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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The present article reviews aspects unique to pediatric palliative care: the attitudes of medical staff toward pediatric death and life-threatening conditions, distinct patterns of pediatric deaths, the causes of suffering in children with life-threatening conditions and their families, and the features that make palliative care a challenge for children, families, medical staff and society. Concepts of pediatric palliative care and various approaches are described. ⋯ Special attention is paid to approaches that start palliative care at diagnosis of a life-threatening conditions, do not require a short-term life prognosis and do not exclude curative or life-prolonging therapies since these approaches can benefit both children who survive life-threatening conditions and those who die, as well as their families. The need for certain changes through education and research is proposed to improve the quality of life of children and families who currently suffer, satisfaction and cohesion among medical staff, and healthcare quality.