Recognizing Pediatric ARDS: Provider Use of the PALICC Recommendations in a Tertiary Pediatric ICU.

BACKGROUND: For almost 50 years, pediatricians used adult guidelines to diagnose ARDS. In 2015, specific criteria for pediatric ARDS were defined. However, it remains unclear how frequently providers recognize pediatric ARDS and whether recognition affects adherence to consensus recommendations. METHODS: This was a mixed-method, retrospective study of mechanically ventilated pediatric subjects after the release of the pediatric ARDS recommendation statement. Pediatric ARDS cases were identified according to the new criteria. Provider recognition was defined by documentation in the medical record. Pediatric ARDS subjects with and without provider recognition were compared quantitatively according to clinical characteristics, adherence to lung-protective ventilation (LPV), adjunctive therapies, and outcomes. A qualitative document analysis (QDA) was performed to evaluate knowledge and beliefs surrounding the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference recommendations. RESULTS: Of 1,983 subject encounters, pediatric ARDS was identified in 321 (16%). Provider recognition was present in 97 (30%) cases and occurred more often in subjects who were older, had worse oxygenation deficits, or were bone marrow transplant recipients. Recognition rates increased each studied year. LPV practices did not differ based on provider recognition; however, subjects who received it were more likely to experience permissive hypoxemia and adherence to extrapulmonary recommendations. Ultimately, there was no differences in outcomes between the provider recognition and non-provider recognition groups. Three themes emerged from the QDA: (1) pediatric ARDS presents within a complex, multidimensional context, with potentially competing organ system failures; (2) similar to historical conceptualizations, pediatric ARDS was often considered a visual diagnosis, with measures of oxygenation unreferenced; and (3) emphasis was placed on non-evidence-based interventions, such as pulmonary clearance techniques, rather than on consensus recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Among mechanically ventilated children, pediatric ARDS was common but recognized in a minority of cases. Potential opportunities, such as an opt-out approach to LPV, may exist for improved dissemination and implementation of recommended best practices.

Association of Diagnostic Stewardship for Blood Cultures in Critically Ill Children With Culture Rates, Antibiotic Use, and Patient Outcomes: Results of the Bright STAR Collaborative.

Importance: Blood culture overuse in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) can lead to unnecessary antibiotic use and contribute to antibiotic resistance. Optimizing blood culture practices through diagnostic stewardship may reduce unnecessary blood cultures and antibiotics. Objective: To evaluate the association of a 14-site multidisciplinary PICU blood culture collaborative with culture rates, antibiotic use, and patient outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective quality improvement (QI) collaborative involved 14 PICUs across the United States from 2017 to 2020 for the Bright STAR (Testing Stewardship for Antibiotic Reduction) collaborative. Data were collected from each participating PICU and from the Children's Hospital Association Pediatric Health Information System for prespecified primary and secondary outcomes. Exposures: A local QI program focusing on blood culture practices in the PICU (facilitated by a larger QI collaborative). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was blood culture rates (per 1000 patient-days/mo). Secondary outcomes included broad-spectrum antibiotic use (total days of therapy and new initiations of broad-spectrum antibiotics ≥3 days after PICU admission) and PICU rates of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), Clostridioides difficile infection, mortality, readmission, length of stay, sepsis, and severe sepsis/septic shock. Results: Across the 14 PICUs, the blood culture rate was 149.4 per 1000 patient-days/mo preimplementation and 100.5 per 1000 patient-days/mo postimplementation, for a 33% relative reduction (95% CI, 26%-39%). Comparing the periods before and after implementation, the rate of broad-spectrum antibiotic use decreased from 506 days to 440 days per 1000 patient-days/mo, respectively, a 13% relative reduction (95% CI, 7%-19%). The broad-spectrum antibiotic initiation rate decreased from 58.1 to 53.6 initiations/1000 patient-days/mo, an 8% relative reduction (95% CI, 4%-11%). Rates of CLABSI decreased from 1.8 to 1.1 per 1000 central venous line days/mo, a 36% relative reduction (95% CI, 20%-49%). Mortality, length of stay, readmission, sepsis, and severe sepsis/septic shock were similar before and after implementation. Conclusions and Relevance: Multidisciplinary diagnostic stewardship interventions can reduce blood culture and antibiotic use in the PICU. Future work will determine optimal strategies for wider-scale dissemination of diagnostic stewardship in this setting while monitoring patient safety and balancing measures.

Ventilator management protocols in pediatrics.

Management of mechanical ventilation is a complex process with outcomes affected by multiple patient and caregiver variable. Well-constructed protocols represent the synthesis of best available evidence regarding ventilator management. In adults, protocols improve important outcomes such as duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay, and complication rates; however, protocols are not uniformly successful. In pediatrics, the available evidence does not suggest that ventilator management protocols should be adopted routinely, which may be due to pediatric-specific attributes such as a generally shorter weaning duration. Evidence suggests support for protocols to carefully titrate sedation. In addition, daily assessment of SBTs improves patient outcomes and should be more uniformly adopted in pediatrics. Ventilator-related outcomes may be affected by other confounding factors such as nutrition and fluid balance. Specific subpopulations, such as children who have congenital heart disease, may present opportunities for focused use of ventilator management protocols. Protocolized ventilation has an important place in trials of new therapeutic strategies such as surfactant or proning. It is hoped that future research will further define the appropriate use of protocols in the general PICU population. Although specific protocols cannot be routinely recommended, a multidisciplinary team approach to synthesizing available literature and determining best practice is a useful model. This approach will foster "team ownership" of ventilator management by all involved, thus engendering the best possible outcomes for critically ill children who require mechanical ventilation.