Reliance on Acute Care Settings for Health Care Utilization: A Comparison of Adolescents With Younger Children

OBJECTIVE

Because a goal of the Affordable Care Act was to increase preventive care and reduce high-cost care, the objective of this study was to evaluate current health care use and reliance on acute care settings among Medicaid-enrolled children.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of the 2015 Truven Marketscan Medicaid claims database among children 0 to 21 years old with at least 11 months of continuous enrollment. We calculated adjusted probabilities of health care use (any health care use and ≥1 health maintenance visit) and high acute care reliance (ratio of emergency department or urgent care visits to all health care visits >0.33) by age and compared use between adolescents and younger children using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of the 5,182,540 Medicaid-enrolled children, 18.9% had no health care visits and 47.3% had 1 or more health maintenance visit in 2015. Both health care use and health maintenance visits decreased with increasing age (P < 0.001). Compared with younger children (0-10 years old), adolescents were more likely to have no interaction with the health care system [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.20; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.19-2.21] and less likely to have health maintenance visits (aOR, 0.40; 0.39-0.40). High acute care reliance was associated with increasing age, with adolescents having greater odds of high acute care reliance (aOR, 1.08; 1.08-1.09).

CONCLUSIONS

Medicaid-enrolled adolescents have low rates of health care use and have high reliance on acute care settings. Further investigation into adolescent-specific barriers to health maintenance care and drivers for acute care is warranted.

Changes in opioid prescriptions for Medicaid-enrolled children and young adults, 2012-2016

OBJECTIVES

To describe current trends in filled opioid prescriptions for Medicaid-enrolled children, adolescents and young adults (AYAs) from 2012 to 2016, and to identify patient characteristics and clinical settings associated with a higher probability of filled opioid prescriptions.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study of children and young adults enrolled in Medicaid from 2012 to 2016.

SETTING

10-12 states participating in the Medicaid Marketscan claims database.

PARTICIPANTS

Medicaid-enrolled children and young adults (0-21 years old).

EXPOSURE

Healthcare encounter(s) that could result in a new opioid prescription.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

"Opioid visits," defined as healthcare encounters associated with a new opioid prescription filled within 7 days. Each opioid visit was assigned to the clinical provider most likely to have prescribed an opioid.

RESULTS

There were 113,068,027 visits among 4,427,838 Medicaid-enrollees and 1 percent (n = 1,130,006) of these were considered an opioid visit. Adjusted probabilities decreased from 1.2 percent to 0.8 percent from 2012 to 2016. The most frequently prescribed opioids were hydrocodone (48 percent; n = 653,011), codeine (23 percent; n = 305,644), and oxycodone (14 percent; n = 189,700); most of these were in combination with acetaminophen. The high-est adjusted percentages by clinical setting were seen in dental surgery (29 percent), outpatient surgery (21 percent), and inpatient (upon discharge, 10 percent).

CONCLUSIONS

Opioid prescriptions filled for Medicaid-enrolled children, adolescents, and young adults are relatively rare and adjusted probabilities decreased from 2012 to 2016. Among opioids filled, combination opioids and those with pedi-atric safety warnings remain commonly prescribed. Further research is critical to better understand drivers of prescribing practices and clinical indications for appropriate opioid use to inform improvements in pain management guidelines in this population.

Trends in Incidence of Nicotine Use Disorder Among Adolescents in the Pediatric Hospital, 2012-2019

OBJECTIVES

To assess trends in the incidence of nicotine use disorder (NUD) and describe associated factors among adolescents in the pediatric emergency department (ED) and inpatient settings.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all adolescents (11-18 years) with a hospital encounter (inpatient, observation, or ED) in the Pediatric Health Information System between January 1, 2012, and September 30, 2019. After excluding adolescents with a previous International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, NUD diagnosis in the past 2 years, adolescents with new NUD diagnosis (ie, NUD incidence) were identified. A multivariable generalized liner mixed model was used to assess adjusted NUD incidence and investigate the relationship of NUD with patient characteristics and any interactions between characteristics and time. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between NUD incidence and e-cigarette use reported among youth.

RESULTS

Of 3 963 754 adolescents, 15 376 (0.4%) had a new diagnosis of NUD. Between 2012 and 2019, NUD incidence increased from 0.3% to 0.4% (P < .001). Findings from the time interaction effect analysis revealed increasing NUD incidence among certain subpopulations, including boys, those with a commercial or other insurance type, adolescents seen in the ED, those from the lowest and highest median household income quartile, and those in the South and West US Census regions. The correlation between NUD incidence and e-cigarette use among high school students was ρ = 0.884 (P = .006).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of NUD among adolescents is increasing. Efforts to increase the screening and treatment of NUD among adolescents in the hospital, particularly among the at-risk populations identified, are needed.

Opioid Use to Treat Migraine Headaches in Hospitalized Children and Adolescents

OBJECTIVES

Prescription of opioids to treat pediatric migraine is explicitly discouraged by treatment guidelines but persists in some clinical settings. We sought to describe rates of opioid administration in pediatric migraine hospitalizations.

METHODS

Using data from the Pediatric Health Information System, we performed a cross-sectional study to investigate the prevalence and predictors of opioid administration for children aged 7 to 21 years who were hospitalized for migraine between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018.

RESULTS

There were 6632 pediatric migraine hospitalizations at 50 hospitals during the study period, of which 448 (7%) had an opioid administered during the hospitalization. There were higher adjusted odds of opioid administration in hospitalizations for non-Hispanic black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.68; P < .001) and Hispanic (aOR, 1.54; P = .005) (reference white) race and ethnicity, among older age groups (18-21 years: aOR, 2.74; P < .001; reference, 7-10 years), and among patients with higher illness severity (aOR, 2.58; P < .001). Hospitalizations during which an opioid was administered had a longer length of stay (adjusted rate ratio, 1.48; P < .001) and higher 30-day readmission rate (aOR, 1.96; P < .001). By pediatric hospital, opioid administration ranged from 0% to 23.5% of migraine hospitalizations. Hospitals with higher opioid administration rates demonstrated higher adjusted readmission rates (P < .001) and higher adjusted rates of return emergency department visits (P = .026).

CONCLUSIONS

Opioids continue to be used during pediatric migraine hospitalizations and are associated with longer lengths of stay and readmissions. These findings reveal important opportunities to improve adherence to migraine treatment guidelines and minimize unnecessary opioid exposure, with the potential to improve hospital discharge outcomes.

Potential Opportunities for Prevention or Earlier Diagnosis of Child Physical Abuse in the Inpatient Setting

OBJECTIVES

To compare rates of previous inpatient visits among children hospitalized with child physical abuse (CPA) with controls as well as between individual abuse types.

METHODS

In this study, we used the Pediatric Health Information System administrative database of 44 children's hospitals. Children <6 years of age hospitalized with CPA between January 1, 2011, and September 30, 2015, were identified by discharge codes and propensity matched to accidental injury controls. Rates for previous visit types were calculated per 10 000 months of life. χ2 and Poisson regression were used to compare proportions and rates.

RESULTS

There were 5425 children hospitalized for CPA. Of abuse and accident cases, 13.1% and 13.2% had a previous inpatient visit, respectively. At previous visits, abused children had higher rates of fractures (rate ratio [RR] = 3.0 times; P = .018), head injuries (RR = 3.5 times; P = .005), symptoms concerning for occult abusive head trauma (AHT) (eg, isolated vomiting, seizures, brief resolved unexplained events) (RR = 1.4 times; P = .054), and perinatal conditions (eg, prematurity) (RR = 1.3 times; P = .014) compared with controls. Head injuries and symptoms concerning for occult AHT also more frequently preceded cases of AHT compared with other types of abuse (both P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Infants hospitalized with perinatal-related conditions, symptoms concerning for occult AHT, and injuries are inpatient populations who may benefit from abuse prevention efforts and/or risk assessments. Head injuries and symptoms concerning for occult AHT (eg, isolated vomiting, seizures, and brief resolved unexplained events) may represent missed opportunities to diagnose AHT in the inpatient setting; however, this requires further study.

Reportable Bacterial Infections among New York City-Born Infants, 2001-2009

OBJECTIVE

To determine rates of reportable bacterial infections among infants in New York City and identify populations at risk and preventable causes of morbidity.

STUDY DESIGN

This retrospective cohort study matched live births in New York City from 2001-2009 to reported cases of bacterial infections among infants less than 1 year of age. Characteristics recorded on birth certificates were compared between infants with bacterial enteric infection, bacterial nonenteric infection, and no reportable bacterial infection. Multinomial logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify risk factors for infection.

RESULTS

Bacterial infection was reported in 4.6 cases per 1000 live births. Of 4524 infants with a reportable infection, the majority (2880, 63%) had an enteric infection. Asian/Pacific Islanders in Brooklyn were the borough-level race/ethnic group with the highest enteric infection rate (8.5 per 1000 live births). Citywide, infants with enteric infections were disproportionately male, from higher poverty neighborhoods, born to foreign-born mothers, and enrolled in Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children or Medicaid. In contrast, infants with nonenteric infections were more likely to have low birthweight and mothers characterized by US birth and black race or white Hispanic race/ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Distinct patterns of risk factors for enteric and nonenteric bacterial infections among infants were identified. The results suggest that infants born to Asian/Pacific Islander mothers residing in Brooklyn should be a focus of enteric disease prevention. More research is necessary to better understand what behaviors increase the risk of enteric disease in this population.

Timing of malaria infection during pregnancy has characteristic maternal, infant and placental outcomes

We conducted a clinical study of pregnant women in Blantyre, Malawi to determine the effect of the timing of malaria infection during pregnancy on maternal, infant and placental outcomes. Women were enrolled in their first or second trimester of their first or second pregnancy and followed every four weeks until delivery. Three doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine were given for intermittent preventive treatment for malaria, and all episodes of parasitemia were treated according to the national guidelines. Placentas were collected at delivery and examined for malaria parasites and pigment by histology. Pregnant women had 0.6 episodes of malaria per person year of follow up. Almost all episodes of malaria were detected at enrollment and malaria infection during the follow up period was rare. Malaria and anemia at the first antenatal visit were independently associated with an increased risk of placental malaria detected at delivery. When all episodes of malaria were treated with effective antimalarial medication, only peripheral malaria infection at the time of delivery was associated with adverse maternal and infant outcomes. One quarter of the analyzed placentas had evidence of malaria infection. Placental histology was 78% sensitive and 89% specific for peripheral malaria infection during pregnancy. This study suggests that in this setting of high antifolate drug resistance, three doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine maintain some efficacy in suppressing microscopically detectable parasitemia, although placental infection remains frequent. Even in this urban setting, a large proportion of women have malaria infection at the time of their first antenatal care visit. Interventions to control malaria early and aggressive case detection are required to limit the detrimental effects of pregnancy-associated malaria.

Gestational age assessment in malaria pregnancy cohorts: a prospective ultrasound demonstration project in Malawi

Background

Malaria during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for low birth weight (<2500 grams). Distinguishing infants that are born premature (< 37 weeks) from those that are growth-restricted (less than the 10th percentile at birth) requires accurate assessment of gestational age. Where ultrasound is accessible, sonographic confirmation of gestational age is more accurate than menstrual dating. The goal was to pilot the feasibility and utility of adding ultrasound to an observational pregnancy malaria cohort.

Methods

In July 2009, research staff (three mid-level clinical providers, one nurse) from The Blantyre Malaria Project underwent an intensive one-week ultrasound training to perform foetal biometry. Following an additional four months of practice and remote image review, subjects from an ongoing cohort were recruited for ultrasound to determine gestational age. Gestational age at delivery established by ultrasound was compared with postnatal gestational age assessment (Ballard examination).

Results

One hundred and seventy-eight women were enrolled. The majority of images were of good quality (94.3%, 509/540) although a learning curve was apparent with 17.5% (24/135) images of unacceptable quality in the first 25% of scans. Ultrasound was used to date 13% of the pregnancies when menstrual dates were unknown and changed the estimated gestational age for an additional 25%. There was poor agreement between the gestational age at delivery as established by the ultrasound protocol compared to that determined by the Ballard examination (bias 0.8 weeks, limits of agreement -3.5 weeks to 5.1 weeks). The distribution of gestational ages by Ballard suggested a clustering of gestational age around the mean with 87% of the values falling between 39 and 41 weeks. The distribution of gestational age by ultrasound confirmed menstrual dates was more typical. Using ultrasound confirmed dates as the gold standard, 78.5% of preterm infants were misclassified as term and 26.8% of small-for gestational age infants misclassified as appropriately grown by Ballard.

Conclusion

Ultrasound should be strongly considered in prospective malaria studies with obstetric endpoints to confirm gestational age and avoid misclassification of infants as premature or growth-restricted. The use of ultrasound does require a significant investment of time to maintain quality image acquisition.