Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2012
Socioeconomic impact on device-associated infections in pediatric intensive care units of 16 limited-resource countries: international Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium findings.
We report the results of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium prospective surveillance study from January 2004 to December 2009 in 33 pediatric intensive care units of 16 countries and the impact of being in a private vs. public hospital and the income country level on device-associated health care-associated infection rates. Additionally, we aim to compare these findings with the results of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network annual report to show the differences between developed and developing countries regarding device-associated health care-associated infection rates. ⋯ Country socioeconomic level influence device-associated infection rates in developing countries and need to be considered when comparing device-associated infections from one country to another.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2012
Quality of life of pediatric cardiac patients who previously required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
We sought to assess quality of life of pediatric cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors. We hypothesized that these patients would have decreased quality of life when compared to that of a general U.S. population sample. ⋯ In pediatric cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors, the physical component of health-related quality of life is lower than that of the general population but similar to that of patients with complex cardiac disease, whereas psychosocial quality of life is similar to that of the general population and of other pediatric cardiac populations.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2012
The role of fecal calprotectin and lactoferrin in the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis.
Early detection of necrotizing enterocolitis can improve the prognosis, however, there is not a reliable laboratory test to detect either newborns at risk for necrotizing enterocolitis development or those at early stages of the disease. Since fecal lactoferrin and fecal calprotectin are inflammatory markers of gastrointestinal diseases, it was hypothesized that both these biomarkers could be successfully used in the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis. ⋯ Neither fecal lactoferrin nor fecal calprotectin has a role in the identification of necrotizing enterocolitis, especially in early stages of the disease. Further studies on wider necrotizing enterocolitis series are needed for a more definite conclusion.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2012
Thrombosis risk factor assessment and implications for prevention in critically ill children.
To describe nursing compliance with a computer-based pediatric thrombosis risk assessment tool; to generate an estimate of risk factors present in our population; and to explore relationships between risk factors and confirmed thrombotic events. ⋯ Incorporation of a scoring system into the bedside nursing assessment flow sheet was successful and identified children at risk for in-hospital thrombosis. The overall score appears to be most indicative of thrombus risk. These data may serve as a platform for future development of routine screening and possible interventional trials in critically ill children.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2012
Evaluation of asymmetric dimethylarginine, arginine, and carnitine metabolism in pediatric sepsis.
Increased plasma concentrations of the endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, asymmetric dimethylarginine, decreased arginine bioavailability, and mitochondrial dysfunction have been reported in adult sepsis. We studied whether asymmetric dimethylarginine, arginine, and carnitine metabolism (a measure of mitochondrial dysfunction) are altered in pediatric sepsis and whether these are clinically useful biomarkers. ⋯ Asymmetric dimethylarginine was decreased in pediatric sepsis and was inversely associated with inflammation and organ dysfunction. This suggests that inhibition of nitric oxide synthase by asymmetric dimethylarginine accumulation is unlikely to impact sepsis pathophysiology in septic children despite decreased arginine bioavailability. We did not find an association of asymmetric dimethylarginine with altered carnitine metabolism nor were asymmetric dimethylarginine, arginine, and acylcarnitine:free carnitine useful as clinical biomarkers.