Death and Ultrasound Evidence of the Akinetic Heart in Pediatric Cardiac Arrest.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an expanding noninvasive diagnostic modality used for the management of patients in multiple intensive care and pediatric specialties. POCUS is used to assess cardiac activity and pathology, pulmonary disease, intravascular volume status, intra-abdominal processes, procedural guidance including vascular access, lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, paracentesis, and pericardiocentesis. POCUS has also been used to determine anterograde flow following circulatory arrest when organ donation after circulatory death is being considered. Published guidelines exist from multiple medical societies including the recent guidelines for the use of POCUS in neonatology for diagnostic and procedural purposes.

A Program of Assessment Model for Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training for Pediatric Critical Care Providers: A Comprehensive Approach to Enhance Competency-Based Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly accepted in pediatric critical care medicine as a tool for guiding the evaluation and treatment of patients. POCUS is a complex skill that requires user competency to ensure accuracy, reliability, and patient safety. A robust competency-based medical education (CBME) program ensures user competency and mitigates patient safety concerns. A programmatic assessment model provides a longitudinal, holistic, and multimodal approach to teaching, assessing, and evaluating learners. The authors propose a fit-for-purpose and modifiable CBME model that is adaptable for different institutions' resources and needs for any intended competency level. This educational model drives and supports learning, ensures competency attainment, and creates a clear pathway for POCUS education while enhancing patient care and safety.

Laryngeal Ultrasound Detects Vocal Fold Immobility in Adults: A Systematic Review.

Laryngeal ultrasound (US) is becoming widely accepted for assessing true vocal fold immobility (TVFI), a potential complication of laryngeal and thyroid surgery. The objective of this project is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of pooled evidence surrounding laryngeal US as a modality for diagnosing TVFI in adults at risk for the condition in comparison to laryngoscopy as a gold standard. Medical subject heading terms were used to search MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for relevant citations from January 1, 2000, to June 30, 2020. Studies were included if they involved patients 16 years and older, where laryngeal US was compared to laryngoscopy for TVFI. Studies were excluded if there were insufficient data to compute a sensitivity/specificity table after attempting to contact the authors. Case reports, and case series were also excluded. The initial search returned 1357 citations. Of these, 109 were selected for review utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Thirty citations describing 6033 patients were included in the final meta-analysis. A bivariate random effects meta-analysis was performed, revealing a pooled sensitivity for laryngeal US of 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-0.98), a specificity of 0.99 (95% CI 0.97-0.99), and a diagnostic odds ratio of 1328.2 (95% CI 294.0-5996.5). The area under the curve of the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.99 (95% CI 0.98-1.00). Laryngeal US demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for detecting VFI in the hands of clinicians directly providing care to patients.

Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Pediatric Sepsis: Outcomes in a Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is associated with difficulty in ventilator weaning and increased mortality in septic adults. We evaluated the association of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction with outcomes in a cohort of children with severe sepsis and septic shock. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single-center noncardiac PICU. PATIENTS: Age greater than 1 month to less than 18 years old with severe sepsis or septic shock from January 2011 to June 2017 with echocardiogram within 48 hours of sepsis onset. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Echocardiograms were retrospectively assessed for mitral inflow E (early) and A (atrial) velocity and e' (early mitral annular motion) septal and lateral velocity. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was defined as E/e' greater than 10, E/A less than 0.8, or E/A greater than 1.5. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was present in 109 of 204 patients (53%). The data did not demonstrate an association between the presence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and the proportion of children requiring invasive mechanical ventilation at the time of echocardiogram (difference in proportion, +5% [72% vs 67%; 95% CI, -8% to 17%]; p = 0.52). The duration of mechanical ventilation was median 192.9 hours (interquartile range, 65.0-378.4 hr) in the left ventricular diastolic dysfunction group versus 151.0 hours (interquartile range, 45.7-244.3 hr) in the group without left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. The presence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was not significantly associated with ICU length of stay or mortality. Exploratory analyses revealed that an alternative definition of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, solely defined by E/e' greater than 10, was found to have an association with mechanical ventilation requirement at the time of echocardiogram (difference in proportion, +15%; 95% CI, 3-28%; p = 0.02) and duration of mechanical ventilation (median, 207.3 vs 146.9 hr). CONCLUSIONS: The data failed to show an association between the presence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction defined by both E/e' and E/A and the primary and secondary outcomes. When an alternative definition of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction with E/e' alone was used, there was a significant association with respiratory outcomes.

Assessment of Vocal Cord Motion Using Laryngeal Ultrasound in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Laryngeal ultrasound is a nonirradiating, noninvasive method for assessing the upper airway in children. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine available evidence for accuracy of laryngeal ultrasound in diagnosing vocal cord immobility in infants and children after surgery and trauma affecting the vocal cords. DESIGN: Medical subject heading terms were used to search MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for relevant citations. Publications from January 1, 2000, to June 30, 2020 were included in the search strategy. Study inclusion criteria consisted of randomized control trials and nonrandomized retrospective or prospective observational studies where vocal cord motion was evaluated by laryngeal ultrasound and compared with a reference test. Studies were excluded if there was insufficient data to compute a sensitivity/specificity table. Case reports, case series less than 10, and manuscripts not published in English were also excluded. PATIENTS: Studies which included subjects younger than or equal to 18 years were considered for full article review. SETTINGS: No restrictions on study settings were imposed in this systematic review. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The initial search returned 1,357 citations. After de-duplication, abstract, and full review, eight citations were included in the final meta-analysis. A bivariate random-effects meta-analysis was performed, which revealed a pooled sensitivity for laryngeal ultrasound in detecting vocal cord immobility of 91% (95% CI, 83-95%), specificity of 97% (95% CI, 82-100%), diagnostic odds ratio 333.56 (95% CI, 34.00-3,248.71), positive likelihood ratio 31.58 (95% CI, 4.50-222.05), and negative likelihood ratio 0.09 (95% CI, 0.05-0.19). CONCLUSIONS: Laryngeal ultrasound demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for detecting vocal cord motion in children in a wide range of clinical settings. Laryngeal ultrasound offers a low-risk imaging option for assessing vocal cord function in children compared with the current gold standard of laryngoscopy.

Hyperglycemia at the Time of Acquiring Central Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infections Is Associated With Mortality in Critically Ill Children.

OBJECTIVES: Hyperglycemia is common and may be a risk factor for nosocomial infections, including central catheter-associated bloodstream infections in critically ill children. It is unknown whether hyperglycemia at the time of acquiring central catheter-associated bloodstream infections in pediatric critical illness is associated with worse outcomes. We hypothesized that hyperglycemia (blood glucose concentration > 126 mg/dL [> 7 mmol/L]) at the time of acquiring central catheter-associated bloodstream infections (from 4 d prior to the day of first positive blood culture, i.e., central catheter-associated bloodstream infections) in critically ill children is common and associated with ICU mortality. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Fifty-five-bed PICU and 26-bed cardiac ICU at an academic freestanding children's hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred sixteen consecutively admitted critically ill children from January 1, 2008, to June 30, 2012, who were 0-21 years with central catheter-associated bloodstream infections were included. We excluded children with diabetes mellitus, metabolic disorders, and those with a "do not attempt resuscitation" order. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The study cohort had an overall ICU mortality of 23%, with 48% of subjects developing hyperglycemia at the time of acquiring central catheter-associated bloodstream infections. Compared with survivors, nonsurvivors experienced more hyperglycemia both at the time of acquiring central catheter-associated bloodstream infections and subsequently. Median blood glucose at the time of acquiring central catheter-associated bloodstream infections was higher in nonsurvivors compared with survivors (139.5 mg/dL [7.7 mmol/L] vs 111 mg/dL [6.2 mmol/L]; p < 0.001) with 70% of nonsurvivors experiencing blood glucose greater than 126 mg/dL (> 7 mmol/L) during the 7 days following central catheter-associated bloodstream infections (in comparison to 45% of survivors; p = 0.03). After controlling for severity of illness and interventions, hyperglycemia at the time of acquiring central catheter-associated bloodstream infections was independently associated with ICU mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-6.4; p = 0.03), in addition to other risk factors for ICU mortality (vasopressor use and severity of organ dysfunction). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperglycemia at the time of acquiring central catheter-associated bloodstream infections is common and associated with ICU mortality in critically ill children. Strategies to monitor and control blood glucose to avoid hyperglycemia may improve outcomes in critically ill children experiencing central catheter-associated bloodstream infections.

Translating Guidelines into Practical Practice: Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Pediatric Critical Care Clinicians.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is now transitioning from an emerging technology to a standard of care for critically ill children. POCUS can provide immediate answers to clinical questions impacting management and outcomes within this fragile population. Recently published international guidelines specific to POCUS use in neonatal and pediatric critical care populations now complement previous Society of Critical Care Medicine guidelines. The authors review consensus statements within guidelines, identify important limitations to statements, and provide considerations for the successful implementation of POCUS in the pediatric critical care setting.

Impact of anakinra use on clinical outcomes in children with moderate or severe multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: a propensity score matched retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) related to SARS-CoV-2 infection involves immunomodulatory therapies such as IVIG and steroids. Anakinra, an interleukin-1 receptor inhibitor, has also been used, but its effectiveness is not established yet. As optimal regimens for MIS-C remain unknown, we aimed to assess the effect of anakinra in reducing hospital stay in patients with MIS-C. METHODS: We included children admitted from May 2020 to May 2021 diagnosed with MIS-C based on CDC criteria. The exposure of interest was anakinra use at any point during admission. The anakinra exposed group and the anakinra unexposed group were propensity score matched based on demographic and clinical severity indicators at initial presentation. Our primary outcome was length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes were duration of vasoactive support, vasoactive inotropic score (VIS), level of respiratory support, time to fever resolution, reduction of CRP levels, and length of ICU stay. We used Wilcoxon rank sum, t-test, Chi square and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Of 138 children diagnosed with MIS-C, 79% had moderate or severe illness and 41% received anakinra. Of those, 31 patients who received anakinra were propensity score matched to 31 who did not. The length of stay in the hospital but not in the ICU was longer in the anakinra group. There were no differences in median duration of vasoactive support, fever resolution, CRP reduction, or VIS. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with moderate to severe MIS-C, use of anakinra was associated with longer duration of hospital stay.