PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY CARE

Current Evidence on the Care of Young Infants With Hypothermia in the Emergency Department
Ramgopal S, Lo YHJ, Potisek NM, Money NM, Halvorson EE, Cruz AT and Rogers AJ
The presence of hypothermia among young infants in the emergency department may be a sign of serious or invasive bacterial infections, or invasive herpes simplex viral infection. However, hypothermia may also occur due to a variety of other infectious and noninfectious conditions or environmental exposure. In some settings, hypothermia may represent a protective, energy-conserving response to illness. Recent efforts have enhanced our understanding of the prevalence of serious infections among infants with hypothermia, although challenges remain due to lack of standardized definitions and comprehensive guidelines. There exists extensive variation in the care of young infants with hypothermia. Risk factors for serious bacterial infections in infants with hypothermia, as identified in single-center and multicenter retrospective studies, include lower temperatures, older age, and abnormalities in blood and urine testing. Given the absence of clear guidelines, management of infants with hypothermia relies heavily on clinician judgment and shared decision making, guided by individual patient assessments and risk factors. This review article summarizes existing evidence and identifies gaps in the management of infants (<90 days) with hypothermia in the emergency department.
Current Evidence on the Care of Young Infants With Hypothermia in the Emergency Department
Pharmacotherapy for Agitation Management in a Pediatric Emergency Department
Brasel K, LaScala E, Weeda E and Rarrick C
In the treatment of agitation in a pediatric emergency department (PED), it is common to use once or as needed (PRN) medications when nonpharmacological management options have failed. Currently, there is limited available evidence on the treatment of pediatric agitation. The objective of this analysis was to characterize the prescribing practices of once or PRN medications for the treatment of agitation in a PED at an academic medical center.
Does Virtual Interviewing Provide the Information for a Satisfactory Rank Decision?: A Perspective From the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Interviews
Gotewal S, Feng SY, Bansal BBC and Nesiama JA
The primary aim of this study was to determine whether current fellows and program directors in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) were satisfied with virtual interviewing (VI) in terms of their respective matches. The secondary goal was to assess areas in which the virtual interview process could be improved.
Procedural Entrustment Alignment Between Pediatric Residents and Their Preceptors in the Pediatric Emergency Department
Goldman MP, Slade MD, Gielissen K, Hirsch AW, Prabhu EA, Dunne DW and Auerbach MA
Entrustment describes the balance of supervision and autonomy between resident and preceptor to complete doctoring tasks like procedures. Entrustment alignment between resident and preceptor facilitates safe, successful outcomes, and promotes learning. Study objectives describe procedural entrustment alignment between senior pediatric residents and their preceptors and report the impact of a simulation-based formative assessment (SFA) on entrustment alignment.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound of a Pediatric Mediastinal Mass: A Case Report
Greenwald P and Rabiner JE
Point-of-care ultrasound may be used for identification of thoracic pathology, including mediastinal masses. In this case report, we describe the case of an otherwise healthy 17-year-old boy who presented with generalized pruritis. Point-of-care ultrasound was useful in identifying a complex cystic and solid mediastinal mass extending into the thoracic cavities as well as an associated pericardial effusion.
Postintubation Sedation of Pediatric Patients in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Wynia E, Baumgartner K, Yaeger LH, Ancona R, Wiltrakis S and Fuller BM
Postintubation sedation is a critical intervention for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Research in the intensive care unit (ICU) and adult emergency department (ED) demonstrates that appropriate postintubation sedation has a significant impact on patient outcomes. There are minimal published data regarding postintubation sedation for pediatric ED patients.
Review of Point-of-Care Diaphragmatic Ultrasound in Emergency Medicine: Background, Techniques, Achieving Competency, Research, and Recommendations
Review of Point-of-Care Diaphragmatic Ultrasound in Emergency Medicine: Background, Techniques, Achieving Competency, Research, and Recommendations
Kharasch SJ, Salandy S, Hoover P and Kharasch V
The diaphragm is the major muscle of inspiration accounting for approximately 70% of the inspired tidal volume. Point-of-care diaphragmatic ultrasound offers the ability to quantitatively assess diaphragmatic function, perform serial evaluations over time, and visualize structures above and below the diaphragm. Although interest in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) of the diaphragm is developing in the emergency medicine, assessment of the diaphragm and its function is not recognized as a core application by national organizations or expert guidelines. As a result, it is infrequently performed, and its potential value in research or clinical practice may not be fully appreciated. The purpose of this review is to describe the developmental aspects of the diaphragm as it pertains to POCUS, discuss the POCUS techniques for evaluating diaphragmatic function, address competency acquisition in this POCUS application, summarize relevant research in the ED, and provide a summary of recommendations for further research and clinical utilization of POCUS in diaphragm evaluation.
Evaluation of Generative Artificial Intelligence Models in Predicting Pediatric Emergency Severity Index Levels
Ho B, Lu M, Wang X, Butler R, Park J and Ren D
Evaluate the accuracy and reliability of various generative artificial intelligence (AI) models (ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4.0, T5, Llama-2, Mistral-Large, and Claude-3 Opus) in predicting Emergency Severity Index (ESI) levels for pediatric emergency department patients and assess the impact of medically oriented fine-tuning.
A Qualitative Assessment of Barriers, Facilitators, and Outcomes in a Simulation-Based Collaborative Quality Improvement Program: The ImPACTS Project
Alletag MJ, Kant S, Van Ittersum WL, Walls TA, Montgomery EE, Anderson HL, Mannenbach MS and Auerbach MA
ImPACTS (Improving Acute Care Through Simulation) is a collaborative simulation-based program partnering pediatric specialty centers ("hubs") with general emergency departments (GEDs) to improve pediatric acute care. Objective measurements of ImPACTS, such as evaluating Pediatric Readiness Score (PRS) and simulation-based outcome improvements, have been reported previously. Barriers to and facilitators of program involvement and the downstream effects of the program have not been previously described. This study explores these aspects and key drivers for successful collaboration.
A National Survey of Caregiver Needs and Experiences When Attending the Emergency Department
Ali S, Rahimi A, Rajagopal M, Ma K, Yaskina M, Clerc P, Stang A, Beer D, Poonai N, Kam A, Principi T, Gardner K, Wright B, Plint A, Gouin S, Schreiner K, Scott SD and
Despite being a frequent entry point of care, it remains unknown if families' needs are being met across pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). Study objectives were to describe caregivers' perceived overall PED experience and needs and to what extent these needs were met.
Spinal Anatomy Ultrasound in Young Infants With Implications for Lumbar Puncture
Rinaldi MB, Lipton M, Kidd R, Arnold DH and Levine MC
Lumbar puncture (LP) in young infants may challenge clinicians due to the infrequency of the procedure and anatomic variability. The use of ultrasound (US) to characterize young infant spinal anatomy prior to performing an LP may help determine the most favorable site for intervention.
Firearm Injury Risk Prediction Among Children Transported by 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Services: A Machine Learning Analysis
Newgard CD, Babcock S, Malveau S, Lin A, Goldstick J, Carter P, Cook JNB, Song X, Wei R, Salvi A, Fallat ME, Kuppermann N, Jenkins PC, Fein JA and Mann NC
Among children transported by ambulance across the United States, we used machine learning models to develop a risk prediction tool for firearm injury using basic demographic information and home ZIP code matched to publicly available data sources.
Intensive Asthma Therapy and Intravenous Magnesium Sulfate in the Emergency Department Management of Pediatric Asthma
Chiappetta M, Merolla DM, Spencer P and DeLaroche AM
The aim of the stud is to determine whether intravenous magnesium sulfate (IVMg) is associated with hospitalization and time to albuterol every 4 hours in a cohort of children who received intensive asthma therapy (IAT) in the emergency department (ED).
Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Pregnancy Among Adolescents Experiencing Sex Trafficking
Ficker W, Ehrhardt-Humbert L and Reynolds S
There is a lack of data regarding the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy among adolescents experiencing sex trafficking. This study aimed to determine the incidence proportion of STIs and pregnancy among adolescents evaluated for sex trafficking at an urban tertiary children's hospital compared to the community adolescent population.
Connecticut Pediatric Opioid Poisoning Trends Surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic
Collazo SD, Smith SR and Hunter AA
Opioids are common substances involved in poisonings with increasing rates in fentanyl-related mortality since 2014. The COVID-19 pandemic compromised school attendance and supervision, which may have increased the risk of opioid ingestions in children. Our objective was to evaluate pediatric opioid poisonings in Connecticut before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Missed Opportunity for Initial Diagnosis in Children With Complex Appendicitis
Srinivas S, Svetanoff WJ, Kalsotra S, Rachwal B, Akbar T, Griffin KL, Su M, Kenney B, Van Arendonk K and Besner GE
Delayed diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children may result in complex appendicitis with appendiceal perforation. Delayed diagnosis can result from missed opportunity for initial diagnosis (MOID) despite medical attention. Studies report MOID of less than 5% in pediatric emergency departments (EDs), but we hypothesized that many MOID occurs outside tertiary care facilities. Our goals were to determine the MOID rate in all presenting facilities in children with complex appendicitis and to identify associated risk factors.
Accuracy of ICD-10 Codes for Suicidal Ideation and Action in Pediatric Emergency Department Encounters
Xu R, Bode L, Geva A, Mandl KD and McMurry AJ
According to the ideation-to-action framework of suicidality, suicidal ideation and suicidal action arise via distinct trajectories. Studying suicidality under this framework requires accurate identification of both ideation and action. We sought to assess the accuracy of International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for suicidal ideation and action in emergency department encounters.
Changes in Emergency Department Practices After Implementation of a Standardized Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Guideline
Isaacson EE, Isa RS, Monge MC, Pike J, Compton S, Afriyie-Gray A and Salazar C
The aim of the study is to assess the effect of an emergency department (ED) standardized clinical guideline for adolescent heavy menstrual bleeding on the rate of return ED visits and ED provider history-taking and management of this condition.
Code Milk: Finding the Pulse of Lactation Culture, Practices, and Preferences of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows
Goli SG, Sebok-Syer SS, Halpern-Felsher B, Goyal S, Wang NE and Fang A
The aim of the study is to characterize the lactation goals and practice of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellows and to identify areas of improvement related to 1) policy awareness, 2) departmental culture and accommodations, and 3) lactation space and time.