Prospective evaluation of a clinical decision tool to reduce childhood admissions to PICUs for poisoning: ReCAP 2 .

Aim: To prospectively validate a pediatric clinical prediction model to identify children at low risk of clinically significant ingestions to prevent unnecessary pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions. Methods: Calls received by the Georgia Poison Center about children for acute ingestions between May 25, 2017 and May 17, 2018 were scored in real time using the full, age-stratified, and simplified clinical scoring tool to r educe c hildhood a dmissions to P ICUs for p oisoning (RECAP2 ). Clinically significant ingestions with a poison center recommendation of PICU admission are defined in the simple RECAP2 model as ingestion of clonidine, ethanol, an oral anti-hyperglycemic agent, or exposure to carbon monoxide, as well as the presence of symptoms occurring within 2 h for an immediate release, or 4 h for an extended release, medication exposure. Model statistics and percent reduction in PICU admissions were computed. Results: There were 886 children admitted after ingestions, of which 454 (51.2%) children were admitted to intensive care. At the time of the initial poison center call to report the ingestion, 44 cases (5%) were incomplete using the full, age-stratified model compared to the complete scoring using the simple scoring model. Seventy-two children (8.1%) required monitoring or interventions performed only in a PICU. Real-time application of the full model compared with the simple model would have reduced PICU admissions by 33.3 and 31.7%, respectively. Conclusions: The simple RECAP2 clinical scoring model is a sensitive prediction tool to identify children at very low risk for clinically significant ingestions for whom PICU admission can be avoided. Clinical implementation of the simple RECAP2 model and recommendation for admission to an inpatient unit versus PICU should be further evaluated, to reduce unnecessary PICU admissions following acute ingestions.