Paediatrics (RCH) - Research Publications
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ItemInfluence of weather on incidence of bronchiolitis in Australia and New Zealand(WILEY, 2017-10)AIM: We aimed to examine the impact of weather on hospital admissions with bronchiolitis in Australia and New Zealand. METHODS: We collected data for inpatient admissions of infants aged 2-12 months to seven hospitals in four cities in Australia and New Zealand from 2009 until 2011. Correlation of hospital admissions with minimum daily temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and rainfall was examined using linear, Poisson and negative binomial regression analyses as well as general estimated equation models. To account for possible lag between exposure to weather and admission to hospital, analyses were conducted for time lags of 0-4 weeks. RESULTS: During the study period, 3876 patients were admitted to the study hospitals. Hospital admissions showed strong seasonality with peaks in wintertime, onset in autumn and offset in spring. The onset of peak incidence was preceded by a drop in temperature. Minimum temperature was inversely correlated with hospital admissions, whereas wind speed was directly correlated. These correlations were sustained for time lags of up to 4 weeks. Standardised correlation coefficients ranged from -0.14 to -0.54 for minimum temperature and from 0.18 to 0.39 for wind speed. Relative humidity and rainfall showed no correlation with hospital admissions in our study. CONCLUSION: A decrease in temperature and increasing wind speed are associated with increasing incidence of bronchiolitis hospital admissions in Australia and New Zealand.
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ItemIntensive care unit admissions and ventilation support in infants with bronchiolitis(WILEY, 2017-08)OBJECTIVES: To describe the rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, type of ventilation support provided and risk factors for ICU admission in infants with bronchiolitis. DESIGN: Retrospective review of hospital records and Australia and New Zealand Paediatric Intensive Care (ANZPIC) registry data for infants 2-12 months old admitted with bronchiolitis. SETTING: Seven Australian and New Zealand hospitals. These infants were prospectively identified through the comparative rehydration in bronchiolitis (CRIB) study between 2009 and 2011. RESULTS: Of 3884 infants identified, 3589 charts were available for analysis. Of 204 (5.7%) infants with bronchiolitis admitted to ICU, 162 (79.4%) received ventilation support. Of those 133 (82.1%) received non-invasive ventilation (high flow nasal cannula [HFNC] or continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP]) 7 (4.3%) received invasive ventilation alone and 21 (13.6%) received a combination of ventilation modes. Infants with comorbidities such as chronic lung disease (OR 1.6 [95% CI 1.0-2.6]), congenital heart disease (OR 2.3 [1.5-3.5]), neurological disease (OR 2.2 [1.2-4.1]) or prematurity (OR 1.5 [1.0-2.1]), and infants 2-6 months of age (OR 1.5 [1.1-2.0]) were more likely to be admitted to ICU. Respiratory syncitial virus positivity did not increase the likelihood of being admitted to ICU (OR 1.1 [95% CI 0.8-1.4]). HFNC use changed from 13/53 (24.5% [95% CI 13.7-38.3]) patient episodes in 2009 to 39/91 (42.9% [95% CI 32.5-53.7]) patient episodes in 2011. CONCLUSION: Admission to ICU is an uncommon occurrence in infants admitted with bronchiolitis, but more common in infants with comorbidities and prematurity. The majority are managed with non-invasive ventilation, with increasing use of HFNC.
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ItemComputed tomography for head injuries in children: Change in Australian usage rates over time(WILEY, 2017-04)OBJECTIVE: Paediatric head injury is a common presentation to the ED. North American studies demonstrate increasing use of computed tomography (CT) brain scan (CTB) to investigate head injury. No such data exists for Australian EDs. The aim of this study was to describe CTB use in head injury over time in eight Australian EDs. METHODS: Retrospective ED electronic database and medical imaging database audit was undertaken for the years 2001-2010 by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9 or 10 code for head injury in children <16 years. EDs and medical imaging departments of eight hospitals in Australia (five tertiary referral and three mixed departments). Data for ED presentations with head injury, and all CTB performed by medical imaging were merged to obtain a data set of CTB performed within 24 h for head injury-related attendances to the ED. Descriptive and comparative analysis of CTB rates was performed. RESULTS: The rate of CTB over the decade was 10.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.9-10.5). The annual rate varied from 9.5% (95% CI 8.2-10.9) to 12.5% (95% CI 11.2-13.9). CTB use did not increase over time. Median year of age at time of CT scan was 4 years, with an interquartile range of 1.5-9.4 years. Overall there was a 9.2% increase in the CTB scan rate for every additional year of age at presentation (95% CI 6.6-12.1; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: CTB use in head injuries did not increase during the study period, and rates of CTB were less than reported for North America.
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ItemEconomic evaluation of nasogastric versus intravenous hydration in infants with bronchiolitis(WILEY, 2017-06)OBJECTIVE: Bronchiolitis is the most common lower respiratory tract infection in infants and the leading cause of hospitalisation. We aimed to assess whether intravenous hydration (IVH) was more cost-effective than nasogastric hydration (NGH) as a planned secondary economic analysis of a randomised trial involving 759 infants (aged 2-12 months) admitted to hospital with a clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis and requiring non-oral hydration. No Australian cost data exist to aid clinicians in decision-making around interventions in bronchiolitis. METHODS: Cost data collections included hospital and intervention-specific costs. The economic analysis was reduced to a cost-minimisation study, focusing on intervention-specific costs of IVH versus NGH, as length of stay was equal between groups. All analyses are reported as intention to treat. RESULTS: Intervention costs were greater for IVH than NGH ($113 vs $74; cost difference of $39 per child). The intervention-specific cost advantage to NGH was robust to inter-site variation in unit prices and treatment activity. CONCLUSION: Intervention-specific costs account for <10% of total costs of bronchiolitis admissions, with NGH having a small cost saving across all sites.
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Item'Rational use of high-flow therapy in infants with bronchiolitis. What do the latest trials tell us?' A Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative perspective(WILEY, 2019-07)Bronchiolitis is the most common reason for infants to be hospitalised. Over the past decade, the use of high-flow nasal cannulae (HFNC) therapy has increased markedly and it is now utilised not only in the intensive care unit setting but in general paediatric wards and emergency departments. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise and critique the current evidence-base for the use of HFNC in infants with bronchiolitis. We searched Ovid Medline, OvidEmbase, PubMed, Cinahl, Cochrane Library, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials of HFNC therapy in infants with bronchiolitis from 1 January 2000 to 27 June 2018. We identified four randomised controlled trials (n = 1891) of HFNC in infants with bronchiolitis: three of these studies involved infants treated in emergency departments and inpatient paediatric wards in Spain, Australia and New Zealand, and one study involved infants treated in paediatric intensive care units in France. The findings of this review suggest that HFNC should be used as a rescue treatment for hypoxaemic infants who have not responded to standard sub nasal oxygen therapy. The use of HFNC for work of breathing in the absence of hypoxaemia, and severe disease, is not currently supported by the evidence, and should only be considered in the context of an appropriate research trial.
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ItemNational guidelines for bronchiolitis(WILEY, 2019-06)
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ItemEffect of Fluid Bolus Therapy on Extravascular Lung Water Measured by Lung Ultrasound in Children With a Presumptive Clinical Diagnosis of Sepsis(WILEY, 2019-06)OBJECTIVES: Fluid bolus therapy for the treatment of sepsis may lead to the accumulation of extravascular lung water (EVLW) and result in respiratory dysfunction. We aimed to assess changes in EVLW using lung ultrasound (US) in children with a presumptive clinical diagnosis of sepsis after fluid bolus therapy and correlate these changes with respiratory signs. METHODS: This work was a prospective observational study set in the emergency department of the Royal Children's Hospital. Children meeting international consensus criteria for sepsis receiving fluid bolus therapy were included. Respiratory signs were recorded, and lung US examinations were performed immediately before, 5 minutes after, and 60 minutes after fluid bolus therapy. A pediatric emergency physician blinded to the participants' identities and timing of US calculated an EVLW score from lung US. Results-Fifty fluid boluses were recorded in 41 children. The lung US score (range, 0-8) increased over the study period: median, 1 (interquartile range, 0-2) before fluid bolus therapy, 1 (interquartile range, 0-3) 5 minutes after fluid bolus therapy, and 3 (interquartile range, 1-4) 60 minutes after fluid bolus therapy. Respiratory effort, but not the respiratory rate or the presence of rales, increased over the study period and was correlated with the lung US score (ρ = 0.33; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Extravascular lung water as measured by lung US increased after fluid bolus therapy in septic children and was correlated with an increase in the respiratory distress score. The respiratory rate and the presence of rales did not change over the study period. The role of lung US for titrating fluid bolus therapy in sepsis warrants further investigation.
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ItemAustralasian bronchiolitis guideline(WILEY, 2019-01)AIM: Bronchiolitis is the most common lower respiratory tract disorder in infants aged less than 12 months, and research has demonstrated that there is substantial variation in practice patterns despite treatment being well defined. In order to align and improve the consistency of the management of bronchiolitis, an evidence-based guideline was developed for the Australasian population. METHODS: The guideline development committee included representation from emergency and paediatric specialty medical and nursing personnel in addition to geographical representation across Australia and New Zealand - rural, remote and metropolitan. Formulation of the guideline included identification of population, intervention, comparator, outcomes and time questions and was associated with an extensive literature search from 2000 to 2015. Evidence was summarised and graded using the National Health and Medical Research Council and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology, and consensus within the guideline group was sought using nominal group technique principles to formulate the clinical practice recommendations. The guideline was reviewed and endorsed by key paediatric health bodies. RESULTS: The guideline consists of a usable clinical interface for bedside functionality supported by evidence summary and tables. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation and National Health and Medical Research Council processes provided a systematic and transparent process to review and assess the literature, resulting in a guideline that is relevant to the management of bronchiolitis in the Australasian setting. CONCLUSION: This is the first robust Australasian acute paediatric guideline and provides clear guidance for the management of the vast majority of patients seen in Australasian emergency departments and general paediatric wards with bronchiolitis.
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ItemMedication use in infants admitted with bronchiolitis(WILEY, 2018-06)BACKGROUND: There are no medications known that improve the outcome of infants with bronchiolitis. Studies have shown the management of bronchiolitis to be varied. OBJECTIVES: To describe medication use at the seven study hospitals from a recent multi-centre randomised controlled trial on hydration in bronchiolitis (comparative rehydration in bronchiolitis [CRIB]). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of extant data of infants between 2 months (corrected for prematurity) and 12 months of age admitted with bronchiolitis identified through the CRIB trial. CRIB study records, medical records, pathology and radiology databases were used to collect data using a standardised form and entered in a single site database. Medications investigated included salbutamol, adrenaline, steroids, ipratropium bromide, normal saline, hypertonic saline, steroids and antibiotics. RESULTS: There were 3456 infants available for analysis, of which 42.0% received at least one medication during hospitalisation. Medication use varied by site between 27.0 and 48.7%. The most frequently used medication was salbutamol (25.5%). Medication use in general, and salbutamol use in particular, increased by 8.2 and 9.3%, respectively, per month after 4 months of age; from 22.9 and 3.6% at 4 months to 81.4 and 68.8% at 11 months. In infants admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) compared with those not admitted to ICU 81.6 and 39.5%, respectively, received medication at one point during the hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Medication was used for infants with bronchiolitis frequently and variably in Australia and New Zealand. Medication use increased with age. Better strategies for translating evidence into practice are needed.