Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2009
Neurological injury after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use to aid pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to aid failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in children is associated with a high incidence of neurologic injury. We sought to identify risk factors for acute neurologic injury in children undergoing ECMO to aid CPR (E-CPR). ⋯ Neurologic injury is a frequent complication in children undergoing E-CPR. Children with cardiac disease, less severe metabolic acidosis before ECMO, and an uncomplicated ECMO course have decreased odds of sustaining neurologic injury. Providing effective CPR and inclusion of brain protective therapies on ECMO should be considered in the future to improve neurologic outcomes for patients undergoing E-CPR.
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Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a significant cause of secondary morbidity and mortality in adult trauma patients. No study has characterized VAP in pediatric trauma patients. We determined the rates of and potential risk factors for VAP in pediatric trauma patients. ⋯ The rate of VAP in pediatric trauma patients is substantially lower than in similar adults. Age older than 10 years, blunt trauma, head injury, and Injury Severity Score >25 may be risk factors. VAP is not associated with increased mortality in pediatric trauma patients.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2009
Mechanical component failures in 28,171 neonatal and pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation courses from 1987 to 2006.
To provide a descriptive summary of mechanical component failure associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and to examine patient and ECMO variables that may be associated with mechanical component failure and guide further study. We hypothesized that duration of ECMO, era of ECMO, indication for ECMO, age of patient, and center ECMO volume would be associated with mechanical component failure. ⋯ Mechanical component failure over the course of this study was infrequent during neonatal and pediatric ECMO, and declined across eras as experience with the therapy grew. Increasing duration of ECMO was associated with an increasing probability of mechanical component failure. Indication for ECMO and patient age were also statistically associated with mechanical component failure probability, but ECMO center volume was not.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2009
Drug use density in critically ill children and newborns: analysis of various methodologies.
To compare in the pediatric, cardiac, and neonatal intensive care units, three methods of assessing vancomycin and linezolid drug use density by number of: defined daily doses (DDDs), prescribed daily doses, and days of drug use per 100 patient days. ⋯ In critically ill children, drug use density of vancomycin is significantly less when evaluated by the DDD method compared with the prescribed daily dose method, a more appropriate method in children. However, the simplest and most accurate method of assessing drug use density is the number of days of drug use method, which allows comparison of drug use density between different pediatric facilities or clinical units.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jul 2009
Automated measurement of the lower inflection point in a pediatric lung model.
To determine which flow setting most accurately detects the lower inflection point (Pflex) using an automated constant flow method and varying endotracheal tube (ETT) sizes with and without an airleak in a pediatric lung model. ⋯ Estimation of Pflex can be achieved using automated P-V curves with ETTs appropriate for pediatric use, with and without an airleak. ETT size and flow rate affect the accuracy of these measurements when an airleak is present, and use of increased flow rates to create the automated P-V curves can reduce error. These data support the idea that a low-flow technique provides the most accurate determination of Pflex in pediatric patients without a leak around their ETT, whereas increased flows are needed to compensate when an ETT airleak is present.