About

Kevin Dysart, MD, MBI, is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics specializing in Neonatology and Newborn Services at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. He is part of the Department of Pediatrics and is based at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, with contact information including an office located at 3401 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA, and an email address dysartc@chop.edu. Dr. Dysart completed his undergraduate studies at Villanova University in 1994, earned his MD from Hahnemann University in 1998, and obtained a Master’s in Biomedical Informatics from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2021. His professional focus includes neonatal care, with a particular interest in neonatal pulmonology, neonatal encephalopathy, and the application of machine learning and data analysis in neonatal and pediatric research.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Pediatrics
• Anesthesia
• Physical therapy
• Psychiatry
• Radiology

Selected publications

• National Estimates of Pediatric Sepsis in US Hospitals Using Clinical Data

  JAMA · 2026-03-22 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Importance: Pediatric sepsis causes substantial morbidity and mortality, but population surveillance relies on administrative codes with limited and variable accuracy. Objective: To estimate US national incidence, mortality, and trends of sepsis in nonneonatal children using a Pediatric Sepsis Event (PSE) definition adapted from the 2024 Phoenix criteria for scalable electronic health record (EHR)-based surveillance using routinely captured clinical data. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cohort study of 3.9 million hospitalizations (age, >30 days to 17 years) in 2 EHR datasets: Epic Cosmos (245 health care systems, 2016-2023) and HCA Healthcare (146 hospitals, 2018-2023). Secondary datasets were analyzed to assess feasibility of implementation and face validity across heterogeneous settings. The PSE was validated through medical record reviews of 581 high-risk encounters at 3 geographically diverse hospitals. Exposures: A PSE required presumed infection with concurrent organ dysfunction using Phoenix-derived thresholds adapted for routine EHR data. Septic shock was defined as a PSE with cardiovascular dysfunction. Main Outcomes and Measures: Sepsis incidence, characteristics, and in-hospital mortality were calculated. Sensitivity and specificity of PSE for physician-adjudicated Phoenix sepsis were compared with administrative codes for severe sepsis/septic shock. National sepsis case counts and deaths in 2022 and temporal trends from 2016 to 2022 were estimated using regression models. Results: Among 3 925 809 pediatric hospitalizations from 2016 to 2023, 51 542 sepsis cases (mean age, 6.6 [SD, 6.0] years; 22 840 [44.3%] female) were identified (1.3% incidence); 37 405 (72.6%) were community onset and 31 744 (61.6%) had septic shock. In-hospital mortality was 10.1% and sepsis was present in 17.8% of hospitalizations that culminated in death. Incidence, characteristics, and mortality were broadly consistent across secondary datasets. On medical record review, the PSE definition had 69.9% sensitivity (95% CI, 58.1%-79.8%) and 93.1% specificity (95% CI, 89.6%-95.7%), with higher sensitivity than and comparable specificity with administrative codes. National estimates for 2022 were 18 231 sepsis cases (95% CI, 16 129-20 334) and 1877 deaths(95% CI, 1629-2126). Neither sepsis cases nor deaths changed significantly from 2016 to 2022 (annual change, 0.2% [95% CI, -2.2% to 2.7%] and 0.3% [95% CI, -3.1% to 3.8%], respectively). Conclusions and Relevance: An EHR-based definition for pediatric sepsis demonstrated strong validity compared with physician-adjudicated Phoenix sepsis and identified sepsis in 1.3% of pediatric hospitalizations with 10% mortality, corresponding to more than 18 000 cases and more than 1800 deaths annually in the US.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Trends in Vitamin K Administration Among Infants

  JAMA · 2025-12-08 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This study evaluates whether the proportion of newborns in the US not receiving intramuscular vitamin K has increased in recent years and identifies factors associated with nonreceipt.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 760 Severe maternal morbidity and preterm birth rates in pregnant women with cystic fibrosis

  Journal of Cystic Fibrosis · 2025-10-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Whole-Body Hypothermia for Neonatal Encephalopathy in Preterm Infants 33 to 35 Weeks’ Gestation

  JAMA Pediatrics · 2025-02-24 · 30 citations

  articleOpen access

  Importance: Hypothermia begun less than 6 hours after birth reduces death or disability in infants with encephalopathy due to hypoxia-ischemia at 36 or more weeks' gestation. Trials of hypothermia for infants younger than 36 weeks' gestation are lacking. Objective: To assess the probability that hypothermia at less than 6 hours after birth decreases death or disability in infants 33 to 35 weeks' gestation with moderate or severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial was conducted between July 2015 and December 2022 for infants 33 to 35 weeks' gestation with moderate or severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy at less than 6 hours after birth. Bayesian and intention-to-treat analyses were prespecified. The setting included 19 US Neonatal Research Network centers. Data were analyzed from March 2023 to November 2024. Interventions: Infants received unblinded targeted esophageal temperature management. Infants with hypothermia were maintained at 33.5 °C (acceptable 33-34 °C) for 72 hours and then rewarmed. Infants with normothermia were to be maintained at 37 °C (acceptable 36.5-37.3 °C). Main Outcomes and Measures: Composite of death or disability (moderate or severe) at 18 to 22 months' corrected age adjusted for level of encephalopathy and center. Results: A total of 168 infants with hypothermia and normothermia were preterm (mean [SD] age, 34.0 [0.8] weeks' gestation and 34.1 [0.8] weeks' gestation, respectively), while 46 of 88 (52%) and 45 of 80 (56%) were male, respectively. Randomization occurred at mean (SD) 4.5 (1.2) hours and 4.5 (1.3) hours for the groups with hypothermia and normothermia, respectively. The primary outcome occurred in 29 of 83 infants (35%) with hypothermia and 20 of 69 infants (29%) with normothermia (adjusted relative risk [hypothermic/normothermic], 1.11; 95% credibility interval, 0.74-2.00), and death occurred in 18 of 88 infants (20%) with hypothermia and 9 of 78 infants (12%) with normothermia (adjusted relative risk, 1.38; 95% credibility interval, 0.79-2.85). Bayesian analysis with neutral prior indicated 74% probability of increased death or disability and 87% probability of increased death with hypothermia. Conclusions and Relevance: Among infants 33 to 35 weeks' gestation with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, hypothermia at less than 6 hours' age did not reduce death or disability at 18 to 22 months' corrected age. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01793129.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• High rates of severe maternal morbidity and preterm birth among pregnant individuals with sickle cell disease, a nationwide study from 2020-2024

  Blood · 2025-11-03

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Introduction: Previous data demonstrate that pregnant individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) face significantly elevated risks of severe maternal morbidity (SMM). Black individuals without SCD are also at high risk for SMM. A study of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2012-2018 showed that compared with non-Black patients, the adjusted odds of SMM were 7.22 (95% CI: 6.25-8.34) times higher in individuals with SCD and 1.45 (95% CI: 1.41-1.50) times higher in Black individuals without SCD, indicating that SCD confers a substantially greater risk beyond that associated with race alone (Early et al., 2023). However, these estimates were limited by older data and the lack of key clinical variables in the NIS, which may hinder adequate adjustment for confounding. To address these limitations and expand our understanding of delivery outcomes, we leveraged Epic Cosmos, a contemporary nationwide electronic health record (EHR) database, to provide updated estimates of both SMM and preterm birth (PTB) among individuals with SCD. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Cosmos, which includes clinical data from >300 million patients across all U.S. states and spans 1,748 hospitals. We identified all delivery encounters from 2020-2024, and to ensure patients contributed data only once, we randomly selected one delivery per patient with >1 pregnancy during the study period. SCD cases were defined as individuals with ≥3 encounters containing SMM was defined using the CDC algorithm that includes codes for 16 conditions and 5 procedures. To better isolate SMM events unrelated to the baseline SCD disease burden, we also conducted an analysis excluding sickle cell crisis and transfusion from the CDC definition of SMM. We performed multivariable logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs), and controlled for covariates including year of delivery, gestational age at birth, pregnancy-related conditions, and socioeconomic status. We compared the risk of SMM to all controls without SCD as well as to Black controls without SCD. We next evaluated PTB, defined as gestational age <37 weeks, by comparing rates between patients with SCD and healthy controls, with and without restriction to Black patients. Results: We identified 2,679 deliveries among pregnant individuals with SCD and 2,818,826 deliveries among those without SCD. Among Black or African American patients, 0.5% had SCD, consistent with national prevalence estimates. The incidence of SMM during the delivery encounter was 25% in those with SCD, compared to 2.4% in those without (aOR 8.67, 95% CI 7.76-9.67; p<0.001). When SMM was redefined to exclude sickle cell crisis and transfusion, the adjusted odds of SMM for patients with SCD remained significantly elevated (aOR 4.61, 95% CI 4.06-5.23; p<0.001). After restriction to Black or African American individuals, the adjusted odds ratio for all SMM among patients with SCD compared to controls was 8.97 (95% CI: 7.98-10.07; p<0.001) and for SMM exclusive of sickle cell crisis or transfusion was 3.47 (95% 2.87, 4.18; p<0.001). The adjusted odds of PTB were 1.66 times higher for individuals with SCD compared to those without (95% CI 1.48-1.86; p<0.001). When restricted to Black or African American patients, people with SCD remained at significantly increased risk of PTB (aOR 1.72, 95% CI 1.52-1.93; p<0.001). Conclusions: In the first nationwide study to use a large-scale, contemporary EHR database to evaluate SMM and delivery outcomes among pregnant individuals with SCD, we found that those with SCD have a significantly elevated risk of SMM. This risk persisted after multivariable adjustment, removal of sickle cell crisis and transfusions, and restricting to Black patients. In addition, we identified a significantly higher risk of PTB in patients with SCD, demonstrating another dimension of adverse pregnancy outcomes in this population. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive and current EHR-based analysis of maternal outcomes in SCD, including data from the post-COVID-19 era. Future directions include leveraging Cosmos to examine additional fetal and maternal outcomes, evaluate transfusion burden, and explore associations with baseline lab features. Our results reinforce the ongoing urgency to improve maternal outcomes in this high-risk population.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Severe maternal morbidity in polycystic ovary syndrome

  American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM · 2024-07-31 · 4 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• 599 Differing clinical management for postpartum hemorrhage and associated risk for intensive care unit admission

  American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2024-01-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Diaphragmatic Initiated Ventilatory Assist (DIVA) trial: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial comparing rates of extubation failure in extremely premature infants undergoing extubation to non-invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist versus non-synchronized nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation

  Trials · 2024-03-20 · 8 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Background Invasive mechanical ventilation contributes to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), the most common complication of prematurity and the leading respiratory cause of childhood morbidity. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) may limit invasive ventilation exposure and can be either synchronized or non-synchronized (NS). Pooled data suggest synchronized forms may be superior. Non-invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NIV-NAVA) delivers NIV synchronized to the neural signal for breathing, which is detected with a specialized catheter. The DIVA (Diaphragmatic Initiated Ventilatory Assist) trial aims to determine in infants born 24 0/7 –27 6/7 weeks’ gestation undergoing extubation whether NIV-NAVA compared to non-synchronized nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NS-NIPPV) reduces the incidence of extubation failure within 5 days of extubation. Methods This is a prospective, unblinded, pragmatic, multicenter phase III randomized clinical trial. Inclusion criteria are preterm infants 24–27 6/7 weeks gestational age who were intubated within the first 7 days of life for at least 12 h and are undergoing extubation in the first 28 postnatal days. All sites will enter an initial run-in phase, where all infants are allocated to NIV-NAVA, and an independent technical committee assesses site performance. Subsequently, all enrolled infants are randomized to NIV-NAVA or NS-NIPPV at extubation. The primary outcome is extubation failure within 5 days of extubation, defined as any of the following: (1) rise in FiO 2 at least 20% from pre-extubation for > 2 h, (2) pH ≤ 7.20 or pCO 2 ≥ 70 mmHg; (3) > 1 apnea requiring positive pressure ventilation (PPV) or ≥ 6 apneas requiring stimulation within 6 h; (4) emergent intubation for cardiovascular instability or surgery. Our sample size of 478 provides 90% power to detect a 15% absolute reduction in the primary outcome. Enrolled infants will be followed for safety and secondary outcomes through 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age, discharge, death, or transfer. Discussion The DIVA trial is the first large multicenter trial designed to assess the impact of NIV-NAVA on relevant clinical outcomes for preterm infants. The DIVA trial design incorporates input from clinical NAVA experts and includes innovative features, such as a run-in phase, to ensure consistent technical performance across sites. Trial registration www.ClinicalTrials.gov , trial identifier NCT05446272 , registered July 6, 2022.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 1083 Risk of Severe Maternal Morbidity in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

  American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2024-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 426 Brain natriuretic peptide testing and severe maternal morbidity in pregnancies affected by heart disease

  American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2024-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Rosemary D. Higgins

  Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

  69 shared

• Jay S. Greenspan

  68 shared

• Brenda B. Poindexter

  67 shared

• Erik A. Jensen

  University of Pennsylvania

  67 shared

• Abbot R. Laptook

  Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

  60 shared

• Matthew M. Laughon

  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  57 shared

• Michele C. Walsh

  Case Western Reserve University

  57 shared

• William E. Truog

  Clinical Trial Investigators

  55 shared

Education

• Masters of Biomedical Informatics

  University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

  2021

• Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Pediatrics

  Alfred I DuPont Hospital for Children

  2004

• Pediatric Residency, Pediatrics

  Alfred I DuPont Hospital for Children

  2001

• MD

  Hahnemann University Hospital

  1998

• Bachelors of Science in Chemistry

  Villanova University

  1994