Pulmonary and Clinical Outcomes After Bilateral Submandibular Gland Excision and Parotid Duct Ligation for Refractory Sialorrhea.

Importance: Refractory sialorrhea in children can result in pulmonary aspiration and irreversible lung damage. Despite many studies devoted to the surgical treatment of sialorrhea, there is a paucity of objective outcome measures after surgery, especially with regard to pulmonary health. Objectives: To assess whether bilateral submandibular gland excision and bilateral parotid duct ligation ("DROOL" procedure) is associated with reduced pulmonary inflammation in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples after surgery and to assess patient factors associated with improvement after surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective case series included all 112 patients undergoing the DROOL procedure at a single tertiary care pediatric children's hospital from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2021. Statistical analysis was performed from March 30 to June 10, 2023, and August 20 to September 23, 2023. Exposure: DROOL procedure for refractory sialorrhea. Main Outcomes and Measures: Degree of pulmonary inflammation (neutrophil percentage) according to BAL cytologic findings and overall bronchoscopy findings up to 12 months before and after the DROOL procedure. Secondary outcomes included number of annual hospitalizations, caregiver report of function before and after the procedure, and need for revision procedures and/or additional operations for secretion management. Results: A total of 112 patients (median age, 3.4 years [IQR, 2.0-7.1 years]; 65 boys [58.0%]) underwent DROOL procedures and had both preoperative and postoperative BAL samples during the study period. Patients demonstrated objective improvement in pulmonary inflammation after surgery, with the median polymorphonuclear neutrophil percentage decreasing from 65.0% (IQR, 14.0%-86.0%) before the surgery to 32.5% (IQR, 3.0%-76.5%) after the surgery (median difference in percentage points, -9.0 [95% CI, -20.0 to 0.0]). Prior to the DROOL procedure, 34 patients (30.4%; 95% CI, 21.8%-38.9%) were hospitalized 2 or more times annually for respiratory illness, which decreased to 10.1% (11 of 109; 95% CI, 4.4%-15.7%) after surgery (3 patients did not have hospitalization data available following surgery). Most caretakers (73 [65.2%]) reported improved secretion management after the procedure. Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that patients with impaired secretion management who underwent a DROOL procedure demonstrated improvement in pulmonary inflammation and a reduction in hospitalizations after surgery. Caretakers were also likely to report subjective improvement in secretion management and quality of life. Additional research is necessary to guide optimal timing and patient selection for this procedure.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Pediatric Pulmonary Workforce: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report.

Despite growing recognition of the need for increased diversity among students, trainees, and faculty in health care, the medical workforce still lacks adequate representation from groups historically underrepresented in medicine (URiM). The subspecialty field of pediatric pulmonology is no exception. Although there have been efforts to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our own field, gaps persist. To address these gaps, the members of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group (DEI-AG) of the American Thoracic Society Pediatrics Assembly created and distributed a Needs Assessment Survey in the United States and Canada to better understand the racial and ethnic demographics of the pediatric pulmonary workforce and to learn more about successes, gaps, and opportunities to enhance how we recruit, train, and retain a diverse workforce. The DEI-AG leadership cochairs convened a workshop to review the findings of the DEI Needs Assessment Survey and to develop strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of URiM fellows and faculty. This Official ATS Workshop Report aims to identify barriers and opportunities for recruitment, training, and career development within the field of pediatric pulmonology. Additionally, we offer useful strategies and resources to improve the recruitment of URiM residents, the mentorship of trainees and junior faculty, and the career development of URiM faculty in academic centers. This Workshop Report is an important first deliverable by the DEI-AG. We hope that this work, originating from within the Pediatrics Assembly, will serve as a model for other Assemblies, disciplines across the ATS, and other fields in Pediatrics.

Improving Home Ventilator Alarm Use Among Children Requiring Chronic Mechanical Ventilation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Children requiring long-term mechanical ventilation are at high risk of mortality. Setting ventilator alarms may improve safety, but best practices for setting ventilator alarms have not been established. Our objective was to increase the mean proportion of critical ventilator alarms set for those children requiring chronic mechanical ventilation followed in our pulmonary clinic from 63% to >90%. METHODS: Using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Model for Improvement, we developed, tested, and implemented a series of interventions using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. We followed our progress using statistical process control methods. Our primary interventions were: (1) standardization of the clinic workflow, (2) development of an algorithm to guide physicians in selecting and setting ventilator alarms, (3) updating that algorithm based on review of failures and inpatient testing, and (4) enhancing staff engagement to change the culture surrounding ventilator alarms. RESULTS: We collected baseline data from May 1 to July 13, 2017 on 130 consecutive patients seen in the pulmonary medicine clinic. We found that 63% of critical ventilator alarms were set. Observation of the process, standardization of workflow, and adaptation of an alarm algorithm led to an increase to 85.7% of critical alarms set. Through revising our algorithm to include an apnea alarm, and maximizing provider engagement, more than 95% of critical ventilator alarms were set, exceeding our goal. We sustained this improvement through January 2021. CONCLUSIONS: Our stepwise approach, including process standardization, staff engagement, and integration of an alarm algorithm, improved the use of ventilator alarms in chronically ventilated pediatric patients.

Slide Tracheoplasty for Repair of Complex Tracheoesophageal Fistulas.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Repair of large, recurrent, and complex tracheoesophageal fistulas (TEFs) is challenging and numerous different surgical approaches exist. These various techniques each carry a set of risks and possible complications such as fistula recurrence, tracheal stenosis or pouches, esophageal stenosis, and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Slide tracheoplasty is a reconstructive technique successfully used in many different airway pathologies, including TEF repair. This study examines the success, limits, and complications related to slide tracheoplasty for repair of complex TEFs. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: Patients undergoing TEF repair using a cervical or thoracic approach slide tracheoplasty, at a single institution, between July 2008 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data, comorbidities, TEF etiology and surgical history, slide tracheoplasty details and outcomes, and postoperative complication data were examined using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients underwent 27 slide tracheoplasties for TEF (20 cervical approaches, 7 thoracic approaches) with a mean age of 5.2 years (IQR 0.7-7.6) at time of surgery. The most common TEF etiologies included congenital (n = 13), tracheostomy tube erosion (n = 5), and button battery ingestion (n = 4). Fistulas ranged in size from <0.5 mm to 4 cm and 59% had previous endoscopic or open repairs. There were two TEF recurrences (7.4%), one of which was successfully revised and the other which was treated with stent placement. Postoperative complications included dehiscence (3.7%), unilateral vocal fold paralysis (3.7%), and mild tracheal stenosis (18.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Slide tracheoplasty is an effective surgical technique for treating complex congenital and acquired TEFs with lower rates of complications when compared to other techniques. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 132:1542-1547, 2022.

Utility of polysomnography for management of chronic invasive mechanical ventilation in children.

OBJECTIVE: With advances in technology, pediatric patients are sent home with chronic invasive mechanical ventilation (CIMV). Ventilation optimization and preparation for weaning are essential processes, however, there is no standard approach to weaning and titrating ventilator settings in children. There is little information in the literature on the utility of polysomnography (PSG) in weaning and titration of CIMV. Our objective is to review the role of PSG on titration and weaning of CIMV in children. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records and polysomnograms was performed on CIMV dependent patients at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center from January 2011 to October 2017. Patients underwent overnight ventilator weaning or titration PSG. Subjects with less than 3 h of total sleep time were excluded. RESULTS: About 163 PSGs were divided into 97 PSGs for ventilator titration and 66 PSGs for ventilator weaning. Of the 97 ventilator titration PSGs, 59 (60.8%) had inadequate ventilation, 10 (10.3%) had inadequate oxygenation, 22 (22.7%) had significant tracheostomy leak, 13 (13.4%) had autocycling, 3 (3.1%) had failure to trigger, 4 (4.1%) had central sleep apnea, and 24 (25.8%) had adequate ventilation on current ventilator settings. Of the 66 ventilator weaning PSGs, 48 (72.7%) weaned to lower ventilator settings or off ventilator support and 18 (27.3%) did not wean. DISCUSSION: Our results indicate that PSG is useful in titration and weaning of ventilator settings in children with CIMV. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the subgroup of this population who would benefit most from PSG for assessment of adequate ventilator support.

Factors associated with success following transcervical innominate artery suspension.

OBJECTIVE: Aortopexy including innominate artery suspension is a well-established treatment of anterior vascular compression and associated tracheomalacia. We report the results of our case series of cervical approach to innominate artery suspension and hypothesize that increased distance from the innominate to the sternum is predictive of superior symptomatic outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective Case Series. METHODS: All cases of cervical innominate artery suspension at our institution over the last 10 years were reviewed. CT scans of the neck and chest were reviewed to obtain anatomical measurements including anterior-posterior thoracic outlet distance, thymic thickness, and sternum-innominate artery distance. Measurements were compared with surgical outcomes as verified by follow up bronchoscopy and clinical course to determine factors predictive of success. RESULTS: Ten cases of cervical innominate artery suspension were performed by the otolaryngology service at our institution over the last 10 years. Six patients had improvement in their symptoms. The average sternum-innominate artery distance (SID) was larger (14.4 mm (95% CI 9.1-19.7)) in patients who had improvement in clinical symptoms following innominate suspension compared to those that did not improve (6.3 mm (95% CI 2.5-10.1)) (p value = 0.02). Similarly, the anterior-posterior distance of the thoracic outlet was larger (34.9 mm (95% CI 27.4-42.4)) in patients who had improvement post-op compared to those that did not improve (22.6 mm (95% CI 18.2-27.2) (p value = 0.01). Two patients required spine surgery to achieve improvement in their symptoms. CONCLUSION: Cervical innominate artery suspension is successful in carefully selected patients. More space in the thoracic outlet and larger distance from the innominate artery to the sternum is associated with symptomatic improvement.

Chronic Pulmonary Aspiration in Children: Diagnosis and Management.

Chronic pulmonary aspiration (CPA) is a common cause of morbidity in children with complex aerodigestive disorders. CPA can be caused by swallowing dysfunction, anatomic, or dynamic abnormalities of the airways, and/or other circumstances that overcome the child's natural capacity to protect the airway. Diagnostic evaluation for suspected aspiration aims to characterize the swallowing function, identify the etiology of aspiration, including anatomic and/or dynamic abnormalities causing aspiration, and evaluate for the development of aspiration sequelae (e.g., bronchiectasis). CPA management approach should be guided by the recognized risk factors and co-morbidities, and directed to decrease the events of aspiration, improve clearance of aspirated material, and limit the development of aspiration sequelae (e.g., chronic inflammation and recurrent infections). This article presents a practical approach for the diagnosis and management of chronic pulmonary aspiration (CPA) in children.

Structure and Functions of Pediatric Aerodigestive Programs: A Consensus Statement.

Aerodigestive programs provide coordinated interdisciplinary care to pediatric patients with complex congenital or acquired conditions affecting breathing, swallowing, and growth. Although there has been a proliferation of programs, as well as national meetings, interest groups and early research activity, there is, as of yet, no consensus definition of an aerodigestive patient, standardized structure, and functions of an aerodigestive program or a blueprint for research prioritization. The Delphi method was used by a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional panel of aerodigestive providers to obtain consensus on 4 broad content areas related to aerodigestive care: (1) definition of an aerodigestive patient, (2) essential construct and functions of an aerodigestive program, (3) identification of aerodigestive research priorities, and (4) evaluation and recognition of aerodigestive programs and future directions. After 3 iterations of survey, consensus was obtained by either a supermajority of 75% or stability in median ranking on 33 of 36 items. This included a standard definition of an aerodigestive patient, level of participation of specific pediatric disciplines in a program, essential components of the care cycle and functions of the program, feeding and swallowing assessment and therapy, procedural scope and volume, research priorities and outcome measures, certification, coding, and funding. We propose the first consensus definition of the aerodigestive care model with specific recommendations regarding associated personnel, infrastructure, research, and outcome measures. We hope that this may provide an initial framework to further standardize care, develop clinical guidelines, and improve outcomes for aerodigestive patients.