Author: Marian Chandler

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has brought to the fore concerns that nebulized medication delivery may potentially increase the risk of respiratory virus transmission to health care staff through virus aerosolisation.  To address this concern, participating study sites will have the option to use Primatene MIST “puffer” (MDI) in place of nebulized epinephrine to deliver inhaled epinephrine.   An ethics amendment was submitted and approved for the use of Epinephrine MDIs to be used for the study. New Zealand has commenced using the MDI’s on the 29 September and Australia will also commence using MDI’s when they arrive for the Australian sites.

In the interim, nebulised epinephrine continues to be used.

Recruitment:

• Recruitment in Canada remains challenging due to COVID.  All sites were instructed by their institutions to cease research activity due to COVID-19 for some months. Several sites were unable to resume recruitment until the MDIs were approved. Currently, all 6 Canadian sites are recruiting participants.
• Perth Children’s Hospital commenced recruitment in December 2020 for the unseasonal Bronchiolitis presentations and have continued to recruit throughout 2021 (total of 60).
• Women’s and Children’s Hospital Adelaide commenced recruitment on 29 July 2021 and have recruited a total of 6, with a brief period of COVID-19 related shut down.
• Monash Children’s Hospital have commenced recruitment on 09 Aug 2021 and have a total of 2 however due to COVID have had to put recruitment on hold. They are planning to recommence when the MDIs become available.
• New Zealand sites have deferred  commencement of recruitment due to various reasons, including waiting for the arrival of the MDI’s, a heavy clinical season that forced research staff to work clinically, and current lockdown related to COVID.
• Waikato Hospital has commenced recruitment on the 29 Sept and have recruited 2 patients. The 2 Auckland sites are still pending commencement.
• Overall, total number of recruited patients for the study is 230 of a total required 1616.

The PREDICT annual members meeting scheduled for Wednesday 20th October 2021 is fast approaching.  Please see revised agenda.  No further changes are planned unless last minute adjustments are needed.

You do not need to register for the meeting.

Every member has already received a calendar invite containing the Zoom link to join the meeting.  A reminder email containing the link will also be send out one week prior to the meeting and again a few days before.

Prior to the meeting you will also receive the PREDICT Project Report which includes a brief report on all of our various projects in key research streams since PREDICT network commenced.  We will also send you a summary of findings from the PREDICT Members Survey completed this year.

The meeting will be held from 11am-2pm AEST DS (VIC). 

Please see times for other Australian states and NZ below:

Brisbane – 10am
Perth – 8am
Adelaide – 10.30am
Darwin – 9.30am
Tasmania – 11am
Auckland – 1pm

If you have any questions please email either Cate Wilson or Marian Chandler who will be happy to assist you.  We hope as many members as possible can join us on the day.  Hopefully next year we will be able to meet in person.

Congratulations to the following PREDICT authors:

Bressan S, Klassen TP, Dalziel SR, Babl FE, Benito J, Chamberlain J, Chang TP, Freedman SB, Kohn Loncarica G, Lyttle MD, Mintegi S, Mistry RD, Nigrovic LE, Plint AC, Rino P, Roland D, Van De Mosselaer G, Oostenbrink R, Kuppermann N. The Pediatric Emergency Research Network: a decade old and growing. Eur J Emerg Med. 2021 Oct 1;28(5):341-343. doi: 10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000847. PMID: 34433789 No abstract available.

Haskell L, Tavender EJ, O’Brien S, Wilson CL, Borland ML, Cotterell E, Babl FE, Zannino D, Sheridan N, Oakley E, Dalziel SR. Can targeted interventions change the factors influencing variation in management of infants with bronchiolitis? A survey of Australian and New Zealand clinicians: A paediatric research in emergency departments international collaborative (PREDICT) study. J Paediatr Child Health. 2021 Sep 9. doi: 10.1111/jpc.15710. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34498782.

Singh S, Babl FE, Hearps SJC, Hoch JS, Dalziel K, Cheek JA. Trends of paediatric head injury and acute care costs in Australia. J Paediatr Child Health. 2021 Sep 15. doi: 10.1111/jpc.15699. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34523175.

Ibrahim LF, Tham D, Chong V, Corden M, Craig S, Buntine P, Jani S, Zhang M, George S, Kochar A, O’Brien S, Robins-Browne K, Tosif S, Daley A, McNab S, Crawford NW, Wilson C, Babl FE. The characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-positive children who presented to Australian hospitals during 2020: a PREDICT network study. Med J Aust. 2021 Aug 13. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51207. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34389995.

Dear PREDICT members

We have scheduled three  “New research idea” presentations at the PREDICT members meeting being held online via ZOOM on Wednesday 20th of October 2021.

• Do you have a proposal you would like to develop and present for feedback?  If so, please email the PREDICT research co-ordinator Catherine.wilson@mcri.edu.au, with a 1-2 page proposal by Friday 10th September 2021.
• The three researchers selected to present their idea will receive mentoring from one of the PREDICT Executive with relevant expertise.
• Presenters will be given five minutes to present the idea with an extra 10 minutes for discussion and questions.
• Presentations will be confirmed by 24th September 2021.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Congratulations to the following PREDICT authors:

Haskell L, Tavender EJ, Wilson CL, O’Brien S, Babl FE, Borland ML, Cotterell E, Sheridan N, Oakley E, Dalziel SR; Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT) network, Australasia. Development of targeted, theory-informed interventions to improve bronchiolitis management. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021 Aug 3;21(1):769. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06724-6. PMID: 34344383.

Ibrahim LF, Tham D, Chong V, Corden M, Craig S, Buntine P, Jani S, Zhang M, George S, Kochar A, O’Brien S, Robins-Browne K, Tosif S, Daley A, McNab S, Crawford NW, Wilson C, Babl FE. The characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-positive children who presented to Australian hospitals during 2020: a PREDICT network study. Med J Aust. 2021 Aug 13. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51207. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34389995.

Our “Getting to Know You” segment ensures PREDICT members are aware of new members, their interests and areas of expertise and where they are located.

This month we introduce Melissa Williams from Rockingham General Hospital in WA.  Welcome to PREDICT Melissa.

“I work at Rockingham General Hospital, a busy peripheral hospital located on Perth’s southern fringe. I work as a Registered Nurse and Research Nurse in our busy Emergency Department, I am also one of ED’s Sustainability Champions (recycling/sustainability lead). Our ED attends to care for for neonates, paediatrics, adults and as well as paediatric and adult mental health presentations. The Research Nurse role is new to RGH ED, however, I have been fortunate enough to be supported in the role transition by researchers at Perth Children’s Hospital.

I have a keen interest in ongoing research and the continuation of evolving best practice. I believe research is imperative in enabling clinicians to provide care of the highest quality, resulting in an overall positive influence on patient outcomes within the healthcare system.”

Acute Hypoxaemic Respiratory Failure aged 1-4  (Paediatric Acute Respiratory Intervention Studies)

Recruitment stats:

Study commenced December 15^th 2017 and study completed recruitment 27 March 2020 with recruitment of 1512 patients.

• Currently cleaning the dataset for analysis in August
• Manuscript currently drafted and ready to input the results and then circulate to PARIS investigators for feedback/comment prior to publication.

14 centres participating including:

Australia

• GCUH, Southport, Qld
• PCH, WA
• QCH, Brisbane, Qld
• RCH, Melbourne, Victoria
• Monash Health, Victoria
• JHCH, Newcastle, NSW
• Townsville, Qld
• The Prince Charles Hospital, Qld
• Caboolture Hospital, Qld
• Ipswich Hospital, Qld
• Redcliffe Hospital, Qld

New Zealand

• KidzFirst, Middlemore, New Zealand
• Starship Children’s Hospital, New Zealand
• Waikato Hospital, New Zealand

No significant issues with processes, eCRF, or site recruitment during the course of the study.  Data cleaning has taken a longer period of time due to occurring virtually for a large dataset.

News:

Extension of the PARIS Trials has now evolved into a new PARIS trial named Remote PARIS.  This will commence in August 2021 and is set in three remote and rural centres in Far North Qld: Cooktown, Weipa and Thursday Island.  The aim of this study is implementing what we have already learned with PARIS 1 and PARIS 2 pilot with the hypothesis that there will be reduced transfer rates out of these hospitals to Cairns and Townsville.  Education has already commenced, and the study starts in the next few weeks with the new Remote Context Nasal High Flow in children Qld Guideline being approved.

Donna Franklin is working with Weipa nurse and PhD candidate Sally West (James Cook University) on this study.  The PARIS study has grown many legs and we hope that the Remote PARIS study will be as successful as the other PARIS studies.

By now, all PREDICT Members should have received a link to the PREDICT Members survey – we are looking forward to your feedback.

The PREDICT Executive is wanting to gain an understanding of how PREDICT is perceived by its membership in relation to activities deemed critical for network success and desired outcomes. We are also wanting to explore how we can better facilitate network functioning and meet the needs of PREDICT members in the future.

The survey will finish at COB on Friday 20th of August 2021, reminders will be sent.

If you have any questions or want further information, please email:

Catherine.wilson@mcri.edu.au  or

Simon.craig@monash.edu.au