Implementation of a Follow-Up System for Pediatric Sepsis Survivors in a Large Academic Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Background: Survivors of pediatric sepsis often develop new morbidities and deterioration in quality of life after sepsis, leading to a need for improved follow-up for children who survive sepsis.Objective: To implement a follow-up system for pediatric sepsis survivors in a pediatric health system.Methods: We performed a retrospective case series of patients treated for sepsis from October 2018 through October 2019 in a pediatric intensive care unit in a quaternary children's hospital, and describe implementation of a follow-up system for sepsis survivors. Program planning started in 2017 with multidisciplinary meetings including physical, occupational, and speech therapists, teachers, neuropsychologists, and coordinators from other survivorship programs (neonatology, stroke, and oncology). In 2018, a workshop was held to consult with local and national experts. The Pediatric Sepsis Survivorship Program launched in October 2018 led by a nurse coordinator who met with families to educate about sepsis and offer post-discharge follow-up. Patients with high pre-existing medical complexity or established subspecialty care were referred for follow-up through existing care coordination or subspecialty services plus guidance to monitor for post-sepsis morbidity. For patients with low-moderate medical complexity, the nurse coordinator administered a telephone-based health-assessment 2–3 months after discharge to screen for new physical or psychosocial morbidity. Patients flagged with concerns were referred to their primary physician and/or to expedited neuropsychological evaluation to utilize existing medical services.Results: Of 80 sepsis patients, 10 died, 20 were referred to care coordination by the program, and 13 had subspecialty follow-up. Five patients were followed in different health systems, four were adults not appropriate for existing follow-up programs, four remained hospitalized, and four were missed due to short stay or unavailable caregivers. The remaining 20 patients were scheduled for follow-up with the Pediatric Sepsis Program. Nine patients completed the telephone assessment. Four patients were receiving new physical or occupational therapy, and one patient was referred for neuropsychology evaluation due to new difficulties with attention, behavior, and completion of school tasks.Conclusions: Implementation of an efficient, low-cost pediatric sepsis survivorship program was successful by utilizing existing systems of care, when available, and filling a follow-up gap in screening for select patients.

LINC-32. REPORT OF AN INITIAL SITE VISIT TO DETERMINE FEASIBILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE NEURO-ONCOLOGY PROGRAM IN KENYA

BACKGROUND Pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the leading solid tumors in the United States, but vastly under-reported in the African population. There’s limited data on childhood brain tumors as well as the histopathological distribution in Kenya. This report surveys as an initial site visit to determine the feasibility of a comprehensive neuro-oncology program at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi, Kenya. DESIGN: This collaboration began with a visit from the director of neuropathology at KNH to our neuro-Oncology program at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health in May 2019. This report includes recommendations from the May 2019 trip, as well as a reciprocal site visit to Kenya in January 2020. RESULTS Building off the May 2019 trip, a brain tumor registry has been initiated and maintained. Additionally, the KNH program has many necessary components to forming a comprehensive neuro-oncology program, including capable neurosurgeons with a neurosurgical training program, radiology, intensive care unit, oncology ward, rehab, skilled nursing, and radiation oncology services. Currently, neurosurgery, radiology, and pathology meet weekly to review challenging cases. CONCLUSION Kenyatta National Hospital has the expertise to build a comprehensive neuro-oncology program. The program currently lacks a dedicated nurse coordinator and “specialist” in neuro-oncology. Ongoing discussions with local stakeholders are aimed to galvanize national support to improve awareness for children with brain tumors and to plan a multidisciplinary neuro-oncology symposium in 2021. In the meantime, telemedicine efforts can support nursing education and reiterate the multidisciplinary needs for children with brain tumors.

NURS-07. STAFF EDUCATION THROUGH NURSING AND PHARMACY COLLABORATION

Even within the focused field of pediatric oncology, there are healthcare providers who lack education regarding the specialized population of children with brain tumors. In order to improve staff knowledge of pediatric neuro-oncology, nursing and pharmacy developed a collaborative Lunch and Learn program to provide additional education. An eight week brain tumor curriculum was developed, and informal sessions grouped by diagnosis were held over lunch between the neuro-oncology nursing team (nurse practitioners and nurse coordinator) and a clinical pharmacy resident. A nurse practitioner provided academic literature and the pharmacy resident did further research and developed an outline for discussion. During these sessions, nursing was able to contribute academic knowledge and clinical experience, while pharmacy presented an overview of each tumor and provided education about medications. After each session, the pharmacy resident presented the information from the Lunch and Learn to all staff oncology pharmacists, which then increased their working knowledge of neuro-oncology as a whole, helping them feel better able to manage this population within their scope of practice. Because this innovative collaboration was so successful in heightening knowledge and awareness of the care and management of pediatric neuro-oncology patients for all those involved, the team now has future plans to utilize a similar model to provide neuro-oncology education to clinic and inpatient RNs.

Impact of a standardized admissions process using a nurse intermediary

Objective: Transitions of care, including those between the Emergency Department (ED) and Internal Medicine (IM) for hospital admissions are complicated, variable processes that impact efficiency and patient safety. At our institution, a new, standardized admissions process that involved a nurse coordinator intermediary who served a dual role of facilitating admissions and overseeing bed board was implemented in July 2017. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the new process on ED throughput and safety outcomes of admitted patients.Methods: A retrospective analysis of the admissions process for patients at an urban, academic ED was conducted over a 4-month period preceding and following process implementation. ED metrics, including admission decision to ED departure time, were reviewed. In addition, the number of admitted patients upgraded to the intensive care unit (ICU) via a rapid response team (RRT-ICU) within 24 hours of admission and direct physician-physician handoffs were analyzed via surveys of both IM and EM physicians.Results: A total of 1,109 admissions were reviewed. The new admissions process resulted in a statistically significant decrease in boarding times for admitted ED patients (p = .03). The number of RRT-ICUs within 24 hours of admission did not change as a result of the intervention (p = .5). Direct physician handoffs increased, but not significantly, according to surveys of IM (p = .39) and EM physicians (p = .34).Conclusions: The implementation of a standardized admissions process utilizing a nurse intermediary improved provider communication and ED throughput without negatively impacting patient safety.

P1786THE HIGHWAY TO KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Background and Aims Close cooperation between nephrologist, nurse coördinator and social workers in a large non academic hospital. By timely starting the process of education and examinations we have increased the possibilities of pre-emptive transplantation Method When a patiënt needs to be informed about renal replacement therapy, the digital program is used by the nephrologist to inform all necessary disciplines involved. They each will make an appointment within the given time slot with te patient. At first the social worker start the education process, preferably, in the home situation. General information about the procedures and actions to be taken in the coming period, is given to the patient and his family/friends. They support patients in making difficult dicisions. Secondly, the nurse coordinator in the process, gives information about all options in renal transplantation and gives an explanation about the test procedures which are necessary to decide if patients are able te receive a kidney and donors are appropriate candidates. In case of availability of a potential donor, information is directly given about living donation and the procedure can directly be started. The nurse coordinator ensures that the patient and potential donor complete all required tests in the shortest time possible in their own hospital. The close cooperation consists of daily deliberation between all disciplines and quickly changing the process of a patient or donor when needed. The progress is reported in the digital file and everyone involved will be informed. Results From 2013 until 2020 516 patients entered the program. 575 donors ( for 348 recipients) entered the program. 191 couples have been approved ans presented for transplantation of which 87 couples have been transplanted, 61 couples have been put on hold because of a stabilised kidney function. 40 couples are still in the work up program. 44 recipients were not transplantable due to medical/psychological reasons. The median work up time of the procedure of the recipients was 260 days from start of the process to transfer tot he transplant centre. (2017) Various patient/medical retarding factors are discribed. The median work up time fort he donors was 191 days (2017) days from start of the process to transfer tot the transplant centre. Various donor/medical retarding factors are discribed. Conclusion Patients and family are well informed about the treatment options, with a special attention for kidney transplantation. The efficient work up program in the patients treating hospital, results in a significant improvement of the possibility of pre-emptive renal transplantation, or otherwise, patients are earlier registered on the waiting list.