Using the pediatric emergency department to deliver tailored safety messages: results of a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a computer kiosk intervention on parents' self-reported safety knowledge as well as observed child safety seat, smoke alarm use, and safe poison storage and to compare self-reported versus observed behaviors. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial with 720 parents of young children (4 months to 5 years) was conducted in the pediatric emergency department of a level 1 pediatric trauma center. Enrolled parents received tailored safety information (intervention) or generic information (control) from a computer kiosk after completing a safety assessment. Parents were telephoned 4 to 6 months after the intervention to assess self-reported safety knowledge and behaviors; in-home observations were made 1 week after the telephone interview for a subset of 100 randomly selected participants. Positive and negative predictive values were compared between the intervention and control groups. RESULTS: The intervention group had significantly higher smoke alarm (82% vs. 78%) and poison storage (83% vs 78%) knowledge scores. The intervention group was more likely to report correct child safety seat use (odds ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.77; P = 0.02). Observed safety behaviors were lower than self-reported use for both groups. No differences were found between groups for positive or negative predictive values. CONCLUSIONS: These results add to the limited literature on the impact of computer tailoring home safety information. Knowledge gains were evident 4 months after intervention. Discrepancies between observed and self-reported behavior are concerning because the quality of a tailored intervention depends on the accuracy of participant self-reporting. Improved measures should be developed to encourage accurate reporting of safety behaviors.

Necessity of routine pelvic radiograph in the pediatric blunt trauma patient.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic radiographs are obtained frequently in pediatric blunt trauma. The authors hypothesize that there are clinical indicators that can predict pelvic fracture on a pelvic radiograph in the pediatric blunt trauma patient with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14 or 15. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study of 33 patients with pelvic fractures and 63 patients without pelvic fractures was performed. RESULTS: 8 evaluated clinical indicators showed that pelvic contusions and abrasions (P = .026), hip/pelvic pain (P<.001), abdominal pain and distension (P = .006), back pain (P = .080), hip held in rotation at presentation (P = .026), and femur deformity/pain (P = .002) were independently predictive of pelvic fracture. In combination, absence of hip/pelvic pain, pelvic contusions and abrasions, abdominal pain/distension, and femur deformity/pain showed a negative predictive value of 87%. CONCLUSION: Clinical indicators may be useful in determining the need for pelvic radiographs in awake and alert pediatric blunt trauma patients.

Simulation of in-hospital pediatric medical emergencies and cardiopulmonary arrests: highlighting the importance of the first 5 minutes.

OBJECTIVES: Outcomes of in-hospital pediatric cardiopulmonary arrest are dismal. Recent data suggest that the quality of basic and advanced life support delivered to adults is low and contributes to poor outcomes, but few data regarding pediatric events have been reported. The objectives of this study were to (1) measure the median elapsed time to initiate important resuscitation maneuvers in simulated pediatric medical emergencies (ie, "mock codes") and (2) identify the types and frequency of errors committed during pediatric mock codes. METHODS: A prospective, observational study was conducted of 34 consecutive hospital-based mock codes. A mannequin or computerized simulator was used to enact unannounced, simulated crisis situations involving children with respiratory distress or insufficiency, respiratory arrest, hemodynamic instability, and/or cardiopulmonary arrest. Assessment included time elapsed to initiation of specific resuscitation maneuvers and deviation from American Heart Association guidelines. RESULTS: Among the 34 mock codes, the median time to assessment of airway and breathing was 1.3 minutes, to administration of oxygen was 2.0 minutes, to assessment of circulation was 4.0 minutes, to arrival of any physician was 3.0 minutes, and to arrival of first member of code team was 6.0 minutes. Among cardiopulmonary arrest scenarios, elapsed time to initiation of compressions was 1.5 minutes and to request for defibrillator was 4.3 minutes. In 75% of mock codes, the team deviated from American Heart Association pediatric basic life support protocols, and in 100% of mock codes there was a communication error. CONCLUSIONS: Alarming delays and deviations occur in the major components of pediatric resuscitation. Future educational and organizational interventions should focus on improving the quality of care delivered during the first 5 minutes of resuscitation. Simulation of pediatric crises can identify targets for educational intervention to improve pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation and, ideally, outcomes.

Using a computer kiosk to promote child safety: results of a randomized, controlled trial in an urban pediatric emergency department.

OBJECTIVES: The effects of a computer kiosk intervention on parents' child safety seat, smoke alarm, and poison storage knowledge and behaviors were evaluated in a pediatric emergency department serving predominantly low-income, urban families. The effects of parent anxiety and the reason for the child's emergency department visit also were examined. METHODS: A randomized, controlled trial of a Safety in Seconds program with a 2- to 4-week follow-up interview was conducted with 759 parents of young children (4-66 months of age). The intervention group received a personalized report containing tailored, stage-based safety messages based on the precaution adoption process model. The control group received a report on other child health topics. RESULTS: The intervention group had significantly higher smoke alarm, poison storage, and total safety knowledge scores. The intervention group was more likely to report correct child safety seat use. Neither parent anxiety nor the reason for the emergency department visit was related to the safety behaviors. Virtually all (93%) intervention parents read at least some of the report; 57% read it all, and 68% discussed it with others. Lower-income intervention parents who read all of the report and discussed it with others were more likely than control parents to practice safe poison storage. Higher-income intervention parents were more likely than control parents to report correct child safety seat use. CONCLUSIONS: These results bode well for widespread applicability of computer technology to patient education in busy emergency departments and other child health care settings. Reducing financial barriers to certain safety behaviors should continue to be a high priority.

Development of injury prevention materials for people with low literacy skills.

OBJECTIVE: Children living in low income urban environments are at high risk for preventable injuries, which result in thousands of Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) visits every year. The development and evaluation of written injury prevention materials used in a PED-based intervention trial are presented. The purpose is to describe the development of injury prevention materials for people with low literacy skills, and explain literacy and comprehension abilities among a sample of parents from the PED. METHODS: Materials were developed using rules of plain language and with consideration of the needs of a low literacy population. Materials were assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid and Suitability Assessment of Materials. Literacy and comprehension abilities in a PED sample were tested using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and the Cloze. RESULTS: REALM results for n=59 parents sampled from the PED indicated that 27% (n=16) read below 9th grade reading level. Cloze results demonstrate that materials were appropriate for 71% (n=21) when written for 8th grade reading level and 80% (n=23) when rewritten for 6th grade reading level. CONCLUSION: Others designing similar interventions can use these methods to develop interventions for low literacy populations. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: When developing injury prevention materials for use with PED populations, health professionals should consider reading ability, reading level, content, and design of materials.

Maternal and child factors affecting high-volume pediatric emergency department use.

OBJECTIVE: To describe maternal and child characteristics associated with high-volume nonurgent pediatric emergency department (ED) use. METHODS: We surveyed female caregivers of children aged 1 to 14 years who were brought to the ED at an urban medical center for nonurgent conditions. We analyzed characteristics associated with low-volume (1 ED visit) or high-volume (> or = 2 ED visits) use within the past year. Independent factors included predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors. Logistic regression was used to model high-volume ED use. RESULTS: Of the 300 participants (84% response rate), 99 were low-volume users and 201 were high-volume users. Most participants were mothers (94%). In adjusted analyses, high-volume use was associated with caregivers being single [odds ratio (OR), 2.57; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-5.80], having high-volume ED use for themselves (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.08-3.80), seeking care primarily in the pediatric ED for "sick visits" (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.12-5.49), and lack of weekend hours at their child's usual source of care (OR, 2.58; CI, 1.24-5.37). CONCLUSIONS: Marital status, high maternal use of the ED, perception of the ED as the place to seek care for a sick child, and lack of weekend hours for usual source of care are associated with high-volume ED use among children. Given similarities in patterns of ED use among mothers and children, further attention is needed to address clinical practice and system issues that contribute to familial use of EDs.

Pediatric observation status beds on an inpatient unit: an integrated care model.

OBJECTIVES: Describe the usage of observation status (OS) beds on a pediatric inpatient unit and identify diagnoses likely to be successfully discharged compared to those requiring formal inpatient admission. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of all patients (0-18 years) transferred to pediatric OS beds from the emergency department (ED) between April 1, 1997 and April 30, 1999. Outcome measures consisted of time interval between ED triage and arrival to an OS bed, total hours in observation, and need for admission or transfer. Using relative risk (RR), we compared admission rates for the 4 most common diagnoses. RESULTS: We studied 800 transfers to pediatric OS beds. Asthma (27%), gastroenteritis/dehydration (16%), infectious disease (12%), and bronchiolitis (9%) were the 4 most common diagnoses. There were 597 patients (75%) successfully discharged from observation and 174 (22%) required inpatient admission. Seventeen patients (2%) were transferred to a psychiatric facility and 12 patients (1%) were transferred to a tertiary care center for further evaluation and treatment. Compared to gastroenteritis/dehydration, patients with asthma were just as likely to be admitted/transferred (RR 1.05, 95% CI, 0.87-1.27), those with an infectious disease were 1.3 times more likely to be admitted/transferred (RR 1.35, 95% CI, 1.0-1.83), and those with bronchiolitis were 2 times more likely to be admitted/transferred (RR 1.92, 95% CI, 1.34-2.74). CONCLUSIONS: We describe the usage of OS beds in a community hospital that we believe can be a successful model for the care of pediatric patients. Future studies are needed to delineate the clinical characteristics of patients that would benefit from this care delivery model.