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. 2021 Feb 1:8:2333794X20967586.
doi: 10.1177/2333794X20967586. eCollection 2021.

Diagnostic Evaluation Low Yield for Patients with a Lower-Risk Brief Resolved Unexplained Event

Rita Haddad  1 , Sarah Parker  2 , Ahmad Farooqi  2 , Amy M DeLaroche  1
Affiliations

Diagnostic Evaluation Low Yield for Patients with a Lower-Risk Brief Resolved Unexplained Event

Rita Haddad et al. Glob Pediatr Health. .

Abstract

In contrast to patients with an apparent life-threatening event (ALTE), the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends very limited evaluation for patients categorized as lower-risk brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE). This retrospective review aims to explore potential missed diagnostic opportunities for patients with a lower-risk BRUE (n = 10) through comparison with a subset of patients with ALTE (n = 72). None of the patients with a lower-risk BRUE had laboratory, imaging or ancillary studies that were diagnostic. Among patients with ALTE, 5 had laboratory and 3 had imaging studies that were diagnostic. None of the patients with a lower-risk BRUE had recurrent events during hospitalization or a serious underlying diagnosis identified within the 90 day follow-up period. As recommended by the AAP, patients with a lower-risk BRUE do not need diagnostic evaluation and can be discharged home with outpatient follow-up.

Keywords: apparent life-threatening event (ALTE); diagnostic evaluation; emergency department (ED); lower-risk brief resolved unexplained event (BRUE); outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Diagnostic evaluation among patient with ALTE and BRUE.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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