The Use of Telemedicine for Screening and Addressing Social Needs in a Primary Care Pediatric Population in Brooklyn, New York.

The objective of this study was to analyze temporal changes in social needs (SN), comparing those who received routine annual in-person care to those receiving SN screenings through a combination of tele-social care and in-person care biannually. Our prospective cohort study used a convenience sample of patients from primary care practices. Baseline data were collected from April 2019 to March 2020. The intervention group (n = 336) received SN screening and referral telephone outreach from June 2020 to August 2021. The control group (n = 2890) was screened, in person, during routine visits at baseline and summer 2021. We used a repeated-measures logistic regression with general estimating equations to assess incremental change in individual SN for the intervention group. Food, housing, legal and benefit needs increased and peaked at the beginning of the pandemic and decreased after interventions (P < 0.001). There was a 32% decrease in the odds of food insecurity for those in the intervention group compared to the control group (adjusted OR 0.668, 95% confidence interval 0.444-1.004, P = 0.052), and a 75% decrease in the odds of housing insecurity (adjusted OR 0.247, 95% confidence interval 0.150-0.505, P < 0.001). During COVID-19, there was an increase in SN followed by a decrease after interventions were offered. Those who completed tele-social care showed greater improvements in social needs than those in routine care, with the greatest improvements in food and housing needs.

Identifying Nutritional Insecurity Among Families in an Urban Pediatric Practice.

This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence of and concordance between self-reported food scarcity and nutritional insecurity in an urban pediatric practice.

Social Determinants of Health and Pediatric Mental Health Before and During COVID-19 in New York City Primary Care Pediatrics.

In March 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City instituted a shelter-in-place order, dramatically affecting the area's social and economic landscape. Pediatric primary care practices universally screen for social determinants of health (SDOH) and mental health (MH) needs, providing an opportunity to assess changes in the population's needs during COVID-19. To assess changes in SDOH and MH needs of pediatric families before and during COVID-19, the authors conducted a prospective cohort study of patients seen in the hospital's pediatric primary care practices. Baseline data were collected during well visits from March 1, 2019 to March 1, 2020, and included the following outcome measures: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ2) score >0, PHQ9 scores ≥5, pediatric symptom checklist (PSC17) scores ≥15, and SDOH needs. Follow-up pandemic data were collected from June to August 2020. A total of 423 patients (215 [51%] female, 279 [66%] Hispanic, and 248 [59%] primary English speakers) were enrolled in the study. The following SDOH needs significantly increased during COVID-19: food (17%-32%; P < 0.001), legal (19%-30%; P = 0.003), public benefits (4%-13.8%; P < 0.001), and housing (17.2%-26%; P = 0.002). There was no significant change in MH screening results during COVID-19 compared with baseline: positive PHQ2 depression screen (27.9% vs. 34.3%, P = 0.39), positive PHQ9 depression screen (45.5% vs. 64.1%, P = 0.32), or positive PSC17 measuring emotional and behavioral concerns (4.9% vs. 8.2%, P = 0.13). During COVID-19, patients with food, housing, or legal needs had a significantly higher likelihood of having emotional or behavioral difficulties (P < 0.01). Further research is needed to evaluate outcomes in the following months.

Bilateral Pneumothoraces in a 3-Month-Old Infant During an Apnea Test in the Diagnosis of Brain Death.

We present the case of a 3-month-old boy who suffered bilateral pneumothoraces secondary to insufflation of oxygen into the endotracheal tube during the apnea test as part of brain death testing. Although rare, awareness of this potential complication of the apnea test is of particular importance in pediatric patients who have narrow endotracheal tubes because resistance to expiratory flow increases exponentially as lumen diameter decreases.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Clinical Syndromes and Predictors of Disease Severity in Hospitalized Children and Youth.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the demographic and clinical features of pediatric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) syndromes and identify admission variables predictive of disease severity. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective, and prospective study of pediatric patients hospitalized with acute SARS-CoV-2 infections and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) at 8 sites in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. RESULTS: We identified 281 hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections and divided them into 3 groups based on clinical features. Overall, 143 (51%) had respiratory disease, 69 (25%) had MIS-C, and 69 (25%) had other manifestations including gastrointestinal illness or fever. Patients with MIS-C were more likely to identify as non-Hispanic black compared with patients with respiratory disease (35% vs 18%, P = .02). Seven patients (2%) died and 114 (41%) were admitted to the intensive care unit. In multivariable analyses, obesity (OR 3.39, 95% CI 1.26-9.10, P = .02) and hypoxia on admission (OR 4.01; 95% CI 1.14-14.15; P = .03) were predictive of severe respiratory disease. Lower absolute lymphocyte count (OR 8.33 per unit decrease in 109 cells/L, 95% CI 2.32-33.33, P = .001) and greater C-reactive protein (OR 1.06 per unit increase in mg/dL, 95% CI 1.01-1.12, P = .017) were predictive of severe MIS-C. Race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status were not predictive of disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: We identified variables at the time of hospitalization that may help predict the development of severe SARS-CoV-2 disease manifestations in children and youth. These variables may have implications for future prognostic tools that inform hospital admission and clinical management.

Rising Clinical Burden of Psychiatric Visits on the Pediatric Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVE: The mental health epidemic in pediatrics has resulted in a growing clinical burden on the health care system, including pediatric emergency departments (PED). Our objective was to describe the changing characteristics of visits to an urban PED, in particular length of stay, for emergency psychiatric evaluations (EPEs) over a 10-year period. METHODS: A retrospective study of children with an EPE in the PED at a large urban quaternary care children's hospital was performed during two discrete periods a decade apart: July 1, 2003-June 30, 2004 (period 1) and July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014 (period 2). Visit information, including length of stay and demographic data, were compared between groups. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the percentage of PED visits for EPE from period 1 to period 2 (1.1% vs 2.2% P < 0.0001). Overall, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) length of stay for children requiring an EPE increased significantly for all visits (5.3 [3.2-15.4] hours vs 17.0 [6.0-26.0] hours, P < 0.0001), including for patients who were admitted (17.8 [7.4-24.6] hours vs 27.0 [21.0-36.0] hours, P < 0.0001) and for those who were discharged (4.5 [2.8-7.7] hours vs 8 [5-20] hours, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Over a decade, the percentage of children with an EPE has doubled, with a significant increase in the amount of time spent in the PED. This highlights a continued surge in the utilization of PED resources for EPE.

Initial Observations of COVID-19 in US Children.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected children differently from adults worldwide. Data on the clinical presentation of the infection in children are limited. We present a detailed account of pediatric inpatients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus at our institution during widespread local transmission, aiming to understand disease presentation and outcomes. A retrospective chart review was performed of children, ages 0 to 18 years, with a positive polymerase chain reaction test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 on nasopharyngeal specimens admitted to our hospital over a 4-week period. We present clinical data from 22 patients and highlight the variability of the presentation. In our study, most children presented without respiratory illness or symptoms suggestive of COVID-19; many were identified only because of universal testing. Because children may have variable signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection, targeted testing may miss some cases.