The elements of end-of-life care provision in paediatric intensive care units: a systematic integrative review.

BACKGROUND: Deaths in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are not uncommon. End-of-life care in PICUs is generally considered more challenging than other settings since it is framed within a context where care is focused on curative or life-sustaining treatments for children who are seriously ill. This review aimed to identify and synthesise literature related to the essential elements in the provision of end-of-life care in the PICU from the perspectives of both healthcare professionals (HCPs) and families. METHODS: A systematic integrative review was conducted by searching EMBASE, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Nursing and Allied Health Database, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Grey literature was searched via Electronic Theses Online Service (EthOS), OpenGrey, Grey literature report. Additionally, hand searches were performed by checking the reference lists of all included papers. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen retrieved papers by two reviewers independently. The findings were analysed using a constant comparative method. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Three elements in end-of-life care provision for children in the PICUs were identified: 1) Assessment of entering the end-of-life stage; 2) Discussion with parents and decision making; 3) End of life care processes, including care provided during the dying phase, care provided at the time of death, and care provided after death. CONCLUSION: The focus of end-of-life care in PICUs varies depending on HCPs' and families' preferences, at different stages such as during the dying phase, at the time of death, and after the child died. Tailoring end-of-life care to families' beliefs and rituals was acknowledged as important by PICU HCPs. This review also emphasises the importance of HCPs collaborating to provide the optimum end-of-life care in the PICU and involving a palliative care team in end-of-life care.

Alanine, a potential amino acid biomarker of pediatric sepsis: a pilot study in PICU.

Sepsis is characterized by a metabolic disorder of amino acid occurs in the early stage; however, the profile of serum amino acids and their alterations associated with the onset of sepsis remain unclear. Thus, our objective is to identify the specific kinds of amino acids as diagnostic biomarkers in pediatric patients with sepsis. Serum samples were collected from patients with sepsis admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) between January 2019 and December 2019 on the 1st, 3rd and 7th day following admission. Demographic and laboratory variables were also retrieved from the medical records specified times. Serum amino acid concentrations were detected by UPLC-MS/MS system. PLS-DA (VIP > 1.0) and Kruskal-Wallis test (p < 0.05) were employed to identify potential biomarkers. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was conducted to find the potential association between amino acid levels and clinical features. The diagnostic utility for pediatric sepsis was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Most of amino acid contents in serum were significantly decreased in patients with sepsis, but approached normal levels by the seventh day post-diagnosis. Threonine (THR), lysine (LYS), valine (VAL) and alanine (ALA) emerged as potential biomarkers related for sepsis occurrence, though they were not associated with PELOD/PELOD-2 scores. Moreover, alterations in serum THR, LYS and ALA were linked to complications of brain injury, and serum ALA levels were also related to sepsis-associated acute kidney injury. Further analysis revealed that ALA was significantly correlated with the Glasgow score, serum lactate and glucose levels, C-reactive protein (CRP), and other indicators for liver or kidney dysfunction. Notably, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for ALA in distinguishing sepsis from healthy controls was 0.977 (95% CI: 0.925-1.000). The serum amino acid profile of children with sepsis is significantly altered compared to that of healthy controls. Notably, ALA shows promise as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis in septic children.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of critically ill children referred to a tertiary hospital in Indonesia: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: The clinical characteristics of pediatric critically ill patients who need referral to a tertiary hospital is often unknown in resource limited settings where constraints in diagnosis capacity, resources, and infrastructures are common. There is a need to increase insight in the characteristics of these patients for capacity building strengthening and appropriate resource allocation. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically ill children who are referred to a tertiary referral teaching hospital in Yogyakarta. METHODS: A prospective observasional study was carried out from July 1st, 2022 -January 31st, 2023 which included all critically ill pediatric patients who were referred through the Integrated Referral System (SISRUTE) to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of dr. Sardjito hospital. We excluded patients who were referred with a request for admission to the PICU, but were not admitted to the PICU due to their stable condition and lack of the need for intensive care. RESULT: During the study period, we received 1046 emergency referral requests for pediatric patients via SISRUTE, of those, 562 (53.7%) patients were critically ill. The reasons of PICU referral request were the need of solely intensive care 504 (89.7%), the need of multidisciplinary team care, including intensive care 57 (10.1%) and parents request 1 (0.3%). The pre-referral emergency diagnosis was shock 226 (40.3%), respiratory distress/failure 151 (26.7%), central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction 135 (24.1%), trauma 33 (5.9%) and sepsis 17 (3%). Of the 562 critically ill PICU referral requests, 473 (84.2%) requests were accepted. One hundred and eighty-one (58.7%) patients were finally admitted to the PICU, 125 (40.3%) admitted to our regular ward due to stable condition, 4 (1.3%) patients died in Emergency Departement (ED). The remaining accepted patients on request did not arrive in our facility due to various reasons. The mean (SD) response time was 9.1 (27.6) minutes. The mean (SD) transfer time was 6.45 (4.73) hours. Mean (SD) PICU and hospital length of stay was 6.7 (8.3) days and 10.2 (9.2) days respectively. PICU and hospital mortality was 24.3% and 29.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate for critically ill pediatric patients referred to a tertiary PICU still high, with shock being the most common pre-referral emergency diagnosis. There is a discrepancy between the referring hospital's and the referral hospital's indication for PICU admission. The time required to reach the referral hospital is quite lengthy.

Repositioning Guidelines to Decrease Pressure Injury in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Project.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to develop and implement repositioning guidelines that reduce pressure injury (PI) in hemodynamically unstable pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: All PICU patient ages 0 to 36 months who required sedation for invasive mechanical ventilation and had a Braden Q score ≤ 18 were eligible for inclusion. The project was implemented in 116 patients preimplementation and 100 postimplementation. Their median t age was 5 months (interquartile range 2-13 months). The QI project setting was an academic hospital PICU with a Level I trauma center located in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. APPROACH: A pre-post observational design was used to compare the at-risk population for 21 weeks before (August-December 2018) and after (August-December 2019) implementing repositioning guidelines. Turn attempts were undertaken every 2 hours. Repositioning attempts were defined as (1) full (30°); (2) partial (15°); (3) unable to turn owing to hemodynamic instability; or (4) noncompliance. The primary outcome was incidence of Stage II or higher PI. OUTCOMES: We found a significant reduction in the incidence of PI before and after implementation of the repositioning intervention (16.4% vs 2.0%, P = .0003). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: A structured intervention for repositioning hemodynamically unstable PICU patients has the potential to significantly lower PI incidence in a group of hemodynamically unstable children.

Prognostic significance of mean platelet volume to platelet count ratio in pediatric patients with acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: Mean platelet volume (MPV), which is regarded as a marker of thrombocyte function and activation, is related to increased morbidity and mortality. In critically ill patients, the ratio of MPV to platelets can independently predict adverse outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the mean platelet volume/platelet count ratio (MPR) for mortality in children with acute kidney injury (AKI). METHODS: In this retrospective study, patients hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) between March 2020 and June 2022 were evaluated. Patients between 1 month and 18 years of age with AKI were enrolled. Clinical and laboratory data were compared between survivors and non-survivors. The MPR ratio was calculated on the first and third days of admission to the intensive care unit. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between MPR and mortality. ROC curves were used for the prediction performance of the logistic regression models and cut-off values of the thrombocyte indices. RESULTS: Sixty-three children with AKI were included in the study. The total mortality rate was 34.9% (n=22). MPR ratios were significantly higher in the non-survivors at admission (p=0.042) and at the 72nd hour (p=0.003). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, thrombocyte counts and MPR72h ratio were found to be independent risk parameters for adverse outcomes in children with AKI. CONCLUSIONS: MPR is an inexpensive and practical marker that may predict the outcome of children with AKI.

Parents' experiences of family and daily life after their child's stay in the pediatric intensive care unit: a qualitative descriptive study.

INTRODUCTION: The stay of a critically ill child in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a significant experience for the family. Thus far, little is known regarding the impact of this stay on parents and their healthy children for whom no continuous aftercare services are offered. This study aimed to capture the post-stay experience and needs of parents after this traumatic event so that they could return to family and everyday life. METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study was conducted in collaboration with four pediatric intensive care units in Switzerland. It included parents whose children had fully recovered after a stay and who did not require continuous medical follow-up. All children were hospitalized in the PICU for at least 48 h. Data were collected through narrative pairs (n = 6) and individual interviews (n = 8). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, coded inductively according to Saldaña, and analyzed. RESULTS: The results showed three related phases that influence each other to restore normality in daily life: Trust and inclusion in the treatment process during the stay (1), processing after the stay (2), and returning to everyday life (3). CONCLUSION: Follow-up meetings should be available to all parents whose children have been hospitalized in the PICU. In particular, it should also be available to parents whose children have fully recovered and no longer have any medical disabilities.

Linguistic isolation correlates with length of stay and mortality for pediatric oncology patients in California.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate social drivers of health and how they impact pediatric oncology patients' clinical outcomes during pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission via correlation with patient ZIP codes. METHODS: Demographic, clinical, and outcome variables from Virtual Pediatric Systems®, LLC for oncology patients (2009-2021) in California PICUs (excluding postoperative) using 3-digit ZIP Codes with social drivers of health variables linguistic isolation, poverty, race/ethnicity, and education abstracted from American Community Survey data for 3-digit ZIP Codes using the Environmental Protection Agency's EJScreen tool. Outcomes of length of stay (LOS), mortality, acuity scores, were compared with social variables. RESULTS: Positive correlation between mortality and minority racial groups (Hispanic/Latino) across ZIP Codes (correlation coefficients of 0.45 (95% CI: 0.22-0.64, p < 0.001) in 2017, 0.50 (95% CI: 0.27-0.68, p < 0.001) in 2018, 0.33 (95% CI: 0.07-0.54, p = 0.013) in 2020, and 0.32 (95% CI: 0.06-0.53, p = 0.018) in 2021). Median PICU length of stay significantly correlated with linguistic isolation (coefficient of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.18-0.61, p = 0.001) in 2021 versus -0.41 (95% CI: -0.61 to -0.16, p = 0.002) in 2019), which included PRISMIII (n = 7417). Mixed effects logistic regression model for other constant variables (PRISMIII, cancer type, race/ethnicity, year), random effect of patient, linguistic isolation (percentage as a continuous value) was significantly associated (95% CI: 1.01-1.06; p = 0.02) with mortality; (OR = 1.03). CONCLUSIONS: Linguistic isolation was correlated with LOS and mortality, however variable year to year.

Staffing Models: Making Increased Acuity Safe in the Pediatric ICU.

Traditional staffing models rely on the productivity metric of hours per patient day, lacking the ability to adequately capture the nursing workload. Acuity-based staffing considers the patient population's acuity for appropriate nursing workload. Using process improvement methodology, a pediatric ICU transitioned to an acuity-based staffing model resulting in an 11.3% ( P < 0.05) reduction in the acuity per nursing assignment and a decrease in reportable safety events by 61.3% ( P < 0.05).

Validating the performance of organ dysfunction scores in children with infection: A cohort study.

PURPOSE: We aimed to validate the performance of six available scoring models for predicting hospital mortality in children with suspected or confirmed infections. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients admitted to the PICU for infection. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. The six scores included the age-adapted pSOFA score, SIRS score, PELOD2 score, Sepsis-2 score, qSOFA score, and PMODS. RESULTS: Of the 5,356 children admitted to the PICU, 9.1% (488) died, and 25.1% (1,342) had basic disease with a mortality rate of 12.7% (171); 65.3% (3,499) of the patients were younger than 2 years, and 59.4% (3,183) were male. The discrimination abilities of the pSOFA and PELOD2 scores were superior to those of the other models. The calibration curves of the pSOFA and PELOD2 scores were consistent between the predictions and observations. Elevated lactate levels were a risk factor for mortality. CONCLUSION: The pSOFA and PELOD2 scores had superior predictive performance for mortality. Given the relative unavailability of items and clinical operability, the pSOFA score should be recommended as an optimal tool for acute organ dysfunction in pediatric sepsis patients. Elevated lactate levels are related to a greater risk of death from infection in children in the PICU.

Severity predictors for multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children after SARS-CoV-2 infection in Vietnam.

Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) might manifest in a broad spectrum of clinical scenarios, ranging from mild features to multi-organ dysfunction and mortality. However, this novel entity has a heterogenicity of data regarding prognostic factors associated with severe outcomes. The present study aimed to identify independent predictors for severity by using multivariate regression models. A total of 391 patients (255 boys and 136 girls) were admitted to Vietnam National Children's Hospital from January 2022 to June 2023. The median age was 85 (range: 2-188) months, and only 12 (3.1%) patients had comorbidities. 161 (41.2%) patients required PICU admission, and the median PICU LOS was 4 (2-7) days. We observed independent factors related to PICU admission, including CRP ≥ 50 (mg/L) (OR 2.52, 95% CI 1.39-4.56, p = 0.002), albumin ≤ 30 (g/L) (OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.63-6.02, p = 0.001), absolute lymphocyte count ≤ 2 (× 109/L) (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.29-3.71, p = 0.004), ferritin ≥ 300 (ng/mL) (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.38-4.01), p = 0.002), and LVEF < 60 (%) (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.28-4.78, p = 0.007). Shock developed in 140 (35.8%) patients, especially for those decreased absolute lymphocyte ≤ 2 (× 109/L) (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.10-5.61, p = 0.029), albumin ≤ 30 (g/L) (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.22-5.24, p = 0.013), or LVEF < 60 (%) (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.12-4.51, p = 0.022). In conclusion, our study emphasized that absolute lymphocyte count, serum albumin, CRP, and LVEF were independent predictors for MIS-C severity. Further well-designed investigations are required to validate their efficacy in predicting MIS-C severe cases, especially compared to other parameters. As MIS-C is a new entity and severe courses may progress aggressively, identifying high-risk patients optimizes clinicians' follow-up and management to improve disease outcomes.

Time to Positive Blood Cultures Among Critically Ill Children Admitted to the PICU.

OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to assess the time to positivity (TTP) of clinically significant blood cultures in critically ill children admitted to the PICU. DESIGN: Retrospective review of positive blood cultures in patients admitted or transferred to the PICU. SETTING: Large tertiary-care medical center with over 90 PICU beds. PATIENTS: Patients 0-20 years old with bacteremia admitted or transferred to the PICU. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary endpoint was the TTP, defined as time from blood culture draw to initial Gram stain result. Secondary endpoints included percentage of cultures reported by elapsed time, as well as the impact of pathogen and host immune status on TTP. Host immune status was classified as previously healthy, standard risk, or immunocompromised. Linear regression for TTP was performed to account for age, blood volume, and Gram stain. Among 164 episodes of clinically significant bacteremia, the median TTP was 13.3 hours (interquartile range, 10.7-16.8 hr). Enterobacterales, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae were most commonly identified. By 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours, 37%, 89%, 95%, and 97% of positive cultures had resulted positive, respectively. Median TTP stratified by host immune status was 13.2 hours for previously healthy patients, 14.0 hours for those considered standard risk, and 10.6 hours for immunocompromised patients (p = 0.001). Median TTP was found to be independent of blood volume. No difference was seen in TTP for Gram-negative vs. Gram-positive organisms (12.2 vs. 13.9 hr; p = 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: Among critically ill children, 95% of clinically significant blood cultures had an initial positive result within 36 hours, regardless of host immune status. Need for antimicrobial therapy should be frequently reassessed and implementation of a shorter duration of empiric antibiotics should be considered in patients with low suspicion for infection.

Association of Hyperoxia During Cardiopulmonary Bypass and Postoperative Delirium in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU.

OBJECTIVE: ICU delirium commonly complicates critical illness associated with factors such as cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time and the requirement of mechanical ventilation (MV). Recent reports associate hyperoxia with poorer outcomes in critically ill children. This study sought to determine whether hyperoxia on CPB in pediatric patients was associated with a higher prevalence of postoperative delirium. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data obtained from a prospective cohort study. SETTING: Twenty-two-bed pediatric cardiac ICU in a tertiary children's hospital. PATIENTS: All patients (18 yr old or older) admitted post-CPB, with documented delirium assessment scores using the Preschool/Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU and who were enrolled in the Precision Medicine in Pediatric Cardiology Cohort from February 2021 to November 2021. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 148 patients, who underwent cardiac surgery, 35 had delirium within the first 72 hours (24%). There was no association between hyperoxia on CPB and postoperative delirium for all definitions of hyperoxia, including hyperoxic area under the curve above 5 predetermined Pao2 levels: 150 mm Hg (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.176 [0.605-2.286], p = 0.633); 175 mm Hg (OR 1.177 [95% CI, 0.668-2.075], p = 0.572); 200 mm Hg (OR 1.235 [95% CI, 0.752-2.026], p = 0.405); 250 mm Hg (OR 1.204 [95% CI, 0.859-1.688], p = 0.281), 300 mm Hg (OR 1.178 [95% CI, 0.918-1.511], p = 0.199). In an additional exploratory analysis, comparing patients with delirium within 72 hours versus those without, only the z score for weight differed (mean [sd]: 0.09 [1.41] vs. -0.48 [1.82], p < 0.05). When comparing patients who developed delirium at any point during their ICU stay (n = 45, 30%), MV days, severity of illness (Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 Score) score, CPB time, and z score for weight were associated with delirium (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative delirium (72 hr from CPB) occurred in 24% of pediatric patients. Hyperoxia, defined in multiple ways, was not associated with delirium. On exploratory analysis, nutritional status (z score for weight) may be a significant factor in delirium risk. Further delineation of risk factors for postoperative delirium versus ICU delirium warrants additional study.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing promotes diagnosis and treatment of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in non-HIV infected children: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) excels in diagnosis of infection pathogens. We aimed to evaluate the performance of mNGS for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in non-HIV infected children. METHODS: Totally 36 PJP children and 61 non-PJP children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit from March 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. Clinical features of PJP children were summarized. 1,3-ß-D glucan (BDG) test and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) mNGS were used for evaluation of PJP diagnostic performance. Antimicrobial management modifications for PJP children after the mNGS results were also reviewed. RESULTS: Pneumocystis jirovecii was detected in all PJP children by mNGS (36/36), and the sensitivity of mNGS was 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 90.26-100%). The sensitivity of BDG was 57.58% (95% CI: 39.22-74.52%). Of the 26 (72.2%) PJP patients with mixed infection, twenty-four (66.7%) were detected by BALF-mNGS. Thirteen patients (36.1%) had their antimicrobial management adjusted according to the mNGS results. Thirty-six PJP children included 17 (47.2%) primary immunodeficiency and 19 (52.8%) secondary immunodeficiency, of whom 19 (52.8%) survived and 17 (47.2%) died. Compared to survival subgroup, non-survival subgroup had a higher rate of primary immunodeficiency (64.7% vs. 31.6%, P = 0.047), younger age (7 months vs. 39 months, P = 0.011), lower body weight (8.0 kg vs. 12.0 kg, P = 0.022), and lower T lymphocyte counts. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate of PJP in immunosuppressed children without HIV infection is high and early diagnosis is challenging. BALF-mNGS could help identify PJP and guide clinical management.

[Comparison of clinical features of septic shock in children with hematological malignancies versus children without malignant tumors].

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of septic shock in children with hematological malignancies compared with those without malignant tumor in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: This retrospective study enrolled children with septic shock at the PICU of Capital Institute of Pediatrics' Children's Hospital from June 2015 to July 2022. According to the presence of hematological malignancies, patients were divided into the hematological malignancies group and without malignant tumor group. Clinical data were compared between the two groups, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify related factors for mortality. Results: A total of 164 children (97 males and 67 females) with a median age of 3.6 (interquartile range 0.8, 7.8) years were enrolled, including 75 (45.7%) patients with hematological malignancies and 89 (54.3%) patients without malignant tumors. Patients in the hematological malignancies group were older [6.0(3.6, 9.4) years vs 1.2 (0.4, 4.3) years, P<0.001] and more experienced hospital-acquired infections [48.0%(36/75) vs 21.3%(19/89),P=0.001], compared with patients without malignant tumors. Surgical emergencies were more frequent in patients without malignant tumors (32.6% vs 14.7%, P=0.013). Patients with hematological malignancies mainly had blood stream infections (58.7%), with Gram-negative bacilli (46.7%), meanwhile, patients without malignant tumors more experienced Gram-positive cocci infections (22.5%) of the respiratory system (40.4%) or digestive system (28.1%). There were significant differences regarding the infection sites (P<0.001) and pathogens (P=0.001). The types of antibacterial agents (P<0.001) and the frequency of noradrenaline (P=0.013) used in patients with hematological malignancies were significantly higher than those without malignant tumors. Patients with hematological malignancies had a higher incidence of multiple organ dysfunction (MODS) [100.0%(75/75) vs 80.9%(72/89), P<0.001] and higher 28-day mortality [34.8%(23/66) vs 19.0%(15/79),P=0.048]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Pediatric Critical Illness Score (PCIS) was an independent factor for death (odds ratio, OR=1.387, 95%CI: 1.161-1.657, P<0.001) in patients with hematological malignancies, and PCIS (OR=1.419, 95%CI: 1.140-1.767, P=0.002) and the 6-hour lactate clearance rate (OR=65.857, 95%CI: 2.953-1 468.638, P=0.008) were independent factors for death in patients without malignant tumors. Conclusions: Children with hematological malignancies were older, more frequently experienced bloodstream infections, and had a higher incidence of MODS and higher 28-day mortality. PCIS is related to poor prognosis of septic shock in children.

Clinical Reasoning: A 17-Year-Old Adolescent Boy With New Altered Mental Status in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

We present the case of a 17-year-old adolescent boy admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with an extensive necrotizing soft tissue infection who subsequently developed altered mental status and autonomic instability. Altered mental status is a common occurrence in critically ill children with a broad differential of etiologies. After ruling out organic causes of encephalopathy, management is typically focused on avoiding deliriogenic agents, including benzodiazepines. Dopamine antagonist medications may also be administered adjunctively to manage agitation or delirium that is refractory to other measures. We review the workup and differential diagnosis for altered mentation in critically ill children and discuss the current understanding of a rare etiology of altered mental status in the pediatric population.

Implications of sedation during the use of noninvasive ventilation in children with acute respiratory failure (SEDANIV Study).

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of sedation administration on clinical parameters, comfort status, intubation requirements, and the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) length of stay (LOS) in children with acute respiratory failure (ARF) receiving noninvasive ventilation (NIV). METHODS: Thirteen PICUs in Spain participated in a prospective, multicenter, observational trial from January to December 2021. Children with ARF under the age of five who were receiving NIV were included. Clinical information and comfort levels were documented at the time of NIV initiation, as well as at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. The COMFORT-behavior (COMFORT-B) scale was used to assess the patients' level of comfort. NIV failure was considered to be a requirement for endotracheal intubation. RESULTS: A total of 457 patients were included, with a median age of 3.3 months (IQR 1.3-16.1). Two hundred and thirteen children (46.6%) received sedation (sedation group); these patients had a higher heart rate, higher COMFORT-B score, and lower SpO2/FiO2 ratio than did those who did not receive sedation (non-sedation group). A significantly greater improvement in the COMFORT-B score at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h, heart rate at 6 and 12 h, and SpO2/FiO2 ratio at 6 h was observed in the sedation group. Overall, the NIV success rate was 95.6%-intubation was required in 6.1% of the sedation group and in 2.9% of the other group (p = 0.092). Multivariate analysis revealed that the PRISM III score at NIV initiation (OR 1.408; 95% CI 1.230-1.611) and respiratory rate at 3 h (OR 1.043; 95% CI 1.009-1.079) were found to be independent predictors of NIV failure. The PICU LOS was correlated with weight, PRISM III score, respiratory rate at 12 h, SpO2 at 3 h, FiO2 at 12 h, NIV failure and NIV duration. Sedation use was not found to be independently related to NIV failure or to the PICU LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Sedation use may be useful in children with ARF treated with NIV, as it seems to improve clinical parameters and comfort status but may not increase the NIV failure rate or PICU LOS, even though sedated children were more severe at technique initiation in the present sample.

Defining Levels of US Hospitals' Pediatric Capabilities.

Importance: Classifying hospitals across a wide range of pediatric capabilities, including medical, surgical, and specialty services, would improve understanding of access and outcomes. Objective: To develop a classification system for hospitals' pediatric capabilities. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study included data from 2019 on all acute care hospitals with emergency departments in 10 US states that treated at least 1 child per day. Statistical analysis was performed from September 2023 to February 2024. Exposure: Pediatric hospital capability level, defined using latent class analysis. The latent class model parameters were the presence or absence of 26 functional capabilities, which ranged from performing laceration repairs to performing organ transplants. A simplified approach to categorization was derived and externally validated by comparing each hospital's latent class model classification with its simplified classification using data from 3 additional states. Main Outcomes and Measures: Health care utilization and structural characteristics, including inpatient beds, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) beds, and referral rates (proportion of patients transferred among patients unable to be discharged). Results: Using data from 1061 hospitals (716 metropolitan [67.5%]) with a median of 2934 pediatric ED encounters per year (IQR, 1367-5996), the latent class model revealed 4 pediatric levels, with a median confidence of hospital assignment to level of 100% (IQR, 99%-100%). Of 26 functional capabilities, level 1 hospitals had a median of 24 capabilities (IQR, 21-25), level 2 hospitals had a median of 13 (IQR, 11-15), level 3 hospitals had a median of 8 (IQR, 6-9), and level 4 hospitals had a median of 3 (IQR, 2-3). Pediatric level 1 hospitals had a median of 66 inpatient beds (IQR, 42-86), level 2 hospitals had a median of 16 (IQR, 9-22), level 3 hospitals had a median of 0 (IQR, 0-6), and level 4 hospitals had a median of 0 (IQR, 0-0) (P < .001). Level 1 hospitals had a median of 19 PICU beds (IQR, 10-28), level 2 hospitals had a median of 0 (IQR, 0-5), level 3 hospitals had a median of 0 (IQR, 0-0), and level 4 hospitals had a median of 0 (IQR, 0-0) (P < .001). Level 1 hospitals had a median referral rate of 1% (IQR, 1%-3%), level 2 hospitals had a median of 25% (IQR, 9%-45%), level 3 hospitals had a median of 70% (IQR, 52%-84%), and level 4 hospitals had a median of 100% (IQR, 98%-100%) (P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of hospitals from 10 US states, a system to classify hospitals' pediatric capabilities in 4 levels was developed and was associated with structural and health care utilization characteristics. This system can be used to understand and track national pediatric acute care access and outcomes.

Evaluation of the results of the patients who underwent plasmapheresis in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Background/aim: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is an extracorporeal treatment method that removes large molecular weight substances from plasma. In our study, we aimed to retrospectively examine the indications and procedural methods of the patients who had undergone TPE, and the complications that occurred during the procedure. Materials and methods: Forty-one patients who were monitored in thePICU of Gazi Yasargil Training and Research Hospital and had indications for TPE between 2017 and 2021 were included in the study. Laboratory parameters were checked before and after the TPE procedure. In addition to these, patients' diagnosis, weight, type of procedure and type of device, where the procedure was performed, duration of the procedure, amount of blood and plasma processed, complications, number of procedures, and death during the procedure or independent of the procedure were evaluated. Results: The median age was 93.0 (14.0-167.0) months. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) was the most common TPE indication with nine patients. The most common complication related to TPE was fever (11 patients), while no complication was observed in 18 patients.When laboratory results were evaluated according to American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) categories, a significant improvement was observed in the values of platelet, AST, ALT, LDH, urea, and creatinine in ASFA1 after TPE. No significant improvement was observed in ASFA2 (p > 0.05). In ASFA3, a significant improvement was observed in INR, AST, ALT, LDH, total bilirubin, creatinine, pH, and lactate values after TPE (p < 0.05). Five patients died from ASFA1, one from ASFA2, and three patients from ASFA3. Conclusion: Since significant adjustments are observed in clinical and laboratory values in sepsis-MOF, which is in the ASFA3 category, we believe that it should be evaluated in the ASFA2 or ASFA1 category in the early treatment of these diseases. In addition, we think that MIS-C cases, which have not been in any category according to ASFA, should be included in the ASFA2 or ASFA3 category, considering our TPE results.

Comparison of radiologic findings between SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory tract viruses in critically ill children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background/aim: This study was planned because the radiological distinction of COVID-19 and respiratory viral panel (RVP)-positive cases is necessary to prioritize intensive care needs and ensure non-COVID-19 cases are not overlooked. With that purpose, the objective of this study was to compare radiologic findings between SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory airway viruses in critically ill children with suspected COVID-19 disease. Materials and methods: This study was conducted as a multicenter, retrospective, observational, and cohort study in 24 pediatric intensive care units between March 1 and May 31, 2020. SARS-CoV-2- or RVP polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive patients' chest X-ray and thoracic computed tomography (CT) findings were evaluated blindly by pediatric radiologists. Results: We enrolled 225 patients in the study, 81 of whom tested positive for Coronovirus disease-19 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The median age of all patients was 24 (7-96) months, while it was 96 (17-156) months for COVID-19-positive patients and 17 (6-48) months for positive for other RVP factor (p < 0.001). Chest X-rays were more frequently evaluated as normal in patients with SARS-CoV-2 positive results (p = 0.020). Unilateral segmental or lobar consolidation was observed more frequently on chest X-rays in rhinovirus cases than in other groups (p = 0.038). CT imaging findings of bilateral peribronchial thickening and/or peribronchial opacity were more frequently observed in RVP-positive patients (p = 0.046). Conclusion: Chest X-ray and CT findings in COVID-19 patients are not specific and can be seen in other respiratory virus infections.