Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · May 2022
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEarly Neuromuscular Blockade in Moderate-to-Severe Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
The use of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) is common but unsupported by efficacy data. We sought to compare the outcomes between patients with moderate-to-severe PARDS receiving continuous NMBA during the first 48 hours of endotracheal intubation (early NMBA) and those without. ⋯ Early NMBA use was associated with a longer duration of MV. This propensity score analysis underscores the need for a randomized controlled trial in pediatrics.
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Critical care medicine · May 2022
Multicenter Study Observational StudyPatient Heterogeneity and the J-Curve Relationship Between Time-to-Antibiotics and the Outcomes of Patients Admitted With Bacterial Infection.
Sepsis remains a leading and preventable cause of hospital utilization and mortality in the United States. Despite updated guidelines, the optimal definition of sepsis as well as optimal timing of bundled treatment remain uncertain. Identifying patients with infection who benefit from early treatment is a necessary step for tailored interventions. In this study, we aimed to illustrate clinical predictors of time-to-antibiotics among patients with severe bacterial infection and model the effect of delay on risk-adjusted outcomes across different sepsis definitions. ⋯ Antibiotic timing is a function of patient factors regardless of sepsis criteria. Similarly, we show that early administration of antibiotics is associated with improved outcomes in all patients with severe bacterial illness. Our findings suggest identifying infection is a rate-limiting and actionable step that can improve outcomes in septic and nonseptic patients.
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Critical care medicine · May 2022
The Child With Severe Chronic Illness in the ICU: A Concise Review.
Children with severe chronic illness are a prevalent, impactful, vulnerable group in PICUs, whose needs are insufficiently met by transitory care models and a narrow focus on acute care needs. Thus, we sought to provide a concise synthetic review of published literature relevant to them and a compilation of strategies to address their distinctive needs. ⋯ The future of pediatric critical care medicine is intertwined with that of children with serious chronic illness. More concerted efforts are needed to address their distinctive needs and study the effectiveness of strategies to do so.
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Critical care medicine · May 2022
Randomized Controlled TrialSimulation Versus Interactive Mobile Learning for Teaching Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation to Clinicians: A Randomized Trial.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has become integral to critical care. Data informing optimal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation education modalities are lacking. We aimed to compare the effect of high-fidelity simulation versus interactive mobile learning on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation knowledge acquisition and retention among clinicians. ⋯ Simulation was superior to QuizTime and experiential learning with regard to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation knowledge acquisition. Further studies are needed to ascertain the effect of these interventions on knowledge retention, clinical performance, and patient outcomes.