Evaluation of acquired antithrombin deficiency in paediatric patients supported on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

AIMS: There remains a paucity of literature regarding best practice for antithrombin (AT) monitoring, dosing and dose-response in paediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a quaternary care paediatric intensive care unit in all patients <18 years of age supported on ECMO from 1 June 2011 to 30 April 2020. Adverse events and outcomes were characterized for all ECMO runs. AT activity and replacement were characterized and compared between two clinical protocols. AT activities measured post- vs. pre-AT replacement were compared in order to characterize a dose-response relationship. RESULTS: The final cohort included 191 patients with 201 ECMO runs and 2028 AT activity measurements. The median AT activity was 65% (interquartile range [IQR], 51-82) and 879 (43.3%) measurements met the criteria of deficient. The overall median AT dose and increase in AT activity were 50.6 units/kg/dose (IQR, 39.5-67.2) and 23.5% (IQR, 9.8-36.0), respectively. In the protocol that restricted AT activity measurements to clinical scenarios concerning for heparin resistance, there was significantly higher dosing in conjunction with significantly fewer overall administrations. Approximately one third of AT activity remained deficient after repletion. There was no difference in mechanical complications, reasons for discontinuation of ECMO support, time on ECMO or survival between protocols. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of AT deficiency in paediatric ECMO patients. An AT replacement protocol based on evaluating heparin resistance is associated with fewer AT administrations, with similar circuit and patient outcomes. Further data are needed to identify optimal dosing strategies.

Melatonin Administration Patterns for Pediatric Inpatients in a Tertiary Children's Hospital.

OBJECTIVES: Melatonin has been trialed with reported increasing use for sleep dysregulation and prevention of ICU delirium in critically ill adults; however, reports of use in hospitalized pediatric patients are limited. We anecdotally observed an increase in prescribing of melatonin in our tertiary care children's hospital and therefore aimed to retrospectively characterize prescribing practices over time. METHODS: Melatonin dispensing data over a 4-year time frame were extracted. Melatonin doses were categorized as being either ICU or non-ICU administered and dosed during daytime versus nighttime, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize patients who were administered melatonin, dosing information, and quantitative change in annual melatonin orders between areas. The comparison of daytime versus nighttime melatonin administrations and ratio of administrations between ICU and non-ICU areas for each study year were compared via χ2 test. RESULTS: Administration of melatonin increased 246.2% between years 1 and 3, with a shift from predominance in ICU to non-ICU areas over the study period (P < .0001). The average dosing varied by age, with the most frequent dose being 5 mg (28.3%), predominantly in patients ≥12 years of age. Ninety-eight percent (n = 9434) of doses were scheduled for nighttime administration, suggesting an indication of sleep regulation. There were significantly more daytime administrations of melatonin in non-ICU areas (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Prescribing of melatonin for pediatric inpatients has increased substantially over a 4-year period, despite limited research on dosing, in this single-center. Further research is needed to determine best practices for melatonin prescribing for hospitalized children.

Melatonin Use in Hospitalized Children for Non-Anesthetic Indications: A Systematic Review.

Melatonin, a potent free radical scavenger, plays an important role in homeostasis of cell and organ physiology. The increased demand and synthesis from the pineal gland during times of oxidative stress suggests a potential benefit of melatonin supplementation during hospitalization for acute illness. Yet, the paucity of clinical studies for non-anesthetic-associated indications in pediatric populations hampers the safe, effective, and consistent use of melatonin. The objective of this study was to systematically review published studies of melatonin use for non-sedative and non-analgesic indications in hospitalized pediatric patients. We conducted a search of PubMed, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, and Scopus databases for articles on the use of melatonin for pediatric patients in a hospital setting. Thirteen eligible studies, all in neonates, were identified. Data elements extracted included study design, number of study subjects, indication for melatonin therapy, and melatonin regimen (formulation, dosage, and duration). Because study methodologies were very heterogeneous, a quantitative synthesis of the published findings was not possible. The identified studies were therefore categorized by the indication of melatonin (adjuvant-antioxidant or anti-inflammatory therapy) in the following specific disease states: (i) acute infections, (ii) respiratory distress syndrome, (iii) neurologic injury, and (iv) jaundice. The current data suggest that melatonin is safe for use in hospitalized neonates. Melatonin may be beneficial for reducing inflammatory markers in neonatal patients with disease states and clinical sequelae that are associated with increased inflammation and oxidative stress. Melatonin, in conjunction with phototherapy, is not superior to use of vitamin D with phototherapy for treatment of neonatal jaundice. However, studies in other pediatric populations are needed given widespread use across clinical inpatient settings.

Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society 2014 Consensus Statement: Pharmacotherapies in Cardiac Critical Care Anticoagulation and Thrombolysis.

OBJECTIVE: Thrombotic complications are increasingly being recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric and congenital heart disease. The objective of this article is to review the medications currently available to prevent and treat such complications. DATA SOURCES: Online searches were conducted using PubMed. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were selected for inclusion based on their scientific merit and applicability to the pediatric cardiac population. DATA EXTRACTION: Pertinent information from each selected study or scientific review was extracted for inclusion. DATA SYNTHESIS: Four classes of medications were identified as potentially beneficial in this patient group: anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, thrombolytic agents, and novel oral anticoagulants. Data on each class of medication were synthesized into the follow sections: mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, dosing, monitoring, reversal, considerations for use, and evidence to support. CONCLUSIONS: Anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, and thrombolytic agents are routinely used successfully in the pediatric patient with heart disease for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of thrombotic complications. Although the novel oral anticoagulants have been approved for a limited number of indications in adults, studies on the safety and efficacy of these agents in children are pending.