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Sasse R, Borland ML, George S, Jani S, Tan E, Neutze J, Phillips N, Kochar A, Craig S, Lithgow A, Rao A, Dalziel SR, Williams A, Babl FE, Went G, Long E. Appraisal of Australian and New Zealand paediatric sepsis guidelines. Emerg Med Australas 2024; 36:436-442. [PMID: 38403429 DOI: 10.1111/1742-6723.14381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are an important tool for the management of children with sepsis. The quality, consistency and concordance of Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) childhood sepsis CPGs with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC) sepsis clinical care standards and international sepsis guidelines is unclear. METHODS We accessed childhood sepsis CPGs for all ANZ states and territories through Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative members. The guidelines were assessed for quality using the AGREE-II instrument. Consistency between CPG treatment recommendations was assessed, as was concordance with the ACSQHC sepsis clinical care standards and international sepsis guidelines. RESULTS Overall, eight CPGs were identified and assessed. CPGs used a narrative and pathway format, with those using both having the highest quality overall. CPG quality was highest for description of scope and clarity of presentation, and lowest for editorial independence. Consistency between guidelines for initial treatment recommendations was poor, with substantial variation in the choice and urgency of empiric antimicrobial administration; the choice, volume and urgency of fluid resuscitation; and the choice of first-line vasoactive agent. Most CPGs were concordant with time-critical components of the ACSQHC sepsis clinical care standard, although few addressed post-acute care. Concordance with international sepsis guidelines was poor. CONCLUSION Childhood sepsis CPGs in current use in ANZ are of variable quality and lack consistency with key treatment recommendations. CPGs are concordant with the ACSQHC care standard, but not with international sepsis guidelines. A bi-national sepsis CPG may reduce unnecessary variation in care.
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Florin TA, Freedman SB, Xie J, Funk AL, Tancredi DJ, Kim K, Neuman MI, Yock-Corrales A, Bergmann KR, Breslin KA, Finkelstein Y, Ahmad FA, Avva UR, Lunoe MM, Chaudhari PP, Shah NP, Plint AC, Sabhaney VJ, Sethuraman U, Gardiner MA, Sartori LF, Wright B, Navanandan N, Mintegi S, Gangoiti I, Borland ML, Chong SL, Kwok MY, Eckerle M, Poonai N, Romero CMA, Waseem M, Nebhrajani JR, Bhatt M, Caperell K, Campos C, Becker SM, Morris CR, Rogers AJ, Kam AJ, Pavlicich V, Palumbo L, Dalziel SR, Morrison AK, Rino PB, Cherry JC, Salvadori MI, Ambroggio L, Klassen TP, Payne DC, Malley R, Simon NJ, Kuppermann N. Features Associated With Radiographic Pneumonia in Children with SARS-CoV-2. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2024; 13:257-259. [PMID: 38391389 DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piae015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
14% of children with SARS-CoV-2 infections had radiographic pneumonia. Hypoxemia, cough, higher temperature, and older age were associated with pneumonias. In children tested, SARS-CoV-2 test results were not associated with radiographic pneumonia.
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Robertson T, Borland ML, O'Brien S, Haskell L, Babl FE, Dalziel SR, Tavender E. Understanding the uptake and adaption of targeted implementation interventions for reducing bronchiolitis investigations and therapies. Acta Paediatr 2024; 113:802-811. [PMID: 38189212 DOI: 10.1111/apa.17090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
AIM To understand and evaluate the uptake and local adaptations of proven targeted implementation interventions that have effectively reduced unnecessary investigations and therapies in infants with bronchiolitis within emergency departments. METHODS A multi-centred, mixed-methods quality improvement study in four Australian hospitals that provide paediatric emergency and inpatient care from May to December 2021. All hospitals were provided with the same implementation intervention package and training. Real-time tracking logs of adaptions were completed followed by semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and subsequently coded using FRAME-IS to further describe the adaptions made. RESULTS Tracking logs were summarised and data from 12 interviews were compared from participating sites. The intervention resulted in 116 education sessions and a total of 23 adaptations made to educational materials, both content and contextual. Shortening education presentations, addition of bronchiolitis definitions, formatting of materials and novel interventions were the most common modifications. Audit and feedback were completed across all sites with varying utilisation. Targeted teaching was noted to dictate adaptions prior to and during implementation. CONCLUSION Quantitative and qualitative analysis of clinical 'real-world' adaptations to proven targeted implementation interventions allows invaluable insight for future de-implementation initiatives and national roll-out of implementation packages in the ED setting.
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Babl FE, Herd D, Borland ML, Kochar A, Lawton B, Hort J, West A, George S, Oakley E, Wilson CL, Hopper SM, Cheek JA, Hearps S, Mackay MT, Dalziel SR, Lee KJ. Facial Function in Bell Palsy in a Cohort of Children Randomized to Prednisolone or Placebo 12 Months After Diagnosis. Pediatr Neurol 2024; 153:44-47. [PMID: 38320457 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2024.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Information on the medium-term recovery of children with Bell palsy or acute idiopathic lower motor neuron facial paralysis is limited. METHODS We followed up children aged 6 months to <18 years with Bell palsy for 12 months after completion of a randomized trial on the use of prednisolone. We assessed facial function using the clinician-administered House-Brackmann scale and the modified parent-administered House-Brackmann scale. RESULTS One hundred eighty-seven children were randomized to prednisolone (n = 93) or placebo (n = 94). At six months, the proportion of patients who had recovered facial function based on the clinician-administered House-Brackmann scale was 98% (n = 78 of 80) in the prednisolone group and 93% (n = 76 of 82) in the placebo group. The proportion of patients who had recovered facial function based on the modified parent-administered House-Brackmann scale was 94% (n = 75 of 80) vs 89% (n = 72 of 81) at six months (OR 1.88; 95% CI 0.60, 5.86) and 96% (n = 75 of 78) vs 92% (n = 73 of 79) at 12 months (OR 3.12; 95% CI 0.61, 15.98). CONCLUSIONS Although the vast majority had complete recovery of facial function at six months, there were some children without full recovery of facial function at 12 months, regardless of prednisolone use.
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Babl FE, Eapen N, Herd D, Borland ML, Kochar A, Lawton B, Hort J, West A, George S, Davidson A, Cheek JA, Oakley E, Hopper SM, Berkowitz RG, Wilson CL, Williams A, MacKay MT, Lee KJ, Hearps S, Dalziel SR. Pain in children with Bell's palsy: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. Arch Dis Child 2024; 109:227-232. [PMID: 38049992 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2023-325381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the prevalence and severity of pain experienced by children with Bell's palsy over the first 6 months of illness and its association with the severity of facial paralysis. METHODS This was a secondary analysis of data obtained in a phase III, triple-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of prednisolone for the treatment of Bell's palsy in children aged 6 months to <18 years conducted between 13 October 2015 and 23 August 2020 in Australia and New Zealand. Children were recruited within 72 hours of symptom onset and pain was assessed using a child-rated visual analogue scale (VAS), a child-rated Faces Pain Score-Revised (FPS-R) and/or a parent-rated VAS at baseline, and at 1, 3 and 6 months until recovered, and are reported combined across treatment groups. RESULTS Data were available for 169 of the 187 children randomised from at least one study time point. Overall, 37% (62/169) of children reported any pain at least at one time point. The frequency of any pain reported using the child-rated VAS, child-rated FPS-R and parent-rated VAS was higher at the baseline assessment (30%, 23% and 27%, respectively) compared with 1-month (4%, 0% and 4%, respectively) and subsequent follow-up assessments. At all time points, the median pain score on all three scales was 0 (no pain). CONCLUSIONS Pain in children with Bell's palsy was infrequent and primarily occurred early in the disease course and in more severe disease. The intensity of pain, if it occurs, is very low throughout the clinical course of disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ACTRN12615000563561.
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Pavlos R, Bhuiyan MU, Jones M, Oakes D, O'Brien S, Borland ML, Doyle S, Richmond P, Martin AC, Snelling TL, Blyth CC. Pragmatic Adaptive Trial for Respiratory Infection in Children (PATRIC) Clinical Registry protocol. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e074308. [PMID: 38272557 PMCID: PMC10824052 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are the most common cause of paediatric hospitalisation. There is an urgent need to address ongoing critical knowledge gaps in ARI management. The Pragmatic Adaptive Trial for Respiratory Infections in Children (PATRIC) Clinical Registry will evaluate current treatments and outcomes for ARI in a variety of paediatric patient groups. The registry will provide a platform and data to inform a number of PATRIC clinical trials, testing various interventions in ARI treatment and management to optimise paediatric ARI care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The PATRIC Clinical Registry is a single-centre, prospective observational registry recruiting from a tertiary paediatric Emergency Department in Western Australia. Through characterising demographic, clinical, treatment and outcome data, the PATRIC Clinical Registry will improve our understanding of antibiotic utilisation and ARI outcomes in children. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The PATRIC Clinical Registry is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice (CPMP/ICH/13595) July 1996. Approval is provided by the Child and Adolescent Health Service Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). Study results will be communicated by presentation and publication (HREC: RGS0000003078.) TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12619000903189. UTN: U1111-1231-3365.
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Long E, Borland ML, George S, Jani S, Tan E, Neutze J, Phillips N, Kochar A, Craig S, Lithgow A, Rao A, Dalziel S, Oakley E, Hearps S, Singh S, Gelbart B, McNab S, Balamuth F, Weiss S, Kuppermann N, Williams A, Babl FE. Sepsis epidemiology in Austral ian and New Zealand children (SENTINEL): protocol for a multicountry prospective observational study. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e077471. [PMID: 38216206 PMCID: PMC10806766 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sepsis affects 25.2 million children per year globally and causes 3.4 million deaths, with an annual cost of hospitalisation in the USA of US$7.3 billion. Despite being common, severe and expensive, therapies and outcomes from sepsis have not substantially changed in decades. Variable case definitions, lack of a reference standard for diagnosis and broad spectrum of disease hamper efforts to evaluate therapies that may improve sepsis outcomes. This landscape analysis of community-acquired childhood sepsis in Australia and New Zealand will characterise the burden of disease, including incidence, severity, outcomes and cost. Sepsis diagnostic criteria and risk stratification tools will be prospectively evaluated. Sepsis therapies, quality of care, parental awareness and understanding of sepsis and parent-reported outcome measures will be described. Understanding these aspects of sepsis care is fundamental for the design and conduct of interventional trials to improve childhood sepsis outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This prospective observational study will include children up to 18 years of age presenting to 12 emergency departments with suspected sepsis within the Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative network in Australia and New Zealand. Presenting characteristics, management and outcomes will be collected. These will include vital signs, serum biomarkers, clinician assessment of severity of disease, intravenous fluid administration for the first 24 hours of hospitalisation, organ support therapies delivered, antimicrobial use, microbiological diagnoses, hospital and intensive care unit length-of-stay, mortality censored at hospital discharge or 30 days from enrolment (whichever comes first) and parent-reported outcomes 90 days from enrolment. We will use these data to determine sepsis epidemiology based on existing and novel diagnostic criteria. We will also validate existing and novel sepsis risk stratification criteria, characterise antimicrobial stewardship, guideline adherence, cost and report parental awareness and understanding of sepsis and parent-reported outcome measures. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethics approval was received from the Royal Children's Hospital of Melbourne, Australia Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/69948/RCHM-2021). This included incorporated informed consent for follow-up. The findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and at academic conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ACTRN12621000920897; Pre-results.
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Crowe LM, Rausa VC, Anderson V, Borland ML, Kochar A, Lyttle MD, Gilhotra Y, Dalziel SR, Oakley E, Furyk J, Neutze J, Bressan S, Davis GA, Babl FE. Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Characteristics and Symptoms in Preschool Children: How Do They Differ to School Age Children? A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2024; 105:120-124. [PMID: 37715760 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate if preschool children differ to school age children with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) with respect to injury causes, clinical presentation, and medical management. DESIGN A secondary analysis of a dataset from a large, prospective and multisite cohort study on TBI in children aged 0-18 years, the Australian Paediatric Head Injury Rules Study. SETTING Nine pediatric emergency departments (ED) and 1 combined adult and pediatric ED located across Australia and New Zealand. PARTICIPANTS 7080 preschool aged children (2-5 years) were compared with 5251 school-age children (6-12 years) with mild TBI (N= (N=12,331) MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical report form on medical symptoms, injury causes, and management. RESULTS Preschool children were less likely to be injured with a projectile than school age children (P<.001). Preschool children presented with less: loss of consciousness (P<.001), vomiting (P<.001), drowsiness (P=.002), and headache (P<.001), and more irritability and agitation (P=.003), than school-age children in the acute period after mild TBI. Preschool children were less likely to have neuroimaging of any kind (P<.001) or to be admitted for observation than school age children (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Our large prospective study has demonstrated that preschool children with mild TBI experience a different acute symptom profile to older children. There are significant clinical implications with symptoms post-TBI used in medical management to aid decisions on neuroimaging and post-acute intervention.
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Xie J, Kuppermann N, Florin TA, Tancredi DJ, Funk AL, Kim K, Salvadori MI, Yock-Corrales A, Shah NP, Breslin KA, Chaudhari PP, Bergmann KR, Ahmad FA, Nebhrajani JR, Mintegi S, Gangoiti I, Plint AC, Avva UR, Gardiner MA, Malley R, Finkelstein Y, Dalziel SR, Bhatt M, Kannikeswaran N, Caperell K, Campos C, Sabhaney VJ, Chong SL, Lunoe MM, Rogers AJ, Becker SM, Borland ML, Sartori LF, Pavlicich V, Rino PB, Morrison AK, Neuman MI, Poonai N, Simon NJE, Kam AJ, Kwok MY, Morris CR, Palumbo L, Ambroggio L, Navanandan N, Eckerle M, Klassen TP, Payne DC, Cherry JC, Waseem M, Dixon AC, Ferre IB, Freedman SB. Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on the Association Between Laboratory Tests and Severe Outcomes Among Hospitalized Children. Open Forum Infect Dis 2023; 10:ofad485. [PMID: 37869403 PMCID: PMC10588618 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background To assist clinicians with identifying children at risk of severe outcomes, we assessed the association between laboratory findings and severe outcomes among severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected children and determined if SARS-CoV-2 test result status modified the associations. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of participants tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection in 41 pediatric emergency departments in 10 countries. Participants were hospitalized, had laboratory testing performed, and completed 14-day follow-up. The primary objective was to assess the associations between laboratory findings and severe outcomes. The secondary objective was to determine if the SARS-CoV-2 test result modified the associations. Results We included 1817 participants; 522 (28.7%) SARS-CoV-2 test-positive and 1295 (71.3%) test-negative. Seventy-five (14.4%) test-positive and 174 (13.4%) test-negative children experienced severe outcomes. In regression analysis, we found that among SARS-CoV-2-positive children, procalcitonin ≥0.5 ng/mL (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 9.14; 95% CI, 2.90-28.80), ferritin >500 ng/mL (aOR, 7.95; 95% CI, 1.89-33.44), D-dimer ≥1500 ng/mL (aOR, 4.57; 95% CI, 1.12-18.68), serum glucose ≥120 mg/dL (aOR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.06-3.81), lymphocyte count <1.0 × 109/L (aOR, 3.21; 95% CI, 1.34-7.69), and platelet count <150 × 109/L (aOR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.31-6.07) were associated with severe outcomes. Evaluation of the interaction term revealed that a positive SARS-CoV-2 result increased the associations with severe outcomes for elevated procalcitonin, C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and for reduced lymphocyte and platelet counts. Conclusions Specific laboratory parameters are associated with severe outcomes in SARS-CoV-2-infected children, and elevated serum procalcitonin, CRP, and D-dimer and low absolute lymphocyte and platelet counts were more strongly associated with severe outcomes in children testing positive compared with those testing negative.
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Rueter K, Moseley N, Ta B, Bear N, Borland ML, Prescott SL. Increasing emergency department visits for anaphylaxis in very early childhood: A canary in the coal mine. Acta Paediatr 2023; 112:2182-2188. [PMID: 37485861 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
AIM The incidence of anaphylaxis is increasing globally in tandem with changing environmental and lifestyle factors. There is very limited data on very early childhood presentations. We aim to assess changes in rates, characteristics and management of infant anaphylaxis in a paediatric ED over a 15-year period. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of children <2 years of age who presented with verified anaphylaxis comparing cases in years 2003-2007 with those in 2013-2017. Standardised information was collected on demographics, clinical presentation, management and triggers. RESULTS Manually confirmed anaphylaxis rates in <2 year olds increased from 3.6 to 6.2 per 104 population (OR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.3-2.7; p < 0.001) with the greatest increase in <1 year olds. Anaphylaxis severity increased between 2003-2007 and 2013-2017 (OR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2-4.3; p = 0.018). Failure to administer adrenaline was reduced in 2013-2017 (p = 0.007). Food was the leading anaphylaxis trigger (97.85%). CONCLUSION This is the first study to suggest an increase in the incidence and severity of ED anaphylaxis presentations in children aged <2 years. Increased awareness of specific characteristics in this age group is required to facilitate timely recognition and optimal management. Further large-scale studies are warranted to understand underlying environmental drivers and find prevention strategies to reduce the burden of disease.
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Foley DA, Yeoh DK, Minney-Smith CA, Shin C, Hazelton B, Hoeppner T, Moore HC, Nicol M, Sikazwe C, Borland ML, Levy A, Blyth CC. A surge in human metapneumovirus paediatric respiratory admissions in Western Australia following the reduction of SARS-CoV-2 non-pharmaceutical interventions. J Paediatr Child Health 2023; 59:987-991. [PMID: 37219060 DOI: 10.1111/jpc.16445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
AIM Western Australian laboratory data demonstrated a decrease in human metapneumovirus (hMPV) detections through 2020 associated with SARS-CoV-2-related non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), followed by a subsequent surge in metropolitan region in mid-2021. We aimed to assess the impact of the surge in hMPV on paediatric hospital admissions and the contribution of changes in testing. METHODS All respiratory-coded admissions of children aged <16 years at a tertiary paediatric centre between 2017 and 2021 were matched with respiratory virus testing data. Patients were grouped by age at presentation and by ICD-10 AM codes into bronchiolitis, other acute lower respiratory infection (OALRI), wheeze and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). For analysis, 2017-2019 was utilised as a baseline period. RESULTS hMPV-positive admissions in 2021 were more than 2.8 times baseline. The largest increase in incidence was observed in the 1-4 years group (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 3.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5-5.9) and in OALRI clinical phenotype (IRR 2.8; 95% CI: 1.8-4.2). The proportion of respiratory-coded admissions tested for hMPV in 2021 doubled (32-66.2%, P < 0.001), with the greatest increase in wheeze (12-75% in 2021, P < 0.001). hMPV test percentage positivity in 2021 was higher than in the baseline period (7.6% vs. 10.1% in 2021, P = 0.004). CONCLUSION The absence and subsequent surge underline the susceptibility of hMPV to NPIs. Increased hMPV-positive admissions in 2021 can be partially attributable to testing, but test-positivity remained high, consistent with a genuine increase. Continued comprehensive testing will help ascertain true burden of hMPV respiratory diseases.
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Xiong X, Huang L, Herd DW, Borland ML, Davidson A, Hearps S, Mackay MT, Lee KJ, Dalziel SR, Dalziel K, Cheek JA, Babl FE. Cost-effectiveness of Prednisolone to Treat Bell Palsy in Children: An Economic Evaluation Alongside a Randomized Controlled Trial. Neurology 2023; 100:e2432-e2441. [PMID: 37072220 PMCID: PMC10264054 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000207284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Bell palsy is the third most frequent diagnosis in children with sudden-onset neurologic dysfunction. The cost-effectiveness of treating Bell palsy with prednisolone in children is unknown. We aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of prednisolone in treating Bell palsy in children compared with placebo. METHODS This economic evaluation was a prospectively planned secondary analysis of a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled superiority trial (Bell Palsy in Children [BellPIC]) conducted from 2015 to 2020. The time horizon was 6 months since randomization. Children aged 6 months to <18 years who presented within 72 hours of onset of clinician-diagnosed Bell palsy and who completed the trial were included (N = 180). Interventions were oral prednisolone or taste-matched placebo administered for 10 days. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio comparing prednisolone with placebo was estimated. Costs were considered from a health care sector perspective and included Bell palsy-related medication cost, doctor visits, and medical tests. Effectiveness was measured using quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) based on Child Health Utility 9D. Nonparametric bootstrapping was performed to capture uncertainties. Prespecified subgroup analysis by age 12 to <18 years vs <12 years was conducted. RESULTS The mean cost per patient was A$760 in the prednisolone group and A$693 in the placebo group over the 6-month period (difference A$66, 95% CI -A$47 to A$179). QALYs over 6 months were 0.45 in the prednisolone group and 0.44 in the placebo group (difference 0.01, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.03). The incremental cost to achieve 1 additional recovery was estimated to be A$1,577 using prednisolone compared with placebo, and cost per additional QALY gained was A$6,625 using prednisolone compared with placebo. Given a conventional willingness-to-pay threshold of A$50,000 per QALY gained (equivalent to US$35,000 or £28,000), prednisolone is very likely cost-effective (probability is 83%). Subgroup analysis suggests that this was primarily driven by the high probability of prednisolone being cost-effective in children aged 12 to <18 years (probability is 98%) and much less so for those <12 years (probability is 51%). DISCUSSION This provides new evidence to stakeholders and policymakers when considering whether to make prednisolone available in treating Bell palsy in children aged 12 to <18 years. TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615000563561.
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Borland ML, O'Brien S, Tavender E, Haskell L, Babl FE, Schembri R, Smedley B, Mitenko H, Robertson T, Mukherjee A, Dalziel SR. Evaluation of targeted implementation interventions for reducing investigations and therapies in infants with bronchiolitis. Acta Paediatr 2023. [PMID: 37026175 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
AIM To evaluate the impact of locally adapted targeted implementation interventions on bronchiolitis management through reduction in ineffective investigation and therapies within emergency departments. METHODS A multi-centred, quality improvement study in four different grades of hospitals in Western Australia who provide paediatric emergency and inpatient care. All hospitals incorporated an adapted implementation intervention package for infants under 1 year with bronchiolitis. The proportion whose care complied with guideline recommendations to not receive investigations and therapies of minimal benefit were compared to pre-intervention care in a previous bronchiolitis season. RESULTS 457 infants in 2019 (pre-intervention) and 443 in 2021 (post-intervention) were included, with mean age 5.6 months (SD 3.2, 2019; SD 3.0, 2021). In 2019, compliance was 78.1% versus 85.6% in 2021, RD 7.4 (95%CI -0.6;15.5). The strongest evidence was reduced salbutamol use (compliance improvement: 88.6% to 95.7%, RD 7.1 95%CI (1.7;12.4). Hospitals initially at <80% compliance demonstrated greatest improvements (Hospital 2: 95 (78.5%) to 108 (90.8%) RD 12.2 95%CI (3.3;21.2); Hospital 3: 67 (62.6%) to 63 (76.8%) RD 14.2 95%CI (1.3;27.2). CONCLUSION Targeted site-adapted implementation interventions resulted in improvement in compliance with guideline recommendations, particularly for those hospitals with initial low compliance. Maximising benefit through guidance on how to adapt and effectively use interventions will enhance sustainable practice change.
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Borland ML, Dalziel SR, Phillips N, Dalton S, Lyttle MD, Bressan S, Oakley E, Kochar A, Furyk J, Cheek JA, Neutze J, Eapen N, Hearps SJC, Rausa VC, Babl FE. Incidence of traumatic brain injuries in head-injured children with seizures. Emerg Med Australas 2023; 35:289-296. [PMID: 36323396 PMCID: PMC10947265 DOI: 10.1111/1742-6723.14112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 03/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Incidence and short-term outcomes of clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI) in head-injured children presenting to ED with post-traumatic seizure (PTS) is not described in current literature. METHODS Planned secondary analysis of a prospective observational study undertaken in 10 Australasian Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) network EDs between 2011 and 2014 of head-injured children <18 years with and without PTS. Clinical predictors and outcomes were analysed by attributable risk (AR), risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), including the association with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores. RESULTS Of 20 137 head injuries, 336 (1.7%) had PTS with median age of 4.8 years. Initial GCS was 15 in 268/336 (79.8%, AR -16.1 [95% CI -20.4 to -11.8]), 14 in 24/336 (7.1%, AR 4.4 [95% CI 1.6-7.2]) and ≤13 in 44/336 (13.1%, AR 11.7 [95% CI 8.1-15.3]) in comparison with those without PTS, respectively. The ciTBI rate was 34 (10.1%) with PTS versus 219 (1.1%) without PTS (AR 9.0 [95% CI 5.8-12.2]) with 5/268 (1.9%), 6/24 (25.0%) and 23/44 (52.3%) with GCS 15, 14 and ≤13, respectively. In PTS, rates of admission ≥2 nights (34 [10.1%] AR 9.0 [95% CI 5.8-12.3]), intubation >24 h (9 [2.7%] AR 2.5 [95% CI 0.8-4.2]) and neurosurgery (8 [2.4%] AR 2.0 [95% CI 0.4-3.7]), were higher than those without PTS. Children with PTS and GCS 15 or 14 had no neurosurgery, intubations or death, with two deaths in children with PTS and GCS ≤13. CONCLUSIONS PTS was uncommon in head-injured children presenting to the ED but associated with an increased risk of ciTBI in those with reduced GCS on arrival.
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Bourke EM, Borland ML, Kochar A, George S, Shellshear D, Jani S, Perkins K, Tham D, Gordon MS, Klein K, Prakash C, Lee K, Davidson A, Knott JC, Craig S, Babl FE. Pharmacological Emergency management of Agitation in Children and Young people: protocol for a randomised controlled trial of intraMuscular medication (PEAChY-M). BMJ Open 2023; 13:e067436. [PMID: 36997241 PMCID: PMC10069493 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acute severe behavioural disturbance (ASBD) is a condition seen with increasing frequency in emergency departments (EDs) in adults and young people. Despite the increasing number of presentations and significant associated risks to patients, families and caregivers, there is limited evidence to guide the most effective pharmacological management in children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to determine whether a single dose of intramuscular olanzapine is more effective than intramuscular droperidol at successfully sedating young people with ASBD requiring intramuscular sedation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This study is a multicentre, open-label, superiority randomised controlled trial. Young people aged between 9 and 17 years and 364 days presenting to an ED with ASBD who are deemed to require medication for behavioural containment will be recruited to the study. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 allocation between a single weight-based dose of intramuscular olanzapine and intramuscular droperidol. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants who achieve successful sedation at 1-hour post randomisation without the need for additional sedation. Secondary outcomes will include assessing for adverse events, additional medications provided in the ED, further episodes of ASBD, length of stay in the ED and hospital and satisfaction with management.Effectiveness will be determined using an intention-to-treat analysis, with medication efficacy determined as part of the secondary outcomes using a per-protocol analysis. The primary outcome of successful sedation at 1 hour will be presented as a percentage within each treatment group, with comparisons presented as a risk difference with its 95% CIs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethics approval was received from the Royal Children's Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/69948/RCHM-2021). This incorporated a waiver of informed consent for the study. The findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and at academic conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ACTRN12621001238864.
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Bourke EM, Borland ML, Kochar A, George S, Shellshear D, Jani S, Perkins K, Tham D, Gordon MS, Klein K, Prakash C, Lee K, Davidson A, Knott JC, Craig S, Babl FE. Pharmacological emergency management of agitation in children and young people: protocol for a randomised controlled trial of oral medication (PEAChY-O). BMJ Open 2023; 13:e067433. [PMID: 36997250 PMCID: PMC10069548 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acute severe behavioural disturbance (ASBD) is a condition seen with increasing frequency in emergency departments (EDs) in adults and young people. Despite the increasing number of presentations and significant associated risks to patients, families and caregivers, there is limited evidence to guide the most effective pharmacological management in children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to determine whether a single dose of oral olanzapine is more effective than a dose of oral diazepam at successfully sedating young people with ASBD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This study is a multicentre, open-label, superiority randomised controlled trial. Young people aged between 9 years and 17 years and 364 days presenting to an ED with ASBD who are deemed to require medication for behavioural containment will be recruited to the study. Participants will be randomised in a 1:1 allocation between a single weight-based dose of oral olanzapine and oral diazepam. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants who achieve successful sedation at 1-hour post randomisation without the need for additional sedation. Secondary outcomes will include assessing for adverse events, additional medications provided in the ED, further episodes of ASBD, length of stay in the ED and hospital and satisfaction with management.Effectiveness will be determined using an intention-to-treat analysis, with medication efficacy determined as part of the secondary outcomes using a per-protocol analysis. The primary outcome of successful sedation at 1 hour will be presented as a percentage within each treatment group, with comparisons presented as a risk difference with its 95% CIs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethics approval was received from the Royal Children's Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/66478/RCHM-2020). This incorporated a waiver of informed consent for the study. The findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and at academic conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ACTRN12621001236886.
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Wu Y, Mascaro S, Bhuiyan M, Fathima P, Mace AO, Nicol MP, Richmond PC, Kirkham LA, Dymock M, Foley DA, McLeod C, Borland ML, Martin A, Williams PCM, Marsh JA, Snelling TL, Blyth CC. Predicting the causative pathogen among children with pneumonia using a causal Bayesian network. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010967. [PMID: 36913404 PMCID: PMC10035934 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pneumonia remains a leading cause of hospitalization and death among young children worldwide, and the diagnostic challenge of differentiating bacterial from non-bacterial pneumonia is the main driver of antibiotic use for treating pneumonia in children. Causal Bayesian networks (BNs) serve as powerful tools for this problem as they provide clear maps of probabilistic relationships between variables and produce results in an explainable way by incorporating both domain expert knowledge and numerical data. METHODS We used domain expert knowledge and data in combination and iteratively, to construct, parameterise and validate a causal BN to predict causative pathogens for childhood pneumonia. Expert knowledge elicitation occurred through a series of group workshops, surveys and one-on-one meetings involving 6-8 experts from diverse domain areas. The model performance was evaluated based on both quantitative metrics and qualitative expert validation. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to investigate how the target output is influenced by varying key assumptions of a particularly high degree of uncertainty around data or domain expert knowledge. RESULTS Designed to apply to a cohort of children with X-ray confirmed pneumonia who presented to a tertiary paediatric hospital in Australia, the resulting BN offers explainable and quantitative predictions on a range of variables of interest, including the diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia, detection of respiratory pathogens in the nasopharynx, and the clinical phenotype of a pneumonia episode. Satisfactory numeric performance has been achieved including an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.8 in predicting clinically-confirmed bacterial pneumonia with sensitivity 88% and specificity 66% given certain input scenarios (i.e., information that is available and entered into the model) and trade-off preferences (i.e., relative weightings of the consequences of false positive versus false negative predictions). We specifically highlight that a desirable model output threshold for practical use is very dependent upon different input scenarios and trade-off preferences. Three commonly encountered scenarios were presented to demonstrate the potential usefulness of the BN outputs in various clinical pictures. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first causal model developed to help determine the causative pathogen for paediatric pneumonia. We have shown how the method works and how it would help decision making on the use of antibiotics, providing insight into how computational model predictions may be translated to actionable decisions in practice. We discussed key next steps including external validation, adaptation and implementation. Our model framework and the methodological approach can be adapted beyond our context to broad respiratory infections and geographical and healthcare settings.
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Franklin D, Babl FE, George S, Oakley E, Borland ML, Neutze J, Acworth J, Craig S, Jones M, Gannon B, Shellshear D, McCay H, Wallace A, Hoeppner T, Wildman M, Mattes J, Pham TMT, Miller L, Williams A, O’Brien S, Lawrence S, Bonisch M, Gibbons K, Moloney S, Waugh J, Hobbins S, Grew S, Fahy R, Dalziel SR, Schibler A. Effect of Early High-Flow Nasal Oxygen vs Standard Oxygen Therapy on Length of Hospital Stay in Hospitalized Children With Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure: The PARIS-2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2023; 329:224-234. [PMID: 36648469 PMCID: PMC9856857 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.21805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Nasal high-flow oxygen therapy in infants with bronchiolitis and hypoxia has been shown to reduce the requirement to escalate care. The efficacy of high-flow oxygen therapy in children aged 1 to 4 years with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure without bronchiolitis is unknown. OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of early high-flow oxygen therapy vs standard oxygen therapy in children with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A multicenter, randomized clinical trial was conducted at 14 metropolitan and tertiary hospitals in Australia and New Zealand, including 1567 children aged 1 to 4 years (randomized between December 18, 2017, and March 18, 2020) requiring hospital admission for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. The last participant follow-up was completed on March 22, 2020. INTERVENTIONS Enrolled children were randomly allocated 1:1 to high-flow oxygen therapy (n = 753) or standard oxygen therapy (n = 764). The type of oxygen therapy could not be masked, but the investigators remained blinded until the outcome data were locked. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was length of hospital stay with the hypothesis that high-flow oxygen therapy reduces length of stay. There were 9 secondary outcomes, including length of oxygen therapy and admission to the intensive care unit. Children were analyzed according to their randomization group. RESULTS Of the 1567 children who were randomized, 1517 (97%) were included in the primary analysis (median age, 1.9 years [IQR, 1.4-3.0 years]; 732 [46.7%] were female) and all children completed the trial. The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the high-flow oxygen group with a median of 1.77 days (IQR, 1.03-2.80 days) vs 1.50 days (IQR, 0.85-2.44 days) in the standard oxygen group (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.75-0.92]; P < .001). Of the 9 prespecified secondary outcomes, 4 showed no significant difference. The median length of oxygen therapy was 1.07 days (IQR, 0.50-2.06 days) in the high-flow oxygen group vs 0.75 days (IQR, 0.35-1.61 days) in the standard oxygen therapy group (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.70-0.86]). In the high-flow oxygen group, there were 94 admissions (12.5%) to the intensive care unit compared with 53 admissions (6.9%) in the standard oxygen group (adjusted odds ratio, 1.93 [95% CI, 1.35-2.75]). There was only 1 death and it occurred in the high-flow oxygen group. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Nasal high-flow oxygen used as the initial primary therapy in children aged 1 to 4 years with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure did not significantly reduce the length of hospital stay compared with standard oxygen therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12618000210279.
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O’Brien SL, Haskell L, Tavender EJ, Wilson S, Borland ML, Oakley E, Dalziel SR, Gill FJ. Factors influencing health professionals' use of high-flow nasal cannula therapy for infants with bronchiolitis - A qualitative study. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1098577. [PMID: 37009298 PMCID: PMC10060553 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1098577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim To explore the factors influencing the use of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy for infants with bronchiolitis. Design Qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews. Methods The semi-structured interviews (face-to-face or virtual) were conducted between September 2020 and February 2021. Deductive content analysis was used to map key influencing factors for use of HFNC therapy to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Results Nineteen interviews were undertaken before reaching thematic saturation (7 nurses, 12 doctors) in emergency departments and paediatric wards from four purposively selected hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. Influencing factors were mapped to eight domains in the TDF with 21 themes identified. Main findings included: (1) Health professionals' expectations of HFNC therapy on patient deterioration, work of breathing and oxygenation; (2) Staff emotions relating to concern and anxiety about deterioration and "need to do something"; (3) Social influences from other health professionals and parents and (4) Environmental factors relating to logistics of care and patient transfer considerations. These factors, combined with the ready availability of HFNC equipment and health professionals having the required skills to administer the therapy, contributed to its initiation. Conclusion Individual/personal and contextual/environmental factors contribute to the use of HFNC therapy for infants with bronchiolitis. It is evident these influences contribute substantially to increased use, despite evidence-based guidelines recommending a more nuanced approach to this therapy. These findings will inform a targeted implementation intervention to promote evidence-based use of HFNC therapy in infants with bronchiolitis.
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Babl FE, Eapen N, Herd D, Borland ML, Kochar A, Zhang M, Oakley E, Hopper SM, Berkowitz RG, Wilson CL, Williams A, Mackay MT, Lee KJ, Hearps S. Agreement of Clinician‐Administered and Modified Parent‐Administered House‐Brackmann Scales in Children with Bell's Palsy. OTO Open 2023; 7:e44. [PMID: 36998545 PMCID: PMC10046699 DOI: 10.1002/oto2.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Currently there is no parent administered scale for facial nerve function in children. We set out to assess the agreement between a newly developed parent-administered modified version of the House-Brackmann (HB) scale and the standard clinician-administered HB scale in children with Bell's palsy. Study Design Secondary analysis of a triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of corticosteroids to treat idiopathic facial paralysis (Bell's palsy) in children (6 months to <18 years). Setting Multicenter study at pediatric hospitals with recruitment in emergency departments. Methods Children were recruited within 72 hours of symptom onset and assessed using the clinician-administered and the parent-administered modified HB scales at baseline, and at 1, 3, and 6 months until recovered. Agreement between the 2 scales was assessed using intraclass coefficient (ICC) and a Bland-Altman plot. Results Data were available for 174 of the 187 children randomized from at least 1 study time point. The mean ICC between clinician and parent HB scores across all time points was 0.88 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.86, 0.90). The ICC for the data collected at baseline was 0.53 (95% CI: 0.43, 0.64), at 1 month was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.91), at 3 months was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.71, 0.87) and at 6 months was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.89). A Bland-Altman plot indicated a mean difference between the 2 scores (clinician-reported minus parent-reported) of only -0.07 (95% limits of agreement -1.37 to 1.23). Conclusion There was good agreement between the modified parent-administered and the clinician-administered HB scales.
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O'Brien S, Haskell L, Schembri R, Gill FJ, Wilson S, Borland ML, Oakley E, Dalziel SR. Prevalence of high flow nasal cannula therapy use for management of infants with bronchiolitis in Australia and New Zealand. J Paediatr Child Health 2022; 58:2230-2235. [PMID: 36066264 PMCID: PMC10947204 DOI: 10.1111/jpc.16199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIM To determine the prevalence of high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy in infants presenting to hospital in Australia and New Zealand with bronchiolitis over four bronchiolitis seasons. Secondary aims were to determine temporal trends in HFNC use, and associations between HFNC, hospital length of stay (LOS) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission. METHODS A planned sub-study of a multi-centre international cluster randomised controlled trial investigating knowledge translation strategies for a bi-national bronchiolitis guideline. Demographics, management and outcomes data were collected retrospectively for infants presenting with bronchiolitis to 26 hospitals between 1 May 2014 and 30 November 2017. Prevalence data are presented as absolute frequencies (95% confidence interval (CI)) with differences between groups for continuous and categorical variables analysed using linear and logistic regression, respectively. RESULTS 11 715 infants were included with 3392 (29.0%, 95% CI (28.1-29.8%)) receiving oxygen therapy; of whom 1817 (53.6%, 95% CI (51.9-55.3%)) received HFNC. Use of oxygen therapy did not change over the four bronchiolitis seasons (P = 0.12), while the proportion receiving HFNC increased (2014, 336/2587 (43.2%); 2017, 609/3720 (57.8%); P ≤ 0.001). Infants who received HFNC therapy were not substantially different to infants who received oxygen therapy without HFNC. HFNC use was associated with increases in both hospital LOS (P < 0.001) and ICU admissions (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Use of HFNC therapy for infants with bronchiolitis increased over 4 years. Of those who received oxygen therapy, the majority received HFNC therapy without improvement in hospital LOS or ICU admissions. Strategies to guide appropriate HFNC use in infants with bronchiolitis are required.
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Babl FE, Herd D, Borland ML, Kochar A, Lawton B, Hort J, West A, George S, Zhang M, Velusamy K, Sullivan F, Oakley E, Davidson A, Hopper SM, Cheek JA, Berkowitz RG, Hearps S, Wilson CL, Williams A, Elborough H, Legge D, Mackay MT, Lee KJ, Dalziel SR. Efficacy of Prednisolone for Bell Palsy in Children: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Trial. Neurology 2022; 99:e2241-e2252. [PMID: 36008143 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000201164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Corticosteroids are used to treat the early stages of idiopathic facial paralysis (Bell palsy) in children, but their effectiveness is uncertain. We set out to determine whether prednisolone improves the proportion of children with Bell palsy with complete recovery at 1 month. METHODS We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of prednisolone in children presenting to emergency departments with Bell palsy. Patients aged 6 months to younger than 18 years were recruited within 72 hours after the symptom onset and were randomly assigned to receive 10 days of treatment with oral prednisolone (approximately 1 mg/kg) or placebo. The primary outcome was complete recovery of facial function at 1 month rated on the House-Brackmann scale. Secondary outcomes included facial function, adverse events, and pain up to 6 months. Target recruitment was n = 540 (270 per group). RESULTS Between October 13, 2015, and August 23, 2020, 187 children were randomized (94 to prednisolone and 93 to placebo) and included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At 1 month, the proportions of patients who had recovered facial function were 49% (n = 43/87) in the prednisolone group compared with 57% (n = 50/87) in the placebo group (risk difference -8.1%, 95% CI -22.8 to 6.7; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.7, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.3). At 3 months, these proportions were 90% (n = 71/79) for the prednisolone group vs 85% (n = 72/85) for the placebo group (risk difference 5.2%, 95% CI -5.0 to 15.3; aOR 1.2, 95% CI 0.4 to 3.0) and, at 6 months, 99% (n = 77/78) and 93% (n = 76/82), respectively (risk difference 6.0%, 95% CI -0.1 to 12.2; aOR 3.0, 95% CI 0.5 to 17.7). There were no serious adverse events and little evidence for group differences in secondary outcomes. DISCUSSION In children with Bell palsy, the vast majority recover without treatment. This study, although underpowered, does not provide evidence that early treatment with prednisolone improves complete recovery. TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION Registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615000563561, registered June 1, 2015. anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=368505&isReview=true. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE This study provides Class I evidence that for children with Bell palsy, prednisolone does not significantly change recovery of complete facial function at 1 month. However, this study lacked the precision to exclude an important harm or benefit from prednisolone.
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Ramsay JA, Mascaro S, Campbell AJ, Foley DA, Mace AO, Ingram P, Borland ML, Blyth CC, Larkins NG, Robertson T, Williams PCM, Snelling TL, Wu Y. Urinary tract infections in children: building a causal model-based decision support tool for diagnosis with domain knowledge and prospective data. BMC Med Res Methodol 2022; 22:218. [PMID: 35941543 PMCID: PMC9358867 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-022-01695-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children in the emergency department (ED) is challenging due to the variable clinical presentations and difficulties in obtaining a urine sample free from contamination. Clinicians need to weigh a range of observations to make timely diagnostic and management decisions, a difficult task to achieve without support due to the complex interactions among relevant factors. Directed acyclic graphs (DAG) and causal Bayesian networks (BN) offer a way to explicitly outline the underlying disease, contamination and diagnostic processes, and to further make quantitative inference on the event of interest thus serving as a tool for decision support. METHODS We prospectively collected data on children present to ED with suspected UTIs. Through knowledge elicitation workshops and one-on-one meetings, a DAG was co-developed with clinical domain experts (the Expert DAG) to describe the causal relationships among variables relevant to paediatric UTIs. The Expert DAG was combined with prospective data and further domain knowledge to inform the development of an application-oriented BN (the Applied BN), designed to support the diagnosis of UTI. We assessed the performance of the Applied BN using quantitative and qualitative methods. RESULTS We summarised patient background, clinical and laboratory characteristics of 431 episodes of suspected UTIs enrolled from May 2019 to November 2020. The Expert DAG was presented with a narrative description, elucidating how infection, specimen contamination and management pathways causally interact to form the complex picture of paediatric UTIs. Parameterised using prospective data and expert-elicited parameters, the Applied BN achieved an excellent and stable performance in predicting Escherichia coli culture results, with a mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.86 and a mean log loss of 0.48 based on 10-fold cross-validation. The BN predictions were reviewed via a validation workshop, and we illustrate how they can be presented for decision support using three hypothetical clinical scenarios. CONCLUSION Causal BNs created from both expert knowledge and data can integrate case-specific information to provide individual decision support during the diagnosis of paediatric UTIs in ED. The model aids the interpretation of culture results and the diagnosis of UTIs, promising the prospect of improved patient care and judicious use of antibiotics.
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Dalziel SR, Haskell L, O'Brien S, Borland ML, Plint AC, Babl FE, Oakley E. Bronchiolitis. Lancet 2022; 400:392-406. [PMID: 35785792 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(22)01016-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Viral bronchiolitis is the most common cause of admission to hospital for infants in high-income countries. Respiratory syncytial virus accounts for 60-80% of bronchiolitis presentations. Bronchiolitis is diagnosed clinically without the need for viral testing. Management recommendations, based predominantly on high-quality evidence, advise clinicians to support hydration and oxygenation only. Evidence suggests no benefit with use of glucocorticoids or bronchodilators, with further evidence required to support use of hypertonic saline in bronchiolitis. Evidence is scarce in the intensive care unit. Evidence suggests use of high-flow therapy in bronchiolitis is limited to rescue therapy after failure of standard subnasal oxygen only in infants who are hypoxic and does not decrease rates of intensive care unit admission or intubation. Despite systematic reviews and international clinical practice guidelines promoting supportive rather than interventional therapy, universal de-implementation of interventional care in bronchiolitis has not occurred and remains a major challenge.
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Funk AL, Kuppermann N, Florin TA, Tancredi DJ, Xie J, Kim K, Finkelstein Y, Neuman MI, Salvadori MI, Yock-Corrales A, Breslin KA, Ambroggio L, Chaudhari PP, Bergmann KR, Gardiner MA, Nebhrajani JR, Campos C, Ahmad FA, Sartori LF, Navanandan N, Kannikeswaran N, Caperell K, Morris CR, Mintegi S, Gangoiti I, Sabhaney VJ, Plint AC, Klassen TP, Avva UR, Shah NP, Dixon AC, Lunoe MM, Becker SM, Rogers AJ, Pavlicich V, Dalziel SR, Payne DC, Malley R, Borland ML, Morrison AK, Bhatt M, Rino PB, Beneyto Ferre I, Eckerle M, Kam AJ, Chong SL, Palumbo L, Kwok MY, Cherry JC, Poonai N, Waseem M, Simon NJ, Freedman SB. Post-COVID-19 Conditions Among Children 90 Days After SARS-CoV-2 Infection. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2223253. [PMID: 35867061 PMCID: PMC9308058 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.23253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Little is known about the risk factors for, and the risk of, developing post-COVID-19 conditions (PCCs) among children. OBJECTIVES To estimate the proportion of SARS-CoV-2-positive children with PCCs 90 days after a positive test result, to compare this proportion with SARS-CoV-2-negative children, and to assess factors associated with PCCs. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prospective cohort study, conducted in 36 emergency departments (EDs) in 8 countries between March 7, 2020, and January 20, 2021, included 1884 SARS-CoV-2-positive children who completed 90-day follow-up; 1686 of these children were frequency matched by hospitalization status, country, and recruitment date with 1701 SARS-CoV-2-negative controls. EXPOSURE SARS-CoV-2 detected via nucleic acid testing. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Post-COVID-19 conditions, defined as any persistent, new, or recurrent health problems reported in the 90-day follow-up survey. RESULTS Of 8642 enrolled children, 2368 (27.4%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive, among whom 2365 (99.9%) had index ED visit disposition data available; among the 1884 children (79.7%) who completed follow-up, the median age was 3 years (IQR, 0-10 years) and 994 (52.8%) were boys. A total of 110 SARS-CoV-2-positive children (5.8%; 95% CI, 4.8%-7.0%) reported PCCs, including 44 of 447 children (9.8%; 95% CI, 7.4%-13.0%) hospitalized during the acute illness and 66 of 1437 children (4.6%; 95% CI, 3.6%-5.8%) not hospitalized during the acute illness (difference, 5.3%; 95% CI, 2.5%-8.5%). Among SARS-CoV-2-positive children, the most common symptom was fatigue or weakness (21 [1.1%]). Characteristics associated with reporting at least 1 PCC at 90 days included being hospitalized 48 hours or more compared with no hospitalization (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.67 [95% CI, 1.63-4.38]); having 4 or more symptoms reported at the index ED visit compared with 1 to 3 symptoms (4-6 symptoms: aOR, 2.35 [95% CI, 1.28-4.31]; ≥7 symptoms: aOR, 4.59 [95% CI, 2.50-8.44]); and being 14 years of age or older compared with younger than 1 year (aOR, 2.67 [95% CI, 1.43-4.99]). SARS-CoV-2-positive children were more likely to report PCCs at 90 days compared with those who tested negative, both among those who were not hospitalized (55 of 1295 [4.2%; 95% CI, 3.2%-5.5%] vs 35 of 1321 [2.7%; 95% CI, 1.9%-3.7%]; difference, 1.6% [95% CI, 0.2%-3.0%]) and those who were hospitalized (40 of 391 [10.2%; 95% CI, 7.4%-13.7%] vs 19 of 380 [5.0%; 95% CI, 3.0%-7.7%]; difference, 5.2% [95% CI, 1.5%-9.1%]). In addition, SARS-CoV-2 positivity was associated with reporting PCCs 90 days after the index ED visit (aOR, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.14-2.35]), specifically systemic health problems (eg, fatigue, weakness, fever; aOR, 2.44 [95% CI, 1.19-5.00]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cohort study, SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with reporting PCCs at 90 days in children. Guidance and follow-up are particularly necessary for hospitalized children who have numerous acute symptoms and are older.
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