Supplementary Material for: Changing Trends in Brain Imaging Technique for Pediatric Patients with Ventriculoperitoneal Shunts
Trost M.J.
Robison N.
Coffey D.
Mamey M.R.
Robison R.A.
10.6084/m9.figshare.5798241.v1
https://karger.figshare.com/articles/figure/Supplementary_Material_for_Changing_Trends_in_Brain_Imaging_Technique_for_Pediatric_Patients_with_Ventriculoperitoneal_Shunts/5798241
<p><b><i>Background:</i></b> Children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts
(VPS) undergoing brain computed tomography (CT) for shunt malfunction
evaluation are at risk for later malignancy due to radiation exposure.
We aimed to determine if and how hospitals have adopted
radiation-avoiding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. <b><i>Methods:</i></b>
We performed a secondary analysis of the Pediatric Health Information
System (PHIS) database. Children with VPS presenting to acute wards at
31 PHIS hospitals between January 1, 2007 and January 2, 2015 and
receiving noncontrast neuroimaging on day of service 0/1 were included.
Outcome measures were (1) incidence of MRI over time and (2) comparison
of demographic characteristics between hospitals with MRI representing
higher versus lower proportions (>15% or <15%) of total brain
imaging. <b><i>Results:</i></b> MRIs increased by 18.1% from 2007 to 2015. Hospitals were assigned to high-use (<i>n</i> = 12) or minimal-use (<i>n</i>
= 19) MRI groups based on year 2014/2015 MRI percentages. The only
identified difference was an older mean age in the high-use group (8.1
vs. 7.5 years; <i>p</i> = 0.03). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> MRI is
increasingly used to evaluate patients with VPS. Hospitals with more MRI
use had older patients and no increase in cost or length of stay.
Initiating local quality improvement projects may help identify barriers
to MRI uptake and increase use.</p>
2018-01-18 13:18:34
Shunt malfunction
Diagnostic imaging