Winter 2021 Edition
University of Alberta PEAK Research Team: Pediatric Emergency: Advancing Knowledge through Leadership, Collaboration, Excellence
Welcome to the Winter 2021 edition of the PEAK Research Team Newsletter! This newsletter serves as an update on the activities of the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Alberta and provides resources and information that may be of interest to readers.
Questions? Comments? Contact us at peakrt@ualberta.ca
Winter 2021 Highlights
Highlight: Ongoing PEAK Study
A randomized controlled trial of virtual reality-based distraction for venipuncture-related pain and distress in children
Virtual Reality (VR) technology is rapidly emerging as a novel distraction tool for pain and distress management among children undergoing various medical procedures. Unlike traditional distraction techniques, VR uses a combination of visual, auditory and tactile stimuli to create the illusion of being fully immersed in an artificial three-dimensional environment. To date, VR distraction therapy has shown promise for patients undergoing a range of distressing healthcare procedures, but its utility in the setting of common skin-piercing procedures, such as IV insertion, has been less studied. We are currently conducting a single-site, two-arm, randomized-controlled trial and hypothesize that the use of immersive, interactive VR distraction will reduce child pain, distress and fear associated with IV insertion, and improve overall satisfaction with the procedure for both the family and the health care team.
PEAK Research Team Member of the Month:
Dr. Michele Dyson
Dr. Michele Dyson has been an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and the Associate Director of the Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence (ARCHE) since 2015. Her background is in knowledge translation and knowledge synthesis and in her research, she applies these principles to advancing evidence-based practice in a range of child health topics. Recently, she has been interested in learning more about what happens after opioids are prescribed in the emergency department, and involving patients and families in determining how best to share research findings.
In Local Research
Ahrari M, Ali S, Hartling L, Dong K, Drendel AL, Klassen TP, Schreiner K, Dyson MP. Nonmedical opioid use following short-term therapeutic exposure in children: a systematic review. Pediatrics. 2021 Nov 24;. doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-051927.
Many caregivers do not know when to give their child/teen prescription opioids, partly because they worry about whether using opioids for even a short time is associated with later misuse or abuse. Our team recently completed a review of research studies to answer this important question. We discovered that the existing research is not always clear and sometimes contradictory. For example, some studies showed an increased risk with short-term use, while others did not. However, it does seem that teens and young adults who receive any opioid prescription are at risk for later use of opioids for nonmedical reasons, but we are not completely sure if this is true, specifically for short-term opioid prescriptions. Before a child or teen receives a prescription for opioids, the healthcare provider should perform a screen for risk of opioid use disorder so that they can take extra precautions if need be. The healthcare provider should also make sure that the family knows how to safely dispose of any opioids that were not taken. It is very important that pain is properly treated, so if opioids are used as directed for a short time, it is okay to take them.
PEM Networks Updates
Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP)
SKIP has partnered with HSO and the Standards Council of Canada to create a draft national standard for Pediatric Pain Management.
Public reviews are an opportunity for anyone to review and comment on draft standards before they are published. Please share your thoughts on this draft standard and share widely in your network!
This review is open until 11:59pm ET on January 21, 2022.
Needle pain and anxiety management for vaccinations
SKIP has updated its needle pain and anxiety management resource for vaccinations.
TREKK: Translating Knowledge for Kids
TREKK is a knowledge mobilization network established to address critical knowledge gaps and improve emergency care for children across Canada.
Dr. Michele Dyson, from the PEAK Research Team, along with Kelsey Wright and Zahra Saidhersi recently produced infographics on opioids and children for youth, caregivers, and clinicians.
New PEAK Research Team Publications
Ahrari M, Ali S, Hartling L, Dong K, Drendel AL, Klassen TP, Schreiner K, Dyson MP. Nonmedical Opioid Use After Short-term Therapeutic Exposure in Children: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics. 2021 Nov 24;. doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-051927. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34816280.
Burt H, Doan Q, Landry T, Wright B, McKinley KW. The Impact of Universal Mental Health Screening on Pediatric Emergency Department Flow. Acad Pediatr. 2021 Oct 28;. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.09.021. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34757025.
Gaudet LA, Elliott SA, Ali S, Kammerer E, Stauffer B, Felkar B, Scott SD, Dennett L, Hartling L. Pet Therapy in the Emergency Department and Ambulatory Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Acad Emerg Med. 2021 Nov 24;. doi: 10.1111/acem.14421. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 34817908.
Goldman RD, Bone JN, Gelernter R, Krupik D, Ali S, Mater A, Thompson GC, Yen K, Griffiths MA, Klein A, Klein EJ, Mistry RD, Hall JE, Brown JC. National COVID-19 vaccine program progress and parents' willingness to vaccinate their children. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2021 Nov 19;:1-7. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1999144. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34797754.
Kumar K, Ali S, Sabhaney V, Trottier E, Drendel A, Bhatt M, Boisvert L, Poonai N. Anxiolysis for laceration repair in children: a survey of pediatric emergency providers in Canada. CJEM. 2021 Nov 8;. doi: 10.1007/s43678-021-00210-y. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34746980.
Trottier ED, Chan K, Allain D, Chauvin-Kimoff L. Managing an acute asthma exacerbation in children. Paediatr Child Health. 2021 Nov;26(7):438-439. doi: 10.1093/pch/pxab058. eCollection 2021 Nov. Review. PubMed PMID: 34777663; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8581519.
Ware AL, Yeates KO, Geeraert B, Long X, Beauchamp MH, Craig W, Doan Q, Freedman SB, Goodyear BG, Zemek R, Lebel C. Structural connectome differences in pediatric mild traumatic brain and orthopedic injury. Hum Brain Mapp. 2021 Nov 8;. doi: 10.1002/hbm.25705. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34748258.
Questions, feedback or comments? Contact peakrt@ualberta.ca.
