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Early discharge after paediatric liver biopsy: A prospective observational study
Fie Brantbjerg Tinning1, Jakob Stensballe2, Birthe Henriksen3
1Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Insights
Early discharge after percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) is safe for low-risk pediatric patients. Risk stratification effectively identifies patients eligible for reduced hospital stays, minimizing complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Interventional Radiology
- Patient Safety
Background:
- Percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) is a common procedure in pediatric patients.
- Historically, prolonged observation periods are standard after PLB.
- Optimizing discharge protocols can improve patient flow and reduce healthcare costs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the safety and efficacy of early discharge after PLB in children.
- To evaluate a risk stratification model for predicting bleeding complications.
- To determine if low-risk pediatric patients can be safely discharged earlier post-PLB.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational cohort study design.
- Paediatric patients undergoing PLB were stratified into low- and high-risk groups based on bleeding history and labs.
- Low-risk group discharged after 6 hours; high-risk group observed for 24 hours.
Main Results:
- 167 patients included: 119 (71%) low-risk, 48 (29%) high-risk.
- Two minor bleeding events occurred, both in the high-risk group.
- No bleeding complications were observed in the early-discharge (low-risk) group.
Conclusions:
- Pre-procedural risk stratification is effective in identifying bleeding risk in pediatric patients.
- Early discharge after PLB is safe for carefully selected low-risk children.
- This strategy can significantly reduce hospital admission duration for eligible pediatric patients.
Objective:
To evaluate the safety of early discharge after percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) in children using prospective bleeding risk stratification.
Methods:
In this prospective observational cohort study, paediatric patients scheduled for PLB were stratified into low- and high-risk groups based on bleeding history and laboratory values. Low-risk patients were discharged after 6 h, while high-risk patients were observed for 24 h. Outcomes included bleeding complications, transfusion requirements and readmissions.
Results:
A total of 167 patients underwent PLB; 119 (71%) were classified as low-risk and 48 (29%) as high-risk. Two minor bleeding events occurred, both in the high-risk group. Only high-risk patients received blood products prior to PLB.
Conclusion:
Pre-procedural risk stratification effectively identifies paediatric patients bleeding risk and eligibility for early discharge after PLB. This approach appears safe and can reduce hospital admission time for low-risk patients.
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