Kari Torp

Establishment of an 11-year cohort of 8733 pediatric patients hospitalized at United States free-standing children's hospitals with de novo acute lymphoblastic leukemia from health care administrative data.

Background:Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) accounts for almost one quarter of pediatric cancer in the United States. Despite cooperative group therapeutic trials, there remains a paucity of large cohort data on which to conduct epidemiology and comparative effectiveness research studies. Research Design:We designed a 3-step process utilizing International Classification of Diseases-9 Clinical Modification (ICD-9) discharge diagnoses codes and chemotherapy exposure data contained in the Pediatric Health Information System administrative database to establish a cohort of children with de novo ALL. This process was validated by chart review at 1 of the pediatric centers. Results:An ALL cohort of 8733 patients was identified with a sensitivity of 88% [95% confidence interval (CI), 83%–92%] and a positive predictive value of 93% (95% CI, 89%–96%). The 30-day all cause inpatient case fatality rate using this 3-step process was 0.80% (95% CI, 0.63%–1.01%), which was significantly different than the case fatality rate of 1.40% (95% CI, 1.23%–1.60%) when ICD-9 codes alone were used. Conclusions:This is the first report of assembly and validation of a cohort of de novo ALL patients from a database representative of free-standing children’s hospitals across the United States. Our data demonstrate that the use of ICD-9 codes alone to establish cohorts will lead to substantial patient misclassification and result in biased outcome estimates. Systematic methods beyond the use of just ICD-9 codes must be used before analysis to establish accurate cohorts of patients with malignancy. A similar approach should be followed when establishing future cohorts from administrative data.

Dexrazoxane exposure and risk of secondary acute myeloid leukemia in pediatric oncology patients

Dexrazoxane may reduce anthracycline‐associated cardiotoxicity in pediatric cancer patients. However, concerns of secondary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have led to restrictions on pediatric dexrazoxane use in Europe. Published data about dexrazoxane‐associated secondary AML are limited and conflicting. We sought to estimate the secondary AML risk in children receiving dexrazoxane after anthracycline exposure.

Outcome of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients receiving intensive care in the United States.

Objective: Children with acute myeloid leukemia are at risk for sepsis and organ failure. Outcomes associated with intensive care support have not been studied in a large pediatric acute myeloid leukemia population. Our objective was to determine hospital mortality of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients requiring intensive care. Design: Retrospective cohort study of children hospitalized between 1999 and 2010. Use of intensive care was defined by utilization of specific procedures and resources. The primary endpoint was hospital mortality. Setting: Forty-three children’s hospitals contributing data to the Pediatric Health Information System database. Patients: Patients who are newly diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and who are 28 days through 18 years old (n = 1,673) hospitalized any time from initial diagnosis through 9 months following diagnosis or until stem cell transplant. A reference cohort of all nononcology pediatric admissions using the same intensive care resources in the same time period (n = 242,192 admissions) was also studied. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: One-third of pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia (553 of 1,673) required intensive care during a hospitalization within 9 months of diagnosis. Among intensive care admissions, mortality was higher in the acute myeloid leukemia cohort compared with the nononcology cohort (18.6% vs 6.5%; odds ratio, 3.23; 95% CI, 2.64–3.94). However, when sepsis was present, mortality was not significantly different between cohorts (21.9% vs 19.5%; odds ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.89–1.53). Mortality was consistently higher for each type of organ failure in the acute myeloid leukemia cohort versus the nononcology cohort; however, mortality did not exceed 40% unless there were four or more organ failures in the admission. Mortality for admissions requiring intensive care decreased over time for both cohorts (23.7% in 1999–2003 vs 16.4% in 2004–2010 in the acute myeloid leukemia cohort, p = 0.0367; and 7.5% in 1999–2003 vs 6.5% in 2004–2010 in the nononcology cohort, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia frequently required intensive care resources, with mortality rates substantially lower than previously reported. Mortality also decreased over the time studied. Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients with sepsis who required intensive care had a mortality comparable to children without oncologic diagnoses; however, overall mortality and mortality for each category of organ failure studied was higher for the acute myeloid leukemia cohort compared with the nononcology cohort.

Dexrazoxane Use in Pediatric Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic or Myeloid Leukemia From 1999 and 2009: Analysis of a National Cohort of Patients in the Pediatric Health Information Systems Database

Acute lymphoblastic (ALL) and myeloid leukemia (AML) account for approximately 26% of pediatric cancers. Anthracyclines are widely used to treat these leukemias, but dosing is limited by cardiotoxicity. Data support the efficacy of dexrazoxane as a cardioprotectant in children; however, dexrazoxane use in children is not universally accepted due to concerns about toxicity, impact on the antitumor effect of anthracyclines, and risk of secondary malignant neoplasms (SMN).

Induction mortality and resource utilization in children treated for acute myeloid leukemia at free-standing pediatric hospitals in the United States

Clinical trials in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) determine induction regimen standards. However, these studies lack the data necessary to evaluate mortality trends over time and differences in resource utilization between induction regimens. Moreover, these trials likely underreport the clinical toxicities experienced by patients.

Assembly of a cohort of children treated for acute myeloid leukemia at free-standing children's hospitals in the United States using an administrative database.

Pediatric Health Information System data were used to establish a multi‐center cohort of 1,686 children treated for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The cohort assembly process, which included myeloid leukemia ICD‐9 discharge diagnosis codes and manual review of induction chemotherapy, was validated by chart review at a single institution. The use of ICD‐9 codes alone resulted in a poor positive predictive value (PPV; 31%). Inclusion of the results from the chemotherapy review improved the PPV to 100% without compromising sensitivity (95.7%). This cohort provides a reliable source for future comparative effectiveness and clinical epidemiology studies in pediatric AML. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 508–511.

Variation in Risk of Hospital-Onset Clostridium difficile Infection Across β-Lactam Antibiotics in Children With New-Onset Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

BACKGROUND Antibiotic exposure is common among children with leukemia. However, limited data exist regarding the risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) across anti-pseudomonal β-lactam antibiotics commonly used for fever and neutropenia. METHODS A multicenter cohort of children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was established from 43 freestanding childrens hospitals from 1999 to 2009. Patients were followed until their index CDI event, defined by the CDI ICD-9 code plus a C difficile test charge, or until 180 days from ALL diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards models were performed to identify the hazards of CDI after exposure to anti-pseudomonal β-lactams, adjusting for demographics, other antibiotic exposures, severity of illness, antacids, gastrointestinal manipulation, and confounding by hospital. RESULTS A cohort of 8268 ALL patients was assembled; median age was 5.5 years (interquartile range, 3.26-10.58). Two-hundred sixty-eight (3.2%) patients developed CDI within 180 days of ALL diagnosis. Each 1-day increase in exposure to an anti-pseudomonal β-lactam within the prior 30 days was associated with a significantly increased risk for CDI (hazard ratio [HR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01, 1.09). Ceftazidime (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02, 1.08) and cefepime (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02, 1.12) were each independently associated with CDI. CONCLUSIONS Efforts to reduce total exposure to anti-pseudomonal β-lactam agents may help to reduce the risk of CDI in children with newly diagnosed ALL. Cefepime and ceftazidime were independently associated with CDI, whereas anti-pseudomonal penicillins and carbapenems were not. These findings, if confirmed, have potential implications for antibiotic choice during periods of fever and neutropenia.

Variation in hospital antibiotic prescribing practices for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract Antibiotic variation among pediatric oncology patients has not been well-described. Identification of significant variability in antibiotic use within this population would warrant evaluation of its clinical impact. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of newly diagnosed patients with pediatric acute lymophoblastic leukemia (ALL) hospitalized from 1999 to 2009 in 39 freestanding US childrens hospitals within the Pediatric Health Information System. Medication use data were obtained for the first 30 days from each patients index ALL admission date. Antibiotic exposure rates were reported as antibiotic days/1000 hospital days. Unadjusted composite broad-spectrum antibiotic exposure rates varied from 577 to 1628 antibiotic days/1000 hospital days. This wide range of antibiotic exposure was unaffected by adjustment for age, gender, race and days of severe illness (adjusted range: 532–1635 days of antibiotic therapy/1000 hospital days). Antibiotic use for children with newly diagnosed ALL varies widely across childrens hospitals and is not explained by demographics or illness severity.

Comparison of administrative/billing data to expected protocol-mandated chemotherapy exposure in children with acute myeloid leukemia: A report from the Children's Oncology Group

Recently investigators have used analysis of administrative/billing datasets to answer clinical and pharmacoepidemiology questions in pediatric oncology. However, the accuracy of pharmacy data from administrative/billing datasets have not yet been evaluated. The primary objective of this study was to determine the concordance of Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) administrative/billing chemotherapy data with Childrens Oncology Group (COG) protocol‐mandated chemotherapy and to assess the implications of this level of concordance for further PHIS research.

Antifungal Prophylaxis Associated With Decreased Induction Mortality Rates and Resources Utilized in Children With New-Onset Acute Myeloid Leukemia

BACKGROUND Invasive fungal infections cause significant morbidity and mortality for children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Data on the comparative effectiveness of antifungal prophylaxis in this population are limited. METHODS A pediatric AML cohort was assembled from the Pediatric Health Information System database using ICD-9 codes and pharmacy data. Antifungal prophylaxis status was determined by pharmaceutical data review within 21 days of starting induction chemotherapy. Patients were followed until end of induction, death, or loss to follow-up. Cox regression analyses compared induction mortality and resources utilized between patients receiving and not receiving antifungal prophylaxis. A propensity score accounted for variation in demographic factors, location of care, and severity of illness at presentation. RESULTS Eight hundred seventy-one AML patients were identified; the induction case fatality rate was 3.7%. In the adjusted Cox regression model, patients receiving antifungal prophylaxis (57%) had a decreased hazard for induction mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], .19-.90). Children receiving prophylaxis were less frequently exposed to broad-spectrum gram-positive (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.87; 95% CI, .79-.97) and antipseudomonal β-lactam agents (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, .85-.96), had fewer blood cultures (IRR, 0.78; 95% CI, .71-.86), and had fewer chest CT scans (IRR, 0.73; 95% CI, .60-.88). CONCLUSIONS Antifungal prophylaxis in pediatric AML patients was associated with reduced induction mortality rates and supportive care resources. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether antifungal prophylaxis should include antimold activity.