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Lee S, Kim HY, Lee KH, Cho J, Lee C, Kim KP, Hwang J, Park JH. Risk of hematologic malignant neoplasms from head CT radiation in children and adolescents presenting with minor head trauma: a nationwide population-based cohort study. Eur Radiol 2024; 34:5934-5943. [PMID: 38358528 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-024-10646-2] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The carcinogenic risks of CT radiation in children and adolescents remain debated. We aimed to assess the carcinogenic risk of CTs performed in children and adolescents with minor head trauma. METHODS In this nationwide population-based cohort study, we included 2,411,715 patients of age 0-19 with minor head trauma from 2009 to 2017. We excluded patients with elevated cancer risks or substantial past medical radiation exposure. Patients were categorized into CT-exposed or CT-unexposed group according to claim codes for head CT. The primary outcome was development of hematologic malignant neoplasms. Secondary outcomes included development of malignant solid neoplasms and benign neoplasms in the brain. We measured the incidence rate ratio (IRR) and incidence rate difference (IRD) using G-computation with Poisson regression adjusting for age, sex, hospital setting, and the type of head trauma. RESULTS Hematologic malignant neoplasms developed in 100 of 216,826 patients during 1,303,680 person-years in the CT-exposed group and in 808 of 2,194,889 patients during 13,501,227 person-years in the CT-unexposed group. For hematologic malignant neoplasms, the IRR was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.03-1.60) and the IRD was 1.71 (95% CI, 0.04-3.37) per 100,000 person-years at risk. The majority of excess hematologic malignant neoplasms were leukemia (IRR, 1.40 [98.3% CI, 1.05-1.87]; IRD, 1.59 [98.3% CI, 0.02-3.16] per 100,000 person-years at risk). There were no between-group differences for secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Radiation exposure from head CTs in children and adolescents with minor head trauma was associated with an increased incidence of hematologic malignant neoplasms. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT Our study provides a quantitative grasp of the risk conferred by CT examinations in children and adolescents, thereby providing the basis for cost-benefit analyses and evidence-driven guidelines for patient triaging in head trauma. KEY POINTS • This nationwide population-based cohort study showed that radiation exposure from head CTs in children and adolescents was associated with a higher incidence of hematologic malignant neoplasms. • The incidence rate of hematologic malignant neoplasms in the CT-exposed group was 29% higher than that in the CT-unexposed group (IRR, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.03-1.60]), and there were approximately 1.7 excess neoplasms per 100,000 person-years at risk in the CT-exposed group (IRD, 1.71 [0.04-3.37]). • Our study provides a quantified grasp of the risk conferred by CT examinations in children and adolescents, while controlling for biases observed in previous studies via specifying CT indication and excluding patients with predisposing conditions for cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjae Lee
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
- Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hae Young Kim
- Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyung Hee Lee
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 82, Gumi-Ro 173 Beon-Gil, Bundang-Gu, Seongnam-Si, 13620, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
| | - Jungheum Cho
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
| | - Choonsik Lee
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kwang Pyo Kim
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
| | - Jinhee Hwang
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea
- Department of Applied Bioengineering, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji Hoon Park
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea.
- Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 82, Gumi-Ro 173 Beon-Gil, Bundang-Gu, Seongnam-Si, 13620, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea.
- Department of Applied Bioengineering, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
- Department of Medical Device Development, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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Scaife JH, Iantorno SE, Bucher BT. Rates of Concurrent Computed Tomography Imaging Following Ultrasound for Pediatric Patients With Appendicitis. J Surg Res 2024; 302:134-143. [PMID: 39102772 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.06.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Imaging guidelines recommend an ultrasound (US)-first approach to evaluate appendicitis to minimize radiation. However, the association between US and computed tomography (CT) utilization remains unclear. We aimed to determine how increased US utilization correlated with the rate of CT evaluation of pediatric acute appendicitis. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Eligible patients were aged less than 18 y with a diagnosis of appendicitis. Imaging was determined by Current Procedural Terminology codes. Concurrent imaging was defined as US and CT use during the same encounter. We calculated the hospital rate of concurrent imaging and categorized hospitals into tertiles: low (< 20%), medium (20%-40%), and high (> 40%). We developed generalized ordinal logistic regression models with inverse probability weighting to assess patient characteristics and hospital rates of concurrent imaging associations. RESULTS Our analysis included 485 hospitals and 23,976 patients. Thirty four percent were treated at hospitals in the lowest, 35% at the middle, and 31% at the highest tertile hospitals. We observed a negative correlation (-0.27, P < 0.001) between increasing US use and concurrent imaging use. The odds of presenting to a higher concurrent imaging rate hospital were significantly lower for Blacks (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] [95% confidence interval {CI}]: 0.6, [0.4-0.9]) and Hispanics (aOR [95% CI]: 0.7 [0.5-0.9]) in comparison to Whites. The odds of presenting to a higher concurrent imaging rate hospital were higher for patients in the second (aOR [95% CI]: 1.9 [1.2-3.2]) and lowest income quartile (aOR [95% CI]: 3.7 [1.1-13.1]) compared to the highest income quartile. CONCLUSIONS Increased US use correlated with decreased CT utilization for diagnosing appendicitis. White children and those in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods are more likely to visit hospitals with high concurrent imaging use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack H Scaife
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Stephanie E Iantorno
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Brian T Bucher
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Groszman L, McCook KM, Xiang L, Parker L, Villamor LL, Koganti D, Smith RN, Sola R. Understanding Chest CT Scan Usage Among Adolescent Blunt Trauma Patients at Adult Trauma Centers. Am Surg 2024; 90:220-224. [PMID: 37619987 DOI: 10.1177/00031348231198121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The utility of chest computed tomography (CCT) is not well established in the diagnostic algorithm of adolescent blunt trauma patients. Our study's aim was to review CCT usage in the initial evaluation of adolescent blunt trauma. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed adolescent blunt trauma patients treated at our urban level 1 adult trauma center from 2015 to 2019. Our primary outcome was the rate of positive CCT findings. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS There were 288 patients that met our inclusion criteria and 153 positive CCT and 135 negative CCT. There was no statistically significant difference between both groups in terms of age, gender, and race. Those with a positive CCT were found to have a statistically significant higher ISS than the negative CCT group (20.6 ± 12.3 vs 12.3 ± 7.6; P < .01). Those with a positive CCT were more likely to have a GCS <15 (40% vs 25%), have a positive CXR (38% vs 2%), have chest pain (16% vs 7%), and have an abnormal chest exam (27% vs 7%) than those with a negative CCT (P < .01). On multivariate analysis, positive CXR (P < .05, OR = 13.96) and ISS (P < .05, OR = 3.10) were independently associated with a positive CCT. CONCLUSION While CCT may provide valuable information, clinical exam coupled with low-ionizing radiographic imaging (i.e., CXR) may sufficiently identify chest trauma after blunt mechanisms. This shift in management can potentially reduce the risk of radiation without compromising the care of adolescent trauma patients at adult trauma centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilly Groszman
- Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kem-Maria McCook
- Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Laurel Xiang
- Center for Data Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laurel Parker
- Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Deepika Koganti
- Department of Surgery, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Richard Sola
- Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Scaife JH, Bryce JR, Iantorno SE, Yang M, McCrum ML, Bucher BT. Disparities in Ultrasound Use for Diagnosing Pediatric Appendicitis Across United States Emergency Departments. J Surg Res 2024; 294:16-25. [PMID: 37857139 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2023.09.049] [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: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION An ultrasound (US)-first approach for evaluating appendicitis is recommended by the American College of Radiology. We sought to assess the access to and utilization of an US-first approach for children with acute appendicitis in United States Emergency Departments. METHODS Utilizing the 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, we performed a retrospective cohort study of patients <18 y with a primary diagnosis of acute appendicitis based on International Classification of Disease 10th Edition Diagnosis codes. Our primary outcome was the presentation to a hospital that does not perform US for children with acute appendicitis. Our secondary outcome was the receipt of a US at US-capable hospital. We developed generalized linear models with inverse-probability weighting to determine the association between patient characteristics and outcomes. RESULTS Of 49,703 total children, 24,102 (48%) received a US evaluation. The odds of presenting at a hospital with no US use were significantly higher for patients aged 11-17 compared to patients <6 y (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.59, [1.19- 2.13], P = 0.002); lowest median household income quartile compared to highest (aOR [95% CI]: 2.50, [1.52-4.10], P < 0.001); rural locations compared to metropolitan (aOR [95% CI]: 8.36 [5.54-12.6], P < 0.001), and Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic White (aOR [95% CI]: 0.63 [0.45-0.90], P = 0.01). The odds of receiving a US at US-capable hospitals were significantly lower for patients >6 y, lowest median household income quartiles, and rural locations (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Rural, older, and poorer children are more likely to present to hospitals that do not utilize US in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and are less likely to undergo US at US-capable hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack H Scaife
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
| | - Jacoby R Bryce
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Stephanie E Iantorno
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Meng Yang
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Marta L McCrum
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Brian T Bucher
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
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Sharma B, Kolousek A, Lian B, Koganti D, Smith RN, Sola R. Cervical Spine Computed Tomography in Adolescent Blunt Trauma Patients: Are They Being Overutilized? J Surg Res 2023; 282:155-159. [PMID: 36279708 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cervical spine computed tomography (CSCT) scans are used to evaluate cervical spine traumatic injuries; however, recent evidence demonstrates that adult trauma centers (ATCs) overutilize CSCT when evaluating adolescent patients. This leads to unnecessary radiation exposure. The aim of this study is to review a level 1 ATC's use of CSCT in the adolescent blunt trauma population. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted of a level 1 ATC's trauma database. Blunt trauma patients between the ages of 11 and 18 who receive a CSCT between January 2015 to December 2019 were included. The primary outcome was the prevalence of positive findings on CSCT scans. Data were analyzed using Fischer-Exact analysis and multivariate logistic regression where appropriate. RESULTS Three-hundred thirty-seven of 546 (61.7%) adolescent blunt trauma patients received CSCT. Of those, 68.2% (230) were male; the mean age was 16.6 ± 1.0 y old. Twenty-eight patients (8.3%) had a positive finding on CSCT. All patients with a positive CSCT failed the National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization study (NEXUS) criteria while 123 patients (36.5%) with a negative CSCT met NEXUS criteria. CONCLUSIONS CSCT was overutilized in our trauma center. There is a low positive CSCT scan rate among adolescent patients, which aligns with the current literature. All patients with positive CSCT passed NEXUS criteria suggesting that a quality improvement project focusing on the use of the NEXUS criteria to assess the risk of cervical spine injury could potentially reduce the use of CSCT scans by nearly 40%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Sharma
- Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Brad Lian
- Mercer University School of Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Macon, Georgia
| | - Deepika Koganti
- Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Randi N Smith
- Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Richard Sola
- Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Atlanta, Georgia.
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Shannon MM, Burris HH, Graham DA. Variation in NICU Head CT Utilization Among U.S. Children's Hospitals. Hosp Pediatr 2023; 13:106-141. [PMID: 36617983 DOI: 10.1542/hpeds.2021-006322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Evaluate nationwide 12-year trend and hospital-level variation in head computed tomography (CT) utilization among infants admitted to pediatric hospital NICUs. We hypothesized there was significant variation in utilization. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study examining head CT utilization for infants admitted to the NICU within 31 United States children's hospitals within the Pediatric Health Information System database between 2010 and 2021. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to estimate head CT, head MRI, and head ultrasound utilization (% of admissions) by year. Risk-adjusted hospital head CT rates were examined within the 2021 cohort. RESULTS Between 2010 and 2021, there were 338 644 NICU admissions, of which 10 052 included head CT (3.0%). Overall, head CT utilization decreased (4.9% in 2010 to 2.6% in 2021, P < .0001), with a concomitant increase in head MRI (12.1% to 18.7%, P < .0001) and head ultrasound (41.3% to 43.4%, P < .0001) utilization. In 2021, significant variation in risk-adjusted head CT utilization was noted across centers, with hospital head CT rates ranging from 0% to 10% of admissions. Greatest hospital-level variation was noted for patients with codes for seizure or encephalopathy (hospital head CT rate interquartile range [IQR] = 11.6%; 50th percentile = 12.0%), ventriculoperitoneal shunt (IQR = 10.8%; 50th percentile = 15.4%), and infection (IQR = 10.1%; 50th percentile = 7.5%). CONCLUSIONS Head CT utilization within pediatric hospital NICUs has declined over the past 12-years, but substantial hospital-level variation remains. Development of CT stewardship guidelines may help decrease variation and reduce infant radiation exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Shannon
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
| | - Heather H Burris
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Dionne A Graham
- Program for Patient Safety and Quality, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Kolousek A, Sharma B, Lian B, Koganti D, Smith RN, Sola R. Understanding abdominal pelvic computerized tomography scan usage amongst adolescent blunt trauma patients treated at adult trauma centers. Injury 2023; 54:100-104. [PMID: 35999064 DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2022.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The algorithm for evaluating adolescent patients with blunt trauma includes abdominal pelvic CT (APCT). The aim of this study is to evaluate the utility of APCT in this context. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of adolescent (11 to 18 years of age) blunt trauma patients at an urban adult level 1 trauma center from January 2015 to December 2019. The primary outcome was the prevalence of positive findings on APCT scan. Additionally, clinical risk factors concerning for intra-abdominal injury were analyzed. RESULTS There were 546 patients evaluated for blunt trauma and the prevalence of APCT within the population was 59.3% (95% CI 54.2%-64.9%). Of the patients who received APCT, 123 (37.9%) had positive findings on APCT. Only 25 patients (7.7% of those who underwent APCT) required abdominal surgery while 40 patients (12.3%) had intraabdominal injury that did not require surgery. Risk factors were present in 100% of patients with intraabdominal injury and absent in 28.7% of patients without intraabdominal injury. Abnormal abdominal exam, abnormal FAST, positive chest x-ray and elevated transaminases were independently associated with intraabdominal injury. CONCLUSIONS Our study found that adolescent blunt trauma patients treated at our trauma center had a higher rate of APCT usage, but a comparable rate of positive findings when compared with the most recent literature. Future studies should focus on reducing the number of patients who undergo APCT despite an absence of clinical risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kolousek
- Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, United States.
| | - Bharath Sharma
- Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, United States.
| | - Brad Lian
- Mercer University School of Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 30341, United States.
| | - Deepika Koganti
- Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, 69 Jesse Hill Jr. Dr. SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States.
| | - Randi N Smith
- Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, 69 Jesse Hill Jr. Dr. SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States.
| | - Richard Sola
- Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, 720 Westview Drive, Atlanta, GA 30310, United States.
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Campbell M, Zagel AL, Ortega H, Kreykes N, Tu A, Linabery AM, Plasencia L, Krause E, Bergmann KR. Quality Indicators for Children With Traumatic Brain Injury After Transition to an American College of Surgeons Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. Pediatr Emerg Care 2022; 38:e329-e336. [PMID: 33109937 DOI: 10.1097/pec.0000000000002276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to compare quality indicators, including frequency of acute surgical and emergent interventions, and resource utilization before and after American College of Surgeons (ACS) level I trauma verification among children with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS This is a retrospective review of patients younger than 18 years treated for moderate or severe TBI, as determined by International Classification of Disease codes. Our institution obtained ACS level I trauma verification in 2013. Outcomes during the pre-ACS (June 2003-May 2008), interim (June 2008-May 2013), and post-ACS (June 2013-May 2018) periods were compared via nonparametric tests. Tests for linear trend were conducted using Cochran-Armitage tests for categorical data and by linear regression for continuous variables. RESULTS There were 677 children with moderate or severe TBIs (pre-ACS, 125; interim, 198; post-ACS, 354). Frequency of any surgical intervention increased significantly in the post-ACS period (12.2%) compared with interim (5.1%) and pre-ACS periods (5.6%, P = 0.007). More children in the post-ACS period required intracranial pressure monitoring (P = 0.017), external ventricular drain placement (P = 0.003), or endotracheal intubation (P = 0.001) compared with interim and pre-ACS periods. There was no significant change in time to operating room (P = 0.514), frequency of decompression (P = 0.096), or time to decompression (P = 0.788) between study periods. The median time to head CT decreased significantly in the post-ACS period (26 minutes; interquartile range [IQR], 9-60) compared with interim (36 minutes; IQR, 21-69) and pre-ACS periods (53 minutes; IQR, 36-89; P < 0.001). Frequency of repeat head computed tomography decreased significantly in the post-ACS period (30.2%) compared with interim (56.1%) and pre-ACS periods (64.0%, Ptrend = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS Transition to an ACS level I trauma verification was associated with improvements in quality indicators for children with moderate or severe TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryellen Campbell
- From the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
| | | | | | | | - Albert Tu
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Krishnamurthy R, Shah SH, Wang L, Gleeson SP, Liu GC, Hu HH, Krishnamurthy R. Advanced imaging use and payment trends in a large pediatric accountable care organization. Pediatr Radiol 2022; 52:22-29. [PMID: 34535808 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-021-05198-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric imaging use and payment trends in accountable care organizations (ACOs) are seldom studied but are important for health policy decisions and resource allocation. OBJECTIVE To evaluate patterns of advanced imaging use and associated payments over a 7-year period at a large ACO in the USA serving a Medicaid population. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed paid claims data from 2011 through 2017 from an ACO, analyzing the MRI, CT and US use trends and payments from emergency department (ED) and outpatient encounters. We defined "utilization rate" as the number of advanced imaging procedures per 100 enrolled children per calendar year. Average yearly utilization and payments trends were analyzed using Pearson correlation. RESULTS Across 7 years, 186,552 advanced imaging procedures were performed. The average overall utilization rate was 6.99 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.9-7.1). In the ED this was 2.7 (95% CI: 2.6-2.8) and in outpatients 4.3 (95% CI: 4.2-4.3). The overall utilization rate grew by 0.7% yearly (P=0.077), with US growing the most at 4.0% annually (P=0.0005), especially in the ED in the US, where it grew 10.8% annually (P=0.000019). The overall payments were stable from 2011 to 2017, with outpatient MRI seeing the largest payment decrease at 1.8% (P=0.24) and ED US showing the most growth at 3.3% (P=0.00016). Head CT and abdominal US were the two most common procedures. CONCLUSION Over the study period, advanced imaging utilization at this large pediatric ACO serving the Medicaid population increased, especially with US use in the ED. Overall payments related to advanced imaging remained stable over this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramkumar Krishnamurthy
- Department of Radiology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA.
| | - Summit H Shah
- Department of Radiology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Ling Wang
- Partners For Kids, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sean P Gleeson
- Partners For Kids, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Gilbert C Liu
- Partners For Kids, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Houchun H Hu
- Department of Radiology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
| | - Rajesh Krishnamurthy
- Department of Radiology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA
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Duncan E, Mojica M, Ching K, Harwayne-Gidansky I. Low Concordance Between Pediatric Emergency Attendings and Pediatric Residents for Predictors of Serious Intracranial Injury. Pediatr Emerg Care 2022; 38:e422-e425. [PMID: 33273432 DOI: 10.1097/pec.0000000000002313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Minor head trauma is a common cause of pediatric emergency room visits. The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network head trauma clinical decision rules (PECARN-CDR) are designed to assist clinicians in determining which patients require imaging. However, only minimal data are available on the accuracy of residents' assessments using PECARN-CDR. Prior research suggests that trainees often come to erroneous conclusions about pediatric head trauma. The objective of the present study was to assess concordance between pediatric residents' and attending physicians' assessments of children with low-risk head trauma, with the ultimate goal of improving education in pediatric trauma assessment. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study analyzing concordance between pediatric residents and pediatric emergency attendings who provided PECARN-CDR-based evaluations of low-risk head injuries. It is a planned subanalysis based on a prospectively collected, multicenter data set tracking pediatric head trauma encounters from July 2014 to June 2019. RESULTS Data were collected from 436 pediatric residents, who encountered 878 patients. In the case of patients younger than 2 years, low concordance between residents and attendings was observed for the following elements of the PECARN-CDR: severe mechanism (κ = 0.24), palpable skull fracture (κ = 0.23), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score less than 15 (κ = 0.14), and altered mental status (AMS; κ = -0.03). There was moderate to high agreement between residents and attendings for loss of consciousness (κ = 0.71), nonfrontal hematoma (κ = 0.48), and not acting normally per parent (κ = 0.35). In the case of patients older than 2 years, there was low concordance for signs of basilar skull fracture (κ = 0.28) and GCS score less than 15 (κ = 0.10). Concordance was high to moderate for history of vomiting (κ = 0.88), loss of consciousness (κ = 0.67), severe headache (κ = 0.50), severe mechanism (κ = 0.44), and AMS (κ = 0.42). Residents were more conservative, that is, more likely to report a positive finding, in nearly all components of the PECARN-CDR. CONCLUSIONS Resident assessment of children presenting to the ED with minor head trauma is often poorly concordant with attending assessment on the major predictors of clinically important traumatic brain injury (abnormal GCS, AMS, signs of skull fracture) based on the PECARN-CDR. Future work may explore the reasons for low concordance and seek ways to improve pediatric resident education in the diagnosis and management of trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Duncan
- From the Bellevue Hospital Center/New York University School of Medicine, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, New York, NY
| | - Michael Mojica
- From the Bellevue Hospital Center/New York University School of Medicine, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, New York, NY
| | - Kevin Ching
- Cornell Medical Center, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, New York, NY
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Larkin C, Sanseverino AM, Joseph J, Eisenhauer L, Reznek MA. Accuracy of emergency physicians' self-estimates of CT scan utilization and its potential effect on an audit and feedback intervention: a randomized trial. Implement Sci Commun 2021; 2:83. [PMID: 34315533 PMCID: PMC8317272 DOI: 10.1186/s43058-021-00182-1] [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: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Audit and feedback (A&F) has been used as a strategy to modify clinician behavior with moderate success. Although A&F is theorized to work by improving the accuracy of clinicians' estimates of their own behavior, few interventions have included assessment of clinicians' estimates at baseline to examine whether they account for intervention success or failure. We tested an A&F intervention to reduce computed tomography (CT) ordering by emergency physicians, while also examining the physicians' baseline estimates of their own behavior compared to peers. METHODS Our study was a prospective, multi-site, 20-month, randomized trial to examine the effect of an A&F intervention on CT ordering rates, overall and by test subtype. From the electronic health record, we obtained 12 months of baseline CT ordering per 100 patients treated for every physician from four emergency departments. Those who were randomized to receive A&F were shown a de-identified graph of the group's baseline CT utilization, asked to estimate wherein the distribution of their own CT order practices fell, and then shown their actual performance. All participants also received a brief educational intervention. CT ordering rates were collected for all physicians for 6 months after the intervention. Pre-post ordering rates were compared using independent and repeated measures t tests. RESULTS Fifty-one of 52 eligible physicians participated. The mean CT ordering rate increased significantly in both experimental conditions after the intervention (intervention pre = 35.7, post = 40.3, t = 4.13, p < 0.001; control pre = 33.9, post = 38.9, t = 3.94, p = 0.001), with no significant between-group difference observed at follow-up (t = 0.43, p = 0.67). Within the intervention group, physicians had poor accuracy in estimating their own ordering behavior at baseline: most overestimated and all guessed that they were in the upper half of the distribution of their peers. CT ordering increased regardless of self-estimate accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Our A&F intervention failed to reduce physician CT ordering: our feedback to the physicians showed most of them that they had overestimated their CT ordering behavior, and they were therefore unlikely to reduce it as a result. After "audit," it may be prudent to assess baseline clinician awareness of behavior before moving toward a feedback intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Larkin
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA.
| | | | - James Joseph
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA
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Ukwuoma OI, Allareddy V, Allareddy V, Rampa S, Rose JA, Shein SL, Rotta AT. Trends in Head Computed Tomography Utilization in Children Presenting to Emergency Departments After Traumatic Head Injury. Pediatr Emerg Care 2021; 37:e384-e390. [PMID: 30256318 DOI: 10.1097/pec.0000000000001618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although closed head injuries occur commonly in children, most do not have a clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI) and do not require neuroimaging. We sought to determine whether the utilization of computed tomography of the head (CT-H) in children presenting to an emergency department (ED) with a closed head injury changed after publication of validated clinical prediction rules to identify children at risk of ciTBI by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). METHODS We used the nationwide ED sample (2008-2013) to examine children visiting an ED after a mild closed head injury. Multiple patient and hospital characteristics were assessed. RESULTS Of the 4,552,071 children presenting to an ED with a mild closed head injury, 1,181,659 (26.0%) underwent CT-H. Care was most commonly received at metropolitan teaching hospitals (43.5%) and varied markedly by geographic region. Overall, there were no significant changes in the nationwide rates of CT-H utilization in the period immediately after publication of the PECARN prediction rules. However, compared with metropolitan teaching hospitals, CT-H utilization increased significantly for patients treated at nonteaching hospitals and at nonmetropolitan hospitals. CONCLUSIONS There was no overall reduction in CT-H utilization after publication of the 2009 PECARN prediction rules. However, patients treated at metropolitan teaching hospitals were significantly less likely to undergo CT-H after 2009, suggesting some penetration of the PECARN tool in that setting. Further research should study patterns of CT-H utilization in nonteaching hospitals and nonmetropolitan hospitals to assess challenges for adoption of validated pediatric ciTBI prediction rules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onyinyechi I Ukwuoma
- From the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | | | | | - Sankeerth Rampa
- Management & Marketing Department, School of Business, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI
| | - Jerri A Rose
- From the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Steven L Shein
- From the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
| | - Alexandre T Rotta
- From the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
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13
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Ten Brinke JG, Slinger G, Slaar A, Saltzherr TP, Hogervorst M, Goslings JC. Increased and unjustified CT usage in paediatric C-spine clearance in a level 2 trauma centre. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2020; 47:781-789. [PMID: 33108476 PMCID: PMC8187214 DOI: 10.1007/s00068-020-01520-z] [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: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cervical spine injury after blunt trauma in children is rare but can have severe consequences. Clear protocols for diagnostic workup are, therefore, needed, but currently not available. As a step in developing such a protocol, we determined the incidence of cervical spine injury and the degree of protocol adherence at our level 2 trauma centre. METHODS We analysed data from all patients aged < 16 years suspected of cervical spine injury after blunt trauma who had presented to our hospital during two periods: January 2010 to June 2012, and January 2017 to June 2019. In the intervening period, the imaging protocol for diagnostic workup was updated. Outcomes were the incidence of cervical spine injury and protocol adherence in terms of the indication for imaging and the type of imaging. RESULTS We included 170 children in the first study period and 83 in the second. One patient was diagnosed with cervical spine injury. Protocol adherence regarding the indication for imaging was > 80% in both periods. Adherence regarding the imaging type decreased over time, with 45.8% of the patients receiving a primary CT scan in the second study period versus 2.9% in the first. CONCLUSION Radiographic imaging is frequently performed when clearing the paediatric cervical spine, although cervical spine injury is rare. Particularly CT scan usage has wrongly been emerging over time. Stricter adherence to current protocols could limit overuse of radiographic imaging, but ultimately there is a need for an accurate rule predicting which children really are at risk of injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost G Ten Brinke
- Department of Surgery, Gelre Hospital, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands. .,Trauma Unit, Department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | | | - Annelie Slaar
- Department of Radiology, Dijklander Ziekenhuis, Hoorn, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mike Hogervorst
- Department of Surgery, Gelre Hospital, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
| | - J Carel Goslings
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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14
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Anderson S, Figueroa J, McCracken CE, Cochran C, Slesnick TC, Border WL, Sachdeva R. Factors Influencing Temporal Trends in Pediatric Inpatient Imaging Utilization. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2020; 33:1517-1525. [PMID: 32919851 DOI: 10.1016/j.echo.2020.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concern exists over exponential growth in cardiac imaging in adults, but there is paucity of such data for cardiac imaging trends in pediatric patients. The aims of this study were to determine temporal trends in the use of noninvasive cardiac imaging and compare these with trends in the use of noncardiac imaging and to identify factors influencing those trends using the Pediatric Health Information Service database. METHODS Pediatric inpatient encounter data from January 2004 to December 2017 at 35 pediatric hospitals were extracted from the Pediatric Health Information Service database. Temporal imaging utilization trends in cardiac and noncardiac ultrasound or echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. Models were adjusted for case-mix index, complex chronic conditions, patient age, length of stay, payer source, and cardiac surgical volume. RESULTS A total of 5,869,335 encounters over 14 years were analyzed (median encounters per center per year, 11,411; median patient age, 4 years; median length of stay, 3 days). From 2004 to 2017, the rates of pediatric inpatient cardiac and noncardiac ultrasound and MRI increased, whereas the rate of noncardiac CT decreased. Cardiac CT use increased beginning in 2014 (+0.264 cardiac CT encounters per 1,000 encounters per year), surpassing the rate of rise of cardiac MRI. Case-mix index, cardiac surgical volume, and payer source affected the largest number of imaging trends. CONCLUSIONS Among pediatric inpatients, utilization of cardiac and noncardiac ultrasound and MRI has steadily increased. Noncardiac CT use declined and cardiac CT use increased after 2014. Factors influencing imaging trends include case-mix index, cardiac surgical volume, and payer source. This study lays a foundation for investigations of imaging-related resource utilization and outcomes among pediatric inpatients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shae Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Sibley Heart Center Cardiology, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Janet Figueroa
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Charles Cochran
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Sibley Heart Center Cardiology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Timothy C Slesnick
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Sibley Heart Center Cardiology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - William L Border
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Sibley Heart Center Cardiology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ritu Sachdeva
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Sibley Heart Center Cardiology, Atlanta, Georgia
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Marin JR, Rodean J, Hall M, Alpern ER, Aronson PL, Chaudhari PP, Cohen E, Freedman SB, Morse RB, Peltz A, Samuels-Kalow M, Shah SS, Simon HK, Neuman MI. Trends in Use of Advanced Imaging in Pediatric Emergency Departments, 2009-2018. JAMA Pediatr 2020; 174:e202209. [PMID: 32761186 PMCID: PMC7400208 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.2209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Importance There is increased awareness of radiation risks from computed tomography (CT) in pediatric patients. In emergency departments (EDs), evidence-based guidelines, improvements in imaging technology, and availability of nonradiating modalities have potentially reduced CT use. Objective To evaluate changes over time and hospital variation in advanced imaging use. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study assessed 26 082 062 ED visits by children younger than 18 years from the Pediatric Health Information System administrative database from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2018. Exposures Imaging. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the change in CT, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) rates from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2018. Imaging for specific diagnoses was examined using all patient-refined diagnosis related groups. Secondary outcomes were hospital admission and 3-day ED revisit rates and ED length of stay. Results There were a total of 26 082 062 visits by 9 868 406 children (mean [SD] age, 5.59 [5.15] years; 13 842 567 [53.1%] male; 9 273 181 [35.6%] non-Hispanic white) to 32 US pediatric EDs during the 10-year study period, with 1 or more advanced imaging studies used in 1 919 283 encounters (7.4%). The proportion of ED encounters with any advanced imaging increased from 6.4% (95% CI, 6.2%-6.2%) in 2009 to 8.7% (95% CI, 8.7%-8.8%) in 2018. The proportion of ED encounters with CT decreased from 3.9% (95% CI, 3.9%-3.9%) to 2.9% (95% CI, 2.9%-3.0%) (P < .001 for trend), with ultrasonography increased from 2.5% (95% CI, 2.5%-2.6%) to 5.8% (95% CI, 5.8%-5.9%) (P < .001 for trend), and with MRI increased from 0.3% (95% CI, 0.3%-0.4%) to 0.6% (95% CI, 0.6%-0.6%) (P < .001 for trend). The largest decreases in CT rates were for concussion (-23.0%), appendectomy (-14.9%), ventricular shunt procedures (-13.3%), and headaches (-12.4%). Factors associated with increased use of nonradiating imaging modalities included ultrasonography for abdominal pain (20.3%) and appendectomy (42.5%) and MRI for ventricular shunt procedures (17.9%) (P < .001 for trend). Across the study period, EDs varied widely in the use of ultrasonography for appendectomy (median, 57.5%; interquartile range [IQR], 40.4%-69.8%) and MRI (median, 15.8%; IQR, 8.3%-35.1%) and CT (median, 69.5%; IQR, 54.5%-76.4%) for ventricular shunt procedures. Overall, ED length of stay did not change, and hospitalization and 3-day ED revisit rates decreased during the study period. Conclusions and Relevance This study found that use of advanced imaging increased from 2009 to 2018. Although CT use decreased, this decrease was accompanied by a greater increase in the use of ultrasonography and MRI. There appears to be substantial variation in practice and a need to standardize imaging practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R. Marin
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Matt Hall
- Children’s Hospital Association, Lenexa, Kansas
| | - Elizabeth R. Alpern
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Paul L. Aronson
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Pradip P. Chaudhari
- Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Eyal Cohen
- Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen B. Freedman
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ,Sections of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children’s Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Rustin B. Morse
- Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Alon Peltz
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Samir S. Shah
- Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Harold K. Simon
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia,Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Mark I. Neuman
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Tugwell-Allsup J, Owen BW, England A. Low-dose chest CT and the impact on nodule visibility. Radiography (Lond) 2020; 27:24-30. [PMID: 32499090 DOI: 10.1016/j.radi.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The need to continually optimise CT protocols is essential to ensure the lowest possible radiation dose for the clinical task and individual patient. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of reducing effective mAs on nodule detection and radiation dose across six scanners. METHODS An anthropomorphic chest phantom was scanned using a low-dose chest CT protocol, with the effective mAs lowered to the lowest permissible level. All other acquisition parameters remained consistent. Images were evaluated by five radiologists to determine their sensitivity in detecting six simulated nodules within the phantom. Image noise was calculated together with DLP. RESULTS The lowest possible mAs achievable ranged from 7 to 19 mAs. The two highest mAs setting (17 mAs + 19 mAs) had kV modulation enabled (100 kV instead of 120 kV) which consequently resulted in a higher nodule detection rate. Overall nodule detection averaged at 91% (range 80-97%). Out of a possible 180 nodules, 16 were missed, with 12 of those 16 being the same nodule. Noise was double for the Somatom Sensation scanner when compared to the others; however, this scanner did not have iterative reconstruction and it was installed over 10 years ago. There was a strong correlation between image noise and scanner age. CONCLUSION This study highlighted that nodules can be detected at very low effective mAs (<20 mAs) but only when other acquisition parameters are optimised i.e. iterative reconstruction and kV modulation. Nodule detection rates were affected by nodule location and image noise. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This study consolidates previous findings on how to successfully optimise low-dose chest CT. It also highlights the difficulty with standardisation owing to factors such as scanner age and different vendor attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Tugwell-Allsup
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales, LL57 2PW, UK.
| | - B W Owen
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales, LL57 2PW, UK.
| | - A England
- School of Health Sciences, Salford University, Manchester, M6 6PU, UK.
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Utilization of computed tomography imaging in the pediatric emergency department. Pediatr Radiol 2020; 50:470-475. [PMID: 31807854 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-019-04564-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, there has been a movement toward more judicious use of computed tomography (CT) imaging in an attempt to limit exposure of pediatric patients to ionizing radiation. The Image Gently Alliance and like-minded movements began advocating for safe and high-quality pediatric imaging worldwide in the late 2000s. OBJECTIVE In the context of these efforts, we evaluate CT utilization rates in the pediatric emergency department at a major academic medical center. MATERIALS AND METHODS We tracked utilization in several categories of CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US) between July 2008 and June 2017 and compared them with utilization rates from 2000 to 2006. RESULTS A total of 4,955 pediatric patients underwent a total of 5,973 CT scans, 2,775 US studies and 293 MRI scans while in the pediatric emergency department during the 2008-2017 study period. We observed decreases in CT scans across all categories, ranging from a 19% decrease in abdominal CT to a 66% decrease in chest CT. Relatively greater decreases in CT scans were observed in patients younger than 3 years of age as compared to older children and adolescents. Abdominal and pelvic US increased. Brain MRI also increased over the final two years of the study. CONCLUSION CT utilization decreased throughout the 2008-2017 study period.
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18
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Promoting imaging appropriateness in pediatric radiology. Pediatr Radiol 2020; 50:325-326. [PMID: 32065270 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-019-04563-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Louie JP, Alfano J, Nguyen-Tran T, Nguyen-Tran H, Shanley R, Holm T, Furnival RA. Reduction of paediatric head CT utilisation at a rural general hospital emergency department. BMJ Qual Saf 2020; 29:912-920. [PMID: 32111643 DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2019-010322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blunt head injury is a common pediatric injury and often evaluated in general emergency departments. It estimated that 50% of children will undergo a head computed tomography (CT), often unnecessarily exposing the child to ionizing radiation. Pediatric academic centers have shown quality improvement (QI) measures can reduce head CT rates within their emergency departments. We aimed to reduce head CT utilization at a rural community emergency department. METHODS Children presenting with a complaint of blunt head injury and were evaluated with or without a head CT. Head CT rate was the primary outcome. We developed a series of interventions and presented these to the general emergency department over the duration of the study. The pre and intervention data was analysed with control charts. RESULTS The preintervention and intervention groups consisted of 576 children: 237 patients with a median age of 8.0 years and 339 patients with a median age of 9.00 years (p=0.54), respectively. The preintervention HCT rate was 41.8% (95% CI 35.6% to 48.1%) and the postintervention rate was 27.7% (95% CI 23.3% to 32.7%), a decrease of 14.1% (95% CI 6.2% to 21.9%, p=0.0004). During the intervention period, there was a decrease in HCT rate of one per month (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.00, p=0.07). The initial series of interventions demonstrated an incremental decrease in HCT rates corresponding with a special cause variation. CONCLUSION The series of interventions dispersed over the intervention period was an effective methodology and successfully reduced HCT utilisation among children with blunt head injury at a rural community emergency department.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph Alfano
- Emergency Medicine, Fairview Lakes Medical Center, Wyoming, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Hai Nguyen-Tran
- Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Ryan Shanley
- Masonic Cancer Center, Biostatistics Core, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Tara Holm
- Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Ramgopal S, Karim SA, Subramanian S, Furtado AD, Marin JR. Rapid brain MRI protocols reduce head computerized tomography use in the pediatric emergency department. BMC Pediatr 2020; 20:14. [PMID: 31931764 PMCID: PMC6956479 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-020-1919-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rapid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols may be effective in the emergency department (ED) to evaluate nontraumatic neurologic complaints. We evaluate neuroimaging (rapid MRI [rMRI]), head computerized tomography [HCT], and full MRI) use following widespread implementation of rMRI protocols in a pediatric emergency department (ED). METHODS We conducted a retrospective study in a tertiary care pediatric ED of encounters with neuroimaging during two 9-month periods: one prior to (control period) and one after generalized availability of 4 rMRI protocols (rMRI period). The primary outcome was differences in neuroimaging rates between the two periods. Secondary outcomes included ED process measures, unsuccessful imaging, and undetected pathology, with full MRI within 14 days as the reference standard. RESULTS There were 1052 encounters with neuroimaging during the control and 1308 during the rMRI periods. Differences in neuroimaging between periods were 27.7% for rMRI (95% CI, 24.4, 31.0), - 21.5% for HCT (95% CI, - 25.5, - 17.5), and - 6.2% for full MRI (95% CI, - 9.3, - 3.1%.) Time to imaging (182 [IQR 138-255] versus 86 [IQR 52-137] minutes) as well as ED length of stay (396 [IQR 304-484] versus 257 [IQR 196-334] minutes) was longer for rMRI versus HCT (p < 0.01). Between the control and rMRI periods, there were differences in types of neuroimaging performed for patients with altered mental status, headache, seizure, shunt dysfunction, stroke, syncope, trauma, vomiting, infection, and other neurologic complaints (p < 0.05). rMRI studies were unsuccessful in 3.6% of studies versus 0.0% of HCTs (p < 0.01). The 22 unsuccessful rMRI studies were unsuccessful due to artifacts from dental hardware (n = 2) and patient motion (n = 20). None of the rMRI studies with full MRI follow-up imaging had undetected pathology; the false negative rate for the HCT exams was as high as 25%. CONCLUSIONS After routine ED use of 4 rMRI protocols, there was a more than 20% decrease in HCT use without missed diagnoses. Time to neuroimaging and length of stay were longer for rMRI than HCT, with higher rates of unsuccessful imaging. Despite these limitations, rMRI may be an alternative to HCT for nontraumatic complaints in the ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriram Ramgopal
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Feinberg School of Medicine, 225 E Chicago Ave, Box 62, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
| | - Sabrina A Karim
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Subramanian Subramanian
- Division of Pediatric Radiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Andre D Furtado
- Division of Pediatric Radiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer R Marin
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Ngo JS, Solomon JB, Samei E, Richards T, Ngo L, Erkanli A, Zhang B, Allen BC, Davis JT, Devalapalli A, Groller R, Marin D, Maxfield CM, Pamarthi V, Patel BN, Schooler GR, Frush DP. A Simulation Paradigm for Evaluation of Subtle Liver Lesions at Pediatric CT: Performance and Confidence. Radiol Imaging Cancer 2019; 1:e190027. [PMID: 33778672 PMCID: PMC7983686 DOI: 10.1148/rycan.2019190027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To create and validate a systematic observer performance platform for evaluation of simulated liver lesions at pediatric CT and to test this paradigm to measure the effect of radiation dose reduction on detection performance and reader confidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty normal pediatric (from patients aged 0-10 years) contrast material-enhanced, de-identified abdominal CT scans obtained from July 1, 2012, through July 1, 2016, were retrospectively collected from the clinical database. The study was exempt from institutional review board approval. Zero to three simulated, low-contrast liver lesions (≤6 mm) were digitally inserted by using software, and noise was added to simulate reductions in volume CT dose index (representing radiation dose estimation) of 25% and 50%. Pediatric, abdominal, and resident radiologists (three of each) reviewed 90 data sets in three sessions using an online interface, marking each lesion location and rating confidence (scale, 0-100). Statistical analysis was performed by using software. RESULTS Mixed-effects models revealed a significant decrease in detection sensitivity as radiation dose decreased (P < .001). The mean confidence of the full-dose and 25% dose reduction examinations was significantly higher than that of the 50% dose reduction examinations (P = .011 and .012, respectively) but not different from one another (P = .866). Dose was not a significant predictor of time to complete each case, and subspecialty was not a significant predictor of sensitivity or false-positive results. CONCLUSION Sensitivity for lesion detection significantly decreased as dose decreased; however, confidence did not change between the full-dose and 25% reduced-dose scans. This suggests that readers are unaware of this decrease in performance, which should be accounted for in clinical dose reduction efforts.Keywords: Abdomen/GI, CT, Liver, Observer Performance, Pediatrics, Perception Image© RSNA, 2019.
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Reduction in Head Computed Tomography Ordering in Pediatric Emergency Patients: Effect of National Publication and Local Availability of Urgent Neurology Appointments. Pediatr Emerg Care 2019; 35:199-203. [PMID: 30747787 DOI: 10.1097/pec.0000000000001757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) blunt head trauma guidelines and implementation of urgent neurology follow-up (UNF) appointments on an observed decline in head computed tomography (CT) use for pediatric emergency department (PED) patients presenting with headache, seizure, and trauma. METHODS Patients ages 0 to 18 years presenting to and discharged from an urban tertiary care PED with chief complaint of trauma, headache, and seizure between 2007 and 2013 were retrospectively included. The total number of head CTs obtained in the trauma, headache, and seizure groups was compared before and after the publication of the PECARN guidelines in 2009 and the implementation of urgent UNF within a week from PED discharge in 2011, respectively. RESULTS Between 2007 and 2013, 24,434 encounters were identified with 2762 head CTs performed. Analysis demonstrated a decline in pediatric head CTs for trauma (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-2.2) after the publication of the PECARN study on blunt head trauma, for headache (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.8) and seizure (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4-2.6) with UNF. However, cross comparison (headache and seizure with PECARN and trauma with UNF) also demonstrated similar significant declines. CONCLUSIONS The decline in head CTs observed at our institution demonstrated a strong linear relationship, yet cannot be solely attributed to the PECARN blunt head trauma study or the implementation of UNF.
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Kim SK, Jung JH, Lee JH, Jung JY, Kwon H, Paek SH, Kwak YH, Kim DK. The difference of Use of CT in the general versus pediatric emergency departments for adolescent patients in the same tertiary hospital. Clin Exp Emerg Med 2019; 6:19-24. [PMID: 30786703 PMCID: PMC6453689 DOI: 10.15441/ceem.17.274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The use of computed tomography (CT) in pediatric patients has decreased since the association between radiation and cancer risk has been reported. However, in adolescent patients being treated as adult patients, there has been a high incidence of CT use in emergency departments (EDs). Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the CT use in adolescent patients with complaints of headache or abdominal pain in the general and pediatric EDs of the same hospital. METHODS A retrospective chart review of patients aged 15 to 18 years, who presented with headache or abdominal pain at the general and pediatric EDs of Seoul National University Hospital from January 2010 to December 2014, was conducted. RESULTS A total of 407 adolescent patients with complaints of headache and 980 with abdominal pain were included in this study. The adolescent patients in the general ED were more likely to undergo CT scans than those in the pediatric ED, with both patients having headache (42.4% vs. 20.5%, respectively, P<0.001) and abdominal pain (29.0% vs. 18.4%, respectively, P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in the rates of positive CT findings between the general and pediatric EDs. The frequency of visits to the general ED was associated with high rates of CT use in adolescent patients with complaints of headache (odds ratio, 3.95; 95% confidence interval, 2.01 to 7.77) and those with abdominal pain (odds ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.18 to 2.64). CONCLUSION The ED setting influences the use of CT on adolescent patients, and a child-friendly environment could reduce the radiation risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seul Ki Kim
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jin Hee Jung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Preventive Medicine, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Jin Hee Lee
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Jae Yun Jung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyuksool Kwon
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - So Hyun Paek
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Ho Kwak
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Do Kyun Kim
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
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Coon E, Bratton SL. Trends in Pediatric Head CT Use: Looking Beyond the Ivory Tower. Pediatrics 2018; 142:peds.2018-2137. [PMID: 30181121 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-2137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Coon
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Susan L Bratton
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
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25
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Burstein B, Upton JEM, Terra HF, Neuman MI. Use of CT for Head Trauma: 2007-2015. Pediatrics 2018; 142:peds.2018-0814. [PMID: 30181120 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-0814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES International efforts have been focused on identifying children at low risk of clinically important traumatic brain injury in whom computed tomography (CT) neuroimaging can be avoided. We sought to determine if CT use for pediatric head trauma has decreased among US emergency departments (EDs). METHODS This was a cross-sectional analysis of the National Hospital Ambulatory Care Medical Survey database of nationally representative ED visits from 2007 to 2015. We included children <18 years of age evaluated in the ED for head injury. Survey weighting procedures were used to estimate the annual proportion of children who underwent CT neuroimaging and to perform multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS There were an estimated 14.3 million pediatric head trauma visits during the 9-year study period. Overall, 32% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 29%-35%) of children underwent CT neuroimaging with no significant annual linear trend (P trend = .50). Multivariate analysis similarly revealed no difference by year (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.97-1.07) after adjustment for patient- and ED-level covariates. CT use was associated with age ≥2 years (aOR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.13-2.01), white race (aOR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.10-1.86), highest triage acuity (aOR: 8.24 [95% CI: 4.00-16.95]; P < .001), and presentation to a nonteaching (aOR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.05-2.06) or nonpediatric (aOR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.05-2.23) hospital. CONCLUSIONS CT neuroimaging did not decrease from 2007 to 2015. Findings suggest an important need for quality improvement initiatives to decrease CT use among children with head injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Burstein
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada; .,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Julia E M Upton
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Heloisa Fuzaro Terra
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; and
| | - Mark I Neuman
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Bellolio MF, Bellew SD, Sangaralingham LR, Campbell RL, Cabrera D, Jeffery MM, Shah ND, Hess EP. Access to primary care and computed tomography use in the emergency department. BMC Health Serv Res 2018; 18:154. [PMID: 29499700 PMCID: PMC5834877 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-018-2958-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The decision to obtain a computed tomography CT scan in the emergency department (ED) is complex, including a consideration of the risk posed by the test itself weighed against the importance of obtaining the result. In patients with limited access to primary care follow up the consequences of not making a diagnosis may be greater than for patients with ready access to primary care, impacting diagnostic reasoning. We set out to determine if there is an association between CT utilization in the ED and patient access to primary care. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of all ED visits in which a CT scan was obtained between 2003 and 2012 at an academic, tertiary-care center. Data were abstracted from the electronic medical record and administrative databases and included type of CT obtained, demographics, comorbidities, and access to a local primary care provider (PCP). CT utilization rates were determined per 1000 patients. Results A total of 595,895 ED visits, including 98,001 visits in which a CT was obtained (16.4%) were included. Patients with an assigned PCP accounted for 55% of all visits. Overall, CT use per 1000 ED visits increased from 142.0 in 2003 to 169.2 in 2012 (p < 0.001), while the number of annual ED visits remained stable. CT use per 1000 ED visits increased from 169.4 to 205.8 over the 10-year period for patients without a PCP and from 118.9 to 142.0 for patients with a PCP. Patients without a PCP were more likely to have a CT performed compared to those with a PCP (OR 1.57, 95%CI 1.54 to 1.58; p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, gender, year of visit and number of comorbidities, patients without a PCP were more likely to have a CT performed (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.21, p < 0.001). Conclusions The overall rate of CT utilization in the ED increased over the past 10 years. CT utilization was significantly higher among patients without a PCP. Increased availability of primary care, particularly for follow-up from the ED, could reduce CT utilization and therefore decrease costs, ED lengths of stay, and radiation exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Fernanda Bellolio
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA. .,Department of Health Sciences Research, Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. .,Kern Center for the Science of Heath Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Shawna D Bellew
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Lindsey R Sangaralingham
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.,Kern Center for the Science of Heath Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ronna L Campbell
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Daniel Cabrera
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Molly M Jeffery
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.,Department of Health Sciences Research, Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Nilay D Shah
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.,Kern Center for the Science of Heath Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Erik P Hess
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
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Wei Y, Yu H, Geng J, Wu B, Guo Z, He L, Chen Y. Hospital efficiency and utilization of high-technology medical equipment: A panel data analysis. HEALTH POLICY AND TECHNOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hlpt.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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28
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Ohana O, Soffer S, Zimlichman E, Klang E. Overuse of CT and MRI in paediatric emergency departments. Br J Radiol 2018; 91:20170434. [PMID: 29271231 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20170434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this review is to survey CT and MRI overuse in the paediatric emergency department (ED) population. CT is one of the most important modalities employed in the ED. Not surprisingly, its high accuracy, rapid acquisition and availability have resulted in overuse. An obvious limitation of CT is ionizing radiation; in addition there are economic implications to overuse. Studies from the last two decades have shown increase in paediatric ED CT utilization in the first decade, reaching a plateau forming around 2008, followed by a decrease in the last decade. This decrease occurred in conjunction with campaigns raising awareness to the risks of radiation exposure. Although a trend of decrease in overuse have been observed, great variability has been shown across different facilities, as well as among physicians, with more pronounced overuse in non-teaching and non-children dedicated EDs. The leading types of paediatric ED CTs are head and abdominal scans. Decision rules, such as PECARN for head injury and the Alvarado score for abdominal pain, as well as using alternative imaging modalities, have been shown to reduce CT overuse in these two categories. MRI has the obvious benefit of avoiding radiation exposure, but the disadvantages of higher costs, less availability and less tolerability in younger children. Although anecdotally paediatric ED MRI usage has increased in recent years, only scarce reports have been published. In our opinion, there is need to conduct up-to-date studies covering paediatric CT and MRI overuse trends, usage variability and adherence to clinical protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orly Ohana
- 1 Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv , Israel
| | - Shelly Soffer
- 1 Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv , Israel
| | - Eyal Zimlichman
- 1 Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv , Israel.,2 The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Hospital Management , Ramat Gan , Israel
| | - Eyal Klang
- 1 Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel Aviv , Israel.,3 Department of radiology, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer , Ramat Gan , Israel
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29
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Missed Opportunities to Decrease Radiation Exposure in Children with Renal Trauma. J Urol 2018; 199:552-557. [DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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30
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Niles LM, Goyal MK, Badolato GM, Chamberlain JM, Cohen JS. US Emergency Department Trends in Imaging for Pediatric Nontraumatic Abdominal Pain. Pediatrics 2017; 140:peds.2017-0615. [PMID: 28916590 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2017-0615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To describe national emergency department (ED) trends in computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound imaging for the evaluation of pediatric nontraumatic abdominal pain from 2007 through 2014. METHODS We used data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to measure trends in CT and ultrasound use among children with nontraumatic abdominal pain. We performed multivariable logistic regression to measure the strength of the association of ED type (pediatric versus general ED) with CT and ultrasound use adjusting for potential confounding variables. RESULTS Of an estimated 21.1 million ED visits for nontraumatic abdominal pain, 14.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.2%-16.0%) had CT imaging only, 10.9% (95% CI, 9.7%-12.1%) had ultrasound imaging only, and 1.9% (95% CI, 1.4%-2.4%) received both CT and ultrasound. The overall use of CT and ultrasound did not significantly change over the study period (P trend .63 and .90, respectively). CT use was lower among children treated in pediatric EDs compared with general EDs (adjusted odds ratio 0.34; 95% CI, 0.17-0.69). Conversely, ultrasound use was higher among children treated in pediatric EDs compared with general EDs (adjusted odds ratio 2.14; 95% CI, 1.29-3.55). CONCLUSIONS CT imaging for pediatric patients with nontraumatic abdominal pain has plateaued since 2007 after the steady increase seen in the preceding 9 years. Among this population, an increased likelihood of CT imaging was demonstrated in general EDs compared with pediatric EDs, in which there was a higher likelihood of ultrasound imaging. Dissemination of pediatric-focused radiology protocols to general EDs may help optimize radiation exposure in children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monika K Goyal
- Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia; and.,Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Gia M Badolato
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - James M Chamberlain
- Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia; and.,Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Joanna S Cohen
- Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia; and .,Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia
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31
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Lodwick DL, Cooper JN, Adler B, Lee C, Kelleher K, Minneci PC, Deans KJ. How to identify high radiation burden from computed tomography: an example in obese children. J Surg Res 2017; 217:54-62.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2017.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 04/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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The Think A-Head campaign: an introduction to ImageGently 2.0. Pediatr Radiol 2016; 46:1774-1779. [PMID: 27812745 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-016-3739-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Dreyfus J, Flood A, Cutler G, Ortega H, Kreykes N, Kharbanda A. Comparison of pediatric motor vehicle collision injury outcomes at Level I trauma centers. J Pediatr Surg 2016; 51:1693-9. [PMID: 27160431 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Examine the association of American College of Surgeons Level I pediatric trauma center designation with outcomes of pediatric motor vehicle collision-related injuries. METHODS Observational study of the 2009-2012 National Trauma Data Bank, including n=28,145 patients <18years directly transported to a Level I trauma center. Generalized estimating equations estimated odds ratios (ORs) for injury outcomes, comparing freestanding pediatric trauma centers (PTCs) with adult centers having added Level I pediatric qualifications (ATC+PTC) and general adult trauma centers (ATC). Models were stratified by age following PTC designation guidelines, and adjusted for demographic and clinical risk factors. RESULTS Analyses included n=16,643 children <15 and n=11,502 adolescents 15-17years. Among children, odds of laparotomy (OR=1.88, 95% CI 1.28-2.74) and pneumonia (OR=2.13, 95% CI 1.32-3.46) were greater at ATCs vs. freestanding PTCs. Adolescents treated at ATC+PTCs or ATCs experienced greater odds of death (OR=2.18, 95% CI 1.30-3.67; OR=1.98, 95% CI 1.37-2.85, respectively) and laparotomy (OR=4.33, 95% CI 1.56-12.02; OR=5.11, 95% CI 1.92-13.61, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Compared with freestanding PTCs, children treated at general ATCs experienced more complications; adolescents treated at ATC+PTCs or general ATCs had greater odds of death. Identification and sharing of best practices among Level I trauma centers may reduce variation in care and improve outcomes for children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Dreyfus
- Department of Research and Sponsored Programs, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 2525 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404.
| | - Andrew Flood
- Department of Research and Sponsored Programs, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 2525 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404
| | - Gretchen Cutler
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 2525 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404
| | - Henry Ortega
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 2525 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404
| | - Nathan Kreykes
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 2525 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404
| | - Anupam Kharbanda
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, 2525 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404
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Atabaki SM, Hoyle JD, Schunk JE, Monroe DJ, Alpern ER, Quayle KS, Glass TF, Badawy MK, Miskin M, Schalick WO, Dayan PS, Holmes JF, Kuppermann N. Comparison of Prediction Rules and Clinician Suspicion for Identifying Children With Clinically Important Brain Injuries After Blunt Head Trauma. Acad Emerg Med 2016; 23:566-75. [PMID: 26825755 DOI: 10.1111/acem.12923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Children with minor head trauma frequently present to emergency departments (EDs). Identifying those with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can be difficult, and it is unknown whether clinical prediction rules outperform clinician suspicion. Our primary objective was to compare the test characteristics of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) TBI prediction rules to clinician suspicion for identifying children with clinically important TBIs (ciTBIs) after minor blunt head trauma. Our secondary objective was to determine the reasons for obtaining computed tomography (CT) scans when clinical suspicion of ciTBI was low. METHODS This was a planned secondary analysis of a previously conducted observational cohort study conducted in PECARN to derive and validate clinical prediction rules for ciTBI among children with minor blunt head trauma in 25 PECARN EDs. Clinicians recorded their suspicion of ciTBI before CT as <1, 1-5, 6-10, 11-50, or >50%. We defined ciTBI as 1) death from TBI, 2) neurosurgery, 3) intubation for more than 24 hours for TBI, or 4) hospital admission of 2 nights or more associated with TBI on CT. To avoid overfitting of the prediction rules, we performed comparisons of the prediction rules and clinician suspicion on the validation group only. On the validation group, we compared the test accuracies of clinician suspicion > 1% versus having at least one predictor in the PECARN TBI age-specific prediction rules for identifying children with ciTBIs (one rule for children <2 years [preverbal], the other rule for children >2 years [verbal]). RESULTS In the parent study, we enrolled 8,627 children to validate the prediction rules, after enrolling 33,785 children to derive the prediction rules. In the validation group, clinician suspicion of ciTBI was recorded in 8,496/8,627 (98.5%) patients, and 87 (1.0%) had ciTBIs. CT scans were obtained in 2,857 (33.6%) patients in the validation group for whom clinician suspicion of ciTBI was recorded, including 2,099/7,688 (27.3%) of those with clinician suspicion of ciTBI of <1% and 758/808 (93.8%) of those with clinician suspicion >1%. The PECARN prediction rules were significantly more sensitive than clinician suspicion >1% of ciTBI for preverbal (100% [95% confidence interval {CI} = 86.3% to 100%] vs. 60.0% [95% CI = 38.7% to 78.9%]) and verbal children (96.8% [95% CI = 88.8% to 99.6%] vs. 64.5% [95% CI = 51.3% to 76.3%]). Prediction rule specificity, however, was lower than clinician suspicion >1% for preverbal children (53.6% [95% CI = 51.5% to 55.7%] vs. 92.4% [95% CI = 91.2% to 93.5%]) and verbal children (58.2% [95% CI = 56.9% to 59.4%] vs. 90.6% [95% CI = 89.8% to 91.3%]). Of the 7,688 patients in the validation group with clinician suspicion recorded as <1%, CTs were nevertheless obtained in 2,099 (27.3%). Three of 16 (18.8%) patients undergoing neurosurgery had clinician suspicion of ciTBI <1%. CONCLUSIONS The PECARN TBI prediction rules had substantially greater sensitivity, but lower specificity, than clinician suspicion of ciTBI for children with minor blunt head trauma. Because CT ordering did not follow clinician suspicion of <1%, these prediction rules can augment clinician judgment and help obviate CT ordering for children at very low risk of ciTBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shireen M. Atabaki
- Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine; George Washington University School of Medicine; Washington DC
| | - John D. Hoyle
- Department of Emergency Medicine; Michigan State University School of Medicine; Grand Rapids MI
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics; Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine; Kalamazoo MI
| | - Jeff E. Schunk
- Department of Pediatrics; University of Utah School of Medicine; Salt Lake City UT
| | - David J. Monroe
- Department of Emergency Medicine; Howard County General Hospital; Columbia MD
| | - Elizabeth R. Alpern
- Department of Pediatrics; University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Philadelphia PA
- Department of Pediatrics; Feinberg School of Medicine; Northwestern University; Chicago IL
| | - Kimberly S. Quayle
- Department of Pediatrics; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis MO
| | - Todd F. Glass
- Department of Pediatrics; University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Cincinnati OH
- Department of Pediatrics; Nemours Children's Hospital; Orlando FL
| | - Mohamed K. Badawy
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics; University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry; Rochester NY
- Department of Emergency Medicine; University of Texas; Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas TX
| | - Michelle Miskin
- Department of Pediatrics; University of Utah School of Medicine; Salt Lake City UT
| | - Walton O. Schalick
- Departments of Orthopedics Rehabilitation; University of Wisconsin School of Medicine; Madison WI
| | - Peter S. Dayan
- Department of Pediatrics; Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; New York NY
| | - James F. Holmes
- Department of Emergency Medicine; University of California; Davis School of Medicine; Sacramento CA
| | - Nathan Kuppermann
- Department of Emergency Medicine; University of California; Davis School of Medicine; Sacramento CA
- Department of Pediatrics; University of California; Davis School of Medicine; Sacramento CA
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