Pediatr Crit Care Me
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To examine the relationship between pediatric critical care telemedicine consultation to rural emergency departments and triage decisions. We compare the triage location and provider rating of the accuracy of remote assessment for a cohort of patients who receive critical care telemedicine consultations and a similar group of patients receiving telephone consultations. ⋯ Pediatric critical care telemedicine consultation to community hospitals is feasible and results in a reduction in PICU admissions. This study demonstrates an improvement in provider-reported accuracy of patient assessment via telemedicine compared with telephone, which may produce a higher comfort level with transporting patients to a lower level of care. Pediatric critical care telemedicine consultations represent a promising means of improving care and reducing costs for critically ill children in rural areas.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Nov 2017
Pragmatic Clinical TrialBasic Hemodynamic Monitoring Using Ultrasound or Electrical Cardiometry During Transportation of Neonates and Infants.
Electrical cardiometry and heart ultrasound might allow hemodynamic evaluation during transportation of critically ill patients. Our aims were 1) to test feasibility of stroke volume monitoring using electrical cardiometry or ultrasound during transportation and 2) to investigate if transportation impacts on electrical cardiometry and ultrasound reliability. ⋯ Basic hemodynamic monitoring is feasible during pediatric and neonatal transportation both with electrical cardiometry and ultrasound. These two techniques show comparable reliability, although stroke volume was higher if measured by electrical cardiometry. The transportation itself does not affect the reliability of stroke volume measurements.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Nov 2017
Comparative Study Observational StudyComparison of Consent Models in a Randomized Trial of Corticosteroids in Pediatric Septic Shock.
To describe the use of deferred and prior informed consent models in the context of a low additional risk to standard of care, placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial of corticosteroids in pediatric septic shock. ⋯ Deferred consent was acceptable in time-sensitive critical care research to most research ethics boards, families, and healthcare providers and resulted in higher consent rates and more efficient recruitment. Larger studies on deferred consent and consistency interpreting jurisdictional guidelines are needed to advance pediatric acute care.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Nov 2017
Observational StudyVariability in Usual Care Mechanical Ventilation for Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Time for a Decision Support Protocol?
Although pediatric intensivists philosophically embrace lung protective ventilation for acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, we hypothesized that ventilator management varies. We assessed ventilator management by evaluating changes to ventilator settings in response to blood gases, pulse oximetry, or end-tidal CO2. We also assessed the potential impact that a pediatric mechanical ventilation protocol adapted from National Heart Lung and Blood Institute acute respiratory distress syndrome network protocols could have on reducing variability by comparing actual changes in ventilator settings to those recommended by the protocol. ⋯ Ventilator management varies substantially in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Opportunities exist to minimize variability and potentially injurious ventilator settings by using a pediatric mechanical ventilation protocol offering adequately explicit instructions for given clinical situations. An accepted protocol could also reduce confounding by mechanical ventilation management in a clinical trial.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Nov 2017
Factors Associated With Pediatric Ventilator-Associated Conditions in Six U.S. Hospitals: A Nested Case-Control Study.
A newly proposed surveillance definition for ventilator-associated conditions among neonatal and pediatric patients has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality among ventilated patients in cardiac ICU, neonatal ICU, and PICU. This study aimed to identify potential risk factors associated with pediatric ventilator-associated conditions. ⋯ In mechanically ventilated neonates and children, we identified several possible risk factors associated with ventilator-associated conditions. Next steps include studying propensity-matched cohorts and prospectively testing whether changes in sedation management, transfusion thresholds, and fluid management can decrease pediatric ventilator-associated conditions rates and improve patient outcomes.