Mental Health and Emotional Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemics: Prevalence and Extent in PICU Staff.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of burnout, anxiety and depression symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in PICU workers in Brazil during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. To compare the results of subgroups stratified by age, gender, professional category, health system, and previous mental health disorders. DESIGN: Multicenter, cross-sectional study using an electronic survey. SETTING: Twenty-nine public and private Brazilian PICUs. SUBJECTS: Multidisciplinary PICU workers. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Self-reported questionnaires were used to measure burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition [PCL-5]) in 1,084 respondents. Subjects were mainly young (37.1 ± 8.4 yr old) and females (85%), with a median workload of 50 hours per week. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 33% and 19%, respectively, whereas PTSD was 13%. The overall median burnout scores were high in the emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment dimensions (16 [interquartile range (IQR), 8-24] and 40 [IQR, 33-44], respectively) whereas low in the depersonalization one (2 [IQR, 0-5]), suggesting a profile of overextended professionals, with a burnout prevalence of 24%. Professionals reporting prior mental health disorders had higher prevalence of burnout (30% vs 22%; p = 0.02), anxiety (51% vs 29%; p < 0.001), and depression symptoms (32.5% vs 15%; p < 0.001), with superior PCL-5 scores for PTSD ( p < 0.001). Public hospital workers presented more burnout (29% vs 18.6%, p < 0.001) and more PTSD levels (14.8% vs 10%, p = 0.03). Younger professionals were also more burned out ( p < 0.05 in all three dimensions). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of mental health disorders in Brazilian PICU workers during the first 2020 peak of COVID-19 was as high as those described in adult ICU workers. Some subgroups, particularly those reporting previous mental disorders and younger professionals, should receive special attention to prevent future crises.

Screening of COVID-19 in outpatient children with cancer or solid organ transplantation: preliminary report.

Clinical presentation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pediatric immunosuppressed patients is unknown. Emerging data describe a milder or asymptomatic course in children compared with adults in this scenario. We present the seroprevalence and clinical features of coronavirus disease 2019 in a prospective cohort of 114 immunosuppressed children and adolescents from three groups: kidney transplantation, liver transplantation, and cancer patients. Among the thirty-five (30.7%) patients who had a positive serological test for SARS-CoV-2, 77% did not report previous symptoms and none of them developed any complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after 30 or more days of follow-up. Among those who were symptomatic, diarrhea, fever, and cough were the most common findings.Conclusion: Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection is high among immunosuppressed children and adolescents. COVID-19 has a mild or asymptomatic course in most of these patients. What is Known: • The number of immunosuppressed patients with coronavirus disease 2019 is increasing. • Viral infections have the potential for greater severity in immunocompromised children. What is New: • Seroprevalence for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in immunocompromised pediatric patients was 31%. • A quarter of the serology-positive patients reported mild symptoms and none of them developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children associated with coronavirus disease 2019.

The Impact of the Novel Coronavirus on Brazilian PICUs.

OBJECTIVES: To study the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, considering the physical distancing and schools closing, on the characteristics of admission and epidemiology on Brazilian PICUs. DESIGN: Observational, multicenter, time series analysis, of electronic medical records from 15 PICU in Brazil. Data consisted of all March, April, and May PICU admissions from 2017 to 2020. SETTING: Fifteen private PICUs in Brazil. PATIENTS: Pediatric patients admitted to the PICU from March to May since 2017. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The period from March 11, 2020, to March 17, 2020, was considered the "intervention point" studied, corresponding to the suspension of school activities and the beginning of physical distancing in Brazil. During the pandemic period studied, there were 28 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (one death). The mean age was higher (p = 0.000), the length of stay was shorter (p = 0.000), but mortality rates were similar among the periods (p = 0.36). The model estimated a reduction of 1,483 PICU admissions from March 2020 to May 2020. At the end of May, there was an estimated drop of -146.6 bronchiolitis admissions (95% CI, -242.8 to -50.3; p = 0.016); -71 asthma admissions (95% CI, -93.6 to -48.63; p = 0.000); and -59 community-acquired pneumonia admissions (95% CI, -74.7 to -43.3; p = 0.000) per period. The model showed no effect of the "intervention" (physical distancing) on hospitalization rates for epilepsy, diarrhea, sepsis, bacterial meningitis, or surgery when analyzed individually. When assessed together, the model estimated a reduction of 73.6 admissions (95% IC, -132 to -15.2; p = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic strongly affected Brazilian PICUs, reducing admissions, length of stay, and the epidemiological profile. The measures to oppose the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic may have prevented thousands of PICU hospitalizations across the country.

Delirium Detection Based on the Clinical Experience of Pediatric Intensivists.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the frequency of delirium detected by pediatric intensivists, based only on their clinical experience, without a valid and reliable tool. DESIGN: Multicenter, prospective, descriptive, observational study. SETTINGS: Three PICUs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. PATIENTS: Twenty-nine days to 18 years old. INTERVENTIONS: Electronic forms were sent weekly to the pediatric intensivists responsible for the daily care of patients from March to September 2015, to fill in information about the presence of risk factors and diagnosis of delirium in all patients who remained in the PICU in the last week. Demographics and other clinical data were extracted from an electronic system. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 504 admissions in the three PICUs (477 patients) were included. The pediatric intensivists reported only two episodes of delirium in two different patients, based on insufficient criteria. Considering all PICUs admissions, the reported frequency of delirium was only 0.4% (2/504). CONCLUSIONS: The low frequency of delirium detection and the insufficient criteria used for the diagnosis in these units suggest flaws in the recognition of delirium and probably the occurrence of underdiagnosis/misdiagnosis when it is based only on clinical experience, without the use of a valid and reliable tool.

Validity and Reliability of the Brazilian Portuguese Version of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the validity and reliability of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU for diagnosing delirium in patients with chronological and developmental ages from 5 to 17 years in Brazilian PICUs. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: Eight Brazilian PICUs (seven in Rio de Janeiro and one in São Paulo). PATIENTS: One-hundred sixteen patients, 5-17 years old, without developmental delay, submitted to mechanical ventilation or not. INTERVENTIONS: To assess the inter-observer reliability, two previously trained researchers concomitantly applied the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU and independently rated the same patient. To assess the criterion validity, a pediatric neurologist or psychiatrist, blinded to the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU assessments, evaluated the same patient within 30 minutes, using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, considered the reference standard. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: One-hundred forty-nine paired assessments were included (some patients had more than one). Delirium was diagnosed in 11 of 149 assessments (7%), or eight of 116 patients (7%), using both the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. There was one false positive and one false negative diagnosis, which resulted in 90.9% sensitivity (95% CI, 58.7-99.8%) and 99.3% specificity (95% CI, 96-100%) for the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU. The inter-rater reliability was considered almost perfect (κ = 1.0). CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU is a valid and reliable tool for diagnosing delirium in pediatric patients 5-17 years old who are spontaneously breathing and not pharmacologically sedated in Brazilian PICUs. The implementation of this tool may be useful to reduce underdiagnosis, ensure monitoring and earlier intervention, provide a better prognosis, and improve research on delirium in this age group in Brazil. Further studies are necessary to test the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU in sedated and mechanically ventilated children.

Reliability of triage systems for paediatric emergency care: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To present a systematic review on the reliability of triage systems for paediatric emergency care. METHODS: A search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Nursing Database Index and Spanish Health Sciences Bibliographic Index for articles in English, French, Portuguese or Spanish was conducted to identify reliability studies of five-level triage systems for patients aged 0-18 years published up to April 2018. Two reviewers performed study selection, data extraction and quality assessment as recommended by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. RESULTS: Twenty studies on nine triage systems were selected: the National Triage System (n=1); the Australasian Triage Scale (n=3); the paediatric Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (PedCTAS) (n=5); the Manchester Triage System (MTS) (n=1); the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) (n=5); an adaptation of the South African Triage Scale for the Princess Marina Hospital in Botswana (n=1); the Soterion Rapid Triage System (n=1); the Rapid Emergency Triage and Treatment System-paediatric version (n=2); the Paediatric Risk Classification Protocol (n=1). Ten studies were performed with actual patients, while the others used hypothetical scenarios. The studies were rated low (n=14) or moderate (n=6) quality. Kappa was the most used statistic, although many studies did not specify the weighting. PedCTAS, MTS and ESI V.4 exhibited substantial to almost perfect agreement in moderate quality studies. CONCLUSIONS: There is some evidence on the reliability of the PedCTAS, MTS and ESI V.4, but most studies are limited to the countries where they were developed. Efforts are needed to improve the quality of the studies, and cross-cultural adaptation of those tools is recommended in countries with different professional qualification and sociocultural contexts.

Validity of triage systems for paediatric emergency care: a systematic review.

AIM: To present a systematic review on the validity of triage systems for paediatric emergency care. METHODS: Search in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Nursing Database Index (BDENF) and Spanish Health Sciences Bibliographic Index (IBECS) for articles in English, French, Portuguese or Spanish with no time limit. Validity studies of five-level triage systems for patients 0-18 years old were included. Two reviewers performed data extraction and quality assessment as recommended by PRISMA statement. RESULTS: We found 25 studies on seven triage systems: Manchester Triage System (MTS); paediatric version of Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (PedCTAS) and its adaptation for Taiwan (paediatric version of the Taiwan Triage and Acuity System); Emergency Severity Index version 4 (ESI v.4); Soterion Rapid Triage System and South African Triage Scale and its adaptation for Bostwana (Princess Marina Triage Scale). Only studies on the MTS used a reference standard for urgency, while all systems were evaluated using a proxy outcome for urgency such as admission. Over half of all studies were low quality. The MTS, PedCTAS and ESI v.4 presented the largest number of moderate and high quality studies. The three tools performed better in their countries or near them, showing a consistent association with hospitalisation and resource utilisation. Studies of all three tools found that patients at the lowest urgency levels were hospitalised, reflecting undertriage. CONCLUSIONS: There is some evidence to corroborate the validity of the MTS, PedCTAS and ESI v.4 for paediatric emergency care in their own countries or near them. Efforts to improve the sensitivity and to minimise the undertriage rates should continue. Cross-cultural adaptation is necessary when adopting these triage systems in other countries.

Exclusive breastfeeding and length of hospital stay in premature infants at a Brazilian reference center for kangaroo mother care.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate exclusive breastfeeding at discharge and hospital length-of-stay in preterm infants undergoing or not the Kangaroo-Mother Care Method (KMC). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted including preterm infants < 1800 g admitted to the neonatal unit of a KMC reference center. The infants were grouped into the KMC group and the non-KMC group. Multiple logistic and Poisson regressions were performed to evaluate the association between the KMC and two outcomes, exclusive breastfeeding at discharge, and hospital length-of-stay, adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: 115 mother-infant dyads were included, 78 in the KMC group and 37 in the non-KMC group. In the bivariate analysis, the KMC group had a lower prevalence of maternal adverse conditions (6% vs. 32%, p < 0.001), a higher number of prenatal visits (median 6 vs. 3.5, p < 0.001), higher gestational ages (median 32 vs. 31 weeks, p < 0.05), higher birth weights (median 1530 vs. 1365 g, p < 0.01), a lower prevalence of necrotizing enterocolitis (3.8% vs. 16.2%, p < 0.05), parenteral nutrition (50% vs. 73%, p < 0.05), and deep vascular access (49.7% vs. 78.4%, p < 0.01), a higher prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (65% vs. 8%, p < 0.001) and a shorter length of hospital stay (median 28 vs. 42 days, p < 0.001). In the multiple regression analysis, the KMC group was 23 times more likely to be exclusively breastfed at discharge (OR = 23.1; 95% CI = 4,85-109,93) and had a 19% reduction in the hospital length-of-stay (IDR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.76-0.86) compared to the non-KMC group. CONCLUSIONS: The KMC is associated with better short-term neonatal outcomes and should be encouraged in all Brazilian maternity hospitals.

The hidden severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents in Brazil: a territorial analysis of hospital mortality. / A gravidade oculta da pandemia de COVID-19 em crianças e adolescentes no Brasil: uma análise territorial da mortalidade hospitalar.

This article aims to describe the geographical distribution of hospital mortality from COVID-19 in children and adolescents during the 2020-2021 pandemic in Brazil. Ecological, census study (SIVEP GRIPE) with individuals up to 19 years of age, hospitalized with SARS due to COVID-19 or SARS not specified in Brazilian municipalities, stratified in two ways: 1) in the five macro-regions and 2) in three urban agglomerations: capital, municipalities of the metropolitan region and non-capital municipalities. There were 44 hospitalizations/100,000 inhabitants due to COVID-19 and 241/100,000 when including unspecified SARS (estimated underreporting of 81.8%). There were 1,888 deaths by COVID-19 and 4,471 deaths if added to unspecified SARS, estimating 57.8% of unreported deaths. Hospital mortality was 2.3 times higher in the macro-regions when considering only the cases of COVID-19, with the exception of the North and Center-West regions. Higher hospital mortality was also recorded in non-capital municipalities. The urban setting was associated with higher SARS hospital mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Living in the North and Northeast macro-regions, and far from the capitals offered a higher risk of mortality for children and adolescents who required hospitalization.

O objetivo deste artigo é descrever a distribuição geográfica da mortalidade hospitalar por COVID-19 em crianças e adolescentes durante a pandemia de 2020-2021 no Brasil. Estudo ecológico, censitário (SIVEP GRIPE), de indivíduos até 19 anos, internados com SRAG por COVID-19 ou SRAG não especificada, em municípios brasileiros, estratificados de duas formas: 1) nas cinco macrorregiões e 2) em três aglomerados urbanos: capital, municípios da região metropolitana e do interior. Verificou-se 44 internações/100 mil habitantes por COVID-19 e 241/100 mil ao se incluir a SRAG não especificada (subnotificação estimada de 81,8%). Ocorreram1.888 óbitos por COVID-19 e 4.471 óbitos se somados à SRAG não especificada, estimando-se subnotificação de 57,8% dos óbitos. A mortalidade hospitalar foi 2,3 vezes maior nas macrorregiões quando considerados apenas os casos de COVID-19, com exceção das regiões Norte e Centro-Oeste. Registrou-se também maior mortalidade hospitalar em municípios do interior. O contexto urbano esteve associado à maior mortalidade hospitalar por SRAG durante a pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil. Residir nas macrorregiões Norte e Nordeste, e distante das capitais, ofereceu maior risco de mortalidade para crianças e adolescentes que necessitaram hospitalização.

High-fidelity simulation versus case-based discussion for training undergraduate medical students in pediatric emergencies: a quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of high-fidelity simulation of pediatric emergencies compared to case-based discussion on the development of self-confidence, theoretical knowledge, clinical reasoning, communication, attitude, and leadership in undergraduate medical students. METHODS: 33 medical students were allocated to two teaching methods: high-fidelity simulation (HFS, n = 18) or case-based discussion (CBD, n = 15). Self-confidence and knowledge tests were applied before and after the interventions and the effect of HFS on both outcomes was estimated with mixed-effect models. An Objective Structured Clinical Examination activity was conducted after the interventions, while two independent raters used specific simulation checklists to assess clinical reasoning, communication, attitude, and leadership. The effect of HFS on these outcomes was estimated with linear and logistic regressions. The effect size was estimated with the Hedge's g. RESULTS: Both groups had an increase in self-confidence (HFS 59.1 × 93.6, p < 0.001; CDB 50.5 × 88.2, p < 0.001) and knowledge scores over time (HFS 45.1 × 63.2, p = 0.001; CDB 43.5 × 56.7, p-value < 0.01), but no difference was observed between groups (group*time effect in the mixed effect models adjusted for the student ranking) for both tests (p = 0.6565 and p = 0.3331, respectively). The simulation checklist scores of the HFS group were higher than those of the CBD group, with large effect sizes in all domains (Hedges g 1.15 to 2.20). CONCLUSION: HFS performed better than CBD in developing clinical reasoning, communication, attitude, and leadership in undergraduate medical students in pediatric emergency care, but no significant difference was observed in self-confidence and theoretical knowledge.

Validity of the Brazilian pediatric triage system CLARIPED at a secondary level of emergency care.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity of the triage system CLARIPED in a pediatric population in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: Prospective, observational study in a secondary-level pediatric emergency service from Sep-2018 to Ago-2019. A convenience sample of all patients aged 0-18 years triaged by the computerized CLARIPED system was selected. Associations between urgency levels and patient outcomes were analyzed to assess construct validity. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) to identify the most urgent patients were estimated, as well as under-triage and over-triage rates. RESULTS: The distribution of 24,338 visits was: RED 0.02%, ORANGE 0.9%, YELLOW 23.5%, GREEN 47.9%, and BLUE 27.7% (highest to the lowest level of urgency). The frequency of the following outcomes increased with increasing urgency: hospital admission (0.0%, 0.02%, 0.1%, 7.1% and 20%); stay in ED observation room (1.9%, 2,4%, 4.8%, 24.1%, 60%); use of ≥ 2 diagnostic/therapeutic resources (2.3%, 3.0%, 5.9%, 28.8%, 40%); ED length of stay (12, 12, 15, 99.5, 362 min). The most urgent patients (RED, ORANGE, and YELLOW) exhibited higher chances of using ≥ 2 resources (OR 2.55; 95%CI: 2.23-2.92) or of being hospitalized (OR 23.9; 95%CI: 7.17-79.62), compared to the least urgent (GREEN and BLUE). The sensitivity to identify urgency was 0.88 (95%CI: 0.70-0.98); specificity, 0.76 (95%CI: 0.75-0.76); NPV, 0.99 (95%CI: 0.99-1.00); overtriage rate, 23.0%, and undertriage, 11.5%. CONCLUSION: This study corroborates the validity and safety of CLARIPED, demonstrating significant correlations with clinical outcomes, good sensitivity, and low undertriage rate in a secondary-level Brazilian pediatric emergency service.

Maternal-fetal and neonatal characteristics associated with Kangaroo-Mother Care Method adherence.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the association of maternal and neonatal characteristics with the adherence status to the in-hospital stages of the Kangaroo-Mother Care Method - KMC (full, partial, and no-adherence). METHODS: Retrospective cohort study including infants < 2500 g admitted to a reference maternity hospital for the KMC in Rio de Janeiro from January to December 2018. Maternal and neonatal characteristics were distributed according to the adherence status to the KMC in-hospital stages. In the first stage, KMC is performed in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Conventional Neonatal Intermediate Care Unit. The second stage is completed in Kangaroo Neonatal Intermediate Care Unit. Multinomial multiple regression was performed with KMC adherence as a three-category dependent variable and maternal and neonatal characteristics as independent variables. RESULTS: Of 166 dyads, 102 (61.5%) participated in two stages. Those who did not participate in any stage (n = 52; 31.3%) had a lower level of education, a higher frequency of adverse conditions, and were more often single mothers; mothers who participated only in the first stage (n = 12; 7,2%) had more premature and sick infants. Conditions associated with adherence to the two stages compared to no adherence were: high school education (OR = 2.34; 95% CI = 1.08-5.07), presence of a partner (OR = 3.82; 95% CI = 1.7-8.61), no adverse conditions (OR = 3.54; 95% CI = 1.59-7.89) and no neonatal resuscitation (OR = 2.73; 95% CI = 1.22-6.1). CONCLUSIONS: The study identified maternal and neonatal conditions associated with adherence status to the KMC. The results suggest opportunities to improve adherence.

Intensivists' Reported Management of Critical Bronchiolitis: More Data and New Guidelines Needed.

OBJECTIVES: Existing bronchiolitis guidelines do not reflect the needs of infants admitted to the PICU. This study aimed to identify PICU providers' reported practice variations and explore the need for critical bronchiolitis clinical guidelines. METHODS: Cross-sectional electronic survey available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese between November 2020 and March 2021, distributed via research networks from North and Latin America, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand. RESULTS: A total of 657 PICU providers responded, including 344 English, 204 Spanish, and 109 Portuguese. PICU providers indicated frequently using (≥25% of time) diagnostic modalities for nonintubated and intubated patients on PICU admission (complete blood count [75%-97%], basic metabolic panel [64%-92%], respiratory viral panel [90%-95%], chest x-ray [83%-98%]). Respondents also reported regularly (≥25% of time) prescribing ß-2 agonists (43%-50%), systemic corticosteroids (23%-33%), antibiotics (24%-41%), and diuretics (13%-41%). Although work of breathing was the most common variable affecting providers' decision to initiate enteral feeds for nonintubated infants, hemodynamic status was the most common variable for intubated infants (82% of providers). Most respondents agreed it would be beneficial to have specific guidelines for infants with critical bronchiolitis who are requiring both noninvasive (91% agreement) and invasive (89% agreement) respiratory support. CONCLUSIONS: PICU providers report performing diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for infants with bronchiolitis more frequently than recommended by current clinical guidelines, with interventions occurring more frequently for infants requiring invasive support. More clinical research is needed to inform the creation of evidence-based guidelines specifically for infants with critical bronchiolitis.

Shift in hospital opioid use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: a time-series analysis of one million prescriptions.

The pronounced change in the profile of hospitalized patients during COVID-19 and the severe respiratory component of this disease, with a great need for mechanical ventilation, led to changes in the consumption pattern of some medicines and supplies. This time-series study analyzed the in-hospital consumption of opioids during the COVID-19 pandemic in 24 Brazilian hospitals compared to the pre-pandemic period. Data included 711,883 adult patients who had opioids prescribed. In 2020, the mean consumption was significantly higher compared to 2019 for parenteral fentanyl, enteral methadone, and parenteral methadone. It was significantly lower for parenteral morphine parenteral sufentanil, and parenteral tramadol. For remifentanil, it did not differ. The number of patients in 2020 was lower but the mean consumption was higher for fentanyl, parenteral methadone, and remifentanil. It was lower for enteral methadone and parenteral sufentanil. The consumption of parenteral morphine and parenteral tramadol was stable. There was a relevant increase in hospital consumption of some potent opioids during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. These results reinforce the concern about epidemiological surveillance of opioid use after periods of increased hospital use since in-hospital consumption can be the gateway to the misuse or other than the prescribed use of opioids after discharge.

Knowledge regarding extracorporeal membrane oxygenation management among Brazilian pediatric intensivists: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: To assess Brazilian pediatric intensivists' general knowledge of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, including evidence for its use, the national funding model, indications, and complications. METHODS: This was a multicenter cross-sectional survey including 45 Brazilian pediatric intensive care units. A convenience sample of 654 intensivists was surveyed regarding their knowledge on managing patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, its indications, complications, funding, and literature evidence. RESULTS: The survey addressed questions regarding the knowledge and experience of pediatric intensivists with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, including two clinical cases and 6 optional questions about the management of patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Of the 45 invited centers, 42 (91%) participated in the study, and 412 of 654 (63%) pediatric intensivists responded to the survey. Most pediatric intensive care units were from the Southeast region of Brazil (59.5%), and private/for-profit hospitals represented 28.6% of the participating centers. The average age of respondents was 41.4 (standard deviation 9.1) years, and the majority (77%) were women. Only 12.4% of respondents had taken an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation course. Only 19% of surveyed hospitals have an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation program, and only 27% of intensivists reported having already managed patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Specific extracorporeal membrane oxygenation management questions were responded to by only 64 physicians (15.5%), who had a fair/good correct response rate (median 63.4%; range 32.8% to 91.9%). CONCLUSION: Most Brazilian pediatric intensivists demonstrated limited knowledge regarding extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, including its indications and complications. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is not yet widely available in Brazil, with few intensivists prepared to manage patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and even fewer intensivists recognizing when to refer patients to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation centers.