Impact of blood volume monitoring on fluid removal during intermittent hemodialysis of critically ill children with acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: In chronic pediatric patients treated with intermittent hemodialysis (IHD), blood volume monitoring (BVM) is commonly used to assess and manage volume status during the dialysis session. Minimal data exists on its use during IHD in critically ill children with acute kidney injury (AKI). In these cases, fluid removal may be limited by hemodynamic instability. METHODS: We present a retrospective study conducted in our pediatric intensive care unit. For eligible patients, demographic data and IHD treatment characteristics were recorded including BVM use, ultrafiltration (UF) volume per session, hypotensive episodes and intradialysis interventions. Hypotensive episodes and UF per IHD session were compared between IHD sessions with BVM (BVM group) and IHD sessions without BVM (control group). RESULTS: Twenty-three AKI patients with a median age of 11 years (1.8-18) and body weight of 36 kg (10-85) received 134 IHD sessions (70 with BVM and 64 without BVM). Hypotensive episodes occurred in 34% of all sessions with no significant difference between the BVM group and the control group: (95% CI: 22%, 44%) and 36% (95% CI: 24%, 48%), respectively, but UF per session was higher in the BVM group as compared to control (48 ± 27 mL/kg and 33 ± 26 mL/kg, respectively, P = 0.0001). The mean decrease in BVM did not exceed 13% over an entire dialysis session in patients without hypotension. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, in our experience of IHD sessions in critically ill children with AKI, the use of BVM allowed a higher UF in those with BVM without influencing the frequency of hypotensive episodes. Applying specific guidelines on BVM use may decrease hypotensive episodes during IHD treatment in critically ill patients.

[Acute respiratory distress syndrome in infants at term and near term about 23 cases]. / Le syndrome de détresse respiratoire aigue du nouveau-né à terme et proche du terme: à propos de 23 observations.

AIM: to precise the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome in infants at term and near term and the clinical characteristics of this disease not yet well recognised. METHODS: Retrospective study of the medical records of infants admitted in the paediatric intensive care unit for ARDS along a period of 4 years. Diagnosis of ARDS was based on the following criterias: (1) Gestational age > or =35 weeks of gestation; (2) Severe and immediate respiratory distress requiring mechanical ventilation with PEEP > or =4 cmH2O and FiO2 > or = 0.5 during at least 6 hours; (3) Dependence on oxygen > or =48 hours ; (4) Diffuse alveolar damage in the chest radiograph; (5) PaO2 < or =60 mmHg under FiO2 > or = 0.5. RESULTS: During the period of the study, 23 infants (gestational age = 36 +/- 1.1 weeks of gestation; birth weight = 2756 +/- 453 gr) were included in the study. Their mean age at admission was 16.5 +/- 14.6 hours. The majority of infants (91.3%) were born by caesarean section before the onset of labour in 78.3% cases. All infants had a severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (D(A -a)O2 = 468 +/- 165; OI = 19 +/- 8.4). Five infants (21.7 %) improved their oxygenation parameters under conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) (p < 0.001; p = 0.002 et p = 0.003 respectively for D(A - a)O2, OI and PaO2/FiO2). Eighteen infants (78.2%) required high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV)with a rapid and persistant improvement of oxygenation parameters. Five patients (21.7%) developed pulmonary air leak. One infant died. CONCLUSION: ARDS represents 6.8% of etiology of respiratory distress in infants at term and near term. Caesarean section before the onset of labour seems to be a triggering factor. The outcome seems to be favourable (rate of survival = 95.7%) if the management is suitable.