Molecular genetics in the pediatric intensive care unit

Molecular genetics and genomics have become highly relevant tools in the field of pediatric critical care medicine. The most immediate examples involve the use of molecular genetics as routine diagnostic tests (eg, detection of herpes simplex virus by PCR). Perhaps the most exciting and promising examples involve the research efforts based in these fields, which hold the potential to gain novel insight regarding the complex mechanisms involved in critical illness. Ultimately, the generation of more comprehensive and fundamental knowledge can lead to the design of more effective and specific therapeutic strategies.     

Long-stay patients in the pediatric intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: Length of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a reflection of patient severity of illness and health status, as well as PICU quality and performance. We determined the clinical profiles and relative resource use of long-stay patients (LSPs) and developed a prediction model to identify LSPs for early quality and cost saving interventions. DESIGN: Nonconcurrent cohort study. SETTING: A total of 16 randomly selected PICUs and 16 volunteer PICUs. PATIENTS: A total of 11,165 consecutive admissions to the 32 PICUs. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: LSPs were defined as patients having a length of stay greater than the 95th percentile (>12 days). Logistic regression analysis was used to determine which clinical characteristics, available within the first 24 hrs after admission, were associated with LSPs and to create a predictive algorithm. Overall, LSPs were 4.7% of the population but represented 36.1% of the days of care. Multivariate analysis indicated that the following factors are predictive of long stays: age <12 months, previous ICU admission, emergency admission, no CPR before admission, admission from another ICU or intermediate care unit, chronic care requirements (total parenteral nutrition and tracheostomy), specific diagnoses including acquired cardiac disease, pneumonia, and other respiratory disorders, having never been discharged from the hospital, need for ventilatory support or an intracranial catheter, and a Pediatric Risk of Mortality III score between 10 and 33. The performance of the prediction algorithm in both the training and validation samples for identifying LSPs was good for both discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.83 and 0.85, respectively), and calibration (goodness of fit, p = .33 and p = .16, respectively). LSPs comprised from 2.1% to 8.1% of individual ICU patients and occupied from 15.2% to 57.8% of individual ICU bed days. CONCLUSIONS: LSPs have less favorable outcomes and use more resources than non-LSPs. The clinical profile of LSPs includes those who are younger and those that require chronic care devices. A predictive algorithm could help identify patients at high risk of prolonged stays appropriate for specific interventions.     

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the pediatric intensive care unit

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is an important cause of chronic respiratory disease in infants and children. Infants with BPD are frequently readmitted to the hospital during the first 2 years of life usually because of infectious exacerbations of their chronic lung disease. This article is a review of the multisystem pathology of BPD and therapeutic approaches to the management of these infants in the PICU.     

Oncological emergencies in the pediatric intensive care unit

The overall 5-year survival rate of children with cancer has now reached 77%, an increase of about 45% in the past 25 years. Newer therapies, including hematopoietic cell transplantation and cutting edge chemotherapeutics evolving in the form of molecular and biological cell targeted agents, are being researched and developed and are responsible for the change in survival rates over time. Also, despite the national trend toward hospice and palliative care, children with chronic and life threatening illnesses, continue to die in the hospital setting, often in the intensive care unit. Previous studies of children with complications of cancer and its therapy document poor outcomes among those who do require intensive care. These trends are changing, however, currently leaving a hopeful, optimistic view of the outcome in children with cancer complications admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. It is imperative that nurses and intensive care staff understand pediatric cancer and its potential emergent consequences in order to respond to the symptoms of life threatening events.     

Percutaneous central venous catheterization in a pediatric intensive care unit: a survival analysis of complications

We investigated the relationship between the duration of percutaneous central venous catheterization and the occurrence of catheter-related complications in critically ill children by survival analysis techniques. Data were collected prospectively and analyzed for infectious and noninfectious complications from 379 pediatric patients in whom central venous catheters had been placed in the pediatric ICU over a 45-month period. Cumulative survival rate analysis revealed a linear decrease in the number of complication-free catheters with time. The median duration of complication-free catheter survival was projected to be 23.3 days. The risk of catheter complication did not increase with increasing daily duration of catheter use as demonstrated by probability density function: catheter complication rates were similar on the first day after insertion (1.06 +/- 0.5%), the seventh day (4.27 +/- 1.6%), and the 24th day (2.48 +/- 2.4%). Therefore, in this population, routine catheter replacement would not be expected to lower the incidence of catheter-related complications, but may unnecessarily increase the number of insertion-related complications.     

Neuromuscular complications in the intensive care unit: critical illness polyneuromyopathy

Critical illness polyneuromyopathy, a complication of critical illness, is a primary axonal degeneration of motor and sensory fibers that leads to skeletal muscle weakness. It significantly contributes to the unexplained difficulty in weaning from mechanical ventilation and to their prolonged rehabilitation and poor quality of life after discharge. This article will discuss the diagnosis of critical illness polyneuromyopathy, identify risk factors, review several pathomechanisms that have been proposed, and discuss the implications for practice.     

Noise pollution levels in the pediatric intensive care unit

Patients and staff may experience adverse effects from exposure to noise.ObjectThis study assessed noise levels in the pediatric intensive care unit and evaluated family and staff opinion of noise.DesignNoise levels were recorded using a NoisePro DLX. The microphone was 1 m from the patient's head. The noise level was averaged each minute and levels above 70 and 80 dBA were recorded. The maximum, minimum, and average decibel levels were calculated and peak noise level great than 100 dBA was also recorded. A parent questionnaire concerning their evaluation of noisiness of the bedside was completed. The bedside nurse also completed a questionnaire.ResultsThe average maximum dB for all patients was 82.2. The average minimum dB was 50.9. The average daily bedside noise level was 62.9 dBA. The average % time where the noise level was higher than 70 dBA was 2.2%. The average percent of time that the noise level was higher than 80 dBA was 0.1%. Patients experienced an average of 115 min/d where peak noise was greater than 100 dBA. The parents and staff identified the monitors as the major contribution to noise.ConclusionPatients experienced levels of noise greater than 80 dBA. Patients experience peak noise levels in excess of 100 dB during their pediatric intensive care unit stay.     

Complex pain consultations in the pediatric intensive care unit

The assessment and management of pain in children is not always easy and it is clearly more difficult in the critical care setting. Pain management is further complicated in this vulnerable population by the nature of their critical condition, the complexity and multidimensionality of their illness or injuries, and the intensity of emotions in this environment. A variety of pain syndromes are encountered in the pediatric intensive care unit, and the staff there may not be familiar with or comfortable managing these cases. Pain assessment and treatment can be more appropriately managed when guided by the experts of a multidisciplinary pediatric pain service.     

Atrial natriuretic factor in the pediatric intensive care unit

ANF is a newly discovered peptide hormone that has significant implications for critical care physicians. This hormone, released from the heart, is especially responsive to fluid challenges as well as to many of the drugs commonly used in the ICU, including pressor and anesthetic agents. It has potent arterial vasodilating effects in pharmacologic doses and may be an important natural vasodilating agent, especially in the renal vascular bed. In patients on dopamine, it may potentiate the renal vasodilating effect and may provide an effective therapy for developing acute renal failure. Children with congenital heart disease and patients with CHF have elevated levels that clearly alter the aldosterone-angiotensin II system and may help us to understand and treat these conditions more effectively. Additionally, ANF may be a marker for adequacy of treatment in these disease states. The potential uses for ANF include diuresis in patients with fluid overload and diuretic resistance, treatment of CHF, and as a short-acting vasodilator. In the ICU, many therapies affect cardiac pressures and volume regulation. Positive-pressure ventilation may decrease the release of ANF by decreasing venous return and thus contribute to water retention. Drugs used in the ICU may directly affect ANF levels and markedly affect the homeostasis of fluid and electrolyte balance. This hormone system interacts intimately with renin, angiotensin II, and aldosterone. These interactions may play a significant role in the development of essential hypertension. Although not addressed in this article, the treatment and understanding of essential hypertension may be significantly advanced by understanding these relationships. It is clear that ANF acts as a hormone with complex interactions between the heart, volume status, electrolyte balance, renin-angiotensin II-aldosterone, vasopressin, and vascular tone. Although currently no definitive picture exists for these complex interactions, this is an exciting new hormone with significant implications for patient management in the ICU. As research continues, the picture will become clearer and our understanding of this new hormone more precise.     

Maintaining professional boundaries in the pediatric intensive care unit

Team members in the PICU need to have an understanding of the potential for professional boundary violations. These lines are dynamic and easily blurred and may be crossed during well-intentioned interactions. We hope that knowledge of the warning signs will help health care providers and patients and families remain in the zone of helpfulness.(3)     

Sleep and sedation in the pediatric intensive care unit

Sleep is an important and necessary function of the human body. Somatic growth and cellular repair occur during sleep. Critically ill children have disturbed sleep while in the pediatric intensive care unit related both to the illness itself and to light, noise, and caregiver activities disrupting an environment conducive to sleep. Medications administered in the pediatric intensive care unit can also disrupt sleep. This article reviews what is known about sleep in the pediatric intensive care unit and the effects of common sedation medications on sleep.     

Questions unanswered: propofol use in the pediatric intensive care unit

As professionals who care for the sickest children, we want to provide the best evidence-based care available. While there are questions still to be answered, it is clear that when propofol is administered to children, it should be done in a manner that is intentional, well planned, and consistent with national guidelines and regulatory groups. Haphazard administration of propofol will place children at risk.     

Acute transfusion reactions in the pediatric intensive care unit

BACKGROUND: Acute transfusion reactions (ATRs) are probably underdiagnosed in critically ill children because associated symptoms can frequently be attributed to the patient's underlying disease. This study was undertaken to determine the incidence, type, imputability, and severity of ATRs observed in a tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All transfusions of labile blood product administered to consecutive patients admitted to our PICU, between February 2002 and February 2004, were prospectively recorded. For each transfusion, the bedside nurse recorded the patient's status before, during, and up to 4 hours after the transfusion, as well as the presence of any new sign or symptom suggesting an ATR. Three independent experts retrospectively reviewed all transfusion event reports and hospital charts. The presence, type, imputability, and severity of ATRs were adjudicated by consensus of two of three experts (Delphi method), with predefined criteria. RESULTS: A total of 2509 transfusions were administered to 305 patients during the study. Forty transfusion events (1.6%) were confirmed to be ATRs by expert consensus: 24 febrile nonhemolytic, 6 minor allergic, 4 isolated hypotension, 3 bacterial contamination, 1 major allergic (anaphylactic shock), 1 TRALI, and 1 hemolytic reaction. Imputability of ATRs was probable or possible in 35 cases (88%). ATRs led to an immediate vital threat in 15 percent of cases. CONCLUSION: Improved surveillance of transfusions given to PICU patients and better knowledge of these reactions by health care professionals should improve the safety of transfusions in the PICU.