Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2010
Educational preparation and postgraduate training curriculum for pediatric critical care nurse practitioners.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) in pediatric intensive care units have increased dramatically over recent years. Although state regulations are changing pediatric nurse practitioner certification, licensure and credentialing requirements, available acute care, and critical care educational programs are limited. Thus, entry-level practitioners continue to have varied clinical experience and educational preparation. ⋯ The orientation curriculum presented here may serve as a resource for NPs and collaborating physicians who are developing a training program for entry-level practitioners.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2010
Comparative StudyDiagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia in children in resource-limited setting: a comparative study of bronchoscopic and nonbronchoscopic methods.
To compare the available methods for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intubated pediatric patients and to suggest less costly diagnostic method for developing countries. ⋯ Blind bronchoalveolar lavage was the most reliable method followed closely by blind bronchial sampling for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Considering the difference of the cost in the two procedures, blind bronchial sampling may be the preferred method in the pediatric intensive care unit of a developing country.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2010
Vasoactive-inotropic score as a predictor of morbidity and mortality in infants after cardiopulmonary bypass.
Inotrope score has been proposed as a marker of illness severity after pediatric cardiac surgery despite a lack of data to support its use as such. The goal of this study was to determine the association between inotropic/vasoactive support and clinical outcome in infants after cardiac surgery. ⋯ The amount of cardiovascular support in the first 48 hrs after congenital heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass predicts eventual morbidity and mortality in young infants. The degree of support is best characterized by a maximum vasoactive-inotropic score obtained during this period. The usefulness of vasoactive-inotropic score as an independent predictor of clinical outcome in infants after cardiac surgery may have important implications for future cardiothoracic intensive care unit research.