Pa o2 and Mortality in Neonatal Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Retrospective Analysis of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Registry, 2015-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal life support can lead to rapid reversal of hypoxemia but the benefits and harms of different oxygenation targets in severely ill patients are unclear. Our primary objective was to investigate the association between the Pa o2 after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) initiation and mortality in neonates treated for respiratory failure. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry data, 2015-2020. PATIENTS: Newborns supported by ECMO for respiratory indication were included. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Pa o2 24 hours after ECMO initiation (H24 Pa o2 ) was reported. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. We identified 3533 newborns (median age 1 d [interquartile range (IQR), 1-3]; median weight 3.2 kg [IQR, 2.8-3.6]) from 198 ELSO centers, who were placed on ECMO. By 28 days of life, 731 (20.7%) had died. The median H24 Pa o2 was 85 mm Hg (IQR, 60-142). We found that both hypoxia (Pa o2 < 60 mm Hg) and moderate hyperoxia (Pa o2 201-300 mm Hg) were associated with greater adjusted odds ratio (aOR [95% CI]) of 28-day mortality, respectively: aOR 1.44 (95% CI, 1.08-1.93), p = 0.016, and aOR 1.49 (95% CI, 1.01-2.19), p value equals to 0.045. CONCLUSIONS: Early hypoxia or moderate hyperoxia after ECMO initiation are each associated with greater odds of 28-day mortality among neonates requiring ECMO for respiratory failure.

Predictive value of microcirculation for pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation weaning test: A monocentric prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is widely used for children treated for refractory respiratory failures or refractory cardiogenic shock. Its duration depends on organ functions recovery. Weaning is decided using macro-circulatory tools, but microcirculation is not well evaluated. Sidestream dark-field video imaging is used to assess the perfusion of the sublingual microvascular vessels. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of microcirculatory indices in ECMO weaning. METHODS: This prospective monocentric study examined pediatric patients at Trousseau Hospital between March 2017 and December 2020. The study included all patients from 35 weeks of gestational age to 18 years old who were treated with ECMO. Children were divided into two groups: one with stability after weaning and the other with instability after weaning. We collected clinical and biological data, ventilation parameters, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation parameters, and drugs used at admission and after the weaning test. Microcirculations videos were taken after weaning trials with echocardiography and blood gas monitoring. RESULTS: The study included 30 patients with a median age of 29 days (range: 1-770 days) at admission, including 18 patients who received venoarterial ECMO (60%). There were 19 children in the stability group and 11 in the instability group. Macrocirculatory and microcirculatory indices showed no differences between groups. The microvascular flow index was subnormal in both groups (2.3 (1.8-2.4) and 2.3 (2.3-2.6), respectively; p = 0.24). The microvascular indices were similar between cases of venovenous and venoarterial ECMO and between age groups. CONCLUSION: Microcirculation monitoring at the weaning phase did not predict the failure of ECMO weaning.

Association between pediatric intensive care mortality and mechanical ventilation settings during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The main objective of this study was to describe the current mechanical ventilation (MV) settings during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (P-ARDS) in six European centers. This is a retrospective observational cohort study performed in six European centers from January 2009 to December 2019. Children > 1 month to 18 years supported with ECMO for refractory P-ARDS were included. Collected data were as follows: patients' pre-ECMO medical condition, pre-ECMO adjunctive therapies for P-ARDS, pre-ECMO and during ECMO MV settings on day (D) 1, D3, D7, and D14 of ECMO, use of adjunctive therapies during ECMO, duration of ECMO, pediatric intensive care unit length of stay, and survival. A total of 255 patients with P-ARDS were included. The multivariate analysis showed that PEEP on D1 (OR = 1.13, 95% CI [1.03-1.24], p = 0.01); D3 (OR = 1.17, 95% CI [1.06-1.29], p = 0.001); and D14 (OR = 1.21, 95% CI [1.05-1.43], p = 0.02) and DP on D7 were significantly associated with higher odds of mortality (OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.71-0.92], p = 0.001). Moreover, DP on D1 above 15 cmH2O (OR 2.23, 95% CI (1.09-4.71), p = 0.03) and native lung FiO2 above 60% on D14 (OR 10.36, 95% CI (1.51-116.15), p = 0.03) were significantly associated with higher odds of mortality.   Conclusion: MV settings during ECMO for P-ARDS varied among centers; however, use of high PEEP levels during ECMO was associated with higher odds of mortality as well as a DP above 15 cmH2O and a native lung FiO2 above 60% on D14 of ECMO. What is Known: • Invasive ventilation settings are well defined for pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome; however, once the children required an extracorporeal respiratory support, there is no recommendation how to set the mechanical ventilator. • Impact of invasive ventilator during extracorporeal respiratory support ad only been during the first days of this support but the effects of these settings later in the assistance are not described. What is New: • It seems to be essential to early decrease FiO2 on native lung once the ECMO flow allows an efficient oxygenation. • Tight control to limit the driving pressure at 15 cmH20 during ECMO run seems to be associated with better survival rate.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: From the Second Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically review and assimilate literature on children receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) with the goal of developing an update to the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference recommendations and statements about clinical practice and research. DATA SOURCES: Electronic searches of MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), and CINAHL Complete (EBSCOhost). STUDY SELECTION: The search used a medical subject heading terms and text words to capture studies of ECMO in PARDS or acute respiratory failure. Studies using animal models and case reports were excluded from our review. 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 evidence and develop recommendations. There were 18 studies identified for full-text extraction. When pediatric data was lacking, adult and neonatal data from randomized clinical trials and observational studies were considered. Six clinical recommendations were generated related to ECMO indications, initiation, and management in PARDS. There were three good practice statements generated related to ECMO indications, initiation, and follow-up in PARDS. Two policy statements were generated involving the impact of ECMO team organization and training in PARDS. Last, there was one research statement. CONCLUSIONS: Based on a systematic literature review, we propose clinical management, good practice and policy statements within the domains of ECMO indications, initiation, team organization, team training, management, and follow-up as they relate to PARDS.

Executive Summary of the Second International Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (PALICC-2).

OBJECTIVES: We sought to update our 2015 work in the Second Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference (PALICC-2) guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS), considering new evidence and topic areas that were not previously addressed. DESIGN: International consensus conference series involving 52 multidisciplinary international content experts in PARDS and four methodology experts from 15 countries, using consensus conference methodology, and implementation science. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENTS: Patients with or at risk for PARDS. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Eleven subgroups conducted systematic or scoping reviews addressing 11 topic areas: 1) definition, incidence, and epidemiology; 2) pathobiology, severity, and risk stratification; 3) ventilatory support; 4) pulmonary-specific ancillary treatment; 5) nonpulmonary treatment; 6) monitoring; 7) noninvasive respiratory support; 8) extracorporeal support; 9) morbidity and long-term outcomes; 10) clinical informatics and data science; and 11) resource-limited settings. The search included MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL Complete (EBSCOhost) and was updated in March 2022. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology was used to summarize evidence and develop the recommendations, which were discussed and voted on by all PALICC-2 experts. There were 146 recommendations and statements, including: 34 recommendations for clinical practice; 112 consensus-based statements with 18 on PARDS definition, 55 on good practice, seven on policy, and 32 on research. All recommendations and statements had agreement greater than 80%. CONCLUSIONS: PALICC-2 recommendations and consensus-based statements should facilitate the implementation and adherence to the best clinical practice in patients with PARDS. These results will also inform the development of future programs of research that are crucially needed to provide stronger evidence to guide the pediatric critical care teams managing these patients.

Menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome: A French Nationwide Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Studies describing the clinical features and short-term prognosis of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for menstrual toxic shock syndrome (m-TSS) are lacking. METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients with a clinical diagnosis of m-TSS admitted between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2020 in 43 French pediatric (n = 7) or adult (n = 36) ICUs. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical features and short-term prognosis, as well as to assess the 2011 Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) diagnostic criteria, in critically ill patients with m-TSS. RESULTS: In total, 102 patients with m-TSS (median age, 18 years; interquartile range, 16-24 years) were admitted to 1 of the participating ICUs. All blood cultures (n = 102) were sterile. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus grew from 92 of 96 vaginal samples. Screening for superantigenic toxin gene sequences was performed for 76 of the 92 vaginal samples positive for S. aureus (83%), and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 was isolated from 66 strains (87%). At ICU admission, no patient met the 2011 CDC criteria for confirmed m-TSS, and only 53 (52%) fulfilled the criteria for probable m-TSS. Eighty-one patients (79%) were treated with antitoxin antibiotic therapy, and 8 (8%) received intravenous immunoglobulins. Eighty-six (84%) patients required vasopressors, and 21 (21%) tracheal intubation. No patient required limb amputation or died in the ICU. CONCLUSIONS: In this large multicenter series of patients included in ICUs for m-TSS, none died or required limb amputation. The CDC criteria should not be used for the clinical diagnosis of m-TSS at ICU admission.

Cardiac involvement in pediatric hemolytic uremic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac involvement is a known but rare complication of pediatric hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). We conducted a nationwide observational, retrospective case-control study describing factors associated with the occurrence of myocarditis among HUS patients. METHODS: Cases were defined as hospitalized children affected by any form of HUS with co-existent myocarditis in 8 French Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) between January 2007 and December 2018. Control subjects were children, consecutively admitted with any form of HUS without coexistent myocarditis, at a single PICU in Lyon, France, during the same time period. RESULTS: A total of 20 cases of myocarditis were reported among 8 PICUs, with a mean age of 34.3 ± 31.9 months; 66 controls were identified. There were no differences between the two groups concerning the season and the typical, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC-HUS), or atypical HUS (aHUS). Maximal leukocyte count was higher in the myocarditis group (29.1 ± 16.3G/L versus 21.0 ± 9.9G/L, p = 0.04). The median time between admission and first cardiac symptoms was of 3 days (range 0-19 days), and 4 patients displayed myocarditis at admission. The fatality rate in the myocarditis group was higher than in the control group (40.0% versus 1.5%, p < 0.001). Thirteen (65%) children from the myocarditis group received platelet transfusion compared to 19 (29%) in the control group (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Our study confirms that myocarditis is potentially lethal and identifies higher leukocyte count and platelet transfusion as possible risk factors of myocarditis. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Mobile Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: 5-Year Experience of a French Pediatric and Neonatal Center.

OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an established therapy for refractory cardiac and/or pulmonary failure that is not available in all centers. When infants and children require extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, they are sometimes placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in peripheral centers where extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is not available and then transferred on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to specialized centers. The objective of this study is to first describe one of the largest cohorts of infants and children transported by a mobile unit while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. DESIGN: We undertook a single-center retrospective study that included patients transported while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation between November 1, 2014, and May 31, 2019. PATIENTS: All patients transported by our mobile extracorporeal membrane oxygenation unit during the study period were included. Computerized data collection was approved by the French Data Protection Authority (Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés n° 2121127V0). MAIN RESULTS: Over the study period, our extracorporeal membrane oxygenation mobile team transported 80 patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation among which 20 were newborns (25%) and 60 were children of 1 month to 17 years old (75%); 57 patients were on venoarterial-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (71%) and 23 on venovenous-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (29%). The average duration of transport was 8.4 hours with a median of 8 hours; the average distance travelled was 189 ± 140 km. Transport was by air and then ground for 50% of the patients and by ground for 42%. We observed a significant decrease in the Vasoactive-Inotropic Score (125 vs 99; p = 0.005) and PaCO2 levels (67 vs 49 mm Hg; p = 0.0005) after arrival in our unit. Survival rate 6 months after PICU discharge was 46% (37). There was a statistically significant relationship between initial lactate level and mortality (p = 0.02). We observed minor adverse events in 39% of the transports and had no mortality during transport. CONCLUSIONS: We describe one of the largest cohorts of infants and children transported by a mobile unit while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Our findings confirm that it is safe to start extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a referring center and to transport patients using an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation mobile team. The only risk factor associated with higher mortality was an initially elevated lactate level.

Predictors of clinically urgent intracranial pathology at neuroimaging in children with complex febrile seizures: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

AIM: To assess the prevalence of clinically urgent intracranial pathology (CUIP) in children visiting the emergency department with a complex febrile seizure (CFS). METHODS: Retrospective cohort review. We analysed the visits of patients for a CFS from January 2007 to December 2011 in seven paediatric emergency departments. Our main outcomes were the proportions of CUIP diagnosed between day 0 and 1 and within 30 days after the index visit. RESULTS: From 1 183 487 visits, 839 were for a CFS and 130 (15.5%) of these had a neuroimaging performed within 30 days (CT scan for 75 visits [8.9%], MRI for 30 visits [3.6%] and both for 25 visits [3.0%]). Three CUIP were diagnosed between day 0 and 1 (0.4% [CI-95%: 0.1-1.3]), 5 within 30 days after the index visit (0.7% [CI-95%: 0.2-1.7]) but none among the 630 visits of children presenting with a normal neurological clinical examination (0% [95% CI: 0.0-0.7]), nor among the 468 presenting only with multiple seizure (0% [95% CI: 0.0-1.0]). CONCLUSION: In children with a CFS, CUIP is rare event in the subgroup of children with a normal neurological clinical examination and in those with brief generalised multiple seizures.

Sevoflurane Sedation with AnaConDa-S Device for a Child Undergoing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

BACKGROUND: Deep sedation in critically ill children undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be challenging. Volatile anesthetics like sevoflurane can be a good alternative for patients hospitalized in pediatric intensive care units, in whom adequate sedation is difficult to obtain. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report here the first pediatric case of a patient under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation receiving sedation by sevoflurane using the AnaConDa-S device. This 2-year-old girl, suffering from congenital diaphragmatic hernia, was put on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation due to a persistent pulmonary hypertension following metapneumovirus infection. Despite high doses of drugs, neither satisfactory sedation nor analgesia could be reached. Sevoflurane allowed her to be released and we were able to wean her from certain drugs. Her physiological parameters and the indicators of pain and sedation improved. CONCLUSION: Anesthesia using sevoflurane with the AnaConDa-S device is efficient for children under ECMO. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first pediatric report on anesthesia with sevoflurane under ECMO. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Soreze Y, Piloquet J-E, Amblard A, Constan I, Rambaud J, Leger P-L. Sevoflurane Sedation with AnaConDa-S Device for a Child Undergoing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(7):596-598.

Nosocomial Infections in Neonates Supported by Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: First French Retrospective Study.

How to cite this article: Rambaud J, Allioux C, Jean S, Guilbert J, Guellec I, Demoulin M, et al. Nosocomial Infections in Neonates Supported by Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: First French Retrospective Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2019;23(9):392-395.

Argon attenuates multiorgan failure following experimental aortic cross-clamping.

AIMS: Argon has been shown to prevent ischaemic injuries in several scenarios of regional ischaemia. We determined whether it could provide a systemic effect in a model of multiorgan failure (MOF) induced by aortic cross-clamping. METHODS: Anaesthetized rabbits were submitted to aortic cross-clamping (30 min) and subsequent reperfusion (300 min). They were either ventilated with oxygen-enriched air throughout the protocol [fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2 ) = 30%; control group) or with a mixture of 30% oxygen and 70% argon (argon groups). In a first group treated with argon ('Argon-Total'), its administration was started 30 min before ischaemia and maintained throughout the protocol. In the two other groups, the administration was started either 30 min before ischaemia ('Argon-Pre') or at the onset of reperfusion ('Argon-Post'), for a total duration of 2 h. Cardiovascular, renal and inflammatory endpoints were assessed throughout protocol. RESULTS: Compared with control, shock was significantly attenuated in Argon-Total and Argon-Pre but not Argon-Post groups (e.g. cardiac output = 62±5 vs. 29 ± 5 ml min-1 kg-1 in Argon-Total and control groups at the end of the follow-up). Shock and renal failure were reduced in all argon vs. control groups. Histopathological examination of the gut showed attenuation of ischaemic lesions in all argon vs. control groups. Blood transcription levels of interleukin (IL) 1ß, IL-8, IL-10 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION: Argon attenuated clinical and biological modifications of cardiovascular, renal and intestinal systems, but not the inflammatory response, after aortic cross-clamping. The window of administration was crucial to optimize organ protection.

Trichosporon: another yeast-like organism responsible for immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in patients with hematological malignancy.

Trichosporon has recently emerged as a life-threatening opportunistic fungal pathogen, notably in patients with hematological malignancy. Fungemia, sometimes associated with cutaneous lesions and/or pneumonitis, is the major clinical form. Here, we report two cases of patients suffering from acute leukaemia who developed hepatic and/or splenic lesions apart from Trichosporon positive blood cultures. The appearance of hepatic and splenic lesions following the recovery from neutropenia is highly suggestive of a chronic disseminated infection, now considered as an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. Treatment with corticosteroid therapy led to clinical improvement in both cases. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

International aircraft ECMO transportation: first French pediatric experience.

Refractory severe hemodynamic or respiratory failure may require extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Since some patients are too sick to be transported safely to a referral ECMO center on conventional transportation, mobile ECMO transport teams have been developed. The experiences of some ECMO transport teams have already been reported, including air and international transport. We report the first French pediatric international ECMO transport by aircraft. This case shows that a long distance intervention of the pediatric ECMO transport team is feasible, even in an international setting. Long distance ECMO transportations are widely carried out for adults, but remain rare in neonates and children.

[The mobile paediatric circulatory support unit]. / L'unité mobile d'assistance circulatoire pédiatrique.

A mobile paediatric circulatory support unit has been set up within the paediatric and neonatal intensive care service at the Armand-Trousseau Hospital in Paris (AP-HP, 75). It is in place for situations of refractory respiratory and/or circulatory failure and can intervene in a radius of several hundred kilometres, in order to establish long-term extracorporeal circulation. In this delicate context, transporting children requires specific skills, coordination between all intervening parties and faultless organisation.

Calcium homeostasis disorder during and after neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used during pediatric resuscitation in case of refractory hypoxemia or septic shock under maximum therapy. Previous studies describe calcium homeostasis dysregulation. The aim of this study was to confirmed of calcium homeostasis dysregulation in neonates under ECMO and supposed news explanation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: From November 2012 to July 2013, we performed a prospective single center observational study. Eleven neonatal patients were included. Blood was obtained before and during ECMO (day 7, 14 and 21) for parathyroid hormone (PTH), protein adjusted serum calcium, ionized calcium, magnesium, and calcitriol levels. All surviving patients underwent a consultation up to 6 months after ECMO weaning. RESULTS: During ECMO PTH was inadequately high with normal serum calcium on day 7 (PTH: 73.54 ± 40 ng/l; calcemia: 2.33 ± 0.21 mmol/l), day 14 (PTH: 57.63 ± 29.57 ng/l; calcemia: 2.44 ± 0.43 mmol/l) and day 21 (PTH: 54.93 ± 8.43 ng/l; calcemia: 2.13 ± 0.09 mmol/l). The absence of correlation between serum calcium and PTH levels seem to confirm the dysregulation of PTH - serum calcium metabolism during ECMO. Six months after ECMO weaning, we noticed hypercalcemia with normal PTH. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the existence of severe disturbances of calcium homeostasis in neonates on ECMO and supposed the possible damage of calcium regulation. We did not succeed in finding clear explanations of these disturbances.