Guidance for Structuring a Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit.

The purpose of this policy statement is to update the 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report and provide enhanced guidance for institutions, administrators, and providers in the development and operation of a pediatric intermediate care unit (IMCU). Since 2004, there have been significant advances in pediatric medical, surgical, and critical care that have resulted in an evolution in the acuity and complexity of children potentially requiring IMCU admission. A group of 9 clinical experts in pediatric critical care, hospital medicine, intermediate care, and surgery developed a consensus on priority topics requiring updates, reviewed the relevant evidence, and, through a series of virtual meetings, developed the document. The intended audience of this policy statement is broad and includes pediatric critical care professionals, pediatric hospitalists, pediatric surgeons, other pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists, general pediatricians, nurses, social workers, care coordinators, hospital administrators, health care funders, and policymakers, primarily in resource-rich settings. Key priority topics were delineation of core principles for an IMCU, clarification of target populations, staffing recommendations, and payment.

Health Care Policy and Congenital Heart Disease: 2020 Focus on Our 2030 Future.

The congenital heart care community faces a myriad of public health issues that act as barriers toward optimum patient outcomes. In this article, we attempt to define advocacy and policy initiatives meant to spotlight and potentially address these challenges. Issues are organized into the following 3 key facets of our community: patient population, health care delivery, and workforce. We discuss the social determinants of health and health care disparities that affect patients in the community that require the attention of policy makers. Furthermore, we highlight the many needs of the growing adults with congenital heart disease and those with comorbidities, highlighting concerns regarding the inequities in access to cardiac care and the need for multidisciplinary care. We also recognize the problems of transparency in outcomes reporting and the promising application of telehealth. Finally, we highlight the training of providers, measures of productivity, diversity in the workforce, and the importance of patient-family centered organizations in advocating for patients. Although all of these issues remain relevant to many subspecialties in medicine, this article attempts to illustrate the unique needs of this population and highlight ways in which to work together to address important opportunities for change in the cardiac care community and beyond. This article provides a framework for policy and advocacy efforts for the next decade.

Surgical management and morbidity of pediatric magnet ingestions.

BACKGROUND: Foreign body ingestion remains a common reason for emergency room visits and operative interventions in the pediatric population. Rare earth magnet ingestion represents a low percentage of all foreign bodies swallowed by children; however, magnets swallowed in multiplicity can result in severe injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pediatric surgeons with membership in the Surgical Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics were surveyed to determine the magnitude and consequences of magnet ingestions in the pediatric population. RESULTS: About 100 (16%) participant responses reported on 99 magnet ingestions. The median age at ingestion was 3.7 y, and the majority of ingestions (71%) occurred after year 2010. Thirty-two children underwent endoscopy with successful removal in 70% of cases, and multiple magnets were found in 65% of these patients. Seventy-three children required either laparotomy (51) or laparoscopy (22) for magnet removal, and 90% of these children were discovered to have ingested more than one magnet. In addition, 17% of the children were found to have at least one perforation or fistula, and 34% of the children had multiple perforations or fistulae. Nine children required long-term care for their injuries including repeat endoscopies. One child died after hemorrhage from an esophago-aortic fistula. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated the increasing need for magnet regulations and public awareness to prevent potentially serious complications.