Earthquakes rank among the most deadly natural disasters, and children are particularly affected due to their inherent vulnerability. Following an earthquake, there is a substantial increase in visits to emergency services. These visits stem not only from patients seeking care for physical traumas resulting from the earthquake and its subsequent complications, but also from individuals affected by the circumstances created by the disaster.

This study aims to determine the characteristics and outcomes of children who presented to the pediatric emergency department (PED) after the earthquake and to evaluate children who had crush injuries at a referral tertiary university hospital away from the earthquake area.

The medical records of children who presented to the PED from the earthquake area from February 6 through March 7, 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Children rescued from under rubble were categorized as Group 1, those affected by earthquake conditions as Group 2, and patients seeking medical attention due to the follow-up of chronic illnesses were considered as Group 3. Patient data, including sociodemographic characteristics, time period under rubble (TPR), laboratory findings, and details of medical and surgical procedures, developing acute kidney injury (AKI), and the requirement for hemodialysis were recorded.

A total of 252 children were enrolled in the study, with 52 (20.6%) in Group 1, 180 (71.4%) in Group 2, and 16 (6.0%) in Group 3. The median age was six (IQR = 1.7-12.1) years. In the first group (n = 52), 46 (85.2%) children experienced crush injuries, 25 children (46.3%) developed crush syndrome, and 14 of them (14/25; 56.0%) required dialysis. In the second group, the most common diagnoses were upper respiratory tract infections (n = 69; 37.9%), acute gastroenteritis (n = 23; 12.6%), simple physical trauma (n = 16; 8.8%), and lower respiratory tract infections (n = 13; 7.1%). For children in the third group, pediatric neurology (n = 5; 33.3%), pediatric oncology (n = 4; 25.0%), and pediatric nephrology (n = 3; 18.8%) were the most frequently referred specialties.

Crush injuries, crush syndrome, and AKI were the most common problems in the early days following the earthquake. Along with these patients, children who were affected by the environmental conditions caused by the earthquake, as well as children with chronic illnesses, also accounted for a significant portion of visits to the PED, even if they were distant from the disaster area.

Pediatric patients transferred by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) from urgent care (UC) and office-based physician practices to the emergency department (ED) following activation of the 9-1-1 EMS system are an under-studied population with scarce literature regarding outcomes for these children. The objectives of this study were to describe this population, explore EMS level-of-care transport decisions, and examine ED outcomes.

This was a retrospective review of patients zero to <15 years of age transported by EMS from UC and office-based physician practices to the ED of two pediatric receiving centers from January 2017 through December 2019. Variables included reason for transfer, level of transport, EMS interventions and medications, ED medications/labs/imaging ordered in the first hour, ED procedures, ED disposition, and demographics. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, X2 test, point biserial correlation, two-sample z test, Mann-Whitney U test, and 2-way ANOVA.

A total of 450 EMS transports were included in this study: 382 Advanced Life Support (ALS) runs and 68 Basic Life Support (BLS) runs. The median patient age was 2.66 years, 60.9% were male, and 60.7% had private insurance. Overall, 48.9% of patients were transported from an office-based physician practice and 25.1% were transported from UC. Almost one-half (48.7%) of ALS patients received an EMS intervention or medication, as did 4.41% of BLS patients. Respiratory distress was the most common reason for transport (46.9%). Supplemental oxygen was the most common EMS intervention and albuterol was the most administered EMS medication. There was no significant association between level of transport and ED disposition (P = .23). The in-patient admission rate for transported patients was significantly higher than the general ED admission rate (P <.001).

This study demonstrates that pediatric patients transferred via EMS after activation of the 9-1-1 system from UC and medical offices are more acutely ill than the general pediatric ED population and are likely sicker than the general pediatric EMS population. Paramedics appear to be making appropriate level-of-care transport decisions.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has presented unique challenges to pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) departments. The purpose of this study was to identify these challenges and ascertain how centers overcame barriers in creating solutions to continue to provide high-quality care and keep their workforce safe during the early pandemic.

This is a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with physicians in leadership positions who have disaster or emergency management experience. Participants were identified through purposive sampling. Interviews were recorded and transcribed electronically. Themes and codes were extracted from the transcripts by 2 independent coders. Constant comparison analysis was performed until thematic saturation was achieved. Member-checking was completed to ensure trustworthiness.

Fourteen PEM-trained physicians participated in this study. Communication, leadership and planning, clinical practice, and personal adaptations were the principal themes identified. Recommendations elicited include improving communication strategies; increasing emergency department (ED) representation within hospital-wide incident command; preparing for a surge and accepting adult patients; personal protective equipment supply and usage; developing testing strategies; and adaptations individuals made to their practice to keep themselves and their families safe.

By sharing COVID-19 experiences and offering solutions to commonly encountered problems, pediatric EDs may be better prepared for future pandemics.

The aim of this study was to determine how the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the use of the pediatric emergency department (PED).

Cross-sectional study of PED visits during January through April, 2016-2020. Data included: total PED visits, emergency severity index (ESI), disposition, chief complaint, age (months), time from first provider to disposition (PTD), and PED length of stay (PED-LOS). P-value <0.01 was statistically significant.

In total, 67,499 visits were reported. There was a significant decrease in PED visits of 24-71% from March to April 2020. Chief complaints for fever and cough were highest in March 2020; while April 2020 had a shorter mean PED-LOS (from 158 to 123 min), an increase of admissions (from 8% to 14%), a decrease in ESI 4 (10%), and an increase in ESI 3 (8%) (P < 0.001). There was no difference in mean monthly PTD time.

Patient flow in the PED was negatively affected by a decrease in PED visits and increase in admission rate that may be related to higher acuity. By understanding the interaction between hospital processes on PEDs and patient factors during a pandemic, we are able to anticipate and better allocate future resources.

Routine advanced airway usage by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has had conflicting reports of being the secure airway of choice in pediatric patients.

The primary objective was to describe a pediatric cohort requiring airway management upon their arrival directly from the scene to two pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). A secondary objective included assessing for associations in EMS airway management and patient outcomes.

Retrospective data from the health record were reviewed, including EMS reports, for all arrivals less than 18 years old to two PEDs who required airway support between May 2015 and July 2016. The EMS management was classified as basic (oxygen, continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP], or bag-valve-mask [BVM]) or advanced (supraglottic or endotracheal intubation [ETI]) based on EMS documentation. Outcomes included oxygenation as documented by receiving PED and hospital mortality.

In total, 104 patients with an average age 5.9 (SD=5.1) years and median EMS Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of nine (IQR 3-14) were enrolled. Basic management was utilized in 70% of patients (passive: n=49; CPAP: n=2; BVM: n=22). Advanced management was utilized in 30% of patients (supraglottic: n=4; ETI: n=27). Proper ETI placement was achieved in 48% of attempted patients, with 41% of patients undergoing multiple attempts. Inadequate oxygenation occurred in 18% of patients, including four percent of ETI attempts, nine percent of BVM patients, and 32% of passively managed patients. Adjusted for EMS GCS, medical patients undergoing advanced airway management experienced higher risk of mortality (risk-ratio [RR] 2.98; 95% CI, 1.18-7.56; P=.021).

With exception to instances where ETI is clearly indicated, BVM management is effective in pediatric patients who required airway support, with ETI providing no definitive protective factors. Most of the patients who exhibited inadequate oxygenation upon arrival to the PED received only passive oxygenation by EMS.

TweedJ, GeorgeT, GreenwellC, VinsonL.Prehospital Airway Management Examined at Two Pediatric Emergency Centers. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(5):532–538.

Our objectives were to describe disposition decisions and emergency department return (EDR) rates following a clinical decision unit (CDU) stay; and to determine changes to short stay (<48 hour) hospitalization rates after CDU implementation.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pediatric emergency department (PED) visits with a CDU stay from January 1 to December 31, 2015. Health records data were extracted onto standardized online forms, then used to determine disposition and 7-day EDR rates. Two trained investigators blindly reviewed EDR visits to determine if they were related to the index CDU stay. We compared short stay inpatient admission rates (i.e., hospital length of stay <48 hours) in 2013 and 2015, before and after CDU implementation.

Of 1696 index CDU stays, 1503 (89%) were discharged, and 139 discharged patients (9.2%) had ≥1 clinically-related EDR. Median (IQR) CDU length of stay (LOS) was 4.4 hours (2.7-7.8) and total PED LOS (including CDU) was 7.8 hours (5.4-12.0). Asthma represented 31% of cases. Short stay hospitalization rate decreased from 3.62% in 2013 to 3.23% in 2015 (difference=0.39%; 95% CI=0.15-0.63; p=0.001).

Most CDU patients were discharged, but 9% had a clinically-related ED revisit. CDU implementation was associated with a small but significant reduction in short stay hospitalization.

The suboptimal provision of analgesia to children in the emergency department (ED) is well-described. A yet unexplored barrier is caregiver or child refusal of analgesia. We sought to evaluate the frequency of caregiver/child acceptance of analgesia offered in the ED.

We conducted a two-centre cross-sectional study of 743 caregivers of children 4–17 years presenting to the pediatric ED with an acutely painful condition using a survey and medical record review. The primary outcome was the proportion of children/caregiver pairs who accepted analgesia in the ED.

The median (IQR) age of children was 11 (7) years, and 339/743 (45.6%) were female. The overall survey response rate was 73% (743/1018). In the 24 hours preceding ED arrival, the median (IQR) maximal pain score rated by children and caregivers was 8/10 (4) and 5/10 (2), respectively, and 30.4% (226/743) of caregivers offered analgesia. In the ED, children reported a median (IQR) pain score of 8/10 (2) and 54.9% (408/743) were offered analgesia. When offered in the ED, analgesia was accepted by 91% (373/408). Overall, 55.7% (414/743) of children received some form of analgesia.

Most caregivers/children accept analgesia when offered by ED personnel, suggesting refusal is not a major barrier to optimal management of children’s pain and highlighting the importance of ED personnel in encouraging adequate analgesia. A large proportion of children in pain are not offered analgesia by caregivers or ED personnel. Educational strategies for recognizing and treating pain should be directed at children, caregivers, and ED personnel.

Emergency department (ED) crowding is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its etiology is multifactorial, and frequent ED use (defined as more or equal to five visits per year) is a major contributor to high patient volumes. Our primary objective is to characterize the frequent user population. Our secondary objective is to examine risk factors for frequent emergency use.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pediatric emergency department (PED) visits at the Montreal Children’s Hospital using the Système Informatique Urgence (SIURGE), electronic medical record database. We analysed the relation between patient’s characteristics and the number of PED visits over a 1-year period following the index visit.

Patients totalling 52,088 accounted for 94,155 visits. Of those, 2,474 (4.7%) patients had five and more recurrent visits and accounted for 16.6% (15,612 visits) of the total PED visits. Lower level of acuity at index visit (odds ratio [OR] 0.85) was associated with a lower number of recurrent visits. Lower socioeconomic status (social deprivation index OR 1.09, material deprivation index OR 1.08) was associated with a higher number of recurrent visits. Asthma (OR 1.57); infectious ear, nose, and sinus disorders (OR 1.33); and other respiratory disorders (OR 1.56) were independently associated with a higher incidence of a recurrent visit within the year following the first visit.

Our study is the first Canadian study to assess risk factors of frequent pediatric emergency use. The identified risk factors and diagnoses highlight the need for future evidence-based, targeted innovative research evaluating strategies to minimize ED crowding, to improve health outcomes and to improve patient satisfaction.

Despite documented increases in emergency department (ED) mental health (MH) presentations, there are inconsistent findings on the characteristics of patients with repeat presentations to pediatric EDs (PEDs) for MH concerns. Our study sought to explore the characteristics of MH patients with repeat PED visits and determine predictors of return visits, of earlier repeat visits, and of more frequent repeat visits.

We examined data collected prospectively in a clinical database looking at MH presentations to a crisis intervention program housed within a PED from October 2006 to December 2011. Predictive models based on demographic and clinical variables were constructed using logistic, Cox, and negative binomial regression.

A total of 4,080 presentations to the PED were made by the 2,900 children and youth. Repeat visits accounted for almost half (45.8%) of all presentations. Multivariable analysis identified five variables that independently predicted greater odds of having repeat presentations, greater risk of earlier repeat presentations, and greater risk of frequent repeat presentations. The five variables were: female, living in the metropolitan community close to the PED, being in the care of child protective services, taking psychotropic medications, and presenting with an actionable need in the area of mood disturbances.

Repeat visits account for a large portion of all MH presentations to the PED. Furthermore, several patient characteristics are significant predictors of repeat PED use and of repeating use sooner and more frequently. Further research is needed to examine interventions targeting this patient group to ensure appropriate MH patient management.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) resources are overwhelmed in disaster as the need to accommodate influx of critically-ill children is increased. A full-scale chlorine overexposure exercise was conducted by the New York Institute for All Hazard Preparedness (NYIAHP) to assess the appropriateness of response of Kings County Hospital Center's (KCHC's) PICU surge plan to an influx of critically-ill children. The primary endpoint that was assessed was the ability of the institution to follow the PICU surge plan, while secondary endpoints include the ability to provide appropriate medical management.

Thirty-six actors/patients (medical students or emergency medicine residents) were educated on presentations and appropriate medical management of patients after a chlorine overexposure, as well as lectures on drill design and expected PICU surge response. Victims presented to the hospital after simulated accidental chlorine overexposure at a public pool. Twenty-two patients with 14 family members needed evaluation; nine of these patients would require PICU admission. Three of nine PICU patients were low-fidelity mannequins. In addition to the 36 actor/patient evaluators, each area had two to four expert evaluators (disaster preparedness experts) to assess appropriateness of global response. Patients were expected to receive standard of care. Appropriateness of medical decisions and treatment was assessed retrospectively with review of electronic medical record.

The initial PICU census was three of seven; two of these patients were transferred to the general ward. Of the nine patients that required Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, six actor/patients were admitted to the PICU, one was admitted to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), one went to the Operating Room (OR), and one was admitted to a monitored-surge general pediatric bed. The remaining 13 actor/patients were treated and released. Medical, nursing, and respiratory staffing in the PICU and the general ward were increased by two main mechanisms (extension of work hours and in-house recruitment of additional staff). Emergency Department (ED) staffing was artificially increased prior to the drill. With the exception of ocular fluid pH testing in patients with ocular pruritus, all necessary treatments were given; however, an unneeded albuterol treatment was administered to one patient. Chart review showed adequate discharge instructions in four of 13 patients. Nine patients without respiratory complaints in the ED were not instructed to observe for dyspnea. All patients were in the PICU or alternate locations within 90 minutes.

The staff was well versed in the major details of KCHC's PICU surge plan, which allowed smooth transition of patient care from the ED to the PICU. The plan provided for a roadmap to achieve adequate medical, nursing, and respiratory therapists. Medical therapy was appropriate in the PICU; however, in the ED, patients with ocular complaints did not receive optimal care. In addition, written discharge instruction and educational material regarding chlorine overexposure to all patients were not consistently provided. The PICU surge plan was immediately accessible through the KCHC intranet; however, not all participants were cognizant of this fact; this decreased the efficiency with which the roadmap was followed. An exaggerated ED staff facilitated evaluation and transfer of patients.

During disasters, the ability to surge is paramount and each hospital addresses it differently. Hospitals and departments have written surge plans, but there is no literature available which assesses the validity of said plans through a rigorous, structured, simulated disaster drill. This study is the first to assess validity and effectiveness of a hospital's PICU surge plan. Overall, the KCHC PICU surge plan was effective; however, several deficiencies (mainly in communication and patient education in the ED) were identified, and this will improve future response.

ShahVS, PierceLC, RoblinP, WalkerS, SergioMN, ArquillaB. Waterworks, a Full-Scale Chemical Exposure Exercise: Interrogating Pediatric Critical Care Surge Capacity in an Inner-City Tertiary Care Medical Center. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(1):1-7.

The primary objective of this study was to quantify the impact of a clinical practice intervention to promote the delivery of salbutamol by metered-dose inhaler (MDI) in a pediatric emergency department (PED). A secondary objective was to retrospectively document the components of the intervention.

PED inventory data for salbutamol inhalation solution (nebules), MDIs, and holding chambers were obtained from the pharmacy department. Patient data were obtained fromthe hospital's decision support unit. Interrupted time series analysis was used to evaluate trends in salbutamol inventory data, patient triage acuity, and hospital admissions from January 1, 2003, to May 31, 2010. Interviews and administrative documents were used to identify components of the intervention, which began in 2006.

There was a 1,215% increase in the proportion of salbutamol delivered as MDIs compared to total inhaled salbutamol (MDI plus nebulization solution) following the intervention (95% CI 1,032% to 1,396%, p < 0.001). Increases in salbutamol MDI use were associated with the implementation of an institution-specific asthma care map. A relative decrease of 32% in the hospital admission rate (absolute –7.25%: 95% CI –8.31 to –6.19, p < 0.001) was associated with the change in salbutamol MDI use and the use of the asthma care map.

A multifaceted intervention, designed and implemented by local PED clinical leaders, resulted in a pronounced change in salbutamol inhalation practice, with an associated decrease in admission rates. This intervention demonstrated many of the criteria for successful health system change. Findings from this research may be contextualized to inform change elsewhere.