Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Sep 2009
Airway exchange catheters use in the airway management of neonates and infants undergoing surgical treatment of laryngeal stenosis.
Congenital and acquired upper airway obstruction in infants commonly manifests as an acute, potentially life-threatening condition or a slow and gradual deterioration and can be a challenge to the pediatric anesthesiologist. This case series reports the nonconventional use of pediatric airway exchange catheters emergent and short-term airway management and lung ventilation in neonates and infants with severe laryngotracheal stenosis. ⋯ Airway exchange catheters represent a useful additional tool for short-term advanced airway management for both oxygenation and ventilation in neonates and infants presenting with severe laryngotracheal stenosis.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Sep 2009
ReviewDefining the role of recombinant activated factor VII in pediatric cardiac surgery: where should we go from here?
Postoperative hemorrhage is a recognized complication of pediatric cardiac surgery. Both the immature coagulation system and increased susceptibility to hemodilution increase the likelihood of pediatric patients developing coagulopathy when compared with adult counterparts. Treatment options remain limited. Recombinant factor VII (rFVIIa) is a hemostatic agent increasingly used to reduce hemorrhage in other surgical settings, the role of which is unclear in this population. This article systematically reviews the published literature on the use of rFVIIa in pediatric cardiac surgery. ⋯ rFVIIa has an increasingly accepted role in the management of patients with congenital coagulopathies undergoing major surgery. However, randomized trials are required to define the role of rFVIIa as an adjunct to control major hemorrhage in the pediatric cardiac surgical population. Any future work must focus not only on benefits but also on patient safety, particularly, risk of morbid thromboembolic complication.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Sep 2009
World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies-its global agenda.
The World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies (WFPICCS) is an international body that brings together international expertise, experience, and influence to improve the outcomes of children suffering from life-threatening illness and injury. Its mission is educational, scientific, and charitable in nature. WFPICCS is committed to a global environment, in which all children have access to intensive and critical care of the highest standard. ⋯ The challenge is to find the appropriate role that we need to (and can effectively) play in decreasing both unnecessary death and suffering for children. Clearly, we cannot achieve these goals on our own, hence WFPICCS visualizes close cooperation and collaboration with other agencies offering care to critically ill or injured children such as the World Health Organization, World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine, International Pediatric Associations, and regional organizations and programs to achieve our objectives. We feel that this document while imperfect is a good starting point and hope that it will stimulate more discussion to guide the agenda of the federation for years to come.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Sep 2009
Multicenter StudyMulticenter cohort study of in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest.
1) To describe clinical characteristics, hospital courses, and outcomes of a cohort of children cared for within the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network who experienced in-hospital cardiac arrest with sustained return of circulation between July 1, 2003 and December 31, 2004, and 2) to identify factors associated with hospital mortality in this population. These data are required to prepare a randomized trial of therapeutic hypothermia on neurobehavioral outcomes in children after in-hospital cardiac arrest. ⋯ Many factors are associated with hospital mortality among children after in-hospital cardiac arrest and return of circulation. Such factors must be considered when designing a trial of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest in pediatric patients.