The Journal of pediatrics
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The Journal of pediatrics · Jan 1995
Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialCatheter-related thrombosis in critically ill children: comparison of catheters with and without heparin bonding.
To compare the incidence of and factors associated with vascular thrombosis after placement of heparin-bonded and standard femoral venous catheters. ⋯ Heparin bonding of catheters is associated with significantly fewer thrombotic complications. A reduced incidence of positive catheter-related blood culture results may be associated with the absence of thrombosis.
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The Journal of pediatrics · Jan 1995
Comparative StudySomatosensory evoked potentials for prediction of outcome in acute severe brain injury.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate prospectively short-latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) as a predictor of outcome in acute, severe brain injury, and to compare this with the predictive power of the motor component of the Glasgow Coma Scale score and computed tomographic scan. Outcome was measured with the Glasgow Outcome Scale at a minimum of 6 months after injury. We studied 109 patients (aged 0.1 to 16.8 years) with SEPs within 4 days of the onset of coma. ⋯ Of the 59 patients with unfavorable outcome, 76% could be identified with SEPs compared with 36% with examination of motor function. We suggest that SEPs be performed in children with acute severe brain injury because they add an important tool to the physician's prognostic armamentarium. We conclude that in the absence of the above mentioned identifiable clinical situations, absent SEPs predict 100% unfavorable outcome, and this finding may warrant consideration of withdrawal of treatment in children with brain injuries.