Minimizing the "Kitchen Sink" Approach: De-implementation of Unnecessary Care for Patients with Anaphylaxis in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Laura Vanston; Kaleigh Ogawa; Julia Freeman; Maureen Bauer; Kirsten Carel; Irina Topoz

doi:10.1097/pq9.0000000000000535

Minimizing the "Kitchen Sink" Approach: De-implementation of Unnecessary Care for Patients with Anaphylaxis in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Pediatr Qual Saf. 2022 Mar 30;7(2):e535. doi: 10.1097/pq9.0000000000000535. eCollection 2022 Mar-Apr.

Authors

Laura Vanston¹, Kaleigh Ogawa², Julia Freeman¹, Maureen Bauer³, Kirsten Carel³, Irina Topoz¹

Affiliations

¹ Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colo.
² Clinical Effectiveness, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colo.
³ University of Colorado School of Medicine, Section of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colo..

Abstract

Epinephrine is the only medication that prevents morbidity and mortality in anaphylaxis. Systemic corticosteroids and H2 receptor antagonists (H2RA) may benefit select cases but are not universally indicated. This study aims to de-implement the universal use of steroids and H2RAs and emphasize epinephrine-focused care for children with anaphylaxis during acute care visits. The study aims to reduce steroid and H2RA use from 81% and 60%, respectively, to 30% by December 2019.

Methods: The primary outcome measures were the percent of patients receiving steroids and H2RAs in the emergency department (ED) or urgent care (UC). Process measure was the frequency of intravenous (IV) line placement. Balancing measures were ED/UC length of stay, admission rate, and ED/UC return visit rate. In addition, a multidisciplinary team designed the following interventions: (1) anaphylaxis clinical pathway to emphasize epinephrine-focused care, outline criteria for second-line therapies and a provider guideline for ED/UC observation; (2) standardize unit-based anaphylaxis medication kits; (3) optimize electronic medical record tools, including order sets and discharge instructions to be concordant with guideline recommendations.

Results: The study included 870 patients. There was special cause variation in the use of steroids (81%-33%) and H2RAs (60%-11%), ED/UC Length of stay decreased (6.2-5.0 hours). There was no special cause variation in admission rates or ED/UC return visit rates.

Conclusion: Universal use of systemic steroids and H2RAs can be safely de-implemented in pediatric patients with anaphylaxis using quality improvement methods.