Pediatr Crit Care Me
-
In view of the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration's warning against the use of sildenafil in pediatric patients, we aimed to provide an updated overview of the dosing and safety of sildenafil in infants and to explore the relevance of the present safety concerns to the infant population. ⋯ There is currently no evidence of serious adverse event in infants exposed to sildenafil. Present safety concerns regarding the use of sildenafil in pediatric patients should be further explored before being applied to infant population. Sildenafil remains a valuable option for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in young infants. Prospective studies should be designed in such a way that they include a safety assessment to evaluate potential adverse outcomes of sildenafil therapy in this population.
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialDoes Teaching Crisis Resource Management Skills Improve Resuscitation Performance in Pediatric Residents?
The effect of teaching crisis resource management skills on the resuscitation performance of pediatric residents is unknown. The primary objective of this pilot study was to determine if teaching crisis resource management to residents leads to improved clinical and crisis resource management performance in simulated pediatric resuscitation scenarios. ⋯ A 1-hour crisis resource management teaching session improved time to critical initial steps of pediatric resuscitation and crisis resource management performance as measured by the Ottawa Global Rating Scale. The control group did not develop these crisis resource management skills over 3 months of standard training indicating that obtaining these skills requires specific education. Larger studies of crisis resource education are required.
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2014
Observational StudyIncreasing Mean Arterial Blood Pressure and Heart Rate With Catecholaminergic Drugs Does Not Improve the Microcirculation in Children With Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Prospective Cohort Study.
To study whether dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine improve not only mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate but also microcirculatory perfusion in children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. ⋯ Catecholaminergic drug support with dopamine, norepinephrine, and/or epinephrine improved macrocirculatory function but did not improve the microcirculation in neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. The microcirculation was not only impaired but it also predicted poor outcome.
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2014
Transthoracic Echocardiography in Pediatric Intensive Care: Impact on Medical and Surgical Management.
Although transthoracic echocardiography is commonly performed in the PICU, its utility is not specifically known. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the clinical impact of echocardiography in the PICU in terms of frequency of unanticipated findings and the frequency and nature of clinical management changes attributed to the results of echocardiography. ⋯ Unanticipated echocardiography results are common in the PICU, and they often alter the clinical impressions that prompted the echocardiogram or introduce new findings unrelated to the reason for which the echocardiogram was recorded. Clinical management changes attributable to echocardiography findings are frequent in the PICU, including occasional surgical intervention. Echocardiography adds diagnostic value and contributes to the management approach in the PICU, accounting for its frequent use.