Frontiers in pediatrics
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2018
ReviewCorticosteroids in Pediatric Heart Surgery: Myth or Reality.
Background: Corticosteroids have been administered prophylactically for more than 60 years in pediatric heart surgery, however, their use remains a matter of debate. There are three main indications for corticosteroid use in pediatric heart surgery with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB): (1) to blunt the systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) induced by the extracorporeal circuit; (2) to provide perioperative supplementation for presumed relative adrenal insufficiency; (3) for the presumed neuroprotective effect during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest operations. This review discusses the current evidence behind the use of corticosteroids in these three overlapping areas. ⋯ Conclusions: The utility of steroid administration for pediatric heart surgery with the use of CPB remains a matter of debate. The effect on early and late outcomes requires clarification with a large multicenter randomized trial. More research into the understanding of the adrenal response to surgery in children and the effect of corticosteroids on brain injury is warranted.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2018
ReviewChallenges in Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia in Developing Countries.
Introduction: Approximately 90% of a million children worldwide born with congenital heart defect do not have an access to adequate pediatric cardiac care. The World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, established in 2006 shifted the focus from providing individual pediatric cardiac care to developing global standards for the practice of pediatric cardiac surgery and professional education of the local teams. Materials and Methods: After recognizing the challenges of the local team regarding providing safe anesthesia and functioning as a broader team, we have focused our education on simplifying anesthetic procedures and advancing structured team approach. ⋯ The anesthesia technique for pediatric cardiac procedures should be aimed at fast-track surgery, with early extubation as a goal. Regional blocks such as paravertebral and caudal should be considered for perioperative pain control. By introducing structured approach to daily education and by enhancing team-training approach we have contributed evolving sustainable pediatric cardiac centers in developing countries.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2018
Referrals and Management Strategies for Pediatric Obesity-DocStyles Survey 2017.
Background: Childhood obesity care management options can be delivered in community-, clinic-, and hospital-settings. The referral practices of clinicians to these various settings have not previously been characterized beyond the local level. This study describes the management strategies and referral practices of clinicians caring for pediatric patients with obesity and associated clinician characteristics in a geographically diverse sample. ⋯ Conclusion: This study helps characterize the current landscape of referral practices and management strategies of clinicians who care for pediatric patients with obesity. Our data provide insight into the clinician, clinical practice, and reported patient characteristics associated with childhood obesity referral types. Understanding referral patterns and management strategies may help improve care for children with obesity and their families.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2018
A Novel Method of Newborn Chest Compression: A Randomized Crossover Simulation Study.
Objective: To compare a novel two-thumb chest compression technique with standard techniques during newborn resuscitation performed by novice physicians in terms of median depth of chest compressions, degree of full chest recoil, and effective compression efficacy. Patients and Methods: The total of 74 novice physicians with less than 1-year work experience participated in the study. They performed chest compressions using three techniques: (A) The new two-thumb technique (nTTT). ⋯ The effective compression efficiency with nTTT was higher than for TTHT and TFT. Our novel newborn chest compression method in this manikin study provided adequate chest compression depth and degree of full chest recoil, as well as very good effective compression efficiency. Further clinical studies are necessary to confirm these initial results.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2018
Low Sensitivity of Abbreviated Tilt Table Testing for Diagnosing Postural Tachycardia Syndrome in Adults With ME/CFS.
Introduction: Orthostatic intolerance is common among individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In some ME/CFS case definitions, orthostatic intolerance is considered a core feature of the disorder. Some studies have employed tilt table tests lasting 2-5 min to diagnose one common form of orthostatic intolerance, postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). ⋯ A two-minute tilt table test would miss 55% (95% CI, 48-63%) of those meeting POTS criteria over the course of 10 min upright. The median time to reaching HR criteria for POTS did not differ by sex, age, duration of ME/CFS, or hypocapnia during tilt. Conclusions: Abbreviated tilt table testing misses a substantial proportion of those ultimately diagnosed with POTS during a 10-min tilt table test, and should be abandoned for the clinical diagnosis and in epidemiologic studies designed to estimate the prevalence of POTS among those with ME/CFS.