Parental Refusals of Blood Transfusions from COVID-19 Vaccinated Donors for Children Needing Cardiac Surgery.

There is a growing trend of refusal of blood transfusions from COVID-19 vaccinated donors. We highlight three cases where parents have refused blood transfusions from COVID-19 vaccinated donors on behalf of their children in the setting of congenital cardiac surgery. These families have also requested accommodations such as explicit identification of blood from COVID-19 vaccinated donors, directed donation from a COVID-19 unvaccinated family member, or use of a non-standard blood supplier. We address the ethical challenges posed by these issues. We describe the current screening and safety processes for standard blood donation and explore the importance of donor anonymity and challenges with directed donation and non-standard blood suppliers. We present an ethical framework using the Best Interest Standard, the Zone of Parental Discretion, and the Harm Principle when considering these refusals. Finally, we provide recommendations for how to approach these requests as they potentially become more commonplace in pediatrics.

Ethical Considerations in Ever-Expanding Utilization of ECLS: A Research Agenda.

Technological advancements and rapid expansion in the clinical use of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) across all age ranges in the last decade, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to important ethical considerations. As a costly and resource intensive therapy, ECLS is used emergently under high stakes circumstances where there is often prognostic uncertainty and risk for serious complications. To develop a research agenda to further characterize and address these ethical dilemmas, a working group of specialists in ECLS, critical care, cardiothoracic surgery, palliative care, and bioethics convened at a single pediatric academic institution over the course of 18 months. Using an iterative consensus process, research questions were selected based on: (1) frequency, (2) uniqueness to ECLS, (3) urgency, (4) feasibility to study, and (5) potential to improve patient care. Questions were categorized into broad domains of societal decision-making, bedside decision-making, patient and family communication, medical team dynamics, and research design and implementation. A deeper exploration of these ethical dilemmas through formalized research and deliberation may improve equitable access and quality of ECLS-related medical care.

An ethical analysis of obesity as a determinant of pediatric heart transplant candidacy.

BACKGROUND: Inclusion of BMI as criterion in the determination of heart transplant candidacy in children is a clinical and ethical challenge. Childhood obesity is increasing and children with heart disease are not spared. Currently, many adult heart transplant centers consider class II obesity and higher (BMI > 35 kg/m2 ) to be a relative contraindication for transplantation due to risk of poor outcome after transplant. No national guidelines exist regarding consideration of BMI in pediatric heart transplant and outcomes data are limited. This leaves decisions about transplant candidacy in obese pediatric patients to individual institutions or on a case-by-case basis, allowing for bias and inequity. METHODS: We review (a) the prevalence of childhood obesity, including among heart transplant candidates, (b) the lack of existing BMI guidelines, and (c) relevant literature on BMI and pediatric heart transplant outcomes. We discuss the ethical considerations of using obesity as a criterion using the principles of utility, justice, and respect for persons. RESULTS: Existing transplant outcomes data do not show that obese children have different or poor enough outcomes compared to non-obese children to warrant exclusion. Moreover, obesity in the United States is unequally distributed by race and socioeconomic status. Children already suffering from health disparities are therefore doubly penalized if obesity denies them access to life-saving transplant. CONCLUSION: Insufficient data exist to support using any BMI cutoff as an absolute contraindication for heart transplant in children. Attention should be paid to health equity issues when considering excluding a patient for transplant based on obesity.

"We Can Do Anything but We Can't Do Everything": Exploring the Perceived Impact of International Pediatric Programs on U.S. PICUs.

Purpose: Every year, an increasing number of international patients seek medical care in the United States (U.S.), yet little is known about their impact. Based on single institution experiences, we wanted to explore the perceived impact of international pediatric patients on large academic U.S. pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), as they are already taxed systems. Methods: To explore current perceptions, seven geographically diverse institutions who advertise care for international patients on their websites and have ≥24 PICU beds were identified after IRB approval was obtained. We consented and interviewed PICU division chiefs or medical directors from each institution regarding their demographics and international patients. Common themes were identified. Results: Participating institutions were diverse in geographic location, census, and resource allocation strategies. Five of the seven institutions reported the presence of a formal international patient program. Four of those five reported an increase in international patients receiving PICU care over the past 5 years. International patients sought complex surgeries, advanced cancer treatments and metabolic/genetic evaluations. We identified three primary domains that require further exploration and research: (1) cultural and language differences leading to barriers in providing optimal care to international patients (2) institutional financial considerations, and (3) perceived positive and negative impact on the care of local/domestic patient populations. Conclusions: The presence of international programs raises a number of important ethical questions, including whether clinicians have a greater duty to serve residents of the local community as opposed to international patients when resources are limited. Further exploration is warranted.