Pediatric mental health emergency department visits from 2017 to 2022: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected children's mental health (MH) and changed patterns of MH emergency department (ED) utilization. Our objective was to assess how pediatric MH ED visits during the COVID-19 pandemic differed from expected prepandemic trends. METHODS: We retrospectively studied MH ED visits by children 5 to <18 years old at nine U.S. hospitals participating in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Registry from 2017 to 2022. We described visit length by time period: prepandemic (January 2017-February 2020), early pandemic (March 2020-December 2020), midpandemic (2021), and late pandemic (2022). We estimated expected visit rates from prepandemic data using multivariable Poisson regression models. We calculated rate ratios (RRs) of observed to expected visits per 30 days during each pandemic time period, overall and by sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: We identified 175,979 pediatric MH ED visits. Visit length exceeded 12 h for 7.3% prepandemic, 8.4% early pandemic, 15.0% midpandemic, and 19.2% late pandemic visits. During the early pandemic, observed visits per 30 days decreased relative to expected rates (RR 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78-0.84), were similar to expected rates during the midpandemic (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.96-1.07), and then decreased below expected rates during the late pandemic (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.86-0.98). During the late pandemic, visit rates were higher than expected for females (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.20) and for bipolar disorders (RR 1.83, 95% CI 1.38-2.75), schizophrenia spectrum disorders (RR 1.55, 95% CI 1.10-2.59), and substance-related and addictive disorders (RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.18-2.05). CONCLUSIONS: During the late pandemic, pediatric MH ED visits decreased below expected rates; however, visits by females and for specific conditions remained elevated, indicating a need for increased attention to these groups. Prolonged ED visit lengths may reflect inadequate availability of MH services.

Challenges of managing pediatric mental health crises in the emergency department.

Children with mental health problems are increasingly being evaluated and treated in pediatric clinical settings. This article focuses on the epidemiology, evaluation, and management of the 2 most common pediatric mental health emergencies, suicidal and homicidal/aggressive patients, as well as the equally challenging population of children with autism or other developmental disabilities.

Development of a survey of teamwork and task load among medical providers: a measure of provider perceptions of teamwork when caring for critical pediatric patients.

INTRODUCTION: Teamwork training focuses on improving patient outcomes through better communication. Scales exist to assess providers' perceptions of teamwork; however, they are not designed for use immediately after the care of critically ill patients. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop a survey to quantify providers' perceptions of teamwork and task load during critical care resuscitations in a PED and to use the tool to compare physician and nonphysician ratings of resuscitations. METHODS: Survey items were adapted from validated tools. The resulting survey contained 15 Likert scale items completed by providers immediately after resuscitations. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted. Mixed models, accounting for clustering of providers within resuscitations, tested for systematic differences in responses between physicians and nonphysicians and explored how well the factor scores predicted the overall "smoothness" of the resuscitation. RESULTS: Six hundred fifty-four surveys from 169 resuscitations were conducted. The exploratory factor analysis identified 2 factors with 13 items explaining 47% of the overall variance of "teamwork and communication" (Cronbach α = 0.80) and "task load" (Cronbach α = 0.77). There were no differences in factors predicting smoothness between physicians and nonphysicians (P = 0.27). Both were significant positive predictors of the outcome "the resuscitation went smoothly." CONCLUSIONS: The Survey of Teamwork and Task Load among Medical Providers was developed to evaluate providers' perceptions of teamwork immediately after care of critically ill patients in a pediatric emergency department. Items reflect 2 constructs, with good internal consistency. Responses did not vary by professional training, suggesting that it is useful for all providers. Both factors predicted the overall smoothness. Each was useful in predicting the perception that the resuscitation went smoothly.

Pediatric mental health emergencies and special health care needs.

Children with mental health problems are increasingly being evaluated and treated by both pediatric primary care and pediatric emergency physicians. This article focuses on the epidemiology, evaluation, and management of the 2 most common pediatric mental health emergencies, suicidal and homicidal/aggressive patients, as well as the equally challenging population of children with autism or other developmental disabilities.

Emergency Department Screening for Adolescent Mental Health Disorders: The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How It Could and Should Be Done.

Mental health problems are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among pediatric populations. Screening for these problems can result in earlier identification and increase treatment and improve outcomes for these children and adolescents. The emergency department (ED) is an ideal site for such screening. Pediatric ED patients are known to be at higher risk for mental health problems. For many, an ED visit is one of the few opportunities to identify and intervene with these children and adolescents. A number of brief, efficient screening instruments have been developed for the ED setting. Screening for mental health problems is both feasible and acceptable to ED patients, parents, and caregivers.

Compliance in Rhode Island emergency departments with American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for adolescent sexual assaults.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the offering of American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended tests and prophylaxes after sexual assault to adolescents who presented to Rhode Island emergency departments for 3 categories of sexual exposures: sexual assault, consensual sex, and suspected sexual abuse. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study entailed a retrospective review of visits for adolescent sexual exposures across 11 Rhode Island emergency departments between January 1995 and June 2001. Cases were identified through billing codes. Offering of each test and prophylaxis was compared by gender, category of sexual exposure, and type of sexual assault. Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify factors associated with the offering of a greater number of tests and prophylaxes after sexual assault. RESULTS: The vast majority of emergency department visits for adolescent sexual exposures were by sexually assaulted girls (82.5%). Across the 3 sexual exposure categories, girls were offered tests and prophylaxes more often than boys (eg, chlamydia or gonorrhea testing and prophylaxis). Among sexually assaulted adolescents, 32.8% of girls and no boys were offered all recommended tests and prophylaxes. The multivariable linear regression found that vaginally and/or anally assaulted girls were offered, on average, 2.5 more tests and prophylaxes than patients with other types of sexual assaults. Girls presenting for care at the state's women's health care specialty hospital emergency departments were offered 1.7 more tests and prophylaxes than those evaluated in general hospital emergency departments. CONCLUSIONS: Many adolescents did not receive American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended tests and prophylaxes after sexual assault. Boys received fewer tests than girls. Testing and prophylaxis varied by type of emergency department. Efforts are needed to improve and standardize emergency department medical management of adolescent sexual exposures.

Effect of functional foot orthoses on first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion in stance and gait.

Reduction in first metatarsophalangeal joint maximum degree of dorsiflexion with dorsiflexion of the first ray has been proposed to be the predominant cause of hallux abducto valgus and hallux rigidus. We sought to determine whether orthoses made from a cast with the first ray plantarflexed and a 4-mm medial skive could increase the maximum degree of dorsiflexion in patients with functional hallux limitus in stance and gait. Forty-eight feet of 27 subjects were casted for orthoses with the first ray plantarflexed and in the customary neutral rearfoot position with locked midtarsal joint. First metatarsophalangeal joint maximum dorsiflexion was measured with and without orthoses in stance, and subhallux pressure was measured with and without orthoses at heel-off. Changes in mean maximum dorsiflexion in stance and in mean maximum subhallux pressure in gait with orthoses were significant. We investigated the relationship between this increase in dorsiflexion and gender, shoe size, resting calcaneal stance position, and change in resting calcaneal stance position with the use of orthoses. These correlations were not statistically significant. The biomechanical implication of increasing limited first metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion with orthoses is discussed and related to the clinical treatment of deformities, including hallux valgus and hallux rigidus. The use of orthoses to decrease subhallux pressure is also discussed.

Treatment of pediatric migraine headaches: a randomized, double-blind trial of prochlorperazine versus ketorolac.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We compare the effectiveness of intravenous ketorolac and intravenous prochlorperazine in the treatment of pediatric migraine headaches. METHODS: We performed a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial in 2 pediatric emergency departments (EDs) within children's hospitals. Children aged 5 to 18 years presenting to the ED with migraine headaches were eligible for the study. Contraindications to either medication or the inability to complete the pain score resulted in exclusion. Children were randomized to receive intravenous ketorolac (0.5 mg/kg; maximum 30 mg) or intravenous prochlorperazine (0.15 mg/kg; maximum 10 mg). All children also received a normal saline solution bolus. Successful treatment was defined as a 50% or greater reduction in the Nine Faces Pain Scale score at 60 minutes. If a less than 50% improvement occurred by 60 minutes, the child received the other medication. Forty-eight-hour follow-up telephone calls were made to each family to assess recurrence and late side effects. RESULTS: Sixty-two children were enrolled: 33 initially received prochlorperazine, and 29 initially received ketorolac. By 60 minutes, 16 (55.2%) of 29 of those who received ketorolac and 28 (84.8%) of 33 of those who received prochlorperazine were successfully treated (difference=30%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 8% to 52%). Fifty-six (93.3%) of the 60 children who completed the study were successfully treated by the study's conclusion. Approximately 30% of each group had a recurrence of some headache symptoms. Only 2 children reported side effects, both mild and self-limited. CONCLUSION: In children, intravenous prochlorperazine is superior to intravenous ketorolac in the acute treatment of migraine headaches.

Medical care for the sexual assault victim.

Often physicians are the victim's first contact. The physical and psychological trauma a victim and family suddenly face is disorienting. Physicians trained in the medical evaluation of pediatric sexual assault with a breadth of experience seeing positive, negative and subtle physical exam findings can often help explain these findings in the context of the victim's disclosure or lack of disclosure, and communicate this information to law enforcement. Physicians familiar with the law can inform their patients of their rights, and educate the families about the process that can be intimidating and frightening for children. The long-term sequelae for patients and their families include depression and post-traumatic stress disorder: clinicians must provide referrals to counseling and emphasize the importance of follow-through.