Practice Variation in Emergency Department Management of Children With Sickle Cell Disease Who Present With Fever

Implementation of a Low-risk Algorithm for Outpatient Management of Febrile Pediatric Patients With Sickle Cell Disease

BACKGROUND

Splenic dysfunction in children with sickle cell disease (SCD) increases the risk of serious bacterial infections; therefore, families are instructed to seek medical care in the presence of fever. Recurrent hospital admissions of patients with SCD cause financial and resource burdens on caregivers and the health care system, contributing to a lower quality of life in this patient population. Recent studies have documented a reduction of the incidence of bacterial infections among these patients managed on an outpatient basis with no association of increased morbidity and mortality. We decided to establish a partnership between our pediatric hematology/oncology division and pediatric emergency medicine division to initiate an algorithm to identify low-risk patients eligible for outpatient management.

PROCEDURE

We conducted a retrospective review of patients with SCD younger than 18 years of age, followed at the Comprehensive Care Sickle Cell Center at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), who presented to our Pediatric Emergency Department (ED) with a temperature ≥101°F from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020.

RESULTS

The mean length of stay and age at admission were nearly equal between pre-implementation and post-implementation of the algorithm. The admission rates from the study for were 55.2% and 43.6% pre-implementation and post-implementation, respectively. Patients revisited the ED within 72 hours in 6.7% of patients in pre-implementation and 5.9% of patients in post-implementation. There were no patient deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

Our pathway helps standardize the treatment of febrile pediatric patients with SCD. Although the decrease in admissions did not reach statistical significance, the > 10% decrease in admissions was likely meaningful to reduce health care burdens for patients and families.

Children with sickle cell disease and fever but no respiratory symptoms: Is a chest x-ray needed?

BACKGROUND

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) defines acute chest syndrome (ACS) as a new infiltrate on chest x-ray (CXR) and at least 1 of the following: fever (≥38.50C), hypoxia, or respiratory symptoms. NHLBI expert consensus recommends a CXR in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) who have fever and respiratory symptoms. Past work has shown that physicians fail to recognize ACS in children with SCD who present with fever, leading to varied CXR obtainment criteria.

PURPOSE

To determine the prevalence of ACS in patients with SCD presenting to our ED with fever with or without respiratory symptoms.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of ED visits by patients with SCD (ages 0 to 20 years) who presented with fever (>/= 38.5o C) within the past 24 h between January 2019 to December 2022 was done. The presence or absence of NHLBI-defined respiratory symptoms and CXR results were extracted. The prevalence of ACS, demonstrated on CXR, for febrile children with and without respiratory symptoms was estimated.

RESULTS

There were 137 children (288 unique ED visits) with fever. We found 0 % of visits with fever and no respiratory symptoms had ACS whereas 22.6 % with at least 1 respiratory symptom (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide strong evidence that a CXR is not necessary in a child with SCD presenting to the ED with fever and no NHLBI-defined respiratory symptoms. This evidence could improve quality of care and decrease unnecessary CXR use in the SCD population.

Health Supervision for Children and Adolescents With Sickle Cell Disease: Clinical Report

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of complex genetic disorders of hemoglobin with multisystem manifestations. The scope of this clinical report is such that in-depth recommendations for management of all complications is not possible. Rather, the authors present an overview focused on the practical management of children and adolescents with SCD and the complications that are of particular relevance to pediatric primary care providers. References with detailed commentary provide further information. Timely and appropriate treatment of acute illness is critical, because life-threatening complications may develop rapidly. Specialized comprehensive medical care decreases morbidity and mortality during childhood. The provision of comprehensive care is a time-intensive endeavor that includes ongoing patient and family education, periodic comprehensive evaluations and other disease-specific health maintenance services, nursing support, psychosocial care, and genetic counseling. Ideally, this care includes comanagement by the pediatrician or other pediatric primary care provider and a team of specialist SCD experts: Hematologist, other pediatric specialists, advanced practice providers, nurse specialists, social workers, patient navigators, and educational liaisons.

Causes and Recommendations for Fever in Sickle Cell Pediatric Patients in the Emergency Department: A Single-Center Study

Background Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are prone to bacterial infections, culminating in life-threatening incidences. Early evaluation of children with SCD helps in effective management and support. Methodology A retrospective study was conducted using medical records for febrile episodes in SCD children ≤14 years of age who presented to the Emergency Department of King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2018. A total of 304 episodes were encountered in the Emergency Department during this period. Results The clinical diagnosis included confirmed bacterial infection (4.5%), presumed bacterial infection (24.6%), and those without bacterial infection (57.5%). The incidence of bacteremia was found in 3.0% of the episodes and urinary tract infection in 1.5%. The most common isolates were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus viridians, Salmonella species, and Escherichia coli. Overall, 52% of the febrile episodes resulted in hospitalization, of which 74% had at least one prior hospitalization. The hospitalization probability across the two sexes was statistically insignificant (p = 0.029). The likelihood of admission increased with age (p < 0.001) and temperature (p < 0.001). The study included 140 children with SCD who had at least one abdominal sonogram performed at our hospital between 2015 and 2018. There were changes in the radiographic appearance of the spleen in patients with SCD who were expected to undergo autosplenectomy between the ages of five and 17 years. Conclusions The study envisages the risk associated with febrile episodes and the prompt recovery of such patients through clinical confirmations. Parents should be aware and observant of the complications of infectious illnesses for speedy medical assistance.

Prevalence of Bacteremia in Febrile Patients With Sickle Cell Disease: Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

OBJECTIVE

Pneumococcal vaccination has decreased the bacteremia rate in both the general pediatric and sickle cell disease (SCD) populations. Despite this decrease, and an increasing concern for antibiotic resistance, it remains standard practice to obtain blood cultures and administer antibiotics in all febrile (>38.5°C) patients with SCD. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available studies of the prevalence of bacteremia in febrile patients with SCD.

METHODS

We searched the medical literature up to November 2018 in PUBMED, EMBASE, and Web of Science with terms epidemiology, prevalence, bacteremia, and sickle cell anemia. We only included studies with patients after 2000, when the pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate (PCV7) vaccine became widely available. The prevalence of bacteremia [95% confidence interval (CI)] was calculated by dividing the number of positive blood cultures by the number of febrile episodes. The I2 statistic measured heterogeneity between prevalence estimates. Bias in our studies was quantified by the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale.

RESULTS

Our search identified 228 citations with 10 studies meeting our inclusion/exclusion criteria. The weighted prevalence of bacteremia across all studies was 1.9% (95% CI, 1.22%-2.73%), and for Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia, it was 0.31% (95% CI, 0.16%-0.50%). Risks for bacteremia except central lines could not be determined because of the low prevalence of the outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

There appears to be a need to develop a risk stratification strategy to guide physicians to manage febrile patients with SCD based on factors including, but not limited to, history and clinical examination, vaccination status, use of prophylactic antibiotics, laboratory values, likely source of infection, and accessibility to health care.

Initial Guidance on Use of Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Children and Adolescents

BACKGROUND

In November 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) for 2 novel virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibody therapies, bamlanivimab and REGN-COV2 (casirivimab plus imdevimab), for the treatment of mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adolescents and adults in specified high-risk groups. This has challenged clinicians to determine the best approach to use of these products.

METHODS

A panel of experts in pediatric infectious diseases, pediatric infectious diseases pharmacy, pediatric intensive care medicine, and pediatric hematology from 29 geographically diverse North American institutions was convened. Through a series of teleconferences and web-based surveys, a guidance statement was developed and refined based on review of the best available evidence and expert opinion.

RESULTS

The course of COVID-19 in children and adolescents is typically mild and there is no high-quality evidence supporting any high-risk groups. There is no evidence for safety and efficacy of monoclonal antibody therapy for treatment of COVID-19 in children or adolescents, limited evidence of modest benefit in adults, and evidence for potential harm associated with infusion reactions or anaphylaxis.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on evidence available as of December 20, 2020, the panel suggests against routine administration of monoclonal antibody therapy (bamlanivimab, or casirivimab and imdevimab), for treatment of COVID-19 in children or adolescents, including those designated by the FDA as at high risk of progression to hospitalization or severe disease. Clinicians and health systems choosing to use these agents on an individualized basis should consider risk factors supported by pediatric-specific evidence and ensure the implementation of a system for safe and timely administration that does not exacerbate existing healthcare disparities.

Variation in hospital admission of sickle cell patients from the emergency department using the Pediatric Health Information System

BACKGROUND

Universal newborn screening and improved treatment options have led to increased survival in sickle cell disease (SCD). However, patients with SCD still rely heavily on acute care services.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the variation seen in hospitalizations for the top complaints for ED visits for children with SCD nationally.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of the Pediatric Health Information Systems (PHIS) Database between October 2011 and September 2015. Emergency department (ED) encounters were selected by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for SCD with and without crisis, fever, and pain. Univariate analyses were performed, as well as index of dispersion (ID) to assess variation by day of the week and region. ANOVA and t-test were used to determine statistical significance.

RESULTS

A total of 68 661 ED encounters at 36 hospitals met the criteria for inclusion. Of those encounters, 50.1% were admitted to the hospital. Pain and fever were the most common primary diagnoses among this population. Although variation in hospitalization was seen overall, as well as for a primary diagnosis of pain or fever, this variation was not explained by weekday/weekend designation.

CONCLUSION

The results of our study confirm pain and fever as the most common primary diagnoses for children with SCD who seek acute care, as well as demonstrate that while significant variation in hospitalization exists, it is not associated with day of the week. Further studies to elucidate patient- and hospital-level factors that influence admission variation are necessary.

A Quality Initiative to Decrease Time to Antibiotics in Children with Sickle Cell Disease and Fever

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk for sepsis secondary to functional asplenia. Timely administration of antibiotics, within 60 minutes of triage, is a national indicator of quality SCD care in the United States. However, there are no reports demonstrating the feasibility of doing so in the outpatient hematology-oncology clinic setting.

Local Problem

At baseline, in our pediatric hematology-oncology outpatient center, just 10% of children with SCD and fever received timely antibiotics.

Methods

We implemented a process improvement initiative for children with SCD and fever with the aim of ≥90% receiving timely antibiotics. We enacted interventions focused on general clinic processes from check-in to antibiotics and population-specific interventions, including an intravenous access protocol, notification/communication among staff members, and design of an electronic order set.

Results

The percentage of children receiving timely antibiotics improved from 10% to 77% with successful maintenance following the interventions. Residual delays are due to nonexpeditious order placement and difficult intravenous access.

Conclusion

Improving the timely administration of antibiotics in the outpatient hematology-oncology clinic setting for children with SCD and fever is possible. Achieving at least 90% timely antibiotics for children with SCD and fever in the outpatient clinic setting will require ongoing efforts at expeditious order placement and intravenous access.