DOZ047.70: Prevalence of abnormal triple endoscopy findings for tracheoesophageal fistula patients in a multidisciplinary aerodigestive clinic

Introduction Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a rare congenital defect involving malformations of the esophagus and trachea, which can be life-threatening if left untreated. Children who have undergone TEF repair often present with symptoms such as cough, vomiting, and growth failure. Although the variety of these symptoms implies a necessity for a multidisciplinary approach to care of TEF repair patients, many are still followed by a single discipline such as gastroenterology or pulmonology. The purpose of this study is to describe the experience of Children's Hospital Los Angeles Aerodigestive team in evaluating TEF patients using an interdisciplinary approach. In particular, we aim to explore the findings obtained during triple endoscopy in order to confirm the necessity of care by multiple specialties, ideally in the setting of an Aerodigestive Clinic. Methods Consent was obtained for all children (birth to 18 years) seen in the Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) Aerodigestive (AERO) Clinic between June 2016 and August 2018. All patients with a diagnosis of TEF were included in the study and data collected included: age, sex, presenting diagnoses and symptoms, and triple endoscopy findings. Results Of the first 109 patients in the AERO Clinic, 18 had TEF. Of these, 7 (39%) were female with a mean age of 3.4 years (SD 3), and 44% were Hispanic. Ten TEF patients underwent triple endoscopy and all had at least one abnormal finding. Six were diagnosed with laryngeal cleft (LC); four type I, one type II, and one was unspecified. Other abnormal findings included: bronchomalacia (7), tracheomalacia (8), esophagitis (4), gastritis (2), and duodenitis (1). Additionally, 7 had an abnormal bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) finding, with 6 culture positive results. Conclusion TEF patients can present with feeding and respiratory difficulties months to years after their surgical repair. The triple endoscopy findings of TEF patients presented in this study illustrate that symptoms may arise from the gastrointestinal or respiratory tract. Our experience with TEF patients at CHLA indicates that a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and management is necessary to serve the complex needs of this population.