Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Health professionals in PICUs support both child and parents when a child's death is imminent. Parents long to stay connected to their dying child but the high-tech environment and treatment implications make it difficult to stay physically close. This study explores in what sense physical aspects of end-of-life care in the PICU influence the parent-child relationship. ⋯ End-of-life treatment in the PICU presents both a barrier and an opportunity for parents to stay physically connected to their child. Parents' experiences suggest that aspects of physicality in medical settings deserve more attention. Better understanding of the significance of bodily aspects-other than pain and symptom management-improves end-of-life support and should be part of the humane approach to families.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2016
Multicenter StudyEpidemiology of Polypharmacy and Potential Drug-Drug Interactions Among Pediatric Patients in ICUs of U.S. Children's Hospitals.
Polypharmacy is common in hospitalized children in the United States and has been identified as a major risk factor for exposure to potential drug-drug interactions. Little is known about the characteristics and prevalence of exposure of pediatric patients to polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions in PICUs. ⋯ Many PICU patients are exposed to substantial polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions. Future research should identify the risk of adverse drug events following specific potential drug-drug interaction exposures, especially the risk of adverse drug events due to multiple potential drug-drug interaction exposures, and determine the probability and magnitude of the actual harm (if any) for each specific potential drug-drug interaction, especially for multiple potential drug-drug interaction exposures.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · May 2016
Observational StudyExperience of Circuit Survival in Extracorporeal Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Using Small-Calibre Venous Cannulae.
To describe an experience of circuit survival in extracorporeal continuous renal replacement therapy using small-calibre (< 7 French gauge [F]) venous cannulae. ⋯ Contrary to previous reports, vascular access cannulae of a caliber less than 7F can support sufficiently prolonged continuous renal replacement therapy to make them a useful means of delivering renal support in neonates and small infants.