Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Aug 2018
No Requirement for Targeted Theophylline Levels for Diuretic Effect of Aminophylline in Critically Ill Children.
To determine the relationship between theophylline trough levels and urine output in critically ill children administered aminophylline as adjunctive diuretic therapy. ⋯ Aminophylline administration provided a measure of increased diuresis, regardless of dosage, and theophylline trough levels. Therefore, achieving a prescribed therapeutic trough level may not be necessary for full diuretic effect. Because, as opposed to the diuretic effect, the side effect profile of aminophylline is dose-dependent, low maintenance dosing may optimize the balance between providing adjunctive diuretic effect while minimizing the risk of toxicity.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Aug 2018
An Ethical Claim for Providing Medical Recommendations in Pediatric Intensive Care.
The Declaration of Geneva was recently revised to emphasize patient autonomy and the importance of clinicians sharing medical knowledge. This reflects the welcome evolution of the doctor-patient relationship from one of paternalism to more informed, shared decision-making. Unfortunately, there is an increasing trend for clinicians to avoid making recommendations, instead providing a "menu" of care options from which patients and families must choose. ⋯ We outline how a failure to provide clinical recommendations represents inadequate shared decision-making and erodes the doctor-patient relationship, leading to suboptimal care, paradoxically decreasing respect for autonomy. We describe an approach through which doctors can avoid paternalism without placing an undue burden of decision-making on families. We assert that patients' interests are best served by clinicians taking an active, relational role in shared decision-making, including exploration of values and giving explicit medical recommendations for care.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Aug 2018
Observational StudyHemodynamic Tolerance to IV Clonidine Infusion in the PICU.
Clonidine is an antihypertensive drug used for analgosedation in the PICU. Lack of reliable data on its hemodynamic tolerance limits its use. This study explores the hemodynamic tolerance of IV clonidine infusion in a broad population of children with high severity of disease. ⋯ Although administration of clonidine is often associated with bradycardia and hypotension, these complications do not seem clinically significant in a mixed PICU population with a high degree of disease severity. Clonidine may have a vasoactive-inotropic sparing effect.
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To describe practical considerations related to discussions about death or possible death of a critically ill child. ⋯ Timely conversations about death as a possible outcome of PICU care are an important part of high-quality ICU care. Not all patients "require" these conversations; however, identifying patients for whom conversations are indicated should be an active process. Informed conversations require preparation to provide the best available objective information. Information should include distillation of local experience, incorporate the patients' clinical trajectory, the potential impact(s) of alternate treatments, describe possible modes of death, and acknowledge the extent of uncertainty. We suggest the more factual understanding of risk of death should be initially separated from the more inherent value-laden treatment recommendations and decisions. Gathering and sharing of collective knowledge, conduct of additional investigations, and time can increase the factual content of risk of death discussions. Timely and sensitive delivery of this best available knowledge then provides foundation for high-quality treatment recommendations and decision-making.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Aug 2018
Observational StudyKnowledge Accrual Following Participation in Pediatric Fundamental Critical Care Support Course in Gaborone, Botswana.
To describe provider characteristics, knowledge acquisition, perceived relevance, and instruction quality of the Society of Critical Care Medicine's Pediatric Fundamentals of Critical Care Support course pilot implementation in Botswana. ⋯ Pediatric Fundamentals of Critical Care Support training significantly increased provider knowledge to care for hospitalized seriously ill or injured children in Botswana. Knowledge accrual is most significant among early career providers and is not limited by previous pediatric resuscitation or emergency training. Further contextualization of the course to use equipment relevant to providers work environment may increase the value of training.