Pediatric Cardiac Emergencies: When to Worry and When to Reassure.

Cardiac symptoms are a frequent reason for pediatric patients to present to the emergency department. As stressful as these visits can be for both parents and inexperienced providers, many of these symptoms may have a benign explanation, and recognition of red flags are of the utmost importance to provide optimal care. In this article, we present four clinical scenarios that have a cardiac etiology and are common to the pediatric emergency department. In addition to highlighting differential diagnoses, we discuss important red flags, key signs, and findings on physical examination that should not be missed. A brief review of important workup and management is also discussed. Lastly, we review common electrocardiogram pearls and pitfalls important for the ordering provider to recognize. In this article, we hope to provide guidance on when to provide reassurance and when to refer to a pediatric cardiologist for evaluation. [Pediatr Ann. 2023;52(4):e128-e134.].

Investigation of Health Behavior on Burnout Scores in Women Physicians who Self-Identify as Runners: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

As the proportion of women in the physician workforce increases, burnout in this population warrants further investigation. Exercise is an often-proposed strategy to combat burnout. Evaluating physical activity across a cohort of women physicians can assess associations of health behaviors with burnout. Cross-sectional study of women attending physicians in the United States who are actively engaged in a social media group for runners. An electronic survey comprised of 60 questions covering demographics, health behaviors, and burnout was administered. A healthy lifestyle subgroup (HLS) was defined based on American Heart Association physical activity and nutrition recommendations. We determine the prevalence of burnout and investigate associations between health behavior factors and burnout. Of the 369 included surveys, most respondents were at least six years out from medical training (85.9%) and White (74.5%). Forty-two percent experienced burnout symptoms. Time exercising was significantly associated with fruit/vegetable consumption (P=.00002). There was no significant difference in burnout between the HLS compared to others (P = .37). This group of self-reported physically active women physicians was found to have a lower prevalence of burnout when compared to other women physicians. Exercise and nutrition may be protective against burnout in women physicians but deserve further investigation.

Quantifying For-Profit Outcomes in GME: A Multispecialty Analysis of Board Certifying Examination Pass Rates in For-Profit Affiliated Residency Programs.

Background: The number of for-profit hospitals has increased in the United States, but their role in and outcomes for graduate medical education (GME) are unclear. Objectives: To describe for-profit involvement in internal medicine (IM), general surgery (GS), and pediatrics GME by quantifying change in for-profit affiliated residency programs and comparing for-profit and nonprofit affiliated program board certifying examination pass rates. Methods: We used Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and Medicare data to quantify for-profit prevalence in IM, GS, and pediatrics GME from 2001 to 2021. We used public pass rate data from the American Board of Surgeons (2017-2019; n=242 programs; 6562 examinees), American Board of Internal Medicine (2018-2020; n=465 programs; 23 922 examinees), and American Board of Pediatrics (2018-2020; n=202 programs; 9819 examinees) to model the relationship between profit status and pass rate within each specialty and across specialties combined using linear regression. Results: The proportion of for-profit affiliated residency programs increased 400.0% in IM, 334.4% in GS, and 23.2% in pediatrics from 2001 to 2021. Bivariate linear regression revealed significantly lower pass rate in for-profit affiliated programs in IM ß =-7.73, P<.001), pediatrics (ß =-14.6, P<.001), and the 3 specialties combined (ß =-5.45, P<.001). Upon multiple regression with addition of program characteristic covariates, this relationship remained significant in pediatrics (ß =-10.04, P=.006). Conclusions: The proportion of for-profit affiliated residency programs has increased in IM, GS, and pediatrics from 2001 to 2021. After controlling for covariates, for-profit affiliated programs were associated with lower board examination pass rates in pediatrics with no association in IM, GS, or the combined measure.

Derivation and validation of an improved pediatric shock index for predicting need for early intervention and outcomes in pediatric trauma.

BACKGROUND: Shock index, pediatric age adjusted (SIPA), has been widely applied in pediatric trauma but has limited precision because of the reference ranges used in its derivation. We hypothesized that a pediatric shock index (PSI) equation based on age-based vital signs would outperform SIPA. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of trauma patients aged 1 to 18 years from Trauma Quality Programs - Participant Use File 2010 to 2018 was performed. A random 70% training subset was used to derive Youden index-optimizing shock index (SI) cutoffs by age for blood transfusion within 4 hours. We used linear regression to derive equations representing the PSI cutoff for children 12 years or younger and 13 years or older. For children 13 years or older, the well-established SI of 0.9 remained optimal, consistent with SIPA and other indices. For children 12 years or younger in the 30% validation subset, we compared our age-based PSI to SIPA as predictors of early transfusion, mortality, pediatric intensive care unit admission, and injury severity score of ≥25. For bedside use, a simplified "rapid" pediatric shock index (rPSI) equation was also derived and compared with SIPA. RESULTS: A total of 439,699 patients aged 1 to 12 years met the inclusion criteria with 2,718 (1.3% of those with available outcome data) requiring transfusion within 4 hours of presentation. In the validation set, positive predictive values for early transfusion were higher for PSI (8.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.5-9.1%) and rPSI (6.3%; 95% CI, 5.7-6.9%) than SIPA (4.3%; 95% CI, 3.9-4.7%). For early transfusion, negative predictive values for both PSI (99.3%; 95% CI, 99.2-99.3%) and rPSI (99.3%; 95% CI, 99.2-99.4%) were similar to SIPA (99.4%; 95% CI, 99.3-99.4%). CONCLUSION: We derived the PSI and rPSI for use in pediatric trauma using empiric, age-based SI cutoffs. The PSI and rPSI achieved higher positive predictive values and similar negative predictive values to SIPA in predicting the need for early blood transfusion and mortality. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic/Epidemiological; level III.

Alternative shock index cutoffs for pediatric patients outperform the Shock Index Pediatric Age-adjusted (SIPA) on strength of association with adverse outcomes in pediatric trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: The shock index is a tool for evaluating critically ill patients that is defined as the ratio of their heart rate divided by systolic blood pressure. The SI is associated with outcomes in adult trauma patients. The Shock Index Pediatric Age-adjusted was developed as a pediatric-specific tool to account for the physiologic differences of children of varying ages. There is growing interest in Shock Index Pediatric Age-adjusted, which is associated with adverse outcomes in pediatric trauma. We hypothesized that alternative shock index cutoffs based on the Advanced Trauma Life Support or the Pediatric Advanced Life Support vital sign reference ranges would outperform Shock Index Pediatric Age-adjusted. METHODS: We analyzed a retrospective cohort of pediatric trauma patients (age 1 to 16 years old) in the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Programs Participant Use File from 2010 to 2018. The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. The Shock Index Pediatric Age-adjusted was compared to an Advanced Trauma Life Support-based and a Pediatric Advanced Life Support-based shock index cutoff system. Our findings were subsequently confirmed with a separate, internal validation data set. RESULTS: A total of 598,830 Trauma Quality Programs Participant Use File patients were included, 0.9% (n = 5,471) of whom died. For mortality, the Advanced Trauma Life Support-based system yielded the highest positive predictive value (15.8%; 95% confidence interval 15.0%-16.7%) compared with the Pediatric Advanced Life Support-based system (4.3%; 95% confidence interval 4.1%-4.5%). Both the Advanced Trauma Life Support-based and Pediatric Advanced Life Support-based systems achieved higher positive predictive values compared to Shock Index Pediatric Age-adjusted (2.6%; 95% confidence interval 2.5%-2.7%). The negative predictive values were not clinically different. Our findings were validated using a separate internal trauma database, in which the positive predictive value for mortality of the Advanced Trauma Life Support-based system was significantly higher than Shock Index Pediatric Age-adjusted (18.2% [95% confidence interval: 8.2%-32.7%] vs 2.9% [95% confidence interval: 1.6%-5.0%], P < .05). CONCLUSION: Advanced Trauma Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support-based shock index cutoffs achieved higher positive predictive values and similar negative predictive values compared to Shock Index Pediatric Age-adjusted for adverse outcomes in pediatric trauma.

Mortality and PICU Hospitalization Among Pediatric Gunshot Wound Victims in Chicago.

Firearm injury accounts for significant morbidity with high mortality among children admitted to the PICU. Understanding risk factors for PICU admission is an important step toward developing prevention and intervention strategies to minimize the burden of pediatric gunshot wound (GSW) injury. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to characterize outcomes and the likelihood of PICU admission among children with GSWs. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective cohort study of GSW patients 0-18 years old evaluated at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital Pediatric Trauma Center from 2010 to 2017. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Demographic and injury severity measures were acquired from an institutional database. We describe mortality and hospitalization characteristics for the cohort. We used logistic regression models to test the association between PICU admission and patient characteristics. RESULTS: During the 8-year study period, 294 children experienced GSWs. We did not observe trends in overall mortality over time, but mortality for children with GSWs was higher than all-cause PICU mortality. Children 0-6 years old experienced longer hospitalizations compared with children 13-16 years old (5 vs 3 d; p = 0.04) and greater frequency of PICU admission (83.3% vs 52.9%; p = 0.001). Adjusting for severity of illness, children less than 7 years old were four-fold more likely to be admitted to the PICU than children 13-16 years old (aOR range, 3.9-4.6). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Despite declines in pediatric firearm mortality across the United States, mortality did not decrease over time in our cohort and was higher than all-cause PICU mortality. Younger children with GSWs experience longer hospitalizations and require PICU care more often than older children. Our findings suggest that the youngest victims of firearm-related injury may be particularly at-risk of the long-term sequelae of critical illness and injury.

Investigation of work-life integration on burnout symptoms in women physician runners: a cross-sectional survey study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate which factors, from demographics to work-life integration, are associated with burnout symptoms among self-declared active women physicians practising in the USA. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of those actively engaged in a social media group for women physician runners. Electronically surveyed using 60 questions covering demographics, compensation, debt and domestic responsibilities with burnout assessed by the Mini-Z Burnout Survey. RESULTS: Of the 369 women meeting inclusion criteria as attending physicians practising in the USA, the majority reported being White (74.5%) and at least 6 years out from training (85.9%). There was a significant association of increased burnout level with working more hours per week and being responsible for a greater percentage of domestic duties (p<0.0001 and p=0.003, respectively). Both factors remained significant in a multivariable model (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: By exploring burnout in the physically active, we are better able to investigate contributors to burnout despite healthy exercise habits. Increased burnout was significantly associated with greater domestic responsibility and hours working. These findings in women physician runners suggest that exercise alone may not control burnout. Poor work-life integration deserves attention as a burnout contributor in women physicians, potentially serving as a target for burnout prevention strategies.

Higher Crystalloid Volume During Initial Pediatric Trauma Resuscitation is Associated With Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Historically, aggressive fluid resuscitation has been a cornerstone of management of hemorrhagic shock in pediatrics. Adult data suggest this strategy may be harmful. We sought to determine whether aggressive fluid resuscitation within the first hour of presentation to the emergency department in pediatric patients with trauma is associated with worse clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study from 2012 to 2017 at a single pediatric level 1 trauma center. We defined three patient cohorts: ≤ 20 cc/kg (reference), 20-40 (20.01 to 39.99) cc/kg, and ≥40 cc/kg of intravenous fluid (IVF) given in the first in-hospital hour. Covariates included age, injury severity score, shock index (adjusted for age), and mechanism of injury and were adjusted for with multivariable regression. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1479 consecutive injured children were eligible for inclusion. One hundred ninety-four patients were excluded for missing IVF data, aged ≥16 y, having primary burns, or arriving pulseless. A total of 1285 patients met inclusion criteria (mean age 8.1 ± 5.5 y, male 64.5%). Higher rates of IVF administration were associated with mortality for both the 20-40 cc/kg (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.96; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-8.55; P = 0.045) and ≥40 cc/kg groups (aOR 6.26; 95% CI 1.79-21.83; P = 0.004). The ≥40 cc/kg group was associated with increased pediatric intensive care unit length of stay (aOR 2.20; 95% CI: 1.05-4.61; P = 0.036) and increased need for mechanical ventilation (aOR 3.79; 95% CI 1.62-8.87; P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Greater than one 20 cc/kg IVF bolus in the first emergency department hour was associated with mortality with a dose-response relationship, even after adjusting for injury severity and initial hemodynamics. These results encourage further investigation into initial resuscitation strategies for injured children.

Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Simulation Curriculum Improves Pediatric Trauma Performance: A Prospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Simulation-based medical education allows learners to refine and maintain clinical skills especially for high-stake situations such as trauma resuscitation. Despite the primary and secondary survey being its foundation, literature shows poor adherence with overall rates as low as 13%. This study evaluates the impact of rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) on primary and secondary survey skill retention. We hypothesized that RCDP-trained surgery residents will have real-world clinical improvement in their survey completion in pediatric trauma resuscitations. METHODS: We developed an RCDP trauma resuscitation curriculum. Videos of trauma resuscitations before and after curriculum implementation were scored by 2 blinded reviewers using a modified Pediatric Trauma Assessment Scoring Tool. Actual trauma care by residents who had received the curriculum (study group) was compared with care provided by residents who had not received the curriculum (precurriculum historical control group and a concurrent control group who provided care without receiving the curriculum). RESULTS: One hundred eighty-eight videos were scored with 98 in study group, 33 in concurrent control group, and 57 in historical control group. There was a significant improvement in primary survey performance between study group and historical control group (P < 0.001), but no difference between study group and concurrent control group. There was a significant improvement between study group and 2 control groups in secondary survey performance (both P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The RCDP curriculum led to significant improvement in surgical residents' trauma survey performance and had clinical impact on actual patients, which is rare in pediatric trauma simulation literature.

A Modified Delphi Study to Prioritize Content for a Simulation-based Pediatric Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Residency Training Programs.

OBJECTIVES: Pediatric training is an essential component of emergency medicine (EM) residency. The heterogeneity of pediatric experiences poses a significant challenge to training programs. A national simulation curriculum can assist in providing a standardized foundation of pediatric training experience to all EM trainees. Previously, a consensus-derived set of content for a pediatric curriculum for EM was published. This study aimed to prioritize that content to establish a pediatric simulation-based curriculum for all EM residency programs. METHODS: Seventy-three participants were recruited to participate in a three-round modified Delphi project from 10 stakeholder organizations. In round 1, participants ranked 275 content items from a published set of pediatric curricular items for EM residents into one of four categories: definitely must, probably should, possibly could, or should not be taught using simulation in all residency programs. Additionally, in round 1 participants were asked to contribute additional items. These items were then added to the survey in round 2. In round 2, participants were provided the ratings of the entire panel and asked to rerank the items. Round 3 involved participants dichotomously rating the items. RESULTS: A total of 73 participants participated and 98% completed all three rounds. Round 1 resulted in 61 items rated as definitely must, 72 as probably should, 56 as possibly could, 17 as should not, and 99 new items were suggested. Round 2 resulted in 52 items rated as definitely must, 91 as probably should, 120 as possibly could, and 42 as should not. Round 3 resulted in 56 items rated as definitely must be taught using simulation in all programs. CONCLUSIONS: The completed modified Delphi process developed a consensus on 56 pediatric items that definitely must be taught using simulation in all EM residency programs (20 resuscitation, nine nonresuscitation, and 26 skills). These data will serve as a targeted needs assessment to inform the development of a standard pediatric simulation curriculum for all EM residency programs.

Using rapid cycle deliberate practice to improve primary and secondary survey in pediatric trauma.

BACKGROUND: Optimal performance of the primary and secondary survey is the foundation of Advance Trauma Life Support care. Despite its importance, not all primary surveys completed at level 1 pediatric trauma centers are performed according to established guidelines (Gala et al., Pediatr Emerg Care 32:756-762, 2016, Carter et al., Resuscitation 84:66-71, 2013). We hypothesize that rapid cycle deliberate practice (RCDP) will improve surgical residents' confidence in performing the primary and secondary survey. METHODS: We developed a curriculum to teach surgical interns the principles of performing the primary and secondary survey using RCDP. Surveys distributed after each session assessed the impact of the curriculum on learner confidence and perception that this curriculum would benefit patient care. Questions were scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Sixteen surgical interns participated during intern orientation and 100% of the participants completed the post curriculum survey. RESULTS: Thirteen (81%) of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the simulation would impact future performance in the pediatric trauma bay. The curriculum also significantly improved the confidence of our learners to perform trauma surveys (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This curriculum improves the confidence of junior surgical residents in learning the primary and secondary survey. Most learners enjoyed the session and felt that the curriculum would positively impact their performance.

The Challenges of Multisource Feedback: Feasibility and Acceptability of Gathering Patient Feedback for Pediatric Residents.

OBJECTIVE: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education calls for residency programs to incorporate multisource feedback, which may include patient feedback, into resident competency assessments. Program directors face numerous challenges in gathering this feedback. This study assesses the feasibility and acceptability of patient feedback collection in the inpatient and outpatient setting at 3 institutions. METHODS: Patient feedback was collected using a modified version of the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT). Trained research assistants administered the CAT to eligible patients and families in pediatric ward, intensive care, and outpatient settings from July to October 2015. Completion rates and reasons for non-completion were recorded. Patient satisfaction with the CAT was assessed on a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: The CAT was completed by 860/1413 (61%) patients. Completion rates in the pediatric ward and intensive care settings were 45% and 38%, respectively, compared to 91% in the outpatient setting. In inpatient settings, survey non-completion was typically due to participant unavailability; this was rarely a reason in the outpatient setting. A total of 93.4% of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with using the CAT. It was found that 6.36 hours of research assistant time would be required to gather a valid quantity of patient feedback for a single resident in the outpatient setting, compared to 10.14 hours in the inpatient setting. CONCLUSIONS: Although collecting feedback using our standardized protocol is acceptable to patients, obtaining sufficient feedback requires overcoming several barriers and a sizable time commitment. Feedback collection in the outpatient setting may be higher yield than in the inpatient setting due to greater patient/family availability. Future work should focus on innovative methods to gather patient feedback in the inpatient setting to provide program directors with a holistic view of their residents' communication skills.

The Effect of Faculty Coaching on Resident Attitudes, Confidence, and Patient-Rated Communication: A Multi-Institutional Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Despite a national focus on physician-patient communication, there is a paucity of literature on how patient and family feedback (PFF) can be used as a tool to help residents learn communication skills. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of coaching on residents' attitudes towards PFF, self-confidence in communication, and patient-rated communication skills. METHODS: This was an institutional review board-approved, randomized-controlled trial with pediatric residents at 3 institutions from 2015 to 2016. Pre- and postintervention, residents completed a self-assessment of their attitudes and self-confidence in communication. PFF was collected for each resident using the Communication Assessment Tool, which has been validated in other medical disciplines. Intervention group residents reviewed their baseline PFF with a faculty coach; control group residents reviewed their PFF independently. RESULTS: In total, 114 residents completed the study, 57 in each arm. Intervention group residents were significantly more likely to ask for PFF compared with control group residents (mean change 0.36 vs -0.11, P = .01). There were no other significant differences in resident attitudes, confidence, or patient-rated communication between groups. Both groups had increased self-confidence over time and with increasing postgraduate year level. Patient ratings of resident communication did not differ over time or between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Residents who reviewed PFF with a faculty coach were significantly more likely to report they would ask patients for feedback than residents who reviewed PFF independently, suggesting review of feedback with a coach may enhance appreciation of patient feedback. Although self-confidence improved over time in both groups, patient ratings of resident communication skills were not significantly different over time or between groups.

How Residents Learn From Patient Feedback: A Multi-Institutional Qualitative Study of Pediatrics Residents' Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Residents may view feedback from patients and their families with greater skepticism than feedback from supervisors and peers. While discussing patient and family feedback with faculty may improve residents' acceptance of feedback and learning, specific strategies have not been identified. OBJECTIVE: We explored pediatrics residents' perspectives of patient feedback and identified strategies that promote residents' reflection on and learning from feedback. METHODS: In this multi-institutional, qualitative study conducted in June and July 2016, we conducted focus groups with a purposive sample of pediatrics residents after their participation in a randomized controlled trial in which they received written patient feedback and either discussed it with faculty or reviewed it independently. Focus group transcripts were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analyzed for themes using the constant comparative approach associated with grounded theory. RESULTS: Thirty-six of 92 (39%) residents participated in 7 focus groups. Four themes emerged: (1) residents valued patient feedback but felt it may lack the specificity they desire; (2) discussing feedback with a trusted faculty member was helpful for self-reflection; (3) residents identified 5 strategies faculty used to facilitate their openness to and acceptance of patient feedback (eg, help resident overcome emotional responses to feedback and situate feedback in the context of lifelong learning); and (4) residents' perceptions of feedback credibility improved when faculty observed patient encounters and solicited feedback on the resident's behalf prior to discussions. CONCLUSIONS: Discussing patient feedback with faculty provided important scaffolding to enhance residents' openness to and reflection on patient feedback.

Child Neurology Education for Pediatric Residents.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the current state of child neurology education during pediatric residency provides adequate preparation for pediatric practice. A survey was sent to recent graduates from 3 pediatric residency programs to assess graduate experience, perceived level of competence, and desire for further education in child neurology. Responses from generalists versus subspecialists were compared. The response rate was 32%, half in general pediatric practice. Only 22% feel very confident in approaching patients with neurologic problems. This may represent the best-case scenario as graduates from these programs had required neurology experiences, whereas review of Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education-accredited residency curricula revealed that the majority of residencies do not. Pediatric neurologic problems are common, and pediatric residency graduates do encounter such problems in practice. The majority of pediatricians report some degree of confidence; however, some clear areas for improvement are apparent.

Using a tablet computer during pediatric procedures: a case series and review of the "apps".

Children who require procedures and interventions that might be painful or anxiety provoking often require physical restraint, procedural sedation, or both. Nonpharmacologic distraction techniques have been shown to be a helpful adjunct in these situations and can decrease or even eliminate the need for restraint or sedation. We present a case series of children who successfully underwent painful procedures using no restraint or sedation, but rather, distraction with the Apple iPad. We are finding this device to be increasingly useful in the management of pain and anxiety in the pediatric emergency department. We review several available applications (also known as "apps") available on this device with particular attention to features that assist providers in selecting appropriate ones by age, developmental stage, and type of procedure.

Derm emergencies: detecting early signs of trouble.

Life-threatening dermatologic conditions do not always present with classic findings. This review--and the accompanying images--will help you recognize and respond to them without delay.