Intensive Outpatient Treatment of Pediatric Rumination Syndrome in the Era of Telemedicine.

OBJECTIVES: We have had success treating children with severe rumination syndrome using a multidisciplinary intensive outpatient program (IOP) involving multiple treatment sessions daily. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we temporarily transitioned care to telemedicine. The objective of this study is to compare outcomes of patients with rumination syndrome who completed IOP treatment in person versus by telemedicine. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with rumination syndrome who participated in IOP treatment from 2018 to 2020. Similar treatment sessions were performed involving medical and behavioral techniques provided by a multidisciplinary team during telemedicine visits. Families/patients were asked to complete a survey outlining their child's current rumination symptom severity and review the IOP. RESULTS: We included 34 patients (79% F, median age 15 years, range 7-19 years) who completed IOP treatment. Twenty-six patients (76%) were treated in person and 8 patients (24%) by telemedicine. For patients treated in person, 76% (19/25) had improvement in symptoms while 16% (4/25) had complete resolution of symptoms. For patients treated by telemedicine, 88% (7/8) had improvement in their symptoms. There were no significant differences between groups in likelihood of improvement. Overall, 78% (18/23) preferred in person therapy while 17% (4/23) did not have a preference. All 18 of the in-person cohort who completed follow-up surveys preferred in-person management. CONCLUSIONS: Multidisciplinary intensive outpatient treatment for children and adolescents with severe rumination syndrome is effective. Although telemedicine may be an alternative to in person therapy, majority of families prefer in person visits.

Providing a Constipation Action Plan to Families of Children With Constipation Decreases Health Care Utilization.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether providing a constipation action plan (CAP) to families of children with constipation at outpatient gastroenterology (GI) visits affects health care utilization of the GI department. METHODS: We created a CAP to be included in the after visit summary of children seen in our GI Clinic. We compared the number of patient telephone calls, electronic messages, and urgent care (UC) visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations within 3 months after the visit of patients who received the CAP compared to those who did not using inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis. For families who received the CAP at a follow-up visit, we compared these variables in the 3 months before and after the CAP was provided using paired t test and McNemar's test as appropriate. RESULTS: We included 336 patients who received the CAP and 2812 who did not. After IPTW adjustment, there were fewer patient telephone calls for patients who received the CAP (P = 0.0006). The difference in patient electronic messages was not statistically significant (P = 0.09). For the 45 patients who received the CAP at a follow-up visit, there were on average 1.8 more patient telephone calls made prior to receiving the CAP than after (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.8-2.8; P = 0.0007) and 2.3 more patient electronic messages received (95% CI = 0.1-4.5; P = 0.04). There were no differences in UC/emergency department visits or hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: We found that providing a CAP to families of children with constipation decreases health care utilization. Further studies are needed to determine whether this impacts patient outcomes.

Pancreatitis in the Complex Care Population: Presentation, Incidence, and Severity.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the incidence and presentation of pancreatitis in Children with Medical Complexity (CMC) while evaluating severity of disease and outlining risk factors. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review between January 2010 and December 2019 of patients seen in the complex care clinic at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Data collected included sex, underlying diagnosis, family history of pancreatitis, type of pancreatitis, signs/symptoms, abdominal imaging, severity of attack, and presence of various risk factors associated with pancreatitis. Severity and diagnosis of pancreatitis was determined based on North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition criteria. RESULTS: One hundred and twelve patients from both institutions were included, 62% from NCH, median age 11.5 [interquartile range (IQR): 5-16 years], 50% male. Most patients were less than 18 years of age with a median age of 8 years (IQR: 4-13 years). Underlying diagnoses included seizures (67%), cerebral palsy/spastic quadriplegia (65%), diabetes (3.6%), and mitochondrial disease (3%). Majority of patients were found to have multiple underlying diagnoses (88%). Incidence of pancreatitis for both institutions was 336 of 100,000 patients/year which is significantly higher than the general pediatric population ( P < 0.0001). Majority of first episodes of pancreatitis were mild (82%) with abdominal pain as the predominant symptom (50%). Adult patients were more likely to have pancreatitis related to medication use than pediatric patients (70% vs 38%, respectively P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals in the CMC population at our institutions have a high incidence of pancreatitis with unique risk factors compared to the general pediatric/young adult populations.

Postcolectomy Enteritis in a Pediatric Patient With Ulcerative Colitis.

Postcolectomy enteritis is characterized by diffuse small bowel inflammatory changes following colectomy for medically refractory ulcerative colitis. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, massive intestinal bleeding, intestinal perforation, and high stoma output. While the exact pathogenesis is unknown, immune dysregulation with increased cytokine and inflammatory cell response is suspected to lead to the inflammatory response. Therefore, immunosuppressive medications are the mainstay for treatment. All cases to date have been described in adult patients. We present a case of postcolectomy enteritis in a pediatric patient who improved without significant intervention.

Abdominal migraines: Variations in diagnosis and care between pediatric gastroenterologists and neurologists. / Migraña Abdominal: Variaciones en el diagnóstico y tratamiento entre gastroenterólogos y neurólogos pediatras.

INTRODUCTION: Abdominal migraine (AM) is uncommon and understudied. Our objective was to investigate the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with AM and compare with that of pediatric gastroenterologists and neurologists. PATIENTS AND METHOD: All AM cases (1-18 years) from a USA hospital with diagnosis of abdominal migraine or its variants (ICD-9 346.2 or IC-10 G43.D, G43.D0, G43.D1) between 2011 and 2017 were reviewed. Information on diagnosis, interval from onset of symptoms, diagnostic criteria, diagnostic tests, treatment, and outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: 69 medical records were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.7 years, and 48% of patients were female. 50/69 (72.4%) patients were exclusively treated by a pediatric gastroenterologist and 10/69 (14.5%) exclusively by a pediatric neurologist. 6/69 (8.7%) were initially evaluated by gas troenterology and referred to neurology, and 2/69 (2.9%) were initially evaluated by neurology and then referred to gastroenterology. 3/10 (30%) of the AM diagnosed by neurologists did no report ab dominal pain (AP), however, all diagnoses made by gastroenterologists did (p = 0.0035). 5/50 (10%) of the gastroenterology medical records and no neurology medical records mentioned Rome criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the children were diagnosed by pediatric gastroenterologists. Gastroenterolo gists rarely use the Rome criteria. Patients evaluated by neurologists are frequently diagnosed with AM even without AP (a criterion that is required for its diagnosis). Education is recommended for the correct and timely diagnosis of AM.

Migraña Abdominal: variaciones en el diagnóstico y tratamiento entre gastroenterólogos y neurólogos pediatras / Abdominal migraines: variations in diagnosis and care between pediatric gastroenterologists and neurologists

Resumen: Introducción: La migraña abdominal (MA) es infrecuente y poco estudiada. Nuestro objetivo fue investigar el diagnóstico y tratamiento de niños y adolescentes con MA y compararlos entre gastroen terólogos y neurólogos pediatras. Pacientes y Método: Todos los cuadros de MA (1-18 años) de un hospital de EE. UU, con diagnóstico de MA o sus variantes (ICD-9 346.2 o IC-10 G43.D, G43.D0, G43.D1) entre 2011-2017 fueron revisados. La información sobre diagnóstico, intervalo desde inicio de síntomas, criterios diagnósticos, pruebas diagnósticas, tratamiento y resultado se analizaron. Re sultados: Sesenta y nueve historias médicas fueron identificadas. La edad media al diagnóstico fue 9,7 años. El 48% de los pacientes fueron del sexo femenino. Cincuenta (72,4%) pacientes fueron tratados solo por gastroenterólogos pediatras, y 10/69 (14,5%) por neurológos pediatras exclusivamente. 6/69 (8,7%) fueron inicialmente evaluados por gastroenterología y posteriormente referidos a neurología, y 2/69 (2,9%) fueron inicialmente evaluados por neurología y luego referidos a gastroenterología. 3/10 (30%) de las MA diagnosticadas por neurólogos no mencionaban que el paciente tuviera dolor abdominal, sin embargo, todos los diagnósticos realizados por gastroenterólogos presentaron dicho síntoma (p=0,0035). 5/50 (10%) de las historias médicas de gastroenterología y ninguna de las histo rias de neurología mencionaban los criterios de Roma. Conclusiones: La mayoría de los niños fueron diagnosticados por pediatras gastroenterólogos. Los gastroenterólogos rara vez utilizaron los criterios de Roma. Pacientes evaluados por neurología son frecuentemente diagnosticados con MA, incluso sin presentar dolor abdominal (criterio necesario para el diagnóstico). Se recomienda educación para el correcto y oportuno diagnóstico de la migraña abdominal.

Abstract: Introduction: Abdominal migraine (AM) is uncommon and understudied. Our objective was to investigate the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with AM and compare with that of pediatric gastroenterologists and neurologists. Patients and Method: All AM cases (1-18 years) from a USA hospital with diagnosis of abdominal migraine or its variants (ICD-9 346.2 or IC-10 G43.D, G43.D0, G43.D1) between 2011 and 2017 were reviewed. Information on diagnosis, interval from onset of symptoms, diagnostic criteria, diagnostic tests, treatment, and outcome were analyzed. Results: 69 medical records were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.7 years, and 48% of patients were female. 50/69 (72.4%) patients were exclusively treated by a pediatric gastroenterologist and 10/69 (14.5%) exclusively by a pediatric neurologist. 6/69 (8.7%) were initially evaluated by gas troenterology and referred to neurology, and 2/69 (2.9%) were initially evaluated by neurology and then referred to gastroenterology. 3/10 (30%) of the AM diagnosed by neurologists did no report ab dominal pain (AP), however, all diagnoses made by gastroenterologists did (p = 0.0035). 5/50 (10%) of the gastroenterology medical records and no neurology medical records mentioned Rome criteria. Conclusions: Most of the children were diagnosed by pediatric gastroenterologists. Gastroenterolo gists rarely use the Rome criteria. Patients evaluated by neurologists are frequently diagnosed with AM even without AP (a criterion that is required for its diagnosis). Education is recommended for the correct and timely diagnosis of AM.