Pediatr Crit Care Me
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Sep 2022
Monocyte Distribution Width in Children With Systemic Inflammatory Response: Retrospective Cohort Examining Association With Early Sepsis.
To investigate the association between increased monocyte distribution width (MDW) and pediatric sepsis in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ MDW greater than 23 U at presentation is associated with the early diagnosis of sepsis in children greater than or equal to 6 years old. This parameter should be considered as a stratification variable in studies of pediatric sepsis.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Sep 2022
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Candidacy Decisions: An Argument for a Process-Based Longitudinal Approach.
Are all children extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) candidates? Navigating ECMO decisions represents an enormous challenge in pediatric critical care. ECMO cannulation should not be a default option as it will not confer benefit for "all" critically ill children; however, "all" children deserve well-considered decisions surrounding their ECMO candidacy. The complexity of the decision demands a systematic, "well-reasoned" and "dynamic" approach. ⋯ To ensure a robust process, it should not be temporally constrained by cannulation status. We advocate that this approach will decrease both the risk of not initiating ECMO in a patient who will benefit and the risk of prolonged, nonbeneficial support. We conclude that to ensure fair decisions are made in a patient's best interest, organizations should develop procedurally fair processes for ECMO decision-making that are not tied to a particular time point and are revisited along the management trajectory.