Background Accurate anthropometric measurements are essential for assessing nutritional status, monitoring child growth, and informing clinical care. We aimed to improve height measurements of hospitalized pediatrics patients through implementation of gold standard measurement techniques. Methods A quality improvement project implemented computerized training modules on anthropometry and standardized wooden boards for height measurements in a tertiary children’s hospital. Heights were collected pre- and post-intervention on general pediatric inpatients under 5 years of age. Accuracy of height measurements was determined by analyzing the variance and by comparing to World Health Organization’s defined biologically plausible height-for-age z-scores. Qualitative interviews assessed staff attitudes. Results Ninety-six hospital staff completed the anthropometry training. Data were available on 632 children pre- and 933 post-intervention. Training did not increase the proportion of patients measured for height (78.6% pre-intervention vs. 75.8% post-intervention, p = 0.19). Post-intervention, wooden height boards were used to measure height of 34.8% patients, while tape measures and wingspan accounted for 42.0% and 3.5% of measurements, respectively. There was no improvement in the quality of height measurements based on plausibility (approximately 3% height-for-age z-scores measurements flagged out of range pre- and post-intervention), digit preference (13.4% of digits pre- and 12.3% post-intervention requiring reclassification), or dispersion of measurements (height-for-age z-scores standard deviation 1.9 pre- and post-intervention). Staff reported that using the wooden board was too labor consuming and cumbersome. Conclusions Our findings suggest that efforts to improve anthropometric measurements of hospitalized children have multiple obstacles, and further investigation of less cumbersome methods of measurements may be warranted.

Introduction: Hospitalized children experience frequent sleep disruptions. We aimed to reduce caregiver-reported sleep disruptions of children hospitalized on the pediatric hospital medicine service by 10% over 12 months. Methods: In family surveys, caregivers cited overnight vital signs (VS) as a primary contributor to sleep disruption. We created a new VS frequency order of "every 4 hours (unless asleep between 2300 and 0500)"as well as a patient list column in the electronic health record indicating patients with this active VS order. The outcome measure was caregiver-reported sleep disruptions. The process measure was adherence to the new VS frequency. The balancing measure was rapid responses called on patients with the new VS frequency. Results: Physician teams ordered the new VS frequency for 11% (1,633/14,772) of patient nights on the pediatric hospital medicine service. Recorded VS between 2300 and 0500 was 89% (1,447/1,633) of patient nights with the new frequency ordered compared to 91% (11,895/13,139) of patient nights without the new frequency ordered (P = 0.01). By contrast, recorded blood pressure between 2300 and 0500 was only 36% (588/1,633) of patient nights with the new frequency but 87% (11,478/13,139) of patient nights without the new frequency (P < 0.001). Overall, caregivers reported sleep disruptions on 24% (99/419) of reported nights preintervention, which decreased to 8% (195/2,313) postintervention (P < 0.001). Importantly, there were no adverse safety issues related to this initiative. Conclusion: This study safely implemented a new VS frequency with reduced overnight blood pressure readings and caregiver-reported sleep disruptions.

Objectives: To determine the acceptability, feasibility and safety of yoga for chronic pain in sickle cell disease. Design and Setting: In Part A of this two-part study, adolescents with SCD and chronic pain (Group 1) and their parent (Group 2) completed a survey designed to capture pain characteristics, attitudes and practices related to yoga, and potential acceptability of a yoga program. In Part B, the study assessed the feasibility and safety of an instructor-led group yoga program. The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03694548). Intervention: Eight instructor-led group yoga sessions. Main Outcome Measures: Feasibility and safety outcomes were chosen a priori, as follows: 1) Proportion of adolescent patients with SCD and chronic pain approached that consent to participate in Part A, 2) Proportion of adolescent participants enrolled in Part A that consent to participate in Part B, 3) Proportion of participants enrolled in Part B that attend at least 6 of 8 yoga sessions, 4) Proportion of participants enrolled in Part B with an ED visit or a hospitalization for pain within 24 h of completion of each yoga session, 5) Proportion of participants in Part B who complete all study assessments before, and at the end of the yoga program, 6) Adherence to submission of pain diary. Results: The median age of 15 patient participants in Part A was 16 (IQR 14−17), and 14 parents was 43.5 (IQR 42−51). Most participants were female. Most participant responses indicated a positive opinion of yoga. Nine adolescents (60 %) from Part A participated in Part B of the study. The median age of 9 participants in Part B was 17 (IQR 15−18), and 5 of the 9 participants were female (53.3 %). Only one participant was able to attend 3 of the 8 yoga sessions offered, and did not experience any ED visits or hospitalizations following the yoga sessions. None of the other feasibility endpoints were met in this study. Conclusions: Patients with SCD and chronic pain overall have a positive opinion of yoga, but there are challenges with recruitment and retention of participants in a clinical trial of yoga, and barriers to feasibility of an in-person group yoga intervention.

Many pediatric rheumatic diseases can be safely managed with biologic therapy. Severe allergic reactions to these medications are uncommon. We report the case of a 2-year-old male with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis and secondary macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), whose treatment was complicated by severe allergic reactions to biologics, including drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS)/drug-induced hypersensitivity reaction (DIHR) likely due to anakinra, and anaphylactoid reaction to intravenous tocilizumab. These required transition to canakinumab, cyclosporine, and corticosteroids, with later development of interstitial lung disease and MAS flare needing transition from canakinumab to tofacitinib, which led to disease control. Whether lung disease is a manifestation of DRESS/DIHR to canakinumab remains unclear. High index of suspicion of hypersensitivity reactions for timely diagnosis and drug discontinuation is critical, especially in patients with active disease who might be at increased risk of these adverse events.

Introduction: Communication between pediatric hospitalists and primary care physicians (PCPs) at discharge is an essential part of a successful transition to home. While many hospitals require communicating with PCPs for all admitted patients, it is unknown if PCPs find such communication valuable or if it improves outcomes. Our global aim was to improve discharge communication for patients that pediatric hospitalists and PCPs deemed appropriate. Methods: We sent surveys to 422 outpatient pediatricians in our care network to understand their communication preferences. Survey results informed local guidelines for when hospitalists should directly contact PCPs. We determined the proportion of inpatient discharges meeting those guidelines and set a target for our primary process metric: the proportion of discharges with attempted direct PCP contact. We engaged in Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, including a discharge documentation tool in the electronic health record, education of inpatient teams, email reminders including group performance data, asynchronous Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant messaging application, and competitions that shared blinded individual data. Results: We increased the percentage of documented direct communication with the PCPs from 2% to 33% and from 4% to 65% for those who met guidelines for direct communication. Conclusions: PCPs only want direct communication on a subset of discharges. Interventions focused on high-yield populations improved discharge communication in our institution.