New onset severe right ventricular failure associated with COVID-19 in a young infant without previous heart disease.

We present our recent experience with a 6-month-old infant with a personal history of short bowel syndrome that presented with fever, cyanosis, and cardiogenic shock secondary to severe pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure without pulmonary thromboembolism. He did not present signs of toxin-mediated disease or Kawasaki disease. He was finally diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection. If this presentation is confirmed in future research, the severe cardiovascular impairment in children with COVID-19 could be also attributable to the primary pulmonary infection, not only to a multisystem inflammatory syndrome but also in children without heart disease.

Supraventricular tachycardia after withdrawal of prolonged dexmedetomidine infusion in a paediatric patient without heart disease.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been reported to be safe in paediatric patients. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present the case of a girl without heart disease admitted at our PICU due to an influenza A acute respiratory distress syndrome, who suffered a paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) twelve hours after DEX progressive withdrawal was completed. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: This is the first report of PSVT as an adverse reaction to DEX in a paediatric patient without heart disease.

Correlation between urinary and serum NT-proBNP in acute bronchiolitis: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We aimed to analyze the correlation of urinary with serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations and its association with severity in acute bronchiolitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A pilot observational study was conducted between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 including acute bronchiolitis cases who attended our institution. Serum and urinary NT-proBNP concentrations were determined using the Alere i NT-proBNP assay in time-matched urine and blood samples. The Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman's correlations, and simple linear regression were utilized to analyze the association of urine NT-proBNP levels with serum NT-proBNP and with variables indicative of severe bronchiolitis. RESULTS: Seventeen infants (median age 68 [IQR: 36-91] days) with 36 time-matched samples were included. The urine NT-proBNP was positively and strongly correlated with the serum NT-proBNP concentrations (Spearman's ρ = 0.81 & R2  coefficient = 0.751; p < 0.001), and increased with higher C-reactive protein, (p = 0.004), procalcitonin (p = 0.001), and pCO2 (p = 0.029) levels. The initial urinary NT-proBNP concentrations were higher in those infants that required ventilatory support compared with those without this outcome (1.85 [IQR: 1.16-2.44] vs. 0.63 [IQR: 0.45-0.84] pg/mg); p < 0.001); and resulted positively and strongly correlated with the duration of the ventilatory support (Spearman's ρ = 0.76; p < 0.001) and the length of stay hospitalization (Spearman's ρ = 0.84; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The urinary NT-proBNP concentrations could be a reliable surrogate for serum NT-proBNP levels and resulted elevated in cases of acute bronchiolitis with complicated evolution, suggesting a potential as a noninvasive tool to assess severity in this setting.

Characterization of Cardiopulmonary Interactions and Exploring Their Prognostic Value in Acute Bronchiolitis: A Prospective Cardiopulmonary Ultrasound Study.

We aimed to delineate cardiopulmonary interactions in acute bronchiolitis and to evaluate the capacity of a combined cardiopulmonary ultrasonography to predict the need for respiratory support. This was a prospective observational single-center study that includes infants <12 month of age admitted to a hospital due to acute bronchiolitis. All the included patients underwent clinical, laboratory and cardiopulmonary ultrasonographic evaluation at the same time point within 24 h of hospital admission. The existence of significant correlation between cardiac and respiratory parameters was the primary outcome. The association of different cardiopulmonary variables with the need of respiratory support higher than O2, the length of stay hospitalization, the PICU stay and the duration of respiratory support were a secondary outcome. We enrolled 112 infants (median age 1 (0.5-3) months; 62% males) hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis. Increased values of the pulmonary variables (BROSJOD score, pCO2 and LUS) showed moderate correlations with NT-proBNP and all echocardiographic parameters indicative of pulmonary hypertension and myocardial dysfunction (Tei index). Up to 36 (32%) infants required respiratory support during the hospitalization. This group presented with higher lung ultrasound score (p < 0.001) and increased values of NT-proBNP (p < 0.001), the Tei index (p < 0.001) and pulmonary artery pressures (p < 0.001). All the analyzed respiratory and cardiac variables showed moderate-to-strong correlations with the LOS of hospitalization and the time of respiratory support. Lung ultrasound and echocardiography showed a moderate-to-strong predictive accuracy for the need of respiratory support in the ROC analysis, with the AUC varying from 0.74 to 0.87. Those cases of bronchiolitis with a worse pulmonary status presented with a more impaired cardiac status. Cardiopulmonary ultrasonography could be a useful tool to easily identify high-risk populations for complicated acute bronchiolitis hospitalization.

Vitamin D Levels and Cardiopulmonary Status in Infants with Acute Bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND: To assess association of Vitamin D deficiency with cardiac and pulmonary status in infants with acute bronchiolitis. METHODS: Infants hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis were enrolled and classified as those with serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) below or equal and above 20 ng/mL. The primary outcomes were cardiopulmonary involvement defined by elevation of NT-ProBNP, alteration of echocardiographic parameters and respiratory support requirements. The secondary outcomes were the need for PICU admission and duration of hospitalization. RESULTS: Ninety two (50 males) infants with median (IQR) age 1 (0.5 - 3) months were included with median (IQR) serum 25 - OHD level 27.4 (11.4 - 40.3) ng/mL. Forty-three (47%) patients had serum below 20 ng/mL with left ventricle dysfunction (P=0.008), right ventricle dysfunction (P=0.008) and pulmonary hypertension (P=0.007) on echocardiography than those with serum 25 - OHD > 20 ng/mL. The median (IQR) serum NT - ProBNP levels were higher in those with low 25 - OHD levels than normal 25 - OHD levels [2232.2 (461.4 - 4313.3) and 830.4 (312.7 - 2579.5)], respectively; P=0.003. Low 25-OHD levels were associated with increased risk for PICU admission (OR 3.9 (95% CI 1.5-10.1); P=0.004), higher rates of non-invasive ventilation, (P= 0.048), mechanical ventilation (P=0.005), and longer duration of hospitalization (P=0.015). CONCLUSION: Low serum vitamin D level was associated with clinical severity and impaired cardiac and pulmonary status in infants with acute bronchiolitis.

Routine laboratory test to assess the need of respiratory support in acute bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Accurate and readily available biomarkers to predict the clinical course of bronchiolitis would enable enhanced decision-making in this setting. We explored the relationship of several biochemical parameters available at the pediatric emergency care setting with the need of advanced respiratory support (ARS): continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), biphasic positive airway pressure (BiPAP), or invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) in bronchiolitis. METHODS: Single-center, prospective, observational, including infants aged less than 12 months diagnosed with acute bronchiolitis at the Pediatric Emergency Department. Determination of plasmatic values of several laboratory tests was performed at the time of hospital admission. Multivariate logistic analysis identified independent predictors for need of ARS. RESULTS: From October 1, 2018 to May 1, 2020, we recruited 149 infants (58% males; median age of 1 [0.5-2.5] month). Thirty-seven (25%) cases required ARS. After adjusting by age, bacterial superinfection, and comorbidities in the multivariate analysis, only higher levels of glycemia (p = 0.001), C-reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.028), CRP/albumin ratio (p = 0.032), and NT-proBNP (p = 0.001) remained independently associated with ARS. These biomarkers reached moderate prediction accuracy with area under the curve of receiver operator curve curves ranging from 0.701 to 0.830 (p = 0.001). All they presented relatively high specificity (0.75-0.84) and negative predictive values (0.77-0.89) with low sensitivity and positive predictive values. They also correlated significantly with length of stay hospitalization (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Increased plasmatic levels of CRP, CRP/albumin ratio, glycemia, and NT-proBNP at hospital admission are associated with the need for ARS in infants with acute bronchiolitis.

Early elevated NT-proBNP but not troponin I is associated with severe bronchiolitis in infants.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to explore and to compare the association between the NT-proBNP and high-sensitivity troponin I (hs-cTnI) at early stages of acute bronchiolitis with echocardiographic alterations, clinical severity and outcomes. METHODS: A single centre, prospective observational study including previously healthy infants aged 1-12 months with bronchiolitis admitted to a tertiary hospital from April 2019 to March 2020. All patients underwent clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic evaluation at the same time point within 12 h of hospital admission. NT-proBNP > 1121 pg/ml and hs-cTnI > 26 ng/L were considered elevated. The primary outcome measure was the association of raised cardiac biomarkers with the need for PICU admission. RESULTS: We enrolled 40 infants with median levels of NT-proBNP of 1176 (520-3030) pg/ml and hs-cTnI of 11.5 (5-21) ng/L at the time of hospital admission. Raised levels of NT-proBNP and hs-cTnI in 50% and 20% of cases, respectively. Of them, 15 (37%) required PICU admission during the hospitalization. Increased NT-proBNP was associated with PICU admission (adjusted OR 9.5 (CI95% 1.4-64); p = 0.020), prolonged hospitalization (ß = 2.7; p = 0.012) and duration of oxygen administration (ß = 2.7; p = 0.004) in the multivariate analysis. There were no differences in hs-cTnI levels regarding PICU admission (p = 0.866). Increased hs-cTnI levels were only associated with oxygen administration duration (Spearman rho = 0.38; p = 0.017), but this association disappeared in the multivariate analysis. Only NT-proBNP was associated with echocardiographic parameters of myocardial dysfunction (p < 0.001), and pulmonary hypertension (p < 0.001) CONCLUSION: Early elevated NT-proBNP but not hs-cTnI could be used as a biomarker for myocardial strain and disease severity in bronchiolitis.

Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure in Children at the Start of COVID-19 Outbreak: A Nationwide Experience.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective, multicenter, and observational study with the aim of describing physiological characteristics, respiratory management, and outcomes of children with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) from different etiologies receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) compared with those affected by SARS-CoV-2. METHODS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients met the inclusion criteria: 9 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 19 patients without COVID-19. Non-COVID-19 patients had more pre-existing comorbidities (78.9% vs. 44.4%) than COVID-19 patients. At AHRF onset, non-COVID-19 patients had worse oxygenation (PaO2/FiO2 = 95 mmHg (65.5-133) vs. 150 mmHg (105-220), p = 0.04), oxygenation index = 15.9 (11-28.4) vs. 9.3 (6.7-10.6), p = 0.01), and higher PaCO2 (48 mmHg (46.5-63) vs. 41 mmHg (40-45), p = 0.07, that remained higher at 48 h: 54 mmHg (43-58.7) vs. 41 (38.5-45.5), p = 0.03). In 12 patients (5 COVID-19 and 7 non-COVID-19), AHRF evolved to pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS). All non-COVID-19 patients had severe PARDS, while 3 out of 5 patients in the COVID-19 group had mild or moderate PARDS. Overall Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine (PICU) mortality was 14.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Children with AHRF due to SARS-CoV2 infection had fewer comorbidities and better oxygenation than patients with non-COVID-19 AHRF. In this study, progression to severe PARDS was rarely observed in children with COVID-19.

Topical Pharyngeal Lidocaine Reduces Respiratory Adverse Events During Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopies Under Ketamine Sedation in Children.

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopies (UGEs) performed under ketamine sedation may increase the risk of respiratory adverse events (RAEs) due to pharyngeal stimulation. Topical lidocaine prevents general anesthesia-induced laryngospasm. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine whether topical lidocaine may reduce the incidence of RAEs induced by pharyngeal stimulation in UGEs performed on children sedated with ketamine. METHODS: We conducted a single-center prospective study. We included every patient admitted for an elective diagnostic UGE under ketamine sedation who received lidocaine prior to the technique. Patients requiring any other medication were excluded. Our main outcome measure was the number of desaturation episodes. We then compared these results with those obtained in an historic group who did not receive topical lidocaine, in which we registered a total of 54 desaturation episodes. RESULTS: In total, 88 children (52.3% boys) were included. The median age was 7 years [interquartile range (IQR) 3-11]. The mean duration of the procedure was 6.5 ± 2.4 min, and the median initial ketamine dose was 1.76 mg/kg (IQR 1.56-2.03). The total number of desaturation episodes was 3 (3.4%), and two of these occurred prior to the introduction of the endoscope. This result represents a lower incidence than in previously reported series, and a significant decrease (p < 0.0001) with respect to the 54 RAEs registered in the historic group of 87 children. CONCLUSIONS: Topical lidocaine premedication significantly reduced the incidence of RAEs in children during UGEs under ketamine sedation. Our findings should be confirmed by a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Epinephrine Improves the Efficacy of Nebulized Hypertonic Saline in Moderate Bronchiolitis: A Randomised Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is no evidence that the epinephrine-3% hypertonic saline combination is more effective than 3% hypertonic saline alone for treating infants hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis. We evaluated the efficacy of nebulized epinephrine in 3% hypertonic saline. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 208 infants hospitalized with acute moderate bronchiolitis. Infants were randomly assigned to receive nebulized 3% hypertonic saline with either 3 mL of epinephrine or 3 mL of placebo, administered every four hours. The primary outcome measure was the length of hospital stay. RESULTS: A total of 185 infants were analyzed: 94 in the epinephrine plus 3% hypertonic saline group and 91 in the placebo plus 3% hypertonic saline group. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were similar in both groups. Length of hospital stay was significantly reduced in the epinephrine group as compared with the placebo group (3.94 ±1.88 days vs. 4.82 ±2.30 days, P = 0.011). Disease severity also decreased significantly earlier in the epinephrine group (P = 0.029 and P = 0.036 on days 3 and 5, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In our setting, nebulized epinephrine in 3% hypertonic saline significantly shortens hospital stay in hospitalized infants with acute moderate bronchiolitis compared to 3% hypertonic saline alone, and improves the clinical scores of severity from the third day of treatment, but not before. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT 2009-016042-57.