PedsCCM: The Pediatric Critical Care Website:
The multidisciplinary and practical resource for Pediatric Critical Care on the Internet Peer reviewed original content integrated with links to selected web resources ... now 13 years old... thanks to everyone for your great support!..

Timely issues facing Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Marik PE, Pastores SM, Annane D, et al; American College of Critical Care Medicine. Recommendations for the diagnosis and management of corticosteroid insufficiency in critically ill adult patients: consensus statements from an international task force by the American College of Critical Care Medicine. Crit Care Med. 2008 Jun;36(6):1937-49. [abstract]

de Oliveira CF, de Oliveira DS, Gottschald AF, Moura JD, Costa GA, Ventura AC, Fernandes JC, Vaz FA, Carcillo JA, Rivers EP, Troster EJ. ACCM/PALS haemodynamic support guidelines for paediatric septic shock: an outcomes comparison with and without monitoring central venous oxygen saturation. Intensive Care Med. 2008 Mar 28; DOI 10.1007/s00134-008-1085-9. [abstract]

Dellinger RP, Levy MM, Carlet JM, et al; for the International Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines Committee. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International guidelines for management of severe sepsis and septic shock: 2008. Crit Care Med. 2008 Jan;36(1):296-327 [abstract]

Sharek PJ, Parast LM, Long K, Coombs J, Earnest K, Sullivan J, Frankel LR, Roth SJ. Effect of a Rapid Response Team on Hospital-wide Mortality and Code Rates Outside the ICU in a Children's Hospital. JAMA 2007;298 2267-2274 [abstract]

Lacroix J, Hebert PC, Hutchison, et al. Transfusion Strategies for Patients in Pediatric Intensive Care Units. New Engl J Med 2007; 356:1609-1619. [abstract]

Brilli RJ, Gibson R, Luria JW, Wheeler TA, Shaw J, Linam M, Kheir J, McLain P, Lingsch T, Hall-Haering A, McBride M. Implementation of a medical emergency team in a large pediatric teaching hospital prevents respiratory and cardiopulmonary arrests outside the intensive care unit* Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2007; 8(3):236-246 [abstract][full-text (pdf;1.7M)]

Guidelines for the acute medical management of severe traumatic brain injury in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine 2003; 4(3):S1-S75. [full-text]

Slonim AD, Pollack MM. Integrating the Institute of Medicine's six quality aims into pediatric critical care: Relevance and applications. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2005 May;6(3):264-269. [abstract; full-text (pdf: 280K)]

Carnevale FA, Alexander E, Davis M, Rennick J, Troini R. Daily living with distress and enrichment: the moral experience of families with ventilator-assisted children at home. Pediatrics. 2006 Jan;117(1):e48-60. [abstract]

2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, includes new recommendations for Pediatric Basic Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has issued a Special Report on Pediatric Palliative Care. This in response to the Institute of Medicine's 2002 report: When Children Die: Improving Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Children and Their Families

Curtis JR, Cook DJ, Wall RJ, et al. Intensive care unit quality improvement: a "how-to" guide for the interdisciplinary team. Crit Care Med. 2006 Jan;34(1):211-8 [abstract]

1st International Sepsis Forum on Sepsis in Infants and Children. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2005; S1-S164. [table of contents]

Rosenberg DI, Moss MM, AAP Section on Critical Care and Committee on Hospital Care. Guidelines and Levels of Care for Pediatric Intensive Care Units. Pediatrics 2004;114 1114-1125. [abstract]

Perondi MBM, Reis AG, Paiva EF, Nadkarni VM, Berg RA. A Comparison of High-Dose and Standard-Dose Epinephrine in Children with Cardiac Arrest. New Engl J Med 2004; 350:1722-1730. [abstract]

Han YY, Carcillo JA, Dragotta MA, et al. Early Reversal of Pediatric-Neonatal Septic Shock by Community Physicians Is Associated With Improved Outcome. Pediatrics 2003;112 793-799. [abstract]. With an accompanying editorial: Kirby A, Goldstein B. Improved Outcomes Associated With Early Resuscitation in Septic Shock: Do We Need to Resuscitate the Patient or the Physician? Pediatrics 2003;112 976-977 [full-text]

Carcillo JA, Fields AI et al. Clinical practice parameters for hemodynamic support of pediatric and neonatal patients in septic shock. Crit Care Med. 2002;30(6):1365-78. [abstract; full-text pdf from the SCCM]

Tenner PA, Dibrell H, Taylor RP. Improved survival with hospitalists in a pediatric intensive care unit Crit Care Med 2003; 31(3):847-852 [abstract]

O'Grady NP, Alexander M, Dellinger EP et al. Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections. Pediatrics 2002;110:e51 [abstract]

Nolan JP, Morley PT, Vanden Hoek TL, et al. ; International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest: an advisory statement by the advanced life support task force of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Circulation. 2003 Jul 8;108(1):118-21 [full-text]

American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association/American College of Physicians, Task Force on Clinical Competence. ACC/AHA/AAP recommendations for training in pediatric cardiology. Pediatrics. 2005; 116:1574-1596. [full-text] Correspondence in response: Baden HP, Zimmerman JJ, Brilli RJ et al. Intensivist-Led Team Approach to Critical Care of Children With Heart Disease. Pediatrics 2006;117 1854-1856 [link]

Drabek T, Stezoski J, Garman RH, Wu X, Tisherman SA, Stezoski SW, Fisk JA, Jenkins L, Kochanek PM. Emergency preservation and delayed resuscitation allows normal recovery after exsanguination cardiac arrest in rats: a feasibility trial. Crit Care Med. 2007 Feb;35(2):532-7. [abstract]

Important News...

NIH updates:

The Pediatric Critical Care Scientist Development Program (PCCSDP) has been successfully reissued by the NICHD. Read the RFA here... This program is to foster the development of highly promising young faculty in pediatric critical care into physician scientists. Details of the program can be found at www.pccsdp.org

Be sure to scan the list of fellowships available for those with NIH Training Grant funding for pediatric scientist training...

more NIH updates...


Intensivists needed for multiple International Children's Heart Foundation congenital heart surgery trips this year - including a new trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, from August 24-September 6. Read more....


CA-BSI Collaborative - Phase II Announcement

The National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) and a team of PICU clinicians and Improvement Science faculty launched a three-year quality improvement project (Phase I) in October of 2006 that focused on prevention of catheter-associated blood stream infections (CA-BSI) in the 29 pediatric intensive care units (PICU) of 27 children’s institutions. The results of this Phase I collaborative have been remarkable. This Phase I collaborative is now being expanded to additional PICUs that seek to improve the healthcare of children by preventing CA-BSI events. Our initial collaborative progress to date shows:

The number of infections has decreased from a pre-collaborative CA-BSI rate of 5.39 per 1,000 catheter days to a sustained rate of 3.19 per 1,000 catheter days. This reduction represents a statistically significant 41 percent decrease in CA-BSI events. The reduced CA-BSI rate can be extrapolated to:

  • Prevention of 177 infections in the 27 institutions
  • Cost savings of approximately $6 million
  • Estimated 20 deaths prevented

As the Co-Chairs for this project we want to make you aware that we are now enrolling participating sites into the second phase of the project. We hope to enroll an additional 40 - 50 PICUs. In addition, we are happy to answer questions you may have. We are attaching additional information and an enrollment sheet for you.

Richard J. Brilli (rich.brilli@cchmc.org ) and Marlene M. Miller (mmiller@nachri.org)


The first newsletter from the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies (WFPICSS)

AAP Section on Critical Care News:

The 2008 AAP National Conference and Exhibition is in Boston, October 11-14. Abstract submission deadline was April 11, 2008. The SOCC preliminary program is here...

New from PREP®!: Critical Care Self-Assessment Program

Review for exams and maintain your knowledge of pediatric critical care with the new self-study program from a source you can trust. Brought to you by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Pediatrics Review and Education Program®, PREP® ICU is an online subspecialty self-assessment program designed to help pediatric intensivists succeed in the PICU. Click here for a FREE trial.

The SOCC Spring 2007 newsletter is here... (pdf; 500K)

A joint resource from the AAP and the AHRQ is available: Pediatric Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness: A Resource for Pediatricians

Registration for the ABP's 2008 Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Certifying Examination has closed; the deadline was March 31, 2008. Register on the ABP website...


PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
our specialty's first journal is now online - bimonthly - with full-text
Support this acclaimed resource by subscribing today!

Featured full-text article from the May 2008 issue of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine:

Levin DL. Cerebral edema in diabetic ketoacidosis. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2008 May;9(3):320-9. [abstract; full-text (pdf; 280K)]


New PedsCCM Evidence-based Journal Club Reviews

Yung M, Wilkins B, Norton L, Slater A, for the Paediatric Study Group; Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society.
Glucose control, organ failure, and mortality in pediatric intensive care
[abstract][Full-Text]
[Review by Sunali Goyal MBBS, Punkaj Gupta MBBS and Natan Noviski MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA]

Honrubia T, Garcia Lopez FJ, et al.
Noninvasive vs conventional mechanical ventilation in acute respiratory failure: a multicenter, randomized controlled trial.
[abstract]
[Review by Matei Petrescu MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston TX]

Piccinni P, Dan M, Barbacini S, et al.
Early isovolaemic haemofiltration in oliguric patients with septic shock.
[abstract]
[Review by Derek S. Wheeler MD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH]

Dyke PC 2nd, Yates AR, Cua CL, Hoffman TM, Hayes J, Feltes TF, Springer MA, Taeed R.
Increased calcium supplementation is associated with morbidity and mortality in the infant postoperative cardiac patient
[abstract]
[Review by David F. Adams MD; Kshitij Mistry MD MSc, Duke Children’s Hospital, Durham NC]

Brunkhorst FM, Engel C, Bloos F, et al., for the German Competence Network Sepsis (SepNet).
Intensive Insulin Therapy and Pentastarch Resuscitation in Severe Sepsis.
[abstract]
[Review by Tara Neumayr MD, Washington University, St. Louis, MO]

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Important News...continued...

SCCM Pediatric Section News

Papers discussed at the Pediatrics Year in Review session at the SCCM Congress in Hawaii are here... (pdf; 100K)
Minutes from the Business Meeting are here... (pdf;40K)
Minutes from the Fellowship Directors meeting are here... (pdf; 208K)


Nursing/Advanced Practice Nursing Section News: The PedsCCM EB Journal Club now has a Nursing Research section. The new section will highlight the research of Advanced Practice Nurses. APN's are encouraged to submit reviews to this new section.

From the FDA and CDC: Call for cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) following administration of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine A, C, Y, and W135 (trade name Menactra)... More details...

NACHRI and CHCA PICU Catheter-associated Bloodstream infection initiatives make mainstream press: Landro L. Pediatric ICUs Make Headway Against Infection. Wall Street Journal Online. April 18, 2007. [full-text]

The Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society, PCICS, was formed to provide an optimum forum to promote excellence in pediatric cardiac critical care medicine. We have joined together from diverse backgrounds, organized a professional society, and now launch our inaugural membership campaign. The Society seeks international participation by healthcare professionals dedicated to acquiring knowledge and improving practice for our critically ill patients with congenital and acquired heart disease. (2005 Symposium information here...)

The Virtual PICU, in association with the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, and The National Outcomes Center announce the creation of VPS, LLC, the distributor and coordinating center for VPS (Virtual PICU Performance System), PICU database software. Go to myvps.org to learn more and sign up to participate.

Dr. Greg Hammer at Stanford University is seeking sites interested in participating in a NICHD funded study of the effects of sodium nitroprusside. Read more...

Updated request for participation from Drs. Wong and Shanley at Cincinnati Children's: "... we have a large scale clinical study to conduct microarray analyses in children with septic shock. Specifically, we are proposing to develop a national-level genomic data base (RNA) of children with SIRS and septic shock. The data base will be mined to conduct high throughput microarray analyses to define the genome-level expression profiles in this patient population." More details and contact information is here (pdf file, 52K)...



What's new for the month of July on PedsCCM...

  • Tsui JY, Caoolins AB, White DW, Lai J, Tabas JA. Placement of a Femoral Venous Catheter. New Engl J Med 2008; 358:e30 [video link] (File Cabinet)
  • Gueugniaud PV, David JS, Chanzy E, et al. Vasopressin and Epinephrine vs. Epinephrine Alone in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. New Engl J Med 2008; 359:21-30. [abstract] (File Cabinet, EB Journal Club)
  • Abroug F, Ouanes-Besbes L, Elatrous S, Brochard L. The effect of prone positioning in acute respiratory distress syndrome or acute lung injury: a meta-analysis. Areas of uncertainty and recommendations for research. Intensive Care Med. 2008 Jun;34(6):1002-11 [abstract] (File Cabinet, EB Journal Club)
  • Knoester H, Bronner MB, Bos AP. Surviving pediatric intensive care: physical outcome after 3 months. Intensive Care Med. 2008 Jun;34(6):1076-1082 [abstract] (File Cabinet, EB Journal Club)
  • Tissières P, da Cruz E, Habre W, Aggoun Y, Mensi N, Kalangos A, Beghetti M. Value of brain natriuretic peptide in the perioperative follow-up of children with valvular disease. Intensive Care Med. 2008 Jun;34(6):1109-13 [abstract] (File Cabinet, EB Journal Club)
  • The Pediatric Critical Care Scientist Development Program (PCCSDP) has been successfully reissued by the NICHD. Read the RFA here... This program is to foster the development of highly promising young faculty in pediatric critical care into physician scientists. Details of the program can be found at www.pccsdp.org (Clinical Research)
  • Gray A, Goodacre S, Newby DE, Masson M, Sampson F, Nicholl J; 3CPO Trialists. Noninvasive ventilation in acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema. N Engl J Med. 2008 Jul 10;359(2):142-51. [abstract] (File Cabinet, EB Journal Club)
  • Hirshberg E, Larsen G, Van Duker H. Alterations in glucose homeostasis in the pediatric intensive care unit: Hyperglycemia and glucose variability are associated with increased mortality and morbidity* Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2008; 9:361-366 [abstract] (File Cabinet, EB Journal Club)
  • Simon L, Saint-Louis P, Amre DK, Lacroix J, Gauvin F. Procalcitonin and C-reactive protein as markers of bacterial infection in critically ill children at onset of systemic inflammatory response syndrome* Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2008; 9:407-413 [abstract] (File Cabinet, EB Journal Club)
  • Knirsch W, Kretschmar O, Tomaske M, Stutz K, Nagdyman N, Balmer C, Schmitz A, BĂ©ttex D, Berger F, Bauersfeld U, Weiss M. Cardiac output measurement in children: comparison of the Ultrasound Cardiac Output Monitor with thermodilution cardiac output measurement. Intensive Care Med. 2008 Jun;34(6):1060-1064 [abstract] (File Cabinet, EB Journal Club)

Last Updated: 2008-07-17 09:30:42

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courses & conferences to note...

3rd Annual Pediatric Telehealth Colloquium, September 15 - September 16 2008 Tampa, FL Website...

Pediatric Critical Care Nursing, October 07 - October 09 2008 San Francisco, CA Website... Brochure... 

AAP 2008 National Conference and Exhibition, October 11 - October 14 2008 Boston, MA Website... Brochure... 

Course on Neonatal and Pediatric Critical Care Transport Medicine Course, October 12 - October 14 2008 Boston, MA Website... Brochure... 

8th Annual Optimizing Mechanical Ventilation for Infants and Children Conference, October 21 - October 23 2008 Washington-Duke Inn, Durham NC Website... Brochure... 

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and also worth noting...

A letter from the heart to physicians, from a mom with a child with special needs. A special message worth reading. [pdf; 56K]

Critical Care Nursing of Infants and Children. 2nd Edition. Curley MAQ, Moloney-Harmon PA, eds. 2001. (this edition is out of print and now freely available)

Program for Maintenance of Certification in Pediatrics update: The Pediatric Critical Care Medicine self-assessment is now available on the ABP Web site

The online pediatric mechanical ventilation simulator is back, from Ken Tegtmeyer, Oregon Health & Science University, and the Media Lab at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Portland, OR

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Board Review questions, from the Board Review Course by Tony Slonim and Heidi Dalton, D.C. Children's, now available for purchase. From Medtext.

World Federation of Pediatric and Intensive Care Societies (WFPICCS) Pediatric Sepsis Initiative Database is operational. Read more...

The TRIP database (Turning Research Into Practice) now has a special search page for critical care.

From Dr. Goldstein at Oregon Health & Sciences University: Traumatic Brain Injury Research Project: additional sites interested in participating in our physiologic waveform analysis and dynamic ICP modeling research project. Read more here...

How well do intensivists follow the evidence-based guidelines for prevention of catheter-related bloodstream infection when placing central venous lines? Not too well in the adult world, by their own admission: Rubinson L, Haponik EF, Wu AW, Diette GB. Internists' Adherence to Guidelines for Prevention of Intravascular Catheter Infections. JAMA 2003;290 2802 [abstract]

Pediatric Emergency Meds Drip Sheet Generator, D Hanauer

Pediatrics on Hand; the website for pediatric applications and files for your Palm OS PDA. Stockwell D, Bell P. Children's National Medical Center.

PICU Tools - a Palm OS application for pediatric intensive care practitioners. Calculate infusion rates, osmolarity, drug dosages, and complete hemodynamic profiles from pulmonary artery catheter data. Provides arterial blood gas interpretation, lab values and more. Now updated to version 4.0! Freeware, by M. Verive. Details here...

A comprehensive website all about pediatric continuous renal replacement therapy: pcrrt.com. Tim Bunchman, DeVos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI

Scoring Systems for ICU and Surgical Patients, with PRISM, PIM, PELOD, Pediatric Coma Scale, the Rotterdam score for meningococcal septic shock in children, Neonatal TISS, and now updated with PIM 2 and CRIB 2. By Jean-Yves Marandon, Société Française d'Anesthésie et de Réanimation.

Isabel Clinical Decision Support System: a online pediatric differential diagnosis tool, with contextual links to reference sources. (now requires paid subscription)

Request for Information from the CDC: Acute Encephalopathy Cases in U.S. Children Associated with Influenza Virus Infection. Read more here ...

The AAP announces a new area on their website for Children, Terrorism, and Disaster. Also of note: A joint resource from the AAP and the AHRQ is available: Pediatric Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness: A Resource for Pediatricians

AHRQ Web M & M; peer-reviewed, online medical journal highlighting patient safety lessons drawn from real cases of medical errors

The NIH proposes all NIH-sponsored studies' publications be made publicly available, essentially adopting the call of The Public Library of Science. Read more here.... And add your voice to the public comment page. Read about Open Access here...

WWWeb Epidemiology & Evidence-based Medicine Sources for Veterinarians; an incredibly comprehensive list of clinical epidemiology and EBM links for health care practitioners treating all species!

A new, interactive website full of EBM tips: Evidence Based Practice Tips: Learning Tools for Evidence-based Practice

Want to publish your clinical trial in JAMA, The New England Journal, or other member journals of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors? Since July 2005, your trial needs be registered in advance. Read DeAngelis CD, Drazen JM, Frizelle FA et al. Clinical Trial Registration: A Statement From the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. JAMA 8 September 2004 (10.1001/jama.292.11.1363) [full-text]. Go to www.clinicaltrials.gov to register a trial. An update: Laine C, et al. Clinical Trial Registration: Looking Back and Moving Ahead. New Engl J Med 2007; 10.1056/NEJMe078110 [full-text]

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