Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41387552›Full record

ArticlePediatric research2025

Early prediction of antibiotic need and bacteremia risk in non-immunocompromised pediatric emergency patients using machine learning.

Tom Velez, Oluwakemi Badaki-Makun, Danielle Hirsch, Danielle Claire Mercurio, Holly Depinet, Maya Dewan, Rishikesan Kamaleswaran, Jocelyn Grunwell, Maria Triantafyllou, Fehima Abdelrahman and 2 more

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Article in Pediatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

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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

12 authors.

Tom VelezComputer Technology Associates, Cardiff, CA, USA.
Oluwakemi Badaki-MakunDivision of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Danielle HirschDivision of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, Germany.
Danielle Claire MercurioDivision of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL, Germany.
Holly DepinetDivision of Emergency Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Maya DewanDepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Rishikesan KamaleswaranDepartment of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Jocelyn GrunwellDepartment of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Maria TriantafyllouChildren's National Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
Fehima AbdelrahmanChildren's National Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
Charles MaciasDivision of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Ioannis KoutroulisChildren's National Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA. ikoutroulis@gwu.edu.

Funding

Biomarker-enhanced Artificial Intelligence-Based Pediatric Sepsis Screening Tool Towards Early Recognition and Personalized TherapeuticsR41AI167224 · NIAID · COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATES, INC. · PI KOUTROULIS, IOANNIS, VELEZ, CARMELO ELLIOT · 2022 to 2023
$597k
NIAID NIH HHS R41 AI167224
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTimely identification of serious bacterial infections in children presenting to emergency departments is critical, especially among non-immunocompromised children, where early symptoms can be nonspecific. Although many children receive empiric antibiotic treatment based on clinical suspicion, true bloodstream infection is relatively uncommon, and unnecessary antibiotics can contribute to adverse effects and antimicrobial resistance.

methodsTo support individualized decision-making, we developed and evaluated a two-part machine learning framework using retrospective electronic health record data from 5706 pediatric patients aged 3 months to 17 years across six emergency departments. The first model predicted clinical deterioration-defined as admission to intensive care, use of vasopressors, mechanical ventilation, or in-hospital death-among children in whom antibiotics were initially withheld. The second model predicted the likelihood of bacteremia among those who received early empiric antibiotics. Both models were built using XGBoost and evaluated through cross-validation.

resultsPerformance was strong, with high area under the curve values and negative predictive values above 96%. Predictive features included supplemental oxygen use, fever, low oxygen saturation, age, and abnormal laboratory values.

conclusionsThis dual-model framework offers interpretable, evidence-based support for early treatment decisions and could improve both patient safety and antibiotic stewardship in pediatric emergency care. IMPACT: This study introduces a dual machine learning framework that informs early antibiotic decisions in non-immunocompromised pediatric emergency patients. It adds a novel two-model approach: one to predict deterioration when antibiotics are initially withheld, and another to predict bacteremia in those treated. Unlike prior tools, it uses harmonized multi-center EHR data and SHAP-based explain ability to support bedside clinical use. The impact lies in enhancing antibiotic stewardship and patient safety by identifying who may benefit from early antibiotics and who may safely avoid them.

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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.