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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: Hospital incident reporting is widely used but has had limited effectiveness for improving patient safety nationally. We describe the process of establishing a multi-institutional safety event reporting system. METHODS: A descriptive study in The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network of 22 hospital emergency departments was performed. An extensive legal analysis addressed investigators' concerns about sharing confidential incident reports (IRs): (1) the ability to identify sites and (2) potential loss of peer review statute protection. Of the 22 Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network sites, 19 received institutional approval to submit deidentified IRs to the data center. Incident reports were randomly assigned to independent review; discordance was resolved by consensus. Incident reports were categorized by type, subtype, severity, staff involved, and contributing factors. RESULTS: A total of 3,106 IRs were submitted by 18 sites in the first year. Reporting rates ranged more than 50-fold from 0.12 to 6.13 per 1000 patients. Data were sufficient to determine type of error (90% of IRs), severity (79%), staff involved (82%), and contributing factors (82%). However, contributing factors were clearly identified in only 44% of IRs and required extrapolation by investigators in 38%. The most common incidents were related to laboratory specimens (25.5%), medication administration (19.3%), and process variance, such as delays in care (14.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Incident reporting provides qualitative data concerning safety events. Perceived legal barriers to sharing confidential data can be addressed. Large variability in reporting rates and low rates of providing contributing factors suggest a need for standardization and improvement of safety event reporting.
Pediatric emergency care 01/2013; · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: Medication errors are an important cause of preventable morbidity, especially in children in emergency department (ED) settings. Internal use of voluntary incident reporting (IR) is common within hospitals, with little external reporting or sharing of this information across institutions. We describe the analysis of paediatric medication events (ME) reported in 18 EDs in a paediatric research network in 2007-2008. METHODS: Confidential, deidentified incident reports (IRs) were collected, and MEs were independently categorised by two investigators. Discordant responses were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: MEs (597) accounted for 19% of all IRs, with reporting rates varying 25-fold across sites. Anti-infective agents were the most commonly reported, followed by analgesics, intravenous fluids and respiratory medicines. Of the 597 MEs, 94% were medication errors and 6% adverse reactions; further analyses are reported for medication errors. Incorrect medication doses were related to incorrect weight (20%), duplicate doses (21%), and miscalculation (22%). Look-alike/sound-alike MEs were 36% of incorrect medications. Human factors contributed in 85% of reports: failure to follow established procedures (41%), calculation (13%) or judgment (12%) errors, and communication failures (20%). Outcomes were: no deaths or permanent disability, 13% patient harm, 47% reached patient (no harm), 30% near miss or unsafe conditions, and 9% unknown. CONCLUSIONS: ME reporting by the system revealed valuable data across sites on medication categories and potential human factors. Harm was infrequently reported. Our analyses identify trends and latent systems issues, suggesting areas for future interventions to reduce paediatric ED medication errors.
Emergency Medicine Journal 10/2012; · 1.44 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The objectives were to evaluate clinical performance measures used for pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians for reliability, correlation with one another, and relationship with clinical experience. This retrospective cohort study collected performance data for PEM physicians working at an urban children's hospital emergency department (ED) for each of 7 consecutive 6-month periods. Low correlations were seen between patients per hour or admission rate and 72-hour revisit rates. No significant association existed between level of experience and any performance measure. Physician treatment times appeared to be most reliable, and revisit rates were least reliable. Increase in number of patients seen per hour or lower admission rates in the ED are not significantly associated with an increase in revisit rates. Provider experience did not affect performance measures. Physician treatment time, patients per hour, admission rate, and charges per hour are reliable measures to assess the clinical performance of PEM physicians working at a single center.
American Journal of Medical Quality 06/2012; · 1.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The goals were (1) to describe emergency department (ED) characteristics thought to be related to patient safety within the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, (2) to measure staff perceptions of the climate of safety in EDs, and (3) to measure associations between ED characteristics and a climate of safety.
Twenty-one EDs were surveyed to assess physical structure, staffing patterns, overcrowding, medication administration, teamwork, and methods for promoting patient safety. A validated survey on the climate of safety was administered to all emergency department staff members. Safety climate scores were compared to evaluate associations with ED characteristics.
A total of 1747 staff members (49%) responded to the survey on the climate of safety. A minority of EDs had organized safety activities such as safety committees (48%) or walk-rounds (38%), used computerized physician order entry (38%), had ED pharmacists (19%), or had formal physician/registered nurse teams (38%). The majority (67%) treated patients in hallways. Most (67%) varied staffing on the basis of seasonal patient volume. Of the 1747 ED staff members (49%) responding to the survey, there was a wide range (28%-82%) in the proportion reporting a positive safety climate. Physicians' ratings of the climate of safety were higher than nurses' ratings, and perceptions varied according to work experience. Characteristics associated with an improved climate of safety were a lack of ED overcrowding, a sick call back-up plan for physicians, and the presence of an ED safety committee.
Large variability existed among EDs in structures and processes thought to be associated with patient safety and in staff perception of the safety climate. Several ED characteristics were associated with a positive climate of safety.
PEDIATRICS 09/2009; 124(2):485-93. · 4.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The 23-hour observation units (OUs) may be used to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. However, unexpected hospitalizations from the 23-hour OUs involve transfer of care and may decrease the efficiency and safety of care of the patient and the unit itself. The primary objective of this study was to determine the predictors of unexpected hospitalization for admissions to a pediatric 23-hour OU.
This is an observational prospective cohort study of patients admitted to a pediatric 23-hour OU. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses identify factors associated with unexpected hospitalization.
There were 4453 patients admitted to the 23-hour OU during the study. The overall rate of unexpected hospitalization was 20.3%; the mean 23-hour OU stay was 15 hours. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, and insurance status were not associated with increased unexpected hospitalization rates. Multivariate regression modeling revealed that unexpected hospitalization was associated with subgroups of resources used (intravenous medications and fluids, cardiorespiratory monitoring, respiratory therapist use, and supplemental oxygen), of subspecialty consultation, and of diagnosis categories (including asthma, adenitis, cellulitis, bronchiolitis, and esophageal foreign body ingestions). Experience of the health care provider involved in the care of the patient was not associated with increased unexpected hospitalization.
Most of the patients (80%) were successfully discharged from the 23-hour OU. Demographics of the patient and practitioner characteristics did not influence the risk of unexpected hospitalizations; however, certain patient diagnoses, use of resources,and subspecialty consultation did increase the risk of unexpected hospitalization and, therefore, may guide future admission criteria for pediatric 23-hour OU.
Pediatric emergency care 10/2008; 24(9):589-94. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Objectives: The 23-hour observation units (OUs) may be used to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. However, unexpected hospitalizations from the 23-hour OUs involve transfer of care and may decrease the efficiency and safety of care of the patient and the unit itself. The primary objective of this study was to determine the predictors of unexpected hospitalization for admissions to a pediatric 23-hour OU. Methods: This is an observational prospective cohort study of patients admitted to a pediatric 23-hour OU. Bivariate and multi- variate regression analyses identify factors associated with unex- pected hospitalization. Results: There were 4453 patients admitted to the 23-hour OU during the study. The overall rate of unexpected hospitalization was 20.3%; the mean 23-hour OU stay was 15 hours. Age, sex, race/ ethnicity, and insurance status were not associated with increased unexpected hospitalization rates. Multivariate regression modeling revealed that unexpected hospitalization was associated with subgroups of resources used (intravenous medications and fluids, cardiorespiratory monitoring, respiratory therapist use, and supple- mental oxygen), of subspecialty consultation, and of diagnosis categories (including asthma, adenitis, cellulitis, bronchiolitis, and esophageal foreign body ingestions). Experience of the health care provider involved in the care of the patient was not associated with increased unexpected hospitalization. Conclusions: Most of the patients (80%) were successfully dis- charged from the 23-hour OU. Demographics of the patient and practitioner characteristics did not influence the risk of unexpected hospitalizations; however, certain patient diagnoses, use of resour- ces, and subspecialty consultation did increase the risk of unex- pected hospitalization and, therefore, may guide future admission criteria for pediatric 23-hour OU.
Pediatric Emergency Care - PEDIATR EMERG CARE. 01/2008; 24(9):589-594.
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ABSTRACT: The benefits of family presence (FP) during resuscitation have been well documented in the literature for the past 20 years. However, many hospitals lack written guidelines to direct staff members during a resuscitation event. A structured approach affords staff a uniform and organized way to offering FP, avoiding any interference with patient care. The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence-based practice guidelines to offering FP during resuscitation in the emergency department. The guidelines illustrate a practical step-by-step approach that staff members can follow every time a patient is being evaluated and/or treated in the resuscitation room.
Pediatric emergency care 09/2007; 23(8):587-91. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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Howard M Corneli,
Joseph J Zorc,
Prashant Mahajan,
Prashant Majahan, Kathy N Shaw,
Richard Holubkov,
Scott D Reeves,
Richard M Ruddy,
Baqir Malik,
Kyle A Nelson, [......],
Kathleen A Lillis,
Lynn Babcock Cimpello,
James W Tsung,
Dominic A Borgialli,
Marc N Baskin,
Getachew Teshome,
Mitchell A Goldstein,
David Monroe,
J Michael Dean,
Nathan Kuppermann
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ABSTRACT: Bronchiolitis, the most common infection of the lower respiratory tract in infants, is a leading cause of hospitalization in childhood. Corticosteroids are commonly used to treat bronchiolitis, but evidence of their effectiveness is limited.
We conducted a double-blind, randomized trial comparing a single dose of oral dexamethasone (1 mg per kilogram of body weight) with placebo in 600 children (age range, 2 to 12 months) with a first episode of wheezing diagnosed in the emergency department as moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis (defined by a Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument score > or =6). We enrolled patients at 20 emergency departments during the months of November through April over a 3-year period. The primary outcome was hospital admission after 4 hours of emergency department observation. The secondary outcome was the Respiratory Assessment Change Score (RACS). We also evaluated later outcomes: length of hospital stay, later medical visits or admissions, and adverse events.
Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups. The admission rate was 39.7% for children assigned to dexamethasone, as compared with 41.0% for those assigned to placebo (absolute difference, -1.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -9.2 to 6.5). Both groups had respiratory improvement during observation; the mean 4-hour RACS was -5.3 for dexamethasone, as compared with -4.8 for placebo (absolute difference, -0.5; 95% CI, -1.3 to 0.3). Multivariate adjustment did not significantly alter the results, nor were differences detected in later outcomes.
In infants with acute moderate-to-severe bronchiolitis who were treated in the emergency department, a single dose of 1 mg of oral dexamethasone per kilogram did not significantly alter the rate of hospital admission, the respiratory status after 4 hours of observation, or later outcomes. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00119002 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).
New England Journal of Medicine 07/2007; 357(4):331-9. · 53.30 Impact Factor
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Pediatric Emergency Care 08/2006; 22(9):683. · 0.78 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Unscheduled revisits (URVs) may serve as markers of quality of care and may be costly both in financial terms as well as in limitations they place on primary care. We performed this study to examine the association between characteristics easily obtainable during an emergency department (ED) visit and URV to identify a subpopulation of children who may warrant interventions to decrease URV.
This is a case-control study of patients visiting an urban tertiary care pediatric ED for a fever or infectious disease-related complaint. Cases were defined as patients who had URVs that occurred within 72 hours of an initial ED visit. Control patients were selected by simple random sampling of an enumerated computerized list of all ED visits. Data on independent variables of interest were collected from a chart review and telephone interview with the patient's caregiver. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine factors associated with URV.
Seventy-five percent of cases and controls participated in the study. Logistic regression analysis revealed 3 factors independently associated with URV for fever or infectious disease-related complaints in children. These included presence of chronic disease (adjusted odds ratio 1.75, 95% confidence interval 1.01-3.03), Medicaid insurance (adjusted odds ratio 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.04-3.32) and acute triage category (adjusted odds ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.08-3.10).
These factors may be used to identify children in the ED at greater risk for URV and may point to a need for improved discharge instructions and enhanced communication with primary care and systems to arrange follow-up. Results of this work may also identify at-risk populations for future qualitative research or intervention studies on URV to EDs.
Pediatric emergency care 01/2006; 21(12):816-21. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Previous research has identified clinical predictors for urinary tract infection (UTI) to guide urine screening in febrile children <24 months of age. These studies have been limited to single centers, and few have focused on young infants who may be most at risk for complications if a UTI is missed. The objective of this study was to identify clinical and demographic factors associated with UTI in febrile infants who are < or =60 days of age using a prospective multicenter cohort.
We conducted a multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study during consecutive bronchiolitis seasons. All febrile (> or =38 degrees C) infants who were < or =60 days of age and seen at any of 8 pediatric emergency departments from October through March 1999-2001 were eligible. Clinical appearance was evaluated using the Yale Observation Scale. UTI was defined as growth of a known bacterial pathogen from a catheterized specimen at a level of (1) > or =50000 cfu/mL or (2) > or =10000 cfu/mL in association with a positive dipstick test or urinalysis. We used bivariate tests and multiple logistic regression to identify demographic and clinical factors that were associated with the likelihood of UTI.
A total of 1025 (67%) of 1513 eligible patients were enrolled; 9.0% of enrolled infants received a diagnosis of UTI. Uncircumcised male infants had a higher rate of UTI (21.3%) compared with female (5.0%) and circumcised male (2.3%) infants. Infants with maximum recorded temperature of > or =39 degrees C had a higher rate of UTI (16.3%) than other infants (7.2%). After multivariable adjustment, UTI was associated with being uncircumcised (odds ratio: 10.4; bias-corrected 95% confidence interval: 4.7-31.4) and maximum temperature (odds ratio: 2.4 per degrees C; 95% confidence interval: 1.5-3.6). Factors that were reported previously to be associated with risk for UTI in infants and toddlers, such as white race and ill appearance, were not significantly associated with risk for UTI in this cohort of young infants.
Being uncircumcised and height of fever were associated with UTI in febrile infants who were < or =60 days of age. Uncircumcised male infants were at particularly high risk and may warrant a different approach to screening and management.
PEDIATRICS 10/2005; 116(3):644-8. · 4.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is among the most commonly diagnosed bacterial infections of childhood. Although frequently encountered and well researched, diagnosis and management of UTI continue to be a controversial issue with many challenges for the clinician. Prevalence studies have shown that UTI may often be missed on history and physical examination, and the decision to screen for UTI must balance the risk for missed infections with the cost and inconvenience of testing. Interpretation of rapid diagnostic tests and culture is complicated by issues of contamination, false test results, and asymptomatic colonization of the urinary tract with nonpathogenic bacteria. The appropriate treatment of UTI has been controversial and has become more complex with the emergence of resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Finally, the anatomic evaluation and long-term management of a child after a UTI have been based on limited evidence, and newer studies question some of the tenets of prior recommendations. The goal of this review is to provide an up-to-date summary of the literature with particular attention to practical questions about diagnosis and management for the clinician.
Clinical Microbiology Reviews 05/2005; 18(2):417-22. · 16.13 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Dehydration from viral gastroenteritis is a significant pediatric health problem. Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is recommended as first-line therapy for both mildly and moderately dehydrated children; however, three quarters of pediatric emergency medicine physicians who are very familiar with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for ORT still use intravenous fluid therapy (IVF) for moderately dehydrated children.
To test the hypothesis that the failure rate of ORT would not be >5% greater than the failure rate of IVF. Secondary hypotheses were that patients in the ORT group will (1) require less time initiating therapy, (2) show more improvement after 2 hours of therapy, (3) have fewer hospitalizations, and (4) prefer ORT for future episodes of dehydration.
A randomized, controlled clinical trial (noninferiority study design) was performed in the emergency department of an urban children's hospital from December 2001 to April 2003. Children 8 weeks to 3 years old were eligible if they were moderately dehydrated, based on a validated 10-point score, from viral gastroenteritis. Patients were randomized to receive either ORT or IVF during the 4-hour study. Treating physicians were masked and assessed all patients before randomization at 2 and 4 hours of therapy. Successful rehydration at 4 hours was defined as resolution of moderate dehydration, production of urine, weight gain, and the absence severe emesis (> or =5 mL/kg).
Seventy-three patients were enrolled in the study: 36 were randomized to ORT and 37 were randomized to IVF. Baseline dehydration scores and the number of prior episodes of emesis and diarrhea were similar in the 2 groups. ORT demonstrated noninferiority for the main outcome measure and was found to be favorable with secondary outcomes. Half of both the ORT and IVF groups were rehydrated successfully at 4 hours (difference: -1.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -24.0% to 21.6%). The time required to initiate therapy was less in the ORT group at 19.9 minutes from randomization, compared with 41.2 minutes for the IVF group (difference: -21.2 minutes; 95% CI: -10.3 to -32.1 minutes). There was no difference in the improvement of the dehydration score at 2 hours between the 2 groups (78.8% ORT vs 80% IVF; difference: -1.2%; 95% CI: -20.5% to 18%). Less than one third of the ORT group required hospitalization, whereas almost half of the IVF group was hospitalized (30.6% vs 48.7%, respectively; difference: -18.1%; 95% CI: -40.1% to 4.0%). Patients who received ORT were as likely as those who received IVF to prefer the same therapy for the next episode of gastroenteritis (61.3% vs 51.4%, respectively; difference: 9.9%; 95% CI: -14% to 33.7%).
This trial demonstrated that ORT is as effective as IVF for rehydration of moderately dehydrated children due to gastroenteritis in the emergency department. ORT demonstrated noninferiority for successful rehydration at 4 hours and hospitalization rate. Additionally, therapy was initiated more quickly for ORT patients. ORT seems to be a preferred treatment option for patients with moderate dehydration from gastroenteritis.
PEDIATRICS 03/2005; 115(2):295-301. · 4.47 Impact Factor
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Deborah A Levine,
Shari L Platt,
Peter S Dayan,
Charles G Macias,
Joseph J Zorc,
William Krief,
Jeffrey Schor,
David Bank,
Nancy Fefferman, Kathy N Shaw,
Nathan Kuppermann
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ABSTRACT: The evaluation of young febrile infants is controversial, in part because it is unclear whether clinical evidence of a viral infection significantly reduces the risk of serious bacterial infections (SBIs). Specifically, it remains unclear whether the risk of SBI is altered in a meaningful way in the presence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections.
The objective of this study was to determine the risk of SBI in young febrile infants who are infected with RSV compared with those without RSV infections.
We conducted a 3-year multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study. All febrile (> or =38 degrees C) infants who were < or =60 days of age and presented to any of 8 pediatric emergency departments from October through March 1998-2001 were eligible. General clinical appearance was evaluated using the Yale Observational Scale. We determined RSV status by antigen testing of nasopharyngeal secretions. We defined bronchiolitis as either wheezing alone or chest retractions in association with an upper respiratory infection. We evaluated infants with blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and stool cultures. Urinary tract infection (UTI) was defined by single pathogen growth of > or =5 x 10(4) cfu/mL, or > or =10(4) cfu/mL in association with a positive urinalysis in a catheterized specimen, or > or = 10(3) cfu/mL in a suprapubic aspirate. Bacteremia, bacterial meningitis, and bacterial enteritis were defined by growth of a known bacterial pathogen. SBI was defined as any of the above-mentioned 4 bacterial infections.
We enrolled 1248 patients, including 269 (22%) with RSV infections. The overall SBI status could be determined in 1169 (94%) of the 1248 patients, and the rate of SBIs was 11.4% (133 of 1169; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.6%-13.3%). The rate of SBIs in the RSV-positive infants was 7.0% (17 of 244; 95% CI: 4.1%-10.9%) compared with 12.5% (116 of 925; 95% CI: 10.5%-14.8%) in the RSV-negative infants (risk difference: 5.5%; 95% CI: 1.7%-9.4%). The rate of UTI in the RSV-positive infants was 5.4% (14 of 261; 95% CI: 3.0%-8.8%) compared with 10.1% (98 of 966; 95% CI: 8.3%-12.2%) in the RSV-negative infants (risk difference: 4.7%; 95% CI: 1.4%-8.1%). The RSV-positive infants had a lower rate of bacteremia than the RSV-negative infants (1.1% vs 2.3%; risk difference: 1.2%; 95% CI: -0.4% to 2.7%). No RSV-positive infant had bacterial meningitis (0 of 251; 95% CI: 0%-1.2%); however, the differences between the 2 groups with regard to bacteremia and bacterial meningitis did not achieve statistical significance.
Febrile infants who are < or =60 days of age and have RSV infections are at significantly lower risk of SBI than febrile infants without RSV infection. Nevertheless, the rate of SBIs, particularly as a result of UTI, remains appreciable in febrile RSV-positive infants.
PEDIATRICS 06/2004; 113(6):1728-34. · 4.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To determine the incidence of return visits (RVs), types of RVs, and factors associated with RVs to a pediatric emergency department (ED).
: Retrospective cohort study of patients seen in an urban, tertiary care pediatric ED. Main outcome: RV within 48 hours, identified from a computerized log.
The total RV rate was 3.5% (95% confidence interval, 3.3-3.6), similar to rates (2.4% to 3.4%) reported in general EDs. Most (78.5%) RVs were unscheduled, 17% were scheduled, and 4% were called back to the ED. Infectious disease (45%), respiratory (16%), and trauma (16%) accounted for most RV diagnoses. When compared with the overall ED population, RV patients were more likely to be younger than 2 years [relative risk, 1.3 (1.2-1.4)], to be admitted to the hospital [relative risk, 1.3 (1.2-1.5)], and to be triaged as acute [relative risk, 1.1 (1.0-1.2)]. Patients called back to the ED were younger, more likely to be triaged as acute, and more likely to be admitted than other RV patients. Significant diagnoses were made at RV in 7 (0.4%; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.7) patients, half of whom were called back to the ED or had a scheduled RV.
Similarities between our pediatric ED RV rate and other published research implies that benchmarking and quality improvement tools for RV can be used and compared in both pediatric and general EDs. Focusing on systems to call patients back to the ED when necessary may be an efficient way to reduce medical error and adverse patient outcomes.
Pediatric emergency care 04/2004; 20(3):166-71. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A measure of research activity is an important way to gauge knowledge advances. We designed this study to analyze trends in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) research, particularly focusing on the amount of research presented, topics investigated, location of research presentation, study design, and use of statistical analysis.
Every abstract presented between January 1987 and December 1999 from 4 national scientific meetings [Ambulatory Pediatric Association (APA), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM)] was evaluated. Those abstracts that met study criteria were evaluated for research topic, year of presentation, and sponsoring organization. Abstracts from the first and last 5 years of the study period were assessed for study design and use of statistical analysis. Trends over time were examined.
There were 1675 abstracts presented over the 13-year study period: 41% at APA, 27% at AAP, 7% at ACEP, and 25% at AEM. Medical topics were most frequently investigated (36%) followed by trauma (20%), administrative (17%), procedural (14%), life-threatening emergencies (12%), and surgical (3%). Two percent of abstracts was presented in the first year and the greatest proportion (14%) was presented in 1999 (P < 0.001). Eighty percent of the abstracts was assessed for study design and use of statistics. There was no change in the proportion of abstracts that were prospective [odds ratio (OR) = 0.98 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.76-1.26)] or analytic [OR = 1.06 (95% CI = 0.83-1.35)] between the early and the later years. Descriptive surveys increased in frequency from the early to the later years [OR = 1.92 (95% CI = 1.29-2.92)] as did multicentered clinical trials [OR = 7.71 (95% CI = 1.97-66.38)]. Case series decreased in frequency [OR = 0.71 (95% CI = 0.54-0.93)] as did bench research [OR = 0.21 (95% CI = 0.11-0.40)]. The use of statistics increased with time [OR = 1.99 (95% CI = 1.54-2.58)] as did the use of CIs [OR = 4.40 (95% CI = 2.76-7.29)].
There was a substantial increase in the amount of research conducted in PEM. The topics investigated correspond to national recommendations. There was not an increase in the amount of research that was prospective or analytic in nature; however, there was increased statistical sophistication with time.
Pediatric emergency care 10/2003; 19(5):293-301. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To answer basic questions, using precise definitions, regarding emergency department (ED) utilization, wait times, services, and attending physician staffing of representative pediatric EDs (PEDs).
Ten questions with precise definitions were developed and sent to members of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association's PED Directors' Special Interest Group in November of 2001, with two repeated requests 3 and 6 months later.
Twenty-one PEDs from 14 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada responded (41%). The average PED has 48,000 patient visits per year (range, 25,000-97,000). Two thirds have urgent care or fast track areas to see nonurgent patients, while only 29% have 23-hour treatment units. The average admission rate is 13.2% (range, 6.8-20.8%). The average rate of patients who leave without being seen is 1.6%. The average patient waits 1 hour to see a physician and spends a total of 3 hours in the PED. The majority of attending staffing is by pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) Board-certified/eligible physicians (73%), although a few PEDs are staffed only by PEM specialists. Attending staffing is 2.8 patients per attending per hour, or 0.36 hours per patient, with more staffing for PEDs with higher admission rates or acuity. The average entry-level base salary for PED physicians in 2000 was 117,250 dollars (range, 98,000 dollars-145,000 dollars).
Benchmarking of PEM staffing and performance indicators by PEM directors yields important administrative data. PEDs have higher census and admission rates compared with information from all EDs, while their attending staffing, wait times, and rate of patients who leave without being seen are comparable to those of general EDs.
Pediatric emergency care 07/2003; 19(3):143-7. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To validate a previously published clinical decision rule to predict risk of urinary tract infection in febrile young girls.
We performed a retrospective case-control study at a children's hospital emergency department in a different city than that in which the original derivation study took place. Girls younger than 2 years in whom urinalysis and urine culture were performed for evaluation of fever were eligible. Cases consisted of all patients with a positive urine culture result, defined as 50,000 or more colony-forming units per milliliter of a urinary tract pathogen (n = 98). A random sample of patients with a negative urine culture result (n = 114) was also selected as controls. The clinical prediction rule included five risk factors: age younger than 12 months, white race, temperature of 39.0 degrees C or higher, absence of any other potential source of fever, and fever for 2 days or more. The sensitivity and false-positive rate of this rule were calculated at different cutoff values.
The overall discriminative ability of the rule, as indicated by the area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC), was similar in this validation sample (AUC = 0.72) to that in the original study (AUC = 0.76). However, in the validation sample, the presence of three or more risk factors (rather than two or more as in the original study) appeared to be the optimum cutoff to define a positive rule, which results in an indication for obtaining further diagnostic testing (sensitivity, 88% [95% CI, 79-94%]; false-positive rate, 70% [95% CI, 61-79%]).
A simple clinical decision rule previously developed to predict urinary tract infection based on five risk factors performs similarly in a different patient population.
Pediatric emergency care 07/2003; 19(3):162-4. · 0.92 Impact Factor
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Pediatric Emergency Care - PEDIATR EMERG CARE. 01/1999; 15(4):298-305.
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James M. Callahan,
Mark D. Joffe,
Stephen Ludwig, Kathy N. Shaw,
Elizabeth Alpern,
Jill Baren,
Mercedes Blackstone,
Aaron Chen,
Karen DePasquale,
Rakesh Mistry,
Manoj Mittal,
Cynthia J. Mollen
