Factors Associated With Improved Pediatric Resuscitative Care in General Emergency Departments.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the quality of pediatric resuscitative care in general emergency departments (GEDs) and to determine hospital-level factors associated with higher quality. METHODS: Prospective observational study of resuscitative care provided to 3 in situ simulated patients (infant seizure, infant sepsis, and child cardiac arrest) by interprofessional GED teams. A composite quality score (CQS) was measured and the association of this score with modifiable and nonmodifiable hospital-level factors was explored. RESULTS: A median CQS of 62.8 of 100 (interquartile range 50.5-71.1) was noted for 287 resuscitation teams from 175 emergency departments. In the unadjusted analyses, a higher score was associated with the modifiable factor of an affiliation with a pediatric academic medical center (PAMC) and the nonmodifiable factors of higher pediatric volume and location in the Northeast and Midwest. In the adjusted analyses, a higher CQS was associated with modifiable factors of an affiliation with a PAMC and the designation of both a nurse and physician pediatric emergency care coordinator, and nonmodifiable factors of higher pediatric volume and location in the Northeast and Midwest. A weak correlation was noted between quality and pediatric readiness scores. CONCLUSIONS: A low quality of pediatric resuscitative care, measured using simulation, was noted across a cohort of GEDs. Hospital factors associated with higher quality included: an affiliation with a PAMC, designation of a pediatric emergency care coordinator, higher pediatric volume, and geographic location. A weak correlation was noted between quality and pediatric readiness scores.

Feasibility of a Video Otoscope for Diagnosis of Otologic Pathology in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES: Performing pediatric otoscopy can be difficult secondary to patient compliance, which potentiates misdiagnosis and inaccurate treatment of acute otitis media. This study used a convenience sample to assess the feasibility of using a video otoscope for the examination of tympanic membranes in children presenting to a pediatric emergency department. METHODS: We obtained otoscopic videos using the JEDMED Horus + HD Video Otoscope. Participants were randomized to video or standard otoscopy, and a physician completed their bilateral ear examinations. In the video group, physicians reviewed otoscope videos with the patient's caregiver. The caregiver and physician completed separate surveys using a 5-point Likert Scale regarding perceptions of the otoscopic examination. A second physician reviewed each otoscopic video. RESULTS: We enrolled 213 participants in 2 groups (standard otoscopy, n = 94; video otoscopy, n = 119). We used Wilcoxon rank sum, Fisher exact test, and descriptive statistics to compare results across groups. For physicians, there were no statistically significant differences between groups with ease of device use, quality of otoscopic view, or diagnosis. There was moderate agreement between physician video otoscopic view satisfaction and slight agreement between physician video otologic diagnosis. Estimates of length of time to complete the ear examinations were longer more often for the video otoscope compared with standard for both caregivers (OR, 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-3.70; P = 0.02) and physicians (OR, 3.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.67-5.78; P < 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between video and standard otoscopy with regard to caregiver perception of comfort, cooperation, satisfaction, or diagnosis understanding. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers perceive that video otoscopy and standard otoscopy are comparable in comfort, cooperation, examination satisfaction, and diagnosis understanding. Physicians made a wider range of more subtle diagnoses with the video otoscope. However, examination length of time may limit the JEDMED Horus + HD Video Otoscope's feasibility in a busy pediatric emergency department.

[Moderate/severe hydronephrosis before ureteral double-j stent insertion is associated with less back pain during micturition.] / La hidronefrosis moderada/severa antes de la inserción del catéter ureteral doble J se asocia con menos dolor de espalda durante la micción.

OBJECTIVE: Symptoms related toureteral double-J stent are the most common complaintamong patients. Back pain during micturition isone of the most frequent but intensity and durationmay vary between them. This study aimed to assessthe relationship between hydronephrosis grade beforeureteral double-j stent insertion and back pain duringmicturition. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All consecutive patientsundergoing a ureteral double-j insertion secondaryto urolithiasis between 2017 and 2019 were prospectivelyenrolled. Hydronephrosis was assessed using aCT scan and was categorized according to renal pelvismeasure as 0-10 mm (low group), and ≥10 mm(moderate group). At one week postoperative, patientsymptoms were evaluated using the Spanish validatedversion of the Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire(USSQ) and 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS). Meanscores for USSQ domains and mean VAS scores werecompared. RESULTS: 149 patients were included and evaluated.The mean age was 48.2±15.1 years. We found no significantdifferences in mean scores for each main domainin the USSQ or VAS. The presence of flank painduring micturition was present in 73.5% and 52.5 %for the low vs moderate hydronephrosis group respectively(p=0.01). Sub-analysis by gender was 78.7 % vs44.0 % (p=0.00) and 58.6% vs 66.6% (p=0.6) of low andmoderate group in men and women respectively.Analysis of the USSQ item score revealed thatthe moderate hydronephrosis group presented less''pain or discomfort when urinating,'' less ''presenceof back pain when urinating,'' less ''admission orprocedure because of discomfort,'' and less ''feelingabout reinsertion''. CONCLUSION: Patients in the moderate hydronephrosisgroup did not have significant advantagesin terms of voiding symptoms, pain, general health,sexual matters, or additional problems determined bythe USSQ or in VAS. However, sub-analysis reportedadvantages concerning pain and additional questions.Men with moderate hydronephrosis presented statisticallysignificantly less pain during micturition.

INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVO: Lossíntomas relacionados con el catéter ureteral doble-Json la queja más común en los pacientes. El dolor deespalda durante la micción es uno de los más frecuentes,pero la intensidad y la duración varían entre ellos.El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la relación entreel grado de hidronefrosis antes de la inserción del catéterureteral doble-J y el dolor de espalda durante lamicción. PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: Se incluyeron prospectivamentetodos los pacientes consecutivos que sesometieron a la inserción de un catéter ureteral doblej debido a la urolitiasis entre 2017 y 2019. La hidronefrosisse evaluó mediante una tomografía computarizaday se clasificó según la medida de la pelvis renalcomo 0-10 mm (grupo bajo), y ≥10 mm (grupo moderado/severo). Una semana después de la operación,los síntomas del paciente se evaluaron utilizando laversión validada en español del Cuestionario de Síntomasdel Catéter Ureteral (USSQ) y la la escala visualanáloga (EVA) de 10 cm. Se compararon las puntuaciones medias de los dominios del USSQ y las puntuacionesmedias de la EVA. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron y evaluaron 149 pacientes.La edad media fue de 48,2±15,1 años. No seencontraron diferencias significativas en las puntuacionesmedias de cada dominio principal en la USSQo la EVA. La presencia de dolor en el flanco durante lamicción estuvo presente en el 73,5% y el 52,5% parael grupo de hidronefrosis baja vs. moderada respectivamente(p=0,01). El subanálisis por género fue 78,7% vs 44,0 % (p=0,00) y 58,6 % vs 66,6 % (p=0,6) delgrupo de baja y moderada en hombres y mujeres respectivamente.El análisis de la puntuación de los ítems de laUSSQ reveló que el grupo de hidronefrosis moderadapresentó menos "dolor o molestia al orinar", menos"presencia de dolor de espalda al orinar", menos "admisióno procedimiento por molestia" y menos "sensaciónde reinserción". CONCLUSIÓN: Los pacientes del grupo de hidronefrosismoderada no ofrecen ventajas significativas encuanto a los síntomas de evacuación, el dolor, la saludgeneral, las cuestiones sexuales o los problemasdeterminados por el USSQ o en EVA. Sin embargo, elsubanálisis informó de ventajas relativas al dolor ypreguntas adicionales. Los hombres con hidronefrosismoderada presentaban un dolor estadísticamente significativodurante la micción.

La hidronefrosis moderada/severa antes de la inserción del catéter ureteral doble j se asocia con menos dolor de espalda durante la micción / Moderate/severe hydronephrosis before ureteral double-j stent insertion is associated with less back pain during micturition

INTRODUCCIÓN Y OBJETIVO: Lossíntomas relacionados con el catéter ureteral doble-Json la queja más común en los pacientes. El dolor deespalda durante la micción es uno de los más frecuentes, pero la intensidad y la duración varían entre ellos.El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la relación entreel grado de hidronefrosis antes de la inserción del catéter ureteral doble-J y el dolor de espalda durante lamicción.PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: Se incluyeron prospectivamente todos los pacientes consecutivos que sesometieron a la inserción de un catéter ureteral doblej debido a la urolitiasis entre 2017 y 2019. La hidronefrosis se evaluó mediante una tomografía computarizada y se clasificó según la medida de la pelvis renalcomo 0-10 mm (grupo bajo), y ≥10 mm (grupo moderado/severo). Una semana después de la operación,los síntomas del paciente se evaluaron utilizando laversión validada en español del Cuestionario de Síntomas del Catéter Ureteral (USSQ) y la la escala visualanáloga (EVA) de 10 cm. Se compararon las puntuaciones medias de los dominios del USSQ y las puntuaciones medias de la EVA.RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron y evaluaron 149 pacientes. La edad media fue de 48,2±15,1 años. No seencontraron diferencias significativas en las puntuaciones medias de cada dominio principal en la USSQo la EVA. La presencia de dolor en el flanco durante lamicción estuvo presente en el 73,5% y el 52,5% parael grupo de hidronefrosis baja vs. moderada respectivamente (p=0,01). El subanálisis por género fue 78,7% vs 44,0 % (p=0,00) y 58,6 % vs 66,6 % (p=0,6) delgrupo de baja y moderada en hombres y mujeres respectivamente.El análisis de la puntuación de los ítems de laUSSQ reveló que el grupo de hidronefrosis moderadapresentó menos “dolor o molestia al orinar”, menos“presencia de dolor de espalda al orinar”, menos “admisión o procedimiento por molestia” y menos “sensación de reinserción”.

OBJECTIVE: Symptoms related toureteral double-J stent are the most common complaint among patients. Back pain during micturition isone of the most frequent but intensity and durationmay vary between them. This study aimed to assessthe relationship between hydronephrosis grade beforeureteral double-j stent insertion and back pain duringmicturition.PATIENTS AND METHODS: All consecutive patientsundergoing a ureteral double-j insertion secondaryto urolithiasis between 2017 and 2019 were prospectively enrolled. Hydronephrosis was assessed using aCT scan and was categorized according to renal pelvis measure as 0-10 mm (low group), and ≥10 mm(moderate group). At one week postoperative, patientsymptoms were evaluated using the Spanish validatedversion of the Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ) and 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS). Meanscores for USSQ domains and mean VAS scores werecompared.RESULTS: 149 patients were included and evaluated.The mean age was 48.2±15.1 years. We found no significant differences in mean scores for each main domain in the USSQ or VAS. The presence of flank painduring micturition was present in 73.5% and 52.5 %for the low vs moderate hydronephrosis group respectively (p=0.01). Sub-analysis by gender was 78.7 % vs44.0 % (p=0.00) and 58.6% vs 66.6% (p=0.6) of low andmoderate group in men and women respectively.Analysis of the USSQ item score revealed thatthe moderate hydronephrosis group presented less‘‘pain or discomfort when urinating,’’ less ‘‘presence of back pain when urinating,’’ less ‘‘admission orprocedure because of discomfort,’’ and less ‘‘feelingabout reinsertion’’.CONCLUSION: Patients in the moderate hydronephrosis group did not have significant advantagesin terms of voiding symptoms, pain, general health,sexual matters, or additional problem

Pediatric exploratory ingestions involving novel pill pack packaging.

Pill packs are novel packaging systems designed to contain multiple medications and increase medication access but are not child-resistant and increase the risk of pediatric ingestions. We present two pediatric ingestion cases suspected to involve pill packs. Case 1 describes a 19-month-old male presenting to the Emergency Department with altered mental status and unsteady gait after a suspected clonidine and buspirone ingestion. The patient's father reportedly received his medications in mail delivery "baggies". Case 2 involves a 21-month-old female presenting to the Emergency Department with unsteady gait. During an extensive workup we eventually found a clonazepam metabolite in her urine. A family friend supervising the patient at the time reportedly received medications through mail delivery in "plastic packs". Emergency physicians should be alert to this packaging system as these products contain multiple medications, potentially increasing injury risk and obfuscating diagnosis. Manufacturers, regulatory agencies and public health authorities should assess and reduce the dangers these products pose to children.

The COVID-19 Elective for Pediatric Residents: Learning About Systems-Based Practice During a Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted pediatric residency programs to adjust the delivery of educational curricula and to update content relevant to the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: In this descriptive paper, we present how we rapidly developed and implemented a COVID-19 pandemic elective for pediatric residents. METHODS: This curriculum was established at a single tertiary care children's hospital in June 2020. We used the ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation) framework to develop a two-week elective (30 hours) consisting of six flexibly scheduled modules. We administered post-elective surveys and exit interviews to solicit feedback to improve the elective and obtain effectiveness of our educational interventions. RESULTS: We developed an asynchronous online COVID-19 Elective for Pediatric Residents. The curriculum modules focus on pathophysiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the disaster management ecosystem, simulation of clinical care, mental health ramifications, and public health consequences. We also include six in-situ experiences (visits to a drive-through COVID-19 testing site, testing laboratory and local public health department, a simulation of a critically ill child, and meetings with emergency managers and social workers) to solidify learning and allow for further reflection. To date, eight participants have taken the elective. All participants strongly agreed on a five-point Likert item survey that the elective enhanced their knowledge in current evidence-based literature for COVID-19, disaster preparedness, hospital response, management of the critically ill child, and mental and public health ramifications. All participants agreed this curriculum was relevant to and will change their practice. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate how a COVID-19 elective for pediatric residents could be quickly developed and implemented. The pilot results show that pediatric trainees value asynchronous learning, supplemented by relevant in-situ experiences. Moreover, these results suggest that this curriculum provides needed disaster response and resiliency education for pediatric residents.

The Diagnostic Error Index: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Identify and Measure Diagnostic Errors.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a diagnostic error index (DEI) aimed at providing a practical method to identify and measure serious diagnostic errors. STUDY DESIGN: A quality improvement (QI) study at a quaternary pediatric medical center. Five well-defined domains identified cases of potential diagnostic errors. Identified cases underwent an adjudication process by a multidisciplinary QI team to determine if a diagnostic error occurred. Confirmed diagnostic errors were then aggregated on the DEI. The primary outcome measure was the number of monthly diagnostic errors. RESULTS: From January 2017 through June 2019, 105 cases of diagnostic error were identified. Morbidity and mortality conferences, institutional root cause analyses, and an abdominal pain trigger tool were the most frequent domains for detecting diagnostic errors. Appendicitis, fractures, and nonaccidental trauma were the 3 most common diagnoses that were missed or had delayed identification. CONCLUSIONS: A QI initiative successfully created a pragmatic approach to identify and measure diagnostic errors by utilizing a DEI. The DEI established a framework to help guide future initiatives to reduce diagnostic errors.

Improving Pediatric Readiness in General Emergency Departments: A Prospective Interventional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the impact of a national interventional collaborative on pediatric readiness within general emergency departments (EDs). STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, multicenter, interventional study measured pediatric readiness in general EDs before and after participation in a pediatric readiness improvement intervention. Pediatric readiness was assessed using the weighted pediatric readiness score (WPRS) on a 100-point scale. The study protocol extended over 6 months and involved 3 phases: (1) a baseline on-site assessment of pediatric readiness and simulated quality of care; (2) pediatric readiness interventions; and (3) a follow-up on-site assessment of WPRS. The intervention phase included a benchmarking performance report, resources toolkits, and ongoing interactions between general EDs and academic medical centers. RESULTS: Thirty-six general EDs were enrolled, and 34 (94%) completed the study. Four EDs (11%) were located in Canada, and the rest were in the US. The mean improvement in WPRS was 16.3 (P < .001) from a baseline of 62.4 (SEM = 2.2) to 78.7 (SEM = 2.1), with significant improvement in the domains of administration/coordination of care; policies, protocol, and procedures; and quality improvement. Six EDs (17%) were fully adherent to the protocol timeline. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a collaborative intervention model including simulation and quality improvement initiatives is associated with improvement in WPRS when disseminated to a diverse group of general EDs partnering with their regional pediatric academic medical centers. This work provides evidence that innovative collaboration facilitated by academic medical centers can serve as an effective strategy to improve pediatric readiness and processes of care.

Optimizing Rapid Sequence Intubation for Medical and Trauma Patients in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) is a critical procedure for severely ill and injured patients presenting to the pediatric emergency department (PED). This procedure has a high risk of complications, and multiple attempts increase this risk. We aimed to increase successful intubation within two attempts, focusing on medical and trauma patients separately to identify improvement barriers for each group. METHODS: A multifaceted intervention was implemented using quality improvement methods. The analysis included adherence to the standardized process, successful intubation within two attempts, and frequency of oxygen saturations <92% during laryngoscopy. Trauma and medical patients were analyzed separately as team composition differed for each. RESULTS: This project began in February 2018, and we included 290 patients between April 2018 and December 2019. Adherence to the standardized process was sustained at 91% for medical patients and a baseline of 55% for trauma patients with a trend toward improvement. In May 2018, we observed and sustained special cause variations for medical patients' successful intubations within two attempts (77-89%). In September 2018, special cause variation was observed and sustained for the successful intubation of trauma patients within two attempts (89-96%). The frequency of oxygen saturation of <92% was 21% for medical patients; only one trauma patient experienced oxygen desaturation. CONCLUSION: Implementation of a standardized process significantly improved successful intubations within two attempts for medical and trauma patients. Trauma teams had more gradual adherence to the standardized process, which may be related to the relative infrequency of intubations and variable team composition.

EAST multicenter trial of simulation-based team training for pediatric trauma: Resuscitation task completion is highly variable during simulated traumatic brain injury resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: Best practices for benchmarking the efficacy of simulation-based training programs are not well defined. This study sought to assess feasibility of standardized data collection with multicenter implementation of simulation-based training, and to characterize variability in pediatric trauma resuscitation task completion associated with program characteristics. METHODS: A prospective multicenter observational cohort of resuscitation teams (N = 30) was used to measure task completion and teamwork during simulated resuscitation of a child with traumatic brain injury. A survey was used to measure center-specific trauma volume and simulation-based training program characteristics among participating centers. RESULTS: No task was consistently performed across all centers. Teamwork skills were associated with faster time to computed tomography notification (r = -0.51, p < 0.01). Notification of the operating room by the resuscitation team occurred more frequently in in situ simulation than in laboratory-based simulation (13/22 versus 0/8, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Multicenter implementation of a standardized pediatric trauma resuscitation simulation scenario is feasible. Standardized data collection showed wide variability in simulated resuscitation task completion.

Cost-effectiveness of a video game versus live simulation for disaster training.

Introduction: Disaster triage training for emergency medical service (EMS) providers is unstandardised. We hypothesised that disaster triage training with the paediatric disaster triage (PDT) video game '60 s to Survival' would be a cost-effective alternative to live simulation-based PDT training. Methods: We synthesised data for a cost-effectiveness analysis from two previous studies. The video game data were from the intervention arm of a randomised controlled trial that compared triage accuracy in a live simulation scenario of exposed vs unexposed groups to the video game. The live simulation and feedback data were from a prospective cohort study evaluating live simulation and feedback for improving disaster triage skills. Postintervention scores of triage accuracy were measured for participants via live simulations and compared between both groups. Cost-effectiveness between the live simulation and video game groups was assessed using (1) A net benefit regression model at various willingness-to-pay (WTP) values. (2) A cost-effectiveness acceptability curve (CEAC). Results: The total cost for the live simulation and feedback training programme was $81 313.50 and the cost for the video game was $67 822. Incremental net benefit values at various WTP values revealed positive incremental net benefit values, indicating that the video game is more cost-effective compared with live simulation and feedback. Moreover, the CEAC revealed a high probability (>0.6) at various WTP values that the video game is more cost-effective. Conclusions: A video game-based simulation disaster triage training programme was more cost-effective than a live simulation and feedback-based programme. Video game-based training could be a simple, scalable and sustainable solution to training EMS providers.

Prevalence of Errors in Anaphylaxis in Kids (PEAK): A Multicenter Simulation-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Multi-institutional, international practice variation of pediatric anaphylaxis management by health care providers has not been reported. OBJECTIVE: To characterize variability in epinephrine administration for pediatric anaphylaxis across institutions, including frequency and types of medication errors. METHODS: A prospective, observational, study using a standardized in situ simulated anaphylaxis scenario was performed across 28 health care institutions in 6 countries. The on-duty health care team was called for a child (patient simulator) in anaphylaxis. Real medications and supplies were obtained from their actual locations. Demographic data about team members, institutional protocols for anaphylaxis, timing of epinephrine delivery, medication errors, and systems safety issues discovered during the simulation were collected. RESULTS: Thirty-seven in situ simulations were performed. Anaphylaxis guidelines existed in 41% (15 of 37) of institutions. Teams used a cognitive aid for medication dosing 41% (15 of 37) of the time and 32% (12 of 37) for preparation. Epinephrine autoinjectors were not available in 54% (20 of 37) of institutions and were used in only 14% (5 of 37) of simulations. Median time to epinephrine administration was 95 seconds (interquartile range, 77-252) for epinephrine autoinjector and 263 seconds (interquartile range, 146-407.5) for manually prepared epinephrine (P = .12). At least 1 medication error occurred in 68% (25 of 37) of simulations. Nursing experience with epinephrine administration for anaphylaxis was associated with fewer preparation (P = .04) and administration (P = .01) errors. Latent safety threats were reported by 30% (11 of 37) of institutions, and more than half of these (6 of 11) involved a cognitive aid. CONCLUSIONS: A multicenter, international study of simulated pediatric anaphylaxis reveals (1) variation in management between institutions in the use of protocols, cognitive aids, and medication formularies, (2) frequent errors involving epinephrine, and (3) latent safety threats related to cognitive aids among multiple sites.

Neonatal Intubation Competency Assessment Tool: Development and Validation.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal tracheal intubation (NTI) is an important clinical skill. Suboptimal performance is associated with patient harm. Simulation training can improve NTI performance. Improving performance requires an objective assessment of competency. Competency assessment tools need strong evidence of validity. We hypothesized that an NTI competency assessment tool with multisource validity evidence could be developed and be used for formative and summative assessment during simulation-based training. METHODS: An NTI assessment tool was developed based on a literature review. The tool was refined through 2 rounds of a modified Delphi process involving 12 subject-matter experts. The final tool included a 22-item checklist, a global skills assessment, and an entrustable professional activity (EPA) level. The validity of the checklist was assessed by having 4 blinded reviewers score 23 videos of health care providers intubating a neonatal simulator. RESULTS: The checklist items had good internal consistency (overall α = 0.79). Checklist scores were greater for providers at greater training levels and with more NTI experience. Checklist scores correlated with global skills assessment (ρ = 0.85; P < .05), EPA levels (ρ = 0.87; P < .05), percent glottic exposure (r = 0.59; P < .05), and Cormack-Lehane scores (ρ = 0.95; P < .05). Checklist scores reliably predicted EPA levels. CONCLUSIONS: We developed an NTI competency assessment tool with multisource validity evidence. The tool was able to discriminate NTI performance based on experience. The tool can be used during simulation-based NTI training to provide formative and summative assessment and can aid with entrustment decisions.

Correlation Between Paramedic Disaster Triage Accuracy in Screen-Based Simulations and Immersive Simulations.

Background: Disaster triage is an infrequent, high-stakes skill set used by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. Screen-based simulation (SBS) provides easy access to asynchronous disaster triage education. However, it is unclear if the performance during a SBS correlates with immersive simulation performance. Methods: This was a nested cohort study within a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The RCT compared triage accuracy of paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who completed an immersive simulation of a school shooting, interacted with an SBS for 13 weeks, and then completed the immersive simulation again. The participants were divided into two groups: those exposed vs. those not exposed to 60 Seconds to Survival© (60S), a disaster triage SBS. The aim of the study was to measure the correlation between SBS triage accuracy and immersive simulation triage accuracy. Improvements in triage accuracy were compared among participants in the nested study before and after interacting with 60S, and with improvements in triage accuracy in a previous study in which immersive simulations were used as an educational intervention. Results: Thirty-nine participants completed the SBS; 26 (67%) completed at least three game plays and were included in the evaluation of outcomes of interest. The mean number of plays was 8.5 (SD =7.4). Subjects correctly triaged 12.4% more patients in the immersive simulation at study completion (73.1% before, 85.8% after, P = 0.004). There was no correlation between the amount of improvement in overall SBS triage accuracy, instances of overtriage (P = 0.101), instances of undertriage (P = 0.523), and improvement in the second immersive simulation. A comparison of the pooled data from a previous immersive simulation study with the nested cohort data showed similar improvement in triage accuracy (P = 0.079). Conclusions: SBS education was associated with a significant increase in triage accuracy in an immersive simulation, although triage accuracy demonstrated in the SBS did not correlate with the performance in the immersive simulation. This improvement in accuracy was similar to the improvement seen when immersive simulation was used as the educational intervention in a previous study.

Elevated endotracheal tube cuff pressure in the pediatric emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate endotracheal tube cuff pressure after emergency intubation and identify variables associated with an elevated cuff pressure. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of intubated patients in the emergency department of Nationwide Children's Hospital. The primary study outcome, cuff pressure, was measured via manometer. Clinical details related to the intubation were collected and analyzed as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 104 patients enrolled, cuff pressure was 30 cmH2O in 59 (57%); exceeding the recommended safe upper limit. The average cuff pressure was 38 cmH2O for the entire cohort. Patients who had their endotracheal tube cuff inflated by a respiratory therapist tended to be exposed to a lower cuff pressure. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of patients in this study were exposed to a cuff pressure greater than the safe upper limit. Our analysis of secondary outcomes suggests that patient care could be improved by having certified respiratory therapists inflate the endotracheal tube cuffs of intubated children.

60 Seconds to Survival: A Multisite Study of a Screen-based Simulation to Improve Prehospital Providers Disaster Triage Skills.

OBJECTIVES: Paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) perform triage at disaster sites. There is a need for disaster triage training. Live simulation training is costly and difficult to deliver. Screen-based simulations may overcome these training barriers. We hypothesized that a screen-based simulation, 60 Seconds to Survival (60S), would be associated with in-game improvements in triage accuracy. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of a screen-based simulation intervention, 60S. Participants included emergency medical services (EMS) personnel from 21 EMS agencies across 12 states. Participants performed assessments (e.g., check for pulse) and actions (e.g., reposition the airway) for 12 patients in each scenario and assigned color-coded triage levels (red, yellow, green, or black) to each patient. Participants received on-screen feedback about triage performance immediately after each scenario. A scoring system was designed to encourage accurate and timely triage decisions. Participants who played 60S included practicing EMTs, paramedics, and nurses as well as students studying to assume these roles. Participants played the game at least three times over 13 weeks. RESULTS: In total, 2,234 participants began game play and 739 completed the study and were included in the analysis. Overall, the median number of plays of the game was just above the threshold inclusion criteria (three or more plays) with a median of four plays during the study period (interquartile range [IQR] = 3-7). There was a significant difference in triage accuracy from the first play of the game to the last play of the game. Median baseline triage accuracy in the game was 89.7% (IQR = 82.1%-94.9%), which then increased to a median of 100% at the last game play (IQR = 87.5%-100.0%; p < 0.001). There was some variability in median triage accuracy on fourth through 11th game plays, ranging from 95% to 100%, and on the 12th to 16th plays, the median accuracy was sustained at 100%. There was a significant decrease in the rate of undertriage: from 10.3% (IQR = 5.1%-18.0%) to 0 (IQR = 0%-12.5%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: 60 Seconds to Survival is associated with improved in-game triage accuracy. Further study of the correlation between in-game triage accuracy and improvements in live simulation or real-world triage decisions is warranted.

Emergency Care for Children in the United States: Epidemiology and Trends Over Time.

BACKGROUND: The emergency care system for children in the United States is fragmented. A description of epidemiological trends based on emergency department (ED) volume over time could help focus efforts to improve emergency care for children. OBJECTIVES: To describe the trends of emergency care for children in the United States from 2006-2014 in EDs across different pediatric volumes. METHODS: We analyzed pediatric visits to EDs using the Health Care Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample in a representative sample of 1,000 EDs annually from 2006-2014. We report trends in disease severity, mortality, and transfers based on strata by pediatric volume and other hospital characteristics. RESULTS: From 2006-2014, there were 318,114,990 pediatric ED visits. Pediatric visits remained steady but declined as a percentage of total visits (-3.91%, p = 0.0007). The majority (92.7%) of children were cared for in lower-volume EDs (<50,000 pediatric visits/year), where mortality was higher vs. the highest-volume EDs. Mortality decreased over time (0.34/1,000 to 0.27, p = 0.0099), whereas interhospital transfers increased (p = 0.0020). ED visits increased for children with Medicaid insurance (40.7% to 56.7%, p < 0.0001), whereas rates of self-pay insurance decreased (13.6% to 9.45%, p = 0.0006). The most common reasons for pediatric ED visits were trauma (25.6%); ear, nose, and throat; dental/mouth disorders (21.8%); gastrointestinal diseases (17.0%); and respiratory diseases (15.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, pediatric ED visits have remained stable, with lower mortality rates, whereas Medicaid-funded pediatric visits have increased over time. Most children still seek care in lower-volume EDs. Efforts to improve pediatric care could be best focused on lower-volume EDs and interhospital transfers.

Script Concordance Testing to Determine Infant Lumbar Puncture Practice Variation.

OBJECTIVES: Script concordance testing (SCT) is used to assess clinical decision-making. We explore the use of SCT to (1) quantify practice variations in infant lumbar puncture (LP) and (2) analyze physician's characteristics affecting LP decision making. METHODS: Using standard SCT processes, a panel of pediatric subspecialty physicians constructed 15 infant LP case vignettes, each with 2 to 4 SCT questions (a total of 47). The vignettes were distributed to pediatric attending physicians and fellows at 10 hospitals within the INSPIRE Network. We determined both raw scores (tendency to perform LP) and SCT scores (agreement with the reference panel) as well as the variation with participant factors. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-six respondents completed all 47 SCT questions. Pediatric emergency medicine physicians tended to select LP more frequently than did general pediatricians, with pediatric emergency medicine physicians showing significantly higher raw scores (20.2 ± 10.2) than general pediatricians (13 ± 15; 95% confidence interval for difference, 1, 13). Concordance with the reference panel varied among subspecialties and by the frequency with which practitioners perform LPs in their practices. CONCLUSION: Script concordance testing questions can be used as a tool to detect subspecialty practice variation. We are able to detect significant practice variation in the self-report of use of LP for infants among different pediatric subspecialties.

60 seconds to survival: A pilot study of a disaster triage video game for prehospital providers.

INTRODUCTION: Disaster triage training for emergency medical service (EMS) providers is not standardized. Simulation training is costly and time-consuming. In contrast, educational video games enable low-cost and more time-efficient standardized training. We hypothesized that players of the video game "60 Seconds to Survival" (60S) would have greater improvements in disaster triage accuracy compared to control subjects who did not play 60S. METHODS: Participants recorded their demographics and highest EMS training level and were randomized to play 60S (intervention) or serve as controls. At baseline, all participants completed a live school-shooting simulation in which manikins and standardized patients depicted 10 adult and pediatric victims. The intervention group then played 60S at least three times over the course of 13 weeks (time 2). Players triaged 12 patients in three scenarios (school shooting, house fire, tornado), and received in-game performance feedback. At time 2, the same live simulation was conducted for all participants. Controls had no disaster training during the study. The main outcome was improvement in triage accuracy in live simulations from baseline to time 2. Physicians and EMS providers predetermined expected triage level (RED/YELLOW/GREEN/BLACK) via modified Delphi method. RESULTS: There were 26 participants in the intervention group and 21 in the control group. There was no difference in gender, level of training, or years of EMS experience (median 5.5 years intervention, 3.5 years control, p = 0.49) between the groups. At baseline, both groups demonstrated median triage accuracy of 80 percent (IQR 70-90 percent, p = 0.457). At time 2, the intervention group had a significant improvement from baseline (median accuracy = 90 percent [IQR: 80-90 percent], p = 0.005), while the control group did not (median accuracy = 80 percent [IQR:80-95], p = 0.174). However, the mean improvement from baseline was not significant between the two groups (difference = 6.5, p = 0.335). CONCLUSION: The intervention demonstrated a significant improvement in accuracy from baseline to time 2 while the control did not. However, there was no significant difference in the improvement between the intervention and control groups. These results may be due to small sample size. Future directions include assessment of the game's effect on triage accuracy with a larger, multisite site cohort and iterative development to improve 60S.

Epinephrine Auto-Injector Versus Drawn Up Epinephrine for Anaphylaxis Management: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening event. Most clinical symptoms of anaphylaxis can be reversed by prompt intramuscular administration of epinephrine using an auto-injector or epinephrine drawn up in a syringe and delays and errors may be fatal. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and compare errors associated with use of epinephrine drawn up in a syringe versus epinephrine auto-injectors in order to assist hospitals as they choose which approach minimizes risk of adverse events for their patients. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched using terms agreed to a priori. STUDY SELECTION: We reviewed human and simulation studies reporting errors associated with the use of epinephrine in anaphylaxis. There were multiple screening stages with evolving feedback. DATA EXTRACTION: Each study was independently assessed by two reviewers for eligibility. Data were extracted using an instrument modeled from the Zaza et al instrument and grouped into themes. DATA SYNTHESIS: Three main themes were noted: 1) ergonomics, 2) dosing errors, and 3) errors due to route of administration. Significant knowledge gaps in the operation of epinephrine auto-injectors among healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers were identified. For epinephrine in a syringe, there were more frequent reports of incorrect dosing and erroneous IV administration with associated adverse cardiac events. For the epinephrine auto-injector, unintentional administration to the digit was an error reported on multiple occasions. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review highlights knowledge gaps and a diverse set of errors regardless of the approach to epinephrine preparation during management of anaphylaxis. There are more potentially life-threatening errors reported for epinephrine drawn up in a syringe than with the auto-injectors. The impact of these knowledge gaps and potentially fatal errors on patient outcomes, cost, and quality of care is worthy of further investigation.