Current trends in neonatal and pediatric respiratory care: conference summary

A summary of the 2-day Journal Conference on Current Trends in Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care is provided. Topics included: diagnosis and management of common respiratory disorders of infants and children such as asthma, respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis, and cystic fibrosis; and common pediatric respiratory emergencies such as croup, epiglottitis, and inhalation injuries. Also discussed were developments in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, including pulmonary function testing and pulse oximetry. Evidence-based strategies for the resuscitation of critically ill newborns and subsequent ventilator management strategies were presented. Several faculty members discussed controversies regarding mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome and other causes of respiratory failure in children and infants.