Pediatr Crit Care Me
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To review the clinical use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in both acute hypoxic and hypercarbic forms of pediatric respiratory failure, including its mechanism of action and implementation. DATA SOURCES: Studies were identified through a MEDLINE search using respiratory failure, pediatrics, noninvasive ventilation, and mechanical ventilation as key words. STUDY SELECTION: All original studies, including case reports, relating to the use of noninvasive positive pressure in pediatric respiratory failure were included. Because of the paucity of published literature on pediatric NPPV, no study was excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: Study design, numbers and diagnoses of patients, types of noninvasive ventilator, ventilator modes, outcome measures, and complications were extracted and compiled. DATA SYNTHESIS: For acute hypoxic respiratory failure, all the studies reported improvement in oxygenation indices and avoidance of endotracheal intubation. The average duration of NPPV therapy before noticeable clinical improvement was 3 hrs in most studies, and NPPV was applied continuously for 72 hrs before resolution of acute respiratory distress. In patients with acute hypercarbic respiratory failure, application of NPPV resulted in reduction of work of breathing, reduction in CO(2) tension, and increased serum bicarbonate and pH. These patients are older than patients in the acute hypoxic respiratory failure group and, in addition to improved blood gas indices, they reported improvement in subjective symptoms of dyspnea. Improvement in gas exchange abnormalities and subjective symptoms occurred within the same time span (the first 3 hrs) as in the acute hypoxic respiratory failure group. However, use of noninvasive techniques in patients with acute hypercarbic respiratory failure continued after resolution of acute symptoms. Complications related to protracted use of NPPV were common in this group. ⋯ NPPV has limited benefits in a group of carefully selected pediatric patients with acute hypoxic and hypercarbic forms of respiratory failure. The routine use of this technique in pediatric respiratory failure needs to be studied in randomized controlled trials and better-defined patient subsets.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Apr 2001
The costs associated with nosocomial bloodstream infections in the pediatric intensive care unit.
To assess the operational and subsidiary costs and length of stay (LOS) attributable to nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSI) in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). DESIGN: Matched case-control study. SETTING: Sixteen bed PICU in a 250-bed tertiary-care pediatric hospital. PATIENTS: Cases with BSI were prospectively identified from PICU patients who developed a nosocomial BSI from August 1996 to July 1998. Controls were PICU patients who were matched for age, severity of illness, diagnosis, and admission date who did not develop a nosocomial BSI. ⋯ The costs and LOS associated with nosocomial BSI in patients admitted to the PICU were significantly higher than controls.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jan 2001
Amrinone in pediatric refractory septic shock: An open-label pharmacodynamic study.
To investigate the short-term hemodynamic effects of amrinone in pediatric patients with refractory septic shock. DESIGN: Open-label, clinical trial. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Nine patients admitted with a diagnosis of septic shock receiving stable doses of vasopressors and inotropes. INTERVENTIONS: Pediatric patients with septic shock and a pulmonary artery catheter were treated with amrinone in a stepwise fashion at 5, 10, and 15 &mgr;g/kg/min. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN ⋯ In this short-term, dose-response study in children with refractory septic shock, amrinone improved cardiac index and oxygen delivery in pediatric patients with refractory septic shock without increasing myocardial work.
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To investigate the frequency, predisposing factors, clinical presentation, and outcome of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) in critically ill pediatric patients. DESIGN: A prospective study over a 5-yr period. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care, university hospital. PATIENTS: All patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit were screened for the presence of ACS and were treated with a uniform protocol. ACS was defined as abdominal distention with intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) > 15 mm Hg, accompanied by at least two of the following: oliguria or anuria; respiratory decompensation; hypotension or shock; metabolic acidosis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN ⋯ Although relatively infrequent compared with adults, ACS occurs in critically ill children. Timely decompression of the abdomen results in uniform improvement, but overall mortality is still high. In contrast with adults, children with ACS have diverse primary diagnoses, with a significant number of primary extra-abdominal-mainly central nervous system-conditions. Ischemia and reperfusion injury appear to be the major mechanisms for development of ACS in children. Clinical presentation is similar to adults, but children may develop ACS at a lower IAP (as low as 16 mm Hg).
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jan 2001
Comparison of resource utilization and outcome between pediatric and adult intensive care unit patients.
To compare resource utilization and outcomes between cohorts of pediatric and adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients from a single institution. DESIGN: Prospective, observational cohort study. SETTING: A large, urban, tertiary care medical center. PATIENTS: A total of 780 patients consecutively admitted to the pediatric ICU, adult medical ICU, and adult surgical ICU. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN ⋯ Pediatric critical care patients have better short-term and longer-term survival compared with adult patients. The difference in survival is accounted for by the lower survival of adult medical patients. Despite the survival differences, pediatric and adult ICU patients incur similar hospital costs, and the proportions of patients who receive active ICU interventions are similar.