Frontiers in pediatrics
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2017
Use of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange during Extracorporeal Life Support in Critically Ill Cardiac Children with Thrombocytopenia-Associated Multi-Organ Failure.
Thrombocytopenia-associated multi-organ failure (TAMOF) in children is a well-described factor for increased hospital mortality. Low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) and the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass may manifest with several adverse physiologic and immunologic effects, with varying degrees of thrombocytopenia and multi-organ dysfunction, sometimes very similar to TAMOF. LCOS is a common occurrence in children with critical heart disease, presenting in as much as 23.8% of infants postoperative of congenital heart surgery. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has been offered as a promising therapy for TAMOF; however, the therapeutic implications of this modality in children with critical heart disease and a clinical diagnosis of TAMOF are unknown. ⋯ In children with critical cardiac disease and clinical diagnosis of TAMOF necessitating ECMO for hemodynamic support, concurrent TPE may be associated with an improvement in organ failure and platelet count, particularly when started early. Further studies are warranted to establish the most effective use of TPE and its effect on survival in this population.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2017
ReviewPersonalized Medicine in Allergic Asthma: At the Crossroads of Allergen Immunotherapy and "Biologicals".
Major allergic disease can be viewed as clinical syndromes rather than discrete disease entities. Emerging evidence indicates that allergic asthma includes several disease phenotypes. Immunological deviation toward high T helper cell type 2 cytokine levels has been demonstrated for a subgroup of pediatric asthma patients, and now, several novel monoclonal antibodies have been approved for treatment of this subgroup as a stratified approach of "personalized" medicine in allergy. ⋯ Improved responder criteria, which identify treatment-responders previous to therapy, might foster this stratification and even individualized AIT might have an impact for tailor-made therapy in the future. Furthermore, combining antibody-based treatment with AIT could help to establish more rapid AIT protocols even for allergens with a high risk of anaphylactic reactions. Efforts to advance such "personalized" medicine in pediatric allergy might be challenged by several issues including high costs for the health-care system, increasing complexity of allergy therapy, the need for physician allergy expertise, and furthermore ethical considerations and data safety issues.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2017
ReviewVenous Thromboembolism in Critical Illness and Trauma: Pediatric Perspectives.
Critically ill children and those sustaining severe traumatic injuries are at higher risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) than other hospitalized children. Multiple factors including the need for central venous catheters, immobility, surgical procedures, malignancy, and dysregulated inflammatory state confer this increased risk. As well as being at higher risk of VTE, this population is frequently at an increased risk of bleeding, making the decision of prophylactic anticoagulation even more nuanced. ⋯ There are no trials in children showing efficacy of mechanical compression devices or prophylactic anticoagulation in reducing the rate of VTE. Risk stratification using clinical factors has been shown to identify those at highest risk for VTE and allows targeted prophylaxis. It remains unproven if such a strategy will mitigate the risk of VTE and its potential sequelae.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2017
Bloodstream Infection Incidence of Different Central Venous Catheters in Neonates: A Descriptive Cohort Study.
Central venous catheters (CVCs) in neonates are associated with a risk of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). Most reports on the incidence of CLABSI in neonates focus on umbilical venous catheters (UVCs) and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). We evaluated the incidence and risk factors for CLABSI in a cohort of neonates with femoral venous catheters (FVCs), UVCs, and PICCs, with a gestational age ≥34 weeks born between January 1, 2006 and June 30, 2013. ⋯ The CLABSI incidence rate varied from 12.3 per 1,000 catheter-days in FVCs to 10.6 per 1,000 catheter-days in UVCs and 5.3 per 1,000 catheter-days in PICCs. In a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, we did not find a difference in CLABSI risk between the catheter types (p = 0.29). The following factors were independently associated with an increased risk of CLABSI: parenteral nutrition [hazard ratio (HR) 2.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-5.41], male gender (HR 2.63, 95% CI 1.17-5.90), and higher birth weight (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.002-1.09), whereas antibiotic treatment at birth (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.12-0.52) was associated with a decreased risk.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2017
ReviewOptimal Chest Compression Rate and Compression to Ventilation Ratio in Delivery Room Resuscitation: Evidence from Newborn Piglets and Neonatal Manikins.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) duration until return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) influences survival and neurologic outcomes after delivery room (DR) CPR. High quality chest compressions (CC) improve cerebral and myocardial perfusion. Improved myocardial perfusion increases the likelihood of a faster ROSC. ⋯ Evidence indicates that providers perform CC at rates both higher and lower than recommended. Video recording of DR CRP has been increasingly applied and observational studies of what is actually done in relation to outcomes could be useful. Different CC rates and ratios should also be investigated under controlled experimental conditions in animals during perinatal transition.