Pediatr Crit Care Me
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2014
Observational StudyDetection of Alpha II-Spectrin Breakdown Products in the Serum of Neonates With Congenital Heart Disease.
To determine if alpha II-spectrin breakdown products can be detected in the serum of neonates with congenital heart disease in the perioperative period. ⋯ Spectrin breakdown products can be detected in the serum of neonates with congenital heart disease in the perioperative period and levels increased to a greater degree in infants following open-heart surgery. These findings suggest that, in future work, serum spectrin breakdown products may potentially be developed as biomarkers for brain necrosis and apoptosis in infants with congenital heart disease.
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2014
The Relationship Between In-House Attending Coverage and Nighttime Extubation Following Congenital Heart Surgery.
Many cardiac ICUs have instituted 24/7 attending physician in-house coverage, which theoretically may allow for more expeditious weaning from ventilation and extubation. We aimed to determine whether this staffing strategy impacts rates of nighttime extubation and duration of mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Pediatric patients who have undergone congenital heart surgery can be safely and effectively extubated without the routine presence of an attending physician. The utilization of nighttime in-house attending coverage does not appear to have significant benefits on the rate of nighttime extubation and may not reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation in units that already use in-house residents, fellows, or other midlevel providers.