Pediatric Neurology Patients Research Articles

Examining Impact of Insurance Type on Genetic Testing in Pediatric Neurology

ObjectiveStudies that examine the impact of insurance type on the ease of obtaining genetic testing are scarce. Therefore, we aim to analyze how different types of insurance influence the time taken to obtain genetic test results among pediatric neurology patients. MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study from Dayton Children’s Hospital. Patients who had at least one neurologic genetic result found in the electronic medical record from 01/01/2014 to 03/01/2023 were included in the study. Variables collected include demographics, health insurance data, and genetic testing results. Results141 patients were included. Most patients were male (51.8%), white (78.0%), and not Hispanic/Latino (96.5%). The mean age at time of genetic testing was 7.9 years. Most patients had Medicaid as their primary insurance (60.3%) as compared to private insurance (39.7%). 215 genetic reports were examined (137 Medicaid charts and 78 private insurance charts). There was no statistically significant difference from mean time lapse between test order date to results date for Medicaid patients (27.3 days) versus private insurance (31.5 days, p=0.40). Molecular genetics testing and epilepsy gene panel order were the most common tests ordered for both Medicaid (86.1%, 37.2%) and private insurance (88.5%, 39.7%, respectively). ConclusionsThe mean time between test order date to results date was comparable between private and Medicaid insured patients. Our results suggest that there is no significant difference for time to result between pediatric neurology patients who carry public versus private insurance for genetic testing.

Retrospective Analysis of Patients Applying to The Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic For a Health Board Report

Introduction: Disability is any physical or mental impairment that makes it difficult for a person to perform certain activities and interact with the world around them.Individuals with disabilities and their families have primarily economic, psychological, and social problems. Patients apply to the health board to have easier access to other socioeconomic rights and services such as health, education, and transportation. This study aimed to examine the purposes of application, causes of childhood disability, and age distribution of pediatric neurology patients applying to the health board; and to raise awareness about the problems and delays encountered in reporting in the light of the relevant legislation. Results: Our study included 1506 patients who applied to the pediatric neurology outpatient clinic for a medical board report. The age of the patients was 8.5±4.5 years. 894(59.4%) were boys and 612(40.4%) were girls. The most common diagnoses at the outpatient clinic were retardation in cognitive development 406(27%), cerebral palsy 126(8.4%), autism 120(8%), speech delay 110(7.3%), and developmental delayn99(6.6%). In a pediatric neurology department, 487(32.3%) patients were scored in the nervous system and movement domain. 445(91.4%) patients were scored in the movement domain and 42(8.6%) patients in the nervous system domain. 237(48.7%) patients were given a "special condition requirement" score. Conclusion: Health board examinations constitute the patient groups that pediatric neurologists frequently encounter in daily practice. Approximately one-third of the patients admitted to the health board have a disability related to pediatric neurology. Therefore, all healthcare personnel, especially pediatric neurologists, have important duties.

Plasma Exchange in Pediatric Neurology Patients: A Single-Center Experience.

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a procedure involving the filtration of a patient's plasma to eliminate pathogenic components or address deficiencies. This technique finds varied indications in the pediatric age group, particularly in neuroinflammatory diseases. The objective of this study is to delve into our local experience with TPE, focusing on indications, outcomes, and complications among children with neurological diseases at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Conducted at the pediatric department of KAUH in Jeddah from November 2008 to July 2023, this retrospective cohort study examined 15 patients, revealing a notable male predominance with 12 male patients (80%) and three female patients (20%). About two-thirds of patients exhibited an average illness severity, with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 10.7 and anExpanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 4.8. The median length of hospital stay was 23 days, and in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), it was 8.5 days. Presenting symptoms included limb weakness (n = 6), loss of consciousness (n = 3), dysphagia (n = 3), photophobia (n = 1), and ascending paralysis (n = 1). The TPE was performed for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) (n = 7), myasthenia gravis (MG) (n = 3), transverse myelitis (TM) (n = 2), neuromyelitis optica (NMO) (n = 2), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cerebritis (n = 1). Twelve patients were admitted to the PICU, and mechanical ventilation was required for 10 patients. In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, abnormalities were observed in 10 cases, while the remaining five either had normal results or did not undergo MRI. Most patients required five sessions of TPE (n = 7). The median age at the initiation of TPE was 13 years. Twelve patients improved with TPE treatment, while three did not. Complications observed during and following TPE included fever (n = 5), electrolyte disturbance (n = 5), hypotension (n = 3), hypocalcemia (n = 2), bradycardia (n = 2), vomiting (n = 1), tachycardia (n = 1), eye rash (n = 1), infection (n = 1), and bleeding originating from the TPE procedure site (n = 1). In conclusion, our study underscores the significance of TPE as a therapeutic modality, emphasizing the imperative for ongoing research to fully exploit its potential across diverse medical contexts for enhancing patient care. Our findings, consistent with prior research, reveal plasma exchange's (PLEX's) wide-ranging applications and complications in neurological disorders.

Pediatrik nöroloji polikliniğine başvuran hastalarda tamamlayıcı ve alternatif tıp uygulamalarının kullanımı

Introduction: Despite the developments in pharmacologic treatments, traditional and complementary therapies have recently gained popularity in our country, as well as around the world.
 Aim: To question complementary and alternative medicine practices CAMP during clinical visits of pediatric neurology patients, to raise awareness of families and patients about the use of complementary and alternative medicine, and to prevent possible negative interactions.
 Methods: This prospective survey study was conducted with the parents of 300 pediatric patients aged between 6 months and 18 years, who were being treated at the Child Neurology Clinic between March 1st and May 30th, 2020. For the study, 360 patients’ parents who came to the Pediatric Neurology clinic for treatment were randomly selected, and a face-to-face survey lasting 2 minutes was conducted with 300 patients’ parents who agreed to participate in the study.
 This study was approved with the decision number E-20-12-62 at the meeting dated 21.12.2020 of the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of SBU Ankara Dr Sami Ulus Gynecology and Childhood Health and Diseases Training and Research Hospital.
 Results: Three hundred parents (56% women) participated in the study. Just over half (55.3%) of the patients were followed up with a diagnosis of epilepsy, 56.6% of the parents stated that they had used traditional and complementary therapy methods before, 43.4% stated that they did not use it, 46.54% stated that they used prayer and 23,9% used vitamin methods, respectively.
 Conclusion: In neurologic diseases, parents use traditional and complementary therapies as treatment methods, creating an alternative to modern medicine. Families and patients should be informed by investigating the reasons and frequency of using traditional and complementary therapies, raising the awareness of parents, and determining the possible harm caused by traditional and complementary therapies.

Correlation between the actual sleep time 24 hours prior to an examination and the time to achieve chloral hydrate sedation in pediatric patients in South Korea: a prospective cohort study.

This study investigated correlations between the actual sleep time 24 hours prior to an examination and the time to achieve chloral hydrate sedation in pediatric patients. With parental consent, 84 children who were placed under moderate or deep sedation with chloral hydrate for examinations from November 19, 2020 to July 9, 2022 were recruited. Patients' average age was 19.9 months. Pediatric neurology patients and those who underwent electroencephalography took significantly longer to achieve sedation with chloral hydrate. There was a negative correlation between the time to achieve sedation and actual sleep time within 24 hours prior to the examination. Positive correlations were found between the actual sleep time 24 hours prior to the examination and the second dose per weight, as well as between the sedation recovery time and awake hours before the examination. Sleep restriction is not an effective adjuvant therapy for chloral hydrate sedation in children, and sedation effects vary according to pediatric patients' characteristics. Therefore, it would be possible to reduce the unnecessary efforts of caregivers who restrict children's sleep for examinations. It is more important to educate parents about safe sedation than about sleep restriction.

THE USE OF RUQYAH QUR’ANIYAH THERAPY ON THE EFFECT OF BRAIN WAVES HEALING TOURETTE SYNDROME PATIENTS

Ruqyah is a prayer therapy used for specific treatments, which consists of a particular series of readings from the sources of the verses of the Qur’an and the hadith of the Prophet Muhamad SAW. Imam Qurtubi believed that ‘ruqyah quraniyah’ therapy could contribute to healing physical and spiritual ailments. The resonance effect on the ruqyah therapy of the verses of the Qur’an has a tremendous impact on each reading that is heard (voiced) for various objects. The Research question in this research is how the effectiveness of using ruqyah quraniyah on the effect of brain waves on the healing of Tourette syndrome patients at dr.Sardjito Yogyakarta? This study uses a qualitative method with an experimental phenomenological approach. The experimental stage stimulated it with a variant of the codification of the ruqyah verses in the form of ‘Hizb Bahr,’ which was tested on pediatric neurology patients for eight weeks so that the patient’s brain memory records resulted in refraction and habits. This result indicates that patients with TS change to improve along with psychological conditions that can be calmed by listening to the beauty of the ‘Hizb Bahr’ in daily life for eight consecutive weeks. The state of listening to the beauty of reading the Qur’an in this ‘ruqyah quraniyah’ codification model essentially conditions the patient’s brain waves at the alpha level. No frontal beta makes the patient perform reflex activities as long as his psychological state is calm and controlled.

Clinical Profile of Pediatric Neurology Disorders: A Study From a Semi-Urban Medical College in Northwestern India.

Neurological disorders are characterized by dysfunction in any part of the nervous system and are a major cause of disability among children and adolescentsin developing countries, just as it is in India. There is a lack of information on the prevalence of neurological disorders in developing countries due to the lack of quality health information and a lack of awareness of these disorders. This local study aims to provide an understanding of the profile and characteristics of neurological disorders in children that will aid in the development and implementation of preventive healthcare strategies. A retrospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics. All pediatric neurology patients' data were retrieved from January 2020 to December 2020. Of the 12,782 children seen in the pediatric outpatient department (OPD), 133 (1.04%) had neurological disorders and about 65% were male. Childhood seizures 92 (69%) and developmental delay 13 (9.7%) were the most common neurological conditions, although there was an overlap of the conditions. This study provides some valuable information about common neurological disorders in children. Seizures, cerebral palsy, and developmental delay were the most common neurological disorders in children.

Reanalysis of exome negative patients with rare disease: a pragmatic workflow for diagnostic applications

BackgroundApproximately two third of patients with a rare genetic disease remain undiagnosed after exome sequencing (ES). As part of our post-test counseling procedures, patients without a conclusive diagnosis are advised to recontact their referring clinician to discuss new diagnostic opportunities in due time. We performed a systematic study of genetically undiagnosed patients 5 years after their initial negative ES report to determine the efficiency of diverse reanalysis strategies.MethodsWe revisited a cohort of 150 pediatric neurology patients originally enrolled at Radboud University Medical Center, of whom 103 initially remained genetically undiagnosed. We monitored uptake of physician-initiated routine clinical and/or genetic re-evaluation (ad hoc re-evaluation) and performed systematic reanalysis, including ES-based resequencing, of all genetically undiagnosed patients (systematic re-evaluation).ResultsAd hoc re-evaluation was initiated for 45 of 103 patients and yielded 18 diagnoses (including 1 non-genetic). Subsequent systematic re-evaluation identified another 14 diagnoses, increasing the diagnostic yield in our cohort from 31% (47/150) to 53% (79/150). New genetic diagnoses were established by reclassification of previously identified variants (10%, 3/31), reanalysis with enhanced bioinformatic pipelines (19%, 6/31), improved coverage after resequencing (29%, 9/31), and new disease-gene associations (42%, 13/31). Crucially, our systematic study also showed that 11 of the 14 further conclusive genetic diagnoses were made in patients without a genetic diagnosis that did not recontact their referring clinician.ConclusionsWe find that upon re-evaluation of undiagnosed patients, both reanalysis of existing ES data as well as resequencing strategies are needed to identify additional genetic diagnoses. Importantly, not all patients are routinely re-evaluated in clinical care, prolonging their diagnostic trajectory, unless systematic reanalysis is facilitated. We have translated our observations into considerations for systematic and ad hoc reanalysis in routine genetic care.

Trends in the Utilization of Teleneurology and Other Healthcare Resources Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in an Urban, Tertiary Health System.

BackgroundPatient groups traditionally affected by health disparities were less likely to use video teleneurology (TN) care during the initial COVID-19 pandemic surge in the United States. Whether this asymmetry persisted later in the pandemic or was accompanied with a loss of access to care remains unknown.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using patient data from a multicenter healthcare system in New York City. We identified all established pediatric or adult neurology patients with at least two prior outpatient visits between June 16th, 2019 and March 15th, 2020 using our electronic medical record. For this established pre-COVID cohort, we identified telephone, in-person, video TN or emergency department visits and hospital admissions for any cause between March 16th and December 15th, 2020 (“COVID period”). We determined clinical, sociodemographic, income, and visit characteristics. Our primary outcome was video TN utilization, and our main secondary outcome was loss to follow-up during the COVID period. We used multivariable logistic regression to model the relationship between patient-level characteristics and both outcomes.ResultsWe identified 23,714 unique visits during the COVID period, which corresponded to 14,170 established patients from our institutional Neurology clinics during the pre-COVID period. In our cohort, 4,944 (34.9%) utilized TN and 4,997 (35.3%) were entirely lost to follow-up during the COVID period. In the adjusted regression analysis, Black or African-American race [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.60, 97.5%CI 0.52–0.70], non-English preferred language (aOR 0.49, 97.5%CI 0.39–0.61), Medicaid insurance (aOR 0.50, 97.5%CI 0.44–0.57), and Medicare insurance (aOR 0.73, 97.5%CI 0.65–0.83) had decreased odds of TN utilization. Older age (aOR 0.98, 97.5%CI 0.98–0.99), female sex (aOR 0.90 97.5%CI 0.83–0.99), and Medicaid insurance (aOR 0.78, 0.68–0.90) were associated with decreased odds of loss to follow-up.ConclusionIn the first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, we found sociodemographic patterns in TN utilization that were similar to those found very early in the pandemic. However, these sociodemographic characteristics were not associated with loss to follow-up, suggesting that lack of TN utilization may not have coincided with loss of access to care.

US Food and Drug Administration Facilitated Pediatric Approval Programs: Application to Pediatric Neurological Disorders.

Crucial time is often lost while waiting for approval of therapies for pediatric neurological disorders, many of which have aggressive manifestations with devastating effects. There are logistical, ethical, and financial impediments that face the studies needed to determine efficacy and safety of therapies in children. In this article, the authors present the Food and Drug Administration's programs aimed at facilitating the development of pediatric drugs, focusing on their application to pediatric neurological disorders. They also provide examples of drugs that received, or are currently enrolled in, these programs. Reflecting upon the commonalities of drugs receiving these designations, the authors highlight underlying ethical issues related to pediatric drug development and emphasize the need for structured incentives to stimulate approval and production of drug therapies for pediatric neurology patients. By consolidating information that applies to drug approval of pediatric neurological disorders, stakeholders in drug development can enhance treatment development for these disorders.

Patient perspectives in pediatric neurology: a critical shift in the paradigm of outcome measurement.

This review explores children's self-reported outcome measurements in pediatric neurology. We examine the following questions: (1) What is meant by patient-reported health, functioning, and quality of life outcomes? (2) How can patients express whether the interventions they receive do more good than harm? (3) Why and how should pediatric neurology patients help determine the outcomes of interest? (4) What tools and recommendations are available to evaluate the outcomes of interest? Applying patients' perspectives across the processes of evaluation of medical interventions has become an important expectation. These developments, consistent with current healthcare goals, coincide with the evolution of pediatric neurology into a sophisticated diagnostic-interventional field that aims to prolong survival, decrease impairments and symptoms, and improve patients' well-being - the recognized essential endpoints of interest in all medicine.

The Results of Whole Exome Sequencing Performed On Previously Undiagnosed Pediatric Neurology Patients.

ObjectiveWhole exome sequencing (WES) is a new molecular diagnostic test, used in pediatric medicine, especially pediatric neurology. The diagnostic yield of WES is higher than conventional methods. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the diagnostic yield of WES in a pediatric neurology clinic and to report positive results.Materials & Methods This retrospective study was performed on patients, presenting to the pediatric neurology clinic of Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, between March 2015 and March 2017, with various neurological disabilities and unrevealing workup before WES. The patients’ clinical features and molecular diagnoses based on the WES results were reported in this study.Results The overall diagnostic yield of WES was 82.71% (67/81 patients). Two patients were excluded for the lack of data. Sixty-five patients with pathogenic or possibly pathogenic variants exhibited various abnormalities, including intellectual disability/developmental delay (n=44), seizure (n=27), developmental regression (n=11), myopathy (n=9), microcephaly (n=8), neuropathy (n=2), autism spectrum disorder (n=2), and neuromuscular disease (n=2). Overall, 93.84% of the patients were born to consanguineous parents. Also, 62 patients had an autosomal recessive disorder, and three patients had an autosomal dominant disorder.ConclusionThe present findings indicating the high diagnostic yield of WES, besides the important role of this test in determining the etiology of non-specific and atypical presentations of genetic disorders, support the use of WES in pediatric neurology practice.

Quality and Safety Analysis of 2,999 Telemedicine Encounters During the COVID-19 Pandemic

To examine whether telemedicine remains safe and of high quality despite rapid expansion of services by comparing telemedicine encounters before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-post study investigating 2,999 telemedicine encounters: February 1, 2020-May 15, 2020, was performed. A total of 2,919 completed visits before and after strict social distancing implementation were analyzed for patient and provider characteristics, encounter characteristics (e.g., history and physical examination), and quality and safety metrics (phone calls ≤ 7 days postvisit, visit-cause-specific hospital admission or mortality ≤ 30 days after visit). Stratified analysis of 3 groups for outcomes (young age, neuromuscular diagnosis, and new encounters) was performed. Patients ranging from 1 month to 33 years of age were seen. Rural patients were less likely to be seen during the pandemic compared with urban patients (8% vs 90%; p < 0.0001); teaching clinic and specialty clinic encounters increased significantly during the pandemic (8% vs 3%; p = 0.005), and documentation of at least 2 systems on examination was noted significantly more frequently during the pandemic (13% vs 7%; p = 0.009). No deaths were reported. There were no differences before/during the pandemic in safety or telemedicine failure metrics within the entire group and high-risk subgroups. Despite a markedly and rapidly expanded scope of ambulatory telemedicine care during the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine remained a safe and high-quality option for pediatric neurology patients. In addition, populations perceived as high risk for telemedicine (the very young, new patients, and those with neuromuscular diagnoses) can benefit from telemedicine visits, particularly when access to in-person care is limited.

Transition to Adult Care in Youth with Epilepsy: One Center's Experience with a Transition Program and Its Integration within Telemedicine

AbstractNeurology patients often have disorders that require life-long care and ongoing treatment. The transition of pediatric neurology patients to adult neurology care, particularly in epilepsy, is an evolving concept that is recognized as important for patients and families. Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City has an established transition program that has been integrated into the neurology clinic as a part of standard care. Our experience and utilization of a transition program has provided our patients with a unique opportunity, empowering them to navigate their own care and create a seamless transition to adult neurology. Through a collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Department of Health Resources and Services Administration, we have proposed a practice model designed to create a medical home for children and youth with epilepsy in rural underserved areas of Kansas. One of the core end points of this study is transition of care for youth with epilepsy using telemedicine. In this article, we describe our experience with a transition program for epilepsy patients and describe the very early implementation of this program to a telemedicine transition program designed for underserved rural populations.

Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Neurology.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is central to how clinicians and parents make choices about medical care for pediatric neurology patients. To provide parents with the information they need to make these decisions and plan for the future, it is necessary for parents and clinicians to understand how HRQOL is defined and measured in the setting of pediatric neurodevelopmental impairment. We review challenges that exist in measuring HRQOL in pediatric neurology, examine existing measures, and outline key principles to guide selection and interpretation of HRQOL measures in children with neurologic conditions.

Integrative Medicine in Child Neurology: What Do Physicians Know and What Do They Want to Learn?

Pediatric neurology patients frequently use integrative medicine; however, providers may feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar with these therapies. Child neurologist attitudes toward integrative medicine and educational needs in integrative medicine have not been assessed. A national, anonymous survey was distributed to Child Neurology residents (n=294) and program directors (n=71) to assess attitudes toward specific integrative medicine modalities, practices in discussing integrative medicine with patients, and perceived need for a curriculum on integrative medicine; 61 (17%) partially and 53 (15%) fully completed the survey. Comparative analyses applied chi-square and independent t tests. Qualitative content analysis was performed on free text responses. Most providers surveyed consider mind and body practices safe (93% of respondents) and effective (84%), but have concerns about the safety of chiropractic manipulation (56% felt this was harmful), and the efficacy of homeopathy (none considered this effective). Few inquire about patient integrative medicine use regularly. Child Neurology residents are interested in further education on this topic.

Utilization of Complementary Medicine by Pediatric Neurology Patients and Their Families in Saudi Arabia.

IntroductionComplementary medicine (CM) consumption is a common practice worldwide. The objective of this study is to find the prevalence of parents visiting the neurology clinic who utilize CM to treat their children.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study that was done at King Abdullah Specialized Children Hospital (KASCH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between 2018 and 2019. By using a self-administered questionnaire, data were collected to recognize the prevalence of using CM and to identify the commonest type or method.ResultsA total of 352 parents were given the questionnaire. The prevalence of CM usage among participant was 42%, the most common type of CM was Quran recitation at 66%, followed by herbal medicine at 30% and cautery at 26%.ConclusionAlmost half of the parents who visited the neurology clinic at KASCH have used complementary medicine for their children, and nearly three-quarters of the parents who never used CM have thought about using it. Therefore, CM is common in the Saudi Arabian culture.

Pediatric Neuromuscular Diseases Prevalence in Siriraj Hospital, Thailand's Largest Tertiary Referral Hospital

Objective: There are no epidemiological data on childhood neuromuscular diseases in Thailand. We aimed to estimate the proportion of NMDs among pediatric neurology patients in Siriraj Hospital and determine the specific diagnosis. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the pediatric neuromuscular clinic at Siriraj Hospital between 2014 and 2016. Results: Of 1,994 patients aged &lt; 21 years with neurological diseases, 217 (10.88 %) had received a diagnosis. Diagnostic clarity can be achieved using clinical tools such as electromyography, serum creatinine kinase, muscle histo-immunology, and genetic analysis. Of the 217 patients, 143 (65.9 %) had inherited and 74 (34.1%) had acquired neuromuscular diseases. The most common inherited NMD were the Dystrophinopathies, including Duchenne / Becker muscular dystrophy (n = 58), while spinal muscular atrophy was the second most common (n = 25). Myasthenia Gravis was the most common acquired neuromuscular disease (n = 36). Conclusion: We found 10.88 percent of patients with neurological diseases have NMD. NMD is a chronic disease with poor quality of life and so multidisciplinary clinical care is crucial for these patients. In order to improve the standard of care, collaboration with government and other tertiary hospitals is important and will help serve a growing population of NMD patients.

Attitudes towards genetic testing and information: does parenthood shape the views?

This study examines how parents of pediatric patients might differ in their views and attitudes towards genetic technology and information when compared to adult patients. There is surprisingly little evidence on how parents compare to other parts of population in their attitudes. Previous empirical studies often relate health-related preferences and attitudes to factors such as age, education, and income instead of parental status, thus evading comparison of parents to others as health-related decision makers. Findings related to the parental status can be useful when implementing genetic technology in clinical practice. We conducted a survey of views on genetic technology and information for groups of adult neurology patients (n = 68) and parents of pediatric neurology patients (n = 31) to shed some light on this issue. In addition to our own survey instrument, we conducted other surveys to gain insight on psychosocial factors that might affect these attitudes. The results suggest that parents are more concerned about their children’s genetic risk factors when compared to the attitudes of adult patients about their own risk. For both groups, negative emotional state was associated with more concerns towards genetic information. Our study provides insights on how parental views might affect the acceptance of genetic technology and information.

Quality improvement strategies improve pediatric neurology inpatient discharges before noon.

Early hospital discharge is an important quality improvement (QI) measure that has not been well studied in pediatric neurology. The objective of our study was to implement strategies to improve hospital discharge times for patients admitted to the pediatric neurology service. This was a pilot QI study of hospital discharge before noon (DBN) in pediatric neurology patients admitted to a tertiary care children's hospital. The study duration was 6 months (12/2017-05/2018)-first 3 months preintervention and next 3 months postintervention. Strategies focusing on preidentifying MRI candidates and those needing home care services, identifying pharmacy preference, reviewing overnight video EEGs first thing in the morning, and implementing morning huddles, etc., were implemented. Demographic and clinical data were collected, including age, sex, race, and reasons for delay in discharge. Chi-square, t test, and survival analysis (log-rank test) were performed to determine differences between baseline and post-QI implementation. One hundred ninety-one patients were included in the study. There were 76 participants before the implementation of the study and 115 participants during the study. DBN percentage increased in the intervention period, from a baseline of 40.7% to 60.8%. Survival analysis showed that the discharge time after QI implementation improved significantly (p = 0.043). Our study successfully identified the factors associated with late discharge and developed effective strategies to improve DBN in an inpatient pediatric neurology setting.