Anales de pediatría : publicación oficial de la Asociación Española de Pediatría (A.E.P.)
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Multicenter Study
[Prevalence of mechanical ventilation in pediatric intensive care units in Spain].
To study the prevalence and characteristics of mechanical ventilation in children admitted to Spanish pediatric intensive care units (PICU). ⋯ A high percentage of children admitted to the PICU requires mechanical ventilation. The most frequent indication is respiratory failure. The most frequently used modality in children aged less than 1 month is pressure SIMV. In children older than 1 month volume-cycled or pressure-limited ventilation and volume-cycled SMIV are used in similar proportions. The prevalence of prolonged mechanical ventilation and the incidence of ventilator-associated complications are very high.
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To analyze whether erythropoietin treatment increases hemoglobin and decreases transfusion requirements in critically ill children. ⋯ Erythropoietin can be an effective treatment for anemia in some critically ill children, decreasing the number of transfusions and increasing hemoglobin.
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To describe the characteristics of patients with tap-water scalds admitted to our hospital and review current knowledge on their prevention. ⋯ Because of the frequency and severity of the burns reported in this study, pediatricians should increase their efforts in educating families about this type of burn. In addition, effective legislation should be implemented in Spain.
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Mortality due to meningococcal sepsis continues to be extremely high. Patients with a poor prognosis require aggressive therapy and should be identified early. ⋯ In meningococcal sepsis, death is more frequent in children with high body weight percentiles. Moreover, these children present elevated PRL and LPT levels, although whether these variables act independently remains to be elucidated.