Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Feb 2014
Parental Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress After Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.
To investigate the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms in parents of children who have been supported on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and to explore associated factors. ⋯ A substantial number of parents in this population experience posttraumatic stress symptom. Psychological interventions may be targeted toward those whose child has had ongoing illness before extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Feb 2014
Observational StudySleep, Sleepiness, and Fatigue Outcomes for Parents of Critically Ill Children.
To describe sleep quantity, sleep patterns, fatigue, and sleepiness for parents of critically ill hospitalized children. ⋯ We performed a prospective observational study of 118 parents of critically ill children using objective measures of sleep and validated scales to assess fatigue and sleepiness. We found that more than a quarter of nights met criteria for acute sleep deprivation, there was considerable variability in the amount of nocturnal sleep that individual participants slept on different nights, and sleep was fragmented with a large portion of the night spent awake. Future research should focus on interventions that improve parents' ability to return to sleep upon awakening and maintain regular sleep-wake schedules.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Feb 2014
Case ReportsDeveloping a Standard Method for Apnea Testing in the Determination of Brain Death for Patients on Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Pediatric Case Series.
The revised guidelines for the determination of brain death in infants and children stress that apnea testing is an integral component in determining brain death based on clinical criteria. Unfortunately, these guidelines provide no process for apnea testing during the determination of brain death in patients supported on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. We review three pediatric patients supported on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation who underwent apnea testing during their brain death evaluation. This is the only published report to elucidate a reliable, successful method for apnea testing in pediatric patients supported on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. ⋯ Apnea testing on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation can be successfully undertaken in the evaluation of brain death. We provide a suggested protocol for apnea testing while on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation that is consistent with the updated pediatric brain death guidelines. This is the only published report to elucidate a reliable, successful method for apnea testing in pediatric patients supported on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.