Pediatric Endoscopy Practice Patterns in the United States, Canada, and Mexico

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
• Hepatology and Nutrition

Background:

• Endoscopic procedures are vital for diagnosing and managing pediatric gastrointestinal, liver, and biliary conditions.
• Therapeutic endoscopy, such as ERCP, is performed less frequently in children compared to adults.
• Previous studies have not formally assessed institutional volumes and practice patterns for advanced pediatric therapeutic endoscopy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate institutional volumes and practice patterns for advanced therapeutic pediatric endoscopy procedures.
• To identify challenges and potential improvements in pediatric therapeutic endoscopy services.

Main Methods:

• A 16-question online survey was distributed to North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition programs.
• The survey assessed practice patterns for pediatric endoscopy procedures.
• Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• 82.9% of surveyed centers responded, indicating widespread performance of esophagogastroduodenoscopy/colonoscopy (>90% of centers).
• Therapeutic endoscopy is less common, with 18.97% not performing ERCP and 91.38% performing <25 ERCPs annually.
• Over half of institutions (53.33%) do not offer endoscopic ultrasound, and 71.67% find their current pediatric therapeutic endoscopy arrangements inadequate.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric endoscopy practice patterns differ from adults in terms of training and procedure volumes.
• A significant portion of pediatric centers report inadequate resources for therapeutic endoscopy.
• Collaboration between pediatric and adult gastroenterologists may enhance care for pediatric patients requiring complex endoscopic procedures.