The role of ECMO in neonatal and paediatric patients

ECMO or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has now been part of healthcare for over 40 years. During that time, changes in circuit technology have resulted in improved survival and have facilitated the use of ECMO in more challenging patient groups in whom ECMO was previously considered to be contraindicated. Further advances have allowed ECMO to progress out of the specialist centres and nearer to patients, in the form of mobile ECMO. Patient selection remains key to a successful outcome since ECMO is a supportive therapy utilised whilst waiting for a reversible condition to resolve through other treatment strategies.     

PICU呼吸机相关肺炎44例病原学分析

目的　 总结我院PICU近 2年来 44例呼吸机相关肺炎 (VAP)的病原学及致病相关因素。 方法 　总结 2年来PICU 44例VAP病例临床及实验室资料。 结果 　MV≥ 48h 6 3例 ,诊断VAP 44例 ,发病率 6 9 8%。主要病原是铜绿假单胞菌等革兰氏阴性杆菌。 结论 　对呼吸机相关肺炎病原有参考意义     

儿科重症监护室先天性心脏病合并呼吸道感染患儿的病毒性病原学研究

目的：总结儿科重症监护室中先天性心脏病合并呼吸道感染患儿的病毒性病原谱。方法收集2010年6月至2012年6月因呼吸道感染入住本院儿科重症监护室的患儿咽拭子标本622份,其中先天性心脏病合并呼吸道感染患儿咽拭子34份。应用多重聚合酶链反应(PCR)技术对呼吸道病毒进行检测,并对照分析合并先天性心脏病患儿的病毒性病原学特点。结果①34份先天性心脏病组咽拭子标本中,呼吸道病毒检测阳性20份(58.8%),588份非先天性心脏病组咽拭子标本中,呼吸道病毒检测阳性368份(62.6%)。②先天性心脏病组中,最常见的病毒分别为人鼻病毒(human rhinovirus,HRV)8份,呼吸道合胞病毒(respiratory syncytial virus, RSV)6份,人博卡病毒(human bocavirus,HBoV)4份,腺病毒(adenovirus,ADV)2份;非先天性心脏病组中,最常见的病毒分别为 HRV 160份,RSV 104份,ADV 72份,HBoV50份;其他病毒阳性率较低。③先天性心脏病组中,混合病毒感染有2份(2/20,10.0%),非先天性心脏病组中,混合病毒感染有110份(110/368,29.9%)。结论本地区儿科重症监护室中先天性心脏病合并呼吸道感染患儿的病原体中病毒性病原体检出率高,以鼻病毒、呼吸道合胞病毒、人博卡病毒和腺病毒最常见,病毒谱和非先天性心脏病组相似。     

Nosocomial bloodstream infection in a pediatric intensive care unit

Objective  To study the incidence of nosocomial blood stream infections (BSI) in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary care teaching hospital, identify the organisms responsible and the pattern of antibiotic resistance over one decade. Methods  Data was retrieved from the records of PICU and Medical Microbiology laboratory of patients with a positive blood culture after 48 hours of admission to PICU over three time periods viz. 1994–1996, 1999–2001 and 2002–2003. Antibiotic sensitivity pattern was also analyzed. Results  861 episodes (1994–1996: 282, 1999–2001: 362 and 2002–2003: 217) of nosocomial bloodstream infection were documented in 841 patients, corresponding to 3.63, 5.94 and 4.99 episodes per 100 patient-days, respectively. Gram negative organisms were the predominant isolates; common being Klebsiella pneumoniae (20.1%), Enterobacter species (16.6%) and Acinetobacter species (8.6%). Staphylococcus aureus (16.4%) and yeast species (15.9%) were the major Gram positive isolates. Isolation of Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella and Acinetobacter species showed a rising trend while yeast (36.9%, 6.6% and 4.1%) showed a decline over the three time periods studied. An increasing trend of resistance to third generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, ciprofloxacin and newer antibiotics including combination of beta-lactam with beta-lactamase inhibitor was noted. Conclusion  The predominant organisms responsible for nosocomial infection in the PICU were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacter species. At present, carbapenams plus vancomycin appear to be the best choice for empiric antibiotic therapy in the PICU in Chandigarh.     

Vitamin D supplementation and improvement of pneumonic children at a tertiary pediatric hospital in Egypt: A randomized controlled trial

Background:Despite the well-recognized effect of vitamin D in metabolism and homeostasis, there is now growing interest in its probable association with pneumonia. This study aims to supply vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) (100,000 IU) to pneumonic children to minimize the duration of illness and improve their outcome.Methods:A double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in a Pediatric Cairo University affiliated hospital. An intervention arm (93 children) and a control arm (98 children), who had pneumonia with an insufficient or deficient level of vitamin D and whose parental permission was obtained, were enrolled in the trial. All children were treated with antibiotics according to WHO guidelines. Children were given a single injection of 1 mL of 100,000 IU of vitamin D3 or placebo. Clinical data were recorded every eight hours for all children. Outcomes were assessed 7 days after vitamin D injection.The primary outcome variable was the change in serum level of 25(OH)D, while the secondary outcomes were the medical state of the assigned cases (improvement or death) and duration between enrollment and hospital discharge for improved cases.Results:In the supplementation group, the percentage of patients who suffered either deficient (38.7%) or insufficient levels (61.3%) of 25 (OH)D at day one had significantly decreased in the seventh day to (11.8%) and (52.7%), respectively. Kaplan--Meier plots highlighted that the median time to recover of the placebo group was significantly longer than that of the supplementation group (Log Rank P value < .001).Conclusion:VDD was detected in pediatric critical care children. In pneumonic children with high VDD, it is illustrated that Vitamin D supplementation is accompanied by lowered mortality risk and pSOFA scores, reduced time to recover, and improved PaO₂/FiO₂.Trial registration:Trial Identifier number: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT04244474","term_id":"NCT04244474"}}NCT04244474. Registered on 27 January 2020- Retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol?sid=S0009JXO&selectaction=Edit&uid=U0004UO8&ts=152&cx=9cceq6     

Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children during the coronavirus disease 2019 in Saudi Arabia: Clinical perspective from a case series

Most of the reports about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in children reported mild-to-moderate disease manifestations. However, recent reports explored a rare pediatric multisystem syndrome possibly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection termed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).The study prospectively enrolled 5 patients with clinical and laboratory evidence of MIS-C associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. They were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Their clinical presentation, laboratory, and outcome were described.All patients shared similar clinical presentations such as persistent documented fever for more than 3 days, respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal involvement, and increased inflammatory markers (CRP, ESR, and ferritin). Three patients had concurrent positive coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, and the other 2 patients had contact with suspected COVID-19 positive patients. They were all managed in the PICU and received intravenous immunoglobulin, systemic steroid, and hydroxychloroquine. The hospital stays ranged between 3 and 21 days. One patient died due to severe multiorgan failures and shock, and the other 4 patients were discharged with good conditions.Pediatric patients with SARS–CoV-2 are at risk for MIS-C. MIS-C has a spectrum of clinical and laboratory presentations, and the clinicians need to have a high index of suspicion for the diagnosis and should initiate its early treatment to avoid unfavorable outcomes. Long-term follow-up studies will be required to explore any sequelae of MIS-C, precisely the cardiovascular complications.     

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate: is it a feasible alternative to midazolam in long-term mechanically ventilated children?

Aim: Benzodiazepines like midazolam are commonly used for long-term sedation of critically ill children requiring mechanical ventilation. Tolerance to midazolam may occur in these patients resulting in a ceiling effect with insufficient or missing sedative response to increases of midazolam infusion or bolus application. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a drug rotation protocol replacing continuous infusion of midazolam with gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) to counteract midazolam tolerance.

Methods: This retrospective, observational study was conducted in a 14-bed pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary referral center. Thirty-three mechanically ventilated children with tolerance to midazolam who received continuous infusion of GHB were included. Success of drug rotation from midazolam to GHB was defined as adequate sedation with GHB and subsequent reduction of required doses of midazolam.

Results: In our cohort, drug rotation for at least 2?days could be successfully performed in 10 out of 34 children resulting in subsequent reduction of required doses of midazolam. Drug rotation to GHB failed in 24 patients due to insufficient sedation resulting in a premature termination of the protocol. In these children, dosing of midazolam could not be reduced following drug rotation. We could not identify factors which predict success or failure of drug rotation from midazolam to GHB.

Conclusions: The data from our single-center study suggest that drug rotation from midazolam to GHB may be worth trying in children with midazolam tolerance during long-term sedation, but physicians should be aware of possible treatment failure.     

Relationship of serum C-reactive protein and blood glucose levels with injury severity and patient morbidity in a pediatric trauma population

Purpose

Serum markers of inflammation and of glucose production are known to reflect the immediate metabolic response to injury. We hypothesized that monitoring of the early C-reactive protein (CRP) and blood glucose (BG) concentrations would correlate with clinical morbidity and outcome measures in pediatric trauma patients.

Methods

A five-year retrospective chart review of pediatric trauma patients admitted to our Level I pediatric trauma center was conducted to establish the relationships between early (first 3 hospital days) serum CRP and BG concentrations, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and hospital length of stay (HLOS). Statistical significance (P < 0.05) was determined using Student’s t-test.

Results

Forty-two trauma patients (8.0 ± 5.2 years) were evaluated. The early inflammatory response (CRP ≥ 10 vs <10 mg/dl) was significantly correlated to the glycemic response (BG;121 ± 24 vs 97.3 ± 14.2 mg/dl, P < 0.05). Severely injured patients (ISS ≥ 25 vs <25) were significantly more hyperglycemic (BG;156 ± 56.9 vs 125 ± 31.6 mg/dL, P = 0.003). Both increased inflammatory response (CRP;8.1 ± 6.4 vs 2.5 ± 3.5 mg/dL) and increased glycemic response (BG;111 ± 15.9 vs 97.4 ± 11.7 mg/dL) were independently and significantly associated with prolonged hospitalization (HLOS > 7 vs ≤7 days, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

This study establishes a significant relationship between the early inflammatory and glycemic injury response and the association of that response with pediatric trauma patient morbidity and outcome measures.     

A comparison of the phenomenology of pediatric, adult, and geriatric delirium

BACKGROUND: The phenomenology of delirium in childhood is understudied. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to compare the phenomenology of delirium in children, adults and geriatric patients. POPULATION AND METHODS: Forty-six children [mean age 8.3, S.D. 5.6, range 0-17 years (inclusive)], admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit of Maastricht University Hospital, with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) delirium, underwent assessment with the Delirium Rating Scale (DRS). The scores are compared with those of 49 adult (mean age 55.4, S.D. 7.9, range 18-65 years) and 70 geriatric patients (mean age 76.2, S.D. 6.1, range 66-91 years) with DSM-IV delirium, occurring in a palliative care unit. Score profiles across groups, as well as differences in individual item scores across groups are analysed with multiple analysis of variance, applying a Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: Although the range of symptoms occurring in all three groups was similar, DRS score profiles differed significantly across the three groups (Wilks lambda=0.019, F=804.206, P<.001). On item level, childhood delirium is characterized by a more acute onset, more severe perceptual disturbances, more frequent visual hallucinations, more severe delusions, more severe lability of mood, greater agitation, less severe cognitive deficits, less severe sleep-wake cycle disturbance, and less variability of symptoms over time. Adult and geriatric delirium do not differ in their presentations, except for the presence of more severe cognitive symptoms in geriatric delirium (P=.001). CONCLUSION: Childhood delirium has a different course and symptom profile than adult and geriatric delirium. Adult and geriatric delirium differ only in the severity of cognitive symptoms.