Timing of enterostomy closure for neonatal isolated intestinal perforation.

PURPOSE: No consensus guidelines exist for timing of enterostomy closure in neonatal isolated intestinal perforation (IIP). This study evaluated neonates with IIP closed during the initial admission (A1) versus a separate admission (A2) comparing total length of stay and total hospital cost. METHODS: Using 2012 to 2017 Pediatric Health information System (PHIS) data, 359 neonates with IIP were identified who underwent enterostomy creation and enterostomy closure. Two hundred sixty-five neonates (A1) underwent enterostomy creation and enterostomy closure during the same admission. Ninety-four neonates (A2) underwent enterostomy creation at initial admission and enterostomy closure during subsequent admission. For the A2 neonates, total hospital length of stay was calculated as the sum of hospital days for both admissions. A1 neonates were matched to A2 neonates in a 1:1 ratio using propensity score matching. Multivariate models were used to compare the two matched pair groups for length of stay and cost comparisons. RESULTS: Prior to matching, the basic demographics of our study population included a median birthweight of 960 g, mean gestational age of 29.5 weeks, and average age at admission of 4 days. Eighty-seven pairs of neonates with IIP were identified during the matching process. Neonates in A2 had 91% shorter total hospital length of stay compared to A1 neonates (HR: 1.91; 95% CI for HR: 1.44-2.53; p < .0001). The median length of stay for A1 was 95 days (95% CI: 78-102 days) versus A2 length of stay of 67 days (95% CI: 56-76 days). Adjusting for the same covariates, A2 neonates had a 22% reduction in the average total cost compared A1 neonates (RR: 0.78; 95% CI for RR: 0.64-0.95; p-value = 0.014). The average total costs were $245,742.28 for A2 neonates vs. $315,052.21 for A1 neonates (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Neonates with IIP have a 28 day shorter hospital length of stay, $75,000 or 24% lower total hospital costs, and a 22 day shorter post-operative course following enterostomy closure when enterostomy creation and closure is performed on separate admissions. TYPE OF STUDY: Prognosis Study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

24-hour and 30-day perioperative mortality in pediatric surgery.

PURPOSE: The low perioperative mortality rate in pediatric surgery precludes effective analysis of mortality at individual institutions. Therefore, analysis of multi-institutional data is essential to determine any patterns of perioperative death in children. The aim of this study was to determine diagnoses associated with 24-hour and 30-day perioperative mortality. METHODS: A retrospective review of the 2012-2015 Pediatric Participant Use Data File (PUF) was performed. Statistical comparisons were made between survivors and nonsurvivors and between those with 24-hour and 30-day mortality using Fischer's exact tests. P-values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: 103,444 patients who underwent a pediatric surgical operation were evaluated. There were 732 deaths with a 30-day perioperative mortality of 0.7% (732/103,444). Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was the diagnosis associated with the highest 30-day perioperative mortality (175/901, 19%). A significantly higher proportion NEC deaths occurred in the first 24 hours (67% (118/175) vs 33% (57/175) 30 day mortality, p<0.001). Compared to patients who survived following operation for NEC, those who died were statistically more likely to require inotropic support (56% vs. 15%, p<0.001), be diagnosed with sepsis (52% vs. 22%, p < 0.001), and undergo blood transfusion within 48 hours of operation (49% vs. 34%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Although the overall pediatric surgical operative mortality rate is low, the largest proportion of perioperative deaths occur secondary to NEC. Based on the high immediate mortality, optimization of operative care for septic patients with NEC should be targeted. TYPE OF STUDY: Prognosis Study LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

Barriers to Breastfeeding in Female Physicians.

BACKGROUND: Breast milk is considered the normative nutrition for human infants, and exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life is recommended by several national and global societies. Female physicians are a high-risk group for early unintended weaning. We aimed to assess and compare the most common barriers to successful breastfeeding perceived by female physicians in various stages of training and practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female faculty physicians and trainees (medical students, resident physicians, and fellows) affiliated with a large medical university in 2016 were surveyed via an anonymous web-based survey distributed through institutional e-mail lists. The three-item survey assessed role, breastfeeding experience, and perceived barriers to successful breastfeeding. Comparisons between groups were performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests or Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: The survey was distributed to 1,301 women with 223 responses included in analysis. The majority (57%) of respondents had never breastfed; of those, 87% reported plans to breastfeed in the future. Ninety-seven percent of women with breastfeeding experience reported at least one perceived barrier to successful breastfeeding. Trainees identified more barriers compared with faculty physicians (median count 5 versus 3, p = 0.014). No individual barrier reached statistical significance when comparing between faculty and trainees. The most frequently identified barriers to breastfeeding were lack of time and appropriate place to pump breast milk, unpredictable schedule, short maternity leave, and long working hours. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians and medical students who breastfeed face occupation-related barriers that could lead to early unintended weaning. Trainees and faculty report similar barriers. Institutional support may help improve some barriers to successful breastfeeding in female physicians.

Pediatric Perioperative Cardiac Arrest, Death in the Off Hours: A Report From Wake Up Safe, The Pediatric Quality Improvement Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric perioperative cardiac arrest (CA) is a rare but catastrophic event. This case-control study aims to analyze the causes, incidence, and outcomes of all pediatric CA reported to Wake Up Safe. Factors associated with CA and mortality after arrest are examined and possible strategies for improving outcomes are considered. METHODS: CA in children was identified from the Wake Up Safe Pediatric Anesthesia Quality Improvement Initiative, a multicenter registry of adverse events in pediatric anesthesia. Incidence, demographics, underlying conditions, causes of CA, and outcomes were extracted. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to study the above factors associated with CA and mortality after CA. RESULTS: A total of 531 cases of CA occurred during 1,006,685 anesthetics. CA was associated with age (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] comparing ≥6 vs <6 months of 0.26 [0.22-0.32]; P = .014), American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA PS III-V versus I-II, 9.24, 7.23-11.8; P < .001), and emergency status (3.55, 2.88-4.37; P < .001). Higher ASA PS was associated with increased mortality (ASA PS III-V versus I-II, 3.25, 1.20-8.81; P = .02) but anesthesia-related arrests were correlated with lower mortality (0.44, 0.26-0.74; P = .002). ASA emergency status (1.83, 1.05-3.19; P = .03) and off hours (night and weekend versus weekday, 2.17, 1.22-3.86; P = .008) were other factors associated with mortality after CA. CONCLUSIONS: The Wake Up Safe data validate single-institution studies' findings regarding incidence, factors associated with arrest, and outcomes of pediatric perioperative CA. However, CA occurring during the off hours had significantly worse outcomes, independent of patient physical status or emergency surgery. This suggests an opportunity for improved outcomes.