• Andrew T Costarino, Dingwei Dai, Rui Feng, Chris Feudtner, and James P Guevara.
• 1Department of Anesthesiology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. 2Division of Cardiac Critical Care, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. 3Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness and Policy Lab, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. 4Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. 5Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. 6Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. 7Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.
• Pediatr Crit Care Me. 2015 Sep 1; 16 (7): 605-12.

ObjectivesStress-related gastrointestinal bleeding may occur in PICU patients. Raising gastric pH with acid suppressant medications is the accepted treatment. We describe the use of histamine 2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors and associated factors among a national sample of PICU patients.DesignRetrospective cohort analysis using Pediatric Health Information System clinically detailed administrative database.SettingForty-two children's hospitals throughout the United States.PatientsAll hospitalizations for all patients 20 years old or younger, admitted directly to a PICU, from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2011.InterventionsNone.Measurements And Main ResultsThe exposure of interest was treatment with a histamine 2 receptor blocker, proton pump inhibitor, or both on the first day of PICU admission. Demographics, principal and additional diagnoses, and procedure codes were assessed. For each hospitalization, principal diagnosis, coagulation disorder, head trauma, spinal trauma, severe burns, sepsis, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, mechanical ventilation, blood product transfusion, and 10 complex chronic conditions were identified. The frequency of principal diagnoses was determined to identify the most prevalent PICU diseases. Acid suppressant use was categorized as high or low. Three hundred and thirty-six thousand ten inpatient hospitalizations were sampled. Histamine 2 receptor blocker or proton pump inhibitor was used in 60.0%, with histamine 2 receptor blocker alone in 70.4%, proton pump inhibitor alone in 17.8%, and both agents in 11.8%. Use increased over the sample years 2007 through 2011. Gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in 1.32% of hospitalizations with transfusion needed in 0.1%. Among most prevalent diagnoses, histamine 2 receptor blocker and proton pump inhibitor use ranged from 33% to 87%. Sepsis, coagulopathy, and mechanical ventilation identified higher use. Use of histamine 2 receptor blocker or proton pump inhibitor among hospitals varied considerably ranging from 28% to 87%.ConclusionsHistamine 2 receptor blocker and proton pump inhibitor are prescribed in most PICU patients, but significant variation exists across health conditions and hospitals. Institutional preferences likely influence variation. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage is infrequent in the current era. Study data limitations prevent examination of associations between medication use and patient outcomes.

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