Involving the Patient and Family in the Transfer of Information at Shift Change in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: The transfer of information at the change of shift is a critical point for patient experience during the care process. The aim of this study was to evaluate caregivers' perceptions before and after the implementation of a multidisciplinary bedside handoff in a pediatric emergency department (PED). METHODS: This was a quality improvement pre-post intervention, single-center study. The authors included caregivers of patients allocated in the observation unit of a PED during health care provider shift change. The study was made up of the following phases: (1) preintervention survey distribution, (2) implementation of the bedside handoff, involving all health care professionals (including nurses, nursing assistants, and pediatricians) and caregivers, and (3) postintervention survey distribution. The survey explored the three dimensions of patient experience defined as main study outcomes: information received and communication with professionals, participation, and continuity of care. RESULTS: A total of 102 surveys were collected (51 each in the preintervention and postintervention phases). In the preintervention phase, 94.1% of caregivers would have wished to be actively involved in the change of shift. In the postintervention phase, more caregivers felt that professionals had proper introductions (49.0% vs. 84.3%; p < 0.01), had kept them informed of the plan to be followed (58.8% vs. 84.3%; p = 0.02), and encouraged questions (45.1% vs. 82.4%; p < 0.01). Caregivers of the postintervention phase perceived less disorganization during the change of shift (25.5% vs. 5.9%; p = 0.01) and a greater sense of continuity (64.7% vs. 86.3%; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The bedside handoff is a useful strategy to improve patient and family perceptions of communication with professionals, information received, and continuity of care at health care providers shift change. Future lines of research and improvement include ensuring equity in participation in the bedside handoff for all caregivers, monitoring the handoffs to determine how often patients/caregivers participate and correct mistakes in information transfer. and exploring professionals' perceptions.

Escroto agudo en el lactante / Acute scrotum in infants

El escroto agudo consiste en un cuadro clínico de dolor testicular asociado a signos inflamatorios locales, excepcional en neonatos y lactantes. Presentamos un caso de un lactante de 2 meses con tumefacción y eritema escrotal derecho de 48 horas de evolución y pico febril en Urgencias. A la exploración, teste doloroso a la palpación, con reflejo cremastérico presente. En la ecografía testicular se objetiva orquiepididimitis derecha. La analítica muestra leucocitosis, neutrofilia y mínima elevación de reactantes de fase aguda. En el urocultivo se aísla Escherichia coli. Recibe antibioterapia durante 2 semanas con buena evolución. La orquiepididimitis es la inflamación aguda del testículo y epidídimo, patología muy infrecuente en neonatos y lactantes. La diseminación hematógena es la causa más frecuente en este grupo de edad, siendo el germen más frecuente el E. coli. Por tanto, en neonatos y lactantes con orquiepididimitis, considerando el riesgo de bacteriemia asociada, resulta fundamental optimizar el diagnóstico, incluyendo un estudio completo de sepsis junto con la ecografía Doppler y el inicio precoz de la antibioterapia empírica (AU)

Acute scrotum consists of testicular pain associated with local inflammatory signs and is very unsual in neonates and infants.We present a case of a 2-month-old infant with right scrotal swelling and erythema of 48 hours' evolution. Peak fever in the emergency department. On examination, the teste was painful on palpation, with cremasteric reflex present. Testicular ultrasound showed right orchiepididymitis with associated hydrocele. Laboratory tests show leukocytosis, neutrophilia and minimal elevation of acute phase reactants. Urine culture isolated Escherichia coli. He received antibiotherapy for 2 weeks with good evolution.Orchiepididymitis is an acute inflammation of the testicle and epididymis, and it is a very rare pathology in neonates and infants. Haematogenous dissemination is the most frequent cause in this age group, with E. coli being the most frequently isolated germ. Therefore, in neonates and infants with orchiepididymitis, considering the risk of associated bacteraemia, it is essential to optimize the diagnosis by including a complete sepsis study together with Doppler ultrasound and the early initiation of empirical antibiotherapy. (AU)

Alucinaciones como efecto adverso del topiramato / Hallucinations as an adverse effect of topiramate

El topiramato es un fármaco antiepiléptico que bloquea los canales de sodio voltaje-dependientes y potencia la actividad gabaérgica. Entre sus posibles efectos adversos se han descrito algunos muy infrecuentes como las alucinaciones visuales o auditivas. Presentamos un caso de una niña de 7 años con antecedentes de migraña sin aura sin otros antecedentes personales ni familiares de interés que, tras 15 días de tratamiento preventivo con topiramato, desarrolló alucinaciones, cambios de humor bruscos, negativismo e ideas de muerte. Dada la clínica no explicable por otra circunstancia o fármaco se retiró el topiramato con desaparición completa de los síntomas a los 20 días, sin reaparición de estos. Las alucinaciones son un efecto adverso muy inusual del topiramato. El mecanismo fisiopatológico podría estar relacionado con su efecto sobre la actividad GABA. Existen muy pocos casos de este efecto adverso descritos. En pacientes pediátricos solo se han descrito dos casos, siendo este el primer caso descrito en el contexto de tratamiento profiláctico de la migraña (AU)

Topiramate is an antiepileptic drug which blocks voltage-gated sodium channels and enhances GABAergic activity. We report the case of a 7-year-old girl with a medical history of migraine without aura who, after fifteen days of preventive treatment with topiramate developed visual and tactile hallucinations. She also presented sudden mood swings, negativism and even death ideation. She had no other personal or family medical or psychiatric history. Due to the symptomatology, Topiramate was stopped, with a complete disappearance of symptoms twenty days after its suspension, and without the recurrence of them.Hallucinations are a very unusual side effect of Topiramate. There are very few cases of this adverse effect described in the literature. In pediatric patients, there were only two cases, this being the first case described in the context of prophylactic treatment of migraine. (AU)

Evaluación renal y multiorgánica en el paciente con encefalopatía hipóxico-isquémica / Renal and multiorgan evaluation in infants with post-asphyxial hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy

Resumen Introducción: La encefalopatía hipóxico-isquémica (EHI) moderada-grave secundaria a asfixia perinatal puede afectar a cualquier órgano, empeorando el pronóstico. Objetivo: Evaluar la afectación renal y multiorgánica de estos pacientes. Material y método: Se incluyó a recién nacidos > 35 semanas con EHI moderada-grave tratados con hipotermia activa entre 2010 y 2020. Se evaluó la creatinina en tres periodos: 48-72 horas de vida, entre el 3.o y 7.o día de vida y del 7.o al 28.o día de vida. Resultados: Se incluyeron 135 pacientes: 112 con EHI moderada y 23 con EHI grave. Al comparar ambos grupos, se obtuvieron diferencias significativas a las 48-72 horas y entre 3.o-7.o día de vida. No hubo diferencias al comparar el método de hipotermia. Los pacientes con EHI grave presentaron mayor afectación hemodinámica, respiratoria y hepática. Conclusiones: Neonatos con EHI grave presentan aumento de los niveles de creatinina sérica y mayor afectación multiorgánica respecto a aquellos con EHI moderada.

Abstract Background: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) secondary to perinatal asphyxia can affect any organ, worsening the prognosis. Objective: To describe renal and multiorgan involvement in moderate-severe HIE. Material and method: Newborns > 35 weeks diagnosed with moderate-severe HIE who required active hypothermia between 2010-2020 were included. To assess renal involvement, serum creatinine was measured in three different periods: at 48-72 hours, between the 3rd and the 7th day, and from the 7th to the 28th day. Results: A total of 135 patients were included, 112 (83%) with moderate and 23 (17%) with severe HIE. Significant differences were obtained when comparing median creatinine levels at 48-72 hours and between 3-7 days in both groups. There were no differences in creatinine according to the hypothermia method. Patients with severe HIE presented greater hemodynamic, respiratory, and hepatic involvement. Conclusions: Neonates with severe HIE present increased serum creatinine levels and greater multi-organ involvement than those with moderate HIE.