Intravenous Magnesium in Asthma Pharmacotherapy: Variability in Use in the PECARN Registry.

2020

2020 Mar 05

1097-6833

<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>To examine the use, efficacy, and safety of intravenous magnesium sulfate (IVMg) in children with asthma whose emergency department (ED) management is recorded in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) Registry.</p>

<p><strong>STUDY DESIGN: </strong>This multicenter retrospective cohort study analyzed clinical data from 7 EDs from 2012 to 2017. We described use of IVMg in children aged 2-17&nbsp;years treated for acute asthma and its effect on blood pressure. We also used multivariable analysis to examine factors associated with use of IVMg and its association with return visits within 72&nbsp;hours.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Across 61 854 asthma visits for children, clinicians administered IVMg in 6497 (10.5%). Median time from triage to IVMg administration was 154&nbsp;minutes (IQR 84, 244). During 22 495 ED visits resulting in hospitalization after ED treatment, IVMg was administered in 5774 (25.7%) (range by site 15.9%, 50.6%). Patients were discharged home from the ED after 11.1% of IVMg administrations, and hypotension occurred after 6.8%. Variation in IVMg use was not explained by patient characteristics. Revisits did not differ between patients discharged after IVMg and those not receiving IVMg.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>In PECARN Registry EDs, administration of IVMg occurs late in ED treatment, for a minority of the children likely to benefit, with variation between sites, which suggests the current clinical role for IVMg in preventing hospitalization is limited. Discharge after IVMg administration is likely safe. Further research should prospectively assess the efficacy and safety of early IVMg administration.</p>

10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.01.062

J. Pediatr.

32147221

Use of Traumatic Brain Injury Prediction Rules With Clinical Decision Support.

2017

2017 Mar 24

1098-4275

<p><strong>OBJECTIVES: </strong>We determined whether implementing the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) traumatic brain injury (TBI) prediction rules and providing risks of clinically important TBIs (ciTBIs) with computerized clinical decision support (CDS) reduces computed tomography (CT) use for children with minor head trauma.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>Nonrandomized trial with concurrent controls at 5 pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) and 8 general EDs (GEDs) between November 2011 and June 2014. Patients were &lt;18 years old with minor blunt head trauma. Intervention sites received CDS with CT recommendations and risks of ciTBI, both for patients at very low risk of ciTBI (no Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network rule factors) and those not at very low risk. The primary outcome was the rate of CT, analyzed by site, controlling for time trend.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>We analyzed 16 635 intervention and 2394 control patients. Adjusted for time trends, CT rates decreased significantly (P &lt; .05) but modestly (2.3%-3.7%) at 2 of 4 intervention PEDs for children at very low risk. The other 2 PEDs had small (0.8%-1.5%) nonsignificant decreases. CT rates did not decrease consistently at the intervention GEDs, with low baseline CT rates (2.1%-4.0%) in those at very low risk. The control PED had little change in CT use in similar children (from 1.6% to 2.9%); the control GED showed a decrease in the CT rate (from 7.1% to 2.6%). For all children with minor head trauma, intervention sites had small decreases in CT rates (1.7%-6.2%).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>The implementation of TBI prediction rules and provision of risks of ciTBIs by using CDS was associated with modest, safe, but variable decreases in CT use. However, some secular trends were also noted.</p>

10.1542/peds.2016-2709

Pediatrics

28341799