Frontiers in pediatrics
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Diet, exercise, and pharmacological interventions have limited effects in counteracting the worldwide increase in pediatric body weight. Moreover, the promise that individualized drug design will work to induce weight loss appears to be exaggerated. ⋯ When energy-rich, inexpensive foods are continually available, people need external support to maintain a healthy body weight. Weight loss can thereby be achieved by continuous feedback on how much and how fast to eat on a computer screen.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2015
Nutritional Status in Children with Un-Operated Congenital Heart Disease: An Egyptian Center Experience.
Malnutrition is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). This study aimed to identify prevalence and predictors of malnutrition in Egyptian children with symptomatic CHD. ⋯ Malnutrition is a very common problem in children with symptomatic CHD and predicted by the presence of low hemoglobin level, low arterial oxygen saturation, heart failure, poor dietary history, and pulmonary hypertension.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2015
Monitoring Oxygenation and Gas Exchange in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Current Practice in the Netherlands.
Although recommendations in oxygenation and gas exchange monitoring in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are available, little is known of the current practice. ⋯ This survey identified a wide variation in preference in monitoring oxygenation and gas exchange monitoring among Dutch neonatal staff members.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2015
Dexmedetomidine and fentanyl exhibit temperature dependent effects on human respiratory cilia.
Dexmedetomidine (dex) is commonly used in intensive care due to its effective sedation and analgesia with few adverse effects and minimal respiratory depression. However, we recently observed that exposing mouse epithelial respiratory cells to dex decreased ciliary beat frequency (CBF), suggesting dex may pose pulmonary risk. ⋯ At low temperatures, dex reduces CBF in human respiratory epithelia, whereas dex increases CBF at physiologic temperature in vitro. Whether these effects translate into clinical consequences during hypothermia, as with cardiopulmonary bypass surgery will require further studies.
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Frontiers in pediatrics · Jan 2015
Retrospective Evaluation of the Epidemiology and Practice Variation of Dexmedetomidine Use in Invasively Ventilated Pediatric Intensive Care Admissions, 2007-2013.
The study assessed dexmedetomidine utilization and practice variation over time in ventilated pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients; and evaluated differences in hospital outcomes between high- and low-dexmedetomidine utilization hospitals. ⋯ Wide practice variation in utilization of dexmedetomidine for ventilated PICU patients existed even as use has increased sixfold. Higher utilization was not associated with increased hospital charges or reduced hospital LOS. Further work should define the expected outcome benefits of dexmedetomidine and its appropriate use.