Characteristics and Outcomes of Children Discharged With Nasoenteral Feeding Tubes.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics and outcomes of children discharged from the hospital with new nasoenteral tube (NET) use after acute hospitalization. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using multistate Medicaid data of children <18 years old with a claim for tube feeding supplies within 30 days after discharge from a nonbirth hospitalization between 2016 and 2019. Children with a gastrostomy tube (GT) or requiring home NET use in the 90 days before admission were excluded. Outcomes included patient characteristics and associated diagnoses, 30-day emergency department (ED-only) return visits and readmissions, and subsequent GT placement. RESULTS: We identified 1815 index hospitalizations; 77.8% were patients ≤5 years of age and 81.7% had a complex chronic condition. The most common primary diagnoses associated with index hospitalization were failure to thrive (11%), malnutrition (6.8%), and acute bronchiolitis (5.9%). Thirty-day revisits were common (49%), with 26.4% experiencing an ED-only return and 30.9% hospital readmission. Revisits with a primary diagnosis code for tube displacement/dysfunction (10.7%) or pneumonia/pneumonitis (0.3%) occurred less frequently. A minority (16.9%) of patients progressed to GT placement within 6 months, 22.3% by 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Children with a variety of acute and chronic conditions are discharged from the hospital with NET feeding. All-cause 30-day revisits are common, though revisits coded for specific tube-related complications occurred less frequently. A majority of patients do not progress to GT within a year. Home NET feeding may be useful for facilitating discharge among patients unable to meet their oral nutrition goals but should be weighed against the high revisit rate.

Who You Gonna Call? Outcomes of a Team-Based Approach to Respond to Disruptive Behavioral Issues in Hospitalized Patients.

BACKGROUND: The behavioral response system (BRS) at one institution is designed to bring immediate resources to bear when hospitalized patients experience acute episodes of disruptive behavior. The goal of this study was to describe the patient population, inciting events, and outcomes of the BRS. METHODS: The researchers identified all patients admitted to the institution from July 2016 to June 2017 for whom the BRS was activated. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between demographic and clinical characteristics and use of physical and/or chemical restraints. RESULTS: There were 271 BRS calls (range: 0-9 per day). One injury every month occurred for patients and hospital staff. Men, African Americans, and older patients were significantly overrepresented in BRS calls when compared to the overall hospital population. Either chemical or physical restraints were used in 68.7% of cases: 53.9% of patients (or visitors) received chemical restraints, 28.8% were placed in physical restraints, and 17.7% were placed in manual holds. In multivariate analyses, use of physical and chemical restraints were correlated with age ≥ 65 years. Having a dementia/delirium diagnosis was the only significant predictor of chemical restraints, and threatening harm to staff or self was a significant predictor of the use of physical restraints. CONCLUSION: Our study adds to the growing body of knowledge describing how BRSs interact with patients and hospital staff at large academic medical centers. Future studies should focus on investigating if implicit bias influences provider activation of the BRS and reducing the need for patient restraints.

Impact of hospitalist vs. non-hospitalist services on length of stay and 30-day readmission rate in hip fracture patients.

OBJECTIVES: Hip fracture is a common and morbid condition, affecting a patient population with significant medical co-morbidities. A number of medical co-management models have been studied, with conflicting reports of effect on patient outcomes. Our objective was to compare outcomes for patients with hip fracture managed by hospitalist vs. non-hospitalist services at an academic medical center. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with hip fracture over 1 year, comparing those on hospitalist vs. non-hospitalist services. Outcomes included 30-day readmission and hospitalization ≤7 days, with comparison between patients admitted to hospitalist vs. non-hospitalist services. We performed multivariate analysis, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance type, ASA score, and blood transfusion during hospitalization and days from admission to surgery. RESULTS: We identified 124 hospitalist and 53 non-hospitalist patients. In unadjusted analysis, hospitalist patients were more likely to have hospitalization ≤7 days (84.7% vs. 67.9%, p = 0.01). In adjusted analysis, hospitalist patients had lower odds of 30-day readmissions (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.04-0.97) but no difference in odds of hospitalization ≤7 days (OR 2.1, 95% CI 0.82-5.66). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with hip fracture managed by hospitalist vs. non-hospitalist services had lower odds of 30-day readmission after discharge. Our results suggest benefit to hospitalist co-management of hip fracture patients.

Who needs inpatient detox? Development and implementation of a hospitalist protocol for the evaluation of patients for alcohol detoxification.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians caring for patients seeking alcohol detoxification face many challenges, including lack of evidence-based guidelines for treatment and high recidivism rates. OBJECTIVES: To develop a standardized protocol for determining which alcohol dependent patients seeking detoxification need inpatient versus outpatient treatment, and to study the protocol's implementation. DESIGN: Review of best evidence by ad hoc task force and subsequent creation of standardized protocol. Prospective observational evaluation of initial protocol implementation. PARTICIPANTS: Patients presenting for alcohol detoxification. INTERVENTION: Development and implementation of a protocol for evaluation and treatment of patients requesting alcohol detoxification. MAIN MEASURES: Number of admissions per month with primary alcohol related diagnosis (DRG), 30-day readmission rate, and length of stay, all measured before and after protocol implementation. RESULTS: We identified one randomized clinical trial and three cohort studies to inform the choice of inpatient versus outpatient detoxification, along with one prior protocol in this population, and combined that data with clinical experience to create an institutional protocol. After implementation, the average number of alcohol related admissions was 15.9 per month, compared with 18.9 per month before implementation (p = 0.037). There was no difference in readmission rate or length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Creation and utilization of a protocol led to standardization of care for patients requesting detoxification from alcohol. Initial evaluation of protocol implementation showed a decrease in number of admissions.

A qualitative analysis of career transitions made by internal medicine-pediatrics residency training graduates.

BACKGROUND: Physicians who complete combined residency training in internal medicine and pediatrics (med-peds) have a variety of career options after training. Little is known about career transitions among this group or among other broadly trained physicians. METHODS: To better understand these career transitions, we conducted semistructured, in-depth, telephone interviews of graduates of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Medicine med-peds program who self-identified as having had a career transition since completing training. We qualitatively analyzed interview transcripts, to develop themes describing their career transitions. RESULTS: Of 106 physicians who graduated during 1980-2007, 20 participated in interviews. Participants identified factors such as personality, work environment, lifestyle, family, and finances as important to career transition. Five other themes emerged from the data; the following 4 were confirmed by follow-up interviews: (1) experiences during residency were not sufficient to predict future job satisfaction; work after the completion of training was necessary to discover career preferences; (2) a major factor motivating job change was a perceived lack of control in the workplace; (3) participants described a sense of regret if they did not continue to see both adult and pediatric patients as a result of their career change; (4) participants appreciated their broad training and, regardless of career path, would choose to pursue combined residency training again. LIMITATIONS: We included only a small number of graduates from a single institution. We did not interview graduates who had no career transitions after training. CONCLUSIONS: There are many professional opportunities for physicians trained in med-peds. Four consistent themes surfaced during interviews about med-peds career transitions. Future research should explore how to use these themes to help physicians make career choices and employers retain physicians.

Does this child have appendicitis?

CONTEXT: Evaluation of abdominal pain in children can be difficult. Rapid, accurate diagnosis of appendicitis in children reduces the morbidity of this common cause of pediatric abdominal pain. Clinical evaluation may help identify (1) which children with abdominal pain and a likely diagnosis of appendicitis should undergo immediate surgical consultation for potential appendectomy and (2) which children with equivocal presentations of appendicitis should undergo further diagnostic evaluation. OBJECTIVE: To systematically assess the precision and accuracy of symptoms, signs, and basic laboratory test results for evaluating children with possible appendicitis. DATA SOURCES: We searched English-language articles in MEDLINE (January 1966-March 2007) and the Cochrane Database, as well as physical examination textbooks and bibliographies of retrieved articles, yielding 2521 potentially relevant articles. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were included if they (1) provided primary data on children aged 18 years or younger in whom the diagnosis of appendicitis was considered; (2) presented medical history data, physical examination findings, or basic laboratory data; and (3) confirmed or excluded appendicitis by surgical pathologic findings, clinical observation, or follow-up. Of 256 full-text articles examined, 42 met inclusion criteria. DATA EXTRACTION: Twenty-five of 42 studies were assigned a quality level of 3 or better. Data from these studies were independently extracted by 2 reviewers. RESULTS: In children with abdominal pain, fever was the single most useful sign associated with appendicitis; a fever increases the likelihood of appendicitis (likelihood ratio [LR], 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4-4.8) and conversely, its absence decreases the chance of appendicitis (LR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.16-0.64). In select groups of children, in whom the diagnosis of appendicitis is suspected and evaluation undertaken, rebound tenderness triples the odds of appendicitis (summary LR, 3.0; 95% CI, 2.3-3.9), while its absence reduces the likelihood (summary LR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.14-0.55). Midabdominal pain migrating to the right lower quadrant (LR range, 1.9-3.1) increases the risk of appendicitis more than right lower quadrant pain itself (summary LR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0-1.5). A white blood cell count of less than 10,000/microL decreases the likelihood of appendicitis (summary LR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.17-0.30), as does an absolute neutrophil count of 6750/microL or lower (LR, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.03-0.16). Symptoms and signs are most useful in combination, particularly for identifying children who do not require further evaluation or intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Although the clinical examination does not establish a diagnosis of appendicitis with certainty, it is useful in determining which children with abdominal pain warrant immediate surgical evaluation for consideration of appendectomy and which children may warrant further diagnostic evaluation. More child-specific, age-stratified data are needed to improve the utility of the clinical examination for diagnosing appendicitis in children.

Intentional overdose with insulin glargine and insulin aspart.

Reports of intentional massive overdoses of insulin are infrequent. A review of the literature revealed no reports of overdose attempts with either insulin glargine or insulin aspart. We report the case of a 33-year-old woman without diabetes mellitus who intentionally injected herself with an overdose of both products, which belonged to her husband. She arrived at the emergency department 15 hours after her suicide attempt, which took place the night before. Her husband had checked her blood glucose level throughout the night and had given her high-carbohydrate drinks and foods. The patient had a history of obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression, and numerous suicide attempts. She recovered from the resulting hypoglycemia after 40 hours of dextrose infusion and was transferred to a mental health facility. The main danger associated with insulin overdose is the resultant hypoglycemia and its effects on the central nervous system; hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia, and hypomagnesemia also can develop with excess insulin administration. Dextrose infusion, with liberal oral intake when possible, and monitoring for electrolyte changes, making adjustments as needed, are recommended for the treatment of intentional insulin overdose.