Lung ultrasound and procalcitonin, improving antibiotic management and avoiding radiation exposure in pediatric critical patients with bacterial pneumonia: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is a major public health problem with an impact on morbidity and mortality. Its management still represents a challenge. The aim was to determine whether a new diagnostic algorithm combining lung ultrasound (LUS) and procalcitonin (PCT) improved pneumonia management regarding antibiotic use, radiation exposure, and associated costs, in critically ill pediatric patients with suspected bacterial pneumonia (BP). METHODS: Randomized, blinded, comparative effectiveness clinical trial. Children < 18y with suspected BP admitted to the PICU from September 2017 to December 2019, were included. PCT was determined at admission. Patients were randomized into the experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) if LUS or chest X-ray (CXR) were done as the first image test, respectively. Patients were classified: 1.LUS/CXR not suggestive of BP and PCT < 1 ng/mL, no antibiotics were recommended; 2.LUS/CXR suggestive of BP, regardless of the PCT value, antibiotics were recommended; 3.LUS/CXR not suggestive of BP and PCT > 1 ng/mL, antibiotics were recommended. RESULTS: 194 children were enrolled, 113 (58.2%) females, median age of 134 (IQR 39-554) days. 96 randomized into EG and 98 into CG. 1. In 75/194 patients the image test was not suggestive of BP with PCT < 1 ng/ml; 29/52 in the EG and 11/23 in the CG did not receive antibiotics. 2. In 101 patients, the image was suggestive of BP; 34/34 in the EG and 57/67 in the CG received antibiotics. Statistically significant differences between groups were observed when PCT resulted < 1 ng/ml (p = 0.01). 3. In 18 patients the image test was not suggestive of BP but PCT resulted > 1 ng/ml, all of them received antibiotics. A total of 0.035 mSv radiation/patient was eluded. A reduction of 77% CXR/patient was observed. LUS did not significantly increase costs. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of LUS and PCT showed no risk of mistreating BP, avoided radiation and did not increase costs. The algorithm could be a reliable tool for improving pneumonia management. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04217980.

Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin for diagnosing evolution after cardiac surgery in newborns: the PRONEW study.

Newborns are the most vulnerable patients after cardiac surgery. Although mortality risk scores before surgery may help predict the risk of poor outcome, new tools are required, and biomarkers could add objective data to these tools. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (pro-ADM) and pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (pro-ANP) to predict poor outcome after cardiac surgery. This is a pilot diagnostic accuracy study that includes newborns and infants under 2 months admitted to an intensive care unit after cardiac surgery. Pro-ADM and pro-ANP were determined immediately upon admission. Poor outcome was defined as mortality, cardiac arrest, requiring extracorporeal support, requiring renal replacement therapy, or neurological injury. Forty-four patients were included. Twenty-six (59%) had a STAT category of ≥ 4. Ten patients (22.7%) presented a poor outcome, four of whom (9.1%) died. Pro-ADM was higher in patients with poor outcome (p = 0.024) and death (p = 0.012). Pro-ADM showed the best area under curve (AUC) for predicting poor outcome (0.735) and mortality alone (0.869). A pro-ADM of 2 nmol/L had a Sn of 75% and a Sp of 85% for predicting mortality. Pro-ADM > 2 nmol/L was independently associated with poor outcome (OR 5.8) and mortality (OR 14.1). Although higher pro-ANP values were associated with poor outcomes, no cut-off point were found. The combination of STAT ≥ 4 and the biomarkers did not enhance predictive power for poor outcome or mortality.Conclusion: Pro-ADM and pro-ANP determined immediately after surgery could be helpful for stratifying risk of poor outcome and mortality in newborns. What is Known: • Some congenital heart diseases must be corrected/palliated during the first days of life. A useful tool to predict the risk of severe complications has not been proposed. • Most unstable newborns would have higher values of biomarkers such as pro-ADM and pro-ANP related to shock and compensatory actions. What is New: • Pro-ADM and pro-ANP seem to be good biomarkers to predict poor outcome after cardiac surgery. A pro-ADM < 2 nmol/L would imply a low likelihood of a poor outcome. • Deepening the analysis of biomarkers can help in making decisions to prevent/treat complications.

Infection what else? The usefulness of procalcitonin in children after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Procalcitonin is a useful biomarker for predicting bacterial infection after cardiac surgery. However, sometimes procalcitonin rises following cardiac surgery without a confirmation of bacterial infection. The aim was to analyse procalcitonin levels in children without a bacterial infection after cardiac surgery. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective, observational study of children <18 years old admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after cardiac surgery. RESULTS: 1,042 children were included, 996 (95.6%) without a bacterial infection. From them, severe complications occurred in 132 patients (13.3%). Procalcitonin increased differentially depending on the type of complication. Patients who presented a poor outcome (n = 26, 2.6%) had higher procalcitonin values in the postoperative period than the rest of patients (<24 hours: 5.8 ng/mL vs. 0.6 ng/mL; 24-48 hours, 5.1 ng/mL vs. 0.8 ng/mL, and 48-72 hours, 5.3 ng/mL vs. 1.2 ng/mL), but these values remained stable over time (p = 0.732; p = 0.110). The AUC for procalcitonin for predicting poor outcome was 0.876 in the first 24 hours. The cut-off point to predict poor outcome was 2 ng/mL in the first 24 hours (sensitivity 86.9%, specificity 77.3%). Patients with bacterial infection (n = 46) presented higher values of procalcitonin initially, but they decreased in the 48-72 hours period (<24 hours: 4.9 ng/mL; 24-48 hours, 5.8 ng/mL, and 48-72 hours, 4.5 ng/mL). CONCLUSIONS: A procalcitonin value<2 ng/mL may indicate the absence of infection and poor outcome after cardiac surgery. The evolution of the values of this biomarker might help to discern between infection (where procalcitonin will decrease) and poor outcome (where procalcitonin will not decrease).

Weaning from neonatal and pediatric ECMO with stand-by cannula.

The precise moment for weaning a patient off extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is not always easy to establish. Also, mechanical causes may obligate to disconnect the patient from the circuit before the optimal weaning off. In these selected cases, the patient can be disconnected from the circuit and the cannula can be left in place (stand-by cannula) until the patient's stability without ECMO is assured. The aim was to describe our experience with the stand-by cannula. Single-institution, long-term retrospective study in a pediatric tertiary care hospital. Neonatal and pediatric patients who were under ECMO and needed stand-by cannula before definitive de-cannulation were included. During 18 years, 166 children required ECMO. In 31 patients (18.7%), stand-by cannula was performed before the weaning off. Twenty patients (64.5%) were newborn. The main reason for requiring ECMO in these newborn was persistent pulmonary hypertension. Eleven patients were pediatric and their main cause for requiring ECMO was cardiogenic shock (six patients, 54.4%). The reasons for requiring stand-by cannula were the uncertainty of a successful weaning off in 17 patients (54.8%), to undergo surgery in 10 patients (32.3%) and to replace the circuit in four cases (12.9%). The median duration of stand-by cannula was 12 h (IQR 6-24). Heparinized saline serum was the main maintenance perfusion (28 patients, 90.3%). Three patients needed to restart support with ECMO. Only one mechanical complication was detected. Stand-by cannula is a safe technique, which allows performing a quick re-entrance on ECMO if the weaning off fails.

The different manifestations of COVID-19 in adults and children: a cohort study in an intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has collapsed health systems worldwide. In adults, the virus causes severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), while in children the disease seems to be milder, although a severe multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) has been described. The aim was to describe and compare the characteristics of the severe COVID-19 disease in adults and children. METHODS: This prospective observational cohort study included the young adults and children infected with SARS-CoV-2 between March-June 2020 and admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit. The two populations were analysed and compared focusing on their clinical and analytical characteristics and outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty patients were included. There were 16 adults (80%) and 4 children (20%). No mortality was recorded. All the adults were admitted due to ARDS. The median age was 32 years (IQR 23.3-41.5) and the most relevant previous pathology was obesity (n = 7, 43.7%). Thirteen (81.3%) needed mechanical ventilation, with a median PEEP of 13 (IQR 10.5-14.5). Six (37.5%) needed inotropic support due to the sedation. Eight (50%) developed a healthcare-associated infection, the most frequent of which was central line-associated bloodstream infection (n = 7, 71.4%). One patient developed a partial pulmonary thromboembolism, despite him being treated with heparin. All the children were admitted due to MIS-C. Two (50%) required mechanical ventilation. All needed inotropic support, with a median vasoactive-inotropic score of 27.5 (IQR 17.5-30). The difference in the inotropic requirements between the two populations was statistically significant (37.5% vs. 100%, p < 0.001). The biomarker values were higher in children than in adults: mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin 1.72 vs. 0.78 nmol/L (p = 0.017), procalcitonin 5.7 vs. 0.19 ng/mL (p = 0.023), and C-reactive protein 328.2 vs. 146.9 mg/L (p = 0.005). N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and troponins were higher in children than in adults (p = 0.034 and p = 0.039, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Adults and children had different clinical manifestations. Adults developed severe ARDS requiring increased respiratory support, whereas children presented MIS-C with greater inotropic requirements. Biomarkers could be helpful in identifying susceptible patients, since they might change depending on the clinical features.

Use of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in the diagnosis of bacterial infection in infants with severe bronchiolitis.

The objective was to evaluate the use of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) for the diagnosis of bacterial infection in bronchiolitis patients. A prospective, single-centre, descriptive, and comparative observational study was carried out on patients with severe bronchiolitis admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), from January 2011 to July 2017. Two cohorts were compared: patients with invasive bacterial infection (IBI) and patients with no bacterial infection (NBI). We included 675 patients, 399 of whom were males (59.1%), with median age of 47 days (IQR 25-100.3). Of them, 181 patients were diagnosed with IBI (26.8%). Seventy-two had sepsis (10.7%), 106 had pneumonia (15.7%), and 41 had a urinary tract infection (6.1%). PCT and CRP values were significantly higher in patients with IBI. ROC curves compared the ability of PCT and CRP to diagnose IBI at admission, 24 h, and 48 h. PCT showed a better AUC for diagnosing IBI, with statistically significant differences at all time points (p < 0.001). The best PCT cut-off for IBI diagnosis at admission was 1.4 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 69% (95% CI 58.4-74.9) and a specificity of 91% (95% CI 88.1-92.5). Procalcitonin showed a better AUC for diagnosing both sepsis and pneumonia, which makes it an excellent predictor.Conclusion: We present PCT as a novel test in comparison with the traditional CRP screening test to discern which bronchiolitis patients have IBI. We highlight the importance of PCT for the diagnosis of pneumonia and sepsis, as it proved to be more sensitive and specific than CRP, with statistically significant differences. What is Known: • Bronchiolitis should be treated with antibiotics only when a bacterial infection is present. • The rate of antibiotic prescription in severe bronchiolitis is extremely high, so diagnostic tools are needed. What is New: • PCT is a good biomarker to discern which bronchiolitis patients have IBI, specially for pneumonia and sepsis diagnoses. It is more sensitive and specific than CRP, with statistically significant differences. • Implementation of PCT cut-off values may prevent unnecessary antibiotic use.

Pro-atrial natriuretic peptide and pro-adrenomedullin before cardiac surgery in children. Can we predict the future?

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (proANP) and pro-adrenomedullin (proADM) levels increase in acute heart failure and sepsis. After cardiac surgery, children may require increased support in the intensive care unit and may develop complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of proANP and proADM values, determined prior to cardiac surgery, for predicting the need for increased respiratory or inotropic support during the post-operative period. METHODS: This was a prospective study in children. Biomarkers were analyzed before surgery using a single blood test. The primary endpoints were the need for greater respiratory and/or inotropic support during the post-operative period. Secondary endpoints were the relationship between these biomarkers and complications after surgery. RESULTS: One hundred thirteen patients were included. ProANP and proADM were higher in children who required greater respiratory and inotropic support, especially proANP; for increased respiratory support, 578.9 vs. 106.6 pmol/L (p = 0.004), and for increased inotropic support, 1938 vs. 110.4 pmol/L (p = 0.002). ProANP had a greater AUC than proADM for predicting increased respiratory support after surgery: 0.791 vs. 0.724. A possible cut-off point for proANP could be ≥ 325 pmol/L (sensitivity = 66.7% and specificity = 88.8%). In the multivariate analysis, the logarithmic transformation of proANP was independently associated with the need for increased respiratory support (OR = 3.575). Patients who presented a poor outcome after cardiac surgery also had higher biomarker values (proADM, p = 0.013; proANP, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated proANP before cardiac surgery may identify which children will need more respiratory and inotropic support during the post-operative period.

End-of-life care in a pediatric intensive care unit: the impact of the development of a palliative care unit.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this paper is to describe how end-of-life care is managed when life-support limitation is decided in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and to analyze the influence of the further development of the Palliative Care Unit. METHODS: A 15-year retrospective study of children who died after life-support limitation was initiated in a pediatric intensive care unit. Patients were divided into two groups, pre- and post-palliative care unit development. Epidemiological and clinical data, the decision-making process, and the approach were analyzed. Data was obtained from patient medical records. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-five patients were included. The main reason for admission was respiratory failure (86/175). A previous pathology was present in 152 patients (61/152 were neurological issues). The medical team and family participated together in the decision-making in 145 cases (82.8%). The family made the request in 10 cases (9 vs. 1, p = 0.019). Withdrawal was the main life-support limitation (113/175), followed by withholding life-sustaining treatments (37/175). Withdrawal was more frequent in the post-palliative group (57.4% vs. 74.3%, p = 0.031). In absolute numbers, respiratory support was the main type of support withdrawn. CONCLUSIONS: The main cause of life-support limitation was the unfavourable evolution of the underlying pathology. Families were involved in the decision-making process in a high percentage of the cases. The development of the Palliative Care Unit changed life-support limitation in our unit, with differences detected in the type of patient and in the strategy used. Increased confidence among intensivists when providing end-of-life care, and the availability of a Palliative Care Unit may contribute to improvements in the quality of end-of-life care.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of procalcitonin and mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin in septic paediatric patients.

Early diagnosis of sepsis and its severity stratification at admission is critical to improve patient outcomes and to ensure the optimal use of health care resources. In order to assess the diagnostic potential of mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) in septic paediatric patients in comparison with procalcitonin (PCT), and to evaluate the usefulness of a single early determination of MR-proADM as a stratification and severity prediction tool, a prospective observational study was conducted. Seventy-three paediatric patients with a suspicion of sepsis were included. A single blood test was carried out at initial time to analyse infection biomarkers. PCT values were significantly higher in septic patients in comparison with non-septic patients (p = 0.03) with an AUC of 0.748 (p = 0.003). Levels of MR-proADM significantly increased in patients with severe sepsis (p = 0.048), with an AUC of 0.729 (p = 0.013). MR-proADM showed a positive correlation with pSOFA, PRISM III, and PELOD-2 severity scores. Levels of MR-proADM were significantly higher in patients who required vasoactive drugs (p = 0.02) or presented renal dysfunction (p = 0.004).Conclusion: PCT appeared to be superior to MR-proADM in diagnosing sepsis. Determining MR-proADM plasma levels at the initial phase of sepsis could be a useful tool for sepsis stratification and morbidity prediction before organ failure occurs. The present results need to be assessed with larger sample size studies.What is Known:•CRP and PCT are already included in clinical practice to assess sepsis and estimate disease severity, although their sensitivity and specificity are lower than desired.•ADM is a protein that has immune and vascular modulation actions, and its blood levels are increased in adult and paediatric sepsis.•ADM is a promising tool for early diagnosis and prognostic assessment in adult sepsis.What is New:•PCT appeared to be superior to MR-proADM in diagnosing paediatric sepsis.•MR-proADM plasma levels could be a useful tool for paediatric sepsis stratification and morbidity prediction.

Tracheal opening manoeuvre (PEEP-20) in a patient with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and severe tracheobronchomalacia with neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA).

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is occasionally associated with tracheobronchomalacia, and it is this combination that can lead to serious outcomes. The most severe cases require tracheostomies, ventilatory support and eventually even tracheal stents or surgery. Ventilation in patients with tracheomalacia is complicated without a good patient-ventilator synchrony; the neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) mode is potentially beneficial in these cases. This case report presents a patient affected by BPD and severe tracheobronchomalacia who was tracheostomised and ventilated 24 hours a day and who suffered from episodes of airway collapse despite using the NAVA mode. It was necessary to increase the positive end-expiratory pressure to 20 cmH2O (the PEEP-20 manoeuvre) for several minutes during an episode; this allowed the trachea to remain open and allowed us to optimise the patient's ventilation. This strategy has previously been described in a patient with tracheomalacia, reducing the frequency and need for sedation in the following episodes.

Procalcitonin-guided protocol decreased the antibiotic use in paediatric patients with severe bronchiolitis.

AIM: Our aim was to determine the effectiveness and safety of a procalcitonin-guided protocol to decrease antibiotic use in infants with severe bronchiolitis. METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu from 2010 to 2017. Patients under the age of one were included if they were diagnosed with bronchiolitis, had a suspected bacterial infection and were admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit. A procalcitonin-guided protocol was established in 2014, and two cohorts were compared before and after implementation: 340 in 2010-2014 and 366 in 2015-2017. RESULTS: We recruited 706 patients (58.6% male) with a median age of 47 days and an interquartile range of 25.0-100.2. The rate for antibiotic use was 79.9%, and this differed before and after implementation (88.2% vs 72.1%, P = .003). Antibiotic stewardship and withdrawal decisions were higher after implementation (22.3% vs 36.4%, P = .005). The length of antibiotic treatment was also different between the two periods (8.65 ± 4.8 days vs 5.05 ± 3.18 days, P = .023). No adverse outcomes were observed due to the implementation of the protocol. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a procalcitonin-guided protocol seems to lead to a safe and general decrease in antibiotic use in paediatric patients with severe bronchiolitis.

Risk stratification models for congenital heart surgery in children: Comparative single-center study.

OBJECTIVE: Three scores have been proposed to stratify the risk of mortality for each cardiac surgical procedure: The RACHS-1, the Aristotle Basic Complexity (ABC), and the STS-EACTS complexity scoring model. The aim was to compare the ability to predict mortality and morbidity of the three scores applied to a specific population. DESIGN: Retrospective, descriptive study. SETTING: Pediatric and neonatal intensive care units in a referral hospital. PATIENTS: Children under 18 years admitted to the intensive care unit after surgery. INTERVENTIONS: None. OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic, clinical, and surgical data were assessed. Morbidity was considered as prolonged length of stay (LOS > 75 percentile), high respiratory (>72 hours of mechanical ventilation), and high hemodynamic support (inotropic support >20). RESULTS: One thousand and thirty-seven patients were included, in which 205 were newborns (18%). The category 2 was the most frequent in the three scores: In RACHS-1, ABC, 44.9%, and STS-EACTS, 40.8%. Newborns presented significant higher categories. Children required cardiopulmonary bypass in more occasions (P < .001) but the times of bypass and aortic cross-clamp were significantly higher in newborns (P < .001 and P = .016). Thirty-two patients died (2.8%). A quarter of patients had a prolonged LOS, 17%, a high respiratory support, and 7.1%, a high hemodynamic support. RACHS-1 (AUC 0.760) and STS-EACTS (AUC 0.763) were more powerful for predicting mortality and STS-EACTS for predicting prolonged LOS (AUC 0.733) and the need for high respiratory support (AUC 0.742). CONCLUSIONS: STS-EACTS seems to stratify better risk of mortality, prolonged LOS, and need for respiratory support after surgery.

Procalcitonin to stop antibiotics after cardiovascular surgery in a pediatric intensive care unit-The PROSACAB study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after cardiovascular surgery usually require treatment with antibiotics due to suspicion of infection. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of procalcitonin in decreasing the duration of antibiotic treatment in children after cardiovascular surgery. METHODS: Prospective, interventional study carried out in a pediatric intensive care unit. Included patients under 18 years old admitted after cardiopulmonary bypass. Two groups were compared, depending on the implementation of the PCT-guided protocol to stop or de-escalate the antibiotic treatment (Group 1, 2011-2013 and group 2, 2014-2018). This new protocol was based on the decrease of the PCT value by 20% or 50% with respect to the maximum value of PCT. Primary endpoints were mortality, stewardship indication, duration of antibiotic treatment, and antibiotic-free days. RESULTS: 886 patients were recruited. There were 226 suspicions of infection (25.5%), and they were confirmed in 38 cases (16.8%). The global rate of infections was 4.3%. 102 patients received broad-spectrum antibiotic (4.7±1.7 days in group 1, 3.9±1 days in group 2 with p = 0.160). The rate of de-escalation was higher in group 2 (30/62, 48.4%) than in group 1 (24/92, 26.1%) with p = 0.004. A reduction of 1.1 days of antibiotic treatment (group 1, 7.7±2.2 and group 2, 6.7±2.2, with p = 0.005) and 2 more antibiotic free-days free in PICU in group 2 were observed (p = 0.001), without adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Procalcitonin-guided protocol for stewardship after cardiac surgery seems to be safe and useful to decrease the antibiotic exposure. This protocol could help to reduce the duration of broad-spectrum antibiotics and the duration of antibiotics in total, without developing complications or adverse effects.

Prognostic value of biomarkers after cardiopulmonary bypass in pediatrics: The prospective PANCAP study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the usefulness of procalcitonin, pro-adrenomedullin and pro-atrial natriuretic peptide as predictors of need for mechanical ventilation and postoperative complications (need for inotropic support and bacterial infection) in critically ill pediatric patients after cardiopulmonary bypass. DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Patients under 18 years old admitted after cardiopulmonary bypass. MEASURAMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Serum levels of procalcitonin, pro-adrenomedullin and pro-atrial natriuretic peptide were determined immediately after bypass and at 24-36 hours. Their values were correlated with the need for mechanical ventilation, inotropic support and bacterial infection. One hundred eleven patients were recruited. Septal defects (30.6%) and cardiac valve disease (17.1%) were the most frequent pathologies. 40.7% required mechanical ventilation, 94.6% inotropic support and 15.3% presented invasive bacterial infections. Pro-adrenomedullin and pro-atrial natriuretic peptide showed significant high values in patients needing mechanical ventilation. Cut-off values higher than 1.22 nmol/L and 215.3 pmol/L, respectively for each biomarker, may indicate need for mechanical ventilation with an AUC of 0.721 and 0.746 at admission and 0.738 and 0.753 at 24-36 hours, respectively but without statistical differences. Pro-adrenomedullin and procalcitonin showed statistically significant high values in patients with bacterial infections. CONCLUSIONS: After bypass, pro-adrenomedullin and pro-atrial natriuretic peptide are suitable biomarkers to predict the need for mechanical ventilation. Physicians should be alert if the values of these markers are high so as not to progress to early extubation. Procalcitonin is useful for predicting bacterial infection. This is a preliminary study and more clinical studies should be done to confirm the value of pro-adrenomedullin and pro-atrial natriuretic peptide as biomarkers after cardiopulmonary bypass.

Combined use of Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) and Vertical Expandable Prostethic Titanium Rib (VEPTR) in a patient with Spondylocostal dysostosis and associated bronchomalacia.

Jarcho-Levin syndrome is a rare disorder characterised by defects in vertebral and costal segmentation of varying severity. Respiratory complications are the main cause of death or severe comorbidity due to a restrictive rib cage. A 3 months old infant with Spondylocostal dysostosis and associated bronchomalacia experiencing severe asynchrony during the weaning process is reported. The Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) mode was used to improve adaptation to mechanical ventilation after Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Ribs (VEPTRs) were implanted. The synchrony achieved with the NAVA mode allowed a decrease of the sedoanalgesia he received. A follow-up CT scan showed a reduction in the volume of the posterobasal atelectasis. The evolution of this patient suggests that the combined use of VEPTR for thoracic expansion and ventilation using NAVA can favour the global improvement. This mode could be an option to consider in selected patients with difficult weaning from mechanical ventilation in paediatric intensive care units.

Glutamine effects on heat shock protein 70 and interleukines 6 and 10: Randomized trial of glutamine supplementation versus standard parenteral nutrition in critically ill children.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To determine whether glutamine (Gln) supplementation would have a role modifying both the oxidative stress and the inflammatory response of critically ill children. METHODS: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, interventional clinical trial. Selection criteria were children requiring parenteral nutrition for at least 5 days diagnosed with severe sepsis or post major surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to standard parenteral nutrition (SPN, 49 subjects) or standard parenteral nutrition with glutamine supplementation (SPN + Gln, 49 subjects). RESULTS: Glutamine levels failed to show statistical differences between groups. At day 5, patients in the SPN + Gln group had significantly higher levels of HSP-70 (heat shock protein 70) as compared with the SPN group (68.6 vs 5.4, p = 0.014). In both groups, IL-6 (interleukine 6) levels showed a remarkable descent from baseline and day 2 (SPN: 42.24 vs 9.39, p < 0.001; SPN + Gln: 35.20 vs 13.80, p < 0.001) but only the treatment group showed a statistically significant decrease between day 2 and day 5 (13.80 vs 10.55, p = 0.013). Levels of IL-10 (interleukine 10) did not vary among visits except in the SPN between baseline and day 2 (9.55 vs 5.356, p < 0.001). At the end of the study, no significant differences between groups for PICU and hospital stay were observed. No adverse events were detected in any group. CONCLUSIONS: Glutamine supplementation in critically-ill children contributed to maintain high HSP-70 levels for longer. Glutamine supplementation had no influence on IL-10 and failed to show a significant reduction of IL-6 levels.

Endovascular treatment of a pial arteriovenous fistula of a posteroinferior cerebellar artery with a double origin.

Pial arteriovenous fistulas (pAVF) of the posterior fossa are rare and may present with symptoms secondary to mass effect, venous hypertension or hemorrhage, among others. A case is presented of a previously healthy 2-year-old boy with neurological deficit arising from pAVF of the posteroinferior cerebellar artery. The pAVF was successfully treated with endovascular occlusion.

Withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments: an 8-yr retrospective review in a Spanish pediatric intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the death rate of patients who died in our pediatric intensive care unit after a decision to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment was made and to describe the epidemiologic data, clinical (acute and chronic) conditions, end-of-life care, and decision-making processes corresponding to these patients. DESIGN: Long-term retrospective review of patients' charts. SETTING: Mixed university-affiliated pediatric intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Patients younger than 18 yrs old whose deaths occurred after life-sustaining treatment was withheld or withdrawn. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Epidemiologic and clinical data, the treatments received, the decision-making process, and the end-of-life pathway were evaluated. Ninety-seven of 311 deaths occurred after a medical decision to withhold life-sustaining treatment. Among these patients, the most common reason for admission was respiratory failure (44 of 97), followed by cardiopulmonary arrest and sepsis. In 50 of 97 there was a previously known neurologic condition before admission, 11 of 97 had a neoplasm or hematologic malignancy, 10 of 97 had a congenital heart disease, and 8 of 97 had a neuromuscular disease. The most common action for forgoing life-sustaining treatment was withdrawal of treatment (chiefly respiratory support). The median time for deciding to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment was on day 3 of admission. A total of 85 of 97 deaths occurred within 48 hrs after the decision was made and action taken. The decision to forgo life-sustaining treatment was proposed by the family in 14 of 97 patients, and there was an explicit agreement between the medical staff and the patient's family in 88 of 97. In all cases, palliative analgesic/sedative treatment effectively maintained the child's comfort. CONCLUSIONS: Withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment was a frequent mode of death in our pediatric intensive care unit, occurring at a rate that falls in the midrange of literature values. The level of the parents' involvement with the team in the decision-making process, which was documented in 88 of 97 of the medical charts, was very high. Patients with chronic neurologic diseases or with severe cognitive sequelae constituted the main group in which the decision to forgo life-sustaining treatment was made.