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Multisite Validation of a Venous Thrombosis Risk Model in Critically Ill Children Through the CHAT Consortium
Julie Jaffray1, Brian R Branchford2, Maua Mosha Alleyne3
1Rady Children's Hospital, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States.
Insights
The Children's Healthcare Advancements in Thrombosis (CHAT) intensive care unit (ICU) risk assessment model (RAM) effectively identifies critically ill children at risk for hospital-associated venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE). This validated tool aids in determining which pediatric patients may benefit from thromboprophylaxis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Hematology
- Clinical epidemiology
Background:
- Critically ill children face a significant risk of hospital-associated venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE).
- A validated risk assessment model (RAM) is crucial for identifying pediatric patients who could benefit from thromboprophylaxis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively validate the Children's Healthcare Advancements in Thrombosis (CHAT) intensive care unit (ICU) VTE RAM.
- To assess the discriminatory ability and calibration of the CHAT-ICU RAM in a multicenter pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- Prospective multicenter cohort study involving 4,674 pediatric ICU patients aged 0-21 years.
- Validated the CHAT-ICU RAM, which includes variables such as CVC, immobility, congenital heart disease, autoimmune/inflammatory conditions, and hospital stay ≥3 days.
- Assessed model performance using area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves and calibration plots.
Main Results:
- The CHAT-ICU RAM demonstrated good discriminatory validity with an AUROC of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.64-0.78).
- The model showed good calibration, with a calibration slope of 1.0 (95% CI: 0.87-1.14).
- Risk scores from the RAM correlated with estimated probabilities of HA-VTE, ranging from 1% to 17.4%.
Conclusions:
- The CHAT-ICU RAM is a well-calibrated and valid tool for identifying pediatric ICU patients at high and low risk of HA-VTE.
- This risk assessment model can reliably guide decisions regarding thromboprophylaxis in critically ill children.
- The study confirms the clinical utility of the CHAT-ICU RAM in a diverse multicenter pediatric population.
Abstract:
Critically ill children have a high risk of hospital associated venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE). Developing a validated risk assessment model (RAM) to identify children who may benefit from thromboprophylaxis is essential. We aimed to prospectively validate the Children's Healthcare Advancements in Thrombosis (CHAT) intensive care unit (ICU) VTE RAM containing five clinically significant variables: CVC, immobility, congenital heart disease, autoimmune or inflammatory conditions and hospital stay of ≥3 days in a multicenter cohort study. Randomly selected patients aged 0-21 years admitted to a pediatric ICU (PICU) at 32 institutions were monitored via medical record review for HA-VTE. Discrimination was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. Calibration was assessed using calibration plots. Complete case and imputed analyses were performed and model risk scores were generated along with post-test probability. The RAM was validated in 4,674 patients with an AUROC of 0.71 [95% CI:0.64-0.78], calibration slope of 1.0 (95% CI:0.87-1.14) and intercept of 1.81x10-5 (95% CI: -5.40x10-3-5.44x10- 3). The AUROC for the imputed model was 0.69 (95% CI:0.68-0.70) with the calibration slope of 1.03 (95% CI: 0.85-1.21) and intercept of 1.22x10-3 (95% CI: -7.80x10-3-5.36x10-3). Calculated risk scores were 1 or 2 for each variable in the RAM with a total risk score ranging from 0 to 6. The estimated probability for developing HA-VTE ranged from 1% to 17.4% depending on the total score. In conclusion, the CHAT-ICU RAM has good discriminatory validity, is well-calibrated and reliably identifies children in the PICU at high and low risk of HA-VTE.
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