Implementation of a low-risk algorithm for outpatient management of
febrile pediatric patients with sickle cell disease
Abstract
Background: Splenic dysfunction in children with sickle cell
disease (SCD) increases the risk of serious bacterial infections;
therefore, families are instructed to seek medical care in the presence
of fever. Recurrent hospital admissions of patients with SCD cause
financial and resource burdens on caregivers and the healthcare system,
contributing to a lower quality of life in this patient population.
Recent studies have documented a reduction of the incidence of bacterial
infections among these patients managed on an outpatient basis with no
association of increased morbidity and mortality. We decided to
establish a partnership between our pediatric hematology/oncology
division and pediatric emergency medicine division to initiate an
algorithm to identify low risk patients eligible for outpatient
management. Procedure: We conducted a retrospective review of
patients with SCD less than 18 years of age, followed at the
Comprehensive Care Sickle Cell Center at the Medical University of South
Carolina (MUSC), who presented to our Pediatric Emergency Department
(ED) with a temperature ≥ 101°F from July 1st 2018 to June 30th 2020.
Results: Mean length of stay and age at admission were nearly
equal between pre- and post-implementation of the algorithm. The
admission rates from the study for were 55.2% and 43.6% pre- and
post-implementation, respectively. Patients revisited the ED within 72
hours in 6.7% of patients in pre-implementation and 5.9% of patients
in post-implementation. There were no patient deaths.
Conclusions: Our pathway helps to standardize the treatment of
febrile pediatric patients with SCD and safely decreases hospital
admissions.