Pediatrics
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Case Reports
Ambulatory ECMO as a bridge to lung transplant in a previously well pediatric patient with ARDS.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly implemented in patients with end-stage pulmonary disease as a bridge to lung transplant. Several centers have instituted an approach that involves physical rehabilitation and ambulation for patients supported with ECMO. ⋯ We describe the first case of a previously healthy pediatric patient with acute respiratory failure successfully supported with ambulatory ECMO as a bridge to lung transplant after an unsuccessful bridge to recovery. Although there are challenges associated with awake and ambulatory ECMO in children, this strategy represents an exciting breakthrough and a potential paradigm shift in ECMO management for pediatric acute respiratory failure.
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To assess longitudinally children's motor performance 5 to 12 years after neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and to evaluate associations between clinical characteristics and motor performance. ⋯ Motor problems in neonatal ECMO survivors persist throughout childhood and become more obvious with time.
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Multicenter Study
Decreasing handoff-related care failures in children's hospitals.
Patient handoffs in health care require transfer of information, responsibility, and authority between providers. Suboptimal patient handoffs pose a serious safety risk. Studies demonstrating the impact of improved patient handoffs on care failures are lacking. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a multihospital collaborative designed to decrease handoff-related care failures. ⋯ Implementation of a standardized evidence-based handoff process across 23 children's hospitals resulted in a significant decrease in handoff-related care failures, observed over all handoff types. Compliance to critical components of the handoff process improved, as did provider satisfaction.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Growth after adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea: an RCT.
Adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may lead to weight gain, which can have deleterious health effects when leading to obesity. However, previous data have been from nonrandomized uncontrolled studies, limiting inferences. This study examined the anthropometric changes over a 7-month interval in a randomized controlled trial of adenotonsillectomy for OSAS, the Childhood Adenotonsillectomy Trial. ⋯ eAT for OSAS in children results in clinically significant greater than expected weight gain, even in children overweight at baseline. The increase in adiposity in overweight children places them at further risk for OSAS and the adverse consequences of obesity. Monitoring weight, nutritional counseling, and encouragement of physical activity should be considered after eAT for OSAS.
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Medical emergency teams (METs) can reduce adverse events in hospitalized children. We aimed to model the financial costs and benefits of operating an MET and determine the annual reduction in critical deterioration (CD) events required to offset MET costs. ⋯ CD is expensive. The costs of operating a MET can plausibly be recouped with a modest reduction in CD events. Hospitals reimbursed with bundled payments could achieve real financial savings by reducing CD with an MET.