Survey of resources available to implement severe pediatric traumatic brain injury management guidelines in low and middle-income countries.

PURPOSE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with a disproportionately high burden in low-middle income countries. Guideline implementation has been associated with mortality reduction in high-income countries (HIC), but it is not known if hospitals in low and middle-income countries possess the resources to implement the pre-hospital TBI guidelines and the guidelines for the management of severe pediatric traumatic brain injury. METHOD: An anonymous online survey was undertaken by a range of health care professionals currently managing children with severe TBI in low to middle-income countries. A variety of international and national pediatric, intensive care, and neurological societies assisted in the survey distribution. Thirty-eight questions were included to evaluate patient care and the provider's perceptions of their resources available to implement the pre-hospital specific TBI and current pediatric severe TBI guidelines. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-seven hospitals were represented from 68 countries. Fifty percent of LMIC hospitals that responded had the resources to implement 13 of 15 guidelines for the pediatric component of pre-hospital management for TBI and all baseline care recommendations. First tier therapies including the intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pathways (CPP), however, demonstrated low capacity for uptake with 21.5% and 38.5% of surveyed hospitals possessing sufficient resources to follow the recommended pathways. CONCLUSION: Pediatric TBI ICP/CPP management guidelines require numerous resources not widely sourced in LMIC. The creation of international guidelines that outline recommendations of care for LMIC may benefit patient care and outcomes in these settings.

Severe stridor and profound weakness after cerebral malaria.

Cerebral malaria (CM) is defined by WHO as coma (Blantyre Coma Score 2 or less) in a patient with Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia and no alternative cause of coma identified. Mortality is approximately 15%-30% in African children and up to one-third of survivors have neurological sequelae. We present a patient with severe stridor and prolonged profound weakness during an intensive care admission with CM. These complications initially presented a diagnostic dilemma in our limited resourced setting. The stridor failed to improve with empiric steroids and a subsequent opportunistic ENT consult diagnosed vocal cord paresis. The weakness was so profound that the patient was unable to lift his head during the acute illness. The child received intensive physiotherapy, and at 1-month follow-up, the stridor and weakness had resolved.

Challenges of implementing the Paediatric Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines 2020 in resource-limited settings: A real-world view beyond the academia.

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines for the Management of Septic Shock and Sepsis-associated Organ Dysfunction in Children was released in 2020 and is intended for use in all global settings that care for children with sepsis. However, practitioners managing children with sep sis in resource-limited settings (RLS) face several challenges and disease patterns not experienced by those in resource-rich settings. Based upon our collective experience from RLS, we aimed to reflect on the difficulties of implementing the international guidelines. We believe there is an urgent need for more evidence from RLS on feasible, efficacious approaches to the management of sepsis and septic shock that could be included in future context-specific guidelines.

Pediatric Critical Care and the Climate Emergency: Our Responsibilities and a Call for Change.

Critical care is perhaps one of the most "climate-intensive" divisions of health care. As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, the unprecedented threat of climate change has belatedly prompted an increased awareness of critical care's environmental impact. Within our role as pediatric critical care providers, we have a dual responsibility not only to care for children at their most vulnerable, but also to advocate on their behalf. There are clear, demonstrable effects of our worsening climate on the health of children, with the resultant increased burden of pediatric critical illness and disruption to health care systems. From increasing wildfires and their effect on lung health, to the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, and the increased migration of children due to a changing climate, the effects of a changing climate are here, and we are beginning to see the changing epidemiology of pediatric critical illness. Ensuring that the effects of ongoing changes are minimized, including its future effects on child health, requires a multifaceted approach. As part of this review, we will use the Lancet Countdown on Climate Change indicators to explore the impact of pediatric critical care on climate change and the inevitable influence climate change will have on the future practice of pediatric critical care globally.

Core outcome set in paediatric sepsis in low- and middle-income countries: a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Sepsis is the leading cause of death in children worldwide and has recently been declared a major global health issue. New interventions and a concerted effort to enhance our understanding of sepsis are required to address the huge burden of disease, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where it is highest. An opportunity therefore exists to ensure that ongoing research in this area is relevant to all stakeholders and is of consistently high quality. One method to address these issues is through the development of a core outcome set (COS). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study protocol outlines the phases in the development of a core outcome set for paediatric sepsis in LMIC. The first step involves performing a systematic review of all outcomes reported in the research of paediatric sepsis in low middle-income countries. A three-stage international Delphi process will then invite a broad range of participants to score each generated outcome for inclusion into the COS. This will include an initial two-step online survey and finally, a face-to-face consensus meeting where each outcome will be reviewed, voted on and ratified for inclusion into the COS. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No core outcome sets exist for clinical trials in paediatric sepsis. This COS will serve to not only highlight the heavy burden of paediatric sepsis in this setting and aid collaboration and participation between all stakeholders, but to promote ongoing essential high quality and relevant research into the topic. A COS in paediatric sepsis in LMIC will advocate for a common language and facilitate interpretation of findings from a variety of settings. A waiver for ethics approval has been granted by University of British Columbia Children's and Women's Research Ethics Board.

Cardiovascular Findings in Severe Malaria: A Review.

Background: Severe malaria remains a leading cause of death worldwide. A greater understanding of its impact on multiple organ systems is essential in reducing the burden of disease. In this review we will summarize previously reported cardiovascular parameters of both adults and children with severe malaria. Method: For this systematic review we searched MEDLINE and PUBMED for all papers published on cardiac function in severe malaria from January 1, 1990 until September 1, 2019. Severe malaria was defined as per World Health Organization. Publications were included if there was data from echocardiography, Pulse Contour Cardiac Output (PiCCO), or Pulmonary Arterial catheters (PAC) reported. Studies were excluded if related to medication induced cardiac dysfunction, malaria in pregnancy, or included subjects with known pre-existing heart disease. Results: Twenty-four studies met inclusion criteria, the majority of which were studies of adult patients or a mixed cohort. Six solely involved pediatric patients. Significant heterogeneity existed in the cardiac parameters measured and results reported. One pediatric and one adult study suggested a reduced preload state during severe malaria. Cardiac systolic function was reported primarily within, or above, normative numeric ranges established in uninfected pediatric patients without anemia. Extensive variability existed in adult studies with reports of an elevated cardiac index in two studies, normal cardiac function in two studies, and descriptions of decreased function in two studies. Two reports suggest afterload in pediatric severe malaria is reduced. Reports of changes in the systemic vascular resistance of adults with severe malaria are inconsistent, with two trials demonstrating an increase and two suggesting a decrease. Studies demonstrated a mild rise in pulmonary pressure in both pediatric and adult patients that normalized by discharge. Conclusion: Based on limited data, the cardiovascular effects of severe malaria appear to be heterogeneous and vary depending on age. Further detailed studies are required to explore and understand the overall hemodynamic effects of this high burden disease.