Parents' perspectives, information needs and healthcare preferences when consulting for their children with bronchiolitis: A qualitative study.

AIM: Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalisation in infants, but parental experiences have not been well described. This study explored parents' experiences and asked them how they wanted to receive information. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted in a tertiary paediatric hospital in Québec, Canada. It consisted of semi-structured interviews with 15 parents of 13 children with bronchiolitis. The interview guide was constructed by a multidisciplinary team that included a parent. The interviews, which were transcribed verbatim, were conducted until no new themes emerged. RESULTS: We interviewed eight mothers, three fathers and two couples for 22-70 minutes: six were carried out in person during the bronchiolitis episode, and seven were phone interviews after a median interval time of 107 days. Parents were very worried about their child's health and their lack of knowledge about bronchiolitis contributed to their anxiety. They found education resources informative, but expressed a strong need for support and reassurance from healthcare teams. The two groups provided similar feedback, regardless of when they were interviewed or whether their child was admitted. CONCLUSION: Although bronchiolitis is common in infancy, parental knowledge was low. Standardised educational tools were useful, but insufficient to meet all their needs.

Incremental effect of non-invasive oscillating device on chest physiotherapy in critically ill children: a cross-over randomised trial.

INTRODUCTION: Chest physiotherapy (CPT) and intrathoracic percussion ventilation have been recognised as to encourage dislodging the secretions; nonetheless, the tolerance to the procedure and its efficiency have not been proven to be sufficient. METHOD AND ANALYSES: This study aims to examine the tolerance, feasibility and physiological effects in airway clearance by using a novel extrathoracic non-invasive oscillating transducer device (NIOD) in critically ill children. A two-stage cross-over randomised controlled study in a paediatric intensive care unit in a Canadian Academic Children's Hospital will be applied. Children under 24 months old, for whom CPT is prescribed for airway clearance, will be included. The study consists of two stages; (1) Stage 1 'Frequency Level': we will apply two different frequencies of the NIOD (40 Hz vs 60 Hz) for 12 min each, on each patient 3 hours apart, and (2) Stage 2 'NIOD versus CPT': we will implement NIOD and CPT alternatingly for 3 hours apart. The order of the procedures will be randomly allocated for each case. We will compare the average Δchanges of tidal lung volume measured by a 3D imaging system and regional lung functions using electrical impedance tomography, between the two different frequencies and between the NIOD periods and the CPT periods. We will also examine tolerance by seeing COMFORT Scales and related complications during the procedures. We estimate necessary sample size as 6 for each arm (Total 12 cases) for stage 1 and 48 cases for Stage 2, with power of 0.8 and alpha of 0.05. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Health Research Ethics Board of University of Montreal, Canada (REB number: 2020-2471). We will disseminate our findings through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations in paediatric or/and critical care fields. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03821389).

Comparison of two methods to clear the airways of critically ill children and adults with COVID-19 infection: a structured summary of a study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: As there is no treatment for COVID-19 with a proven mortality benefit at this moment in the pandemic, supportive management including mechanical ventilation is the core management in an intensive care unit (ICU). It is a challenge to provide consistent care in this situation, highly demanding and leading to potential staff shortages in ICU. We need to reduce unnecessary exposure of healthcare workers to the virus. This study aims to examine the impact of care using a non-invasive oscillating device (NIOD) for chest physiotherapy in the care of mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19. In particular, we aim to explore if a NIOD performed by non-specialized personnel is not inferior to the standard chest physiotherapy (CPT) undertaken by physiotherapists caring for patients with COVID-19. TRIAL DESIGN: A pilot multicenter prospective crossover noninferiority randomized controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: All mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 admitted to one of the two ICUs, and CPT ordered by the responsible physician. The participants will be recruited from two intensive care units in Canadian Academic Hospitals (one pediatric and one adult ICU). INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: We will implement NIOD and CPT alternatingly for 3 h apart over 3 h. We will apply a pragmatic design, so that other procedures including hypertonic saline nebulization, intermittent positive pressure ventilation, suctioning (e.g., oral or nasal), or changing the ventilator settings or modality (i.e., increasing positive end-expiratory pressure or changing the nasal mask to total face continuous positive airway pressure) can be provided at the direction of bedside intensivists in charge. MAIN OUTCOMES: The primary outcome measurement is the oxygenation level before and after the procedure (SpO2/FiO2 ratio). For cases with invasive ventilation (i.e., the use of an endotracheal tube to deliver positive pressure) and non-invasive ventilation, we will also document expiratory tidal volume, vital signs, and any related complications such as vomiting, hypoxemia, or unexpected extubation. We will collect the data before, 10 min after, and 30 min after the procedure. RANDOMIZATION: The order of the procedures (i.e., NIOD or CPT) will be randomly allocated using manual generated random numbers for each case. Randomization will be carried out by the independent research assistant in the study coordinating center by using opaque sealed envelopes, assigning an equal number of cases to each intervention arm. Stratification will be applied for age (> 18 years or ≤ 18 years of age) and the study sites. BLINDING (MASKING): No blinding will be performed. NUMBERS TO BE RANDOMIZED (SAMPLE SIZE): We estimate the necessary sample size as 25 for each arm (total 50 cases), with a power of 0.90 and an alpha of 0.05, with a non-inferiority design. TRIAL STATUS: The protocol version number 1 was approved on 27 March 2020. Currently, recruitment has not yet started, with the start scheduled by the mid-June 2020 and the end anticipated by December 2020. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04361435 . Registered on 28 April 2020 FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional File 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.

Feasibility and safety of outpatient total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Ambulatory total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) could lead to significant cost savings, but some fear the effects of what could be premature postsurgical discharge. We sought to estimate the feasibility and safety of TLH as an outpatient procedure for benign gynecologic conditions. METHODS: We report a prospective, consecutive case series of 128 outpatient TLHs performed for benign gynecologic conditions in a tertiary care center. RESULTS: Of the 295 women scheduled for a TLH, 151 (51%) were attempted as an outpatient procedure. A total of 128 women (85%) were actually discharged home the day of their surgery. The most common reasons for admission the same day were urinary retention (19%) and nausea (15%). Indications for hysterectomy were mainly leiomyomas (62%), menorrhagia (24%), and pelvic pain (9%). Endometriosis and adhesions were found in 23% and 25% of the cases, respectively. Mean estimated blood loss was 56 mL and mean uterus weight was 215 g, with the heaviest uterus weighing 841 g. Unplanned consultation and readmission were infrequent, occurring in 3.1% and 0.8% of cases, respectively, in the first 72 hours. At 3 months, unplanned consultation, complication, and readmission had occurred in a similar proportion of inpatient and outpatient TLHs (17.2%, 12.5%, and 4.7% versus 18.1%, 12.7%, and 5.4%, respectively). In a logistic regression model, uterus weight, presence of adhesions or endometriosis, and duration of the operation were not associated with adverse outcomes. CONCLUSION: Same-day discharge is a feasible and safe option for carefully selected patients who undergo an uncomplicated TLH, even in the presence of leiomyomas, severe adhesions, or endometriosis.