ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Our study assessed the reliability of a transcutaneous hemoglobin (tcHgb) measurement as compared to a standard capillary hemoglobin (cHgb) measurement in screening for iron deficiency anemia in a single university-based pediatric outpatient clinic. METHODS: Study participants included all pediatric patients requiring a hemoglobin (Hgb) assessment from July 2019 to June 2020. A tcHgb measurement was attempted on all children who received a cHgb measurement. Additional variables evaluated were age, visit type, gender, insurance type, weight, BMI percentile and presence of comorbid conditions. RESULTS: Of 777 attempts, both cHgb and tcHgb were obtained in 196 children aged 9 months to 21 years. Attempts were most successful in children > 2 years of age due to finger size and ability to remain still for one to two minutes. The mean cHgb was 12.5 ± 1.5 g/dL, mean tcHgb value 13.1 ± 2.1 g/dL, and the mean difference was 0.6 ± 2.1 g/dL (tcHgb-cHgb). An intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.29. There were no differences with regards to age, visit type, gender, insurance type, weight, BMI percentile and presence of comorbid conditions. Bland-Altman analysis displayed a lack of agreement between the tcHgb and cHgb measurements and tcHgb tended to over-estimate Hgb values when the cHgb was low. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of a transcutaneous Hgb is less invasive for pediatric patients but has significant limitations. Smaller children (probe specifications) and movement limited the ability to obtain a tcHgb measurement in ~75% of children tested. Falsely normal tcHgb values occurred due to overestimation of hemoglobin when compared to the traditional cHgb device. The suboptimal sensitivity of the tcHgb device may cause providers to miss a diagnosis of anemia. Future research should compare both methods of Hgb assessment to the gold standard laboratory-analyzed complete blood count and use a smaller probe for children under 2, once available.
Subject(s)
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency , Hemoglobins , Adolescent , Ambulatory Care Facilities , Anemia, Iron-Deficiency/diagnosis , Child , Child, Preschool , Hemoglobins/analysis , Humans , Infant , Outpatients , Reproducibility of Results , Young AdultABSTRACT
A 7-year-old girl with a history of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), in remission, presented with the sudden appearance of multiple, agminated nevi. Skin biopsy revealed a benign junctional nevus, without recurrence of LCH. Subsequent immunohistochemical testing of both the skin and iliac wing biopsies demonstrated a BRAF V600E mutation. MAPK pathway mutations have been implicated in both LCH and nevogenesis.
Subject(s)
Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell , Nevus, Pigmented , Nevus , Skin Neoplasms , Child , Female , Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell/complications , Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell/diagnosis , Humans , Mutation , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local , Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf/geneticsABSTRACT
When evaluating pediatric patients with hyperpigmented lesions on the plantar aspect of the feet, the differential diagnosis should include talon noir, acral melanoma, and verruca with thrombosis. Talon noir are asymptomatic brown-black pigmented macules formed by intraepidermal hemorrhages of the feet caused by shear-force injury. Spontaneous resolution of talon noir typically occurs within 2-3 weeks. Clinicians should ensure that their patients who participate in sports have appropriately fitting shoes, which may prevent these lesions from occurring. This case report highlights a unique case of talon noir occurring in a young baseball player with an atypical distribution of plantar macules.
Subject(s)
Baseball , Melanoma , Purpura , Skin Neoplasms , Child , Hemorrhage , HumansSubject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/diagnosis , Brain Neoplasms/surgery , Dermoid Cyst/diagnosis , Dermoid Cyst/surgery , Nose Neoplasms/diagnosis , Nose Neoplasms/surgery , Brain Neoplasms/congenital , Child, Preschool , Dermoid Cyst/congenital , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Nose Neoplasms/congenitalABSTRACT
We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate timeliness of patient arrival at a pediatric multispecialty clinic. Bivariate and ordered logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the odds of late arrival by specified patient- and visit-level characteristics. A total of 64 856 visits were available for analysis, of which 6513 (10.0%) were late arrivals. The odds of late arrival were higher for patients who spoke English (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34, P < .001) compared with those who spoke Spanish, had Medicaid (OR = 1.54, P < .001) or no insurance (OR = 1.49, P < .001) compared with those with insurance other than Medicaid, and were late to their previous visit (OR = 2.46, P < .001). Visit-level variables associated with late arrival included appointment time earlier in the day (i.e. 8-10 am, OR = 2.77, P < .001 compared with 4-6 pm), earlier in the week (i.e. on Mondays, OR = 1.21, P < .001 compared with Wednesdays), and for certain subspecialty clinics ( P < .001). Numerous variables are significantly associated with late arrival for pediatric clinic appointments.
