Epidemiology of admissions in a pediatric resuscitation room

Procedural Training in Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship: What Are We Teaching and What Do Fellows Need to Learn?

BACKGROUND

Life-saving procedures are rarely performed on children in the emergency department, making it difficult for trainees to acquire the skills necessary to provide proficient resuscitative care for children. Studies have demonstrated that residents in general pediatrics and emergency medicine lack exposure to procedures in the pediatric context, but no studies exist regarding procedural training in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM). Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) provides a list of procedures in which PEM fellows must be competent, the relevance of this procedure list to actual PEM practice has not been studied.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to determine whether PEM fellowships currently provide sufficient exposure to the skills most relevant for practicing PEM physicians.

STUDY DESIGN

Data were collected via anonymous electronic survey from physicians who graduated from PEM fellowship between 2012 and 2016. Survey items measured respondents' comfort with performing critical procedures, and their perceptions of the necessity of knowing how to perform each procedure in their current practice environment.

RESULTS

A total of 133 individuals responded to the survey. Respondents unanimously agreed that 18 of the 36 procedures required by the ACGME are necessary to know in their current practice environment. For the remaining 18 mandated procedures, there was significant disagreement among respondents both as to the necessity of the procedure in current practice and respondents' degree of comfort with performing each procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

Among recent PEM fellowship graduates, there is significant variation in comfort with performing ACGME-mandated procedures. These data highlight important opportunities for curricular enhancement in the procedural training of PEM physicians.

Do Social and Environmental Factors Affect the Emergency Service Admission Characteristics of Preschool-Aged Pediatric Trauma Patients?: A Prospective Study

OBJECTIVE

Studies related to the epidemiology of trauma play a major role in determining the health status of the communities living in the vicinity of the centers that they are conducted. We have found no epidemiological study related to emergency service admission conducted only on preschool-aged children in the literature. Our aim was to determine characteristics of trauma in this age group, to analyze encountered trauma types, and to investigate possible associations among epidemiological factors, characteristics of the trauma victims, and trauma itself in pediatric patients admitted to our emergency service.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective study with patients aged 66 months and younger, admitted to Emergency Service of Istanbul Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital between July 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015. Data related to age, sex, occupational status of parents, number of siblings, Glasgow coma scale score, transport mode, admission time period of the day, general health status, type of trauma, the trauma site, involved body regions, radiologic imaging and laboratory results, consultations, clinical diagnosis and outcome, duration of emergency service stay, and treatment cost were collected and statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 688 preschool-aged cases were admitted owing to trauma. The major mode of transport was a private vehicle (98.3%), and the major cause was falling (64.0%). The major traumatized body region was head and neck (51.0%), and the major diagnosis was soft tissue trauma (90.1%). The average duration of stay was 122.01 minutes and affected by sibling number, trauma type, and employment status. The total service fee was interrelated with the type of trauma and the site that trauma occurred; it also was strongly correlated with duration of emergency service stay.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that both in-hospital and social/environmental aspects should be improved to reduce the clinical and social burden of trauma.

Characteristics of Pediatric Emergency and Risk Factors for Life-saving Interventions

Pediatric emergency patients are vulnerable population and require special care or interventions. Nevertheless, there is limited data on the prevalence and risk factors for life-saving interventions. This study is a retrospective analytical study. The inclusion criteria were children aged 15 years or under who were triaged as level 1 or 2 and treated at the resuscitation room. Factors associated with LSI were executed by logistic regression analysis. During the study period, there were 22 759 ER visits by 14 066 pediatric patients. Of those, 346 patients (2.46%) met the study criteria. Triage level 1 accounted for 16.18% (56 patients) with 29 patients (8.38%) with LSI. Trauma was an independent factor for LSI with adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of 4.37 (1.49, 12.76). In conclusion, approximately 8.38% of these patients required LSI. Trauma cause was an independent predictor for LSI.

Critically Ill Children in a Swiss Pediatric Emergency Department With an Interdisciplinary Approach: A Prospective Cohort Study

Objective: Delivery of prompt and adequate care for critically ill and injured children presenting to the pediatric emergency department (PED) is paramount for optimal outcomes. Knowledge of the local epidemiology, patient profile, and presentation modes are key for organizational planning, staff education strategy, and optimal care in a PED. Our aim was to analyze the profile of critically ill and injured children admitted to a tertiary, non-academic Swiss PED, to investigate potential risk factors associated with admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and the outcomes mortality and PICU admission. Methods: Prospective cohort study of critically ill and injured children presenting to the PED over a two-year period (2018-2019). Inclusion criteria were Australasian triage scale category (ATS) 1, trauma team activation (TTA), medical emergency response (MER) activation, additional critical care consult, and transfer to an outside hospital. Results: Of 42,579 visits during the two-year period, 347 presentations matched the inclusion criteria (0.81%). Leading presentations were central nervous system (CNS) disorders (26.2%), trauma (25.1%), and respiratory emergencies (24.2%). 288 out of 347 cases (83%) arrived during the day or evening with an even distribution over the days of the week. 128 out of 347 (37%) arrived unexpectedly as walk-ins. 233 (67.15%) were ATS category 1. 51% of the cohort was admitted to PICU. Australasian triage scale category 1 was significantly more common in this group (p = 0.0001). Infants with respiratory disease had an increased risk of PICU transfer compared to other age groups (OR 4.18 [95%CI 2.46, 7.09] p = 0.0001), and this age group presented mainly as walk-in (p = 0.0001). Pediatric intensive care unit admissions had a longer hospital stay (4 [2, 8] days vs. 2 [1, 4] days, p = 0.0001) compared to other patients. 0.045% of all PED patients had to be transferred out. Three deaths (0.86%) occurred in the PED, 10 patients died in the PICU (2.9%). Conclusions: High acuity presentations in the PED were rare, more likely to be young with CNS disorders, trauma and respiratory diseases. A significant proportion were unexpected walk-in presentations, mainly during day and evening shifts. Low exposure to high-acuity patients highlights the importance of deliberate learning and simulation for all professionals in the PED.

Pediatric emergency room visits for neurological conditions: Description and use of pediatric neurologist advice

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE

Information on the spectrum and frequencies of pediatric neurological presentations to emergency departments is vital to optimize quality of care. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of pediatric neurological emergencies and to analyze the impact of specialist neurological advice in emergency care.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective descriptive study of pediatric emergency room visits for neurological reasons at the Timone University Hospital in Marseille over a 6-month period (from October 2017 to March 2018).

RESULTS

Of the 14,572 emergencies analyzed, 370 (2.5%) were for neurological conditions. These were most commonly seizures (56.7% of cases), headache (19.7%), and motor or sensory deficits (5.1%). The most frequent diagnosis was epileptic seizure (30%), followed by febrile seizure (26.1%) and migraine (15%). Around two in every five patients (37.6%) required hospitalization. Neurological emergencies requiring critical care occurred at a frequency of about one per month (1.6% of cases). A pediatric neurologist was consulted in 37.3% of cases, resulting in a modification of the diagnosis or treatment in 66% of these referrals.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that a formal referral system between the emergency department and pediatric neurologists would be useful.

Video Recordings to Analyze Preventable Management Errors in Pediatric Resuscitation Bay

OBJECTIVE

In treating patients of different ages and diseases in the pediatric resuscitation bay, management errors are common. This study aimed to analyze the adherence to advanced trauma life support and pediatric advanced life support guidelines and identify management errors in the pediatric resuscitation bay by using video recordings.

METHODS

Video recording of all patients admitted to the pediatric resuscitation bay at University Children's Hospital Zurich during a 13-month period was performed. Treatment adherence to advanced trauma life support guidelines and pediatric advanced life support guidelines and errors per patient were identified.

RESULTS

During the study period, 128 patients were recorded (65.6% with surgical, 34.4% with medical diseases). The most common causes for admission were traumatic brain injury (21.1%), multiple trauma (20.3%), and seizures (14.8%). There was a statistically significant correlation between accurate handover from emergency medical service to hospital physicians and adherence to airway, breathing, circulation, and disability sequence (correlation coefficient [CC], 0.205; P = 0.021), existence of a defined team leader and adherence to airway, breathing, circulation, and disability sequence (CC, 0.856; P < 0.001), and accurate hand over and existence of a defined team leader (CC, 0.186; P = 0.037). Unexpected errors were revealed. Cervical spine examination/stabilization was omitted in 40% of admitted surgical patients, even in 20% of patients with an injury of spine/limbs.

CONCLUSIONS

Video recording is a useful tool to evaluate patient management in the pediatric resuscitation bay. Analyzing errors of missing the adherence to the guidelines helps to pay attention and focus on specific items to improve patient care.

A Survey Assessment of Perceived Importance and Methods of Maintenance of Critical Procedural Skills in Pediatric Emergency Medicine

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to delineate pediatric emergency medicine provider opinions regarding the importance of, and to ascertain existing processes by which practitioners maintain, the following critical procedural skills: oral endotracheal intubation, intraosseous line placement, pharmacologic and electrical cardioversion, tube thoracostomy, and defibrillation.

METHODS

A customized survey was administered to all members of the Listserv for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Emergency Medicine. Perceived importance of maintaining critical pediatric procedural skills was measured using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Secondary outcomes included presence and type of mandatory training, availability of on-site backup, and perceived barriers to maintenance of skills.

RESULTS

Two hundred sixty-two members (25%) responded representing 106 different institutions, 70% of freestanding children's hospitals that received graduate medical education payments in 2014, and 68% of pediatric emergency medicine fellowship programs. More than 90% of respondents felt it was either very or extremely important to maintain competency for 5 of the 6 critical procedures, but no more than 49% of respondents felt that clinical care alone provided opportunity to maintain skills. The proportion of respondents indicating no mandatory training for each critical procedural skill was as follows: oral endotracheal intubation (23%), intraosseous line placement (30%), pharmacologic cardioversion (32%), electrical cardioversion (32%), tube thoracostomy (40%), and defibrillation (32%).

CONCLUSIONS

Critical procedural skills are perceived by emergency providers who care for children as extremely important to maintain. Direct care of pediatric patients likely does not provide sufficient opportunity to maintain these skills. There are widespread deficiencies relating to mandatory maintenance of critical procedural skill training.

The development and implementation of a 12-month simulation-based learning curriculum for pediatric emergency medicine fellows utilizing debriefing with good judgment and rapid cycle deliberate practice

BACKGROUND

There are currently training gaps, primarily procedural and teamwork skills, for pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellows. Simulation-based learning (SBL) has been suggested as an educational modality to help fill those gaps. However, there is little evidence suggesting how to do so. The objective of this project is to develop and implement an SBL curriculum for PEM fellows with established curriculum development processes and instructional design strategies to improve PEM fellowship training.

METHODS

We developed a 12-month longitudinal SBL curriculum focused on needs assessment, instructional strategies, and evaluation. The curriculum development process led us to combine the instructional strategies of debriefing with good judgment, rapid cycle deliberate practice, and task-training to improve core PEM skills such as procedural competence, crisis resource management, and managing complex medical and traumatic emergencies. Using multiple approaches, we measured outcomes related to learners (attendance, performance, critical procedure opportunities), instructor performance, and program structure.

RESULTS

Eight/Eight (100%) PEM fellows participated in this curriculum from July 2015 to June 2017 with an overall attendance rate of 68%. Learners self-reported high satisfaction (4.4/5, SD = 0.5) and perceived educational value (4.9/5, SD = 0.38) with the curriculum and overall program structure. Learners had numerous opportunities to practice critical procedures such as airway management (20 opportunities), defibrillator use (ten opportunities), and others (ten opportunities). Learner Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (short version) scores had mean scores greater than 5.8/7 (SD = 0.89) across all six elements.

CONCLUSIONS

This longitudinal SBL curriculum combining debriefing with good judgment and rapid cycle deliberate practice can be a feasible method of reducing current training gaps (specifically with critical procedure opportunities) in PEM fellowship training. More work is needed to quantify the training gap reduction and to refine the curriculum.

Epidemiology of the Critically Ill Child in the Resuscitation Bay

BACKGROUND

Children account for approximately 33 million annual emergency department (ED) visits in the United States. The spectrum and frequency of children with a critical illness presenting to an ED has not been previously analyzed.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the range of critical illness presenting to a tertiary Children's Hospital ED.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective chart review of all pediatric patients requiring immediate care in the medical resuscitation bay during a 25-month period from August 2005 to September 2007. Data are from a single center, academic, tertiary care pediatric hospital. A log of all patients requiring immediate care is kept in the medical resuscitation bay. Patients recorded in the log for a period of 25 consecutive months were reviewed for type of critical illness, frequency of critical illness, mode of arrival, and outcome. Trauma patients were excluded.

RESULTS

There were approximately 45,000 pediatric visits per year with a total of 87,766 patients seen during the study period. There were 249 pediatric patients who required care in the medical resuscitation bay during the reviewed period. Complete data were obtained from 242 subjects' charts. Patients requiring immediate care accounted for 0.28% of all the visits.

CONCLUSIONS

This study documents the infrequent need for pediatric critical care in the ED of a nonacademic tertiary children's hospital in the United States and reinforces the need to provide protocols, mock codes, and simulation labs in preparation for critically ill children.

Comparisons between Full-time and Part-time Pediatric Emergency Physicians in Pediatric Emergency Department

BACKGROUND

Pediatric emergency medicine is a young field that has established itself in recent decades. Many unanswered questions remain regarding how to deliver better pediatric emergency care. The implementation of full-time pediatric emergency physicians is a quality improvement strategy for child care in Taiwan. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of care under different physician coverage models in the pediatric emergency department (ED).

METHODS

The medical records of 132,398 patients visiting the pediatric ED of a tertiary care university hospital during January 2004 to December 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Full-time pediatric emergency physicians are the group specializing in the pediatric emergency medicine, and they only work in the pediatric ED. Part-time pediatricians specializing in other subspecialties also can work an extra shift in the pediatric ED, with the majority working in their inpatient and outpatient services. We compared quality performance indicators, including: mortality rate, the 72-hour return visit rate, length of stay, admission rate, and the rate of being kept for observation between full-time and part-time pediatric emergency physicians.

RESULTS

An average of 3678 ± 125 [mean ± standard error (SE)] visits per month (with a range of 2487-6646) were observed. The trends in quality of care, observed monthly, indicated that the 72-hour return rate was 2-6% and length of stay in the ED decreased from 11.5 hours to 3.2 hours over the study period. The annual mortality rate within 48 hours of admission to the ED increased from 0.04% to 0.05% and then decreased to 0.02%, and the overall mortality rate dropped from 0.13% to 0.07%. Multivariate analyses indicated that there was no change in the 72-hour return visit rate for full-time pediatric emergency physicians; they were more likely to admit and keep patients for observation [odds ratio = 1.43 and odds ratio = 1.71, respectively], and these results were similar to those of senior physicians.

CONCLUSION

Full-time pediatric emergency physicians in the pediatric ED decreased the mortality rate and length of stay in the ED, but had no change in the 72-hour return visit rate. This pilot study shows that the quality of care in pediatric ED after the implementation of full-time pediatric emergency physicians needs further evaluation.

The impact of critically ill children on paediatric ED medication timeliness

OBJECTIVES

The presence of critically ill patients may impact care for other ED patients. We sought to evaluate whether the presence of a critically ill child was associated with the time to (1) receipt of the first medication among other patients, and (2) administration of diagnosis-specific medications.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of all paediatric ED visits over 3 years. Patients were exposed if they arrived during the first hour of a critically ill patient's care. The primary outcome was the time from arrival to first medication administration. Secondary outcomes were time to corticosteroids in asthma and time to antibiotics for fever/neutropenia. We modelled times to medication using median regression, adjusting for demographics, arrival time and weekday, and census (number of patients in the ED).

RESULTS

We analysed 170 112 visits. Median times to first medication for those exposed to 0, 1 and >1 simultaneous critically ill patients were 90 min (IQR 54-146), 96 min (IQR 58-157) and 113 min (IQR 72-166), respectively (p<0.001). The increase in time to corticosteroids among exposed patients versus unexposed was 6 min (IQR 2-14, p=0.11) and in time to antibiotic for fever/neutropenia was -4 min (IQR -4 to -11, p=0.13). Modelled time to first medication increased 3.1 min (95% CI 0.5 to 5.7) among all exposed patients (p=0.02). Time to first medication increased 15.3 min (95% CI 14.7 to 15.9) for each 10 patient increase in census.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of critically ill patients was associated with a delay in medication administration to others. Census independently predicted medication delays.

Pediatric emergencies admitted in the resuscitation room of a Swiss university hospital

OBJECTIVES

Pediatric resuscitation is an intense, stressful, and challenging process. The aim of this study was to review the life-threatening pediatric (LTP) emergencies admitted in a Swiss university hospital with regards to patients' demographics, reason for admission, diagnosis, treatment, significant events, critical incidents, and outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective observational cohort study of prospectively collected data was conducted, including all LTP emergencies admitted over a period of 2 years in the resuscitation room (RR). Variables, including indication for transfer, mode of prehospital transportation, diagnosis, and time spent in RR, were recorded.

RESULTS

Of the 60,939 pediatric emergencies treated in our university hospital over 2 years, a total of 277 LTP emergencies (0.46%) were admitted in the RR. They included 160 boys and 117 girls, aged 6 days to 15.95 years (mean, 6.69 years; median, 5.06). A medical problem was identified in 55.9% (n = 155) of the children. Of the 122 children treated for a surgical problem, 35 (28.3%) went directly from the RR to the operating room. Hemodynamic instability was noted in 19.5% of all LTP emergencies, of which 1.1% benefited from O negative transfusion. Admission to the intensive care unit was necessary for 61.6% of the children transferred from another hospital. The average time spent in the RR was 46 minutes. The overall mortality rate was 7.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

The LTP emergencies accounted for a small proportion of all pediatric emergencies. They were more medical than surgical cases and resuscitation measures because of hemodynamic instability were the most frequent treatment.