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Background: Complicated appendicitis, considered a marker of delay in accessing surgical care among children, has been inconsistently associated with race, socioeconomic status, insurance type, rurality, and distance to care. This statewide assessment measured factors associated with complicated appendicitis while overcoming limitations of prior work, namely, selection bias and use of inexact socioeconomic status measures., Methods: Children (<18 years) undergoing appendectomy for appendicitis in Wisconsin from 2018 to 2021 were identified in the Wisconsin Hospital Association database. Patient residence and hospital locations were used to determine rurality, travel distances, and socioeconomic status as measured by Area Deprivation Index, Child Opportunity Index, Community Need Index, and county-level poverty rates. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with complicated appendicitis., Results: Among 5,881 children undergoing appendectomy, 1,375 (23.4%) had complicated appendicitis. Adjusting for other variables, complicated appendicitis was associated with younger age (adjusted odds ratio 0.90 per year increase); Hispanic White race/ethnicity (adjusted odds ratio 1.40-1.63); distance to the hospital where surgery was performed (adjusted odds ratio 1.16-1.17 per 10-mile increase); and very low Child Opportunity Index (adjusted odds ratio 1.29), Community Need Index (adjusted odds ratio 1.20 per 1-score increase), and county-level poverty (adjusted odds ratio 1.02 per 1% increase). Insurance type, rurality, and Area Deprivation Index were not associated with complicated appendicitis. Residential county-level complicated appendicitis rates (0.0%-50.0%) had moderate correlation to pediatric county-level poverty rates (r s =0.43)., Conclusion: Complicated appendicitis was associated with Child Opportunity Index, Community Need Index, and county-level poverty but not insurance type, rurality, or Area Deprivation Index. There was geographic variability in complicated appendicitis rates, with modest correlation to county-level poverty. Targeted interventions among Hispanic populations and those with travel- and socioeconomic status-related barriers to care may be beneficial in preventing complicated appendicitis among children., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest/Disclosure The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Surgical care for children in the United States has become increasingly regionalized among fewer centers over time. The degree to which regionalization may be associated with access to urgent surgical care for time-sensitive conditions is not clear., Objective: To investigate whether transfers and travel distance have increased for 4 surgical conditions, and whether changes in transfers and travel distance have been more pronounced for rural vs urban children., Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed data from 9 State Inpatient Databases from 2002 to 2017. Participants included children aged younger than 18 years undergoing urgent or emergent procedures for malrotation with volvulus, esophageal foreign body, and ovarian and testicular torsion., Exposure: Residential and hospital zip codes were categorized as rural or urban. Hospitals were categorized as pediatric hospitals, adult hospitals with pediatric services, and adult hospitals without pediatric services., Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes were transfer for care and travel distance between patients' home residences and the hospitals where care was provided. Transfer and travel distance were analyzed using multivariable regression models., Results: Among the 5865 children younger than 18 years undergoing procedures for malrotation with volvulus, esophageal foreign body, ovarian torsion, or testicular torsion, 461 (7.9%) resided in a rural area; 1097 (20.5%) were Hispanic, 1334 (24.9%) were non-Hispanic Black, and 2255 (42.0%) were non-Hispanic White; 2763 (47.1%) were covered by private insurance and 2535 (43.2%) were covered by Medicaid; and the median (IQR) age was 9 (2-14) years. Most care was provided at adult hospitals (73.4% with and 16.9% without pediatric services); the number of hospitals providing this care decreased from 493 to 292 hospitals (2002 vs 2017). Transfer was associated with rural residence (adjusted odds ratio [aRR], 2.3 [95% CI, 1.8-3.0]; P < .001) and increased over time (2017 vs 2002: aOR, 2.8 [95% CI, 2.0-3.8]; P < .001). Similarly, travel distance was associated with rural residence (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 4.4 [95% CI, 3.9-4.8]; P < .001) and increased over time (2017 vs 2002: aRR, 1.3 [95% CI, 1.2-1.4]; P < .001). Rural children were more frequently transferred (2017 vs 2002) for esophageal foreign body (48.0% [12 of 25] vs 7.3% [4 of 55]; P < .001), ovarian torsion (26.7% [4 of 15] vs 0% [0 of 18]; P = .01), and testicular torsion (18.2% [2 of 11] vs 0% [0 of 16]; P = .04). Travel distance for rural children increased the most for torsions, from a median (IQR) of 19.1 (2.3-35.4) to 43.0 (21.6-98.8) miles (P = .03) for ovarian torsion and from 7.3 (0.4-23.7) to 44.5 (33.1-48.8) miles (P < .001) for testicular torsion., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of children with time-sensitive surgical conditions, the number of hospitals providing urgent surgical care to children decreased over time. Transfers of care, especially among rural children, and travel distance, especially for those with ovarian and testicular torsion, increased over time.

Background: Preoperative COVID-19 testing protocols were widely implemented for children requiring surgery, leading to increased resource consumption and many delayed or canceled operations or procedures. This study using multi-center data investigated the relationship between preoperative risk factors, COVID-positivity, and postoperative outcomes among children undergoing common urgent and emergent procedures., Methods: Children (<18 years) who underwent common urgent and emergent procedures were identified in the 2021 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric database. The outcomes of COVID-positive and non-COVID-positive (negative or untested) children were compared using simple and multivariable regression models., Results: Among 40,628 children undergoing gastrointestinal surgery (appendectomy, cholecystectomy), long bone fracture fixation, cerebrospinal fluid shunt procedures, gonadal procedures (testicular detorsion, ovarian procedures), and pyloromyotomy, 576 (1.4%) were COVID-positive. COVID-positive children had higher American Society of Anesthesiologists scores (p ≤ 0.001) and more frequently had preoperative sepsis (p ≤ 0.016) compared to non-COVID-positive children; however, other preoperative risk factors, including comorbidities, were largely similar. COVID-positive children had a longer length of stay than non-COVID-positive children (median 1.0 [IQR 0.0-2.0] vs. 1.0 [IQR 0.0-1.0], p < 0.001). However, there were no associations between COVID-19 positivity and overall complications, pulmonary complications, infectious complications, or readmissions., Conclusions: Despite increased preoperative risk factors, COVID-positive children did not have an increased risk of postoperative complications after common urgent and emergent procedures. However, length of stay was greater for COVID-positive children, likely due to delays in surgery related to COVID-19 protocols. These findings may be applicable to future preoperative testing and surgical timing guidelines related to respiratory viral illnesses in children., Level of Evidence: III., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Prior studies of associations between hospital location and outcomes for pediatric appendectomy have not adjusted for significant differences in patient and treatment patterns between settings. This was a cross-sectional analysis of pediatric appendectomies in the 2016 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). Weighted multiple linear and logistic regression models compared hospital location (urban or rural) and academic status against total admission cost (TAC), length of stay (LOS), and postoperative complications. Patients were stratified by laparoscopic (LA) or open (OA) appendectomy. Among 54,836 patients, 39,454 (73%) were performed at an urban academic center, 11,642 (21%) were performed at an urban non-academic center, and 3740 (7%) were performed at a rural center. LA was utilized for 49,011 (89%) of all 54,386 patients: 36,049 (91%) of 39,454 patients at urban academic hospitals, 10,191 (87%) of 11,642 patients at urban non-academic centers, and 2771 (74%) of 3740 patients at rural centers ( p < 0.001). On adjusted analysis, urban academic centers were associated with an 18% decreased TAC (95% CI -0.193--0.165; p < 0.001) despite an 11% increased LOS (95% CI 0.087-0.134; p < 0.001) compared to rural centers. Urban academic centers were associated with a decreased odds of complication among patients who underwent LA (OR 0.787, 95% CI 0.650-0.952) but not after OA. After adjusting for relevant patient and disease-related factors, urban academic centers were associated with lower costs despite longer lengths of stay compared to rural centers. Urban academic centers utilized LA more frequently and were associated with decreased odds of postoperative complications after LA.

A more granular donor kidney grading scale, the kidney donor profile index (KDPI), has recently emerged in contradistinction to the standard criteria donor/expanded criteria donor framework. In this paper, we built a Markov decision process model to evaluate the survival, quality-adjusted life years (QALY), and cost advantages of using high-KDPI kidneys based on multiple KDPI strata over a 60-month time horizon as opposed to remaining on the waiting list waiting for a lower-KDPI kidney. Data for the model were gathered from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and the United States Renal Data System Medicare parts A, B, and D databases. Of the 129,024 phenotypes delineated in this model, 65% of them would experience a survival benefit, 81% would experience an increase in QALYs, 87% would see cost-savings, and 76% would experience cost-savings per QALY from accepting a high-KDPI kidney rather than remaining on the waiting list waiting for a kidney of lower-KDPI. Classification and regression tree analysis (CART) revealed the main drivers of increased survival in accepting high-KDPI kidneys were wait time ≥30 months, panel reactive antibody (PRA) <90, age ≥45 to 65, diagnosis leading to renal failure, and prior transplantation. The CART analysis showed the main drivers of increased QALYs in accepting high-kidneys were wait time ≥30 months, PRA <90, and age ≥55 to 65., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All the authors declare no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Rural children have worse health outcomes compared to urban children. One mechanism for this finding may be decreased access to specialized care at children's hospitals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hospital types where complex surgical care in infants is performed nationally., Methods: This study examined infants (<1 y old) in the Kids' Inpatient Database from 2009 to 2019 who underwent surgery for one of the following conditions: esophageal atresia, gastroschisis, omphalocele, Hirschsprung disease, anorectal malformation, pyloric stenosis, small bowel atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and necrotizing enterocolitis. The relationship between patient residence (rural versus urban) and location of surgical care (children's hospital versus other) was compared in relation to other covariates using multivariable logistic regression models., Results: Among 29,185 infants undergoing these operations, 16.0% lived in a rural area. Rural infants were more frequently White (64.8% versus 43.4% P < 0.001), from the lowest two income quartiles (86.5% versus 52.0%, P < 0.001), and from the South or Midwest regions (P < 0.001). Surgical care was predominantly (94.1%) provided at urban teaching hospitals but frequently not at children's hospitals, especially among rural infants. After adjusting for other covariates, rural infants were significantly less likely to undergo care at a children's hospital for both 2009 (adjusted odds ratio 0.66, P < 0.001) and 2012-2019 (adjusted odds ratio 0.78, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: A sizable portion of complex surgical care in infants is performed outside children's hospitals, especially among those from rural areas. Further work is necessary to ensure adequate access to children's hospitals for rural children., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted social, political, and economic life across the world, shining a light on the vulnerability of many communities. The objective of this study was to assess injury patterns before and after implementation of stay-at-home orders (SHOs) between White children and children of color and across varying levels of vulnerability based upon children's home residence., Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective study was conducted evaluating patients < 18 years with traumatic injuries. A "Control" cohort from an averaged March-September 2016-2019 time period was compared to patients injured after SHO initiation-September 2020 ("COVID" cohort). Interactions between race/ethnicity or social vulnerability index (SVI), a marker of neighborhood vulnerability and socioeconomic status, and the COVID-19 timeframe with regard to the outcomes of interest were assessed using likelihood ratio Chi-square tests. Differences in injury intent, type, and mechanism were then stratified and explored by race/ethnicity and SVI separately., Results: A total of 47,385 patients met study inclusion. Significant interactions existed between race/ethnicity and the COVID-19 SHO period for intent (p < 0.001) and mechanism of injury (p < 0.001). There was also significant interaction between SVI and the COVID-19 SHO period for mechanism of injury (p = 0.01). Children of color experienced a significant increase in intentional (COVID 16.4% vs. Control 13.7%, p = 0.03) and firearm (COVID 9.0% vs. Control 5.2%, p < 0.001) injuries, but no change was seen among White children. Children from the most vulnerable neighborhoods suffered an increase in firearm injuries (COVID 11.1% vs. Control 6.1%, p = 0.001) with children from the least vulnerable neighborhoods having no change. All-terrain vehicle (ATV) and bicycle crashes increased for children of color (COVID 2.0% vs. Control 1.1%, p = 0.04 for ATV; COVID 6.7% vs. Control 4.8%, p = 0.02 for bicycle) and White children (COVID 9.6% vs. Control 6.2%, p < 0.001 for ATV; COVID 8.8% vs. Control 5.8%, p < 0.001 for bicycle)., Conclusions: In contrast to White children and children from neighborhoods of lower vulnerability, children of color and children living in higher vulnerability neighborhoods experienced an increase in intentional and firearm-related injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding inequities in trauma burden during times of stress is critical to directing resources and targeting intervention strategies., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: To describe the changes to routine pediatric surgical care over the past 2 decades for children living in urban and rural environments., Background: A knowledge gaps exists regarding trends in the location where routine pediatric surgical care is provided to children from urban and rural environments over time., Methods: Children (age 0-18) undergoing 7 common surgeries were identified using State Inpatient Databases (SID, 2002-2017). Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes were used to classify patient and hospital zip codes. Multivariable regression models for distance traveled >60 miles and transfer status were used to compare rural and urban populations, adjusting for year, age, sex, race, and insurance status., Results: Among 143,467 children, 13% lived in rural zip codes. The distance traveled for care increased for both rural and urban children for all procedures but significantly more for the rural cohort (eg, 102% vs 30%, P <0.001, cholecystectomy). Transfers also increased for rural children (eg, transfers for appendectomy increased from 1% in 2002 to 23% in 2017, P <0.001). Factors associated with the need to travel >60 miles included year [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.18, 95% CI: 1.94-2.46: 2017 vs 2002], rural residence (aOR=6.55, 95% CI: 6.11-7.01), age less than 5 years (aOR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.92-2.46), and Medicaid insurance (aOR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.26-1.45). Factors associated with transfer included year (aOR=5.77, 95% CI: 5.26-6.33: 2017 vs 2002), rural residence (aOR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.39-1.56), age less than 10 years (aOR=2.34, 95% CI: 2.15-2.54), and Medicaid insurance (aOR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.42-1.46)., Conclusion: Rural children, younger age, and those on Medicaid disproportionately traveled greater distances and were more frequently transferred for common pediatric surgical procedures., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Access to pediatric surgical care is influenced by multiple factors, including proximity to care and financial resources. There is limited understanding regarding the process by which rural children acquire surgical care. We qualitatively explored rural families' experiences seeking surgical care for their children at a major children's hospital., Methods: Parents or legal guardians ≥18 years of age with children who received general surgical care at a major children's hospital and who lived in rural areas were included. Operative logs from 2020 to 2021 and postoperative clinic visits were used to identify families. Semi-structured interviews explored rural families' experiences receiving surgical care. Interviews were inductively and deductively analyzed to create codes and identify thematic domains. Twelve interviews (with 15 individuals) were conducted before thematic saturation was reached., Findings: Children were predominantly White (92%) and lived a median of 98.3 mi (interquartile range 49.4-147.0 mi) from the hospital. Four thematic domains were identified: (1) Accessing surgical care included difficulties with referral processes and travel/lodging burdens; (2) surgical care processes involved treatment details and provider/hospital expertise; (3) resources for navigating care encompassed families' employment status, financial burden, and technology use; and (4) social support included family situations, emotions and stress, and coping with diagnoses., Conclusions: Rural families experienced difficulties with obtaining referrals, challenges with travel and employment, and the benefits of technology use. These findings can be applied to the development of tools that can ease challenges faced by rural families whose children require surgical care., (© 2023 National Rural Health Association.)

Introduction: Reports of pediatric injury patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic are conflicting and lack the granularity to explore differences across regions. We hypothesized there would be considerable variation in injury patterns across pediatric trauma centers in the United States., Materials and Methods: A multicenter, retrospective study evaluating patients <18 y old with traumatic injuries meeting National Trauma Data Bank criteria was performed. Patients injured after stay-at-home orders through September 2020 ("COVID" cohort) were compared to "Historical" controls from an averaged period of equivalent dates in 2016-2019. Differences in injury type, intent, and mechanism were explored at the site level., Results: 47,385 pediatric trauma patients were included. Overall trauma volume increased during the COVID cohort compared to the Historical (COVID 7068 patients versus Historical 5891 patients); however, some sites demonstrated a decrease in overall trauma of 25% while others had an increase of over 33%. Bicycle injuries increased at every site, with a range in percent change from 24% to 135% increase. Although the greatest net increase was due to blunt injuries, there was a greater relative increase in penetrating injuries at 7/9 sites, with a range in percent change from a 110% increase to a 69% decrease., Conclusions: There was considerable discrepancy in pediatric injury patterns at the individual site level, perhaps suggesting a variable impact of the specific sociopolitical climate and pandemic policies of each catchment area. Investigation of the unique response of the community during times of stress at pediatric trauma centers is warranted to be better prepared for future environmental stressors., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Disparities in pediatric health outcomes are widespread. It is unclear whether rurality negatively impacts outcomes of infants with surgical congenital diseases. This study compared outcomes of rural versus urban infants requiring complex surgical care at children's hospitals in the United States., Methods: Rural and urban infants (aged <1 year) receiving surgical care at children's hospitals from 2016 to 2019 for esophageal atresia, gastroschisis, Hirschsprung's disease, anorectal malformation, and congenital diaphragmatic hernia were compared over a 1-year postoperative period using the Pediatric Health Information System. Generalized linear mixed effects models compared outcomes of rural and urban infants., Results: Among 5732 infants, 20.2% lived in rural areas. Rural infants were more frequently white, lived farther from the hospital, and lived in areas with lower median household income compared with urban infants (all P < .001). Rural infants with anorectal malformation and gastroschisis had lower adjusted hospital days over 1 year; rural infants with esophageal atresia had higher adjusted odds of 30-day hospital readmission. Adjusted mortality, hospital days, and readmissions were otherwise similar between the 2 groups. Outcomes remained similar when comparing urban infants to rural infant subgroups with the longest hospital travel distance (≥60 miles) and lowest median household income (<$35 000)., Conclusions: Despite longer travel distances and lower financial resources, rural infants with congenital anomalies have similar postoperative outcomes to urban infants when treated at children's hospitals. Future work is needed to examine outcomes for infants treated outside children's hospitals and to determine whether efforts are necessary to increase access to children's hospitals., (Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted timely access to care for children, including patients with appendicitis. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on management of appendicitis and patient outcomes., Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was performed including 19 children's hospitals from April 2019-October 2020 of children (age≤18 years) diagnosed with appendicitis. Groups were defined by each hospital's city/state stay-at-home orders (SAHO), designating patients as Pre-COVID (Pre-SAHO) or COVID (Post-SAHO). Demographic, treatment, and outcome data were obtained, and univariate and multivariable analysis was performed., Results: Of 6,014 patients, 2,413 (40.1%) presented during the COVID-19 pandemic. More patients were managed non-operatively during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic (147 (6.1%) vs 144 (4.0%), p < 0.001). Despite this change, there was no difference in the proportion of complicated appendicitis between groups (1,247 (34.6%) vs 849 (35.2%), p = 0.12). COVID era non-operative patients received fewer additional procedures, including interventional radiology (IR) drain placements, compared to pre-COVID non-operative patients (29 (19.7%) vs 69 (47.9%), p < 0.001). On adjusted analysis, factors associated with increased odds of receiving non-operative management included: increasing duration of symptoms (OR=1.01, 95% CI: 1.01-1.012), African American race (OR=2.4, 95% CI: 1.3-4.6), and testing positive for COVID-19 (OR=10.8, 95% CI: 5.4-21.6)., Conclusion: Non-operative management of appendicitis increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, fewer COVID era cases required IR procedures. These changes in the management of pediatric appendicitis during the COVID pandemic demonstrates the potential for future utilization of non-operative management., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: This study evaluated North American pediatric surgeons' opinions and knowledge of business and economics in medicine and their perceptions of trends in their healthcare delivery environment., Methods: We conducted an elective online survey of 1119 American Pediatric Surgical Association members. Over 8 mo, we iteratively developed the survey focused on four areas: opinion, knowledge, current practice environment, and trends in practice environment over the past 5 y., Results: We received 227 (20.3%) complete surveys from pediatric surgeons. One hundred ninety four (85.5%) perceive healthcare as a business and most (85.9%) believe healthcare decisions may affect patients' out-of-pocket expenses. More than half (51.1%) of surgeons believe it has become more challenging to perform emergent cases and most believe staff quality has decreased for elective (56.4%) and emergent (63.0%) cases over the past 5 y., Conclusions: Pediatric surgeons recognize that medicine is a business and have concerns regarding the decreasing quality of operating room staff and the increasing difficulty providing surgical care over the last 5 y., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of a water-soluble contrast challenge as part of a nonoperative management algorithm in children with an adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO)., Background: Predicting which children will successfully resolve their ASBO with non-operative management at the time of admission remains difficult. Additionally, the safety of a water-soluble contrast challenge for children with ASBO has not been established in the literature., Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent non-operative management for an ASBO and received a contrast challenge across 5 children's hospitals between 2012 and 2020. Safety was assessed by comparing the complication rate associated with a contrast challenge against a pre-specified maximum acceptable level of 5%. Sensitivity, specificity, negative (NPV) and positive (PPV) predictive values of a contrast challenge to identify successful nonoperative management were calculated., Results: Of 82 children who received a contrast challenge, 65% were successfully managed nonoperatively. The most common surgical indications were failure of the contrast challenge or failure to progress after initially passing the contrast challenge. There were no complications related to contrast administration (0%; 95% confidence interval: 0-3.6%, P = 0.03). The contrast challenge was highly reliable in determining which patients would require surgery and which could be successfully managed non-operatively (sensitivity 100%, specificity 86%, NPV 100%, PPV 93%)., Conclusion: A contrast challenge is safe in children with ASBO and has a high predictive value to assist in clinical decision-making., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pediatric appendicitis is managed by general and pediatric surgeons at both children's hospitals and non-children's hospitals. A statewide assessment of surgeons and facilities providing appendicitis care was performed to identify factors associated with location of surgical care., Methods: Children aged <18 years undergoing appendectomy for appendicitis in Wisconsin from 2018-2020 were identified through the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, and Current Procedural Terminology codes using Wisconsin Hospital Association data. Patient residence and hospital locations were used to determine travel distance, rurality, and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status., Results: Among 3,604 children with appendicitis, 36.0% and 12.8% had an appendectomy at 2 major children's hospitals and 4 other children's hospitals, respectively, and 51.2% had an appendectomy at 99 non-children's hospitals. Pediatric surgeons performed 76.1% of appendectomies at children's hospitals and 2.9% at non-children's hospitals. Only 32.2% of patients received care at the hospital closest to their homes. Non-children's hospitals disproportionally cared for older, non-Hispanic White, and privately insured children, those with uncomplicated appendicitis, and those living in rural areas, in mid-socioeconomic status neighborhoods, and greater distances from children's hospitals (all P < .001). After multivariable adjustment, receipt of care at children's hospitals was associated with younger age, minority race, complicated appendicitis, shorter distance to children's hospitals, and urban residence., Conclusion: Over half of surgical care for pediatric appendicitis occurred at non-children's hospitals, especially among older children and those living in rural areas far from children's hospitals. Future work is necessary to determine which children benefit most from care at children's hospitals and which can safely receive care at non-children's hospitals to avoid unnecessary time and resource utilization associated with travel to children's hospitals., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Telemedicine (TM) use accelerated out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the utility of TM within the pediatric surgery population is unclear. This study measured utilization, adequacy, and disparities in uptake of TM in pediatric surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: Scheduled outpatient pediatric surgery clinic encounters at a large academic children's hospital from January 2020 through March 2021 were reviewed. Sub-group analysis examined post-operative (PO) visits after appendectomy and umbilical, epigastric, and inguinal hernia repairs., Results: Of 9149 scheduled visits, 87.9% were in-person and 12.1% were TM. TM visits were scheduled for PO care (76.9%), new consultations (7.1%), and established patients (16.0%). Although TM visits were more frequently canceled or no shows (P < 0.001), most canceled TM visits were PO visits, of which 41.7% were canceled via electronic communication reporting the absence of any PO concerns. TM visits were adequate for accomplishing visit goals in 98.2%, 95.5%, and 96.2% of PO, new, and established patient visits, respectively. Patients utilizing TM visits were more frequently of white race, privately-insured, from less disadvantaged neighborhoods, and living a greater distance from clinic (P < 0.001 for all comparisons)., Conclusions: TM was adequate for the majority of visits in which it was utilized, including the basic PO visits that occurred via TM. TM was used more by patients with greater travel and less by those of minority race, with public insurance, and from more disadvantaged neighborhoods. Future work is necessary to ensure broad access to this useful tool for all children requiring surgical care., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Utilization of same-day discharge (SDD) after appendectomy for uncomplicated appendicitis (UA) was closely examined to explore potential barriers to greater use of SDD., Methods: Children (≤18 years) who underwent appendectomy for UA between 2015 and 2019 at a tertiary care children's hospital were reviewed. Associations with SDD were evaluated using multivariable regression models., Results: Among 973 children, SDD was less frequently utilized after appendectomy performed between 12pm and 5pm (aOR 0.14, p < 0.001) and after 5pm (aOR 0.01, p < 0.001) compared to before 12pm. SDD utilization was also less frequent in those from lower resource neighborhoods (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.90 per decile increase in Area Deprivation Index, p = 0.04), females (aOR 0.53, p = 0.005), and patients residing 30-60 min away (aOR 0.56, p = 0.04) compared to <30 min away., Conclusions: SDD utilization was primarily impacted by operative timing and socioeconomic and travel factors, focuses for quality improvement efforts to further increase utilization of SDD., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Firearm sales in the United States (U.S.) markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objective was to determine if firearm injuries in children were associated with stay-at-home orders (SHO) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized there would be an increase in pediatric firearm injuries during SHO., Methods: This was a multi institutional, retrospective study of institutional trauma registries. Patients <18 years with traumatic injuries meeting National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) criteria were included. A "COVID" cohort, defined as time from initiation of state SHO through September 30, 2020 was compared to "Historical" controls from an averaged period of corresponding dates in 2016-2019. An interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) was utilized to evaluate the association of the U.S. declaration of a national state of emergency with pediatric firearm injuries., Results: Nine Level I pediatric trauma centers were included, contributing 48,111 pediatric trauma patients, of which 1,090 patients (2.3%) suffered firearm injuries. There was a significant increase in the proportion of firearm injuries in the COVID cohort (COVID 3.04% vs. Historical 1.83%; p < 0.001). There was an increased cumulative burden of firearm injuries in 2020 compared to a historical average. ITSA showed an 87% increase in the observed rate of firearm injuries above expected after the declaration of a nationwide emergency (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: The proportion of firearm injuries affecting children increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic was associated with an increase in pediatric firearm injuries above expected rates based on historical patterns., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no financial disclosures. The study had no source of funding., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is wide variability and considerable controversy regarding the classification of appendicitis and the need for postoperative antibiotics. This study aimed to assess interrater agreement with respect to the classification of appendicitis and its influence on the use of postoperative antibiotics amongst surgeons and surgical trainees., Methods: A survey comprising 15 intraoperative images captured during appendectomy was distributed to surgeons and surgical trainees. Participants were asked to classify severity of disease (normal, inflamed, purulent, gangrenous, perforated) and whether they would prescribe postoperative antibiotics. Statistical analysis included percent agreement, Krippendorff's alpha for interrater agreement, and logistic regression., Results: In total, 562 respondents completed the survey: 206 surgical trainees, 217 adult surgeons, and 139 pediatric surgeons. For classification of appendicitis, the statistical interrater agreement was highest for categorization as gangrenous/perforated versus nongangrenous/nonperforated (Krippendorff's alpha = 0.73) and lowest for perforated versus nonperforated (Krippendorff's alpha = 0.45). Fourteen percent of survey respondents would administer postoperative antibiotics for an inflamed appendix, 44% for suppurative, 75% for gangrenous, and 97% for perforated appendicitis. Interrater agreement of postoperative antibiotic use was low (Krippendorff's alpha = 0.28). The only significant factor associated with postoperative antibiotic utilization was 16 or more years in practice., Conclusions: Surgeon agreement is poor with respect to both subjective appendicitis classification and objective utilization of postoperative antibiotics. This survey demonstrates that a large proportion (59%) of surgeons prescribe antibiotics after nongangrenous or nonperforated appendectomy, despite a lack of evidence basis for this practice. These findings highlight the need for further consensus to enable standardized research and avoid overtreatment with unnecessary antibiotics., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The role of advanced care practitioners (ACPs) in pediatric surgery is increasingly important and not well described., Methods: Electronic surveys were sent to pediatric surgery division chiefs within the Children's Hospital Association., Results: We received 77/163 survey responses (47%). The median number of ACPs per service was 3.0 (range 0-35). ACP number correlated with inpatient census, surgeon number, case volume, trauma centers, intensive care unit status, and fellowship programs but not with presence of residents/hospitalists, hospital setting, or practice type. Nearly all programs incorporated nurse practitioners while almost half utilized physician assistants. Approximately one-third of ACPs were designated for subspecialties (35%) such as trauma and colorectal. Only 9% of centers had surgeon-specific ACPs. ACP responsibilities included both inpatient and outpatient tasks. Nearly all ACPs participated in procedures (89%), mostly bedside (80%). All ACPs worked daytime shifts, with less nights and weekends. Most ACPs billed for services (80%). Satisfaction with ACP coverage was widespread and did not correlate with ACP number. Most respondents felt that ACPs enhance, and not hinder, resident/fellow training (85%)., Conclusion: ACPs are useful adjuncts in pediatric surgery. A better understanding of practice patterns may help optimize utilization to enhance patient care and can be used to advocate for appropriate resources., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: The purpose of this study was to quantify disparities in the utilization of outpatient pediatric surgical care and to examine the extent to which neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with access to care among children., Methods: Clinic "no-shows" were examined among children scheduled from 2017 to 2019 at seven pediatric surgery clinics associated with a tertiary care children's hospital. The association between Area Deprivation Index, a neighborhood-level measure of socioeconomic disadvantage, and other patient factors with clinic no-shows was examined using multivariable logistic regression models. Difficulties in accessing postoperative care in particular were explored in a subgroup analysis of postoperative (within 90 days) clinic visits after appendectomy or inguinal/umbilical hernia repairs., Results: Among 10,162 patients, 16% had at least 1 no-show for a clinic appointment. Area Deprivation Index (most deprived decile adjusted odds ratio 3.17, 95% confidence interval 2.20-4.58, P < .001), Black race (adjusted odds ratio 3.30, 95% confidence interval 2.70-4.00, P < .001), and public insurance (adjusted odds ratio 2.75, 95% confidence interval 2.38-3.31, P < .001) were associated with having at least 1 no-show. Similar associations were identified among 2,399 children scheduled for postoperative clinic visits after undergoing appendectomy or inguinal/umbilical hernia repair, among whom 20% were a no-show., Conclusion: Race, insurance type, and neighborhood-level socioeconomic disadvantage are associated with disparities in utilization of outpatient pediatric surgical care. Challenges accessing routine outpatient care among disadvantaged children may be one mechanism through which disparate outcomes result among children requiring surgical care., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is linked to poorer outcomes for a variety of health conditions in children, potentially through delay in accessing care. The objective of this study was to measure the association between SES and delay in surgical care as marked by presentation with complicated appendicitis (CA)., Methods: Children treated for acute appendicitis between 2015-2019 at a large academic children's hospital were reviewed. Patient home addresses were used to calculate travel time to the children's hospital and to determine Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a neighborhood-level SES marker. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to compare the likelihood of CA across ADI while adjusting for confounders., Results: Of 1,697 children with acute appendicitis, 38.8% had CA. Compared to those with uncomplicated disease, children with CA were younger, lived farther from the children's hospital, and were more likely to have Medicaid insurance and have ED visits in the 30 days preceding diagnosis. Children with CA disproportionately came from disadvantaged neighborhoods (P < 0.007), with 32% from the two most disadvantaged ADI deciles. The odds of CA rose 5% per ADI decile-increase (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.05, 95%CI 1.01-1.09, P = 0.02). Younger age and >60-min travel time were also associated with CA. Association between ADI and CA remained among younger (<10 y) children (aOR 1.07, 95%CI 1.00-1.15, P = 0.048) and those living closer (<30 min) to the hospital (aOR 1.06, 95%CI 1.01-1.11, p=0.02)., Conclusions: ADI is associated with CA among children, suggesting ADI may be a valuable marker of difficulty accessing surgical care among disadvantaged children., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Simultaneous gastrostomy tube (GT) and tracheostomy placement in young children offers potential benefit in limiting anesthetic exposure, but it is unknown whether combining these procedures introduces additional morbidity. This study compared outcomes after combined GT and tracheostomy placement versus GT placement alone among similar ventilator-dependent patients., Methods: Ventilator-dependent children <2-years-old who underwent GT placement alone (MV-GT), simultaneous GT and tracheostomy placement (GT+T), and GT placement alone with a pre-existing tracheostomy (T-GT) were identified using 2012-2018 NSQIP-Pediatric Participant User Files. Multiple logistic regression models were used to compare outcomes while adjusting for other group differences., Results: Among 1100 children, 351 underwent MV-GT, 494 GT+T, and 255 T-GT. Major complications occurred in 23.6%, 17.0%, and 14.5% of the respective groups (p = 0.01). Major complications with GT+T were similar to T-GT (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.19, 95%CI:0.78-1.83, p = 0.4) and lower than MV-GT (aOR=0.67, 95%CI:0.47-0.95, p = 0.02). Severe complications including mortality, cardiac arrest, and stroke were similar between the three groups (p = 0.8)., Conclusions: Children <2-years-old undergoing GT+T did not experience higher post-operative complications compared to children undergoing T-GT or MV-GT. Utilizing GT+T to limit anesthetic exposure may be reasonable within this high-risk population., Type of Study: Treatment Study LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Perioperative blood transfusions in children are associated with patient morbidity and are often overutilized. In this study, we identify procedures most commonly associated with the use of red blood cells (RBC) in childrens surgery and develop risk-adjusted models for benchmarking., Methods: Data from the 2012-2015 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric participant use data files were used. CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes were grouped to identify the procedures where transfusions were allocated and associated patient demographics and comorbidities. Patients were stratified in two age groups (0-3 mo and 3 mo to 18 y), and a logistic regression model was developed for each age group., Results: Of 369,176 total cases, 21,410 (5.8%) were associated with a perioperative transfusion. 659 CPT codes were grouped in 207 clusters according to their similarities. The most common procedures associated with transfusion were arthrodesis for spinal deformity (n = 9533, 44.5%), followed by craniectomy for craniosynostosis (n = 1853, 8.7%). The logistic regression model for patients <3 mo included 18 variables and had excellent discriminatory performance (area under the curve 0.866). The model for patients ≥3 mo to 18 y had 21 variables and an area under the curve of 0.911., Conclusions: The majority of transfusions used in children's surgery are concentrated within a relatively few procedural groups. These findings can help centers in focusing blood optimization efforts on common surgeries with high transfusion rates. In addition, multiple preoperative factors have been built into a risk-adjusted model that can be used for benchmarking blood transfusions among hospitals., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: For the surgical treatment of traumatic hollow viscus injuries, laparoscopy offers a potentially less morbid approach to open exploration among appropriately selected patients. This study aimed to evaluate utilization trends and efficacy of laparoscopy in the management of pediatric abdominal trauma., Study Design: To gain both study granularity and power, our institutional trauma registry (2005-2017) and the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB; 2010-2015) identified patients ≤18 years who required celiotomy for abdominal trauma. Injury mechanisms, patient characteristics, and hospital courses were compared between open and laparoscopic approaches. Unadjusted and adjusted statistical analyses were performed., Results: Overall, data were similar among 393 institutional and 11,399 NTDB patients undergoing laparoscopic (n = 88, 22%; n = 1663, 16%) or open (n = 305, 78%; n = 9736, 85%) surgery for abdominal trauma. In both registries, laparoscopy was more commonly employed in younger (institutional p = 0.026; NTDB p < 0.001) female (p = 0.019; p < 0.001) patients having lower injury severity (p < 0.001) and blunt injuries (p = 0.031; p < 0.001). Laparoscopy was associated with fewer complications overall when adjusting for demographics and injury severity [institutional OR 0.25 (0.08-0.75), p = 0.013; NTDB OR 0.69 (0.55-0.88), p = 0.002]. An increase in utilization of MIS for pediatric abdominal trauma was detected over time (NTDB: r = 0.88, p = 0.02)., Conclusion: For the management of pediatric abdominal trauma, laparoscopy was employed typically in younger, more stable, and female patients sustaining blunt injuries. Appropriately selected patients have similar or better outcomes to patients treated with laparotomy, with no increase in adverse events or missed injuries. Increased utilization of laparoscopy to manage abdominal trauma in children suggests greater acceptance of this approach., Level of Evidence: Level III., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Although gastrostomy placement is one of the most common procedures performed in children, the optimal technique remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate variability in the method of gastrostomy tube placement in children in the United States. Patients <18 years old undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) or surgical gastrostomy (SG) (including open or laparoscopic) from 1997 to 2012 were identified using the Kids' Inpatient Database. Method of gastrostomy placement was evaluated using a multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression model with a random intercept term and a patient-age random-effect term. A total of 67,811 gastrostomy placements were performed during the study period. PEG was used in 36.6% of entries overall and was generally consistent over time. PEG placement was less commonly performed in infants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.30, 95%CI 0.26-0.33), children at urban hospitals (aOR: 0.38, 95%CI 0.18-0.82), and children cared for at children's hospitals (aOR 0.57, 95%CI 0.48-0.69) and was more commonly performed in children with private insurance (aOR 1.17, 95%CI 1.09-1.25). Dramatic variability in PEG use was identified between centers, ranging from 0% to 100%. The random intercept and slope terms significantly improved the model, confirming significant center-level variability and increased variability among patients <1 year old. These findings emphasize the need to further evaluate the safest method of gastrostomy placement in children, in particular among the youngest patients in whom practice varies the most.

Background: The current neuroblastoma (NBL) staging system employs image-defined risk factors (IDRFs) to assess numerous anatomic features, but the impact of IDRFs on surgical and oncologic outcomes is unclear., Methods: The Vanderbilt Cancer Registry identified children treated for NBL from 2002 to 2017. Tumor volume (TV) and IDRFs were measured radiographically at diagnosis and before resection. Perioperative and oncologic outcomes were evaluated., Results: At diagnosis of 106 NBL, 61% were IDRF positive. MYCN-amplified and undifferentiated NBL had more IDRFs than nonamplified and more differentiated tumors (p = 0.001 and p = 0.01). Of 86 NBLs resected, 43% were IDRF positive, which associated with higher stage, risk, and TV (each p < 0.001). The presence of IDRF at resection was also associated with increased blood loss (p < 0.001), longer operating times (p < 0.001), greater incidence of intraoperative complications (p = 0.03), more frequent ICU admissions postoperatively (p < 0.001), and longer hospital stays (p < 0.001). IDRF negative and positive tumors did not have significantly different rates of gross total resection (p = 0.2). Five-year relapse-free and overall survival was similar for IDRF negative and positive NBL (p = 0.9 and p = 0.8)., Conclusions: IDRFs at diagnosis were associated with larger, less differentiated, advanced stage, and higher risk NBL and at resection with increased operative difficulty and perioperative morbidity. However, the frequency of gross total resection and patient survival after resection were not associated with the presence of IDRFs., Type of Study: Retrospective cohort study., Level of Evidence: Level III., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patient portals are online applications that typically allow users to interact with providers using secure messaging. Portal messaging use and content have not been studied in pediatric surgical specialties., Materials and Methods: We obtained all message threads initiated by pediatric patients/caregivers and sent to pediatric surgical providers through the Vanderbilt University Medical Center patient portal from June 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. We collected patient demographics and providers' surgical specialties. We determined the number of message threads and individual messages sent by patients/caregivers and providers by specialty. Message content was analyzed by semantic types using a validated consumer health taxonomy., Results: Most threads were about male (176, 60.3%), white (239, 81.8%), non-Hispanic (278, 95.2%) patients with a median age of 6 y (range: 0-21 y). A total of 292 message threads containing 1679 individual messages were sent with mean 5.8 (standard deviation [SD] 5.0) messages per thread. Messages were sent more frequently regarding younger patients (P = 0.001). Physicians directly contributed to 161 (55%) message threads. Otolaryngology received the most threads (123, 42.1%) and messages (790, 47.1%). Specialties exchanging the most messages per thread were cardiac surgery (mean 7.0, SD 11.7), and dermatology (7.0, SD 6.9). Most message threads (273, 93.5%) involved delivery of medical care with 123 (42.1%) involving appointments/scheduling; 99 (33.9%) medical problems; 81 (27.7%) treatments; 68 (23.3%) testing; and 29 (9.9%) referrals., Conclusions: Pediatric surgeons deliver substantial care within portal messages exchanged with pediatric patients and caregivers. Institutions adopting portals should consider effects on provider workload and potential disparities in access to care., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood, has widely variable outcomes dependent on the specific biology of the tumor. In this review, current biologic principles that are used to stratify risk and guide treatment algorithms are discussed. The role for surgical resection in neuroblastoma is also reviewed, including the indications and timing of surgery within the greater treatment plan.

Anterior mediastinal masses present a significant challenge in the perioperative period. Standard anaesthetic induction and airway management are often not feasible due to the risk of complete respiratory and/or cardiovascular collapse. Invasive manoeuvres, such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, cardiac bypass, or tracheal or bronchial stenting, are sometimes not applicable due to significant anatomic aberration. We present a case of anterior mediastinal mass in a 5-month-old infant where typical management techniques in the treatment algorithm were not possible., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2018. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The majority of surviving infants with surgical necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) will have some degree of neurodevelopmental impairment. The impact of specific medial and surgical treatments for infants with severe NEC remains largely unknown but is being actively investigated. It is incumbent upon all providers caring for these infants to continue to focus on long term neurodevelopmental outcomes and to develop more widespread methods of neurodevelopmental assessment., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a tremendous burden in health care. However, current guidelines lack recommendations regarding the prevention of VTE in older adult trauma patients. Furthermore, the appropriate method of modeling of age in VTE models is currently unclear., Methods: Patients included in the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) between the years 2008 and 2014 and patients included in the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) between 2009 and 2013 were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression of VTE on age was performed., Results: Of 3,598,881 patients in the NTDB, 34,202 (1.0%) were diagnosed with VTE compared to 5405 (1.1%) of the 505,231 patients in NIS. In both the fully adjusted NTDB and NIS model, age was positively associated with odds of VTE diagnosis under 65 years (NTDB, adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.018, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.017-1.019, P < 0.001; NIS, aOR: 1.025, 95% CI 1.022-1.027, P < 0.001). In patients aged ≥65 years, age was negatively associated with odds of VTE diagnosis in the NTDB (aOR: 0.995, 95% CI: 0.992-0.999, P = 0.006) but not in the NIS (aOR: 0.998, 95% CI 0.994-1.002, P = 0.26)., Conclusions: Incidence of VTE among adult trauma patients steadily increases with age until 65 years, after which the odds of VTE appear to level off or even slightly decrease. These findings should be applied for improved modeling of VTE in trauma patients. The mechanism behind these findings should be explored before using them to update guidelines for standardized VTE prevention in older adults., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of providing personal clinical effectiveness performance feedback to general surgery residents regarding prescription of appropriate venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis., Background: Residents are frequently charged with prescribing medications for patients, including VTE prophylaxis, but rarely receive individual performance feedback regarding these practice habits., Methods: This prospective cohort study at the Johns Hopkins Hospital compared outcomes across 3 study periods: (1) baseline, (2) scorecard alone, and (3) scorecard plus coaching. All general surgery residents (n = 49) and surgical patients (n = 2420) for whom residents wrote admission orders during the first 9 months of the 2013-2014 academic year were included. Outcomes included the proportions of patients prescribed appropriate VTE prophylaxis, patients with preventable VTE, and residents prescribing appropriate VTE prophylaxis for every patient, and results from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education resident survey., Results: At baseline, 89.4% of patients were prescribed appropriate VTE prophylaxis and only 45% of residents prescribed appropriate prophylaxis for every patient. During the scorecard period, appropriate VTE prophylaxis prescription significantly increased to 95.4% (P < 0.001). For the scorecard plus coaching period, significantly more residents prescribed appropriate prophylaxis for every patient (78% vs 45%, P = 0.0017). Preventable VTE was eliminated in both intervention periods (0% vs 0.35%, P = 0.046). After providing feedback, significantly more residents reported receiving data about practice habits on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education resident survey (87% vs 38%, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Providing personal clinical effectiveness feedback including data and peer-to-peer coaching improves resident performance, and results in a significant reduction in harm for patients.

Objectives: Identify risk factors for venous thromboembolism and develop venous thromboembolism risk assessment models for pediatric trauma patients., Design: Single institution and national registry retrospective cohort studies., Setting: John Hopkins level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center and National Trauma Data Bank., Patients: Patients 21 years and younger hospitalized following traumatic injuries at John Hopkins (1987-2011). Patients 21 years and younger in the National Trauma Data Bank (2008-2010 and 2011-2012)., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: Clinical characteristics of Johns Hopkins patients with and without venous thromboembolism were compared, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent venous thromboembolism risk factors. Weighted risk assessment scoring systems were developed based on these and previously identified factors from National Trauma Data Bank patients (2008-2010); the scoring systems were validated in this cohort from Johns Hopkins and a cohort from the National Trauma Data Bank (2011-2012). Forty-nine of 17,366 pediatric trauma patients (0.28%) were diagnosed with venous thromboembolism after admission to our trauma center. After adjusting for potential confounders, venous thromboembolism was independently associated with older age, surgery, blood transfusion, higher Injury Severity Score, and lower Glasgow Coma Scale score. These and additional factors were identified in 402,329 pediatric patients from the National Trauma Data Bank from 2008 to 2010; independent risk factors from the logistic regression analysis of this National Trauma Data Bank cohort were selected and incorporated into weighted risk assessment scoring systems. Two models were developed and were cross-validated in two separate pediatric trauma cohorts: 1) 282,535 patients in the National Trauma Data Bank from 2011 to 2012 and 2) 17,366 patients from Johns Hopkins. The receiver operating curve using these models in the validation cohorts had area under the curves that ranged 90-94%., Conclusions: Venous thromboembolism is infrequent after trauma in pediatric patients. We developed weighted scoring systems to stratify pediatric trauma patients at risk for venous thromboembolism. These systems may have potential to guide risk-appropriate venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in children after trauma.

Background: A report from a high-volume single center indicated a survival benefit of receiving a kidney transplant from an HLA-incompatible live donor as compared with remaining on the waiting list, whether or not a kidney from a deceased donor was received. The generalizability of that finding is unclear., Methods: In a 22-center study, we estimated the survival benefit for 1025 recipients of kidney transplants from HLA-incompatible live donors who were matched with controls who remained on the waiting list or received a transplant from a deceased donor (waiting-list-or-transplant control group) and controls who remained on the waiting list but did not receive a transplant (waiting-list-only control group). We analyzed the data with and without patients from the highest-volume center in the study., Results: Recipients of kidney transplants from incompatible live donors had a higher survival rate than either control group at 1 year (95.0%, vs. 94.0% for the waiting-list-or-transplant control group and 89.6% for the waiting-list-only control group), 3 years (91.7% vs. 83.6% and 72.7%, respectively), 5 years (86.0% vs. 74.4% and 59.2%), and 8 years (76.5% vs. 62.9% and 43.9%) (P<0.001 for all comparisons with the two control groups). The survival benefit was significant at 8 years across all levels of donor-specific antibody: 89.2% for recipients of kidney transplants from incompatible live donors who had a positive Luminex assay for anti-HLA antibody but a negative flow-cytometric cross-match versus 65.0% for the waiting-list-or-transplant control group and 47.1% for the waiting-list-only control group; 76.3% for recipients with a positive flow-cytometric cross-match but a negative cytotoxic cross-match versus 63.3% and 43.0% in the two control groups, respectively; and 71.0% for recipients with a positive cytotoxic cross-match versus 61.5% and 43.7%, respectively. The findings did not change when patients from the highest-volume center were excluded., Conclusions: This multicenter study validated single-center evidence that patients who received kidney transplants from HLA-incompatible live donors had a substantial survival benefit as compared with patients who did not undergo transplantation and those who waited for transplants from deceased donors. (Funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.).

The updated Banff classification allows for the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in the absence of peritubular capillary C4d staining. Our objective was to quantify allograft loss risk in patients with consistently C4d-negative AMR (n = 51) compared with C4d-positive AMR patients (n = 156) and matched control subjects without AMR. All first-year posttransplant biopsy results from January 2004 through June 2014 were reviewed and correlated with the presence of donor-specific antibody (DSA). C4d-negative AMR patients were not different from C4d-positive AMR patients on any baseline characteristics, including immunologic risk factors (panel reactive antibody, prior transplant, HLA mismatch, donor type, DSA class, and anti-HLA/ABO-incompatibility). C4d-positive AMR patients were significantly more likely to have a clinical presentation (85.3% vs. 54.9%, p < 0.001), and those patients presented substantially earlier posttransplantation (median 14 [interquartile range 8-32] days vs. 46 [interquartile range 20-191], p < 0.001) and were three times more common (7.8% vs 2.5%). One- and 2-year post-AMR-defining biopsy graft survival in C4d-negative AMR patients was 93.4% and 90.2% versus 86.8% and 82.6% in C4d-positive AMR patients, respectively (p = 0.4). C4d-negative AMR was associated with a 2.56-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.08-6.05, p = 0.033) increased risk of graft loss compared with AMR-free matched controls. No clinical characteristics were identified that reliably distinguished C4d-negative from C4d-positive AMR. However, both phenotypes are associated with increased graft loss and thus warrant consideration for intervention., (© Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Background: Patient-level risk factors for delayed graft function (DGF) have been well described. However, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network definition of DGF is based on dialysis in the first week, which is subject to center-level practice patterns. It remains unclear if there are center-level differences in DGF and if measurable center characteristics can explain these differences., Methods: Using the 2003 to 2012 Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data, we developed a hierarchical (multilevel) model to determine the association between center characteristics and DGF incidence after adjusting for known patient risk factors and to quantify residual variability across centers after adjustment for these factors., Results: Of 82,143 deceased donor kidney transplant recipients, 27.0% developed DGF, with a range across centers of 3.2% to 63.3%. A center's proportion of preemptive transplants (odds ratio [OR], 0.83; per 5% increment; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.74-;0.93; P = 0.001) and kidneys with longer than 30 hr of cold ischemia time (CIT) (OR, 0.95; per 5% increment; 95% CI, 0.92-;0.98; P = 0.001) were associated with less DGF. A center's proportion of donation after cardiac death donors (OR, 1.12; per 5% increment; 95% CI, 1.03-;1.17; P < 0.001) and imported kidneys (OR, 1.06; per 5% increment; 95% CI, 1.03-;1.10; P < 0.001) were associated with more DGF. After patient-level and center-level adjustments, only 41.8% of centers had DGF incidences consistent with the national median and 28.2% had incidences above the national median., Conclusion: Significant heterogeneity in DGF incidences across centers, even after adjusting for patient-level and center-level characteristics, calls into question the generalizability and validity of the current DGF definition. Enhanced understanding of center-level variability and improving the definition of DGF accordingly may improve DGF's utility in clinical care and as a surrogate endpoint in clinical trials.

The ureteroneocystostomy in kidney transplantation can be performed with a variety of techniques. Over a 20-yr period, we utilized a technique of nipple-valve ureteroneocystostomy for the pediatric kidney transplants performed at our institution. The distal ureter is everted upon itself and anchored in place with four interrupted sutures to create a nipple valve, which is then inserted into the bladder and sewn mucosa-to-mucosa with the same sutures. The muscularis layer is closed around the ureter without tunneling and without routine ureteral stenting. After 109 transplants, patient survival was 97.2, 97.2, and 86.9% at one, five, and 10 yr, respectively. Graft survival was 91.7, 71.7, and 53.9% at one, five, and 10 yr, respectively. The most common cause of graft loss was acute or chronic rejection, seen in 75% of those experiencing graft loss. Two patients (1.8%) developed pyelonephritis in the transplanted kidney. Nipple-valve ureteroneocystostomy in pediatric kidney transplantation is a safe and simple method for performing the ureterovesical anastomosis with a low rate of pyelonephritis after transplantation., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Most pediatric kidney transplant recipients eventually require retransplantation, and the most advantageous timing strategy regarding deceased and living donor transplantation in candidates with only 1 living donor remains unclear., Methods: A patient-oriented Markov decision process model was designed to compare, for a given patient with 1 living donor, living-donor-first followed if necessary by deceased donor retransplantation versus deceased-donor-first followed if necessary by living donor (if still able to donate) or deceased donor (if not) retransplantation. Based on Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data, the model was designed to account for waitlist, graft, and patient survival, sensitization, increased risk of graft failure seen during late adolescence, and differential deceased donor waiting times based on pediatric priority allocation policies. Based on national cohort data, the model was also designed to account for aging or disease development, leading to ineligibility of the living donor over time., Results: Given a set of candidate and living donor characteristics, the Markov model provides the expected patient survival over a time horizon of 20 years. For the most highly sensitized patients (panel reactive antibody > 80%), a deceased-donor-first strategy was advantageous, but for all other patients (panel reactive antibody < 80%), a living-donor-first strategy was recommended., Conclusions: This Markov model illustrates how patients, families, and providers can be provided information and predictions regarding the most advantageous use of deceased donor versus living donor transplantation for pediatric recipients.

Unlike antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) with clinical features, it remains unclear whether subclinical AMR should be treated, as its effect on allograft loss is unknown. It is also uncertain if AMR's effect is homogeneous across donor (deceased/live) and (HLA/ABO) antibody types. We compared 219 patients with AMR (77 subclinical, 142 clinical) to controls matched on HLA/ABO-compatibility, donor type, prior transplant, panel reactive antibody (PRA), age and year. One and 5-year graft survival in subclinical AMR was 95.9% and 75.7%, compared to 96.8% and 88.4% in matched controls (p = 0.0097). Subclinical AMR was independently associated with a 2.15-fold increased risk of graft loss (95% CI: 1.19-3.91; p = 0.012) compared to matched controls, but not different from clinical AMR (p = 0.13). Fifty three point two percent of subclinical AMR patients were treated with plasmapheresis within 3 days of their AMR-defining biopsy. Treated subclinical AMR patients had no difference in graft loss compared to matched controls (HR 1.73; 95% CI: 0.73-4.05; p = 0.21), but untreated subclinical AMR patients did (HR 3.34; 95% CI: 1.37-8.11; p = 0.008). AMR's effect on graft loss was heterogeneous when stratified by compatible deceased donor (HR = 4.73; 95% CI: 1.57-14.26; p = 0.006), HLA-incompatible deceased donor (HR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.10-5.19; p = 0.028), compatible live donor (no AMR patients experienced graft loss), ABO-incompatible live donor (HR = 6.13; 95% CI: 0.55-67.70; p = 0.14) and HLA-incompatible live donor (HR = 6.29; 95% CI: 3.81-10.39; p < 0.001) transplant. Subclinical AMR substantially increases graft loss, and treatment seems warranted., (© Copyright 2015 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Pediatric kidney transplant recipients experience a high-risk age window of increased graft loss during late adolescence and early adulthood that has been attributed primarily to sociobehavioral mechanisms such as nonadherence. An examination of how this age window affects recipients of other organs may inform the extent to which sociobehavioral mechanisms are to blame or whether kidney-specific biologic mechanisms may also exist. Graft loss risk across current recipient age was compared between pediatric kidney (n = 17,446), liver (n = 12,161) and simultaneous liver-kidney (n = 224) transplants using piecewise-constant hazard rate models. Kidney graft loss during late adolescence and early adulthood (ages 17-24 years) was significantly greater than during ages <17 (aHR = 1.79, 95%CI = 1.69-1.90, p < 0.001) and ages >24 (aHR = 1.11, 95%CI = 1.03-1.20, p = 0.005). In contrast, liver graft loss during ages 17-24 was no different than during ages <17 (aHR = 1.03, 95%CI = 0.92-1.16, p = 0.6) or ages >24 (aHR = 1.18, 95%CI = 0.98-1.42, p = 0.1). In simultaneous liver-kidney recipients, a trend towards increased kidney compared to liver graft loss was observed during ages 17-24 years. Late adolescence and early adulthood are less detrimental to pediatric liver grafts compared to kidney grafts, suggesting that sociobehavioral mechanisms alone may be insufficient to create the high-risk age window and that additional biologic mechanisms may also be required., (© Copyright 2014 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Background: Incompatible live donor kidney transplantation is associated with an increased rate of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and subsequent transplant glomerulopathy. For patients with severe, oliguric AMR, graft loss is inevitable without timely intervention., Methods: We reviewed our experience rescuing kidney allografts with this severe AMR phenotype by using splenectomy alone (n=14), eculizumab alone (n=5), or splenectomy plus eculizumab (n=5), in addition to plasmapheresis., Results: The study population was 267 consecutive patients with donor-specific antibody undergoing desensitization. In the first 3 weeks after transplantation (median=6 days), 24 patients developed sudden onset oliguria and rapidly rising serum creatinine with marked rebound of donor-specific antibody, and a biopsy that showed features of AMR. At a median follow-up of 533 days, 4 of 14 splenectomy-alone patients experienced graft loss (median=320 days), compared to four of five eculizumab-alone patients with graft failure (median=95 days). No patients treated with splenectomy plus eculizumab experienced graft loss. There was more chronic glomerulopathy in the splenectomy-alone and eculizumab-alone groups at 1 year, whereas splenectomy plus eculizumab patients had almost no transplant glomerulopathy., Conclusion: These data suggest that for patients manifesting early severe AMR, splenectomy plus eculizumab may provide an effective intervention for rescuing and preserving allograft function.

The impact of kidney donation on the ability to change or initiate health or life insurance following donation is unknown. To quantify this risk, we surveyed 1046 individuals who donated a kidney at our center between 1970 and 2011. Participants were asked whether they changed or initiated health or life insurance after donation, and if they had any difficulty doing so. Among 395 donors who changed or initiated health insurance after donation, 27 (7%) reported difficulty; among those who reported difficulty, 15 were denied altogether, 12 were charged a higher premium and 8 were told they had a preexisting condition because they were kidney donors. Among 186 donors who changed or initiated life insurance after donation, 46 (25%) reported difficulty; among those who reported difficulty, 23 were denied altogether, 27 were charged a higher premium and 17 were told they had a preexisting condition because they were kidney donors. In this single-center study, a high proportion of kidney donors reported difficulty changing or initiating insurance, particularly life insurance. These practices by insurers create unnecessary burden and stress for those choosing to donate and could negatively impact the likelihood of live kidney donation among those considering donation., (© Copyright 2014 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Incompatible live donor kidney transplantation (ILDKT) offers a survival advantage over dialysis to patients with anti-HLA donor-specific antibody (DSA). Program-specific reports (PSRs) fail to account for ILDKT, placing this practice at regulatory risk. We collected DSA data, categorized as positive Luminex, negative flow crossmatch (PLNF) (n = 185), positive flow, negative cytotoxic crossmatch (PFNC) (n = 536) or positive cytotoxic crossmatch (PCC) (n = 304), from 22 centers. We tested associations between DSA, graft loss and mortality after adjusting for PSR model factors, using 9669 compatible patients as a comparison. PLNF patients had similar graft loss; however, PFNC (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.23, p = 0.007) and PCC (aHR = 5.01, 95% CI: 3.71-6.77, p < 0.001) were associated with increased graft loss in the first year. PLNF patients had similar mortality; however, PFNC (aHR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.28-3.26; p = 0.003) and PCC (aHR = 4.59; 95% CI: 2.98-7.07; p < 0.001) were associated with increased mortality. We simulated Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services flagging to examine ILDKT's effect on the risk of being flagged. Compared to equal-quality centers performing no ILDKT, centers performing 5%, 10% or 20% PFNC had a 1.19-, 1.33- and 1.73-fold higher odds of being flagged. Centers performing 5%, 10% or 20% PCC had a 2.22-, 4.09- and 10.72-fold higher odds. Failure to account for ILDKT's increased risk places centers providing this life-saving treatment in jeopardy of regulatory intervention., (© Copyright 2014 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Objective: To investigate changes in pediatric kidney transplant outcomes over time and potential variations in these changes between the early and late posttransplant periods and across subgroups based on recipient, donor, and transplant characteristics., Methods: Using multiple logistic regression and multivariable Cox models, graft and patient outcomes were analyzed in 17,446 pediatric kidney-only transplants performed in the United States between 1987 and 2012., Results: Ten-year patient and graft survival rates were 90.5% and 60.2%, respectively, after transplantation in 2001, compared with 77.6% and 46.8% after transplantation in 1987. Primary nonfunction and delayed graft function occurred in 3.3% and 5.3%, respectively, of transplants performed in 2011, compared with 15.4% and 19.7% of those performed in 1987. Adjusted for recipient, donor, and transplant characteristics, these improvements corresponded to a 5% decreased hazard of graft loss, 5% decreased hazard of death, 10% decreased odds of primary nonfunction, and 5% decreased odds of delayed graft function with each more recent year of transplantation. Graft survival improvements were lower in adolescent and female recipients, those receiving pretransplant dialysis, and those with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Patient survival improvements were higher in those with elevated peak panel reactive antibody. Both patient and graft survival improvements were most pronounced in the first posttransplant year., Conclusions: Outcomes after pediatric kidney transplantation have improved dramatically over time for all recipient subgroups, especially for highly sensitized recipients. Most improvement in graft and patient survival has come in the first year after transplantation, highlighting the need for continued progress in long-term outcomes.

Importance: No national standardized guidelines exist to date for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis after pediatric trauma. While the risk of VTE after trauma is generally lower for children than for adults, the precise age at which the risk of VTE increases is not clear., Objective: To identify the age at which the risk of VTE after trauma increases from the low rate seen in children toward the higher rate seen in adults., Design, Setting, and Participants: Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between age and the odds of VTE when adjusting for other VTE risk factors. Participants included 402 329 patients 21 years or younger who were admitted following traumatic injury between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2010, at US trauma centers participating in the National Trauma Data Bank., Main Outcomes and Measures: Diagnosis of VTE as a complication during hospital admission., Results: Venous thromboembolism was diagnosed in 1655 patients (0.4%). Those having VTE were more severely injured compared with those not having VTE and more frequently required critical care, blood transfusion, central line placement, mechanical ventilation, and surgery. The risk of VTE was low among younger patients, occurring in 0.1% of patients 12 years or younger, but increased to 0.3% in patients aged 13 to 15 years and to 0.8% in patients 16 years or older. These findings remained when adjusting for other factors, with patients aged 13 to 15 years (adjusted odds ratio, 1.96, 95% CI 1.53-2.52; P < .001) and patients aged 16 to 21 years (adjusted odds ratio, 3.77; 95% CI, 3.00-4.75; P < .001) having a significantly higher odds of being diagnosed as having VTE compared with patients aged 0 to 12 years. These findings were consistent across the level of injury severity and the type of trauma center., Conclusions and Relevance: The risk of VTE varies considerably across patient age and increases most dramatically at age 16 years, after a smaller increase at age 13 years. These findings can be used to guide future research into the development of standardized guidelines for VTE prophylaxis after pediatric trauma.

Background: Living-donor kidney transplantation (KT) is encouraged for children with end-stage renal disease due to superior long-term graft survival compared with deceased-donor KT. Despite this, there has been a steady decrease in the use of living-donor KT for pediatric recipients. Due to their young age at transplantation, most pediatric recipients eventually require retransplantation, and the optimal order of donor type is not clear., Methods: Using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we analyzed first and second graft survival among 14,799 pediatric (<18 years old) recipients undergoing KT between 1987 and 2010., Results: Living-donor grafts had longer survival compared with deceased-donor grafts, similarly among both first (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-0.84; P<0.001) and second (aHR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.64-0.84; P<0.001) transplants. Living-donor second grafts had longer survival compared with deceased-donor second grafts, similarly after living-donor (aHR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56-0.83; P<0.001) and deceased-donor (aHR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63-0.95; P=0.02) first transplants. Cumulative graft life of two transplants was similar regardless of the order of deceased-donor and living-donor transplantation., Conclusions: Deceased-donor KT in pediatric recipients followed by living-donor retransplantation does not negatively impact the living-donor graft survival advantage and provides similar cumulative graft life compared with living-donor KT followed by deceased-donor retransplantation. Clinical decision-making for pediatric patients with healthy, willing living donors should consider these findings in addition to the risk of sensitization, aging of the living donor, and deceased-donor waiting times.