Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2013
Hypothermia decreases cerebrospinal fluid asymmetric dimethylarginine levels in children with traumatic brain injury.
Pathological increases in asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, have been implicated in endothelial dysfunction and vascular diseases. Reduced nitric oxide early after traumatic brain injury may contribute to hypoperfusion. Currently, methods to quantify asymmetric dimethylarginine in the cerebrospinal fluid have not been fully explored. We aimed to develop and validate a method to determine asymmetric dimethylarginine in the cerebrospinal fluid of a pediatric traumatic brain injury population and to use this method to assess the effects of 1) traumatic brain injury and 2) therapeutic hypothermia on this mediator. ⋯ Asymmetric dimethylarginine levels were significantly increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of traumatic brain injury children. Early hypothermia attenuated this increase. The implications of attenuated asymmetric dimethylarginine on nitric oxide synthases activity and regional cerebral blood flow after traumatic brain injury by therapeutic hypothermia deserve future study.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2013
Clinical TrialEmbedding time-limited laboratory orders within computerized provider order entry reduces laboratory utilization.
To test the hypothesis that limits on repeating laboratory studies within computerized provider order entry decrease laboratory utilization. ⋯ Limits on laboratory orders within the context of computerized provider order entry decreased laboratory utilization without adverse affects on mortality or length of stay. Broader application of this strategy might decrease costs, the incidence of iatrogenic anemia, and catheter-associated bloodstream infections.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2013
Multicenter StudyCritical pertussis illness in children: a multicenter prospective cohort study.
Pertussis persists in the United States despite high immunization rates. This report characterizes the presentation and acute course of critical pertussis by quantifying demographic data, laboratory findings, clinical complications, and critical care therapies among children requiring admission to the PICU. ⋯ Pulmonary hypertension may be associated with mortality in pertussis critical illness. Elevated WBC is associated with the need for mechanical ventilation, pulmonary hypertension, and mortality risk. Research is indicated to elucidate how pulmonary hypertension, immune responsiveness, and elevated WBC contribute to morbidity and mortality and whether leukoreduction might be efficacious.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialBaseline serum concentrations of zinc, selenium, and prolactin in critically ill children.
To describe serum concentrations of zinc, selenium, and prolactin in critically ill children within 72 hours of PICU admission, and to investigate relationships between these immunomodulators and lymphopenia. ⋯ Serum concentrations of zinc, selenium, and prolactin are often low in critically ill children early after PICU admission. Low serum zinc levels are associated with lymphopenia, whereas low selenium and prolactin levels are not. The implications of these findings and the mechanisms by which they occur merit further study.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2013
The role of the Data and Safety Monitoring Board in a clinical trial: the CRISIS study.
Randomized clinical trials are commonly overseen by a Data and Safety Monitoring Board comprised of experts in medicine, ethics, and biostatistics. Data and Safety Monitoring Board responsibilities include protocol approval, interim review of study enrollment, protocol compliance, safety, and efficacy data. Data and Safety Monitoring Board decisions can affect study design and conduct, as well as reported findings. Researchers must incorporate Data and Safety Monitoring Board oversight into the design, monitoring, and reporting of randomized trials. ⋯ The design and operating procedures of a multicenter randomized trial must consider a pivotal Data and Safety Monitoring Board role. Maximum study design flexibility must be allowed, and investigators must be prepared for protocol modifications due to interim findings. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board must have sufficient clinical and statistical expertise to assess potential importance of interim treatment differences in the setting of multiple looks at accumulating data with numerous outcomes and subgroups.