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Identification of Iatrogenic Perforation in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Oren Ledder1,2, Marek Woynarowski3, Diana Kamińska4
1From Juliet Keidan Institute of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
Insights
Pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) perforation is rare but serious. Most perforations are identified within 12 hours, often presenting with pain and fever, guiding better post-procedure monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- Surgical Complications
Background:
- Iatrogenic viscus perforation is a rare but severe complication of pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE).
- Current evidence-based guidelines for immediate post-procedure follow-up to detect perforations are lacking.
- This study aims to characterize the presentation of children with post-GIE perforation to inform management recommendations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the clinical presentation of iatrogenic viscus perforations in children following gastrointestinal endoscopy.
- To identify the time to diagnosis and management strategies for pediatric post-endoscopy perforations.
- To provide data for developing evidence-based post-procedural follow-up recommendations.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of pooled data from European, North American, and Middle Eastern centers.
- Data collected from affiliated Endoscopy Special Interest Groups of ESPGHAN and NASPGHAN.
- Standardized REDCap case-report forms used for procedural and patient data collection.
Main Results:
- Fifty-nine cases of viscus perforation were identified, with a median age of 6 years.
- Perforations occurred most frequently after esophagogastroduodenoscopy (49%) and ileocolonoscopy (44%).
- Over half (48%) of perforations were identified during the procedure, and 80% were identified within 12 hours, often presenting with pain and fever.
Conclusions:
- Iatrogenic perforation following pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy is rare, but timely identification is crucial.
- The majority of perforations are identified within 12 hours, with clinical signs like pain and fever being key indicators.
- This data can inform the development of guiding principles for post-procedural follow-up and monitoring in pediatric patients.
Objectives:
Iatrogenic viscus perforation in pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) is a very rare, yet potentially life-threatening event. There are no evidence-based recommendations relating to immediate post-procedure follow-up to identify perforations and allow for timely management. This study aims to characterize the presentation of children with post-GIE perforation to better rationalize post-procedure recommendations.
Methods:
Retrospective study based on unrestricted pooled data from centers throughout Europe, North America, and the Middle East affiliated with the Endoscopy Special Interest Groups of European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition. Procedural and patient data relating to clinical presentation of the perforation were recorded on standardized REDCap case-report forms.
Results:
Fifty-nine cases of viscus perforation were recorded [median age 6 years (interquartile range 3-13)]; 29 of 59 (49%) occurred following esophagogastroduodenoscopy, 26 of 59 (44%) following ileocolonoscopy, with 2 of 59 (3%) cases each following balloon enteroscopy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; 28 of 59 (48%) of perforations were identified during the procedure [26/28 (93%) endoscopically, 2/28 (7%) by fluoroscopy], and a further 5 of 59 (9%) identified within 4 hours. Overall 80% of perforations were identified within 12 hours. Among perforations identified subsequent to the procedure 19 of 31 (61%) presented with pain, 16 of 31 (52%) presented with fever, and 10 of 31 (32%) presented with abdominal rigidity or dyspnea; 30 of 59 (51%) were managed surgically, 17 of 59 (29%) managed conservatively, and 9 of 59 (15%) endoscopically; 4 of 59 (7%) patients died, all following esophageal perforation.
Conclusions:
Iatrogenic perforation was identified immediately in over half of cases and in 80% of cases within 12 hours. This novel data can be utilized to generate guiding principles of post-procedural follow-up and monitoring.
Plain Language Summary:
Bowel perforation following pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy is very rare with no evidence to base post-procedure follow-up for high-risk procedures. We found that half were identified immediately with the large majority identified within 12 hours, mostly due to pain and fever.
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