Feasibility of a Video Otoscope for Diagnosis of Otologic Pathology in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES: Performing pediatric otoscopy can be difficult secondary to patient compliance, which potentiates misdiagnosis and inaccurate treatment of acute otitis media. This study used a convenience sample to assess the feasibility of using a video otoscope for the examination of tympanic membranes in children presenting to a pediatric emergency department. METHODS: We obtained otoscopic videos using the JEDMED Horus + HD Video Otoscope. Participants were randomized to video or standard otoscopy, and a physician completed their bilateral ear examinations. In the video group, physicians reviewed otoscope videos with the patient's caregiver. The caregiver and physician completed separate surveys using a 5-point Likert Scale regarding perceptions of the otoscopic examination. A second physician reviewed each otoscopic video. RESULTS: We enrolled 213 participants in 2 groups (standard otoscopy, n = 94; video otoscopy, n = 119). We used Wilcoxon rank sum, Fisher exact test, and descriptive statistics to compare results across groups. For physicians, there were no statistically significant differences between groups with ease of device use, quality of otoscopic view, or diagnosis. There was moderate agreement between physician video otoscopic view satisfaction and slight agreement between physician video otologic diagnosis. Estimates of length of time to complete the ear examinations were longer more often for the video otoscope compared with standard for both caregivers (OR, 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-3.70; P = 0.02) and physicians (OR, 3.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.67-5.78; P < 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between video and standard otoscopy with regard to caregiver perception of comfort, cooperation, satisfaction, or diagnosis understanding. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers perceive that video otoscopy and standard otoscopy are comparable in comfort, cooperation, examination satisfaction, and diagnosis understanding. Physicians made a wider range of more subtle diagnoses with the video otoscope. However, examination length of time may limit the JEDMED Horus + HD Video Otoscope's feasibility in a busy pediatric emergency department.

Return visit rates after an emergency department discharge for children with sickle cell pain episodes.

BACKGROUND: High return visit rates after hospitalization for people with sickle cell disease (SCD) have been previously established. Due to a lack of multicenter emergency department (ED) return visit rate data, the return visit rate following ED discharge for pediatric SCD pain treatment is currently unknown. PROCEDURE: A seven-site retrospective cohort study of discharged ED visits for pain by children with SCD was conducted using the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Registry. Visits between January 2017 and November 2021 were identified using previously validated criteria. The primary outcome was the 14-day return visit rate, with 3- and 7-day rates also calculated. Modified Poisson regression was used to analyze associations for age, sex, initial hospitalization rate, and a visit during the COVID-19 pandemic with return visit rates. RESULTS: Of 2548 eligible ED visits, approximately 52% were patients less than 12 years old, 50% were female, and over 95% were non-Hispanic Black. The overall 14-day return visit rate was 29.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 27.4%-30.9%; site range 22.7%-31.7%); the 7- and 3-day return visit rates were 23.0% (95% CI: 21.3%-24.6%) and 16.7% (95% CI: 15.3%-18.2%), respectively. Younger children had slightly lower 14-day return visit rates (27.3% vs. 31.1%); there were no associations for site hospitalization rate, sex, and a visit occurring during the pandemic with 14-day returns. CONCLUSION: Nearly 30% of ED discharged visits after SCD pain treatment had a return visit within 14 days. Increased efforts are needed to identify causes for high ED return visit rates and ensure optimal ED and post-ED care.

US children of minority race are less likely to be admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after traumatic injury, a retrospective analysis of a single pediatric trauma center.

BACKGROUND: The public health impact of pediatric trauma makes identifying opportunities to equalize health related disparities imperative. The influence of a child's race on the likelihood of admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is not well described. We hypothesized that traumatically injured children of minority race would have higher rates of PICU admission, compared to White children. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of a single institution's trauma registry including children ≤18 years of age presenting to the emergency department (ED) whose injury necessitated pediatric trauma team activation at a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2016. Demographics, injury characteristics and hospital utilization data were collected. Race was categorized as White or racial minority, which included patients identifying as Black, Hispanic ethnicity, Native American or "other." The primary outcome measure was admission to the PICU. Chi square or Mann Whitney rank sum tests were used, as appropriate, to compare differences in demographics and injury characteristics between those children who were and were not admitted to the PICU setting. Variables associated with PICU admission in univariate analyses were included in a multivariate analysis. Data are presented as median values and interquartile ranges, or numbers and percentages. RESULTS: The median age of the 654 included subjects was 8 [IQR 4-13] years; 55.2% were a racial minority. Nine (1.4%) children died in the ED and 576 (88.1%) were admitted to the hospital. Of the children requiring hospitalization, 195 (33.9%) were admitted to the PICU. Children admitted to the PICU were less likely to be from a racial minority group (26.1% vs 42.5%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for age and injury characteristics in a multivariable analysis, racial minority children had a lower odds of PICU admission compared to White children (OR 0.492 [95% C.I. 0.298-0.813, p = 0.006]). CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective analysis of traumatically injured children, minority race was associated with lower odds of PICU admission, suggesting that health care disparities based on race persist in pediatric trauma-related care.