Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2011
The effect of cardiopulmonary bypass on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in children.
The pathophysiology of low-cardiac-output syndrome after cardiopulmonary bypass is incompletely understood, but adrenal insufficiency has been proposed as a contributing factor. Our objective was to examine the effect of cardiopulmonary bypass on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, specifically adrenal responsiveness, in patients with congenital heart disease undergoing surgery. We hoped to correlate bound and free cortisol values both postoperatively and after adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation, in conjunction with corticosteroid-binding globulin levels, with clinical outcomes to determine whether these variables are sensitive indicators of adrenal axis function. ⋯ Although hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction may play a role in low-cardiac-output syndrome among children undergoing congenital heart surgery, using total cortisol to investigate such dysfunction may be inadequate. Decreased corticosteroid-binding globulin levels and marked free cortisol increase after stimulation were associated with worse clinical outcomes. Further investigation into the cortisol-corticosteroid-binding globulin complex and its relationship to free cortisol is necessary to examine the problem of adrenal insufficiency from a more integrated perspective.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2011
Multicenter StudyDaily practice of mechanical ventilation in Italian pediatric intensive care units: a prospective survey.
To assess how children requiring endotracheal intubation are mechanically ventilated in Italian pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). ⋯ Mechanical ventilation is frequently used in Italian PICUs with almost one child of two requiring endotracheal intubation. Children treated with MV represent a more severe category of patients than children who are breathing spontaneously. Describing the standard care and how MV is performed in children can be useful for future clinical studies.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2011
Potential pediatric intensive care unit demand/capacity mismatch due to novel pH1N1 in Canada.
To investigate the possibility of pediatric intensive care unit shortfalls, using pandemic models for a range of attack rates and durations. The emergence of the swine origin pH1N1 virus has led to concerns about shortfalls in our ability to provide pediatric ventilation and critical care support. ⋯ Reducing the attack rate among children, whether through vaccination or additional measures, such as social distancing, will be critical to ensure sufficient pediatric intensive care unit capacity for continued pediatric care.