Platelet Glycoprotein VI Haplotypes and the Presentation of Paediatric Sepsis.

Sepsis triggers a complex series of pathophysiologic events involving inflammatory responses and coagulation abnormalities. While circulating blood platelets are well-characterized for their contributions to coagulation, increasingly platelet-dependent effects on inflammation are being recognized. Here, we focus on the platelet membrane receptor, glycoprotein VI (GPVI), and its role in platelet microparticle (pMP) release. The GPVI receptor is a platelet-specific collagen membrane receptor that, upon ligand binding, facilitates the release of pMPs. As membrane-bound platelet fragments of less than 1 µm, pMPs are known to have both pro-inflammatory and pro-coagulant properties. Thus, pMPs are potentially impacting sepsis at multiple stages of the inflammatory response. Studies are presented documenting the impact of the most common GPVI haplotypes, GPVIa and GPVIb, on pMP levels and release in healthy individuals (n = 49). The GPVIa haplotype corresponds to an approximately twofold increase in circulating pMPs as a percentage of total microparticles in healthy individuals along with a heightened in vitro release of pMPs. Additionally, patients admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) (n = 73) with an initial diagnosis of sepsis were recruited and their GPVI haplotypes determined. Septic patients of the GPVIa haplotype (n = 59) were statistically more likely to present with a diagnosis of severe sepsis or septic shock, as compared with GPVIb individuals (n = 14). Independent disease classification via PELOD-2 and Pediatric Risk of Mortality III scores confirmed individuals with the GPVIa haplotype were more likely to have significant organ failure. Thus, GPVI haplotypes influence pMP levels in the circulation and are predictive of sepsis severity when presenting to the ICU.

Parent bed spaces in the PICU: effect on parental stress.

The purpose of this comparative descriptive study was to identify the impact of providing a parent bed space in the PICU, allowing for continual parental presence, on stress of the parents of critically ill children. Data were collected from parents (n = 86) at two children's hospitals 3 months prior to the opening of new PICUs with parent bed spaces. Following a transition period, data were collected from a sample of parents (n = 92) who had used the parent bed to stay overnight with their child. Parental stress was measured with the Parental Stressor Scale: Pediatric Intensive Care (PSS: PICU). Stress scores were significantly lower (p = .02) for parents who utilized the parent beds in the new PICUs. New PICU environments that facilitate continual parental presence may reduce parental stress related to a child's hospitalization.

Family Presence During Pediatric Tracheal Intubations.

IMPORTANCE: Family-centered care, which supports family presence (FP) during procedures, is now a widely accepted standard at health care facilities that care for children. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the practice of FP during tracheal intubation (TI) in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Family presence during procedures in PICUs has been advocated. OBJECTIVE: To describe the current practice of FP during TI and evaluate the association with procedural and clinician (including physician, respiratory therapist, and nurse practitioner) outcomes across multiple PICUs. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective cohort study in which all TIs from July 2010 to March 2014 in the multicenter TI database (National Emergency Airway Registry for Children [NEAR4KIDS]) were analyzed. Family presence was defined as a family member present during TI. This study included all TIs in patients younger than 18 years in 22 international PICUs. EXPOSURES: Family presence and no FP during TI in the PICU. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The percentage of FP during TIs. First attempt success rate, adverse TI-associated events, multiple attempts (≥ 3), oxygen desaturation (oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry <80%), and self-reported team stress level. RESULTS: A total of 4969 TI encounters were reported. Among those, 81% (n = 4030) of TIs had documented FP status (with/without). The median age of participants with FP was 2 years and 1 year for those without FP. The average percentage of TIs with FP was 19% and varied widely across sites (0%-43%; P < .001). Tracheal intubations with FP (vs without FP) were associated with older patients (median, 2 years vs 1 year; P = .04), lower Paediatric Index of Mortality 2 score, and pediatric resident as the first airway clinician (23%, n = 179 vs 18%, n = 584; odds ratio [OR], 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.7). Tracheal intubations with FP and without FP were no different in the first attempt success rate (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.85-1.18), adverse TI-associated events (any events: OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.85-1.30 and severe events: OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.75-1.43), multiple attempts (≥ 3) (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.82-1.28), oxygen desaturation (oxygen saturation <80%) (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.80-1.18), or self-reported team stress level (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.92-1.31). This result persisted after adjusting for patient and clinician confounders. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Wide variability exists in FP during TIs across PICUs. Family presence was not associated with first attempt success, adverse TI-associated events, oxygen desaturation (<80%), or higher team stress level. Our data suggest that FP during TI can safely be implemented as part of a family-centered care model in the PICU.