Trends of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Pediatric Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), eminently preventable nosocomial infections, are a substantial source of morbidity, mortality, and increased resource utilization in pediatric care. Racial or ethnic disparities in health outcomes have been demonstrated across an array of medical specialties and practices in pediatric patients. However, it is unknown whether disparities exist in the rate of CLABSIs. Our objective was to evaluate the trends in racial and ethnic disparities of CLABSIs over the past 5 years. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using data from Pediatric Health Information System database collected from tertiary children's hospitals in the United States. Participants included 226 802 children (<18 years) admitted to the emergency department or inpatient ward between 2016 and 2021 who required central venous catheter placement. The primary outcome was risk-adjusted rate of CLABSI, occurring during the same admission, across race and ethnicity. RESULTS: Of the 226 802 children, 121 156 (53.4%) were White, 40 589 (17.9%) were Black, and 43 374 (19.1%) were Hispanic. CLABSI rate decreased in all racial/ethnic groups over the study period, with the rates being consistently higher in Black (relative risk [RR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-1.37; P < .01) and Hispanic children (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.26; P < .01) than in White children. There was no statistically significant evidence that gaps in CLABSI rate between racial/ethnic groups narrowed over time. CONCLUSIONS: CLABSI rate was persistently higher among Black and Hispanic children than their White peers. These findings emphasize the need for future exploration of the causes of persistent racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric patients.

Grief in critical care nurses after pediatric suffering and death.

BACKGROUND: Working in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) exposes nurses to intense and recurrent experiences with loss. Such experiences may result in unresolved grief or despair among these providers. Although previous studies have explored grief within the nursing profession, few have focused on grief following the death of children in the PICU, where sudden or traumatic deaths are more frequent. The aim of this study was to characterize the degree to which pediatric critical care (PCC) nurses experience symptoms of grief or distress following the suffering and/or death of a patient in the PICU. METHODS: An email invited PICU nurses at a large free standing children's hospital to complete an online survey with demographic questions and an open-ended, qualitative question about grief experiences. Research team members coded open-ended responses, using thematic content analysis. Final themes were further validated via member checking. RESULTS: Of the 104 participants, most were Caucasian (96.3%), female (97%), bedside (83.5%) nurses with a bachelor's degree (85.4%). Participants had variable years of experience and included both day (59.6%) and night (40.4%) shift nurses. After detailed analysis, the research team identified four major themes among pediatric critical care (PCC) nurses when asked about grief symptoms and distress following the suffering or death of a patient in the PICU: (I) continuum of emotional responses; (II) emotional prompts; (III) coping, and (IV) resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Many PICU nurses were profoundly affected by the death of their patients, while others offered strategies that fostered resilience. Understanding the impact of repeated loss on these specialized nurses may inform the development of more effective grief and bereavement support programs for healthcare providers.

An Antiracism Approach to Conducting, Reporting, and Evaluating Pediatric Critical Care Research.

Reporting race and ethnicity without consideration for the complexity of these variables is unfortunately common in research. This practice exacerbates the systemic racism present in healthcare and research, of which pediatric critical care is not immune. Scientifically, this approach lacks rigor, as people are grouped into socially derived categories that are often not scientifically justified, and the field is denied the opportunity to examine closely the true associations between race/ethnicity and clinical outcomes. In this Special Article for Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, we introduce an antiracism approach to conducting, reporting, and evaluating pediatric critical care research. We propose four recommendations: 1) race and ethnicity are social constructs that should be evaluated as such, with researchers considering the context and relevance of related social determinants of health; 2) race and ethnicity data should be collected with sufficient detail to allow detection of meaningful results and minimize the risk of overgeneralizing findings; 3) as health equity research evolves, the pediatric critical care research field must adapt and proactively strive for inclusivity; and 4) the research community, including investigators, authors, research ethics committees, funding organizations, professional organizations, and journal editorial boards, are all accountable for rigorously conducting and reporting race/ethnicity in research. Taking an antiracism approach to research requires the field to ask the difficult question of why racial/ethnic differences exist to eliminate healthcare disparities and optimize healthcare outcomes for all children.

Burnout in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellows.

OBJECTIVES: Assess the overall level of burnout in pediatric critical care medicine fellows and examine factors that may contribute to or protect against its development. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited pediatric critical care medicine fellowship programs across the United States. SUBJECTS: Pediatric critical care medicine fellows and program directors. INTERVENTIONS: Web-based survey that assessed burnout via the Maslach Burnout Inventory, as well as other measures that elicited demographics, sleepiness, social support, perceptions about prior training, relationships with colleagues, and environmental burnout. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: One-hundred eighty-seven fellows and 47 program directors participated. Fellows from 30% of programs were excluded due to lack of program director participation. Average values on each burnout domain for fellows were higher than published values for other medical professionals. Personal accomplishment was greater (lower burnout) among fellows more satisfied with their career choice (ß 9.319; p ≤ 0.0001), spiritual fellows (ß 1.651; p = 0.0286), those with a stress outlet (ß 3.981; p = 0.0226), those comfortable discussing educational topics with faculty (ß 3.078; p = 0.0197), and those comfortable seeking support from their co-fellows (ß 3.762; p = 0.0006). Depersonalization was higher for second year fellows (ß 2.034; p = 0.0482), those with less educational debt (ß -2.920; p = 0.0115), those neutral/dissatisfied with their career choice (ß -6.995; p = 0.0031), those with nursing conflict (ß -3.527; p = 0.0067), those who perceived burnout among co-fellows (ß 1.803; p = 0.0352), and those from ICUs with an increased number of patient beds (ß 5.729; p ≤ 0.0001). Emotional exhaustion was higher among women (ß 2.933; p = 0.0237), those neutral/dissatisfied with their career choice (ß -7.986; p = 0.0353), and those who perceived burnout among co-fellows (ß 5.698; p ≤ 0.0001). Greater sleepiness correlated with higher burnout by means of lower personal accomplishment (r = -1.64; p = 0.0255) and higher emotional exhaustion (r = 0.246; p = 0.0007). Except for tangible support, all other forms of social support showed a small to moderate correlation with lower burnout. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric critical care medicine fellows in the United States are experiencing high levels of burnout, which appears to be influenced by demographics, fellow perceptions of their work environment, and satisfaction with career choice. The exclusion of fellows at 30% of the programs may have over or underestimated the actual level of burnout in these trainees.

Factors Related to Parent Attendance at a Follow-Up Meeting With an Intensivist After a Child's Death in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Parents who experience the death of a child are at high risk for psychopathology. Because a large percentage of pediatric deaths occur in the pediatric intensive care unit each year, a follow-up meeting between bereaved parents and intensivists could provide essential emotional support, although some parents may not attend. The aim of this study was to explore demographic and medical factors that may distinguish between bereaved parents who attend a follow-up meeting with their child's pediatric intensivist and those who do not. Our analysis revealed that parents of children who died of trauma were less likely to attend a follow-up meeting with an intensivist. It is possible that symptoms of posttraumatic stress play a role in these findings. Enhanced efforts to identify other interventions for this specific subset of bereaved parents may be necessary.

End-of-Life and Bereavement Care in Pediatric Intensive Care Units.

Most childhood deaths in the United States occur in hospitals. Pediatric intensive care clinicians must anticipate and effectively treat dying children's pain and suffering and support the psychosocial and spiritual needs of families. These actions may help family members adjust to their loss, particularly bereaved parents who often experience reduced mental and physical health. Candid and compassionate communication is paramount to successful end-of-life (EOL) care as is creating an environment that fosters meaningful family interaction. EOL care in the pediatric intensive care unit is associated with challenging ethical issues, of which clinicians must maintain a sound and working understanding.