Pediatr Crit Care Me
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The acceptability of traditional postmortem examination to bereaved families, coupled with a misguided professional view about their limited utility, has led to decrease in this ultimate investigation. Research recurrently demonstrates that postmortem examination provides clinically relevant information despite ever-improving diagnostic techniques. This review examines postmortem examination for children who die in PICU-whether consented or nonconsented (legally mandated). It explores how such investigations might provide useful information and suggests that PICU and pathology teams work together to provide information for bereaved families to either enable them to consent to postmortem interventions or understand necessary forensic processes. Newer technologies such as postmortem imaging and laparoscope-assisted/ultrasound-guided tissue sampling are reviewed, with the hope that greater acceptability to families may lead to a welcome resurgence in postmortem information for clinicians, tempered by realization that widespread acceptance of their equivalence to standard techniques by most forensic services is awaited. ⋯ The PICU team have a duty to help bereaved parents understand what postmortem investigations are available, or might be mandated, after the death of their child. A thoughtful, unhurried, and compassionate discussion should be arranged with expert pathology teams and any specialists who have cared for the child to explain how investigations can provide information about what is involved-including availability and suitability of newer techniques. This should include information about when a child's body, organs, or tissues will be available for the funeral, necessary legal procedures and how and when results will be explained to them.
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To discuss the role of investigations after death in children as part of a supplement on "Death and Dying in the PICU." ⋯ A multidisciplinary cliniciopathologic conference is important after the death of a child in order to help bring closure to the family and to attempt to address any concerns they may have about the care. It is also an important part of the quality of care process for a tertiary care institution and provides an unique opportunity for ongoing medical education. The model of a multidisciplinary cliniciopathologic conference used by the Ontario Coroner's Office to investigate sudden and unexpected deaths in children under 5 years old, which has been functioning for over 30 years, is described. Reports from this Pediatric Death Review Committee have been influential in improving the care of children in the province of Ontario.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Aug 2018
Observational StudyCharacterization of the Glucocorticoid Receptor in Children Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.
Postoperative administration of corticosteroids is common practice for managing catecholamine refractory low cardiac output syndrome. Since corticosteroid activity is dependent on the glucocorticoid receptor, we sought to characterize glucocorticoid receptor levels in children undergoing cardiac surgery and examined the association between glucocorticoid receptor levels and cardiovascular dysfunction. ⋯ Increasing glucocorticoid receptor levels in peripheral WBCs of children undergoing cardiac surgery are associated with a longer time to being inotrope free. Cortisol levels minimally increased during the study duration. These results suggest that exposure to high-dose perioperative corticosteroids may suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis leading to increase in glucocorticoid receptor levels in response to a low cortisol environment. Further studies are required to better delineate the interplay between glucocorticoid receptor levels, cortisol levels, corticosteroid exposure, and postoperative inotropic requirements.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Aug 2018
Observational StudySafety and Efficacy of IV Lidocaine in the Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Status Migraine.
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of IV lidocaine in treating children and adolescents with status migraine. ⋯ In the appropriate patient population, IV lidocaine may be a safe and effective treatment for children and adolescents with status migraine. Larger prospective studies need to be done not only to evaluate safety and efficacy but also the analgesic longevity of IV lidocaine post discharge.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Aug 2018
Observational StudyParental Presence at the Bedside of Critically Ill Children in a Unit With Unrestricted Visitation.
To determine the percentage of time that critically ill children have a parent at the bedside and to identify extrinsic factors that are associated with percent of time with parental presence at the bedside. ⋯ Children had a parent present at the bedside approximately 60% of the time. The parents of younger, sicker children may benefit from supportive interventions during PICU admission. Further research is needed to examine both extrinsic and intrinsic factors affecting parental presence at the bedside.