Effect of Routine Child Physical Abuse Screening Tool on Emergency Department Efficiency

OBJECTIVES

Physical abuse is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality for children. Routine screening by emergency nurses has been proposed to improve recognition, but the effect on emergency department (ED) workflow has not yet been assessed. We sought to evaluate the feasibility of routine screening and its effect on length of stay in a network of general EDs.

METHODS

A 2-question child physical abuse screening tool was deployed for children <6 years old who presented for care in a system of 27 general EDs. Data were compared for the 6 months before and after screening was deployed (4/1/2019-10/2/2019 vs 10/3/2019-3/31/2020). The main outcome was ED length of stay in minutes.

RESULTS

There were 14,133 eligible visits in the prescreening period and 16,993 in the screening period. Screening was completed for 13,404 visits (78.9%), with 116 (0.7%) screening positive. The mean ED length of stay was not significantly different in the prescreening (95.9 minutes) and screening periods (95.2 minutes; difference, 0.7 minutes; 95% CI, -1.5, 2.8). Among those who screened positive, 29% were reported to child protective services. On multivariable analysis, implementation of the screening tool did not impact overall ED length of stay. There were no significant differences in resource utilization between the prescreening and screening periods.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine screening identifies children at high risk of physical abuse without increasing ED length of stay or resource utilization. Next steps will include determining rates of subsequent serious physical abuse in children with or without routine screening.

Elder abuse geriatrics: describing an important new medical specialist

Elder mistreatment, including elder abuse and neglect, is a difficult diagnosis to make and manage for most providers. To address this, two elder abuse consultation teams were developed for patients in the hospital and emergency department settings. As these teams have developed, the providers involved have obtained specialized training and experience that we believe contributes to a new field of elder abuse geriatrics, a corollary to the well-established field of child abuse pediatrics. Providers working in this field require specialized training and have a specialized scope of practice that includes forensic evaluation, evaluation of cognition and capacity, care coordination and advocacy for victims of abuse, and collaboration with protective services and law enforcement. Here we describe the training, scope of practice, ethical role, and best practices for elder mistreatment medical consultation. We hope this will serve as a starting point for this new and important medical specialty.

Pediatric Sepsis in General Emergency Departments: Association Between Pediatric Sepsis Case Volume, Care Quality, and Outcome

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To assess whether a general emergency department's (ED) annual pediatric sepsis volume increases the odds of delivering care concordant with Surviving Sepsis pediatric guidelines.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of children <18 years with sepsis presenting to 29 general EDs. Emergency department and hospital data were abstracted from the medical records of 2 large health care systems, including all hospitals to which children were transferred. Guideline-concordant care was defined as intravenous antibiotics within 3 hours, intravenous fluid bolus within 3 hours, and lactate measured. The association between annual ED pediatric sepsis encounters and the probability of receiving guideline-concordant care was assessed.

RESULTS

We included 1,527 ED encounters between January 1, 2015, and September 30, 2021. Three hundred and one (19%) occurred in 25 EDs with <10 pediatric sepsis encounters annually, 466 (31%) in 3 EDs with 11 to 100 pediatric sepsis encounters annually, and 760 (50%) in an ED with more than 100 pediatric sepsis encounters annually. Care was concordant in 627 (41.1%) encounters. In multivariable analysis, annual pediatric sepsis volume was minimally associated with the probability of guideline-concordant care (odds ratio 1.002 [95% confidence interval 1.001 to 1.00]). Care concordance increased from 23.1% in 2015 to 52.8% in 2021.

CONCLUSION

Guideline-concordant sepsis care was delivered in 41% of pediatric sepsis cases in general EDs, and annual ED pediatric sepsis encounters had minimal association with the odds of concordant care. Care concordance improved over time. This study suggests that factors other than pediatric sepsis volume are important in driving care quality and identifying drivers of improvement is important for children first treated in general EDs.

Racial and ethnic disparities in diagnostic imaging for child physical abuse

IMPORTANCE

Racial bias may affect occult injury testing decisions for children with concern for abuse.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the association of race on occult injury testing decisions at children's hospitals.

DESIGN

In this retrospective study, we measured disparities in: (1) the proportion of visits for which indicated diagnostic imaging studies for child abuse were obtained; (2) the proportion of positive tests.

SETTING

The Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) administrative database encompassing 49 tertiary children's hospitals during 2017-2019.

PARTICIPANTS

We built three cohorts based on guidelines for diagnostic testing for child abuse: infants with traumatic brain injury (TBI; n = 1952), children <2 years old with extremity fracture (n = 20,842), and children <2 years old who received a skeletal survey (SS; n = 13,081).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

For each group we measured: (1) the odds of receiving a specific guideline-recommended diagnostic imaging study; (2) among those with the indicated imaging study, the odds of an abuse-related injury diagnosis. We calculated both unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) by race and ethnicity, adjusting for sex, age in months, payor, and hospital.

RESULTS

In infants with TBI, the odds of receiving a SS did not differ by racial group. Among those with a SS, the odds of rib fracture were higher for non-Hispanic Black than Hispanic (AOR 2.05 (CI 1.31, 3.2)) and non-Hispanic White (AOR 1.57 (CI 1.11, 2.32)) patients. In children with extremity fractures, the odds of receiving a SS were higher for non-Hispanic Black than Hispanic and non-Hispanic White patients (AOR 1.97 (CI 1.74, 2.23)); (AOR 1.17 (CI 1.05, 1.31)), respectively, and lower for Hispanic than non-Hispanic White patients (AOR 0.59 (CI 0.53, 0.67)). Among those receiving a SS, the rate of rib fractures did not differ by race. In children with skeletal surveys, the odds of receiving neuroimaging did not differ by race. Among those with neuroimaging, the odds of a non-fracture, non-concussion TBI were lower in non-Hispanic Black than Hispanic patients (AOR 0.7 (CI 0.57, 0.86)) and were higher among Hispanic than non-Hispanic White patients (AOR 1.23 (CI 1.02, 1.47)).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

We did not identify a consistent pattern of race-based disparities in occult injury testing when considering the concurrent yield for abuse-related injuries.

Development, contributions, and future directions of a multicenter child abuse research network

CAPNET is a multicenter child abuse pediatrics research network developed to support research that will make the medical care of potentially abused children more effective, safe, and fair. CAPNET currently collects detailed clinical data from child physical abuse evaluations from 11 leading pediatric centers across the U.S. From its inception, the goal of CAPNET was to support multiple research studies addressing the care of children undergoing evaluations for physical abuse and to create a flexible data collection and quality assurance system to be a resource for the wider community of child maltreatment l researchers. Annually, CAPNET collects rich clinical data on over 4000 children evaluated due to concerns for physical abuse. CAPNET's data are well-suited to studies improving the standardization, equity, and accuracy of evaluations in the medical setting when child physical abuse is suspected. Here we describe CAPNET's development, content, lessons learned, and potential future directions of the network.

Pilot study using machine learning to improve estimation of physical abuse prevalence

BACKGROUND

International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes have been shown to underestimate physical abuse prevalence. Machine learning models are capable of efficiently processing a wide variety of data and may provide better estimates of abuse.

OBJECTIVE

To achieve proof of concept applying machine learning to identify codes associated with abuse.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Children <5 years, presenting to the emergency department with an injury or abuse-specific ICD-10-CM code and evaluated by the child protection team (CPT) from 2016 to 2020 at a large Midwestern children's hospital.

METHODS

The Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) and the CPT administrative databases were used to identify the study sample and injury and abuse-specific ICD-10-CM codes. Subjects were divided into abused and non-abused groups based on the CPT's evaluation. A LASSO logistic regression model was constructed using ICD-10-CM codes and patient age to identify children likely to be diagnosed by the CPT as abused. Performance was evaluated using repeated cross-validation (CV) and Reciever Operator Characteristic curve.

RESULTS

We identified 2028 patients evaluated by the CPT with 512 diagnosed as abused. Using diagnosis codes and patient age, our model was able to accurately identify patients with confirmed PA (mean CV AUC = 0.87). Performance was still weaker for patients without existing ICD codes for abuse (mean CV AUC = 0.81).

CONCLUSIONS

We built a model that employs injury ICD-10-CM codes and age to improve accuracy of distinguishing abusive from non-abusive injuries. This pilot modelling endeavor is a steppingstone towards improving population-level estimates of abuse.

Predictors of Making a Referral to Child Protective Services Prior to Expert Consultation

OBJECTIVE

Suspicion for child abuse is influenced by implicit biases. Evaluation by a Child Abuse Pediatrician (CAP) may reduce avoidable child protective services (CPS) referrals. Our objective was to investigate the association of patient demographic, social and clinical characteristics with CPS referral before consultation by a CAP (preconsultation referral).

METHODS

Children<5years-old undergoing in-person CAP consultation for suspected physical abuse from February 2021 through April 2022 were identified in CAPNET, a multicenter child abuse research network. Marginal standardization implemented with logistic regression analysis examined hospital-level variation and identified demographic, social, and clinical factors associated with preconsultation referral adjusting for CAP's final assessment of abuse likelihood.

RESULTS

Among the 61% (1005/1657) of cases with preconsultation referral, the CAP consultant had low concern for abuse in 38% (384/1005). Preconsultation referrals ranged from 25% to 78% of cases across 10 hospitals (P < .001). In multivariable analyses, preconsultation referral was associated with public insurance, caregiver history of CPS involvement, history of intimate partner violence, higher CAP level of concern for abuse, hospital transfer, and near-fatality (all P < .05). The difference in preconsultation referral prevalence for children with public versus private insurance was significant for children with low CAP concern for abuse (52% vs 38%) but not those with higher concern for abuse (73% vs 73%), (P = .023 for interaction of insurance and abuse likelihood category). There were no differences in preconsultation referral based on race or ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Biases based on socioeconomic status and social factors may impact decisions to refer to CPS before CAP consultation.

The role of fellowship experience in decreasing burnout for child abuse pediatricians

BACKGROUND

Compassion fatigue and burnout are important issues within the medical field, and may be an even bigger problem for Child Abuse Pediatricians (CAPs). While the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandates educational activities focused on burnout and resilience, there is currently minimal data to inform the choice and implementation of these activities.

OBJECTIVE

Our objectives were to: determine the availability and perceived usefulness of educational activities related to burnout and resilience available in CAP fellowships; and explore the relationship between fellowship activities and burnout.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Surveys were distributed in 2016 to 133 participants in CAP fellowships since 2006.

METHODS

Burnout risk was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of burnout as measured by the MBI-HSS with specific educational activities.

RESULTS

Of 133 eligible individuals, 85 (64 %) responded. Of these, 40 (53 %) scored in the high-risk range for at least 1 of the three subscales. Activities perceived to be most useful in addressing burnout were: multidisciplinary team interactions, time spent with the team outside of work, and faculty/trainee one-on-one mentorship. Educational activities were only weakly associated with addressing burnout as measured by the MBI-HSS.

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate or high levels of burnout are present in a large proportion of practicing CAPs and more than one-third of participants felt that the quality of burnout training in fellowship did not meet their needs. These data support the need to more effectively address burnout education within the training experience of CAP fellows.

Initial steps in addressing the challenges of elder mistreatment evaluation: Protocol for evaluating the Vulnerable Elder Protection Team

INTRODUCTION

Although many programmes have been developed to address elder mistreatment, high-quality, rigorous evaluations to assess their impact are lacking. This is partly due to challenges in conducting programme evaluation for such a complex phenomenon. We describe here the development of a protocol to mitigate these challenges and rigorously evaluate a first-of-its-kind emergency department/hospital-based elder mistreatment intervention, the Vulnerable Elder Protection Team (VEPT).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We used a multistep process to develop an evaluation protocol for VEPT: (1) creation of a logic model to describe programme activities and relevant short-term and long-term outcomes, (2) operationalisation of these outcome measures, (3) development of a combined outcome and (4) design of a protocol using telephone follow-up at multiple time points to obtain information about older adults served by VEPT. This protocol, which is informing an ongoing evaluation of VEPT, may help researchers and health system leaders design evaluations for similar elder mistreatment programmes.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This project has been reviewed and approved by the Weill Cornell Medicine Institutional Review Board, protocol #20-02021422. We aim to disseminate our results in peer-reviewed journals at national and international conferences and among interested patient groups and the public.

Evaluation of Children after Caregiver Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Study of Barriers, Facilitators, and Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care

OBJECTIVE

To identify barriers and facilitators of evaluating children exposed to caregiver intimate partner violence (IPV) and develop a strategy to optimize the evaluation.

STUDY DESIGN

Using the EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment) framework, we conducted qualitative interviews of 49 stakeholders, including emergency department clinicians (n = 18), child abuse pediatricians (n = 15), child protective services staff (n = 12), and caregivers who experienced IPV (n = 4), and reviewed meeting minutes of a family violence community advisory board (CAB). Researchers coded and analyzed interviews and CAB minutes using the constant comparative method of grounded theory. Codes were expanded and revised until a final structure emerged.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged: (1) benefits of evaluation, including the opportunity to assess children for physical abuse and to engage caregivers; (2) barriers, including limited evidence about the risk of abuse in these children, burdening a resource-limited system, and the complexity of IPV; (3) facilitators, including collaboration between medical and IPV providers; and (4) recommendations for trauma- and violence-informed care (TVIC) in which a child's evaluation is leveraged to link caregivers with an IPV advocate to address the caregiver's needs.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine evaluation of IPV-exposed children may lead to the detection of physical abuse and linkage to services for the child and the caregiver. Collaboration, improved data on the risk of child physical abuse in the context of IPV and implementation of TVIC may improve outcomes for families experiencing IPV.

Understanding the roles of the healthcare and child welfare systems in promoting the safety and well-being of children

Introduction

The accurate identification and appropriate investigation of child maltreatment is a key priority for promoting the optimal health and development of children. Healthcare providers are often well-positioned professionals to report suspected child abuse and neglect, and, therefore, interact regularly with child welfare workers. Little research has examined the relationship between these two groups of professionals.

Methods

We interviewed healthcare providers and child welfare workers in order to examine the referral and child welfare investigation processes to understand strengths and identify areas of improvement for future collaboration. Thirteen child welfare workers from child welfare agencies and eight healthcare providers from a pediatric tertiary care hospital in Ontario, Canada were interviewed to meet the study's objectives.

Results

Healthcare providers spoke about positive experiences making reports, factors impacting reporting decisions, areas for improvement (e.g., difficulties communicating, lack of collaboration, and disruption of therapeutic alliance), training, and professional roles. For interviews with child welfare workers, identified themes included healthcare professionals' perceived expertise and understanding the role of child welfare. Both groups brought up the need for increased collaboration as well as systemic barriers and legacies of harm.

Discussion

Our core finding was a reported lack of communication between the groups of professionals. Other identified barriers in collaboration included a lack of understanding of each other's roles, hesitation for healthcare providers making reports, as well as legacies of harm and systemic inequities in both institutions. Future research should build on this examination by including the voices of healthcare providers and child welfare workers to identify sustainable solutions for increased collaboration.

International Consensus Statement on the Radiological Screening of Contact Children in the Context of Suspected Child Physical Abuse

Importance

Physical abuse is a common but preventable cause of long-term childhood morbidity and mortality. Despite the strong association between abuse in an index child and abuse in contact children, there is no guidance outlining how to screen the latter, significantly more vulnerable group, for abusive injuries. Consequently, the radiological assessment of contact children is often omitted, or variably performed, allowing occult injuries to go undetected and increasing the risk of further abuse.

Objective

To report an evidence-based and consensus-derived set of best practices for the radiological screening of contact children in the context of suspected child physical abuse.

Evidence Review

This consensus statement is supported by a systematic review of the literature and the clinical opinion of an internationally recognized group of 26 experts. The modified Delphi consensus process comprised 3 meetings of the International Consensus Group on Contact Screening in Suspected Child Physical Abuse held between February and June 2021.

Findings

Contacts are defined as the asymptomatic siblings, cohabiting children, or children under the same care as an index child with suspected child physical abuse. All contact children should undergo a thorough physical examination and a history elicited prior to imaging. Contact children younger than 12 months should have neuroimaging, the preferred modality for which is magnetic resonance imaging, and skeletal survey. Contact children aged 12 to 24 months should undergo skeletal survey. No routine imaging is indicated in asymptomatic children older than 24 months. Follow-up skeletal survey with limited views should be performed if abnormal or equivocal at presentation. Contacts with positive findings should be investigated as an index child.

Conclusions and Relevance

This Special Communication reports consensus recommendations for the radiological screening of contact children in the context of suspected child physical abuse, establishing a recognized baseline for the stringent evaluation of these at-risk children and providing clinicians with a more resilient platform from which to advocate for them.

Child Abuse Pediatrics Research Network: The CAPNET Core Data Project

OBJECTIVE

Examine the epidemiology of subspecialty physical abuse evaluations within CAPNET, a multicenter child abuse pediatrics research network.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study of children <10 years old who underwent an evaluation (in-person or remote) by a child abuse pediatrician (CAP) due to concerns for physical abuse at ten CAPNET hospital systems from February 2021 through December 2021.

RESULTS

Among 3667 patients with 3721 encounters, 69.4% were <3 years old; 44.3% <1 year old, 59.1% male; 27.1% Black; 57.8% White, 17.0% Hispanic; and 71.0 % had public insurance. The highest level of care was outpatient/emergency department in 60.7%, inpatient unit in 28.0% and intensive care in 11.4%. CAPs performed 79.1% in-person consultations and 20.9% remote consultations. Overall, the most frequent injuries were bruises (35.2%), fractures (29.0%), and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) (16.2%). Abdominal (1.2%) and spine injuries (1.6%) were uncommon. TBI was diagnosed in 30.6% of infants but only 8.4% of 1-year old children. In 68.2% of cases a report to child protective services (CPS) was made prior to CAP consultation; in 12.4% a report was made after CAP consultation. CAPs reported no concern for abuse in 43.0% of cases and mild/intermediate concern in 22.3%. Only 14.2% were categorized as definite abuse.

CONCLUSION

Most children in CAPNET were <3 years old with bruises, fractures, or intracranial injuries. CPS reports were frequently made prior to CAP consultation. CAPs had a low level of concern for abuse in majority of cases.

Prevalence of cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in abusive head trauma

BACKGROUND

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT) has been proposed in legal settings to be an atraumatic mimic of abusive head trauma (AHT).

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of CSVT and subdural hemorrhage (SDH) in a large AHT population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study measured the prevalence of CSVT and SDH on magnetic resonance venograms in 243 patients diagnosed with AHT at a single center. We also reported additional intra- and extracranial injuries, head injury severity and length of hospital stay.

RESULTS

Among 243 patients diagnosed with AHT, 7% (16/243) had CSVT. SDH was present in 94% (15/16) of the CSVT cases. Cytotoxic edema and subarachnoid hemorrhage were in 88% (14/16) and 69% (11/16) of the CSVT cases, respectively. Extracranial signs of abuse were also in 100% (16/16) of the patients with CSVT. Critical to maximal head injury severity (abbreviated injury scale >=5) was in 75% (12/16) of the CSVT population vs. 33% (82/243) in the total AHT population. Length of hospital and pediatric intensive care unit stay was greater in those with CSVT (10 vs. 21.9 and 3.5 vs. 7.3 days).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that CSVT is uncommon in AHT and is associated with additional traumatic injuries and greater injury severity.

Diagnosis codes dramatically underestimate the burden of abuse

BACKGROUND

International Classification of Diseases (ICD) billing codes are not well-suited to estimate physical abuse prevalence among hospitalized patients and may be even less accurate in emergency departments (EDs). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently published a child abuse and neglect syndromic surveillance definition to more accurately examine national abuse trends among ED visits.

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively apply the CDC syndromic definition to a population of physically abused children and determine its sensitivity for abuse in an ED and at hospital discharge.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

All physically abused children <5 years seen in the ED and evaluated by the child protection team from 2016 to 2020 at a large Midwestern children's hospital.

METHODS

Retrospective cross-sectional study utilizing the hospital's child protection team administrative database, the Pediatric Health Information System and the electronic health record to identify the study sample, chief complaint, and abuse-specific codes assigned in the ED and at hospital discharge. Abuse-specific codes were defined as all ICD-10-CM and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) codes included in the CDC syndromic definition, which was applied to the sample and its sensitivity determined.

RESULTS

Among the 550 abused patients identified, most were male (58.4 %), white (65.1 %), <2 years old (80.4 %), and had public insurance (81.6 %). When applying the CDC syndromic definition, only 11.6 % were identified as abused in the ED and 65.3 % were identified at hospital discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The CDC syndrome surveillance definition lacks sensitivity in identifying abuse in the ED or at hospital discharge.

"These Are Our Kids": Qualitative Interviews With Clinical Leaders in General Emergency Departments on Motivations, Processes, and Guidelines in Pediatric Sepsis Care

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Sepsis is a leading cause of pediatric death requiring emergency resuscitation. Most children with sepsis are treated in general emergency departments (EDs); however, research has focused on pediatric EDs. We sought to identify barriers and facilitators to pediatric sepsis care in general EDs, including care processes, the role of guidelines, and incentivized metrics.

METHODS

In this qualitative study, we conducted semistructured interviews with key informant physician and nurse leaders overseeing pediatric sepsis in general EDs in 2021, including medical directors, nurse managers, and quality coordinators. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using deductive domains based on steps of sepsis care, pediatric readiness, and structural dynamics. Domains were analyzed across interviews in matrices, using thematic analysis within domains.

RESULTS

Twenty-one clinical leaders representing 26 hospitals, including trauma levels I to IV, were interviewed. The themes included the following: (1) motivation to improve pediatric sepsis care based on moral imperative and location; (2) need for actionable pediatric sepsis guidelines; (3) children's hospitals' role in education, protocols, transfer, and consultation; and (4) mixed feelings about reportable metrics, particularly in EDs with low pediatric volume. Sepsis care process challenges included diagnosis, intravenous access, and antibiotic delivery but varied among hospitals.

CONCLUSION

Leaders in general EDs were motivated to provide high-quality pediatric sepsis care but disagreed on whether reportable metrics would drive improvements. They universally sought direct support from their nearest children's hospitals and actionable guidelines. Efforts to address pediatric sepsis quality in general EDs should prioritize guideline design, responsive pediatric transfer and consultation systems, and locally specific process improvement.

The CAPNET multi-center data set for child physical abuse: Rationale, methods and scope

BACKGROUND

The pediatric subspecialty of Child Abuse Pediatrics (CAP) was certified by the American Board of Medical Subspecialties in 2006. Relative to its impact on pediatric health, CAP-focused research has been relatively under-funded. Multi-center networks related to CAP-focused research have made important advances, but have been limited in scope and duration. CAPNET is multi-center network whose mission is to support CAP-focused research.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the rationale, development, and scope of the CAPNET research network infrastructure, the CAPNET data registry and associated data resources.

METHODS

Based on existing priorities for CAP-focused research, we used consensus building and iterative testing to establish inclusion criteria, common data elements, data quality assurance, and data sharing processes for children with concerns of physical abuse.

RESULTS

We describe the rationale, methods and intended scope for the development of the CAPNET research network and data registry. CAPNET is currently abstracting data for children <10 years (120 months) old who undergo sub-specialty evaluation for physical abuse at 10 US pediatric centers (approximately 4000 evaluations/year total) using an online data capture form. Data domains include: demographics; visit timing and providers, medical/social history, presentation, examination findings, laboratory and radiographic testing, diagnoses, outcomes, and data for contact children. We describe the methods and criteria for collecting and validating data which are broadly available to CAP investigators.

CONCLUSIONS

CAPNET represents a new data resource for the CAP research community and will increase the quantity and quality of CAP-focused research.

Development and Validation of a Natural Language Processing Tool to Identify Injuries in Infants Associated With Abuse

OBJECTIVES

Medically minor but clinically important findings associated with physical child abuse, such as bruises in pre-mobile infants, may be identified by frontline clinicians yet the association of these injuries with child abuse is often not recognized, potentially allowing the abuse to continue and even to escalate. An accurate natural language processing (NLP) algorithm to identify high-risk injuries in electronic health record notes could improve detection and awareness of abuse. The objectives were to: 1) develop an NLP algorithm that accurately identifies injuries in infants associated with abuse and 2) determine the accuracy of this algorithm.

METHODS

An NLP algorithm was designed to identify ten specific injuries known to be associated with physical abuse in infants. Iterative cycles of review identified inaccurate triggers, and coding of the algorithm was adjusted. The optimized NLP algorithm was applied to emergency department (ED) providers' notes on 1344 consecutive sample of infants seen in 9 EDs over 3.5 months. Results were compared with review of the same notes conducted by a trained reviewer blind to the NLP results with discrepancies adjudicated by a child abuse expert.

RESULTS

Among the 1344 encounters, 41 (3.1%) had one of the high-risk injuries. The NLP algorithm had a sensitivity and specificity of 92.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 79.0%-98.1%) and 98.1% (95% CI: 97.1%-98.7%), respectively, and positive and negative predictive values were 60.3% and 99.8%, respectively, for identifying high-risk injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

An NLP algorithm to identify infants with high-risk injuries in EDs has good accuracy and may be useful to aid clinicians in the identification of infants with injuries associated with child abuse.

Emergency Department Child Abuse Evaluations During COVID-19: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The reported impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on child maltreatment in the United States have been mixed. Encounter trends for child physical abuse within pediatric emergency departments may provide insights. Thus, this study sought to determine the change in the rate of emergency department encounters related to child physical abuse.

METHODS

A retrospective study within the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Registry. Encounters related to child physical abuse were identified by 3 methods: child physical abuse diagnoses among all ages, age-restricted high-risk injury, or age-restricted skeletal survey completion. The primary outcomes were encounter rates per day and clinical severity before (January 2018-March 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020-March 2021). Multivariable Poisson regression models were fit to estimate rate ratios with marginal estimation methods.

RESULTS

Encounter rates decreased significantly during the pandemic for 2 of 3 identification methods. In fully adjusted models, encounter rates were reduced by 19% in the diagnosis-code cohort (adjusted rate ratio: 0.81 [99% confidence interval: 0.75-0.88], P <.001), with the greatest reduction among preschool and school-aged children. Encounter rates decreased 10% in the injury cohort (adjusted rate ratio: 0.90 [confidence interval: 0.82-0.98], P = .002). For all 3 methods, rates for lower-severity encounters were significantly reduced whereas higher-severity encounters were not.

CONCLUSIONS

Encounter rates for child physical abuse were reduced or unchanged. Reductions were greatest for lower-severity encounters and preschool and school-aged children. This pattern calls for critical assessment to clarify whether pandemic changes led to true reductions versus decreased recognition of child physical abuse.

Child Abuse Pediatricians Assess a Low Likelihood of Abuse in Half of 2890 Physical Abuse Consults

The aim of this study was to examine the frequency with which child abuse pediatricians (CAPs) assess consultations as low versus high likelihood of abuse. In this retrospective secondary analysis of data from the Examining Siblings to Recognize Abuse (ExSTRA) study, the likelihood of abuse score for 2890 consultations at 20 medical centers was collected. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the percentage of cases representing low versus high likelihood of abuse (i.e., score of 1-4 vs. 5-7 on a 7-point scale). Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to examine score variability between medical centers. Overall, fifty-three percent of cases were assessed as low likelihood of abuse, suggesting that CAPs were equally as likely to assess a high versus low likelihood of abuse. The percentage of cases representing low likelihood of abuse differed significantly (P < .001) between medical centers after controlling for patient age, sex, race/ethnicity, twin/triplet status, injury types, and injury severity. The variability between CAP assessments at different medical centers is discussed, along with potential contributors to this variability and directions for future work.

Injuries Suggestive of Physical Abuse in Young Children With Subconjunctival Hemorrhages

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the demographic characteristics, clinical presentations, medical evaluation, and injuries identified in a cohort of children with and without subconjunctival hemorrhage who were evaluated by a child abuse specialist.

METHODS

This was a case-control study that used data from the ExSTRA (Examining Siblings to Recognize Abuse) research network. Subjects with a subconjunctival hemorrhage(s) were designated as cases. Four controls matched for age and participating center were included for each case. Descriptive statistics were used to compare cases and controls.

RESULTS

Fifty of the 2890 subjects in the parent study had a subconjunctival hemorrhage(s) and were designated as cases. The cases had a median (interquartile range) age of 5.0 months (2.0-23.6 months). Two hundred controls were matched to the cases. There was no difference in the demographics, clinical characteristics, medical evaluation, or rate of occult injuries identified in cases and controls. Almost one-quarter of children with subconjunctival hemorrhages had no other external sign of trauma but had the same rate of occult injuries as children with bruises.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that subconjunctival hemorrhages are relatively rare among children undergoing evaluation by a child abuse specialist, but that they are often an indicator of occult injury. Even in the absence of other external signs of trauma, the presence of subconjunctival hemorrhages should prompt an age-appropriate evaluation for physical abuse.

A changing history: When is it a red flag for child abuse?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

While a changing history is frequently cited as a red flag for child abuse, no data support which changes are significant, nor the degree to which concern should be increased. We sought to measure the impact of changing caregiver histories on expert assessments of abuse likelihood.

METHODS

We used a vignette survey to measure the impact of a changing history on child abuse expert assessments of abuse likelihood and willingness to undertake testing and protective interventions. By randomly varying the presence and magnitude of history changes, we determined their impact on perceived abuse likelihood.

RESULTS

Of 494 invited participants, 267 (54 %) completed the survey. The presence of historical changes significantly affected experts' level of concern for abuse and willingness to test or report abuse, though to variable degrees. For example, while a minor change in the timing of an injury did not significantly increase willingness to perform a skeletal survey (OR: 1.5, 95 % CI: 0.8-2.9), a major change in the timing of an injury did (OR: 2.0, 95 % CI: 1.1-3.6). In addition, a change from having no initial history of trauma to then giving a history of accidental trauma significantly lowered the mean estimate of abuse likelihood and triggered significantly less reports to child protective services (OR: 0.02, 95 % CI: 0.003-0.2).

CONCLUSION

For abuse experts, some history changes are more concerning than others, with major changes in history, and an initial denial of trauma having the largest impact. Future research regarding changing histories should consider details of the change, rather than treating all changes equally.

How Experiences of Child Abuse Pediatricians and Lessons Learned May Inform Health Care Providers Focused on Improving Elder Abuse Geriatrics Clinical Practice and Research

The experience of physicians and other health care providers in child abuse pediatrics in the last six decades includes successes and failures, which can offer critical insights to inform the growing field of health care providers focusing on elder abuse clinical practice and research. We identify and describe in detail relevant lessons learned, including balancing an urgent call to action with a need for robust evidence to support clinical conclusions. We discuss solutions to research challenges, including the lack of a uniform gold standard for abuse diagnosis and how to ethically recruit subjects who may have cognitive impairment and also be crime victims. We offer recommendations on recruiting and training a specialized health care workforce. We make suggestions for health care providers about how to navigate the legal world including issues with expert testimony and also how to participate in policymaking and development of rational systems. We emphasize the importance of developing and supporting partnerships within the field, with allied fields inside and outside medicine, and internationally. We also highlight the value of connecting researchers and clinicians focused on different types of family violence.

A standardized definition of near-fatal child maltreatment: Results of a multidisciplinary Delphi process

BACKGROUND

The 2016 Presidential Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities identified systematic review of all cases of near-fatal child maltreatment as a necessary step towards prevention of child maltreatment fatalities. A critical barrier to adoption of this recommendation is the lack of a standard definition of "near-fatality" in the context of suspected child maltreatment.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a consensus definition of near-fatal child maltreatment to be used in practice, policy, and research.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A multidisciplinary expert panel of 23 individuals from across the U.S. including child abuse pediatricians, pediatric intensivists, pediatric emergency medicine physicians, child welfare administrators, child welfare researchers, and child injury/fatality researchers.

METHODS

A modified Delphi process reflecting an iterative process of 3 rounds of surveys of expert opinion, statistical summary of survey response, and feedback of summary statistics. Consensus was defined as 75 % of panelists ranking an element as required (≥80 on a scale of 0-100) to meet a definition of near-fatality (75th% threshold).

RESULTS

Experts defined near-fatal child maltreatment as life-threatening cardiopulmonary dysfunction directly attributable to suspected abuse or neglect as evidenced by (a) respiratory insufficiency/failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation, (b) respiratory insufficiency/failure requiring medications to reverse effects of toxic ingestion, or (c) cardiac arrhythmia with/without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

CONCLUSIONS

A consensus definition of near-fatal child maltreatment should be introduced in child protective services processes and in child fatality/near-fatality reviews to improve our ability to identify, review, and respond to trends in near-fatal child maltreatment at local, regional, and national levels.

Meaningful viscoelastic abnormalities in abusive and non-abusivepediatric trauma

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

There remains a lack of data on the utility of viscoelastic tests in managing abused patients. We hypothesize that abnormalities on admission thrombelastography (TEG) will differ in abused patients compared to those accidentally injured.

METHODS

Pediatric trauma patients (≤10 years old) who had an admission TEG at a Level I pediatric trauma center (2010-2020) were included and stratified into two cohorts: abuse versus accidental trauma. TEG abnormalities were based on the institution's normative values and compared between the groups.

RESULTS

Of 41 children included, 21 sustained abuse. Five abused patients and three accidentally injured patients died. Abused children showed a hypercoagulable pattern on viscoelastic testing with TEG when compared to those accidentally injured, as demonstrated by a short R-time (67% vs. 30%, p = 0.040) and an increased alpha angle (47% vs. 0%, p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the MA and LY30 values between the two groups. In a multivariable model, only an abnormal alpha angle remained associated with abuse [odds ratio (OR) 0.17 (confidence intervals (CI) 0.02-0.92)]. In a separate multivariable model, only an abnormal MA was associated with mortality [OR 18.97 (CI 1.93-475.47), p = 0.025].

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that hemostasis is significantly different in abused children relative to those who are accidentally injured.

TYPE OF STUDY

Retrospective Comparative Study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Characteristics of child welfare investigations reported by healthcare professionals in Ontario: secondary analysis of a regional database

OBJECTIVES

This study examines the characteristics and outcomes of child welfare investigations reported by hospital-based and community-based healthcare professionals.

METHODS

A sample of 7590 child maltreatment-related investigations from the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2018, a cross-sectional study, was analysed. Bivariate analyses compared characteristics of hospital and community healthcare-reported investigations. Chi-square automatic interaction detector analyses were used to predict the most influential factors in the decision to provide a family with services following a child welfare investigation from each referral source.

RESULTS

Community healthcare-reported investigations were more likely to have a primary concern of physical abuse while hospital-reported investigations were more likely to be focused on assessing risk of future maltreatment. Hospital-reported investigations were more likely to involve noted primary caregiver (eg, mental health issues, alcohol/drug abuse, victim of intimate partner violence (IPV)) and household risk factors. The most significant predictor of service provision following an investigation was having a caregiver who was identified as a victim of IPV in hospital-reported investigations (χ²=30.237, df=1, adj. p<0.001) and having a caregiver for whom few social supports was noted in community healthcare-reported investigations (χ²=18.892, df=1, adj. p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Healthcare professionals likely interact with children who are at high risk for maltreatment. This study's findings highlight the important role that healthcare professionals play in child maltreatment identification, which may differ across hospital-based and community-based settings and has implications for future collaborations between the healthcare and child welfare systems.

Cervical Spine Imaging and Injuries in Young Children With Non-Motor Vehicle Crash-Associated Traumatic Brain Injury

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) practices and cervical spine injuries among young children with non-motor vehicle crash (MVC)-associated traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of a stratified, systematic random sample of 328 children younger than 2 years with non-MVC-associated TBI at 4 urban children's hospitals from 2008 to 2012. We defined TBI etiology as accidental, indeterminate, or abuse. We reported the proportion, by etiology, who underwent cervical MRI or CT, and had cervical abnormalities identified.

RESULTS

Of children with non-MVC-associated TBI, 39.4% had abusive head trauma (AHT), 52.2% had accidental TBI, and in 8.4% the etiology was indeterminate. Advanced cervical imaging (CT and/or MRI) was obtained in 19.1% of all children with TBI, with 9.3% undergoing MRI and 11.7% undergoing CT. Cervical MRI or CT was performed in 30.9% of children with AHT, in 11.7% of accidental TBI, and in 10.7% of indeterminate-cause TBI. Among children imaged by MRI or CT, abnormal cervical findings were found in 22.1%, including 31.3% of children with AHT, 7.1% of children with accidental TBI, and 0% of children with indeterminate-cause TBI. Children with more severe head injuries who underwent cervical imaging were more likely to have cervical injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

Abusive head trauma victims appear to be at increased risk of cervical injuries. Prospective studies are needed to define the risk of cervical injury in children with TBI concerning for AHT and to inform development of imaging guidelines.

Identifying Maltreatment in Infants and Young Children Presenting With Fractures: Does Age Matter?

OBJECTIVES

Child abuse is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in preverbal children who cannot explain their injuries. Fractures are among the most common injuries associated with abuse but of themselves fractures may not be recognized as abusive until a comprehensive child abuse evaluation is completed, often prompted by other signs or subjective features. We sought to determine which children presenting with rib or long-bone fractures should undergo a routine abuse evaluation based on age.

METHODS

A systematic review searching Ovid, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and CINAHL from 1980 to 2020 was performed. An evidence-based framework was generated by a consensus panel and applied to the results of the systematic review to form recommendations. Fifteen articles were suitable for final analysis.

RESULTS

Studies with comparable age ranges of subjects and sufficient evidence to meet the determination of abuse standard for pediatric patients with rib, humeral, and femoral fractures were identified. Seventy-seven percent of children presenting with rib fractures aged less than 3 years were abused; when those involved in motor vehicle collisions were excluded, 96% were abused. Abuse was identified in 48% of children less than 18 months with humeral fractures. Among those with femoral fractures, abuse was diagnosed in 34% and 25% of children aged less than 12 and 18 months, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Among children who were not in an independently verified incident, the authors strongly recommend routine evaluation for child abuse, including specialty child abuse consultation, for: 1) children aged less than 3 years old presenting with rib fractures and 2) children aged less than 18 months presenting with humeral or femoral fractures (Level of Evidence: III Review).

Neuroimaging in Pediatric Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Relating the Current 2018 Centers for Disease Control Guideline and the Potential of Advanced Neuroimaging Modalities for Research and Clinical Biomarker Development

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s 2018 Guideline for current practices in pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI; also referred to as concussion herein) systematically identified the best up-to-date practices based on current evidence and, specifically, identified recommended practices regarding computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and skull radiograph imaging. In this article, we discuss types of neuroimaging not discussed in the guideline in terms of their safety for pediatric populations, their potential application, and the research investigating the future use of certain modalities to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of mTBI in children. The role of neuroimaging in pediatric mTBI cases should be considered for the potential contribution to children's neural and social development, in addition to the immediate clinical value (as in the case of acute structural findings). Selective use of specific neuroimaging modalities in research has already been shown to detect aspects of diffuse brain injury, disrupted cerebral blood flow, and correlate physiological factors with persistent symptoms, such as fatigue, cognitive decline, headache, and mood changes, following mTBI. However, these advanced neuroimaging modalities are currently limited to the research arena, and any future clinical application of advanced imaging modalities in pediatric mTBI will require robust evidence for each modality's ability to provide measurement of the subtle conditions of brain development, disease, damage, or degeneration, while accounting for variables at both non-injury and time-post-injury epochs. Continued collaboration and communication between researchers and healthcare providers is essential to investigate, develop, and validate the potential of advanced imaging modalities in pediatric mTBI diagnostics and management.

More data, more questions: No simple answer about which children should undergo screening neuroimaging for clinically occult abusive head trauma

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is the leading cause of fatal child physical abuse. Victims may initially present with clinically occult AHT without overt signs of head trauma or with only subtle, nonspecific symptoms, which can make timely recognition of AHT challenging. Research has shown missed opportunities for early detection of AHT in the medical setting are common and can lead to repeated injury. Neuroimaging is needed to diagnose clinically occult AHT but is not without risk. Researchers have worked to understand the yield of neuroimaging in detection of clinically occult AHT and to identify risk factors, yet findings have varied widely across studies. Identifying which children undergoing physical abuse evaluations are at highest risk of clinically occult AHT is key to development of evidence-based imaging decision support tools for clinicians. Here we discuss the recent literature, identify potential reasons for variation across studies, and offer opportunities for future research.

Ethical Testimony in Cases of Suspected Child Maltreatment: The Ray E. Helfer Society Guidelines

New guidelines for ethical testimony were developed by the Ray E. Helfer Society, the largest medical professional society for physicians working in the field of child maltreatment. Building on the foundation of ethical guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics, these new guidelines set detailed standards for testifying in cases of suspected child maltreatment and recommend that hospitals, medical practices, academic institutions, and professional societies hold their members accountable for court testimony related to child maltreatment as with other forms of medical practice and expert testimony.

Occult head injuries in infants evaluated for physical abuse

BACKGROUND

Abusive head injuries in infants may be occult but clinically or forensically important. Data conflict regarding yield of neuroimaging in detecting occult head injuries in infants evaluated for physical abuse, with prior studies identifying yields of 4.3-37.3 %.

OBJECTIVES

(1) To quantify yield of computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging in identification of occult head injuries in infants with concerns for physical abuse and (2) to evaluate risk factors for occult head injuries.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

We conducted a retrospective, stratified, random systematic sample of 529 infants <12 months evaluated for physical abuse at 4 urban children's hospitals in the United States from 2008-2012. Infants with signs or symptoms suggesting head injury or skull fracture on plain radiography (N = 359), and infants without neuroimaging (N = 1) were excluded.

METHODS

Sampling weights were applied to calculate proportions of infants with occult head injuries. We evaluated for associations between hypothesized risk factors (age <6 months, rib or extremity fracture, facial bruising) and occult head injury using chi-square tests.

RESULTS

Of 169 neurologically normal infants evaluated for abuse, occult head injury was identified in 6.5 % (95 % CI: 2.6, 15.8). Infants <6 months were at higher risk (9.7 %; 95 % CI: 3.6, 23.3) than infants 6-12 months (1.0 %; 95 % CI: 1.3, 20.2). Rib fracture, extremity fracture and facial bruising were not associated with occult head injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Occult head injuries were less frequent than previously reported in some studies, but were identified in 1 in 10 infants <6 months. Clinicians should have a low threshold to obtain neuroimaging in young infants with concern for abuse.

A Novel Scale to Communicate Perceived Likelihood of Child Sexual Abuse

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Child abuse pediatricians (CAPs) are often asked to determine the likelihood that a particular child has been sexually abused. These determinations affect medical and legal interventions, and are important for multisite research. No widely accepted scale is available to communicate perceived sexual abuse likelihood. In this study, we measure intra- and inter-rater reliability of a 5-point scale to communicate child sexual abuse likelihood.

METHODS

We developed a 5-point scale of perceived likelihood of child sexual abuse with example cases and medical-legal language for each risk category. We then surveyed CAPs who regularly perform sexual abuse evaluations using the abstracted facts of 15 actual cases with concern for sexual abuse. A subset of participants rated the same vignettes again, 1 month later.

RESULTS

Of 512 invited participants, 240 (46.7%) responded, with 145 (28.3%) indicating that they regularly perform sexual abuse evaluations, 116 initially completing all 15 vignettes, and 36 completing repeat ratings at least 1 month later. The scale showed consistent stepwise increase in mean perceived likelihood of abuse and intention to report for each increase in scale rating. Inter-rater agreement was substantial (Fleiss' weighted kappa 0.64) and test-retest reliability among 36 participants was almost perfect (Cohen's kappa = 0.81).

CONCLUSIONS

We introduce a scale of perceived sexual abuse likelihood that appears to reflect CAPs' perceptions and intention to report. This scale may be a reasonable metric for use in multicenter studies. CAPs demonstrated substantial inter- and intrarater reliability when evaluating sexual abuse likelihood in case vignettes. While this scale may improve communication of sexual abuse likelihood among experts, its examples should not be used as a legal standard or a clinical criterion for sexual abuse diagnosis.

Feasibility and Accuracy of Fast MRI Versus CT for Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Children

BACKGROUND

Computed tomography (CT) is commonly used for children when there is concern for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and is a significant source of ionizing radiation. Our objective was to determine the feasibility and accuracy of fast MRI (motion-tolerant MRI sequences performed without sedation) in young children.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, we attempted fast MRI in children <6 years old who had head CT performed and were seen in the emergency department of a single, level 1 pediatric trauma center. Fast MRI sequences included 3T axial and sagittal T2 single-shot turbo spin echo, axial T1 turbo field echo, axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, axial gradient echo, and axial diffusion-weighted single-shot turbo spin echo planar imaging. Feasibility was assessed by completion rate and imaging time. Fast MRI accuracy was measured against CT findings of TBI, including skull fracture, intracranial hemorrhage, or parenchymal injury.

RESULTS

Among 299 participants, fast MRI was available and attempted in 225 (75%) and completed in 223 (99%). Median imaging time was 59 seconds (interquartile range 52-78) for CT and 365 seconds (interquartile range 340-392) for fast MRI. TBI was identified by CT in 111 (50%) participants, including 81 skull fractures, 27 subdural hematomas, 24 subarachnoid hemorrhages, and 35 other injuries. Fast MRI identified TBI in 103 of these (sensitivity 92.8%; 95% confidence interval 86.3-96.8), missing 6 participants with isolated skull fractures and 2 with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

CONCLUSIONS

Fast MRI is feasible and accurate relative to CT in clinically stable children with concern for TBI.

Use and Utility of Skeletal Surveys to Evaluate for Occult Fractures in Young Injured Children

OBJECTIVE

To describe the percentage and characteristics of children aged <24 months with non-motor vehicle crash (MVC)-related injuries who undergo a skeletal survey and have occult fractures.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective chart review of a stratified, systematic random sample of 1769 children aged<24 months with non-MVC-related bruises, burns, fractures, abdominal injuries, and head injuries at 4 children's hospitals between 2008 and 2012. Sampling weights were assigned to each child to allow for representative hospital-level population estimates. Logistic regression models were used to test for associations between patient characteristics with outcomes of skeletal survey completion and occult fracture identification.

RESULTS

Skeletal surveys were performed in 46.3% of children aged 0 to 5 months, in 21.1% of those aged 6 to 11 months, in 8.0% of those aged 12 to 17 months, and in 6.2% of those aged 18 to 24 months. Skeletal surveys were performed most frequently in children with traumatic brain injuries (64.7%) and rib fractures (100%) and least frequently in those with burns (2.1%) and minor head injuries (4.4%). In adjusted analyses, older age, private insurance, and reported history of accidental trauma were associated with decreased skeletal survey use (P ≤ .001 for all). The prevalence of occult fractures on skeletal surveys ranged from 24.6% in children aged 0 to 5months to 3.6% in those aged 18 to 24 months, and varied within age categories based on the presenting injury (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The high rate of occult fractures in infants aged 0 to 5 months underscores the importance of increasing the use of skeletal surveys in this population. Further research is needed to identify the injury characteristics of older infants and toddlers most at risk for occult fractures.

First aid for children's burns in the US and UK: An urgent call to establish and promote international standards

INTRODUCTION

Appropriate first aid can reduce the morbidity of burns, however, there are considerable variations between international first aid recommendations. We aim to identify, and compare first aid practices in children who present to Emergency Departments (ED) with a burn.

METHODS

A prospective cross-sectional study of 500 children (0-16 completed years) presenting with a burn to a paediatric ED in the UK (Cardiff) and the USA (Denver, Colorado), during 2015-2017. The proportion of children who had received some form of first aid and the quality of first aid were compared between cities.

RESULTS

Children attending hospital with a burn in Cardiff were 1.47 times more likely (RR 1.47; CI 1.36, 1.58), to have had some form of first aid than those in Denver. Denver patients were 4.7 time more likely to use a dressing and twice as likely to apply ointment/gel/aloe vera than the Cardiff cohort. First aid consistent with local recommendations was only administered to 26% (128/500) of children in Cardiff and 6% (31/500) in Denver. Potentially harmful first aid e.g. application of food, oil, toothpaste, shampoo or ice was applied to 5% of children in Cardiff and 10% in Denver.

CONCLUSION

A low number of children received optimal burns first aid, with potentially harmful methods applied in a considerable proportion of cases. There is an urgent need for internationally agreed, evidence-based burn first aid recommendations.

Oral injuries and occult harm in children evaluated for abuse

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency of occult trauma in children with oral injury evaluated for physical abuse.

DESIGN

This was a retrospectively planned secondary analysis of a prospective, observational study.

SETTING

Emergency departments supported by 20 US child abuse teams in the Examining Siblings to Recognize Abuse (ExSTRA) network.

PATIENTS

Children <120 months old evaluated for physical abuse.

INTERVENTIONS

Analysis of index children with oral injury on initial examination.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Rates of physician-recognised oral injury, as well as frequency and results of occult injury testing. Perceived abuse likelihood was described on a 7-point scale (7=definite abuse).

RESULTS

Among 2890 child abuse consultations, 3.3% (n=96) of children had oral injury. Forty-two per cent were 0-12 months old, 39% 1-3 years old and 18% >3 years old. Oral injury was the primary reason for evaluation for 32 (33%). Forty-three per cent (42/96) had frenum injuries. Skeletal surveys were obtained for 84% and 25% of these identified occult fractures. Seventy-five per cent had neuroimaging; 38% identified injuries. Forty-one per cent of children with oral injuries had retinal examinations; 24% of exams showed retinal haemorrhages. More occult injuries were found in children with oral injuries than other ExSTRA subjects. A high level of concern for abusive injury was present in 67% of children with oral injury versus 33% without.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with oral injury are at high risk for additional occult abusive injuries. Infants and mobile preschoolers are at risk. Young children with unexplained oral injury should be evaluated for abuse.

Occult head injury is common in children with concern for physical abuse

BACKGROUND

Studies evaluating small patient cohorts have found a high, but variable, rate of occult head injury in children <2 years old with concern for physical abuse. The American College of Radiology (ACR) recommends clinicians have a low threshold to obtain neuroimaging in these patients.

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to determine the prevalence of occult head injury in a large patient cohort with suspected physical abuse using similar selection criteria from previous studies. Additionally, we evaluated proposed risk factors for associations with occult head injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective, secondary analysis of data collected by an observational study of 20 U.S. child abuse teams that evaluated children who underwent subspecialty evaluation for concern of abuse. We evaluated children <2 years old and excluded those with abnormal mental status, bulging fontanelle, seizure, respiratory arrest, underlying neurological condition, focal neurological deficit or scalp injury.

RESULTS

One thousand one hundred forty-three subjects met inclusion criteria and 62.5% (714) underwent neuroimaging with either head computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. We found an occult head injury prevalence of 19.7% (141). Subjects with emesis (odds ratio [OR] 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-6.8), macrocephaly (OR 8.5, 95% CI 3.7-20.2), and loss of consciousness (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.2-22.9) had higher odds of occult head injury.

CONCLUSION

Our results show a high prevalence of occult head injury in patients <2 years old with suspected physical abuse. Our data support the ACR recommendation that clinicians should have a low threshold to perform neuroimaging in patients <2 years of age.

A child abuse research network: Now what?

As foundational work in preparation for a sustainable, multi-center network devoted to child abuse medical research, we recently used a combination of survey and modified Delphi methodologies to determine research priorities for future multi-center studies. Avoiding missed diagnoses, and improving selected/indicated prevention were the topics rated most highly in terms of research priority. Several constructive commentaries in this issue identify the key challenges which must be overcome to ensure a successful network. Indeed, as with the clinical work of child abuse pediatrics, a scientific network will also require constant collaboration within and outside the community of child abuse pediatricians, the wider medical community, and even non-medical professions.

Research priorities for a multi-center child abuse pediatrics network - CAPNET

Although child maltreatment medical research has benefited from several multi-center studies, the new specialty of child abuse pediatrics has not had a sustainable network capable of pursuing multiple, prospective, clinically-oriented studies. The Child Abuse Pediatrics Network (CAPNET) is a new multi-center research network dedicated to child maltreatment medical research. In order to establish a relevant, practical research agenda, we conducted a modified Delphi process to determine the topic areas with highest priority for such a network. Research questions were solicited from members of the Ray E. Helfer Society and study authors and were sorted into topic areas. These topic areas were rated for priority using iterative rounds of ratings and in-person meetings. The topics rated with the highest priority were missed diagnosis and selected/indicated prevention. This agenda can be used to target future multi-center child maltreatment medical research.

Children with burns referred for child abuse evaluation: Burn characteristics and co-existent injuries

Intentional burns represent a serious form of physical abuse that must be identified to protect children from further harm. This study is a retrospectively planned secondary analysis of the Examining Siblings To Recognize Abuse (ExSTRA) network data. Our objective was to describe the characteristics of burns injuries in children referred to Child Abuse Pediatricians (CAPs) in relation to the perceived likelihood of abuse. We furthermore compare the extent of diagnostic investigations undertaken in children referred to CAPs for burn injuries with those referred for other reasons. Within this dataset, 7% (215/2890) of children had burns. Children with burns were older than children with other injuries (median age 20 months vs. 10 months). Physical abuse was perceived as likely in 40.9% (88) and unlikely in 59.1% (127). Scalds accounted for 52.6% (113) and contact burns for 27.6% (60). Several characteristics of the history and burn injury were associated with a significantly higher perceived likelihood of abuse, including children with reported inflicted injury, absent or inadequate explanation, hot water as agent, immersion scald, a bilateral/symmetric burn pattern, total body surface area ≥10%, full thickness burns, and co-existent injuries. The rates of diagnostic testing were significantly lower in children with burns than other injuries, yet the yield of skeletal survey and hepatic transaminases testing were comparable between the two groups. This would imply that children referred to CAPs for burns warrant the same level of comprehensive investigations as those referred for other reasons.