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Background and Objectives: Patient and family violent outbursts toward staff, caregivers, or through self-harm, have increased during the ongoing behavioral health crisis. These health care-associated violence (HAV) episodes are likely under-reported. We sought to assess the feasibility of using nursing notes to identify under-reported HAV episodes., Methods: We extracted nursing notes across inpatient units at 2 hospitals for 2019: a pediatric tertiary care center and a community-based hospital. We used a workflow for narrative data processing using a natural language processing (NLP) assisted manual review process performed by domain experts (a nurse and a physician). We trained the NLP models on the tertiary care center data and validated it on the community hospital data. Finally, we applied these surveillance methods to real-time data for 2022 to assess reporting completeness of new cases., Results: We used 70 981 notes from the tertiary care center for model building and internal validation and 19 332 notes from the community hospital for external validation. The final community hospital model sensitivity was 96.8% (95% CI 90.6% to 100%) and a specificity of 47.1% (39.6% to 54.6%) compared with manual review. We identified 31 HAV episodes in July to December 2022, of which 26 were reportable in accordance with the hospital internal criteria. Only 7 of 26 cases were reported by employees using the self-reporting system, all of which were identified by our surveillance process., Conclusions: NLP-assisted review is a feasible method for surveillance of under-reported HAV episodes, with implementation and usability that can be achieved even at a low information technology-resourced hospital setting., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Objective: This study assessed the feasibility of nursing handoff notes to identify underreported hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) events., Methods: We have established a natural language processing-assisted manual review process and workflow for data extraction from a corpus of nursing notes across all medical inpatient and intensive care units in a tertiary care pediatric center. This system is trained by 2 domain experts. Our workflow started with keywords around HAPI and treatments, then regular expressions, distributive semantics, and finally a document classifier. We generated 3 models: a tri-gram classifier, binary logistic regression model using the regular expressions as predictors, and a random forest model using both models together. Our final output presented to the event screener was generated using a random forest model validated using derivation and validation sets., Results: Our initial corpus involved 70,981 notes during a 1-year period from 5484 unique admissions for 4220 patients. Our interrater human reviewer agreement on identifying HAPI was high ( κ = 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.75). Our random forest model had 95% sensitivity (95% CI, 90.6%-99.3%), 71.2% specificity (95% CI, 65.1%-77.2%), and 78.7% accuracy (95% CI, 74.1%-83.2%). A total of 264 notes from 148 unique admissions (2.7% of all admissions) were identified describing likely HAPI. Sixty-one described new injuries, and 64 describe known yet possibly evolving injuries. Relative to the total patient population during our study period, HAPI incidence was 11.9 per 1000 discharges, and incidence rate was 1.2 per 1000 bed-days., Conclusions: Natural language processing-based surveillance is proven to be feasible and high yield using nursing handoff notes., Competing Interests: The authors disclose no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Pediatric status epilepticus is one of the most frequent pediatric emergencies, with high mortality and morbidity. Utilizing electronic health records (EHRs) permits analysis of care approaches and disease outcomes at a lower cost than prospective research. However, reviewing EHR manually is time intensive. We aimed to compare refractory status epilepticus (rSE) cases identified by human EHR review with a natural language processing (NLP)-assisted rSE screen followed by a manual review., Methods: We used the NLP screening tool Document Review Tool (DrT) to generate regular expressions, trained a bag-of-words NLP classifier on EHRs from 2017 to 2019, and then tested our algorithm on data from February to December 2012. We compared results from manual review to NLP-assisted search followed by manual review., Results: Our algorithm identified 1528 notes in the test set. After removing notes pertaining to the same event by DrT, the user reviewed a total number of 400 notes to find patients with rSE. Within these 400 notes, we identified 31 rSE cases, including 12 new cases not found in manual review, and 19 of the 20 previously identified cases. The NLP-assisted model found 31 of 32 cases, with a sensitivity of 96.88% (95% CI = 82%-99.84%), whereas manual review identified 20 of 32 cases, with a sensitivity of 62.5% (95% CI = 43.75%-78.34%)., Significance: DrT provided a highly sensitive model compared to human review and an increase in patient identification through EHRs. The use of DrT is a suitable application of NLP for identifying patients with a history of recent rSE, which ultimately contributes to the implementation of monitoring techniques and treatments in near real time., (© 2023 International League Against Epilepsy.)

Background and Objectives: Blood cultures (BCxs) are often obtained in the initial evaluation of children with fever and acute lower extremity pain; however, their yield in this population is unknown. We aim to describe the prevalence of bacteremia among children presenting to the emergency department (ED) with fever and acute lower extremity pain and identify predictors of bacteremia., Methods: Cross-sectional review of children aged 1 to 18 years presenting to the ED with fever and acute lower extremity pain between 2010 and 2020. We excluded patients with trauma within the previous 24 hours, orthopedic comorbidity, immunocompromised status, or antibiotic pretreatment. We identified our cohort using a Natural Language Processing-assisted model with manual review and abstracted clinical data. Our primary outcome was a BCx positive for a pathogen., Results: We screened 478 979 ED notes and identified 689 patients who met inclusion criteria. Median age was 5.3 years (interquartile range 2.7-8.8); 39.5% were female. BCxs were obtained from 75.9% (523/689) of patients, of which 510 were available for review. BCxs were positive in 70/510 (13.7%; 95% CI, confidence interval [CI], 10.9-17.0) of children and in 70/689 (10.2%; 95% CI, 8.0-12.7%) of the entire cohort. The most common pathogens were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (71.6%) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (15.7%). Predictors of bacteremia include C-reactive protein ≥3 mg/dL (odds ratio, 4.5; 95% CI, 2.1-9.6) and localizing examination findings (odds ratio, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4-7.9)., Conclusions: The prevalence of bacteremia among children presenting to the ED with fever and acute lower extremity pain is high. Routine BCx should be considered in the initial evaluation of this population., (Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Objective: We describe our approach to surveillance of reportable safety events captured in hospital data including free-text clinical notes. We hypothesize that a) some patient safety events are documented only in the clinical notes and not in any other accessible source; and b) large-scale abstraction of event data from clinical notes is feasible., Materials and Methods: We use regular expressions to generate a training data set for a machine learning model and apply this model to the full set of clinical notes and conduct further review to identify safety events of interest. We demonstrate this approach on peripheral intravenous (PIV) infiltrations and extravasations (PIVIEs)., Results: During Phase 1, we collected 21,362 clinical notes, of which 2342 were reviewed. We identified 125 PIV events, of which 44 cases (35%) were not captured by other patient safety systems. During Phase 2, we collected 60,735 clinical notes and identified 440 infiltrate events. Our classifier demonstrated accuracy above 90%., Conclusion: Our method to identify safety events from the free text of clinical documentation offers a feasible and scalable approach to enhance existing patient safety systems. Expert reviewers, using a machine learning model, can conduct routine surveillance of patient safety events.

Background: Children with hemophilia frequently require long-term central venous access devices (CVADs) for regular infusion of factor products. Hemophilia patients are not immunocompromised, but the presence and use of CVADs are associated with infections including bacteremia. Currently, the utility of blood cultures in evaluation of the febrile hemophilia patient with an indwelling CVAD is unknown, nor is optimal empiric antibiotic use., Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of febrile immunocompetent hemophilia patients with CVADs presenting to a large academic urban pediatric emergency department from 1995 to 2017. We used a natural language processing electronic search, followed by manual chart review to construct the cohort. We analyzed rate of pathogen recovery from cultures of blood in subgroups of hemophilia patients, the pathogen profile, and the reported pathogen susceptibilities to ceftriaxone., Results: Natural language processing electronic search identified 181 visits for fever among hemophilia patients with indwelling CVADs of which 147 cases from 44 unique patients met study criteria. Cultures of blood were positive in 56 (38%) of 147 patients (95% confidence interval, 30%-47%). Seventeen different organisms were isolated (10 pathogens and 7 possible pathogens) with Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species as the most common. Thirty-four percent of isolates were reported as susceptible to ceftriaxone. Positive blood cultures were more common in cases involving patients with inhibitors (n = 71) versus those without (n = 76), odds ratio, 7.4 (95% confidence interval, 3.5-15.9). This was observed irrespective of hemophilia type., Conclusions: Febrile immunocompetent hemophilia patients with indwelling CVADs have high rates of bacteremia. Empiric antimicrobial therapy should be targeted to anticipated pathogens and take into consideration local susceptibility patterns for Staphylococcus aureus., Competing Interests: H.A. is a consultant of Agios, Dova, and Moderna and receives research funding from Agios and Dova. S.E.C. is a consultant of Bayer, CSL-Behring, Octapharma, Shire, and Novo Nordisk and receives research support from Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, and Spark Therapeutics. The other authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate whether racial/ethnical differences in analgesia administration existed in two different cohorts of children with painful conditions: children with either limb fracture or suspected appendicitis. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of children visiting a pediatric emergency department (Boston Children Hospital) for limb fracture or suspected appendicitis from 2011 to 2015. We computed the proportion of children that received any analgesic treatment and any opioid analgesia. We performed multivariable logistic regressions to investigate race/ethnicity differences in analgesic and opioid administration, after adjusting for pain score, demographics and visit covariates. Results: Among the 8,347 children with a limb fracture and the 4,780 with suspected appendicitis, 65.0 and 60.9% received any analgesic treatment, and 35.9 and 33.4% an opioid analgesia, respectively. Compared to White non-Hispanic Children, Black non-Hispanic children and Hispanic children were less likely to receive opioid analgesia in both the limb fracture cohort [Black: aOR = 0.61 (95% CI, 0.50-0.75); Hispanic aOR = 0.66 (95% CI, 0.55-0.80)] and in the suspected appendicitis cohort [Black: aOR = 0.75 (95% CI, 0.58-0.96); Hispanic aOR = 0.78 (95% CI, 0.63-0.96)]. In the limb fracture cohort, Black non-Hispanic children and Hispanic children were more likely to receive any analgesic treatment (non-opioid or opioid) than White non-Hispanic children [Black: aOR = 1.63 (95% CI, 1.33-2.01); Hispanic aOR = 1.43 (95% CI, 1.19-1.72)]. Conclusion: Racial and ethnic disparities exist in the pain management of two different painful conditions, which suggests true inequities in health care delivery. To provide equitable analgesic care, emergency departments should monitor variation in analgesic management and develop appropriate universal interventions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Guedj, Marini, Kossowsky, Berde, Kimia and Fleegler.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest On behalf of the authors I am providing a statement to certify that none of the authors have and conflict of interest, financial or other.

Objectives: Little is known regarding the differences in microbiology associated with cellulitis or abscess with or without lymphangitic streaking. The objective of our study is to assess whether there are differences in the pathogens identified from wound cultures of patients with paronychia with and without associated lymphangitis., Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study at a tertiary pediatric emergency department over 25 years. We opted to assess patients with paronychia of the finger, assuming that these cases will have a greater variety of causative pathogens compared to other cases of cellulitis and soft tissue abscess that are associated with nail biting. Case identification was conducted using a computerized text-screening search that was refined by manual chart review. We included patients from 1 month to 20 years of age who underwent an incision and drainage (I&D) of a paronychia and had a culture obtained. The presence or absence of lymphangitis was determined from the clinical narrative in the medical record. We excluded patients treated with antibiotics prior to I&D as well as immune-compromised patients. We used descriptive statistics for prevalence and χ2 tests for categorical variables., Results: Two hundred sixty-six patients met inclusion criteria. The median age was 9.7 years [IQR 4.7, 15.4] and 45.1% were female. Twenty-two patients (8.3%) had lymphangitic streaking associated with their paronychia. Patients with lymphangitis streaking were similar to those without lymphangitis in terms of age and sex (p = 0.52 and p = 0.82, respectively). Overall, the predominant bacteria was MSSA (40%) followed by MRSA (26%). No significant differences were found between the pathogens in the 22 patients with associated lymphangitis compared to the 244 patients without., Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus represent the majority of pathogens in paronychia, although streptococcal species and gram-negative bacteria were also common. Among patients with paronychia of the finger, there seems to be no association between pathogen type and presence of lymphangitic streaking., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors have any conflict of interest either financial or other. That holds true to both authors and family members. This project was not funded and done at kind as part of the authors academic interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the accuracy of computer versus physician predictions of hospitalization and to explore the potential synergies of hybrid physician-computer models., Materials and Methods: A single-center prospective observational study in a tertiary pediatric hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Nine emergency department (ED) attending physicians participated in the study. Physicians predicted the likelihood of admission for patients in the ED whose hospitalization disposition had not yet been decided. In parallel, a random-forest computer model was developed to predict hospitalizations from the ED, based on data available within the first hour of the ED encounter. The model was tested on the same cohort of patients evaluated by the participating physicians., Results: 198 pediatric patients were considered for inclusion. Six patients were excluded due to incomplete or erroneous physician forms. Of the 192 included patients, 54 (28%) were admitted and 138 (72%) were discharged. The positive predictive value for the prediction of admission was 66% for the clinicians, 73% for the computer model, and 86% for a hybrid model combining the two. To predict admission, physicians relied more heavily on the clinical appearance of the patient, while the computer model relied more heavily on technical data-driven features, such as the rate of prior admissions or distance traveled to hospital., Discussion: Computer-generated predictions of patient disposition were more accurate than clinician-generated predictions. A hybrid prediction model improved accuracy over both individual predictions, highlighting the complementary and synergistic effects of both approaches., Conclusion: The integration of computer and clinician predictions can yield improved predictive performance., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Limited data exist regarding the presentation and bacteriology of nonneonatal pediatric breast abscess., Objective: To determine the bacteriology and characteristic presentation of pediatric breast abscesses in a tertiary care center., Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients age 1 month to 21 years admitted to a pediatric Emergency Department (ED) between 1996 and 2018 with a breast abscess. Patients with pre-existing conditions were excluded. Records were reviewed to determine demographics, history, physical exam findings, wound culture results, imaging and ED disposition. We used descriptive statistics to describe prevalence of different bacteria., Results: We identified 210 patients who met study criteria. Median age was 13.6 years [IQR 6.6, 17.4], and 91% (191/210) were females. Ninety-two patients (43.8%) were 'pre-treated' with antibiotics prior to ED visit, and 33/210 (16%) were febrile. Ultrasound was obtained in 85 patients (40.5%), 69 patients had a single abscess and 16 had multiple abscesses. Most patients were treated with antibiotics and 100 had a surgical intervention, of these 89 had I&D and 11 a needle aspiration. Admission rate was 45%. Culture results were available for 75 (75%). Thirty-three (44%) had a negative culture, or grew non-aureus staphylococci or other skin flora. Culture were positive for MSSA 21 (28%), MRSA 13 (17%), Proteus mirabilis 2 (2.6%), Serratia 1 (1.3%). Other organisms include Gram-negative bacilli, group A Streptococcus and enterococcus., Conclusions: Non-neonatal pediatric breast abscess bacteriology is no different than data published on other skin abscesses. MRSA coverage should be considered based on local prevalence in skin infections., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None of the author has a conflict of interest either financial or other., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the clinical presentation of intussusception among children younger and older than 24 months of age., Design/methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional cohort study of children treated in the emergency department, aged 1 month to 6 years, who had an abdominal ultrasound to evaluate for intussusception over a 5-year period. After stratifying by an age cut-point of 24 months, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed., Results: One thousand two hundred fifty-eight cases of suspected intussusception were studied; median age was 1.7 years (interquartile range, 0.8, 2.9 years), and 37% were female. Intussusception was identified in 176 children (14%); 153 (87%) were ileocolic, and 23 were ileoileal. Abdominal pain (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-10.5), emesis (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.8-6.7), bilious emesis (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.5-5.7), lethargy (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3-5.7), rectal bleeding (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4-5.7), and irritability (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8) were found to be predictors in those younger than 24 months. In children older than 24 months, male sex was the only predictor identified (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.7). In cases where abdominal radiographs were obtained (n = 1212), any abnormality on abdominal radiograph was found to be predictive in both age groups (OR, 7.8; 95% CI, 3.8-25.7; and OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.8-5.2, respectively)., Conclusions: Intussusception presents differently in children younger than 24 months compared with older children. "Traditional" clinical predictors of intussusception should be interpreted with caution when assessing children older than 2 years.

Background: Clinicians utilize inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), to identify febrile children who may have an occult serious illness or infection., Objectives: Our objective was to determine the relationship between invasive bacterial infections (IBIs) and CRP and ESR in febrile children., Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of 1460 febrile children <21 years of age, who presented to a single Emergency Department (ED) between 2012 and 2014 for evaluation of fever of <14 days' duration, who had both CRP and ESR obtained. Our primary outcome was IBI, defined as growth of pathogenic bacteria from a culture of cerebrospinal fluid or blood. We reviewed all ED encounters that occurred within three days of the index visits for development of IBI. We examined the negative predictive value (NPV) of CRP and ESR for IBI., Results: Of the 1460 eligible ED encounters, the median patient age was 5.3 years [interquartile range (IQR) 2.4-10.0 years] and 762 (50.4%) were hospitalized. The median duration of fever was 4 days (IQR 1-7 days). Overall, 20 had an IBI (20/1460; 1.4%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9-2.1%). None of those with a normal CRP (NPV 273/273; 100%, 95% CI 98.6-100%) or a normal ESR (NPV 486/486; 100%, 95% CI 99.2-100%) had an IBI., Conclusions: In our cross-sectional study of febrile children, IBI was unlikely with either a normal CRP or ESR. Inflammatory markers could be used to assist clinical decision-making while awaiting results of bacterial cultures., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We assessed the clinical characteristics of primary intracranial hypertension (PIH) in children using a newly recommended threshold for cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure (280 mm H 2 O)., Method: Cross-sectional study of patients age ≤21 years who had a lumbar puncture done for evaluation of PIH. Patients were excluded if lumbar puncture was done for a suspected infection, seizure, mental status changes, multiple sclerosis, or Guillain-Barre syndrome. Cases were identified using a text-search module followed by manual review. We performed χ2 analysis for categorical data and Mann-Whitney U test for continuous data, followed by a binary logistic regression., Results: We identified 374 patients of whom 67% were female, median age was 13 years interquartile range (11 to 16 years), and admission rate was 24%. Using an opening pressure cutoff of 250 mm H 2 O, 127 patients (34%) were identified as having PIH, whereas using the new cutoff 105 patients (28%) met PIH criteria. Predictors for PIH included optic disc edema or sixth nerve palsy using both old, odds ratio (OR) 7.6 (4.3, 13.5), and new cutoffs, OR 9.7 (95% confidence interval 5.1, 18.5). Headache duration ≤61 days is predictive of PIH using the new cutoff OR 4.1 (95% confidence interval 1.3, 12.8). A model is presented which stratifies patients into groups with low (7%), medium (18%), and high (greater than 42%) risk of PIH., Conclusions: A higher cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure threshold in the criteria of PIH is associated with PIH patients with a different symptom profile. Children with optic disc edema, bulging fontanel or sixth nerve palsy, are at increased risk for PIH., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: We sought to identify predictors for a drainable suppurative adenitis [DSA] among patients presenting with acute cervical lymphadenitis., Methods: A retrospective cross sectional study of all patients admitted to an urban pediatric tertiary care emergency department over a 15 year period. Otherwise healthy patients who underwent imaging for an evaluation of cervical lymphadenitis were included. Cases were identified using a text-search module followed by manual review. We excluded immunocompromised patients and those with lymphadenopathy felt to be not directly infected (i.e. reactive) or that was not acute (symptom duration >28 days). Data collected included: age, gender, duration of symptoms, highest recorded temperature, physical exam findings, laboratory and imaging results, and surgical findings. A DSA was defined as >1.5 cm in diameter on imaging. We performed binary logistic regression to determine independent clinical predictors of a DSA., Results: Three hundred sixty-one patients met inclusion criteria. Three hundred six patients (85%) had a CT scan, 55 (15%) had an ultrasound and 33 (9%) had both. DSA was identified in 71 (20%) patients. Clinical features independently associated with a DSA included absence of clinical pharyngitis, WBC >15,000/mm 3 , age ≤3 years, anterior cervical chain location, largest palpable diameter on exam >3 cm and prior antibiotic treatment of >24 h. The presence of fever, skin erythema, or fluctuance on examination, was not found to be predictive of DSA., Conclusions: We identified independent predictors of DSA among children presenting with cervical adenitis. Risk can be stratified into risk groups based on these clinical features., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background and Objectives: In 2012, Massachusetts changed its emergency shelter eligibility policy for homeless families. One new criterion to document homelessness was staying in a location "not meant for human habitation," and the emergency department (ED) fulfilled this requirement. Our aim for this study is to analyze the frequency and costs of pediatric ED visits for homelessness before and after this policy., Methods: This is a retrospective study of ED visits for homelessness at a children's hospital from March 2010 to February 2016. A natural language processing tool was used to identify cases, which were manually reviewed for inclusion. We compared demographic and homelessness circumstance characteristics and conducted an interrupted time series analysis to compare ED visits by homeless children before and after the policy. We compared the change in ED visits for homelessness to the number of homeless children in Massachusetts. We analyzed payment data for each visit., Results: There were 312 ED visits for homelessness; 95% ( n = 297) of visits were after the policy. These visits increased 4.5 times after the policy (95% confidence interval: 1.33 to 15.23). Children seen after the policy were more likely to have no medical complaint (rate ratio: 3.27; 95% confidence interval: 1.18 to 9.01). Although the number of homeless children in Massachusetts increased 1.4 times over the study period, ED visits for homelessness increased 13-fold. Payments (average: $557 per visit) were >4 times what a night in a shelter would cost; 89% of payments were made through state-based insurance plans., Conclusions: A policy change to Massachusetts' shelter eligibility was associated with increased pediatric ED visits for homelessness along with substantial health care costs., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Dr Sandel serves on the board of Enterprise Community Partners (a housing organization) in an unpaid position; the other authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2018 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Objective: This study aims to validate a published ventricular shunt clinical prediction rule for the identification of children at low risk for ventricular shunt malfunction based on the absence of 3 high-risk clinical predictors (irritability, nausea or vomiting, and headache)., Methods: We identified children aged 21 years and younger with a ventricular shunt who presented between 2010 and 2013 to a single pediatric emergency department (ED) for evaluation of potential shunt malfunction. We defined a ventricular shunt malfunction as obstruction to cerebrospinal fluid flow requiring operative neurosurgical intervention within 72 hours of initial ED evaluation. We applied this ventricular shunt clinical prediction rule to the study population and report the test characteristics., Results: We identified 755 ED visits for 294 children with potential ventricular shunt malfunction. Of these encounters, 146 (19%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 17%-22%) had a ventricular shunt malfunction. The ventricular shunt clinical prediction rule had a sensitivity of 99% (95% CI, 94%-100%), specificity of 7% (95% CI, 5%-9%), and negative predictive value of 95% (95% CI, 82%-99%). Two children with a ventricular shunt malfunction were misclassified as low risk by this clinical prediction rule., Conclusions: Ventricular shunt malfunctions were common. Although children classified as low risk by the ventricular shunt clinical prediction rule were less likely to have a shunt malfunction, routine neuroimaging may still be required because exclusion of ventricular shunt malfunction may be difficult on clinical grounds alone.

Background and Aims: Children with first complex febrile seizure (CFS) are often admitted for observation. The goals of this study were 1) to assess the risk of seizure recurrence during admission, 2) to determine whether early EEG affects acute management., Design/methods: We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of children 6-60months of age admitted from a Pediatric Emergency Department for first CFS over a 15year period. We excluded children admitted for supportive care of their febrile illness. Data extraction included age, gender, seizure features, laboratory and imaging studies, EEG, further seizures during admission, and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) given., Results: One hundred eighty three children met inclusion criteria. Seven patients had seizures during the admission (7/183 or 3.8%) Since 38 children were loaded with anti-epileptic medication during their visit, the adjusted rate is 7/145 or 4.8. Increased risk of seizure recurrence during admission was observed in children presenting with multiple seizures (P=0.005). EEG was performed in 104/183 children (57%) and led to change in management in one patient (1%, 95% C.I. 0.05-6%). Six of the 7 children with seizure had an EEG. The study was normal in 3 and findings in the other 2 did not suggest/predict further seizures during the admission., Conclusions: Children with first CFSs are at low risk for seizure recurrence during admission. Multiple seizures at presentation are associated with risk of early recurrence and may warrant an admission. EEG had limited effect on acute management and should not be an indication for admission., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Currant jelly stool is a late manifestation of intussusception and is rarely seen in clinical practice. Other forms of GI bleeding have not been thoroughly studied and little is known about their respective diagnostic values., Objective: To assess the predictive value of GI bleeding (positive guaiac test, bloody stool and rectal bleeding in evaluation of intussusception., Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study cohort of all children, ages 1month-6years of age, who had an abdominal ultrasound obtained evaluating for intussusception over 5year period. We identified intussusception if diagnosed by ultrasound, air-contrast enema or surgery. Univariate and a multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed., Results: During the study period 1258 cases met the study criteria; median age was 1.7years (IQR 0.8, 2.9) and 37% were females. Overall 176 children had intussusception; 153 (87%) were ileo-colic and 23 were ileo-ileal. Univariate risk ratio and adjusted Odds ratio were 1.3 (95% CI, 0.8, 2.0) and 1.3 (0.7, 2.4) for positive guaiac test, 1.1 (0.6, 2.1) and 0.9 (0.3, 3.0) for bloody stool, and 1.7 (1.02, 2.8) and 1.3 (0.5, 3.1) for rectal bleeding ., Conclusion: Blood in stool, whether visible or tested by guaiac test has poor diagnostic performance in the evaluation of intussusception and is not independently predictive of intussusception. If the sole purpose of a rectal exam in these patients is for guaiac testing it should be reconsidered., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Data regarding clinical predictors of orbital fractures in children are limited. We sought to describe the epidemiology of pediatric orbital fractures and identify the signs and symptoms of orbital fractures in children., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of children younger than 22 years who underwent a facial or orbital computed tomography (CT) scan to evaluate for orbital fracture. We included patients presenting to an emergency department of a tertiary care children's hospital between January 2009 and May 2013. The presence of an orbital fracture was assessed using the final interpretation of the CT by an attending radiologist in the electronic medical record., Results: Among 326 children who underwent facial or orbital CT during the study period, 133 (41%) had an orbital fracture. The presence of nausea or vomiting, orbital tenderness, swelling, or ecchymosis and limitation of extraocular movement were each associated with the presence of an orbital fracture (P < 0.05 for each). Twenty-two children (6.7% of cohort and 16.5% of children with orbital fractures) underwent surgical repair for an orbital fracture. In the absence of orbital tenderness, swelling, or ecchymosis, there was 1 child with an orbital fracture who underwent operative intervention., Conclusions: Fewer than half of children undergoing CT have an orbital fracture identified, and fewer than 7% have a fracture that requires operative intervention. In the absence of orbital tenderness, swelling, or ecchymosis, only 1 child had an orbital fracture requiring surgical repair.

Objectives: Because meningitis may trigger seizures, we sought to determine its frequency in children with first-time status epilepticus (SE)., Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of children aged 1 month to 21 years who presented to a single pediatric emergency department between 1995 and 2012 with SE and who had a lumbar puncture (LP) performed as part of the diagnostic evaluation. We defined bacterial meningitis as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture positive for a bacterial pathogen or CSF pleocytosis (CSF white blood cells ≥10 cells/mm) with a blood culture positive for a bacterial pathogen. We defined viral meningitis or encephalitis using a positive enterovirus or herpes simplex virus polymerase chain reaction test., Results: Among 126 children with SE who had an LP performed, 8 (6%) had CSF pleocytosis. Of these, 5 had received antibiotics before performance of a diagnostic LP. One child in the cohort was proven to have bacterial meningitis (0.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0%-6%). Two other children had enteroviral meningitis (2/13 tested, 15%; 95% CI, 3%-51%), and 1 had a herpes simplex virus infection (1/47, 2%; 95% CI, 0%-15%)., Conclusions: Bacterial meningitis is an uncommon cause of SE.

We identified 620 children with peripheral facial palsy of which 211 (34%) had Lyme disease. The 140 children who had a lumbar puncture performed were more likely to be hospitalized (73% LP performed vs 2% no LP) and to receive parenteral antibiotics (62% LP performed vs 6% no LP)., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify a relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume removal and change in CSF pressure in children with suspected idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH)., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of children 22 years and younger who underwent a lumbar puncture (LP) and had a documented opening pressure, closing pressure, and volume removed. Relationship between volume removal and pressure change was determined using a fractional polynomial regression procedure., Results: In the 297 patients who met the inclusion criteria, CSF pressure decreased by 1 cm H 2 O for every 0.91 mL of CSF removed if the maximum change in pressure was less than 15 cm H 2 O ( R 2 = 0.38)., Conclusion: A linear relationship exists between the volume of CSF removed and the amount of pressure relieved when the desired pressure change is less than 15 cm H 2 O.

Acute ataxia in a pediatric patient poses a diagnostic dilemma for any physician. While the most common etiologies are benign, occasional individuals require urgent intervention. Children with stroke, toxic ingestion, infection, and neuro-inflammatory disorders frequently exhibit ataxia as an essential-if not the only-presenting feature. The available retrospective research utilize inconsistent definitions of acute ataxia, precluding the ability to pool data from these studies. No prospective data exist that report on patients presenting to the emergency department with ataxia. This review examines the reported causes of ataxia and attempts to group them into distinct categories: post-infectious and inflammatory central and peripheral phenomena, toxic ingestion, neurovascular, infectious and miscellaneous. From there, we synthesize the existing literature to understand which aspects of the history, physical exam, and ancillary testing might aid in narrowing the differential diagnosis. MRI is superior to CT in detecting inflammatory or vascular insults in the posterior fossa, though CT may be necessary in emergent situations. Lumbar puncture may be deferred until after admission in most instances, with suspicion for meningitis being the major exception. There is insufficient evidence to guide laboratory evaluation of serum, testing should be ordered based on clinical judgement-recommended studies include metabolic profiles and screening labs for metabolic disorders (lactate and ammonia). All patients should be reflexively screened for toxic ingestions., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine the yield of emergent neuroimaging among children with new-onset seizures presenting with status epilepticus., Method: We performed a cross-sectional study of children seen at a single ED between 1995 and 2012 with new-onset seizure presenting with status epilepticus. We defined status epilepticus as a single seizure or multiple seizures without regaining consciousness lasting 30 min or longer. Our primary outcome was urgent or emergent intracranial pathology identified on neuroimaging. We categorized neuroimaging results as emergent if they would have changed acute management as assessed by a blinded neuroradiologist and neurologist. To ensure abnormalities were not missed, we review neuroimaging results for 30 days following the initial episode of SE., Results: We included 177 children presenting with new-onset seizure with status epilepticus, of whom 170 (96%) had neuroimaging performed. Abnormal findings were identified on neuroimaging in 64/177 (36%, 95% confidence interval 29-43%) children with 15 (8.5%, 95% confidence interval 5.2-14%) children having urgent or emergent pathology. Four (27%) of the 15 children with urgent or emergent findings had a normal non-contrast computed tomography scan and a subsequently abnormal magnetic resonance image. Longer seizure duration and older age were associated with urgent or emergent intracranial pathology., Conclusion: A substantial minority of children with new-onset seizures presenting with status epilepticus have urgent or emergent intracranial pathology identified on neuroimaging. Clinicians should strongly consider emergent neuroimaging in these children. Magnetic resonance imaging is the preferred imaging modality when available and safe., (Copyright © 2016 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The risk of developing epilepsy following febrile seizures (FS) varies between 2% and 10%, with complex febrile seizures (CFS) having a higher risk. We examined the utility of detected epileptiform abnormalities on the initial EEG following a first CFS in predicting subsequent epilepsy., Methods: This was a retrospective study of consecutive patients (ages 6-60 months) who were neurologically healthy or mildly delayed, seen in the ED following a first CFS and had both an EEG and minimum of 2-year follow-up. Data regarding clinical characteristics, EEG report, development of subsequent epilepsy, and type of epilepsy were collected. Established clinical predictors for subsequent epilepsy in children with FS and EEG status were evaluated for potential correlation with the development of subsequent epilepsy. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of an abnormal EEG (epileptiform EEG) were calculated., Results: A group of 154 children met our inclusion criteria. Overall, 20 (13%) children developed epilepsy. The prevalence of epilepsy was 13% (CI 8.3-19.6%). Epileptiform abnormalities were noted in 21 patients (13.6%), EEG slowing in 23 patients (14.9%), and focal asymmetry in six (3.8%). Epileptiform EEGs were noted in 20% (4/20) of patients with epilepsy and 13% (17/134) of patients without epilepsy (p=0.48). At an estimated risk of subsequent epilepsy of 10% (from population-based studies of children with FS), we determined that the PPV of an epileptiform EEG for subsequent epilepsy was 15%. None of the clinical variables (presence of more than 1 complex feature, family history of epilepsy, or status epilepticus) predicted epilepsy., Conclusions: An epileptiform EEG was not a sensitive measure and had a poor positive predictive value for the development of epilepsy among neurologically healthy or mildly delayed children with a first complex febrile seizure. The practice of obtaining routine EEG for predicting epilepsy after the first CFS needs clarification by well-defined prospective studies., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The objective was to determine the frequency of postreduction, hospital-level interventions among children with successful reduction of ileocolic intussusception and identify factors that predict the need for such interventions., Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of children who underwent successful enema reduction for ileocolic intussusception at a single emergency department. Hospital-level interventions were included if they occurred within 24 hours of reduction and were further classified as either major (recurrence or possible perforation) or minor (imaging for suspected recurrence or administration of parenteral narcotics or antiemetics). Binary logistic regression was used to identify predictors for hospital-level interventions., Results: A total of 464 children underwent enema reduction. The median age was 1.7 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 0.8 to 2.5 years), and 66% were male. A total of 435 (94%) were hospitalized with a median hospital stay of 25 hours (IQR = 19 to 34 hours). Nineteen percent (95% confidence interval [CI] = 15% to 22%) needed postreduction interventions, including 6% (95% CI = 4% to 9%) who required major interventions. The median time to any hospital intervention was 9.9 hours (IQR = 6.3 to 16.4 hours). We identified two independent predictors for hospital-level interventions: duration of symptoms > 24 hours (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.3 to 3.4) and location of the intussusception tip at (or proximal to) the hepatic flexure (adjusted OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.1 to 3.3); the latter factor was also a predictor of a major intervention. None of the children (95% CI = 0 to 1.0%) had an acute decompensation after an initially successful enema reduction., Conclusions: Clinical decompensation is rare and recurrence is relatively low after an uncomplicated reduction of ileocolic intussusception. However, one in five children required hospital-level interventions after reduction. Children with the intussusception tip at (or proximal to) the hepatic flexure, and those with symptoms for longer than 24 hours, are more likely to require subsequent interventions. Although outpatient management appears safe after a period of observation, caregivers should be counseled about the risk of ongoing symptoms and recurrence., (© 2015 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.)

To determine the yield of neuroimaging in children presenting to the emergency department with acute ataxia in the post-varicella vaccine era, we conducted a cross-sectional study between 1995 and 2013 at a single pediatric tertiary care center. We included children aged 1-18 years evaluated for acute ataxia of <7 days' duration. The main outcome was clinically urgent intracranial pathology defined as a radiologic finding that changed initial management. We identified 364 children, among whom neuroimaging was obtained in 284 (78%). Forty-two children had clinically urgent intracranial pathology (13%, 95% confidence interval 9%-17%); tumors and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis were the leading findings. Age ≤3 years and symptoms ≤3 days of duration were predictors of low risk (0.7%, 95% confidence interval 0%-4.4%). In conclusion, neuroimaging may be indicated for most patients presenting with acute ataxia. Neuroimaging may be deferred in younger children with short duration of symptoms contingent on close follow-up., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

Electronically stored clinical documents may contain both structured data and unstructured data. The use of structured clinical data varies by facility, but clinicians are familiar with coded data such as International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms codes, and commonly other data including patient chief complaints or laboratory results. Most electronic health records have much more clinical information stored as unstructured data, for example, clinical narrative such as history of present illness, procedure notes, and clinical decision making are stored as unstructured data. Despite the importance of this information, electronic capture or retrieval of unstructured clinical data has been challenging. The field of natural language processing (NLP) is undergoing rapid development, and existing tools can be successfully used for quality improvement, research, healthcare coding, and even billing compliance. In this brief review, we provide examples of successful uses of NLP using emergency medicine physician visit notes for various projects and the challenges of retrieving specific data and finally present practical methods that can run on a standard personal computer as well as high-end state-of-the-art funded processes run by leading NLP informatics researchers.

Purpose of Review: The review describes current evidence on the evaluation of febrile seizures in the acute setting, the need for further outpatient assessment, and predictors regarding long-term outcomes of these patients., Recent Findings: New evidence has been added in support of limited assessment and intervention: evidence on low utility of lumbar puncture, emergent neuroimaging, and follow-up electroencephalography, as well as low yield for antipyretic prophylaxis and intermittent use of antiepileptic drugs. Finally, there is growing evidence regarding the genetic basis of both febrile seizures and vaccine-related seizures/febrile seizures., Summary: Routine diagnostic testing for simple febrile seizures is being discouraged, and clear evidence-based guidelines regarding complex febrile seizures are lacking. Thus, clinical acumen remains the most important tool for identifying children with seizures who are candidates for a more elaborate diagnostic evaluation. Similarly, evidence and guidelines regarding candidates for an emergent out-of-hospital diazepam treatment are lacking.

Objectives: The authors measured the effect of a traumatic or unsuccessful lumbar puncture (LP) on the management of febrile infants., Methods: This was a 10-year retrospective cross-sectional study of low-risk infants by the "Boston" criteria 28 to 60 days of age presenting to the emergency department for evaluation of fever. "Normal LP" infants had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) WBC < 10 × 10(6) cells/L. "Traumatic" or "unsuccessful LP" infants had CSF red blood cell count ≥ 10 × 10(9) cells/L or no CSF cell counts obtained, respectively. A serious bacterial infection (SBI) was defined as growth of a bacterial pathogen from culture. The hospitalization and SBI rates were compared between infants with normal versus traumatic or unsuccessful LPs., Results: Of the 929 study infants, 756 (81.4%) had normal LPs, and 173 (18.6%) had traumatic or unsuccessful LPs. Infants with traumatic or unsuccessful LPs had a higher hospitalization rate (72.3% traumatic or unsuccessful LP vs. 18.1% normal LP; difference = 54.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 46.4% to 60.8%), but a similar SBI rate (2.9% vs. 4.1%; difference = 1.2%; 95% CI = -2.7% to 3.6%). No infant had proven bacterial meningitis (0% risk, 95% CI = 0 to 0.3%)., Conclusions: Low-risk infants aged 28 to 60 days with traumatic or unsuccessful LPs are more frequently hospitalized, although SBI rates were similar to those of infants with normal LPs., (© 2015 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.)

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of clinically urgent intra-cranial pathology among children who had imaging for a first episode of non-febrile seizure with focal manifestations., Methods: We performed a cross sectional study of all children age 1 month to 18 years evaluated for first episode of non-febrile seizure with focal manifestations and having neuroimaging performed within 24h of presentation at a single pediatric ED between 1995 and 2012. We excluded intubated patients, those with known structural brain abnormality and trauma. A single neuro-radiologist reviewed all cranial computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging performed. We defined clinically urgent intracranial pathology as any finding resulting in a change of initial patient management. We performed univariate analysis using χ(2) analysis for categorical data and Mann-Whitney U test for continuous data., Results: We identified 319 patients having a median age of 4.6 years [IQR 1.8-9.4] of which 45% were female. Two hundred sixty-two children had a CT scan, 15 had an MR and 42 had both. Clinically urgent intra-cranial pathology was identified on imaging of 13 patients (4.1%; 95% CI: 2.2, 7.0). Infarction, hemorrhage and thrombosis were most common (9/13). Twelve of 13 were evident on CT scan. Persistent Todd's paresis and age ≤ 18 months were predictors of clinically urgent intracranial pathology. Absence of secondary generalization and multiple seizures on presentation were not predictive., Conclusions: Four percent of children imaged with first time, afebrile focal seizures have findings important to initial management. Children younger than ≤ 18 months are at increased risk., (Copyright © 2014 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine the rate of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis among children presenting with status epilepticus (SE) without proven central nervous system infection., Method: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of all patients aged one month to 21 years of age who were evaluated in a single pediatric emergency department (ED) for SE between 1995 and 2012. We limited our study to those children who had a CSF culture obtained and excluded those children with proven viral or bacterial infection. We defined SE in a patient who had a single seizure or a cluster of seizures without regaining consciousness which lasted 30 min or longer. We defined CSF pleocytosis as a CSF white blood cells (WBC)>10 cells/mm(3) and a peripheral leukocytosis as WBC ≥ 15,000 cells/mm(3). We compared the rate of CSF pleocytosis between children with and without peripheral leukocytosis using the Fisher's exact test., Results: We identified 289 ED visits for SE, of which 178 (62%) met study inclusion criteria. Seven children (4%, 95% confidence interval 1.7-8.2%) had CSF pleocytosis. More children with peripheral leukocytosis had CSF pleocytosis: (8.6% with peripheral leukocytosis vs. 0.9% without leukocytosis, p=0.01)., Conclusion: CSF pleocytosis is relatively uncommon among children with prolonged seizures, even in the presence of peripheral leukocytosis. Therefore, all children with CSF pleocytosis after status epilepticus need comprehensive evaluation for central nervous system infection., (Copyright © 2014 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To compare the accuracy of rapid cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with that of computed tomography (CT) for diagnosing ventricular shunt malfunction., Methods: We performed a single-center, retrospective cohort study of children ≤21 years of age who underwent either rapid cranial MRI or cranial CT in the emergency department (ED) for evaluation of possible ventricular shunt malfunction. Each neuroimaging study was classified as "normal" (unchanged or decreased ventricle size) or "abnormal" (increased ventricle size). We classified a patient as having a ventricular shunt malfunction if operative revision for relief of mechanical causes of altered shunt flow was needed within 72 hours of initial ED evaluation. Our primary analysis tested noninferiority of the accuracy of rapid cranial MRI to CT for diagnosing shunt malfunction (noninferiority margin 10%)., Results: We included 698 ED visits for 286 unique patients, with a median age at visit of 10.0 years (interquartile range 5.9-15.5 years). Patients underwent CT in 336 (48%) or rapid cranial MRI in 362 (52%) of ED visits for evaluation of possible shunt malfunction. Patients had operative revision for ventricular shunt malfunction in 140 ED visits (20%). The accuracy of rapid cranial MRI was not inferior to that of CT scan for diagnosing ventricular shunt malfunction (81.8% MRI vs 82.4% CT; risk difference 2.0%; 95% confidence interval, -4.2% to 8.2%)., Conclusions: Rapid cranial MRI was not inferior to CT for diagnosing ventricular shunt malfunction and offers the advantage of sparing a child ionizing radiation exposure., (Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Background: Although Lyme and septic arthritis of the knee may have similar clinical presentations, septic arthritis requires prompt identification and treatment to avoid joint destruction. We sought to determine whether synovial fluid cell counts alone can discriminate between Lyme, septic, and other inflammatory arthritis., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children aged 1 to 18 years with knee monoarthritis who presented to 1 of 2 pediatric emergency departments located in Lyme endemic areas. We included children who had both a synovial fluid culture and an evaluation for Lyme disease. Septic arthritis was defined as a positive synovial fluid culture or synovial fluid pleocytosis (white blood cell [WBC] ≥40,000 cells/μL) with a positive blood culture. Lyme arthritis was defined as positive Lyme serology without a positive bacterial culture. All other children were considered to have other inflammatory arthritis. We compared the synovial fluid counts by arthritis type., Results: We identified 384 children with knee monoarthritis, of whom 19 (5%) had septic arthritis, 257 (67%) had Lyme arthritis and 108 (28%) had other inflammatory arthritis. Children with other inflammatory arthritis had lower synovial WBC and absolute neutrophil count, as well as percent neutrophils, than those with either Lyme or septic arthritis. There were no significant differences in the synovial fluid WBC, absolute neutrophil count, and percent neutrophils for children with Lyme and septic arthritis., Conclusions: In Lyme endemic areas, synovial fluid results alone do not differentiate septic from Lyme arthritis. Therefore, other clinical or laboratory indicators are needed to direct the care of patients with knee monoarthritis.

Background and Objective: The ingestion of multiple magnets simultaneously or the placement of magnets in both nares can lead to serious injury resulting from the attraction of the magnets across the tissues. The impact of mandatory standards for toys containing magnets has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of the present study was to describe the emergency department (ED) visit rate for magnet-related injuries., Methods: We performed a retrospective study of children evaluated for magnet-related injuries from 1995 to 2012 in an urban tertiary care pediatric ED. We identified cases using a computerized text-search methodology followed by manual chart review. We included children evaluated for magnet ingestion or impaction in the ears, nose, vagina, or rectum. We assessed the type and number of magnets as well as management and required interventions. A Poisson regression model was used to analyze rates of injury over time., Results: We identified 112 cases of magnet injuries. The median patient age was 6 years (IQR 3.5, 10), and 54% were male. Compared to before 2006, the rate for all magnet-related injuries in 2007-2012 (incidence rate ratio 3.44; 95% confidence interval 2.3-5.11) as well as multiple magnet-related injuries (incidence rate ratio 7.54; 95% confidence interval 3.51-16.19) increased. Swallowed magnets accounted for 86% of the injuries. Thirteen patients had endoscopy performed for magnet removal (12%), and 4 (4%) had a surgical intervention. Magnets from toys account for the majority of the injuries., Conclusions: The number of ED visits for magnet-related injuries in children may be rising and are underreported, with an increase in the proportion of multiple magnets involvement. In our case series, mandatory standard for toys had no mitigating effect.

Objective: Because Lyme and septic arthritis may present similarly, we sought to identify children with knee monoarthritis at low risk for septic arthritis who may not require arthrocentesis., Methods: We performed a retrospective study of children with knee monoarthritis presenting to 1 of 2 pediatric centers, both located in Lyme disease-endemic areas. Septic arthritis was defined by a positive result on synovial fluid culture or synovial fluid pleocytosis with a positive blood culture result. Lyme arthritis was defined as a positive Lyme serologic result or physician-documented erythema migrans rash. All other children were considered to have other inflammatory arthritis. A clinical prediction model was derived by using recursive partitioning to identify children at low risk for septic arthritis, and the model was then externally validated., Results: We identified 673 patients with knee monoarthritis; 19 (3%) had septic arthritis, 341 (51%) had Lyme arthritis, and 313 (46%) had other inflammatory arthritis. The following predictors of knee septic arthritis were identified: peripheral blood absolute neutrophil count ≥10 × 10(3) cells per mm(3) and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate ≥40 mm/hour. In the validation population, no child with a absolute neutrophil count <10 × 10(3) cells per mm(3) and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate <40 mm/hour had septic arthritis (sensitivity: 6 of 6 [100%], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 54-100; specificity: 87 of 160 [54%], 95% CI: 46-62). Overall, none of the 19 children with septic arthritis were classified as low risk (10%, 95% CI: 0-17)., Conclusions: Laboratory criteria can be used to identify children with knee monoarthritis at low risk for septic arthritis who may not require diagnostic arthrocentesis.

Objective: To develop a novel diagnostic algorithm for Lyme disease among children with facial palsy by integrating public health surveillance data with traditional clinical predictors., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Setting: Children's Hospital Boston emergency department, 1995-2007., Patients: Two hundred sixty-four children (aged <20 years) with peripheral facial palsy who were evaluated for Lyme disease., Main Outcome Measures: Multivariate regression was used to identify independent clinical and epidemiologic predictors of Lyme disease facial palsy., Results: Lyme diagnosis was positive in 65% of children from high-risk counties in Massachusetts during Lyme disease season compared with 5% of those without both geographic and seasonal risk factors. Among patients with both seasonal and geographic risk factors, 80% with 1 clinical risk factor (fever or headache) and 100% with 2 clinical factors had Lyme disease. Factors independently associated with Lyme disease facial palsy were development from June to November (odds ratio, 25.4; 95% confidence interval, 8.3-113.4), residence in a county where the most recent 3-year average Lyme disease incidence exceeded 4 cases per 100,000 (18.4; 6.5-68.5), fever (3.9; 1.5-11.0), and headache (2.7; 1.3-5.8). Clinical experts correctly treated 68 of 94 patients (72%) with Lyme disease facial palsy, but a tool incorporating geographic and seasonal risk identified all 94 cases., Conclusions: Most physicians intuitively integrate geographic information into Lyme disease management, but we demonstrate quantitatively how formal use of geographically based incidence in a clinical algorithm improves diagnostic accuracy. These findings demonstrate potential for improved outcomes from investments in health information technology that foster bidirectional communication between public health and clinical settings.

Objectives: Computed tomography (CT) is used often in the evaluation of orbital infections to identify children who are most likely to benefit from surgical intervention. Our objective was to identify predictors for intraorbital or intracranial abscess among children who present with signs or symptoms of periorbital infection. These predictors could be used to better target patients for emergent CT., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of all patients admitted to an urban pediatric tertiary care emergency department between 1995 and 2008. We included otherwise healthy patients with suspected acute clinical periorbital or orbital cellulitis without a history of craniofacial surgery, trauma, or external source of infection. Immunocompromised patients and patients with noninfectious causes of periorbital swelling were excluded. Variables analyzed included age, duration of symptoms, highest recorded temperature, previous antibiotic therapy, physical examination findings, laboratory results, and interpretation of imaging. CT scans of the orbit were reread by a neuroradiologist., Results: Nine hundred eighteen patients were included; 298 underwent a CT scan, and of those, 111 were shown to have an abscess. Although proptosis, pain with external ocular movement, and ophthalmoplegia were associated with presence of an abscess, 56 (50.5%) patients with abscess did not experience these symptoms. Other variables associated with the presence of an abscess in multivariate analysis were a peripheral blood neutrophil count greater than 10,000/microL, absence of infectious conjunctivitis, periorbital edema, age greater than 3 years, and previous antibiotic therapy (P < .05 for all). Our recursive partitioning model identified all high-risk (44%) patients as well as a low-risk (0.4%-2%) group (Rsq = 0.27)., Conclusions: We confirmed that patients with proptosis and/or pain or limitation of extraocular movements are at high risk for intraorbital abscess, yet many do not have these predictors. Other features can identify patients who do not have such obvious predictors but do have significant risk of disease. A recursive partitioning model is presented.

Objectives: American Academy of Pediatrics consensus statement recommendations are to consider strongly for infants 6 to 12 months of age with a first simple febrile seizure and to consider for children 12 to 18 months of age with a first simple febrile seizure lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Our aims were to determine compliance with these recommendations and to assess the rate of bacterial meningitis detected among these children., Methods: A retrospective cohort review was performed for patients 6 to 18 months of age who were evaluated for first simple febrile seizure in a pediatric emergency department between October 1995 and October 2006., Results: First simple febrile seizure accounted for 1% of all emergency department visits for children of this age, with 704 cases among 71 234 eligible visits during the study period. Twenty-seven percent (n = 188) of first simple febrile seizure visits were for infants 6 to 12 months of age, and 73% (n = 516) were for infants 12 to 18 months of age. Lumbar puncture was performed for 38% of the children (n = 271). Samples were available for 70% of children 6 to 12 months of age (131 of 188 children) and 25% of children 12 to 18 months of age (129 of 516 children). Rates of lumbar puncture decreased significantly over time in both age groups. The cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count was elevated in 10 cases (3.8%). No pathogen was identified in cerebrospinal fluid cultures. Ten cultures (3.8%) yielded a contaminant. No patient was diagnosed as having bacterial meningitis., Conclusions: The risk of bacterial meningitis presenting as first simple febrile seizure at ages 6 to 18 months is very low. Current American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations should be reconsidered.