Critical care medicine
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Critical care medicine · Dec 1987
Comparative StudyRadial arterial catheters in children and neonates: a prospective study.
Over a 3-yr period (1982 to 1984), 533 arterial catheters were inserted in 476 patients admitted to the pediatric ICU or the operating room. Radial arterial catheterization with small-bore, 0.8-mm, 22-ga Teflon cannulas was the most common method (376 of 533 cannulations), and 296 of these catheters were inserted in patients less than 1 yr of age. All catheters were flushed intermittently with heparin (12.5 U/ml) in isotonic saline. ⋯ No complications were noted, and the proportion of catheter malfunction decreased. This study confirms the safety of radial arterial catheterization in children and neonates. The continuous flushing system considerably improved catheter patency compared to a method using intermittent flushing.
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Critical care medicine · Dec 1987
Comparative StudyResuscitation with 7.5% NaCl in 6% dextran-70 during hemorrhagic shock in swine: effects on organ blood flow.
We previously reported that small volume infusions of 7.5% NaCl in 6% dextran-70 (HSD) are superior to equal volumes of normal saline (NS) or 7.5% NaCl in the ability to resuscitate animals from an otherwise lethal hemorrhage. In the present experiment, we evaluated organ blood flow in unanesthetized swine bled 46 ml/kg in 15 min and subsequently infused with a volume of HSD (n = 5) or NS (n = 5) equal to 25% of the shed blood. Radiomicrospheres were injected before hemorrhage, immediately after hemorrhage, and 5 and 30 min after treatment. ⋯ NS was unable to increase these flows significantly above post-hemorrhage levels. We conclude that small volumes of HSD can significantly improve organ blood flow after hemorrhagic shock. This improvement in flow may explain the increased survival observed with this solution and may attenuate some of the later complications of hemorrhagic shock.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 1987
Comparative StudyNoninvasive pulse oximetry in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease.
Arterial oxygen saturation, determined noninvasively by pulse oximetry in 32 pediatric patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD), was compared with oxygen saturation measured by a cooximeter in simultaneously obtained arterial blood samples. The patients were studied in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, operating room, and ICU. Excellent correlation by linear regression (n = 108, r = .95) was observed between the two methods at oxygen saturations ranging from 35% to 95%. These observations show that in infants and children with cyanotic CHD, arterial oxygen saturations can be determined accurately and reliably by pulse oximetry at rest and during changing circulatory states.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 1987
A technique for the administration of ribavirin to mechanically ventilated infants with severe respiratory syncytial virus infection.
Fifteen infants with respiratory syncytial virus pulmonary infection admitted to our pediatric ICU from December 1, 1985 through April 30, 1986, required mechanical ventilation. These patients were placed on an open trial of ribavirin therapy. We describe a technique for the safe delivery of aerosolized ribavirin to these infants while on the ventilator. ⋯ The highest positive inspiratory pressure generated was 42 +/- 9.5 (SD) cm H2O, the highest PEEP was 5.9 +/- 3.2 cm H2O, the duration of ventilation was 10.7 +/- 8.5 days, and exposure to fraction of inspired oxygen was greater than or equal to 0.6 for 55.3 h. Ribavirin levels were measurable in two patients, thereby demonstrating that the drug was in fact delivered and absorbed. Our preliminary results demonstrate that ribavirin can be delivered to the patients with respiratory syncytial viral infections who require mechanical ventilation; however, further studies are indicated to evaluate the efficacy and dose responsiveness, alterations in pulmonary dynamics, and safety of ribavirin in delivery to infants requiring ventilation.