Pediatr Crit Care Me
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jan 2024
Multicenter StudyWide Institutional Variability in the Treatment of Pediatric Critical Asthma: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.
Children with status asthmaticus refractory to first-line therapies of systemic corticosteroids and inhaled beta-agonists often receive additional treatments. Because there are no national guidelines on the use of asthma therapies in the PICU, we sought to evaluate institutional variability in the use of adjunctive asthma treatments and associations with length of stay (LOS) and PICU use. ⋯ Use of adjunctive therapies for status asthmaticus varies widely among large children's hospitals and was not associated with hospital LOS or the percentage of encounters with PICU admission. Wide variance presents an opportunity for standardizing care with evidence-based guidelines to optimize outcomes and decrease adverse treatment effects and hospital costs.
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jan 2024
Meta AnalysisDexmedetomidine Withdrawal Syndrome in Children in the PICU: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
To systematically review literature describing the clinical presentation, risk factors, and treatment for dexmedetomidine withdrawal in the PICU (PROSPERO: CRD42022307178). ⋯ On review of the 2000-2022 literature, dexmedetomidine withdrawal may be characterized by tachycardia, hypertension, or agitation, particularly with higher cumulative doses or prolonged durations. Since most studies included in the review were retrospective, prospective studies are needed to further clarify risk factors, establish diagnostic criteria, and identify optimal management strategies.
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jan 2024
ReviewPediatric Death After Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapies: A Scoping Review.
Evaluate literature on the dying process in children after withdrawal of life sustaining measures (WLSM) in the PICU. We focused on the physiology of dying, prediction of time to death, impact of time to death, and uncertainty of the dying process on families, healthcare workers, and organ donation. ⋯ The dying process in children is poorly understood and understudied. This knowledge gap leaves families in a vulnerable position and the clinical team without the necessary tools to support patients, families, or themselves. Improving time to death prediction after WLSM may improve care provision and enable identification of potential organ donors.
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jan 2024
Meta AnalysisPerformance of Tools and Measures to Predict Fluid Responsiveness in Pediatric Shock and Critical Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
In this systematic review and meta-analysis we asked: Do predictors of fluid responsiveness in children perform comparably: 1) in the PICU as in non-PICU settings? 2) in shock states compared with nonshock states? Additionally, 3) is there an association between preload responsiveness and clinical response? ⋯ We suggest three opportunities for further research in fluid responsiveness in children: 1) assessing predictive performance of tools during resuscitation in shock states; 2) separating predictive tool from reference test when using ultrasound techniques; and 3) targeting decreasing time in a shock state, rather than just increase in preload.
-
Pediatr Crit Care Me · Jan 2024
Pulmonary Hemorrhage in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.
Pulmonary hemorrhage (PH) is a serious complication posthematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). In view of limited available pediatric data, we performed a retrospective study to describe epidemiology, management, and outcomes of PH post-HSCT in children in our national center. ⋯ PH is a rare but serious complication after HSCT. Corticosteroids were associated with improved survival even in patients with a concomitant infection.