The Clinical Definition of Children With Medical Complexity: A Modified Delphi Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Children with medical complexity (CMC) comprise a subgroup of children with severe chronic diseases. A conceptual definition for CMC has been formulated, but there is no agreement on criteria to fulfill each of the 4 proposed domains: diagnostic conditions, functional limitations, health care use, and family-identified needs. Our objective with this study was to identify a standardized definition of CMC. METHODS: Through a scoping review of the CMC literature, we identified potential criteria to fulfill each domain. These were incorporated into an electronic survey that was completed by a geographic and professionally varied panel of 81 American and Canadian respondents with expertise in managing CMC (response rate 70%) as part of a 4-iteration Delphi procedure. Respondents were asked to vote for the inclusion of each criterion in the definition, and for those with quantitative components (eg, hospitalization rates), to generate a consensus threshold value for meeting that criterion. The final criteria were analyzed by a committee and collapsed when situations of redundancy arose. RESULTS: Of 1411 studies considered, 132 informed 55 criteria for the initial survey, which was presented to 81 respondents. Consensus for inclusion was reached on 48 criteria and for exclusion on 1 criterion. The committee collapsed those 48 criteria into 39 final criteria, 1 for diagnostic conditions, 2 for functional limitations, 13 for health care use, and 23 for family needs. CONCLUSIONS: These results represent the first consensus-based, standardized definition of CMC. Standardized identification is needed to advance understanding of their epidemiology and outcomes, as well as to rigorously study treatment strategies and care models.

Determinants of scholarly project completion in a paediatric resident program in Canada.

BACKGROUND: The primary aims of this study were to: 1) assess barriers and facilitators of completing scholarly projects from residents and faculty mentor perspectives, 2) determine the perceived value of new initiatives designed to support resident scholarly projects and 3) determine if these initiatives led to changes in resident publications. DESIGN AND METHODS: Between June and September 2014, we surveyed 18 paediatric residents and 41 faculty mentors regarding barriers to resident scholarly project completion and the value of new initiatives to support scholarly activity. We also tracked scientific publications by residents before and after implementation of these initiatives. RESULTS: The primary perceived barriers to research for residents and faculty were lack of protected time (64.3% versus 68.6%, respectively), lack of resident interest in scholarly activity (50.0% versus 60.0%, respectively) and lack of mentor motivation. Mentors and residents did not agree that lack of proper training in research (29% versus 54%, respectively) and faculty motivation (29% versus 17%, respectively) were barriers to completing a project. A dedicated research coordinator (71.4% versus 70.6%, respectively), a revised research curriculum (71.4% versus 41.2%, respectively) and works in progress sessions (50.0% versus 61.8%, respectively) were perceived as valuable initiatives to the program. These initiatives were not associated with changes in annual resident publication rates. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of time and competing clinical training are primary barriers to scholarly project completion for residents in addition to a lack of motivation on the part of faculty members. Improving program support was perceived as positive changes to address these barriers but did not increase resident publication rates. The information provided here could be used to tailor future resident research programs and highlight the value of gathering input from resident and faculty when designing initiatives to enhance resident research productivity.

Factors associated with low physical activity levels following pediatric cardiac transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Objectively measured MVPA levels following pediatric cardiac transplantation are unknown despite physical health implications. We sought to determine factors associated with MVPA in a pediatric cohort who had undergone cardiac transplantation. METHODS: Study assessments included maximal exercise testing (VO(2) max), accelerometry, and physical activity (HAES) and functional health status (CHQ-PF50) questionnaires. RESULTS: Participants (n = 20, 60% male, age: 11.8 ± 3.0 yr old) had a VO(2) max of 28.5 ± 6.8 mL/kg/min (%-predicted: 65 ± 14%) and maximal heart rate of 154 ± 16 beats/min (%-predicted: 73 ± 7.5%). Participants performed a median of 7.6 min/day (Q1 4.0 min/day, Q3 11.0 min/day) of MVPA. Each additional year of age at transplantation was associated with a decrease of 1.9 [1.0] min/day of MVPA (p = 0.07). Predicted VO(2) max, maximal power output, male sex, and age at study enrollment were not associated with an increase in MVPA. Parents' perception of their child's functional health status (CHQ-PF50) was lower on general health (p < 0.01) and family activity (p < 0.01) domains relative to a population-based cohort of parents reporting on healthy children. CONCLUSION: Pediatric cardiac transplantation recipients may be indicated to participate in cardiac rehabilitation to optimize physical activity levels.

Developmental origins of type 2 diabetes in aboriginal youth in Canada: it is more than diet and exercise.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is classically viewed as a disease of adults caused by poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and obesity. However, with increasing awareness of the heterogeneity of T2DM, new risk factors are being identified that add complexity. Some of these new risk factors have been identified in Canadian people with Aboriginal Oji-Cree heritage, a group that demonstrates one of the highest rates of T2DM in the world. This high prevalence may be due to the rapid change, over the past 50 years, away from their traditional way of life on the land. Another environmental change is the increased rate of pregnancies complicated by obesity, gestational diabetes, or T2DM, resulting in more children being exposed to an abnormal intrauterine environment. Furthermore, the Oji-Cree of central Canada possesses the unique HNF-1α G319S polymorphism associated with reduced insulin secretion. We propose that intrauterine exposure to maternal obesity and T2DM, associated with the HNF-1α G319S polymorphism, results in fetal programming that accelerates the progression of early-onset T2DM. This paper describes the evolution of T2DM in children with a focus on the Oji-Cree people over the past 25 years and the unique prenatal and postnatal gene-environment interaction causing early-onset T2DM.

Corticosteroid administration for patients with coronary artery aneurysms after Kawasaki disease may be associated with impaired regression.

INTRODUCTION: Corticosteroid administration in Kawasaki disease (KD) is controversial but accepted as treatment for patients who do not respond to initial treatment. The impact of corticosteroids on evolving coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) and future vascular remodelling is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: The clinical history of 80 patients (73% male; median age at diagnosis 2.2 years) seen from 1990 to 2008 with CAAs after KD were reviewed, 19 (24%) of whom received systemic corticosteroids in the acute phase (14 for ≤ 3 days, 5 for 4+ days). CAA z-scores were assessed at baseline, 2-3 months, and 1 year after the acute phase. Linear regression models adjusted for repeated measures were used to determine the association between change in CAA z-score over time and corticosteroid use, adjusting for patient age at diagnosis, gender, intravenous immunoglobulin use, total days of fever, albumin level, hemoglobin level and platelet count. RESULTS: The corticosteroid treated group had longer duration of fever in the acute phase (median 17 vs. 11 days, p=0.04). Adjusted CAA z-scores at diagnosis, 2-3 months and 1 year follow-up for CAA in the left anterior descending decreased (from +5.5 to +3.5 to +1.9) in those not treated with corticosteroids, but progressed for those treated with corticosteroids (from +7.4 to +17.5 to +15.8), regardless of duration of corticosteroid treatment. Similar results were noted for CAA of the right coronary artery and the left main coronary artery. CONCLUSIONS: The use of corticosteroids in the acute phase of KD for patients with evolving CAAs may be associated with worsening involvement and impaired vascular remodelling and warrants further study.

Population trends toward increasing cardiovascular risk factors in Canadian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To determine prevalence and cross-sectional trends over time for cardiovascular risk factors in Canadian adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional trends in cardiovascular risk and lifestyle factors were gathered annually in 14- to 15-year-old students in the Niagara region, Ontario, Canada. RESULTS: A total of 20 719 adolescents were screened between 2002 and 2008. The proportion of obese adolescents (>95th percentile for body mass index [BMI]) increased significantly, by +0.34%/year (P = .002). The proportions of adolescents with borderline high cholesterol (4.4-5.1 mmol/L) (+0.57%/year; P <.001) and with high cholesterol (≥5.2 mmol/L) (+0.43%/year; P <.001) both increased significantly over time. The proportion of adolescents with prehypertension decreased by -0.23%/year (P = .02), whereas the proportion of those with stage I hypertension (5%-6%) or stage II hypertension (2%-4%) remained constant. The proportion of adolescents classified as being at high cardiovascular risk increased by +0.67%/year (P <.001). Family history, low levels of physical activity, sedentary behaviors, poor nutrition, and lower socioeconomic status were all independently and negatively associated with all aspects of cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of 14- to 15-year-old Canadian adolescents have at least one cardiovascular risk factor, and the cross-sectional trends worsened during the period 2002-2008.

Improved classification of coronary artery abnormalities based only on coronary artery z-scores after Kawasaki disease.

Competing definitions and classifications of coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) after Kawasaki disease (KD) have been arbitrarily defined based on clinical experience. We sought to propose a classification system for CAAs based only on coronary artery z-scores. All echocardiograms performed between 1990 and 2007 on patients with a previous history of KD were reviewed. Coronary artery luminal dimensions were converted to body-surface-area-adjusted z-scores and compared to current classification systems. A total of 1356 patients with a previous history of KD underwent 4379 echocardiograms. There was important overlap in the distributions of coronary artery z-scores between the different CAA classes as defined by the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA classification underestimated the severity of CAAs in 19-32% of small CAAs and 35-78% of medium CAAs. We determined the optimal definition of CAA to be small if the z-score is >or=2.5 to <5.0, large if the z-score is >or=5.0 to <10.0, and giant if the z-score is >or=10.0. This classification seems to appropriately apply to the circumflex branch despite a lack of normal values for this branch. The current AHA classification might not accurately classify CAAs in KD patients. Accurate classification is important for defining management and prognosis consistently across patient age and size.