaluated with univariate quantile or Firth logistic regression for numerical and categorical outcomes, respectively. Results are presented as ß [95% confidence interval] or odds ratio [95% confidence interval] along with corresponding p-values. RESULTS: Both groups were similar in distribution of age, race, and gender. However, patients selected for general anesthesia had lower median body weights (3.9 kg [range: 2.0-6.7] vs. 4.4 kg [range: 2.6-6.9]), higher percentages of cardiac (95.2% vs. 84.1%), and/or neurologic comorbidities (74.3% vs. 56.8%) and were more frequently given American Society of Anesthesiologists level IV classifications (41.9% vs. 29.6%) indicating that these infants may have had more severe disease than patients selected for monitored anesthesia care. Three monitored-anesthesia-care patients required intraoperative conversion to general anesthesia. General anesthesia patients experienced greater odds of intraoperative hypoxemia (45.2% vs. 29.0%; odds ratio: 2.0 [0.9-4.3], p-value: .09) and required postoperative airway intervention more frequently than monitored-anesthesia-care patients (13.03% vs. 2.3%; odds ratio: 4.6 [0.8-25.6], p-value: .08). Procedure times were identical in both groups (6 min), but general anesthesia resulted in longer median anesthesia times (44 min [range: 22-292] vs. 12 min [range:19-136]; ß:13 [95% 6.9-19.1], p-value: < .001). CONCLUSION: Study results suggest that providers selected general anesthesia over monitored anesthesia care for infants and neonates with low body weights, cardiac comorbidities, and neurologic comorbidities. Increased rates of airway intervention, and increased length of stay may be at least partially related to more severe patient comorbidity, as indicated by higher American Society of Anesthesiologists classifications. However, due to the exploratory nature of these analyses, further confirmatory studies are needed to evaluate the impact of airway selection during PEG on postoperative patient outcomes.

Donor characteristics and intraoperative total nucleated cell count influence hematopoietic progenitor cell yield of healthy donor bone marrow grafts.

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow graft cell content impacts engraftment potential after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). Surrogates, such as intraoperative total nucleated cell count (ioTNC), are of unclear utility in predicting final graft characteristics. In addition, demographic and clinical factors may influence graft cellular profile and recipient engraftment. PROCEDURE: We retrospectively reviewed marrow harvests at our institution performed between 2009 and 2019. During this time, an ioTNC was measured after 50% of the projected final graft volume was collected. Regression models were used to assess associations between ioTNC (cells/µL) and final graft CD34+ (cells/mL), and between graft and donor characteristics and final graft CD34+ (cells/mL). RESULTS: Fifty-three marrow harvests and donor-recipient pairs were analyzed. Median (range) donor and recipient ages were 13 (0.7-28) years and 9 (0.2-21) years, respectively. The median ratio of donor/recipient weight was 1.225 kg (range 0.31-7.13). Median total volume of harvested marrow was 15.3 mL/kg (range 4.3-20.4) of donor weight and 19.4 mL/kg (range 4.7-87.4) of recipient weight. Median ioTNC was 20 930/µL (range 6600-44310) or 2.1 × 109 /mL, corresponding to median predicted final graft TNC of 3.59 × 108 /kg recipient weight (range 1.28-19.42 × 108 ). Simple linear regression between ioTNC and CD34+ cells/mL resulted in an R2 of 0.42. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression produced a moderately predictive model consisting of ioTNC, donor age, and donor weight (adjusted R2  = 0.7) of final graft CD34+ cells/mL. CONCLUSIONS: ioTNC and certain donor characteristics correlate moderately well with marrow product CD34+ cells/mL, potentially informing donor selection and marrow procurement strategies.

Machine Learning Applied to Registry Data: Development of a Patient-Specific Prediction Model for Blood Transfusion Requirements During Craniofacial Surgery Using the Pediatric Craniofacial Perioperative Registry Dataset.

BACKGROUND: Craniosynostosis is the premature fusion of ≥1 cranial sutures and often requires surgical intervention. Surgery may involve extensive osteotomies, which can lead to substantial blood loss. Currently, there are no consensus recommendations for guiding blood conservation or transfusion in this patient population. The aim of this study is to develop a machine-learning model to predict blood product transfusion requirements for individual pediatric patients undergoing craniofacial surgery. METHODS: Using data from 2143 patients in the Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery Perioperative Registry, we assessed 6 machine-learning classification and regression models based on random forest, adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), neural network, gradient boosting machine (GBM), support vector machine, and elastic net methods with inputs from 22 demographic and preoperative features. We developed classification models to predict an individual's overall need for transfusion and regression models to predict the number of blood product units to be ordered preoperatively. The study is reported according to the Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) checklist for prediction model development. RESULTS: The GBM performed best in both domains, with an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87 ± 0.03 (95% confidence interval) and F-score of 0.91 ± 0.04 for classification, and a mean squared error of 1.15 ± 0.12, R-squared (R) of 0.73 ± 0.02, and root mean squared error of 1.05 ± 0.06 for regression. GBM feature ranking determined that the following variables held the most information for prediction: platelet count, weight, preoperative hematocrit, surgical volume per institution, age, and preoperative hemoglobin. We then produced a calculator to show the number of units of blood that should be ordered preoperatively for an individual patient. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthesiologists and surgeons can use this continually evolving predictive model to improve clinical care of patients presenting for craniosynostosis surgery.

Comparison of melphalan- And busulfan-based myeloablative conditioning in children undergoing allogeneic transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplasia.

BACKGROUND: The optimal conditioning regimen for alloHCT in children with myeloid malignancies remains undefined. PROCEDURE: We performed a retrospective review of children undergoing alloHCT for AML and MDS over a 10-year period (2008-2018) at our institution, comparing the outcomes of recipients of either a myeloablative busulfan- or reduced toxicity mel/thio-based conditioning regimen. RESULTS: A total of 49 patients underwent alloHCT for AML/MDS (mel/thio, N = 21; busulfan, N = 28). Mel/thio recipients were selected due to pretransplant comorbidities. Recipients of mel/thio were more likely to have t-AML, and less likely to have MRD <0.1% at the time of alloHCT (57.1% vs 82.1%). Graft failure was more common in busulfan recipients; engraftment kinetics were similar between groups. Sinusoidal obstructive syndrome was diagnosed in 21% of busulfan and no mel/thio recipients (P = .03). One patient in each group died from TRM. Relapse incidence was comparable (mel/thio-29% vs busulfan-32%); however, relapse occurred significantly later in recipients of mel/thio conditioning (median d + 396 vs d + 137; P = .01). As a result, there was a trend toward improved OS at 1 and 3 years in mel/thio recipients (95% vs 74%, P = .06; and 75% vs 50%, P = .11; respectively). CONCLUSION: In our single institution, when compared to myeloablative busulfan-based conditioning, use of a mel/thio-based reduced toxicity regimen resulted in comparable outcomes, despite higher risk patient and disease characteristics. Mel/thio recipients had both more comorbidities and higher risk disease profile, which did not translate into higher rates of either TRM or relapse.

Comparison of Tolerance and Complication Rates Between Early and Delayed Feeding After Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Placement in Children.

BACKGROUND: Enteral nutrition is commonly initiated 24 hours after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in children. Adult studies report safe refeeding within 1 to 6 hours of PEG, and these findings have been cautiously applied to children. Comparative studies assessing early versus next-day refeeding in children are currently lacking. This study evaluates feeding tolerance and complications following early versus next-day refeeding in children. METHODS: This is a single-center, pre-post study. In June 2015 our clinical practice changed to begin refeeding within 6 hours of PEG. Children receiving early refeeding from December 2015 to August 2017 were included. A retrospective cohort from February 2013 to April 2015 was used for comparison. RESULTS: Forty-six children received early refeeding after PEG and 37 received next-day refeeding. Gender distribution was similar in the 2 groups. Early refeeding patients were slightly older (3.5 vs 2.2 years) and heavier (15.5 vs 11.5 kg) at PEG placement compared to next-day refeeding patients. Early refeeding patients experienced greater postprocedural nausea and/or vomiting (19% vs 8%, P < 0.001) and leakage, irritation, and infection around the stoma (19% vs 0.0%, P < 0.001). Compared to early refeeders, next-day refeeding patients experienced higher occurrence of fever (35% vs 13%, P = 0.021), longer nutritional disruption (24.6 vs 3.7 hours, P < 0.001), and longer length of stay (51 vs 27 hours; P < 0.001). One next-day refeeding patient experienced peritonitis. One early refeeding patient experienced cellulitis requiring hospitalization and a second experienced gastrostomy tube migration into the peritoneal cavity requiring removal. CONCLUSION: Early refeeders experienced higher rates of postprocedural nausea or vomiting and irritation, leakage, or infection around the stoma; but experienced lower rates of postoperative fever. Early refeeding resulted in reduced nutritional interruption and hospital length of stay.

Post-operative blood loss is higher among African American neonates undergoing open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass for CHD.

BACKGROUND: Neonates are at high risk of bleeding after open-heart surgery. We sought to determine pre-operative and intra-operative risk factors for increased bleeding after neonatal open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of neonates (0-30 days old) who underwent open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass from January, 2009, to March, 2013. Cardiac diagnosis; demographic and surgical data; and blood products, haemostatic agents, and anti-thrombotic agents administered before, during, and within 24 hours after surgery were abstracted from the electronic health record and anaesthesia records. The outcome of interest was chest tube output (in ml/kg body weight) within 24 hours. Relationships between chest tube output and putative associated factors were evaluated by unadjusted and adjusted linear regression. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 107 neonates, of whom 79% had a Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (STAT) Mortality Category of 4 or 5. Median chest tube output was 37 ml/kg (range 9-655 ml/kg). Age, African-American race, and longer durations of surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass each had statistically significant associations with increased chest tube output in unadjusted analyses. In multivariable analysis, African-American race retained an independent, statistically significant association with increased chest tube output; the geometric mean of chest tube output among African-American neonates was 71% higher than that of Caucasians (95% confidence interval, 29-125%; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Among neonates with CHD undergoing open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, African-American race is independently associated with greater chest tube output over the first 24 hours post-operatively.

Le Fort 1 and Bimaxillary Osteotomies Increase the Length of Stay but not Postoperative Morbidity Compared to Mandibular Osteotomies and Single Jaw Procedures.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the association between type of facial osteotomies performed during orthognathic surgery and postoperative outcomes including complications, length of stay, and readmission. METHODS: A retrospective review of orthognathic surgery cases from the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database from 2004 to 2014 was undertaken. Osteotomy procedures were classified as Le Fort 1 (LF 1), Mandibular osteotomy, Genioplasty or their combinations. Primary outcome variable was major complications. Secondary outcomes included postoperative LOS > 1 day and 90-day readmission. Random-intercept logistic regression models were utilized to assess the association between the type of osteotomy performed and the outcomes. Bonferroni approach was used to account for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The sample included 5413 patients, with a mean age of 17.1 ±â€Š1.68 years and 60.65% were female. The most common procedures were LF1 (39.4%), followed by bimaxillary surgery (23%). Major complications occurred in 8.57% of patients, postoperative LOS > 1 day in 52.4% and 90-day all-cause readmission in 11.16%. In adjusted analyses comparing LF1 compared to mandibular osteotomies, there were no significant differences for major complications (OR = 0.78), 90-day readmission rate (OR = 0.98). However, LF1 was associated with an increased odds for LOS compared to mandibular osteotomies (OR = 1.42). Addition of osteotomies is associated with a significant increase in LOS (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing orthognathic surgery demonstrated increased length of stay for LF1 or bimaxillary osteotomies. Osteotomy type did not impact the odds of readmission or complications. The trends revealed should be helpful for patient counseling.

Coagulative function assessed preoperatively via the clot formation and lysis assay as a prognostic factor for blood loss in adolescents undergoing posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a complex surgery often associated with clinically significant blood loss leading to perioperative blood transfusion. Knowledge of risk factors for blood loss and transfusion stems mostly from retrospective studies. AIM: We sought to prospectively investigate putative prognostic factors for intraoperative blood loss and perioperative blood transfusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients undergoing posterior spine fusion, including clinical characteristics, surgical factors, and preoperative assessment of overall coagulative and fibrinolytic functions in plasma using the clot formation and lysis (CloFAL) assay. METHODS: Following Internal Review Board approval, adolescents 10 to <21 years old with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spine fusion were enrolled preoperatively in a single-institutional prospective cohort and biobanking study. Clinical data were collected on patient characteristics, surgical approach, perioperative management, intraoperative estimated blood loss, and blood transfusion through hospital discharge. Coagulative and fibrinolytic functions in plasma were measured on preoperative samples by CloFAL assay (Coagulation Index and modified Fibrinolytic Index). Univariate linear regression and multivariable linear regression were performed to identify predictors of weight-indexed intraoperative estimated blood loss EBL (EBL/kg). RESULTS: The final study population included 74 patients. Median age was 14.8 years (SD = 2.2). After adjustment for other putative prognostic factors via multivariable linear regression, coagulative function as determined preoperatively by CloFAL Coagulation Index was an independent predictor of intraoperative (EBL)/kg. Specifically, each 10% increase in CloFAL CI was associated with 3% decrease in the geometric mean of EBL/kg (OR 0.97, 95%CI 0.94-0.99, P = .01). CONCLUSION: In adolescents undergoing posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis, increased coagulative function measured preoperatively using the CloFAL assay is independently associated with decreased intraoperative blood loss. Future studies should expand upon these investigations of plasma coagulative and fibrinolytic capacities in combination with clinical factors, to guide precise preventive strategies against blood loss and blood transfusion in this patient population.

To Scan or Not to Scan: Overutilization of Computed Tomography for Minor Head Injury at a Pediatric Trauma Center.

BACKGROUND: Degree of compliance with Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) recommendations for radiographic evaluation following minor head injury in children is not well understood. The aim of this study was to assess PECARN compliance at a pediatric trauma center. The secondary aim was to determine whether children with indeterminate history of loss of consciousness (LOC) are at greater risk for clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI) than those with no LOC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified children aged 0-17 y who presented <24 h after minor head injury with Glasgow Coma Scale ≥14 in our institutional trauma registry. Predictor variables for ciTBI (TBI resulting in admission ≥2 nights, intubation ≥24 h, neurosurgery, or death) were reviewed. Simple and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to estimate the independent effects of demographic and clinical characteristics on the outcome of ciTBI. RESULTS: We included 739 children. Incidence of ciTBI was 5.4%. Only 5.6% did not undergo computed tomography (CT). PECARN compliance was 92.6% overall, but only 23.0% in those for whom CT was not indicated. Among those for whom either CT or observation was acceptable, 93.7% underwent CT. LOC history was indeterminate in 8.5%. On multivariate analysis, indeterminate LOC was not a risk factor for ciTBI. Vomiting and presence of occipital/parietal/temporal scalp hematoma were independent risk factors for ciTBI. CONCLUSIONS: CT is overutilized in pediatric trauma patients presenting to our institution after minor head injury when compared to PECARN criteria. Indeterminate LOC history was not a risk factor for ciTBI. Education of parents and clinicians regarding the risk to benefit ratio of CT in trauma patients with minor head injury is needed.

Preappointment surveys and reminder calls to improve show rate.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of preappointment surveys and reminder phone calls on show rate and time spent in new patient appointments at a multidisciplinary pediatric chronic pain clinic. STUDY DESIGN: We examined show rates and appointment length during the 1-year period before and 1-year period after a preappointment survey and phone reminders were implemented. Fisher exact test was used for categorical variables and Student's t test with equal variances was used for continuous variables. METHODS: The setting was a multidisciplinary pediatric chronic pain management clinic in Florida. Participants were 362 patients scheduled for an initial pain clinic evaluation 1 year prior to and after the implementation of a preappointment survey on August 19, 2019. Our main outcome measures were show rate and appointment length. RESULTS: Patients who completed a preappointment survey were significantly more likely to attend their clinic appointment than noncompleters (97.2% vs 36.2%) and spent significantly less time in their appointment. CONCLUSIONS: With new patients, preappointment surveys can improve clinic show rate and decrease time spent in initial appointments. Clinics may consider policies targeting completion of preappointment surveys to assist with show rate, but they must consider their patients' barriers to completing surveys so access to care is not limited.

Multicenter Comparison of Laparoscopic Versus Open Repair of Duodenal Atresia in Neonates.

Introduction: Traditional duodenal atresia (DA) repair involves a laparotomy. There have been reports of laparoscopic repair (LAP), in lieu of the open laparotomy approach (OPN), with varying degrees of success. The merit of this alternative warrants continued investigation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were outcome differences after neonatal DA repair based on surgical approach. Methods: IRB approved retrospective review of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric database (2012-2018) was conducted. International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 (751.1) and ICD-10 codes (Q41.0) identified DA repair. Patient demographics, perioperative, and postoperative variables were collected. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models assessed associations between surgical approach and outcomes. Results: A total of 917 cases were identified, 803 (87.6%) OPN, 75 (8.2%) LAP, and 39 (4.2%) LAP to OPN. Median age at surgery was 2 days (interquartile range [IQR] = 1-3). Females represented 56% of the LAP (n = 42), and 51% of the OPN (n = 412, P = .470). The LAP group had higher weight at surgery (2.8 kg, IQR = 2.3-3.1), compared with the OPN (2.6 kg, IQR = 2.1-2.9, P = .009); and longer operative time (161 minutes, IQR = 107-206; OPN 106 minutes, IQR = 85-135, P < .001). In unadjusted models, median postoperative stay was 4 days shorter (95% confidence interval = -7.5 to -0.5) among LAP compared with OPN. Adjusted models for postoperative stay, complication risks, and unplanned reoperation were not statistically different. Conclusion: Most DA repairs are performed through OPN. LAP resulted in shorter length of stay in unadjusted models. Similar incidence of complications and reoperation suggest that LAP may be as safe as OPN, when employed by skilled experienced pediatric surgeons.

Intravenous Fluid Bolus Rates Associated with Outcomes in Pediatric Sepsis: A Multi-Center Analysis.

Purpose: Pediatric sepsis guidelines recommend rapid intravenous fluid (IVF) bolus administration rates (BAR). Recent sepsis studies suggest that rapid BAR may be associated with increased morbidity. We aimed to describe the association between emergency department (ED) IVF BAR and clinical outcomes in pediatric sepsis. Patients and Methods: Secondary post-hoc analysis of retrospective cohort data from 19 hospitals in the Pediatric Septic Shock Collaborative (PSSC) database. Patients with presumed septic shock were defined by severe sepsis/septic shock diagnostic codes, receipt of septic shock therapies, or floor-to-ICU transfers within 12 hours from ED admission for septic shock. Patients (2 months-21 years) with complete data on weight, antibiotic receipt, bolus timing, and bolus volumes were included. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Associations between BAR and mortality and secondary (intubation or non-invasive positive pressure ventilation = NIPPV) outcomes were assessed using unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression. Results: The PSSC database included 6731 patients; 3969 met inclusion and received a median ED volume of 40.2 mL/kg. Seventy-six (1.9%) patients died, 151 (3.8%) were intubated, and 235 (5.9%) had NIPPV administered. The median BAR was 25.7 mL/kg/hr. For each 20 mL/kg/hr increase in BAR, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for 30-day mortality [aOR = 1.11 (95% CI 1.01, 1.23)], intubation [aOR = 1.25 (95% CI 1.09, 1.44)], and NIPPV [aOR = 1.20 (95% CI 1.05, 1.38)] significantly increased. Conclusion: Faster ED IVF bolus administration rates in this pediatric sepsis database were associated with higher adjusted odds of death, intubation and NIPPV. Controlled trials are needed to determine if these associations are replicable.

Risk factors for hospital acquired venous thromboembolism in congenital heart disease patients: A report from the children's hospital acquired thrombosis (CHAT) consortium.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of pediatric hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) has increased over time. Congenital heart disease (CHD) as a co-morbidity has been demonstrated to significantly increase HA-VTE risk among hospitalized children. OBJECTIVE: To identify specific risks factors for the development of HA-VTE in hospitalized children with CHD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective case-control study included hospitalized participants aged 0-21 years within the Children's Hospital Acquired Thrombosis (CHAT) Consortium Registry with a co-morbidity of CHD. Participants with HA-VTE and non-VTE controls with a past medical history of CHD were selected from the CHAT Registry and data regarding multiple clinical variables were extracted. These variables were then analyzed to assess their association with HA-VTE development. RESULTS: Three hundred and thirty-three participants with a co-morbidity of CHD were identified, comprising 275 HA-VTE cases and 58 controls. Median age for HA-VTE cases was 0.4 (IQR = 0-2.6) years compared to 3.4 (IQR = 0.7-6.5) for controls. Male participants were predominant in both groups (57.5 % HA-VTE cases vs 51.7 % controls). Multivariable analysis identified prior recent hospitalization (OR = 4.12, 95%CI = 1.66-10.24), intensive care unit (ICU) admission (OR = 3.29, 95 % CI = 1.15-9.40), and CVC placement (OR = 9.14, 95 % CI = 3.38-24.72) as significant risk factors for HA-VTE in subjects with CHD. CONCLUSIONS: ICU admission, CVC placement, and prior hospitalization were identified as statistically significant predictors associated with HA-VTE development in hospitalized children with history of CHD. Prospective studies are needed to validate these results and help develop strategies to mitigate HA-VTE development in these patients.

Risk of venous thromboembolism in pediatric hospitalized patients undergoing noncardiac surgery: A report from the Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis consortium.

Background: Surgery is a known risk factor for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) in children. Objectives: To assess whether the odds of HA-VTE differs across six anatomic sites of noncardiac surgery and to identify risk factors for HA-VTE in these children. Methods: This was a multicenter, case-control study. Anatomic sites of surgery and risk factors for HA-VTE were collected on hospitalized pediatric patients who had undergone a single noncardiac surgery and developed HA-VTE (cases), and those who did not develop HA-VTE (controls), via the Children's Hospital-Acquired Thrombosis (CHAT) Registry. Logistic regression estimated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between six anatomic sites of surgery and 16 putative HA-VTE risk factors. Variables with a p value of 0.10 or less in unadjusted analyses were included in adjusted models for further evaluation. The final model used backward selection, with a significance level of 0.05. Results: From January 2012 to March 2020, 163 cases (median age, 5.7 years; interquartile range [IQR], 0.3-14.2) and 208 controls (median age of 7.5 years; IQR, 3.7-12.9) met our criteria. There was no statistically significant increased odds of VTE among the types of noncardiac surgery. In the final adjusted model, central venous catheter (CVC; OR, 14.69; 95% CI, 7.06-30.55), intensive care unit (ICU) stay (OR, 5.31; 95% CI, 2.53-11.16), and hospitalization in the month preceding surgery (OR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.24-6.13) were each independently significant risk factors for HA-VTE. Conclusion: In children undergoing noncardiac surgery, placement of CVCs, admission/transfer to the ICU, or hospitalization in the month prior to surgery were positively associated with HA-VTE.

Corticosteroids for Acute Orbital Cellulitis.

OBJECTIVES: Standard treatment of children hospitalized for acute orbital cellulitis includes systemic antibiotics. Recent data from single-center studies suggest the addition of systemic corticosteroids may hasten clinical improvement and reduce hospital length of stay (LOS). We investigate the potential relationship between corticosteroid exposure and duration of hospitalization for pediatric orbital cellulitis. METHODS: Using Pediatric Health Information System registry data from 51 children's facilities, we performed a retrospective cohort study of children hospitalized for orbital cellulitis <18 years of age from 2007 to 2018. The primary study outcome was hospital LOS. Secondary outcomes included frequency of surgical interventions, PICU admission, and 30-day related-cause readmission. RESULTS: Of the 5645 children included for study, 1347 (24%) were prescribed corticosteroids within 2 days of admission. Corticosteroid prescription was not associated with LOS in analyses adjusted for age; presence of meningitis, abscess, or vision issues; and operative episode and PICU admission within 2 days (e ß = 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97-1.06). Corticosteroid exposure was associated with operative episodes after 2 days of hospitalization (odds ratio = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.29-3.27) and 30-day readmission (odds ratio = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.52-3.78) among patients with a primary diagnosis of orbital cellulitis. CONCLUSIONS: In this database query, we were not able to detect a reduction in LOS associated with corticosteroid exposure during hospitalization for orbital cellulitis. Corticosteroid prescription was associated with PICU admission and operative episodes after 2 days of hospitalization. Before the adoption of routine corticosteroid use, prospective, randomized control trials are needed.

Airway Management for Initial PEG Insertion in the Pediatric Endoscopy Unit: A Retrospective Evaluation of 168 Patients.

PURPOSE: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placements are commonly performed pediatric endoscopic procedures. Because of underlying disease, these patients are at increased risk for airway-related complications. This study compares patient characteristics and complications following initial PEG insertion with general endotracheal anesthesia (GETA) vs. anesthesia-directed deep sedation with a natural airway (ADDS). METHODS: All patients 6 months to 18 years undergoing initial PEG insertion within the endoscopy suite were considered for inclusion in this retrospective cohort study. Selection of GETA vs. ADDS was made by the anesthesia attending after discussion with the gastroenterologist. RESULTS: This study included 168 patients (GETA n=38, ADDS n=130). Cohorts had similar characteristics with respect to sex, race, and weight. Compared to ADDS, GETA patients were younger (1.5 years vs. 2.9 years, p=0.04), had higher rates of severe American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) disease severity scores (ASA 4-5) (21% vs. 3%, p<0.001), and higher rates of cardiac comorbidities (39.5% vs. 18.5%, p=0.02). Significant associations were not observed between GETA/ADDS status and airway support, 30-day readmission, fever, or pain medication in unadjusted or adjusted models. GETA patients had significantly increased length of stay (eß=1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.11-2.18) after adjusting for ASA class, room time, anesthesia time, fever, and cardiac diagnosis. GETA patients also had increased room time (eß=1.20, 95% CI=1.08-1.33) and anesthesia time (eß=1.50, 95% CI=1.30-1.74) in adjusted models. CONCLUSION: Study results indicate that younger and higher risk patients are more likely to undergo GETA. Children selected for GETA experienced longer room times, anesthesia times, and hospital length of stay.

Prevalence of Vision Loss and Associations With Age-Related Eye Diseases Among Nursing Home Residents Aged ≥65 Years.

OBJECTIVES: To examine data from Delaware nursing homes to determine prevalence of age-related eye diseases (AREDs), vision impairment, and blindness and to compare the findings with the results of 11 US investigations of vision and eye health in nursing homes. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional, retrospective study of nursing home patients. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Twenty nursing homes in Delaware participated in the study, yielding comprehensive eye examination records for 2019 study participants. METHODS: Summary statistics and regression analyses. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of vision impairment or blindness was 63.8% and was above 60% for each age, sex, and race category. Prevalence of vision impairment or blindness was 68.4% among patients with cataracts, 69.4% among patients with macular degeneration, 70.5% among patients with glaucoma, and 68.4% among patients with diabetic retinopathy. Prevalence of blindness was 14.1%. Among patients with AREDs, prevalence of blindness ranged from 15.0% for patients with cataracts to 22.6% for patients with diabetic retinopathy. When compared with other investigations, we found wide variation in vision and eye factors reported and wide variation in the prevalence of those factors. Only 4 studies diagnosed both AREDs and visual function. Seven studies reported AREDs, and 7 reported vision impairment and/or blindness. Vision impairment or blindness ranged from 29% to 67%; cataract ranged from 32% to 83%; macular degeneration ranged from 4.6% to 70.7%. Glaucoma ranged from 5.3% to 41.4%; diabetic retinopathy ranged from 1.7% to 3.1%. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Comprehensive eye examinations showed that vision impairment and blindness affected 63.8% of nursing home residents. Compared with other studies, there was a wide range of vision factors reported and wide variation in the prevalence of vision impairment or blindness and AREDs. This investigation suggests the importance of eye care in nursing homes and the importance of reporting standard vision and eye health factors to inform policy and practice.

Does speed matter? A look at NSQIP-P outcomes based on operative time.

BACKGROUND: Appendicitis is a common pediatric surgical condition, comprising a large burden of healthcare costs. We aimed to determine if prolonged operative times were associated with increased 30-day complication rates when adjusting for pre-operative risk factors. METHODS: Patients <18 years old, diagnosed intraoperatively with acute uncomplicated appendicitis and undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy were identified from the NSQIP-P 2012-2018 databases. The primary outcome, "infectious post-operative complications", is a composite of sepsis, deep incisional surgical site infections, wound disruptions, superficial, and organ space infections within 30-days of the operation. Secondary outcomes included return to the operating room and unplanned readmissions within 30 days. Logistic regression models were used to assess associations between operative time and each outcome. A Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was generated from the predicted probabilities of the multivariate model for infectious post-operative complications to examine operative times. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2018, 27,763 pediatric patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy. Over half the population was male (61%) with a median operative time of 39 min (IQR 29-52 min). Infectious post-operative complication rate was 2.8% overall and was highest (8%) among patients with operative time ≥ 90 min (Fig. 1). Unplanned readmission occurred in 2.9% of patients, with 0.7% returning to the operating room. Each 30-min increase in operating time was associated with a 24% increase in odds of an infectious post-operative complication (OR=1.24, 95% CI=1.17-1.31) in adjusted models. Operative time thresholds predicted with ROC analysis were most meaningful in younger patients with higher ASA class and pre-operative SIRS/Sepsis/Septic shock. Longer operative times were also associated with higher odds of unplanned readmission (OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.05-1.18) and return to the operating room (OR=1.13, 95% CI=1.02-1.24) in adjusted models. CONCLUSION: There is a risk-adjusted association between prolonged operative time and the occurrence of infectious post-operative complications. Infectious postoperative complications increase healthcare spending and are currently an area of focus in healthcare value models. Future studies should focus on addressing laparoscopic appendectomy operative times longer than 60 min, with steps such as continuation of antibiotics, shifting roles between attending and resident surgeons, and simulation training. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative study.