Mechanical Ventilation and Hospital-Acquired Venous Thromboembolism Among Critically Ill Children.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the occurrence of, and evaluate associations between, hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) and invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) among children hospitalized in the PICU. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, retrospective cohort study comparing HA-VTE frequencies among subjects <18 years of age hospitalized in the PICU from January 2018 through December 2019 among 47 participating centers, via the Pediatric Health Information Systems registry. We excluded perinatal encounters, those with VTE present at admission, and those with observational status. The primary outcome was the proportion of HA-VTE events before hospital discharge, including extremity deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and organ-specific deep venous thrombosis. The HA-VTE frequencies were compared using χ2 tests. The association between HA-VTE and MV was investigated via multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for previously described VTE risk factors. RESULTS: Of the 205 231 PICU encounters identified for study, 70 829 (34.5%) underwent MV. The occurrence of HA-VTE was 2.2% and was greater among children who received, versus did not receive, MV (4.4% versus 1.1%, P < .001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed significant association between MV and HA-VTE (odds ratio 2.51, 95% confidence interval 2.33-2.69; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter, retrospective, registry-based cohort study, HA-VTE were diagnosed in 2.2% of critically-ill children, and after adjustment for central venous catheterization, MV independently increased the risk of HA-VTE 2.5-fold. These findings warrant prospective validation to inform the design of future risk-stratified clinical trials of thromboprophylaxis in critically-ill children.

Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis for Critical Asthma.

BACKGROUND: Children hospitalized for critical asthma (CA) in the pediatric ICU (PICU) are commonly prescribed stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) to mitigate risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. We sought to describe trends for SUP prescribing and explore for differences in rates of GI bleeding, gastritis, and SUP-related complications for those with and without SUP exposure. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, multicenter cohort study using the Pediatric Hospital Information System registry among 42 children's hospitals from 2010 to 2019 including children 3 to 17 years of age admitted to the PICU for CA. Primary outcomes were chronologic and regional variation in SUP prescribing assessed by Joinpoint regression and Pearson's correlation. Rates of GI bleeding, gastritis, enteric ulceration, and SUP-related complications (C. difficile colitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and thrombocytopenia) were compared for those with and without SUP exposure. RESULTS: Of 30 177 children studied, 10 387 (34.4%) received SUP. No episodes of GI bleeding were recorded. One subject developed gastric ulceration and 32 (0.1%) gastritis. Linear trends for SUP were observed with rates increasing from 25.5% in 2010 to 42.1% in 2019 (+1.9% annually). Prescribing varied by institution (range: 5.5% to 97.2%) without correlation to admission volumes. Extremely rare rates of SUP-related complications were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Although children hospitalized for CA routinely receive SUP, no episodes of GI bleeding were noted over a 10-year period. SUP solely for corticosteroid exposure may be unwarranted. We advocate for a targeted approach to SUP considering alternative risk factors for GI bleeding.

Corticosteroids for Acute Orbital Cellulitis.

OBJECTIVES: Standard treatment of children hospitalized for acute orbital cellulitis includes systemic antibiotics. Recent data from single-center studies suggest the addition of systemic corticosteroids may hasten clinical improvement and reduce hospital length of stay (LOS). We investigate the potential relationship between corticosteroid exposure and duration of hospitalization for pediatric orbital cellulitis. METHODS: Using Pediatric Health Information System registry data from 51 children's facilities, we performed a retrospective cohort study of children hospitalized for orbital cellulitis <18 years of age from 2007 to 2018. The primary study outcome was hospital LOS. Secondary outcomes included frequency of surgical interventions, PICU admission, and 30-day related-cause readmission. RESULTS: Of the 5645 children included for study, 1347 (24%) were prescribed corticosteroids within 2 days of admission. Corticosteroid prescription was not associated with LOS in analyses adjusted for age; presence of meningitis, abscess, or vision issues; and operative episode and PICU admission within 2 days (e ß = 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97-1.06). Corticosteroid exposure was associated with operative episodes after 2 days of hospitalization (odds ratio = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.29-3.27) and 30-day readmission (odds ratio = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.52-3.78) among patients with a primary diagnosis of orbital cellulitis. CONCLUSIONS: In this database query, we were not able to detect a reduction in LOS associated with corticosteroid exposure during hospitalization for orbital cellulitis. Corticosteroid prescription was associated with PICU admission and operative episodes after 2 days of hospitalization. Before the adoption of routine corticosteroid use, prospective, randomized control trials are needed.

The bronchiolitis severity score: An assessment of face validity, construct validity, and interobserver reliability.

OBJECTIVE: To assess face validity, interobserver reliability, and the ability to discriminate escalations of care within 24-h of admission (late rescues) for the bronchiolitis severity score (BSS) for children hospitalized for acute bronchiolitis. HYPOTHESES: The BSS will yield variable face validity, have clinically relevant interobserver reliability (kappa > 0.7), and distinguish late rescues during hospitalization. METHODS: We performed a combined retrospective and prospective, mixed methods study where (1) interobserver agreement was prospectively assessed by overall and subcategory congruence (kappa) calculations, (2) face value were qualitatively assessed from aggregate questionnaire responses, and (3) construct validity for late rescues were assessed using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. RESULTS: Face validity, assessed from 39 questionnaire respondents, were generally positive for BSS utility, reliability, and usability. The BSS exhibited weak interobserver reliability (kappa = 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.11-0.31) calculated from 72 sequential, blinded calculations. Retrospectively, 181 children less than 2 years of age admitted to the general pediatric ward for acute bronchiolitis from November 2017 to April 2019 were identified of which 18 (9.9%) experienced late rescues. Admission BSS values were no different for children with and without late rescues (6[3,6] vs. 4[3,6]; p = .09). An ROC curve analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.48-0.75; threshold ≥6 with sensitivity = 56%, specificity = 69%) for BSS to discriminate late rescues. CONCLUSION: Although clinicians expressed favorable perceptions of BSS face and content validity, we noted weak interobserver reliability and limited construct validity. Further development and validation are needed to strengthen the BSS before routine use.

Same-Day versus Overnight Observation after Outpatient Pediatric Percutaneous Liver Biopsy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB), a diagnostic procedure to identify several hepatobiliary disorders, is considered safe with low incidence of associated complications. While postoperative monitoring guidelines are suggested for adults, selection of procedural recovery time for children remains at the discretion of individual operators. We aim to determine if differences exist in frequency of surgical complications, unplanned admissions, and healthcare cost for children undergoing outpatient PLB for cohorts with same-day vs. overnight observation. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study in children 1 month to 17 years of age undergoing ultrasound-guided PLB from January 2009 to August 2017 at a tertiary care, pediatric referral center. Cohorts were defined by postprocedural observation duration: same-day (≤8 hours) vs. overnight observation. Outcomes included surgical complications, medical interventions, unscheduled hospitalization within 7 days, and total encounter costs. RESULTS: One hundred and twelve children met study criteria of which 18 (16.1%) were assigned to same-day observation. No differences were noted in demographics, anthropometrics, comorbidities, biopsy indications, or preoperative coagulation profiles. No major complications or acute hospitalizations after PLB were observed. Administration of analgesia and fluid boluses were isolated and given within 8 hours. Compared to overnight monitoring, same-day observation accrued less total costs (US $992 less per encounter). CONCLUSION: Same-day observation after PLB in children appears well-tolerated with only minor interventions and complications observed within 8 hours of procedure. We recommend a targeted risk assessment prior to selection of observation duration. Same-day observation appears an appropriate recovery strategy in otherwise low-risk children undergoing outpatient PLB.

Oral Nutrition in Children With Bronchiolitis on High-Flow Nasal Cannula Is Well Tolerated.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of aspiration-related respiratory failure and nutrition interruptions in children with bronchiolitis on high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) receiving enteral nutrition. METHODS: We performed a single-center, prospective, observational cohort study within a 313-bed tertiary medical center from January through December 2015. We included term children 1 month to 2 years of age without comorbid bacterial pneumonia or chronic medical conditions who were diagnosed with bronchiolitis while receiving HFNC and enteral nutrition. Primary outcomes were incidence of aspiration-related respiratory failure and nutrition interruptions. Secondary outcomes were duration of HFNC therapy, length of stay, and nutrition characteristics. RESULTS: Of the 344 children admitted with bronchiolitis, 132 met the inclusion criteria. Ninety-seven percent received enteral nutrition by mouth and 3% by nasogastric tube. HFNC flow rates at the time of nutrition initiation ranged between 4 and 13 L per minute (0.3-1.9 L/kg per minute) and respiratory rates from 18 to 69 breaths per minute. One (0.8%) subject had aspiration-related respiratory failure and 12 (9.1%) experienced nutrition interruptions. Children with interruptions in nutrition had a longer length of stay by 2.5 days (P < .01) and received an additional day of HFNC therapy (P < .01). By discharge, 55 (42%) children achieved all nutritional goals: caloric, volume, and protein. Children admitted overnight had an increased incidence of delay to nutrition initiation (30% vs 11%; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a low incidence of aspiration-related respiratory failure in term children with bronchiolitis on HFNC receiving enteral nutrition. Oral nutrition was tolerated across a range of HFNC flow and respiratory rates, suggesting the practice of withholding nutrition in this population is unsupported.