ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate the consequences of using nebulized drugs in patients subjected to noninvasive ventilation (NIV) with total face mask (TFM) and helmet. DESIGN: A descriptive analytical study of a prospective patient cohort was carried out. AMBIT: Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary hospital. PATIENTS: Consecutive sampling was used to include all patients admitted to the PICU and requiring NIV with helmet or TFM over a period of 29 months. No patients were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Nebulized treatment was added according to medical criteria. VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Independent variables were age, sex, diagnosis, disease severity, ventilation parameters and nebulized drugs (if administered). Secondary outcomes were duration and failure of NIV, and length of PICU stay. RESULTS: The most frequent diagnoses were bronchiolitis (60.5%) and asthma (23%). Patients received NIV for a median of 43h. Nebulized drugs were administered in 40% of the cases during NIV, and no adverse effects were registered. Using Bayesian statistics, the calculated probability of suffering an adverse effect was 1.3% with helmet and 0.5% with TFM (high density 95% probability intervals). Patients with helmet and nebulized therapy were in more serious condition than those who did not receive nebulization; nevertheless, no differences were observed regarding the need to change to bilevel modality. With TFM, PICU stay was shorter for the same degree of severity (p=0.033), and the NIV failure rate was higher in patients who did not receive inhaled drugs (p=0.024). CONCLUSIONS: The probability of suffering an adverse effect related to nebulization is extremely low when using a helmet or TFM. Inhaled therapy with TFM may shorten PICU stay in some patients.
Subject(s)
Bronchodilator Agents/administration & dosage , Head Protective Devices , Masks , Nebulizers and Vaporizers , Noninvasive Ventilation/methods , Administration, Inhalation , Asthma/drug therapy , Bronchial Spasm/drug therapy , Bronchiolitis/drug therapy , Child, Preschool , Humans , Infant , Intensive Care Units, Pediatric , Length of Stay , Multivariate Analysis , Noninvasive Ventilation/adverse effects , Noninvasive Ventilation/statistics & numerical data , Pneumonia/drug therapy , Prospective Studies , Respiration, Artificial/statistics & numerical data , Statistics, Nonparametric , Tertiary Care Centers , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The congenital abnormalities of kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are disorders with a high prevalence in the general population, with urinary tract dilations being the most frequent. CAKUT also account for the most important cause of chronic kidney disease in childhood. This paper focuses on the role of the primary care paediatrician in the diagnosis, assessment, and follow-up of children with CAKUT, with special emphasis on the associated urinary tract infections, the progression toward chronic renal failure, and the genetic basis.