Publications by authors named "Jeffrey R Avner"

The objective of this study was to analyze temporal changes in social needs (SN), comparing those who received routine annual in-person care to those receiving SN screenings through a combination of tele-social care and in-person care biannually. Our prospective cohort study used a convenience sample of patients from primary care practices. Baseline data were collected from April 2019 to March 2020.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In March 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City instituted a shelter-in-place order, dramatically affecting the area's social and economic landscape. Pediatric primary care practices universally screen for social determinants of health (SDOH) and mental health (MH) needs, providing an opportunity to assess changes in the population's needs during COVID-19. To assess changes in SDOH and MH needs of pediatric families before and during COVID-19, the authors conducted a prospective cohort study of patients seen in the hospital's pediatric primary care practices.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We present the case of a 3-month-old boy who suffered bilateral pneumothoraces secondary to insufflation of oxygen into the endotracheal tube during the apnea test as part of brain death testing. Although rare, awareness of this potential complication of the apnea test is of particular importance in pediatric patients who have narrow endotracheal tubes because resistance to expiratory flow increases exponentially as lumen diameter decreases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This cohort study examines whether providing a pediatrician-generated letter regarding patients’ poor housing conditions can encourage landlords to improve those conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To characterize the demographic and clinical features of pediatric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) syndromes and identify admission variables predictive of disease severity.

Study Design: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective, and prospective study of pediatric patients hospitalized with acute SARS-CoV-2 infections and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) at 8 sites in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Results: We identified 281 hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections and divided them into 3 groups based on clinical features.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected children differently from adults worldwide. Data on the clinical presentation of the infection in children are limited. We present a detailed account of pediatric inpatients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus at our institution during widespread local transmission, aiming to understand disease presentation and outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Our objective was to evaluate the accuracy of risk stratification criteria for febrile neonates in the emergency department. This was a retrospective study of febrile neonates ≤56 days of age. Patients were low risk for serious bacterial infection (SBI) if all test results were within normal ranges.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To determine whether point-of-care elbow ultrasound (US), with history and physical examination, can decrease radiography for patients with elbow trauma. Secondary outcomes included evaluation of pediatric emergency department (PED) length of stay (LOS) and test performance characteristics.

Study Design: This was a prospective study of patients up to age 21 years with elbow trauma necessitating radiography.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The mental health epidemic in pediatrics has resulted in a growing clinical burden on the health care system, including pediatric emergency departments (PED). Our objective was to describe the changing characteristics of visits to an urban PED, in particular length of stay, for emergency psychiatric evaluations (EPEs) over a 10-year period.

Methods: A retrospective study of children with an EPE in the PED at a large urban quaternary care children's hospital was performed during two discrete periods a decade apart: July 1, 2003-June 30, 2004 (period 1) and July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014 (period 2).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Analgesia administration for children with vaso-occlusive crises is often delayed in the emergency department. Intranasal fentanyl (INF) has been shown to be safe and effective in providing rapid analgesia for other painful conditions. Our objective was to determine if children with a vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) who received initial treatment with INF compared to placebo achieved a greater decrease in pain score after 20 min.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: The objective was to determine the test performance characteristics for point-of-care lung ultrasonography (LUS) performed by pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians compared with radiographic diagnosis of acute chest syndrome (ACS) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and fever.

Methods: This was a prospective study of patients up to 21 years with SCD and fever requiring chest X-ray (CXR) evaluation for ACS. Before obtaining CXR, a blinded PEM physician performed LUS using a standardized scanning protocol.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to compare analgesia-prescribing practices and timing of analgesia administration between pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) and general emergency medicine (GEM) practitioners for children with appendicitis. The secondary objective was to compare analgesia administration versus triage pain score, pediatric appendicitis score (PAS), and body mass index (BMI).

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of patients younger than 21 years who presented to either an urban pediatric emergency department (ED) or 2 general EDs and were diagnosed with appendicitis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether elbow ultrasound findings of the posterior fat pad (PFP) are present in patients with diagnosis of radial head subluxation (RHS).

Methods: This was a prospective study of children presenting to an urban pediatric emergency department diagnosed clinically with RHS. Physicians received a 1-hour training session on musculoskeletal ultrasound including the elbow.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background. The primary objective of this study was to compare management practices of general emergency physicians (GEMPs) and pediatric emergency medicine physicians (PEMPs) for well-appearing young febrile children. Methods.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective. To compare novice clinicians' performance using GlideScope videolaryngoscopy (GVL) to direct laryngoscopy (DL). Methods.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To determine the test performance characteristics for point-of-care ultrasound performed by clinicians compared with computed tomography (CT) diagnosis of skull fractures.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study in a convenience sample of patients ≤21 years of age who presented to the emergency department with head injuries or suspected skull fractures that required CT scan evaluation. After a 1-hour, focused ultrasound training session, clinicians performed ultrasound examinations to evaluate patients for skull fractures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the effectiveness of bedside ultrasound (BUS) measurements of the inferior vena cava (IVC) as indicators of intravascular volume status in acutely ill children, comparing them to central venous pressure (CVP) measurements.
  • It involved 51 pediatric patients, finding that a significant number had low CVP, but the ultrasound measurements (collapsibility index and IVC/aorta ratio) did not reliably correlate with these CVP readings.
  • Ultimately, the research concluded that IVC and aortic measurements using BUS are not dependable indicators of intravascular volume in this age group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Study Objective: We determine the test performance characteristics for point-of-care ultrasonography performed by pediatric emergency physicians compared with radiographic diagnosis of elbow fractures and compare interobserver agreement between enrolling physicians and an experienced pediatric emergency medicine sonologist.

Methods: This was a prospective study of children aged up to 21 years and presenting to the emergency department (ED) with elbow injuries requiring radiographs. Before obtaining radiographs, pediatric emergency physicians performed focused elbow ultrasonography.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare chronic large-vessel vasculitis of unknown etiology. Although commonly thought of as an adult disease, initial manifestations frequently appear during adolescence. This is a case discussion of an 11-year-old boy with a recent history of fever who presented with shortness of breath, sore throat, chest pain, hypertension, and a new murmur.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We report the results of the 3M rapid detection respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) assay. This study includes pediatric patient results from nasopharyngeal swabs submitted from October to December 2009. There was a sensitivity of 74% and specificity approaching 100% compared to the PCR-based xTAG respiratory viral panel.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the many options available for control of the pain and anxiety during vaccine injections, they are not often used. A total of 70 primary care providers (PCPs) were asked to rate their perception of pain and anxiety associated with vaccine injection in an average 4- to 6-year-old using a visual analog scale-0 (no pain/anxiety) to 10 (very severe pain/anxiety)-as well as perceived barriers. The mean PCPs' perception of pain associated with vaccine injection was 5.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF