Total face mask with neurally adjusted ventilatory assist as a rescue therapy in infants with severe bronchiolitis.

Severe bronchiolitis patients are often supported with non-invasive ventilation (NIV). In case of NIV failure, we recently started to use non-invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist ventilation (NIV-NAVA) with a total face mask interface (TFM) and report now our experience with this modality of respiratory support. Retrospective study was made from October 2022 to May 2023 at the Geneva University Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. Inclusion criteria were children, aged from 0 to 6 months, with severe bronchiolitis with initial NIV failure and switch to NIV-NAVA-TFM. From 49 children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-induced bronchiolitis requiring any form of respiratory support, 10 (median age 61 days (IQR 44-73) failing CPAP or NIV underwent rescue treatment with NIV-NAVA using a TFM. Patients were switched to TFM-NIV-NAVA 8 h (IQR 3-22) after admission for 24.5 h (IQR 13-60). After initiation of TFM-NIV-NAVA, oxygenation improved significantly as early as 1 h after initiation, whereas transcutaneous CO2 values remained stable. None of the patients needed to be intubated and there was no episode of TFM discontinuation due to interface discomfort or other unwanted side effects. Sedation was used in all patients with high proportion of intravenous dexmedetomidine. Median ventilatory assistance duration was 2.5 days (IQR 2-4) and median PICU stay was 4.5 (IQR 3-6).   Conclusion: In infants with severe RSV-induced bronchiolitis, respiratory support with TFM-NIV-NAVA seems to be feasible as a rescue therapy and might be considered in selected patients. What is Known: • Bronchiolitic patients with NIV support failure may require invasive mechanical ventilation. • Interface related complications, especially facial sores, can be a cause of NIV failure. What is New: • Total face mask with non-invasive neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (TFM-NIV-NAVA) seems feasible as a rescue therapy in deteriorating patients with CPAP or NIV failure. • TFM-NIV-NAVA can improve oxygenation rapidly in patients with aggravating hypoxemia and seems to be well tolerated.

Invasive Ventilatory Support in Patients With Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: From the Second Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference.

OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence for the Second Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference updated recommendations and consensus statements for clinical practice and future research on invasive mechanical ventilation support of patients with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS). DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), and CINAHL Complete (EBSCOhost). STUDY SELECTION: We included clinical studies of critically ill patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation for PARDS, January 2013 to April 2022. In addition, meta-analyses and systematic reviews focused on the adult acute respiratory distress syndrome population were included to explore new relevant concepts (e.g., mechanical power, driving pressure, etc.) still underrepresented in the contemporary pediatric literature. DATA EXTRACTION: Title/abstract review, full text review, and data extraction using a standardized data collection form. DATA SYNTHESIS: The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to identify and summarize relevant evidence and develop recommendations, good practice statements and research statements. We identified 26 pediatric studies for inclusion and 36 meta-analyses or systematic reviews in adults. We generated 12 recommendations, two research statements, and five good practice statements related to modes of ventilation, tidal volume, ventilation pressures, lung-protective ventilation bundles, driving pressure, mechanical power, recruitment maneuvers, prone positioning, and high-frequency ventilation. Only one recommendation, related to use of positive end-expiratory pressure, is classified as strong, with moderate certainty of evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Limited pediatric data exist to make definitive recommendations for the management of invasive mechanical ventilation for patients with PARDS. Ongoing research is needed to better understand how to guide best practices and improve outcomes for patients with PARDS requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.

In situ simulation training for parental presence during critical situations in PICU: an observational study.

Family presence during invasive procedures or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a part of the family-centered approach in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). We established a simulation program aiming at providing communication tools to healthcare professionals. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of this program on the stress of PICU professionals and its acceptance. An observational study of a simulation program, with questionnaire, was used to measure pre- and post-simulation stress and the degree of satisfaction of the participants. PICU of Geneva Children's Hospital, Switzerland. Forty simulations with four different simulation scenarios and various types of parental behavior, as imitated by professional actors, were completed during a 1-year period. Primary outcomes were the difference in perceived stress level before and after the simulation and the degree of satisfaction of healthcare professionals (nursing assistants, nurses, physicians). The impact of previous experience with family members during critical situations or CPR was evaluated by variation in perceived stress level. Overall, 201 questionnaires were analyzed. Perceived stress associated with parental presence decreased from a pre-simulation value of 6 (IQR, 4-7) to 4 (IQR, 2-5) post-simulation on a scale of 1-10. However, in 25.7% of cases, the individually perceived post-simulation stress level was higher than the pre-simulation one. Satisfaction of the participants was high with a median of 10 (IQR, 9-10) out of 10. CONCLUSIONS: A simulation program helps reduce PICU team emotional stress associated with the presence of family members during critical situations or CPR, and is welcomed by PICU team members. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or critical situations is a part of the family-centered approach in pediatric intensive care. • The benefits for the family have been already demonstrated. However, this policy is still controversy among healthcare professionals. WHAT IS NEW: • A simulation program seeking to provide skills focused on family presence management in the PICU is useful to reduce stress and was well accepted by participants. • It might become an indispensable training intervention for the implementation of a PICU policy to allow family presence during CPR or other critical situations.

Epidemiology of Neonatal Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Prospective, Multicenter, International Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Age-specific definitions for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are available, including a specific definition for neonates (the "Montreux definition"). The epidemiology of neonatal ARDS is unknown. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology, clinical course, treatment, and outcomes of neonatal ARDS. DESIGN: Prospective, international, observational, cohort study. SETTING: Fifteen academic neonatal ICUs. PATIENTS: Consecutive sample of neonates of any gestational age admitted to participating sites who met the neonatal ARDS Montreux definition criteria. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Neonatal ARDS was classified as direct or indirect, infectious or noninfectious, and perinatal (≤ 72 hr after birth) or late in onset. Primary outcomes were: 1) survival at 30 days from diagnosis, 2) inhospital survival, and 3) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-free survival at 30 days from diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included respiratory complications and common neonatal extrapulmonary morbidities. A total of 239 neonates met criteria for the diagnosis of neonatal ARDS. The median prevalence was 1.5% of neonatal ICU admissions with male/female ratio of 1.5. Respiratory treatments were similar across gestational ages. Direct neonatal ARDS (51.5% of neonates) was more common in term neonates and the perinatal period. Indirect neonatal ARDS was often triggered by an infection and was more common in preterm neonates. Thirty-day, inhospital, and 30-day ECMO-free survival were 83.3%, 76.2%, and 79.5%, respectively. Direct neonatal ARDS was associated with better survival outcomes than indirect neonatal ARDS. Direct and noninfectious neonatal ARDS were associated with the poorest respiratory outcomes at 36 and 40 weeks' postmenstrual age. Gestational age was not associated with any primary outcome on multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence and survival of neonatal ARDS are similar to those of pediatric ARDS. The neonatal ARDS subtypes used in the current definition may be associated with distinct clinical outcomes and a different distribution for term and preterm neonates.

Surfactant therapies for pediatric and neonatal ARDS: ESPNIC expert consensus opinion for future research steps.

Pediatric (PARDS) and neonatal (NARDS) acute respiratory distress syndrome have different age-specific characteristics and definitions. Trials on surfactant for ARDS in children and neonates have been performed well before the PARDS and NARDS definitions and yielded conflicting results. This is mainly due to heterogeneity in study design reflecting historic lack of pathobiology knowledge. We reviewed the available clinical and preclinical data to create an expert consensus aiming to inform future research steps and advance the knowledge in this area. Eight trials investigated the use of surfactant for ARDS in children and ten in neonates, respectively. There were improvements in oxygenation (7/8 trials in children, 7/10 in neonates) and mortality (3/8 trials in children, 1/10 in neonates) improved. Trials were heterogeneous for patients' characteristics, surfactant type and administration strategy. Key pathobiological concepts were missed in study design. Consensus with strong agreement was reached on four statements: 1. There are sufficient preclinical and clinical data to support targeted research on surfactant therapies for PARDS and NARDS. Studies should be performed according to the currently available definitions and considering recent pathobiology knowledge. 2. PARDS and NARDS should be considered as syndromes and should be pre-clinically studied according to key characteristics, such as direct or indirect (primary or secondary) nature, clinical severity, infectious or non-infectious origin or patients' age. 3. Explanatory should be preferred over pragmatic design for future trials on PARDS and NARDS. 4. Different clinical outcomes need to be chosen for PARDS and NARDS, according to the trial phase and design, trigger type, severity class and/or surfactant treatment policy. We advocate for further well-designed preclinical and clinical studies to investigate the use of surfactant for PARDS and NARDS following these principles.

Caring for Critically Ill Children With Suspected or Proven Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection: Recommendations by the Scientific Sections' Collaborative of the European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care.

OBJECTIVES: In children, coronavirus disease 2019 is usually mild but can develop severe hypoxemic failure or a severe multisystem inflammatory syndrome, the latter considered to be a postinfectious syndrome, with cardiac involvement alone or together with a toxic shock like-presentation. Given the novelty of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the causative agent of the recent coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, little is known about the pathophysiology and phenotypic expressions of this new infectious disease nor the optimal treatment approach. STUDY SELECTION: From inception to July 10, 2020, repeated PubMed and open Web searches have been done by the scientific section collaborative group members of the European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care. DATA EXTRACTION: There is little in the way of clinical research in children affected by coronavirus disease 2019, apart from descriptive data and epidemiology. DATA SYNTHESIS: Even though basic treatment and organ support considerations seem not to differ much from other critical illness, such as pediatric septic shock and multiple organ failure, seen in PICUs, some specific issues must be considered when caring for children with severe coronavirus disease 2019 disease. CONCLUSIONS: In this clinical guidance article, we review the current clinical knowledge of coronavirus disease 2019 disease in critically ill children and discuss some specific treatment concepts based mainly on expert opinion based on limited experience and the lack of any completed controlled trials in children at this time.

Pulmonary complications after liver transplantation in children: risk factors and impact on early post-operative morbidity.

Liver transplantation (LT) is associated with high post-operative morbidity, despite excellent survival rates. With this retrospective study, we report the incidence of early and late pulmonary complications (PC) after LT, identify modifiable risk factors for PC and analyzed the role of PC in post-operative ventilation duration and hospital length of stay. In a series of 79 children (0-16 years) with LT over a 12 years period, early (<3 months post-LT) and/or late (>3 months post-LT) PC occurred in 68 patients (86%). Sixty-four percent (64%) developed early major complications such as pulmonary edema, atelectasis, or pleural effusion. Atelectasis requiring an intervention (P ≤ .02), pulmonary edema (P ≤ .02), or elevated PELD/MELD scores (P = .05) were associated with an increase in total ventilation duration and length of stay in the ICU. Risk factors for early PC included preoperative hypoxemia (P = .005), low serum albumin at LT admission (P = .003), or early rejection (P = .002). About 20% of patients experienced late PC of which 81% were infections. Risk factor assessment prior to LT may ultimately help reduce early PC thereby possibly minimizing post-operative morbidity and ICU length of stay.

Ketosis After Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Children Is Associated With an Inadequate Balance Between Oxygen Transport and Consumption.

OBJECTIVES: Hyperglycemia after cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass in children has been associated with worse outcome; however, causality has never been proven. Furthermore, the benefit of tight glycemic control is inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to describe the metabolic constellation of children before, during, and after cardiopulmonary bypass, in order to identify a subset of patients that might benefit from insulin treatment. DESIGN: Prospective observational study, in which insulin treatment was initiated when postoperative blood glucose levels were more than 12 mmol/L (216 mg/dL). SETTING: Tertiary PICU. PATIENTS: Ninety-six patients 6 months to 16 years old undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Metabolic tests were performed before anesthesia, at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass, at PICU admission, and 4 and 12 hours after PICU admission, as well as 4 hours after initiation of insulin treatment. Ketosis was present in 17.9% patients at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass and in 31.2% at PICU admission. Young age was an independent risk factor for this condition. Ketosis at PICU admission was an independent risk factor for an increased difference between arterial and venous oxygen saturation. Four hours after admission (p = 0.05). Insulin corrected ketosis within 4 hours. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found a high prevalence of ketosis at PICU admission, especially in young children. This was independently associated with an imbalance between oxygen transport and consumption and was corrected by insulin. These results set the basis for future randomized controlled trials, to test whether this subgroup of patients might benefit from increased glucose intake and insulin during surgery to avoid ketosis, as improving oxygen transport and consumption might improve patient outcome.

Mechanical Ventilation After Bidirectional Superior Cavopulmonary Anastomosis for Single-Ventricle Physiology: A Comparison of Pressure Support Ventilation and Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist.

We evaluated the effects of different respiratory assist modes on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial oxygenation in single-ventricle patients after bidirectional superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (BCPA). We hypothesized that preserved auto-regulation of respiration during neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) may have potential advantages for CBF and pulmonary blood flow regulation after the BCPA procedure. We enrolled 23 patients scheduled for BCPA, who underwent pressure-controlled ventilation (PCV), pressure support ventilation (PSV), and NAVA at two assist levels for all modes in a randomized order. PCV targeting large V T (15 mL × kg(-1)) resulted in lower CBF and oxygenation compared to targeting low V T (10 mL × kg(-1)). During PSV and NAVA, ventilation assist levels were titrated to reduce EAdi from baseline by 75 % (high assist) and 50 % (low assist). High assist levels during PSV (PSVhigh) were associated with lower PaCO2, PaO2, and O2SAT, lower CBF, and higher pulsatility index compared with those during NAVAhigh. There were no differences in parameters when using low assist levels, except for slightly greater oxygenation in the NAVAlow group. Modifying assist levels during NAVA did not influence hemodynamics, cerebral perfusion, or gas exchange. Targeting the larger V T during PCV resulted in hyperventilation, did not improve oxygenation, and was accompanied by reduced CBF. Similarly, high assist levels during PSV led to mild hyperventilation, resulting in reduced CBF. NAVA's results were independent of the assist level chosen, causing normalized PaCO2, improved oxygenation, and better CBF than did any other mode, with the exception of PSV at low assist levels.

High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation in Pediatric Acute Lung Injury: A Multicenter International Experience.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to describe current clinical practice, the past decade of experience and factors related to improved outcomes for pediatric patients receiving high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. We have also modeled predictive factors that could help stratify mortality risk and guide future high-frequency oscillatory ventilation practice. DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective, observational questionnaire study. SETTING: Seven PICUs. PATIENTS: Demographic, disease factor, and ventilatory and outcome data were collected, and 328 patients from 2009 to 2010 were included in this analysis. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients were classified into six cohorts based on underlying diagnosis. We used univariate analysis to identify factors associated with mortality risk and multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors of mortality risk. An oxygenation index greater than 35 and immunocompromise exhibited the greatest predictive power (p < 0.0001) for increased mortality risk, and respiratory syncytial virus was associated with lowest mortality risk (p = 0.003). Differences in mortality risk as a function of oxygenation index were highly dependent on primary underlying condition. A trend toward an increase in oscillator amplitude and frequency was observed when compared with historical data. CONCLUSIONS: Given the number of centers and subjects included in the database, these findings provide a robust description of current practice regarding the use of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation for pediatric hypoxic respiratory failure. Patients with severe hypoxic respiratory failure and immunocompromise had the highest mortality risk, and those with respiratory syncytial virus had the lowest. A means of identifying the risk of 30-day mortality for subjects can be obtained by identifying the underlying disease and oxygenation index on conventional ventilation preceding the initiation of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation.

Ventilatory support in children with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome: proceedings from the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the recommendations of the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference for mechanical ventilation management of pediatric patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. DESIGN: Consensus Conference of experts in pediatric acute lung injury. METHODS: The Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference experts developed and voted on a total of 27 recommendations focused on the optimal mechanical ventilation approach of the patient with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome. Topics included ventilator mode, tidal volume delivery, inspiratory plateau pressure, high-frequency ventilation, cuffed endotracheal tubes, and gas exchange goals. When experimental data were lacking, a modified Delphi approach emphasizing the strong professional agreement was used. RESULTS: There were 17 recommendations with strong agreement and 10 recommendations with weak agreement. There were no recommendations with equipoise or disagreement. There was weak agreement on recommendations concerning approach to tidal volume and inspiratory pressure limitation (88% to 72% agreement, respectively), whereas strong agreement could be achieved for accepting permissive hypercapnia. Using positive end-expiratory pressure levels greater than 15 cm H2O in severe pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome, under the condition that the markers of oxygen delivery, respiratory system compliance, and hemodynamics are closely monitored as positive end-expiratory pressure is increased, is strongly recommended. The concept of exploring the effects of careful recruitment maneuvers during conventional ventilation met an agreement level of 88%, whereas the use of recruitment maneuvers during rescue high-frequency oscillatory ventilation is highly recommended (strong agreement). CONCLUSIONS: The Consensus Conference developed pediatric-specific recommendations regarding mechanical ventilation of the patient with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome as well as future research priorities. These recommendations are intended to initiate discussion regarding optimal mechanical ventilation management for children with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome and identify areas of controversy requiring further investigation.

International survey on plasma transfusion practices in critically ill children.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown heterogeneity in red blood cell transfusion practices. Although plasma transfusion is common in intensive care, there are no data on plasma transfusion practices in pediatric critical care units. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A scenario-based survey was sent to 718 pediatric critical care physicians working in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Respondents were asked to report their decisions regarding plasma transfusion practice with respect to four scenarios: pneumonia, septic shock, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and postoperative care after a Tetralogy of Fallot correction. RESULTS: The response rate was 187 of 718 (26%); half of the responders worked in North America. The proportion of physicians who transfused plasma to nonbleeding patients, solely based on abnormal international normalized ratio (INR), varied from 66% for pneumonia to 84% for TBI (p < 0.001). In such nonbleeding patients, the median INR threshold that would trigger plasma transfusion was 2.5 for pneumonia and septic shock patients and 2.0 for TBI and the cardiac postoperative patients (p < 0.001). Minor bleeding, minor surgery, insertion of a femoral line, hypotension, abnormal activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombocytopenia, and anemia levels were important determinants of plasma transfusion, whereas none of the respondents' demographic characteristics were important. CONCLUSION: More than two-thirds of responding pediatric critical care physicians prescribe plasma transfusions for nonbleeding critically ill children. Additionally, there is a significant variation in transfusion practice patterns with respect to plasma transfusion thresholds.

Plasma transfusion strategies for critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND: Although plasma transfusions are frequently prescribed for critically ill patients, most clinical uses of plasma are not supported by evidence. Plasma transfusions do not seem to correct mild coagulation abnormalities based on international normalised ratio (INR) testing, but they seem to be independently associated with worse clinical outcomes in non-massively bleeding patients. Current recommendations on plasma transfusion strategies advocate limiting plasma transfusions to patients who are actively bleeding or who are at risk of bleeding and concomitantly have moderately abnormal coagulation tests. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether use of a restrictive versus a liberal plasma transfusion threshold affects mortality or morbidity in critically ill patients, and to assess the clinical effects of different plasma transfusion thresholds in critically ill patients. SEARCH METHODS: A search for studies was run on 15 August 2013. We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE(R) Ovid, MEDLINE(R) Ovid In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, MEDLINE(R) Ovid Daily and OLDMEDLINE(R) Ovid, EMBASE Classic + EMBASE (Ovid SP), reference lists, related websites and trial registries and checked lists of references. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised clinical trials that assessed the effects of two plasma transfusion strategies, using a restrictive and a liberal threshold of at least one coagulation test, in critically ill participants. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality using the standard methods of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. MAIN RESULTS: Of 843 references identified by our search, none of the trials satisfied our predefined inclusion criteria. No studies are included in this review. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the lack of evidence that is available to guide plasma transfusions in critically ill patients. Randomised controlled trials are needed to determine the appropriate plasma transfusion strategy in critically ill patients.

Mechanical ventilation strategies in children with acute lung injury: a survey on stated practice pattern*.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this survey was to determine North American and European pediatric intensivists' knowledge and stated practice in the management of children with acute respiratory distress syndrome with regard to mechanical ventilation settings; blood gas and SO2 targets; and use of adjunctive treatments at sites where actual practice had just been assessed. DESIGN AND SETTING: A survey using three case scenarios to assess mechanical ventilation strategies used in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome was sent out toward the end of data collection to all centers participating in the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Mechanical Ventilation study (59 PICUs in 12 countries). For each case scenario, intensivists were asked to report the optimal mechanical ventilation parameters; blood gas and SO2 acceptable targets; and threshold for considering high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, and other adjunctive treatments. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-four pediatric intensivists, representing 47 centers from 11 countries. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Many pediatric intensivists reported using a tidal volume of 5-8 mL/kg (88-96%) and none reported using a tidal volume above 10 mL/kg. On average, the upper threshold of positive inspiratory pressure at which intensivists would consider another ventilation mode was 35 cm H2O. Permissive hypercapnia and mild hypoxemia (SO2 as low as 88%) was considered tolerable by many pediatric intensivists. Finally, a large proportion of pediatric intensivists reported they would use adjunctive treatments (nitric oxide, prone position, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, surfactant, steroids, ß-agonists) if the patient's condition worsened. CONCLUSIONS: Although in theory, many pediatric intensivists agreed with adult recommendations to ventilate with lower tidal volumes and pressure limits, the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Mechanical Ventilation data revealed that over 25% of pediatric patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome at many of these practice sites were ventilated with tidal volumes above 10 mL/kg and that high positive inspiratory pressure levels (> 35 mm Hg) were often tolerated.

Patient-ventilator asynchrony during noninvasive pressure support ventilation and neurally adjusted ventilatory assist in infants and children.

OBJECTIVES: To document the prevalence of asynchrony events during noninvasive ventilation in pressure support in infants and in children and to compare the results with neurally adjusted ventilatory assist. DESIGN: Prospective randomized cross-over study in children undergoing noninvasive ventilation. SETTING: The study was performed in a PICU. PATIENTS: From 4 weeks to 5 years. INTERVENTIONS: Two consecutive ventilation periods (pressure support and neurally adjusted ventilatory assist) were applied in random order. During pressure support (PS), three levels of expiratory trigger (ETS) setting were compared: initial ETS (PSinit), and ETS value decreased and increased by 15%. Of the three sessions, the period allowing for the lowest number of asynchrony events was defined as PSbest. Neurally adjusted ventilator assist level was adjusted to match the maximum airway pressure during PSinit. Positive end-expiratory pressure was the same during pressure support and neurally adjusted ventilator assist. Asynchrony events, trigger delay, and cycling-off delay were quantified for each period. RESULTS: Six infants and children were studied. Trigger delay was lower with neurally adjusted ventilator assist versus PSinit and PSbest (61 ms [56-79] vs 149 ms [134-180] and 146 ms [101-162]; p = 0.001 and 0.02, respectively). Inspiratory time in excess showed a trend to be shorter during pressure support versus neurally adjusted ventilator assist. Main asynchrony events during PSinit were autotriggering (4.8/min [1.7-12]), ineffective efforts (9.9/min [1.7-18]), and premature cycling (6.3/min [3.2-18.7]). Premature cycling (3.4/min [1.1-7.7]) was less frequent during PSbest versus PSinit (p = 0.059). The asynchrony index was significantly lower during PSbest versus PSinit (40% [28-65] vs 65.5% [42-76], p < 0.001). With neurally adjusted ventilator assist, all types of asynchronies except double triggering were reduced. The asynchrony index was lower with neurally adjusted ventilator assist (2.3% [0.7-5] vs PSinit and PSbest, p < 0.05 for both comparisons). CONCLUSION: Asynchrony events are frequent during noninvasive ventilation with pressure support in infants and in children despite adjusting the cycling-off criterion. Compared with pressure support, neurally adjusted ventilator assist allows improving patient-ventilator synchrony by reducing trigger delay and the number of asynchrony events. Further studies should determine the clinical impact of these findings.

Optimizing patient-ventilator synchrony during invasive ventilator assist in children and infants remains a difficult task*.

OBJECTIVES: To document and compare the prevalence of asynchrony events during invasive-assisted mechanical ventilation in pressure support mode and in neurally adjusted ventilatory assist in children. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, and crossover study. SETTING: Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland. PATIENTS: Intubated and mechanically ventilated children, between 4 weeks and 5 years old. INTERVENTIONS: Two consecutive ventilation periods (pressure support and neurally adjusted ventilatory assist) were applied in random order. During pressure support, three levels of expiratory trigger setting were compared: expiratory trigger setting as set by the clinician in charge (PSinit), followed by a 10% (in absolute values) increase and decrease of the clinician's expiratory trigger setting. The pressure support session with the least number of asynchrony events was defined as PSbest. Therefore, three periods were compared: PSinit, PSbest, and neurally adjusted ventilatory assist. Asynchrony events, trigger delay, and inspiratory time in excess were quantified for each of them. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data from 19 children were analyzed. Main asynchrony events during PSinit were autotriggering (3.6 events/min [0.7-8.2]), ineffective efforts (1.2/min [0.6-5]), and premature cycling (3.5/min [1.3-4.9]). Their number was significantly reduced with PSbest: autotriggering 1.6/min (0.2-4.9), ineffective efforts 0.7/min (0-2.6), and premature cycling 2/min (0.1-3.1), p < 0.005 for each comparison. The median asynchrony index (total number of asynchronies/triggered and not triggered breaths ×100) was significantly different between PSinit and PSbest: 37.3% [19-47%] and 29% [24-43%], respectively, p < 0.005). With neurally adjusted ventilatory assist, all types of asynchrony events except double-triggering and inspiratory time in excess were significantly reduced resulting in an asynchrony index of 3.8% (2.4-15%) (p < 0.005 compared to PSbest). CONCLUSIONS: Asynchrony events are frequent during pressure support in children despite adjusting the cycling off criteria. Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist allowed for an almost ten-fold reduction in asynchrony events. Further studies should determine the clinical impact of these findings.

Neonatal high-frequency oscillatory ventilation: where are we now?

High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is an established mode of respiratory support in the neonatal intensive care unit. Large clinical trial data is based on first intention use in preterm infants with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Clinical practice has evolved from this narrow population. HFOV is most often reserved for term and preterm infants with severe, and often complex, respiratory failure not responding to conventional modalities of respiratory support. Thus, optimal, and safe, application of HFOV requires the clinician to adapt mean airway pressure, frequency, inspiratory:expiratory ratio and tidal volume to individual patient needs based on pathophysiology, lung volume state and infant size. This narrative review summarises the status of HFOV in neonatal intensive care units today, the lessons that can be learnt from the past, how to apply HFOV in different neonatal populations and conditions and highlights potential new advances. Specifically, we provide guidance on how to apply an open lung approach to mean airway pressure, selecting the correct frequency and use of volume-targeted HFOV.

Effect of routine suction on lung aeration in critically ill neonates and young infants measured with electrical impedance tomography.

Endotracheal suctioning is a widely used procedure to remove secretions from the airways of ventilated patients. Despite its prevalence, regional effects of this maneuver have seldom been studied. In this study, we explore its effects on regional lung aeration in neonates and young infants using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) as part of the large EU-funded multicenter observational study CRADL. 200 neonates and young infants in intensive care units were monitored with EIT for up to 72 h. EIT parameters were calculated to detect changes in ventilation distribution, ventilation inhomogeneity and ventilation quantity on a breath-by-breath level 5-10 min before and after suctioning. The intratidal change in aeration over time was investigated by means of regional expiratory time constants calculated from all respiratory cycles using an innovative procedure and visualized by 2D maps of the thoracic cross-section. 344 tracheal suctioning events from 51 patients could be analyzed. They showed no or very small changes of EIT parameters, with a dorsal shift of the center of ventilation by 0.5% of the chest diameter and a 7% decrease of tidal impedance variation after suctioning. Regional time constants did not change significantly. Routine suctioning led to EIT-detectable but merely small changes of the ventilation distribution in this study population. While still a measure requiring further study, the time constant maps may help clinicians interpret ventilation mechanics in specific cases.

Understanding clinical and biological heterogeneity to advance precision medicine in paediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Paediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome that is associated with high rates of mortality and long-term morbidity. Factors that distinguish PARDS from adult acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) include changes in developmental stage and lung maturation with age, precipitating factors, and comorbidities. No specific treatment is available for PARDS and management is largely supportive, but methods to identify patients who would benefit from specific ventilation strategies or ancillary treatments, such as prone positioning, are needed. Understanding of the clinical and biological heterogeneity of PARDS, and of differences in clinical features and clinical course, pathobiology, response to treatment, and outcomes between PARDS and adult ARDS, will be key to the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies and a precision medicine approach to care. Studies in which clinical, biomarker, and transcriptomic data, as well as informatics, are used to unpack the biological and phenotypic heterogeneity of PARDS, and implementation of methods to better identify patients with PARDS, including methods to rapidly identify subphenotypes and endotypes at the point of care, will drive progress on the path to precision medicine.