Archives of disease in childhood
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Comparative Study
Correlation of simultaneously obtained capillary, venous, and arterial blood gases of patients in a paediatric intensive care unit.
To investigate the correlation of pH, partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2), base excess (BE), and bicarbonate (HCO3) between arterial (ABG), venous (VBG), and capillary (CBG) blood gases. ⋯ There is a significant correlation in pH, PCO2, PO2, BE, and HCO3 among ABG, VBG, and CBG values, except for a poor correlation in PO2 in the presence of hypotension. Capillary and venous blood gas measurements may be useful alternatives to arterial samples for patients who do not require regular continuous blood pressure recordings and close monitoring of PaO2. We do not recommend CBG and VBG for determining PO2 of ABG.
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To determine the outcome of children with neuromuscular disease (NMD) following admission to a tertiary referral paediatric intensive care (PICU). ⋯ Most children with NMD admitted to the PICU recover and are discharged without the need for prolonged invasive ventilation. However, in this group of children, the use of non-invasive home based ventilation is common and they are likely to require further PICU admission.
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The reasons for premature death in paediatric epilepsy are reviewed with reference to recent studies reported in the literature. Ways of informing families of children with epilepsy about the risk of death are discussed, and recommendations for personal practice given.
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Parents who choose to smoke are possibly not aware of, or deny, the negative effects of passive smoking on their offspring. This review summarises a wide range of effects of passive smoking on mortality and morbidity in children. It offers paediatricians, obstetricians, specialists in preventive child health care, general practitioners, and midwives an approach to promote smoking cessation in smoking parents before, during, and after pregnancy.