Respiratory care
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Noninvasive monitoring of oxygenation and ventilation is an essential part of pediatric respiratory care. Carbon dioxide, gas exchange monitoring, transcutaneous monitoring, near-infrared spectroscopy, pulse oximetry, and electrical impedance tomography are examined. ⋯ Less mature technologies (electrical impedance tomography and near-infrared spectroscopy) have been of particular interest, since they offer easy bedside application and potential for improved care of children with respiratory failure and other disorders. This article provides an overview of the principles of operation, a survey of recent and relevant literature, and important technological limitations and future research directions.
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Inhaled medications are the mainstay of therapy for many pediatric pulmonary diseases. Device and delivery technique selection is key to improving lung deposition of inhaled drugs. This paper will review the subject in relationship to several pediatric clinical situations: acute pediatric asthma, transnasal aerosol delivery, delivery through tracheostomies, and delivery during noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation. This review will focus on the pediatric age group and will not include neonates.
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Asthma exacerbation is a common reason for children to present to the emergency department. If primary therapies fail to halt the progression of an asthma flare, status asthmaticus often leads to hospital, and potentially ICU, admission. ⋯ This review will present the physiologic basis and summarize the supporting data for a host of adjunct therapies, including ipratropium, intravenous β agonists, methylxanthines, intravenous and inhaled magnesium, heliox (helium-oxygen mixture), ketamine, antibiotics, noninvasive ventilation, inhaled anesthetics, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Finally, we present a suggested care map for escalating to these therapies in children with refractory status asthmaticus.
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Over the last decade, tracheostomy has been increasingly performed in children, aligned with the improvements in neonatal and pediatric ICU care. Nowadays, the majority of children with tracheostomy represent a very complex cohort of patients with sustained reliance on tracheostomy and related medical technology for long-term survival. Tracheostomy is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the adult ICU. ⋯ There is a recognized need for improvement and coordination of care of pediatric patients with tracheostomy. A multidisciplinary coordinated approach to tracheostomy care has already shown promising results. This paper seeks to review the pertinent literature regarding quality improvement initiatives for tracheostomy care, including review of the recently established Global Tracheostomy Collaborative.