Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35451632›Full record

ArticlePediatric radiology2022

Efficacy of standardizing fibrinolytic therapy for parapneumonic effusion.

Charles A James, P Spencer Lewis, Mary B Moore, Kevin Wong, Emily K Rader, Paula K Roberson, Nancy A Ghaleb, Hanna K Jensen, Amir H Pezeshkmehr, Michael H Stroud and 1 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric radiology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Use of Intrapleural Alteplase in the Treatment of Parapneumonic Effusion in Children: A Report of a 10-year Experience.The journal of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics : JPPT : the official journal of PPAG · 2025
    Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Charles A JamesRadiology Department, Arkansas Children's Hospital and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Slot 105, 1 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA. JamesCharlesA@uams.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-5818-4808
P Spencer LewisRadiology Department, Arkansas Children's Hospital and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Slot 105, 1 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.
Mary B MooreRadiology Department, Arkansas Children's Hospital and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Slot 105, 1 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.
Kevin WongRadiology Department, Arkansas Children's Hospital and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Slot 105, 1 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.
Emily K RaderQuality, Risk, and Safety Department, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Paula K RobersonBiostatistics Department, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Nancy A GhalebAnesthesia Department, Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
Hanna K JensenRadiology Department, Arkansas Children's Hospital and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Slot 105, 1 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.
Amir H PezeshkmehrRadiology Department, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Michael H StroudPediatrics Department, Arkansas Children's Hospital and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Daniel J AshtonRadiology Department, Arkansas Children's Hospital and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Slot 105, 1 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.
Arkansas Children's Hospital · USBaylor College of Medicine · USUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences · USWayne State University · US

Funding

Arkansas Center for Clinical and Translational ResearchUL1TR000039 · NCATS · UNIV OF ARKANSAS FOR MED SCIS · PI BECK, CORNELIA MARIE, JAMES, LAURA P · 2012 to 2014
$10.0M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000039
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile chest tube placement with pleural fibrinolytic medication is the established treatment of pediatric empyema, treatment failure is reported in up to 20% of these children.

objectiveStandardizing fibrinolytic administration among interventional radiology (IR) physicians to improve patient outcomes in pediatric parapneumonic effusion. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe introduced a hospital-wide clinical pathway for parapneumonic effusion (1-2 mg tissue plasminogen activator [tPA] twice daily based on pleural US grade); we then collected prospective data for IR treatment May 2017 through February 2020. These data included demographics, co-morbidities, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, pleural US grade, culture results, daily tPA dose average, twice-daily dose days, skipped dose days, pleural therapy days, need for chest CT/a second IR procedure/surgical drainage, and length of stay. We compared the prospective data to historical controls with IR treatment from January 2013 to April 2017.

resultsSixty-three children and young adults were treated after clinical pathway implementation. IR referrals increased (P = 0.02) and included higher co-morbidities (P = 0.005) and more PICU patients (P = 0.05). Mean doses per day increased from 1.5 to 1.9 (P < 0.001), twice-daily dose days increased from 38% to 79% (P < 0.001) and median pleural therapy days decreased from 3.5 days to 2.5 days (P = 0.001). No IR patients needed surgical intervention. No statistical differences were observed for gender/age/weight, US grade, need for a second IR procedure or length of stay. US grade correlated with greater positive cultures, need for chest CT/second IR procedure, and pleural therapy days.

conclusionInterventional radiology physician standardization improved on a clinical pathway for fibrinolysis of parapneumonic effusion. Despite higher patient complexity, pleural therapy duration decreased. There were no chest tube failures needing surgical drainage.

Indexed as

Empyema, PleuralPleural EffusionChildFibrinolytic AgentsHumansProspective StudiesRetrospective StudiesThrombolytic TherapyTissue Plasminogen ActivatorYoung AdultFibrinolytic AgentsTissue Plasminogen ActivatorChest tubeChildrenClinical pathwayEmpyemaFibrinolyticInterventional radiologyParapneumonic effusionTissue plasminogen activator

Identifiers

PMID35451632
PMCPMC9023697
OpenAlexW4224215677

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.