Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2014
Analgesia-Sedation in PICU and Neurological Outcome: A Secondary Analysis of Long-Term Neuropsychological Follow-Up in Meningococcal Septic Shock Survivors.
To investigate whether analgesic and sedative drug use during PICU treatment is associated with long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in children who survived meningococcal septic shock. ⋯ The use of opioids during PICU admission was significantly associated with long-term adverse neuropsychological outcome independent of severity of illness scores in meningococcal septic shock survivors.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2014
Observational StudyEnergy Expenditure in Children After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.
To evaluate energy expenditure in a cohort of children with severe traumatic brain injury. ⋯ Contrary to previous work from several decades ago that suggested severe pediatric traumatic brain injury is associated with a hypermetabolic response (measured energy expenditure/predicted resting energy expenditure > 110%), our data suggest that contemporary neurocritical care practices may blunt such a response. Understanding the metabolic requirements of children with severe traumatic brain injury is the first step in development of rational nutritional support goals that might lead to improvements in outcome.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2014
Pediatric Code Events: Does In-House Intensivist Coverage Improve Outcomes?
A change in our children's hospital coverage model to providing full-time in-house supervision by intensivists allowed us to evaluate the impact of this change on patient safety outcomes. Our aim was to determine whether in-house attending coverage influenced the prevalence and outcomes of pediatric code events. ⋯ In the period following implementation of in-house intensivist supervision, children with code events were more likely to survive to hospital discharge. Having an intensivist in-house 24 hr/d, 7 d/wk may be associated with improved outcomes in hospitalized children.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2014
Observational StudySerum Cortisol and Early Postoperative Outcome After Stage-1 Palliation for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.
The postoperative cortisol profile and its association with early outcomes are poorly understood in neonates undergoing surgery for complex congenital heart disease. We investigated the postoperative profile of cortisol and its relationship with the clinical course in a cohort of newborns after stage-1 palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. ⋯ Cortisol levels fell significantly over the first 24 hours after stage-1 palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. A higher postoperative cortisol was associated with increased postoperative morbidity, which warrants further investigation.
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To evaluate the efficacy of a pharmacist-managed methadone taper as compared to previous prescribing practices. ⋯ A pharmacist-managed protocolized methadone taper facilitates discontinuing methadone sooner, discontinuing additional opioid infusions sooner, and may impact on the length of hospital stay. The protocol developed at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital has demonstrated that it is an effective method to wean pediatric patients from opioids.