Creation and Validation of a Novel 3-Dimensional Pediatric Hip Ultrasound Model.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to create and validate a 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasound model with normal and abnormal pediatric hip joint anatomy that is comparable to a pediatric hip joint in appearance and anatomy and replicates sonographic characteristics of a pediatric hip joint. METHODS: A 3D rendering of the bone and soft tissue was created from a computed tomography pelvic scan of a pediatric patient. This rendering was modified to include a unilateral joint effusion. The bone was 3D printed with a photopolymer plastic, whereas the soft tissue was cast with a silicone mixture in a 3D-printed mold. The effusion was simulated by injecting saline into the soft tissue cavity surrounding the bone. The ultrasound model was validated by pediatric point-of-care ultrasonographers at an international pediatric ultrasound conference. RESULTS: A pediatric hip ultrasound model was developed that simulates both normal and abnormal pediatric hip joint anatomy, each with an appropriately sized, measurable joint effusion. Validation by pediatric point-of-care ultrasonographers showed that the key aspects of a normal pediatric hip joint (femoral physis, sloped femoral neck, and adequate soft tissue) with an identifiable and measurable effusion were included in the ultrasound model. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we successfully created a cost-effective, reusable, and reproducible 3D pediatric hip ultrasound model. The majority of pediatric point-of-care ultrasonographers who evaluated the model agreed that this model is comparable to a pediatric patient for the purpose of teaching ultrasound skills and joint space measurement.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound, an Unexpected Cardiac Mass in a Neonate.

ABSTRACT: Neonatal cardiac masses are uncommon and often not obvious based on physical examination or plain radiography. The objective of this clinical case report is to demonstrate how cardiac point-of-care ultrasound was pivotal in the clinical course of a seemingly well neonate with vague symptoms. A 6-week-old male infant presented to the emergency department with fatigue and pallor that was reported to have resolved before arrival. In the emergency department, he had a normal physical examination and stable vital signs. Cardiac point-of-care ultrasound was performed and demonstrated a mass near the mitral valve. These ultrasound findings prompted additional evaluation, cardiology consultation, admission, and subsequent diagnosis of a rhabdomyoma due to tuberous sclerosis.

Use of a validated asthma questionnaire to increase inhaled corticosteroid prescribing in the pediatric emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Asthma guidelines recommend assessment of asthma control and treatment with an ICS when appropriate. Children seen for asthma in the ED often have poorly controlled asthma. Validated questionnaires are rarely used in the ED and ICS are prescribed at less than 5% of ED asthma encounters, leaving many children at risk for continued poor outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine if use of a validated asthma questionnaire can increase the proportion of children who receive an ICS prescription during an ED asthma visit. METHODS: We administered a validated asthma questionnaire (Pediatric Asthma Control and Communication Instrument-ED version [PACCI-ED]) to parents of children 2 - 17 years old presenting for asthma care at a large, urban, academic pediatric ED. Based on national asthma guidelines, the PACCI-ED results were used to determine ICS dose recommendations. ED physicians reviewed the PACCI-ED results and ICS dose recommendations and chose whether to prescribe an ICS upon discharge. ICS prescribing rates during the intervention period were assessed via medical record review and compared to historical controls. We also surveyed parents to examine the association of sociodemographic factors with receipt of an ICS prescription, and surveyed physicians regarding their prescribing decisions. RESULTS: Thirteen physicians and seventy-nine children participated. Historically, the ICS prescribing rate for asthma exacerbations discharged from the ED was 13%. The intervention increased ICS prescribing to 56% (p < 0.001). Children with ≥2 asthma exacerbations in the prior year (p < 0.02) and those with moderate-severe persistent asthma (p < 0.02) were more likely to receive an ICS prescription. There were no statistically significant differences in ICS prescribing by sociodemographic characteristics. CONCLUSION: A validated asthma questionnaire increased ICS prescribing for children presenting for to the ED for asthma care. Additional strategies are needed to promote prescribing in this setting and ensure that all eligible children receive guideline-based asthma care.

Children with under-diagnosed asthma presenting to a pediatric emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Undiagnosed asthma in children presenting to the emergency department (ED) for respiratory illnesses might be associated with subsequent asthma morbidity and repeat ED visits. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of undiagnosed asthma among children presenting for ED care, and explore associations with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. METHODS: We surveyed parents of children ages 2-17 years seeking ED care for respiratory symptoms (including asthma) regarding sociodemographic characteristics, asthma symptoms, prior asthma care and morbidity, and prior asthma diagnosis. Undiagnosed asthma was defined as a positive screening for asthma and no prior diagnosis. We compared sociodemographic and clinical factors of those with diagnosed versus undiagnosed asthma using chi-square, t-tests and multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of 362 children, 36% had undiagnosed asthma. Undiagnosed children were younger, had younger parents, and had parents less likely to speak English versus diagnosed children (all p < 0.05). Among undiagnosed children, 42% had moderate or severe asthma and 66% reported ≥1 exacerbation in the prior 12 months. Parent-reported controller medication use was higher among diagnosed versus undiagnosed children (60% vs. 21%, p=.001). In a multivariable logistic regression (adjusting for insurance, education, income and preferred language), no controller usage (aOR 4.26), no asthma exacerbations in the prior year (aOR 2.41) and younger age (aOR 0.76) were significantly associated with undiagnosed asthma. CONCLUSION: Children presenting to the ED with undiagnosed asthma commonly experience significant prior asthma morbidity. Strategies to improve asthma diagnosis and messaging to their parents may reduce future morbidity.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound Assessment of Orbital Rhabdomyosarcoma in a Pediatric Patient.

ABSTRACT: Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue tumor in children and orbital lesions account for 10% of these diagnoses. This case describes a young boy who presented with eyelid swelling that was initially concerning for an expanding hematoma given a history of recent trauma to the eye. Point-of-care ultrasound identified 2 distinct lesions surrounding the globe, which prompted further investigation, including ophthalmology consult and computed tomography. The case presented highlights the initial misdiagnosis on both point-of-care ultrasound and computed tomography and the importance of using color Doppler on ultrasound to distinguish an orbital rhabdomyosarcoma from a posttraumatic hematoma.

The Efficacy of a Brief Educational Training Session in Point-of-Care Pediatric Hip Ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric limp is a common presenting complaint to emergency departments. Despite this, diagnosis can be difficult in young patients with no history of trauma. Ultrasound can be used to identify a hip effusion, which may be the etiology of limp in pediatric patients. Brief educational training sessions have successfully been used to introduce novice ultrasound users to point-of-care (POC) ultrasound; however, the education of POC hip ultrasound is underexplored, and the efficacy of educational training sessions in this domain remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of using a brief educational training session to teach novice ultrasound users to identify hip anatomy and effusions. METHODS: Medical and physician assistant students were enrolled during an ultrasound education conference. A pretest evaluated prior knowledge, experience, and confidence level regarding POC hip ultrasound. Students attended a brief didactic session and then completed an objective structured assessment of technical skill as well as a posttest. RESULTS: Twenty-eight students naive to hip ultrasound participated in this study. Levels of training included medical and physician assistant students. Mean test scores increased from the pretest (4.8 of 9, SD = 1.6) to the posttest (7.9 of 9, SD = 0.72) (P < 0.001). Average objective structured assessment of technical skill was 4.6 of 5 (SD, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 4.3-4.9). After the sessions, confidence levels in identifying landmarks, joint space, and a joint effusion significantly increased (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric hip ultrasound knowledge, performance, skills, and confidence improved as demonstrated by novice ultrasound users after a brief educational training session. Our study shows that a brief, targeted educational intervention was a feasible and effective method of introducing pediatric POC hip ultrasound to novices.

The P2Network-Advancing Pediatric Emergency Care With Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

ABSTRACT: Over the last 2 decades, the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) has grown exponentially. In 2014, a group of PEM POCUS leaders met and formed the P2Network. The P2Network provides a platform to build collaborative relationships and share expertise among members from various countries and practice settings. It works with educators and researchers within and outside of the field to advance POCUS practice in PEM. As an organization, the P2Network promotes the evidence-based application of POCUS to facilitate and improve care in the PEM setting and addresses issues related to integration of the PEM POCUS practitioner in this nascent field. The P2Network is building and augmenting its infrastructure for PEM POCUS research and education and has already made some progress in the areas, with published manuscripts and ongoing clinical research studies under its sponsorship. Future goals include developing a PEM POCUS research agenda, formalizing teaching and assessment of PEM POCUS skills, and implementing multicenter research studies on potentially high impact applications.

Accuracy and Interrater Reliability of Point-of-Care Ultrasonography Image Interpretation for Intussusception.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy and interrater reliability of (1) point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) image interpretation for identification of intussusception and (2) reliability of secondary signs associated with intussusception among experts compared with novice POCUS reviewers. METHODS: We conducted a planned secondary analysis of a prospective, convenience sample of children aged 3 months to 6 years who were evaluated with POCUS for intussusception across 17 international pediatric emergency departments between October 2018 and December 2020. A random sample of 100 POCUS examinations was reviewed by novice and expert POCUS reviewers. The primary outcome was identification of the presence or absence of intussusception. Secondary outcomes included intussusception size and the presence of trapped free fluid or echogenic foci. Accuracy was summarized using sensitivity and specificity, which were estimated via generalized mixed effects logistic regression. Interrater reliability was summarized via Light's κ statistics with bootstrapped standard errors (SEs). Accuracy and reliability of expert and novice POCUS reviewers were compared. RESULTS: Eighteen expert and 16 novice POCUS reviewers completed the reviews. The average expert sensitivity was 94.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 88.6-97.5), and the specificity was 94.3% (95% CI, 90.3-96.7), significantly higher than the average novice sensitivity of 84.7% (95% CI, 74.3-91.4) and specificity of 80.4% (95% CI, 72.4, 86.7). κ was significantly greater for expert (0.679, SE 0.039) compared with novice POCUS reviewers (0.424, SE 0.044; difference 0.256, SE 0.033). For our secondary outcome measure of intussusception size, κ was significantly greater for experts (0.661, SE 0.038) compared with novices (0.397, SE 0.041; difference 0.264, SE 0.029). Interrater reliability was weak for expert and minimal for novice reviewers regarding the detection of trapped free fluid and echogenic foci. CONCLUSIONS: Expert POCUS reviewers demonstrate high accuracy and moderate interrater reliability when identifying intussusception via image interpretation and perform better than novice reviewers.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Intussusception: A Multicenter, Noninferiority Study of Paired Diagnostic Tests.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) performed by experienced clinician sonologists compared to radiology-performed ultrasound (RADUS) for detection of clinically important intussusception, defined as intussusception requiring radiographic or surgical reduction. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, noninferiority, observational study among a convenience sample of children aged 3 months to 6 years treated in tertiary care emergency departments across North and Central America, Europe, and Australia. The primary outcome was diagnostic accuracy of POCUS and RADUS with respect to clinically important intussusception. Sample size was determined using a 4-percentage-point noninferiority margin for the absolute difference in accuracy. Secondary outcomes included agreement between POCUS and RADUS for identification of secondary sonographic findings. RESULTS: The analysis included 256 children across 17 sites (35 sonologists). Of the 256 children, 58 (22.7%) had clinically important intussusception. POCUS identified 60 (23.4%) children with clinically important intussusception. The diagnostic accuracy of POCUS was 97.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 94.9% to 99.0%), compared to 99.3% (95% CI 96.8% to 99.9%) for RADUS. The absolute difference between the accuracy of RADUS and that of POCUS was 1.5 percentage points (95% CI -0.6 to 3.6). Sensitivity for POCUS was 96.6% (95% CI 87.2% to 99.1%), and specificity was 98.0% (95% CI 94.7% to 99.2%). Agreement was high between POCUS and RADUS for identification of trapped free fluid (83.3%, n=40/48) and decreased color Doppler signal (95.7%, n=22/23). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS performed by experienced clinician sonologists may be noninferior to that of RADUS for detection of clinically important intussusception. Given the limitations of convenience sampling and spectrum bias, a larger randomized controlled trial is warranted.

Asthma specialist care preferences among parents of children receiving emergency department care for asthma.

Objective: To learn factors associated with desire for asthma specialist care among parents of children seeking emergency department (ED) care for asthma, and if referral was indicated based on national asthma guidelines. Methods: We surveyed parents of children ages 0-18 years seeking pediatric ED asthma care, then comparisons were made according to parental level of interest in asthma specialist care, with regard to socio-demographics, asthma morbidity and care, by chi-squared and logistic regression. Results: Of 149 children, 20% reported specialist care, but 75% met guideline criteria for referral. About 80% of parents not seeing an asthma specialist expressed a desire to see one. Higher rates of prior urgent care visits (48% vs. 22%, p = 0.03), ED visits (82% vs. 35%, p < 0.001) and oral steroid use (53% vs. 22%, p = 0.009) were reported by parents who desired an asthma specialist compared with parents who did not. 87% of parents not seeing a specialist attributed this to a perceived lack of necessity by their primary care provider. An ED visit within the prior 12 months was the most significant predictor in parental desire for specialist care (odds ratio 9.75; 95% CI 3.42-27.76) in adjusted logistic regression models. Conclusion: High rates of parental preference for asthma specialist care suggest that directly querying parents may be an efficient method to identify children appropriate for specialist care in the ED.

Predictors of prior asthma specialist care among pediatric patients seen in the emergency department for asthma.

Background: Asthma guidelines recommend specialist care for patients experiencing poor asthma outcomes during emergency department (ED) visits. The prevalence and predictors of asthma specialist care among an ED population seeking pediatric asthma care are unknown. Objective: To examine, in an ED population, factors associated with prior asthma specialist use based on parental reports of prior asthma morbidity and asthma care. Methods: Parents of children ages 0 to 17 years seeking ED asthma care were surveyed regarding socio-demographics, asthma morbidity, asthma management and current asthma specialist care status. We compared prior asthma care and morbidity between those currently cared for by an asthma specialist versus not. Multivariable logistic regression models to predict factors associated with asthma specialist use were adjusted for parent education and insurance type. Results: Of 150 children (62% boys, mean age 4.7 years, 69% Hispanic), 22% reported asthma specialist care, 75% did not see a specialist and for 3% specialist status was unknown. Care was worse for those not seeing a specialist, including under-use of controller medications (24% vs. 64%, p < 0.001) and asthma action plans (20% vs. 62%, p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that lack of recommendation by the primary care physician reduced the odds of specialist care (OR 0.01, 95% CI <0.01, 0.05, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Asthma specialist care was infrequent among this pediatric ED population, consistent with the sub-optimal chronic asthma care we observed. Prospective trials should further investigate if systematic referral to asthma specialists during/after an ED encounter would improve asthma outcomes.

Utilization of just-in-time training for nursing education using the LA Phonospirometry asthma tool.

OBJECTIVE: Just-in-time training (JITT) has been used to teach and re-teach known medical techniques, but has not been used to teach novel techniques. We aimed to assess the performance retention of JITT on a novel asthma exacerbation severity assessment technique known as Los Angeles (LA) Phonospirometry. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study using a convenience sample of pediatric emergency department registered nurses (RNs) who were asked to watch a brief instructional digital video on LA Phonospirometry, and then asked to practice the technique on a research assistant (RA). A checklist was used to evaluate proficiency with the primary outcome being the number correct on the checklist. The secondary outcome included whether or not they could identify a common error demonstrated by the RA. RNs were re-tested after 4-6 months to assess skill retention. RESULTS: Forty RNs were enrolled in the study and six were lost to follow-up. The mean time from the first to second testing was 5.4 months ± 0.5 months. The mean score of the first part of the checklist on the initial testing was 4.6 ± 0.7 and on second testing was 3.8 ± 1.5 (p = 0.008). This represented a drop in scores and thus minimal knowledge decay of 18% (from 91% to 73%). The mean values for number of errors picked up for the first test and second test were 1.3 and 1.5, respectively (p = 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: JITT demonstrated feasibility as a rapid instructional tool for RNs, with a limited decay in cognitive knowledge surrounding the LA Phonospirometry technique.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound Facilitates Bedside Diagnosis of Appendicitis With an Appendicolith in a Pediatric Patient.

A previously healthy 5-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with a history of tactile fevers, cough, congestion, decreased appetite, and abdominal pain. He had diffuse abdominal pain on examination and pain with ambulation. Emergency point-of-care ultrasound was used to diagnose appendicitis with an appendicolith. The diagnosis was confirmed by a radiology-performed ultrasound, and he was taken to the operating room for an appendectomy.

An Analysis of Intravenous Catheter Placement Among Patients in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES: Pediatric emergency departments (PED) are overcrowded and at times inefficient with malaligned resources, especially regarding the use of intravenous (IV) catheters which are placed frequently, yet may be underused. This study seeks to determine which pediatric patients are more likely to need IV access in a PED. METHODS: This retrospective study examined patients 3 days to 21 years seen in a tertiary PED from January 1, 2013, to February 28, 2013, who were triaged using the Emergency Severity Index, levels 1 to 3. Extracted data included age, chief complaints, chronic medical conditions, final diagnoses, evidence of venipuncture, and IV placement and usage. Patients were excluded if they entered the PED with an IV or central venous catheter, were older than 21 years, or had charts with missing data. RESULTS: Four thousand three hundred twenty-two patients were initially evaluated, and 122 patients were excluded. Mean age of the patients was 6.2 years (SD = 5.65), most common triage was level 3 (urgent), and the majority of patients (n = 2898, 69.0%) did not have a chronic medical condition. Five hundred forty-five (13%) had IVs placed, and of those, 152 (27.9%) had IVs placed and not used. Patients triaged as critical or emergent, patients older than 10 years, and those with a gastrointestinal chief complaint and chronic medical conditions involving hematology, oncology/immunology, or endocrinology were most likely to have an IV placed and used. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with higher acuities, specified systemic complaints, certain chronic medical conditions, and patients older than 10 years are more likely to need an IV.

Reducing Time from Pediatric Emergency Department Arrival to Dexamethasone Administration in Wheezing Patients.

Introduction: Asthma exacerbations are common presentations to pediatric emergency departments. Standard treatment for moderate-to-severe exacerbations includes administration of oral corticosteroids concurrently with bronchodilators. Early administration of corticosteroids has been shown to decrease emergency department length of stay (LOS) and hospitalizations. Our SMART aim was to reduce the time from arrival to oral corticosteroids (dexamethasone) administration in pediatric patients ≥2 years of age with an initial Pediatric Asthma Severity Score >6 from 60 to 30 minutes within 6 months. Methods: We used the model for improvement with collaboration between ED physicians, nursing, pharmacy, and respiratory therapists. Interventions included nursing education, dosage rounding in the electronic medical record, supplying triage with 1-mg tablets and a pill crusher, updates to an asthma nursing order set and pertinent chief complaints triggering nurses to document a Pediatric Asthma Severity Score in the electronic medical record and use the order set. Our primary outcome measure was the time from arrival to dexamethasone administration. Secondary outcome measures included ED LOS for discharged patients and admission rate. We used statistical process control to analyze changes in measures over time. Results: From October 2021 to March 2022, the average time for dexamethasone administration decreased from 59 to 38 minutes. ED LOS for discharged asthma exacerbation patients rose with overall ED LOS for all patients during the study period. There was no change in the admission rate. Conclusions: Using quality improvement methodology, we successfully decreased the time from ED arrival to administration of dexamethasone in asthma exacerbation patients from 59 to 38 minutes over 10 months.

A cadaveric model for transesophageal echocardiography transducer placement training: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is used in the emergency department to guide resuscitation during cardiac arrest. Insertion of a TEE transducer requires manual skill and experience, yet in some residency programs cardiac arrest is uncommon, so some physicians may lack the means to acquire the manual skills to perform TEE in clinical practice. For other infrequently performed procedural skills, simulation models are used. However, there is currently no model that adequately simulates TEE transducer insertion. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of using a cadaveric model to teach TEE transducer placement among novice users. METHODS: A convenience sample of emergency medicine residents was enrolled during a procedure education session using cadavers as tissue models. A pre-session assessment was used to determine prior knowledge and confidence regarding TEE manipulation. Participants subsequently attended a didactic and hands-on education session on TEE placement. All participants practised placing the TEE transducer until they were able to pass a standardized assessment of technical skill (SATS). After the educational session, participants completed a post-session assessment. RESULTS: Twenty-five residents participated in the training session. Mean assessment of knowledge improved from 6.2/10 to 8.7/10 (95% confidence interval [CI] of knowledge difference 1.6-3.2, P<0.001) and confidence improved from 1.6/5 to 3.1/5 (95% CI of confidence difference 1.1-2.0, P<0.001). There was no relationship between training level and the delta in knowledge or confidence. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, the use of a cadaveric model to teach TEE transducer placement methods among novice users is feasible and improves both TEE manipulation knowledge and confidence levels.

Establishing the international research priorities for pediatric emergency medicine point-of-care ultrasound: A modified Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) Network (P2Network) was established in 2014 to provide a platform for international collaboration among experts, including multicenter research. The objective of this study was to use expert consensus to identify and prioritize PEM POCUS topics, to inform future collaborative multicenter research. METHODS: Online surveys were administered in a two-stage, modified Delphi study. A steering committee of 16 PEM POCUS experts was identified within the P2Network, with representation from the United States, Canada, Italy, and Australia. We solicited the participation of international PEM POCUS experts through professional society mailing lists, research networks, social media, and "word of mouth." After each round, responses were refined by the steering committee before being reissued to participants to determine the ranking of all the research questions based on means and to identify the high-level consensus topics. The final stage was a modified Hanlon process of prioritization round (HPP), which emphasized relevance, impact, and feasibility. RESULTS: Fifty-four eligible participants (16.6%) provided 191 items to Survey 1 (Round 1). These were refined and consolidated into 52 research questions by the steering committee. These were issued for rating in Survey 2 (Round 2), which had 45 participants. At the completion of Round 2, all questions were ranked with six research questions reaching high-level consensus. Thirty-one research questions with mean ratings above neutral were selected for the HPP round. Highly ranked topics included clinical applications of POCUS to evaluate and manage children with shock, cardiac arrest, thoracoabdominal trauma, suspected cardiac failure, atraumatic limp, and intussusception. CONCLUSIONS: This consensus study has established a research agenda to inform future international multicenter PEM POCUS trials. This study has highlighted the ongoing need for high-quality evidence for PEM POCUS applications to guide clinical practice.