A Comparison of the Anticoagulation Efficacy and Safety of Epoprostenol to Heparin and Citrate in Children Receiving Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Anticoagulants are used in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) to prolong filter life. There are no prior investigations directly comparing epoprostenol to more commonly used forms of anticoagulation in children. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of epoprostenol as compared to heparin and citrate anticoagulation in a pediatric cohort. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients <18 years of age admitted to an academic quaternary care children's hospital from 2017-2022 who received epoprostenol, heparin, or citrate exclusively for CRRT anticoagulation. Efficacy was evaluated by comparing the hours to the first unintended filter change and the ratio of filters used to CRRT days. Safety was assessed by evaluating changes in platelet count and vasoactive-ionotropic score (VIS). RESULTS: Of 101 patients, 44 received epoprostenol (43.6%), 38 received heparin (37.6%), and 19 received citrate (18.8%). The first filter change was more commonly planned in patients receiving anticoagulation with epoprostenol (43%) as compared to citrate (11%) or heparin (29%) (p = 0.034). Of those patients where the first filter change was unintended (n = 33), there were greater median hours until the filter was replaced in those receiving epoprostenol (29) when compared to citrate (21) (p = 0.002) or heparin (18) (p = 0.003). There was a smaller median ratio of filters used to days on therapy in the patients that received epoprostenol (0.53) when compared to citrate (1) (p = 0.003) or heparin (0.75) (p = 0.001). For those receiving epoprostenol, there was no significant decrease in platelet count when comparing values prior to CRRT initiation through 7 days of therapy. There was no significant difference in VIS when comparing values prior to CRRT initiation through the first 2 days of CRRT. CONCLUSIONS: Epoprostenol-based anticoagulation is effective when compared to other anticoagulation strategies used in pediatric CRRT with a favorable side effect profile.

Social Environment and Neurobehavioral Outcomes 1 Year After Severe Pediatric TBI in the Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of home and neighborhood environment with neurobehavioral outcomes after severe pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING: Domestic and international children's medical centers. PARTICIPANTS: Participants enrolled in the study were 18 years or younger at the time of their severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] ≤ 8), admitted to the intensive care unit, and underwent placement of an intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor. Exclusionary criteria included less severe injury (GCS > 8), pregnancy, and/or ICP monitor placement occurred at a non-participating hospital. DESIGN: A multicenter, observational cohort study. MAIN MEASURES: Outcomes assessed at 12 months post-injury included measures of global functioning, intellectual ability, caregiver-report measures of family functioning, executive functioning behaviors, behavior problems, and health-related quality of life. We examined mortality risk (assessed acutely after injury), family functioning (assessed at 12 months post-injury) and parenting practices, social environment, and neighborhood stressors (all assessed > 12 months post-injury), as correlates and moderators of the 12-month post-injury outcomes. RESULTS: Home and neighborhood factors were associated with neurobehavioral outcomes (ie, intellectual ability, executive functioning, behavioral adjustment, and health-related quality of life) but not with global functioning outcomes. A negative association between a more vulnerable home and neighborhood environment and neurobehavioral outcomes was more consistent in older children compared with younger children, based on age of injury. The influence of mortality risk on neurobehavioral outcomes was variable. CONCLUSION: Parenting practices and quality of social and neighborhood environment are associated with neurobehavioral outcomes 12 months after severe pediatric TBI. More research is needed to better understand the relationship between home/neighborhood stressors and TBI recovery to develop and implement strategies for patients and families to optimize outcomes. Future intervention development should focus on addressing parenting practices and social environment in a developmentally sensitive way for children who have sustained a severe TBI.

Primary Care Enhanced Access Services and the Association With Nonurgent Pediatric Emergency Department Utilization and Child Opportunity Index.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the association between primary care practice characteristics (enhanced access services) and practice-level rates of nonurgent emergency department (ED) visits using ED and practice-level data. Survey data suggest that enhanced access services within a child's primary care practice may be associated with reduced nonurgent ED visits. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of nonurgent ED visits to a tertiary pediatric hospital in Western Pennsylvania with nearly 85,000 annual ED visits. We obtained patient encounter data of all nonurgent pediatric ED (PED) visits between January 2018 and December 2019. We identified the primary care provider at the time of the study period. For each of the 42 included offices, we determined the number of unique children in the office with a nonurgent PED visit, allowing us to determine the percentage of children in the practice with such a visit during the study period. We then stratified the 42 offices into low, intermediate, and high tertiles of nonurgent PED use. Using Kruskal-Wallis tests, logistic regression, and Pearson χ 2 tests, we compared practice characteristics, enhanced access services, practice location Child Opportunity Index 2.0, and PED visit diagnoses across tertiles. RESULTS: We examined 52,459 nonurgent PED encounters by 33,209 unique patients across 42 outpatient offices. Primary care practices in the lowest ED visit tertile were more likely to have 4 or more evenings with office hours (36% vs 14%, P = 0.04), 4 or more evenings of weekday extended hours (43% vs 14%, P = 0.05), and at least 1 day of any weekend hours (86% vs 29%, P = 0.01), compared with practices in other tertiles. High PED use tertile offices were also associated with lower Child Opportunity Index scores. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care offices with higher nonurgent PED utilization had fewer enhanced access services and were located in neighborhood with fewer child-focused resources.

Long-Term outcomes in adult patients with congenital heart disease considered for transplantation: A single center study.

BACKGROUND: Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients pose unique challenges in identifying the time for transplantation and factors influencing outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To identify hemodynamic, functional, and laboratory parameters that correlate with 1- and 10-year outcomes in ACHD patients considered for transplantation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of long-term outcomes in adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) evaluated for heart or heart + additional organ transplant between 2004 and 2014 at our center was performed. A machine learning decision tree model was used to evaluate multiple clinical parameters correlating with 1- and 10-year survival. RESULTS: We identified 58 patients meeting criteria. D-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) with atrial switch operation (20.7%), tetralogy of Fallot/pulmonary atresia (15.5%), and tricuspid atresia (13.8%) were the most common diagnosis for transplant. Single ventricle patients were most likely to be listed for transplantation (39.8% of evaluated patients). Among a comprehensive list of clinical factors, invasive hemodynamic parameters (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), systemic vascular pressure (SVP), and end diastolic pressures (EDP) most correlated with 1- and 10-year outcomes. Transplanted patients with SVP < 14 and non- transplanted patients with PCWP < 15 had 100% survival 1-year post-transplantation. CONCLUSION: For the first time, our study identifies that hemodynamic parameters most strongly correlate with 1- and 10-year outcomes in ACHD patients considered for transplantation, using a data-driven machine learning model.

Temporal and Spatial Changes in the Microbiome Following Pediatric Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVES: The microbiome may be affected by trauma and critical illness. Many studies of the microbiome in critical illness are restricted to a single body site or time point and confounded by preexisting conditions. We report temporal and spatial alterations in the microbiome of previously healthy children with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: We collected oral, rectal, and skin swabs within 72 hours of admission and then twice weekly until ICU discharge. Samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Children undergoing elective outpatient surgery served as controls. Alpha and beta diversity comparisons were performed with Phyloseq, and differentially abundant taxa were predicted using Analysis of Composition of Microbiomes. SETTING: Five quaternary-care PICUs. PATIENTS: Patients less than 18 years with severe TBI requiring placement of an intracranial pressure monitor. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Three hundred twenty-seven samples were analyzed from 23 children with severe TBI and 35 controls. The community composition of initial oral (F = 3.2756, R2 = 0.0535, p = 0.012) and rectal (F = 3.0702, R2 = 0.0649, p = 0.007) samples differed between TBI and control patients. Rectal samples were depleted of commensal bacteria from Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Lachnospiraceae families and enriched in Staphylococcaceae after TBI (p < 0.05). In exploratory analyses, antibiotic exposure, presence of an endotracheal tube, and occurrence of an infection were associated with greater differences of the rectal and oral microbiomes between TBI patients and healthy controls, whereas enteral nutrition was associated with smaller differences (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The microbiome of children with severe TBI is characterized by early depletion of commensal bacteria, loss of site specificity, and an enrichment of potential pathogens. Additional studies are needed to determine the impact of these changes on clinical outcomes.

Mortality Risk in Pediatric Sepsis Based on C-reactive Protein and Ferritin Levels.

OBJECTIVES: Interest in using bedside C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin levels to identify patients with hyperinflammatory sepsis who might benefit from anti-inflammatory therapies has piqued with the COVID-19 pandemic experience. Our first objective was to identify patterns in CRP and ferritin trajectory among critically ill pediatric sepsis patients. We then examined the association between these different groups of patients in their inflammatory cytokine responses, systemic inflammation, and mortality risks. DATA SOURCES: A prospective, observational cohort study. STUDY SELECTION: Children with sepsis and organ failure in nine pediatric intensive care units in the United States. DATA EXTRACTION: Two hundred and fifty-five children were enrolled. Five distinct clinical multi-trajectory groups were identified. Plasma CRP (mg/dL), ferritin (ng/mL), and 31 cytokine levels were measured at two timepoints during sepsis (median Day 2 and Day 5). Group-based multi-trajectory models (GBMTM) identified groups of children with distinct patterns of CRP and ferritin. DATA SYNTHESIS: Group 1 had normal CRP and ferritin levels ( n = 8; 0% mortality); Group 2 had high CRP levels that became normal, with normal ferritin levels throughout ( n = 80; 5% mortality); Group 3 had high ferritin levels alone ( n = 16; 6% mortality); Group 4 had very high CRP levels, and high ferritin levels ( n = 121; 11% mortality); and Group 5 had very high CRP and very high ferritin levels ( n = 30; 40% mortality). Cytokine responses differed across the five groups, with ferritin levels correlated with macrophage inflammatory protein 1α levels and CRP levels reflective of many cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: Bedside CRP and ferritin levels can be used together to distinguish groups of children with sepsis who have different systemic inflammation cytokine responses and mortality risks. These data suggest future potential value in personalized clinical trials with specific targets for anti-inflammatory therapies.

Effects of inpatient rehabilitation after acute care on functional and quality-of-life outcomes in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have assessed the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process in children surviving severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). We evaluated whether receiving inpatient rehabilitation after acute hospitalization was associated with better functional outcomes compared to receiving only non-inpatient rehabilitation in children with severe TBI and explored an effect modification for Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at hospital discharge. METHODS: We included 254 children who received rehabilitation following severe TBI from a multinational observational study. The Pediatric Glasgow Outcome Scale - Extended (GOS-E Peds), parent/guardian-reported and child-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) at 12 months post-injury were assessed and described using summary statistics. Unadjusted and propensity score-weighted linear/ordinal logistic regression modeling were also performed. RESULTS: 180 children received inpatient rehabilitation and 74 children received only non-inpatient rehabilitation after acute hospitalization. Among children with a GCS<13 at discharge, those receiving inpatient rehabilitation had a more favorable GOS-E Peds score (OR = 0.12, p = 0.045). However, no such association was observed in children with a higher GCS. We found no differences in PedsQL scores between rehabilitation groups. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies are warranted to confirm the benefits of inpatient rehabilitation for children with more severely impaired consciousness when medically stable.

Serum Biomarkers of Regeneration and Plasticity are Associated with Functional Outcome in Pediatric Neurocritical Illness: An Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Pediatric neurocritical care survivorship is frequently accompanied by functional impairments. Lack of prognostic biomarkers is a barrier to early identification and management of impairment. We explored the association between blood biomarkers and functional impairment in children with acute acquired brain injury. METHODS: This study is a secondary analysis of a randomized control trial evaluating early versus usual care rehabilitation in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Forty-four children (17 [39%] female, median age 11 [interquartile range 6-13] years) with acute acquired brain injury admitted to the PICU were studied. A single center obtained serum samples on admission days 0, 1, 3, 5, and the day closest to hospital discharge. Biomarkers relevant to brain injury (neuron specific enolase [NSE], S100b), inflammation (interleukin [IL-6], C-reactive protein), and regeneration (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]) were collected. Biomarkers were analyzed using a Luminex® bioassay. Functional status scale (FSS) scores were abstracted from the medical record. New functional impairment was defined as a (worse) FSS score at hospital discharge compared to pre-PICU (baseline). Individual biomarker fluorescence index (FI) values for each sample collection day were correlated with new functional impairment using Spearman rank correlation coefficient (ρ). Trends in repeated measures of biomarker FI over time were explored graphically, and the association between repeated measures of biomarker FI and new functional impairment was analyzed using covariate adjusted linear mixed-effect models. RESULTS: Functional impairment was inversely correlated with markers of regeneration and plasticity including BDNF at day 3 (ρ = - 0.404, p = .015), day 5 (ρ = - 0.549, p = 0.005) and hospital discharge (ρ = - 0.420, p = 0.026) and VEGF at day 1 (ρ = - 0.282, p = 0.008) and hospital discharge (ρ = - 0.378, p = 0.047), such that lower levels of both markers at each time point were associated with greater impairment. Similarly, repeated measures of BDNF and VEGF were inversely correlated with new functional impairment (B = - 0.001, p = 0.001 and B = - 0.001, p = 0.003, respectively). NSE, a biomarker of acute brain injury, showed a positive correlation between day 0 levels and new functional impairment (ρ = 0.320, p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Blood-based biomarkers of regeneration and plasticity may hold prognostic utility for functional impairment among pediatric patients with neurocritical illness and warrant further investigation.

A Decade of Drinking: Temporal Trends in Apparent Household Beer Intake and Standard Drink Consumption in the United States.

Beer remains the greatest source of per capita alcohol consumption in the United States, and increasing market availability and consumer demand for higher alcohol has meaningful public health consequences. Objectives: To determine whether apparent alcohol intake from beer changed among households over time, we used nationally-representative US Nielsen Consumer Panel purchasing data from 2004 to 2014, and incorporated information on percent alcohol by volume (ABV) to compute the number of standard drinks of alcohol consumed from beer as a result. Methods: We queried external data sources (e.g. official manufacture, consumer beer-related websites) to obtain beer-specific ABVs, merged this information with Nielsen consumer-level data, and calculated the average rate of beer and standard drink consumption per household per year. We used joinpoint regression to estimate annual percentage changes and annual absolute changes in intake over time, with separate piecewise linear segments fit between years if a significant deviation in trend was detected. Results: Higher alcohol content beer consumption increased steadily across the decade, accounting for 9.6% of total intake in 2004 compared to 21.6% of total intake by 2014. Standard drink intake from beer declined sharply post-2011 by 3.04% annually (95% CI: -5.93, -0.06) or by 4.52 standard drinks (95% CI: -8.69, -0.35) yearly - coinciding with several beer industry transitions, market share fluctuations, and consumer preference changes for beer occurring around that time. Conclusions: Despite consistent increases in higher alcohol content beer intake across the decade, households do not appear to be consuming more standard drinks of alcohol from beer as a result.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2021.1928208 .

Bowel preparation prior to minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy: a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective was to determine if a bowel preparation prior to minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy (MIS) influences post-operative constipation symptoms. We hypothesized that women who underwent a bowel preparation would have an improvement in post-operative defecatory function. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, women undergoing MIS received a pre-operative bowel preparation or no bowel preparation. Our primary outcome was post-operative constipation measured by the Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC-SYM) 2 weeks post-operatively. Secondary outcomes included surgeon's perception of case difficulty. Both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol analyses (PPA) were performed. Analyses were carried out using t test, Fisher's exact test, the Wilcoxon test and the Chi-squared test. RESULTS: Of 105 enrolled women, 95 completed follow-up (43 preparation and 52 no preparation). Baseline characteristics and rates of complications were similar. No differences were noted on ITT. The post-operative abdominal PAC-SYM subscale was closer to baseline for women who received a bowel preparation on PPA (change in score 0.74 vs 1.08, p = 0.045). Women who underwent a preparation were less likely to report strain (6.0% vs 26.7%, p = 0.009) or type 1 Bristol stool on their first post-operative bowel movement (4.3% vs 17.5%, p = 0.047). Surgeons were more likely to rate the complexity of the case as "more difficult than average" (54.4% vs 40.1%, p = 0.027) in those without a bowel preparation. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was no difference in ITT analysis, women who underwent a bowel preparation prior to MIS demonstrated benefit to post-operative defecatory function with a corresponding improvement in surgeon's perception of case complexity.

Independent Predictors of Perioperative Stroke-Related Mortality after Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Perioperative stroke remains a devastating complication after cardiac surgery and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite the significant contribution of stroke to perioperative mortality, risk factors for perioperative stroke-related mortality have not been well characterized. Our aim was to identify independent predictors of perioperative stroke-related mortality after cardiac surgery, using the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) database which provides information on cause of death. METHODS: We retrospectively examined patient medical records from 2012 to 2014 of 3345 patients (ages 18-99) who underwent a cardiac surgical procedure and suffered perioperative (30-day) mortality. Perioperative stroke-related mortality was identified by International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification cause of death codes. We performed Fisher's exact test and multivariate analysis to identify comorbidities that independently predict perioperative stroke-related mortality. RESULTS: After controlling for all variables with multivariate analysis, we found that patients with carotid stenosis were 4.9 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-12.8) times more likely to die from a stroke than from other causes, when compared to patients without carotid stenosis. Other independent predictors of perioperative stroke-related mortality included in-hospital stroke (aOR 108.8, 95%CI 48.2-245.9), history of stroke (aOR 17.1, 95%CI 3.3-88.4), and age ≥ 80 (aOR 4.9, 95%CI 2.1-11.2). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to establish carotid stenosis, among other comorbidities, as an independent predictor of perioperative stroke-related mortality after cardiac surgery. Understanding risk factors for mortality from stroke will help enhance the efficacy of preoperative screening, intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, and potential treatments for stroke. Interventions to manage carotid stenosis and other identified risk factors prior to, during, or immediately after surgery may have the potential to reduce perioperative stroke-related mortality after cardiac surgery.

Neighbourhood assets and early pregnancy cardiometabolic risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Prepregnancy cardiometabolic risk factors are associated with increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Neighbourhood features may reflect prepregnancy exposures that contribute to poor cardiometabolic health before pregnancy and may contribute to racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: Early pregnancy measurements from 1504 women enrolled in the Prenatal Exposures and Preeclampsia Prevention study were linked to a 2000 Census-based measure of neighbourhood socio-economic status and commercial data (food, alcohol, and retail density) during 1997-2001. Multilevel random-intercept linear regression was used to separately estimate the association between levels of neighbourhood assets (low, mid-low, mid-high, high) and C-reactive protein (CRP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and body mass index (BMI) in cross-sectional analyses. Low neighbourhood assets have high-poverty/low-retail, whereas high neighbourhood assets have low-poverty/high-retail. Models were adjusted for individual-level factors (age and race), and we assessed effect modification by race. RESULTS: Low compared with high neighbourhood assets were associated with higher BMI (ß 1.95 kg/m2 , 95% CI 0.89, 3.00), after adjusting for individual-level covariates. After adjusting for BMI and other covariates, low compared with high assets were associated with higher CRP concentrations (ß 0.20 ng/mL, 95% CI 0.01, 0.39). Neighbourhood assets were not associated with SBP. Race did not modify the association between neighbourhood assets and cardiometabolic risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Early pregnancy adiposity is related to neighbourhood features independent of individual factors. Further, inflammation beyond accounting for adiposity is related to neighbourhood features. Strategies that address neighbourhood assets during preconception and interconception may be promising approaches to improve prepregnancy health.

Associations Between Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Physical Activity in the United States, National Health Interview Survey, 2017.

BACKGROUND: Individual social support is positively related to physical activity participation. However, less is known about how neighborhood-level social structures relate to physical activity participation. METHODS: We analyzed 2017 National Health Interview Survey data for adult participants who completed all questions on physical activity and neighborhood cohesion (N = 23,006). Each cohesion question was binary coded (cohesion or not) and used as a predictor individually and for a composite score measuring total social cohesion. We used linear regression to estimate minutes of moderate aerobic activity, and we used logistic regression to estimate the odds of meeting aerobic guidelines (≥150 min/wk), strength guidelines (≥2 d/wk of muscle strengthening exercises), or both guidelines, predicted by the 5 definitions of cohesion (composite cohesion and the 4 questions separately). Models were adjusted for sex, age, race/ethnicity, family-income-to-poverty ratio, education, nativity, language, and neighborhood tenure. RESULTS: Respondents who reported having more social cohesion had 45.0 more minutes of aerobic activity and increased odds of meeting aerobic, strength, and combined guidelines (odds ratio [OR] = 1.22, OR = 1.13, and OR = 1.14, respectively; P < .01 for all). Reporting having availability of help when needed, neighbors to count on, trustworthy neighbors, and close-knit neighbors all resulted in increased odds of meeting aerobic guidelines but not increased odds for meeting strength guidelines in the latter 3 components or combined guidelines for the latter 2 components. CONCLUSIONS: Having neighborhood social cohesion or select individual components of neighborhood cohesion are positively related to meeting aerobic, strength, and combined guidelines.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Infectious Encephalopathy in Children From Four Resource-Limited Settings in Africa.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the frequency, interventions, and outcomes of children presenting with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy in low-resource settings. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Four hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa. PATIENTS: Children age 1 day to 17 years old evaluated at the hospital with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We evaluated the frequency and outcomes of children presenting consecutively over 4 weeks to any hospital department with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy. Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category score was assessed pre morbidity and at hospital discharge. Overall, 130 children were studied (58 [45%] had traumatic brain injury) from hospitals in Ethiopia (n = 51), Kenya (n = 50), Rwanda (n = 20), and Ghana (n = 7). Forty-six percent had no prehospital care, and 64% required interhospital transport over 18 km (1-521 km). On comparing traumatic brain injury with infectious encephalopathy, there was no difference in presentation with altered mental state (80% vs 82%), but a greater proportion of traumatic brain injury cases had loss of consciousness (80% vs 53%; p = 0.004). Traumatic brain injury patients were older (median [range], 120 mo [6-204 mo] vs 13 mo [0.3-204 mo]), p value of less than 0.001, and more likely male (73% vs 51%), p value of less than 0.01. In 78% of infectious encephalopathy cases, cause was unknown. More infectious encephalopathy cases had a seizure (69% vs 12%; p < 0.001). In regard to outcome, infectious encephalopathy versus traumatic brain injury: hospital lengths of stay were longer for infectious encephalopathy (8 d [2-30 d] vs 4 d [1-36 d]; p = 0.003), discharge rate to home, or for inpatient rehabilitation, or death differed between infectious encephalopathy (85%, 1%, and 13%) and traumatic brain injury (79%, 12%, and 1%), respectively, p value equals to 0.044. There was no difference in the proportion of children surviving with normal or mild disability (73% traumatic brain injury vs 79% infectious encephalopathy; p = 0.526). CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury and infectious encephalopathy varied by center and disease. To improve outcomes of these conditions in low-resource setting, focus should be on neurocritical care protocols for pre-hospital, hospital, and rehabilitative care.

Reliability and Validity of Survey Instruments to Measure Work-Related Fatigue in the Emergency Medical Services Setting: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to systematically search the literature to identify reliable and valid survey instruments for fatigue measurement in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) occupational setting. METHODS: A systematic review study design was used and searched six databases, including one website. The research question guiding the search was developed a priori and registered with the PROSPERO database of systematic reviews: "Are there reliable and valid instruments for measuring fatigue among EMS personnel?" (2016:CRD42016040097). The primary outcome of interest was criterion-related validity. Important outcomes of interest included reliability (e.g., internal consistency), and indicators of sensitivity and specificity. Members of the research team independently screened records from the databases. Full-text articles were evaluated by adapting the Bolster and Rourke system for categorizing findings of systematic reviews, and the rated data abstracted from the body of literature as favorable, unfavorable, mixed/inconclusive, or no impact. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology was used to evaluate the quality of evidence. RESULTS: The search strategy yielded 1,257 unique records. Thirty-four unique experimental and non-experimental studies were determined relevant following full-text review. Nineteen studies reported on the reliability and/or validity of ten different fatigue survey instruments. Eighteen different studies evaluated the reliability and/or validity of four different sleepiness survey instruments. None of the retained studies reported sensitivity or specificity. Evidence quality was rated as very low across all outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review, limited evidence of the reliability and validity of 14 different survey instruments to assess the fatigue and/or sleepiness status of EMS personnel and related shift worker groups was identified.

Disparities in Health Care Utilization of Adults With Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Related to Insurance, Race, and Ethnicity: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize racial/ethnic and insurance disparities in the utilization of healthcare services among US adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: The PubMed database was used to search for articles that directly examined the association between race/ethnicity and insurance disparities and healthcare utilization among patients with TBI. Eleven articles that met the criteria and were published between June 2011 and June 2016 were finally included in the review. RESULTS: Lack of insurance was significantly associated with decreased use of inhospital and posthospital healthcare services among patients with TBI. However, mixed results were reported for the associations between insurance types and healthcare utilization. The majority of studies reported that racial/ethnic minorities were less likely to use inhospital and posthospital healthcare services, while some studies did not indicate any significant relation between race/ethnicity and healthcare utilization among patients with TBI. CONCLUSIONS: This review provides evidence of a relation between insurance status and healthcare utilization among US adults with TBI. Insurance status may also account for some portion of the relation between race/ethnicity and healthcare utilization.

International Survey of Critically Ill Children With Acute Neurologic Insults: The Prevalence of Acute Critical Neurological Disease in Children: A Global Epidemiological Assessment Study.

OBJECTIVE: The international scope of critical neurologic insults in children is unknown. Our objective was to assess the prevalence and outcomes of children admitted to PICUs with acute neurologic insults. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Multicenter (n = 107 PICUs) and multinational (23 countries, 79% in North America and Europe). PATIENTS: Children 7 days to 17 years old admitted to the ICU with new traumatic brain injury, stroke, cardiac arrest, CNS infection or inflammation, status epilepticus, spinal cord injury, hydrocephalus, or brain mass. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We evaluated the prevalence and outcomes of children with predetermined acute neurologic insults. Child and center characteristics were recorded. Unfavorable outcome was defined as change in pre-post insult Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category score greater than or equal to 2 or death at hospital discharge or 3 months, whichever came first. Screening data yielded overall prevalence of 16.2%. Of 924 children with acute neurologic insults, cardiac arrest (23%) and traumatic brain injury (19%) were the most common. All-cause mortality at hospital discharge was 12%. Cardiac arrest subjects had highest mortality (24%), and traumatic brain injury subjects had the most unfavorable outcomes (49%). The most common neurologic insult was infection/inflammation in South America, Asia, and the single African site but cardiac arrest in the remaining regions. CONCLUSIONS: Neurologic insults are a significant pediatric international health issue. They are frequent and contribute substantial morbidity and mortality. These data suggest a need for an increased focus on acute critical neurologic diseases in infants and children including additional research, enhanced availability of clinical resources, and the development of new therapies.

Incidence and risk factors of posttraumatic seizures following traumatic brain injury: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

OBJECTIVE: Determine incidence of posttraumatic seizure (PTS) following traumatic brain injury (TBI) among individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI requiring rehabilitation and surviving at least 5 years. METHODS: Using the prospective TBI Model Systems National Database, we calculated PTS incidence during acute hospitalization, and at years 1, 2, and 5 postinjury in a continuously followed cohort enrolled from 1989 to 2000 (n = 795). Incidence rates were stratified by risk factors, and adjusted relative risk (RR) was calculated. Late PTS associations with immediate (<24 h), early (24 h-7 day), or late seizures (>7 day) versus no seizure prior to discharge from acute hospitalization was also examined. RESULTS: PTS incidence during acute hospitalization was highest immediately (<24 h) post-TBI (8.9%). New onset PTS incidence was greatest between discharge from inpatient rehabilitation and year 1 (9.2%). Late PTS cumulative incidence from injury to year 1 was 11.9%, and reached 20.5% by year 5. Immediate/early PTS RR (2.04) was increased for those undergoing surgical evacuation procedures. Late PTS RR was significantly greater for individuals who self-identified as a race other than black/white (year 1 RR = 2.22), and for black individuals (year 5 RR = 3.02) versus white individuals. Late PTS was greater for individuals with subarachnoid hemorrhage (year 1 RR = 2.06) and individuals age 23-32 (year 5 RR = 2.43) and 33-44 (year 5 RR = 3.02). Late PTS RR years 1 and 5 was significantly higher for those undergoing surgical evacuation procedures (RR: 3.05 and 2.72, respectively). SIGNIFICANCE: In this prospective, longitudinal, observational study, PTS incidence was similar to that in studies published previously. Individuals with immediate/late seizures during acute hospitalization have increased late PTS risk. Race, intracranial pathologies, and neurosurgical procedures also influenced PTS RR. Further studies are needed to examine the impact of seizure prophylaxis in high-risk subgroups and to delineate contributors to race/age associations on long-term seizure outcomes.

Prognostic models for predicting posttraumatic seizures during acute hospitalization, and at 1 and 2 years following traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Posttraumatic seizures (PTS) are well-recognized acute and chronic complications of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Risk factors have been identified, but considerable variability in who develops PTS remains. Existing PTS prognostic models are not widely adopted for clinical use and do not reflect current trends in injury, diagnosis, or care. We aimed to develop and internally validate preliminary prognostic regression models to predict PTS during acute care hospitalization, and at year 1 and year 2 postinjury. METHODS: Prognostic models predicting PTS during acute care hospitalization and year 1 and year 2 post-injury were developed using a recent (2011-2014) cohort from the TBI Model Systems National Database. Potential PTS predictors were selected based on previous literature and biologic plausibility. Bivariable logistic regression identified variables with a p-value < 0.20 that were used to fit initial prognostic models. Multivariable logistic regression modeling with backward-stepwise elimination was used to determine reduced prognostic models and to internally validate using 1,000 bootstrap samples. Fit statistics were calculated, correcting for overfitting (optimism). RESULTS: The prognostic models identified sex, craniotomy, contusion load, and pre-injury limitation in learning/remembering/concentrating as significant PTS predictors during acute hospitalization. Significant predictors of PTS at year 1 were subdural hematoma (SDH), contusion load, craniotomy, craniectomy, seizure during acute hospitalization, duration of posttraumatic amnesia, preinjury mental health treatment/psychiatric hospitalization, and preinjury incarceration. Year 2 significant predictors were similar to those of year 1: SDH, intraparenchymal fragment, craniotomy, craniectomy, seizure during acute hospitalization, and preinjury incarceration. Corrected concordance (C) statistics were 0.599, 0.747, and 0.716 for acute hospitalization, year 1, and year 2 models, respectively. SIGNIFICANCE: The prognostic model for PTS during acute hospitalization did not discriminate well. Year 1 and year 2 models showed fair to good predictive validity for PTS. Cranial surgery, although medically necessary, requires ongoing research regarding potential benefits of increased monitoring for signs of epileptogenesis, PTS prophylaxis, and/or rehabilitation/social support. Future studies should externally validate models and determine clinical utility.

Is There a Relationship Between Perceived Neighborhood Contentedness and Physical Activity in Young Men and Women.

The relationship between perceived neighborhood contentedness and physical activity was evaluated in the Add Health study population. Wave I includes 20,745 respondents (collected between 1994 and 1995) and wave II includes 14,738 (71 %) of these same students (collected in 1996). Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate this relationship in both wave I and wave II of the sample. Higher levels of Perceived Neighborhood Contentedness were associated with higher reports of physical activity in both males and females and in both waves. For every one-point increment in PNS, males were 1.3 times as likely to report being highly physically active than low (95 % CI 1.23-1.37) in wave 1 and 1.25 times as likely in wave 2 (95 % CI 1.17-1.33). Females were 1.17 (95 % CI 1.12-1.22) times as likely to report being highly active than low and 1.22 times as likely in wave 2 (95 % CI 1.17-1.27) with every one-point increment. PNC appears to be significantly associated with physical activity in adolescents. Involving the community in the development of intervention programs could help to raise the contentedness of adolescents in these communities.