Management of Acute Injury and Illness in Pediatric Athletes by Athletic Trainers: Compliance With Emergency Medicine and Athletic Trainer Evidence-Based Guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine athletic trainer compliance with emergency medicine and athletic training evidence-based guidelines for the on-the-field management of common pediatric sports-related injury and illness. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed electronically to selected members of the National Athletic Trainer Association. The questionnaire included 10 clinical scenarios describing common sports-related injury/illness (closed head injury, cervical spine injury, blunt chest injury, blunt abdominal injury, ankle injury, knee injury with laceration, heat-related illness). On-the-field management decisions for each scenario were compared with selected emergency medicine and athletic training guidelines. RESULTS: Analysis was performed on 564 completed questionnaires (9% response rate). Responders were compliant with practice guidelines for both emergency medicine and athletic training except for blunt chest trauma with tachycardia, closed head injury with loss of consciousness, closed head injury with repetitive speech, closed head injury with a fall higher than 5 feet, cervical spine injury with paresthesias, and heat-related illness with persistent symptoms. Discrepancies between emergency medicine and athletic training guidelines included closed head injury with repetitive speech, closed head injury and height of fall, closed head injury and unequal pupils, and cervical spine injury with neck pain and paresthesias. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our sample, athletic trainers were compliant with many guidelines supported by both emergency medicine and athletic training. We identified several deficiencies in the availability of evidence-based guidelines and discrepancies between these guidelines and athletic trainer responses. To provide optimal care to pediatric athletes who sustain injury or illness, emergency medicine and athletic training organizations should collaborate to improve these discrepancies.

Seq-ing the SINEs of central nervous system tumors in cerebrospinal fluid.

It is often challenging to distinguish cancerous from non-cancerous lesions in the brain using conventional diagnostic approaches. We introduce an analytic technique called Real-CSF (repetitive element aneuploidy sequencing in CSF) to detect cancers of the central nervous system from evaluation of DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are PCR amplified with a single primer pair, and the PCR products are evaluated by next-generation sequencing. Real-CSF assesses genome-wide copy-number alterations as well as focal amplifications of selected oncogenes. Real-CSF was applied to 280 CSF samples and correctly identified 67% of 184 cancerous and 96% of 96 non-cancerous brain lesions. CSF analysis was considerably more sensitive than standard-of-care cytology and plasma cell-free DNA analysis in the same patients. Real-CSF therefore has the capacity to be used in combination with other clinical, radiologic, and laboratory-based data to inform the diagnosis and management of patients with suspected cancers of the brain.

Early costs and complications of first-line low-grade glioma treatment using a large national database: Limitations and future perspectives.

Introduction: Diffuse Low-grade gliomas (DLGG, WHO Grade II) are a heterogenous group of tumors comprising 13-16% of glial tumors. While maximal safe resection is endorsed as the best approach to DLGG, compared to more conservative interventions like stereotactic biopsy, the added costs and risks have not been systematically evaluated. The purpose of this study was to better understand the complication rates and costs associated with each intervention. Methods: A retrospective cohort study using data from the IBM Watson Health MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters database was conducted, using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes corresponding to DLGG (2005-2014). Current Procedure Terminology, 4th Edition (CPT-4) codes were used to differentiate resection and biopsy cohorts. Inverse weighting by the propensity score was used to balance baseline potential confounders (age, sex, pre-op seizure, geographic region, year, Charleston Comorbidity Index). Complication rates, hospital mortality, readmission, and costs were compared between groups. Results: We identified 5,784 and 3,635 patients undergoing resection and biopsy, respectively, for initial DLGG management. Resection was associated with greater 30-day complications (29.17% vs. 26.34%; p < 0.05). However, this association became non-significant after inverse propensity weighting (adjusted odds ratio = 1.09; 0.98-1.20). There was no statistically significant difference in unadjusted, 30-day hospital mortality (p = 0.06) or re-admission (p = 0.52). Resection was associated with higher 90-day total costs (p < 0.0001) and drug costs (p < 0.0001). Biopsy was associated with greater index procedure costs (p < 0.0001). Long-term outcomes and evaluation of DLGG subtypes was not possible given limitations in the metrics recorded in MarketScan and lack of specificity in the ICD coding system. Conclusion: Resection was not associated with an increase in the adjusted complication rate after balancing for baseline prognostic factors. Total costs and drug costs were higher with resection of DLGG, but the index procedure costs were higher for biopsy. This data should help to facilitate prospective health economic analyses in the future to understand the cost-effectiveness, and impact on quality of life, for DLGG interventions. However, the use of large national databases for studying long-term outcomes in DLGG management should be discouraged until there is greater specificity in the ICD coding system for DLGG subtypes.

A Constellation of Atypical Findings in a Nine-Year-Old Child With Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumors: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNETs) are rare, generally benign, mixed neuronal-glial neoplasms occurring most often between 10 and 14 years of age. These lesions are classically cortically based and solitary, found preferentially in the temporal lobe, and most commonly present with seizures. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), these lesions are generally cystic and have variable contrast enhancement, which, when present, often involves the periphery. Rarely, lesions followed radiographically may demonstrate delayed contrast enhancement. Here, we present a case of multifocal DNETs involving the cerebellum that demonstrated delayed contrast enhancement. In addition, these occurred in a patient with Noonan syndrome (NS), a "RASopathy" disorder associated with low-grade glial and glioneuronal tumors. We present a summary of all previously reported cases of cerebellar DNETs. Our patient was successfully treated surgically and is doing well clinically, now one year status post his last procedure, and is being closely monitored with serial MRIs for progression. Gross total resection is often curative without adjuvant therapy for most DNETs. Our case emphasizes the importance of radiographic surveillance, as multifocality and recurrence may necessitate more than one procedure. Lastly, clinicians should be suspicious for DNETs and other low-grade glial tumors when treating patients with NS, acknowledging their predisposition for multifocal involvement and atypical presentations.

Association of Low-Grade Glioma Diagnosis and Management Approach with Mental Health Disorders: A MarketScan Analysis 2005-2014.

Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) comprise 13-16% of glial tumors. As survival for LGG patients has been gradually improving, it is essential that the effects of diagnosis and disease progression on mental health be considered. This retrospective cohort study queried the IBM Watson Health MarketScan® Database to describe the incidence and prevalence of mental health disorders (MHDs) among LGG patients and identify associated risk factors. Among the 20,432 LGG patients identified, 12,436 (60.9%) had at least one MHD. Of those who never had a prior MHD, as documented in the claims record, 1915 (16.7%) had their first, newly diagnosed MHD within 12 months after LGG diagnosis. Patients who were female (odds ratio (OR), 1.14, 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.03-1.26), aged 35-44 (OR, 1.20, 95% CI, 1.03-1.39), and experienced glioma-related seizures (OR, 2.19, 95% CI, 1.95-2.47) were significantly associated with MHD incidence. Patients who underwent resection (OR, 2.58, 95% CI, 2.19-3.04) or biopsy (OR, 2.17, 95% CI, 1.68-2.79) were also more likely to develop a MHD compared to patients who did not undergo a first-line surgical treatment. These data support the need for active surveillance, proactive counseling, and management of MHDs in patients with LGG. Impact of surgery on brain networks affecting mood should also be considered.

Personality Traits and Social Supports in Adolescents With Persistent Postconcussion Symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether adolescents with persistent postconcussion symptoms (PPCS) differ from healthy peers in their personality traits and social supports. SETTING: Specialty Concussion Clinic and Primary Care Clinic affiliated with an academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-seven adolescents (42 with PPCS, 55 healthy peers; age: 15 ± 2 years). DESIGN: Participants completed a web-based survey that included medical and demographic characteristics, mechanisms of concussion, 10-item Big Five Inventory, and Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale. A Student's 2-tailed t test with multiple testing corrections was used to compare the youths with PPCS to healthy peers. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was PPCS, defined by the presence of 2 or more concussion-related symptoms on the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS), lasting for more than 4 weeks after initial injury. The secondary outcome was perceived personality traits and social support, based on the 10-item Big Five Inventory and the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, respectively. RESULTS: The PPCS group had higher neuroticism scores on their Big Five Inventory than healthy peers. They also reported less social support from teachers and classmates than healthy peers. CONCLUSION: Youths with PPCS report specific personality and social support characteristics that differ from their peers. These findings suggest that individual personality and school-based social supports may influence concussion recovery.

Current State of Health Economic Analyses for Low-Grade Glioma Management: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Health economic analyses help determine the value of a medical intervention by assessing the costs and outcomes associated with it. The objective of this study was to assess the level of evidence in economic evaluations for low-grade glioma (LGG) management. METHODS: Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of English articles in Medline, Embase, The Central Registration Depository, EconPapers, and EconLit. The results were screened, and data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers for studies reporting economic evaluations for LGG. The quality of each study was evaluated using the CHEERS (Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards) checklist, the hierarchy scale developed by Cooper et al. (2005), and the Quality of Health Economic Studies instrument. RESULTS: Three studies met our inclusion criteria. The adjusted incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) values for the included studies ranged from $3934 to $9936, but each evaluated a different aspect of LGG management. All had a good quality of reporting per the CHEERS checklist. Based on the Cooper et al. hierarchy scale, the quality of data use was lacking most for utilities. The quality of study design was scored as 82, 92, and 100 for each study using the Quality of Health Economic Studies instrument. CONCLUSIONS: Although a limited number of economic evaluations were identified, the studies evaluated here were well designed. The interventions assessed were all considered cost-effective, but pooled analysis was not possible because of heterogeneity in the interventions assessed. Given the importance of value and cost-effectiveness in medical care, more evidence is needed in this area.

The Impact of Surgical Scheduling on Outcomes in Lumbar Laminectomy.

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether surgical scheduling affected patient outcomes following lumbar laminectomy. Physician fatigue caused by prolonged work hours has been shown to worsen outcomes. Previous research has also established a relationship between surgical scheduling and outcomes. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of single-level lumbar laminectomy patients at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center between 1992 and 2019. Patients who underwent a one-level laminectomy between 1992 and 2019 were included in the study. Patients with procedures defined as complex (>1 level, tumor or abscess removal, discectomy, implant removal) were excluded. The surgical complication rate [cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, 30-day redo, 30-day ED visit, weakness, sensation loss, infection, urinary retention] was compared across surgical start times, day of the week, proximity to a holiday, and procedure length. Results Procedures that started between 9:01-11:00 were more likely to have a complication than those between 7:01-9:00 (p=0.04). For every 60-min increase in surgery length, odds of having a complication increased by 2.01 times (p=0.0041). Surgeries that started between 11:01-13:00 had a significantly longer median surgery length than those between 7:01-9:00. Conclusion The time of the day when the procedure was started was predictive of worse outcomes following laminectomy. This may be attributed to several factors, including fatigue and staff turnover. Additionally, increased surgical length was predictive of more complications. It remains unclear whether increased surgical time results from correction of noticed errors or a fatigue-related decline in speed and performance. These findings on one-level laminectomy warrant further investigations since they have implications for reducing systemic failures that impact patient outcomes.