Developing pediatric respiratory failure definitions
Applying diagnostic criteria is a significant challenge in the pediatric population. The process is not “one size fits all,” as consideration must be made for unique circumstances, including prematurity adjustment for age, congenital conditions, and developmental stage, all of which may impact the patient’s presentation and the treatment plan. Due to these varying factors, both care providers and those reviewing for clinical validation require strong clinical judgment and critical thinking skills.
No organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, have put forth a universal consensus of diagnostic criteria to support the presence of acute respiratory failure in the pediatric population. This diagnosis relies on the patient’s clinical presentation and the physician’s judgment. If possible, we suggest developing organizational consensus definitions using agreed-upon diagnostic criteria with appropriate consideration for the patient population. The goal of clinical documentation integrity (CDI) is to create documentation that accurately reflects the physician’s intent and the care provided to the individual patient.
This white paper, published jointly by the Association of Clinical Documentation Integrity Specialists (ACDIS) and the American College of Physician Advisors (ACPA), aims to provide direction and advice in the development of institutional definitions for common, critical pediatric conditions, or to assist organizations in validating and refining their existing institutional definitions. It is Part 1 of a two-part series addressing respiratory failure in both pediatric and neonatal populations. Part 1 will focus on the pediatric population, i.e., patients older than 28 days and younger than 18 years.
