Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2009
Drug use density in critically ill children and newborns: analysis of various methodologies.
To compare in the pediatric, cardiac, and neonatal intensive care units, three methods of assessing vancomycin and linezolid drug use density by number of: defined daily doses (DDDs), prescribed daily doses, and days of drug use per 100 patient days. ⋯ In critically ill children, drug use density of vancomycin is significantly less when evaluated by the DDD method compared with the prescribed daily dose method, a more appropriate method in children. However, the simplest and most accurate method of assessing drug use density is the number of days of drug use method, which allows comparison of drug use density between different pediatric facilities or clinical units.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2009
Automated measurement of the lower inflection point in a pediatric lung model.
To determine which flow setting most accurately detects the lower inflection point (Pflex) using an automated constant flow method and varying endotracheal tube (ETT) sizes with and without an airleak in a pediatric lung model. ⋯ Estimation of Pflex can be achieved using automated P-V curves with ETTs appropriate for pediatric use, with and without an airleak. ETT size and flow rate affect the accuracy of these measurements when an airleak is present, and use of increased flow rates to create the automated P-V curves can reduce error. These data support the idea that a low-flow technique provides the most accurate determination of Pflex in pediatric patients without a leak around their ETT, whereas increased flows are needed to compensate when an ETT airleak is present.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2009
Pediatric organ donation: a national survey examining consent rates and characteristics of donor hospitals.
To characterize the eligible pediatric donor pool in the United States by age, consent rate, location, and cause of donor loss. ⋯ Overall pediatric consent rates were 69.2% but varied by age. Eligible donors were found most often in hospitals with level I trauma programs or PCCM fellowship programs. Few hospitals had >10 eligible donors in a 12-month period. This study is the first to describe in detail the U.S. pediatric donor population.