Intranasal fentanyl and discharge from the emergency department among children with sickle cell disease and vaso-occlusive pain: A multicenter pediatric emergency medicine perspective.

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) commonly experience vaso-occlusive pain episodes (VOE) due to sickling of erythrocytes, which often requires care in the emergency department. Our objective was to assess the use and impact of intranasal fentanyl for the treatment of children with SCD-VOE on discharge from the emergency department in a multicenter study. We conducted a cross-sectional study at 20 academic pediatric emergency departments in the United States and Canada. We used logistic regression to test bivariable and multivariable associations between the outcome of discharge from the emergency department and candidate variables theoretically associated with discharge. The study included 400 patients; 215 (54%) were female. The median age was 14.6 (interquartile range 9.8, 17.6) years. Nineteen percent (n = 75) received intranasal fentanyl in the emergency department. Children who received intranasal fentanyl had nearly nine-fold greater adjusted odds of discharge from the emergency department compared to those who did not (adjusted odds ratio 8.99, 95% CI 2.81-30.56, p < .001). The rapid onset of action and ease of delivery without intravenous access offered by intranasal fentanyl make it a feasible initial parenteral analgesic in the treatment of children with SCD presenting with VOE in the acute-care setting. Further study is needed to determine potential causality of the association between intranasal fentanyl and discharge from the emergency department observed in this multicenter study.

Normal saline bolus use in pediatric emergency departments is associated with poorer pain control in children with sickle cell anemia and vaso-occlusive pain.

Vaso-occlusive pain events (VOE) are the leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits in sickle cell anemia (SCA). This study assessed the variability in use of intravenous fluids (IVFs), and the association of normal saline bolus (NSB), on pain and other clinical outcomes in children with SCA, presenting to pediatric emergency departments (PED) with VOE. Four-hundred charts of children age 3-21 years with SCA/VOE receiving parenteral opioids at 20 high-volume PEDs were evaluated in a retrospective study. Data on type and amount of IVFs used were collected. Patients were divided into two groups: those who received NSB and those who did not. The association of NSB use on change in pain scores and admission rates was evaluated. Among 400 children studied, 261 (65%) received a NSB. Mean age was 13.8 ± 4.9 years; 46% were male; 92% had hemoglobin-SS. The IVFs (bolus and/or maintenance) were used in 84% of patients. Eight different types of IVFs were utilized and IVF volume administered varied widely. Mean triage pain scores were similar between groups, but improvement in pain scores from presentation-to-ED-disposition was smaller in the NSB group (2.2 vs 3.0, P = .03), while admission rates were higher (71% vs 59%, P = .01). Use of NSB remained associated with poorer final pain scores and worse change in pain scores in our multivariable model. In conclusion, wide variations in practice utilizing IVFs are common. NSB is given to >50% of children with SCA/VOE, but is associated with poorer pain control; a controlled prospective trial is needed to determine causality.

Epistaxis as a Common Presenting Symptom of Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia, a Rare Qualitative Platelet Disorder: Illustrative Case Examples.

Children often present to emergency departments (EDs) with uncontrollable nose bleeding. Although usually due to benign etiologies, epistaxis may be the presenting symptom of an inherited bleeding disorder. Whereas most bleeding disorders are detected through standard hematologic assessments, diagnosing rare platelet function disorders may be challenging. Here we present two case reports and review diagnostic and management challenges of platelet function disorders with a focus on Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT). Patient 1 was a 4-year-old boy with uncontrolled epistaxis. His medical history included frequent and easy bruising. Previous laboratory evaluation revealed only mild microcytic anemia. An otolaryngologist stopped the bleeding, and referral to a pediatric hematologist led to the definitive diagnosis of GT. Patient 2 was a 2.5-year-old girl with severe epistaxis and a history of milder recurrent epistaxis. She had a bruise on her abdomen with a palpable hematoma and many scattered petechiae. Previous assessments revealed no demonstrable hemostatic anomalies. Platelet aggregation studies were performed following referral to a pediatric hematologist, leading to the diagnosis of GT. As evidenced by these cases, the ED physician may often be the first to evaluate severe or recurrent epistaxis and should recognize indications for coagulation testing and hematology consultation/referral for advanced hematologic assessments.

Presenting symptoms of pediatric brain tumors diagnosed in the emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to categorize the symptoms associated with brain tumors as diagnosed in the emergency department (ED). The secondary objective is to detail the specific characteristics of these headaches via a subgroup analysis. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed among patients younger than 18 years presenting to a large urban tertiary care facility. Electronic medical records were searched and reviewed from 2002 to 2011 for inpatient discharge diagnoses using malignant and benign central nervous system tumor International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. RESULTS: The electronic records of ED visits for 87 patients were reviewed. The most frequent signs and symptoms were as follows: headache (66.7%), hydrocephalus (58.6%), nausea/vomiting (49.4%), gait disturbance (42.5%), vision changes (20.7%), seizure (17.2%), behavior/school change (17.2%), cranial nerve deficits (16.1%), altered mental status (16.1%), back/neck pain (16.1%), papilledema (12.6%), facial asymmetry (10.3%), sensory deficits (8.0%), focal motor weakness (6.9%), cranial nerve 6 deficit (6.9%), ptosis (5.7%), macrocephaly (4.6%), asymptomatic (3.4%), and anisocoria (1.1%). The frequencies of location of headache were diffuse (24.1%), frontal (12.1%), occipital (8.6%), and parietal/temporal (6.9%). The severity was described as severe (37.9%) followed by moderate and mild (10.3% and 5.2%, respectively). Most headaches occurred in the morning (13.8%) and night (12.1%), and their quality was predominantly progressively worsening (50.0%) CONCLUSIONS: Brain tumors diagnosed in the ED most commonly present with headache, hydrocephalus, nausea/vomiting, and gate disturbances. The headaches are described as progressively worsening and diffuse most commonly occurring in the morning and night.

Diastolic hypotension is an unrecognized risk factor for ß-agonist-associated myocardial injury in children with asthma.

OBJECTIVES: Tachycardia and diastolic hypotension have been associated with ß-2 agonist use. In the setting of ß-agonist-induced chronotropy and inotropy, diastolic hypotension may limit myocardial blood flow. We hypothesized that diastolic hypotension is associated with ß-agonist use and that diastolic hypotension and tachycardia are associated with biochemical evidence of myocardial injury in children with asthma. DESIGN: Two patient cohorts were collected. The first, consisting of patients transported for respiratory distress having received at least 10 mg of albuterol, was studied for development of tachycardia and hypotension. The second, consisting of patients who had troponin measured during treatment for status asthmaticus with continuous albuterol, was studied for factors associated with elevated troponin. Exclusion criteria for both cohorts included age younger than 2 years old, sepsis, pneumothorax, cardiac disease, and antihypertensive use. Albuterol dose, other medications, and vital signs were collected. Diastolic and systolic hypotension were defined as an average value below the fifth percentile for age and tachycardia as average heart rate above the 98th percentile for age. PATIENTS: Ninety of 1,390 children transported for respiratory distress and 64 of 767 children with status asthmaticus met inclusion criteria. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Diastolic hypotension occurred in 56% and 98% of the first and second cohorts, respectively; tachycardia occurred in 94% and 95% of the first and second cohorts, respectively. Diastolic hypotension and tachycardia had a weak linear correlation with albuterol dose (p = 0.02 and p = 0.005, respectively). Thirty-six percent had troponin > 0.1 ng/mL (range, 0-12.6). In multivariate analysis, interaction between diastolic hypotension and tachycardia alone was associated with elevated troponin (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Diastolic hypotension and tachycardia are dose-dependent side effects of high-dose albuterol. In high-risk patients with status asthmaticus treated with albuterol, diastolic hypotension and tachycardia are associated with biochemical evidence of myocardial injury. Diastolic hypotension, especially combined with tachycardia, could be a reversible risk factor for myocardial injury related to ß-agonist use.

Increased cytochrome c in rat cerebrospinal fluid after cardiac arrest and its effects on hypoxic neuronal survival.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins may be useful biomarkers of neuronal death and ultimate prognosis after hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Cytochrome c has been identified in the CSF of children following traumatic brain injury. Cytochrome c is required for cellular respiration but it is also a central component of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Thus, in addition to serving as a biomarker, cytochrome c release into CSF may have an effect upon survival of adjacent neurons. In this study, we use Western blot and ELISA to show that cytochrome c is elevated in CSF obtained from pediatric rats following resuscitation from cardiac arrest. Using biotinylated human cytochrome c in culture media we show that cytochrome c crosses the cell membrane and is incorporated into mitochondria of neurons exposed to anoxia. Lastly, we show that addition of human cytochrome c to primary neuronal culture exposed to anoxia improves survival. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show cytochrome c is elevated in CSF following hypoxic ischemic brain injury. Results from primary neuronal culture suggest that extracellular cytochrome c is able to cross the cell membrane of injured neurons, incorporate into mitochondria, and promote survival following anoxia.