Bronchioalveolar lavage with perfluorochemical liquid during conventional ventilation.

OBJECTIVE: Therapeutic approaches with bronchioalveolar lavage are currently used in infants with severe alveolar space-occupying material. In many circumstances, bronchioalveolar lavage has been performed in conjunction with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. CASE REPORT: A 2-month-old boy with severe respiratory failure requiring assisted ventilation did not respond to any conventional treatments, including surfactant. An open-lung biopsy showed intra-alveolar accumulation of proteinaceous material and foamy macrophages but was not diagnostically conclusive. Therapeutic trials with bronchioalveolar lavage using normal saline were unsuccessful, causing episodes of severe hypoxemia. Then, bronchioalveolar lavage during conventional mechanical ventilation was performed with the use of a medical-grade perfluorochemical liquid (perfluordecalin). After instillation of liquid (10 mL/kg), the lungs were refilled three times during the first 24 hrs and repeated 48 hrs later. During perfluorochemical liquid treatment, the infant's condition remained stable, with small improvements in pulmonary mechanics. Suction from the endotracheal cannula yielded only small amounts of gelatinous material. Considering the progression of the disease and just minimal pulmonary improvements by this intervention, further treatment was considered futile. Support was, thus, minimized, and the infant died a few days later. An autopsy revealed the diagnosis to be consistent with Niemann-Pick C2 disease. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that bronchioalveolar lavage with perfluorochemical liquid could be performed safely during conventional mechanical ventilation without the additional support of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in infants with severe alveolar space-occupying material.

[Current international recommendations for pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation: the European guidelines]. / Actualización de las recomendaciones internacionales de reanimación cardiopulmonar pediátrica (RCP): recomendaciones europeas de RCP pediátrica.

OBJECTIVES: This summary of the European guidelines for pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) emphasizes the main changes and encourages health care professionals to keep their pediatric CPR knowledge and skills up to date. Basic and advanced pediatric CPR follow the same algorithm in the 2015 guidelines. The main changes affect the prevention of cardiac arrest and the use of fluids. Fluid expansion should not be used routinely in children with fever in the abuse of signs of shock because too high a volume can worsen prognosis. Rescue breaths should last around 1 second in basic CPR, making pediatric recommendations consistent with those for adults. Chest compressions should be at least as deep as one-third the anteroposterior diameter of the thorax. Most children in cardiac arrest lack a shockable rhythm, and in such cases a coordinated sequence of breaths, chest compressions, and administration of adrenalin is essential. An intraosseous canula may be the first choice for introducing fluids and medications, especially in young infants. In treating supraventricular tachycardia with cardioversion, an initial dose of 1 J/kg is currently recommended (vs the dose of 0.5 J/kg previously recommended). After spontaneous circulation is recovered, measures to control fever should be taken. The goal is to reach a normal temperature even before arrival to the hospital.

OBJETIVO: Este artículo resume las recomendaciones europeas de reanimación cardiopulmonar (RCP) pediátricas, destacando los principales cambios e intenta animar a los profesionales a actualizar y mantener sus conocimientos y habilidades en RCP pediátrica. Las recomendaciones europeas del año 2015 mantienen el mismo algoritmo de actuación en la RCP básica y avanzada pediátrica. Los cambios más significativos son: en la prevención de la parada cardiaca (PC), los niños con enfermedad febril sin signos de shock no deben recibir de forma rutinaria expansiones de fluidos porque un volumen excesivo puede empeorar el pronóstico. En la RCP básica se recomienda que la administración de la respiración dure alrededor de 1 segundo, para unificar las recomendaciones con las del adulto. En las compresiones torácicas el esternón debe deprimirse por lo menos un tercio del diámetro torácico anteroposterior. En el niño, la mayoría de las PC tienen ritmos no desfibrilables y en ellos la secuencia coordinada de ventilación y compresiones torácicas y administración de adrenalina es el tratamiento esencial. La vía intraósea, sobre todo en los lactantes, puede ser el acceso vascular de primera elección. En el tratamiento de la taquicardia supraventricular, cuando se realice cardioversión como tratamiento, se recomienda utilizar una dosis inicial de 1 J/kg (antes se recomendaba 0,5 J/kg). En los cuidados postresucitación tras la recuperación de la circulación espontánea, se deben tomar medidas para evitar la fiebre, teniendo como objetivo conseguir la normotermia ya desde el ámbito extrahospitalario.

Acute child poisonings in Oslo: a 2-year prospective study.

AIM: To study the current epidemiology, clinical course and outcome of poisonings among children in Oslo and compare findings to a similar study from 1980. METHODS: Observational study with prospective inclusion of all children (<15 years of age) with a main diagnosis of acute poisoning treated in hospital or outpatient clinic in Oslo for 2 years. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-five episodes of acute poisoning were included at the outpatient clinic only (n = 65), the paediatric department only (n = 82) or both (n = 28 referrals). Annual incidence was 97 per 100 000, significantly lower than in 1980 (230 per 100 000). Highest incidence was in 1-year-old males (576 per 100 000). In children <8 years of age, the most common toxic agents were pharmaceuticals (39%) and household products (32%); children > or = 8 years ingested mainly ethanol (46%) or pharmaceuticals (36%). Five percent of all children were comatose, and complications were seen in 13%. All children survived without sequelae. Half of the admissions needed treatment; most commonly used treatments were activated charcoal (33%), gastric lavage (9%) and emetics (9%). CONCLUSION: The incidence of child poisonings in Oslo has significantly reduced since 1980. Only half of the poisonings needed treatment, most of the poisonings were mild and the clinical outcome was good.