Neurologic Complications in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Pediatric Stroke-Are We Asking the Right Questions? The 2022 Sidney Carter Award Lecture

Over the past few decades, robust clinical and research collaborations among pediatric stroke researchers have informed and improved the care of children with stroke. Risk factors and presentation of childhood stroke have been described, and the acute and chronic burden of childhood stroke has been better delineated. Nevertheless, high-quality data for the treatment of children with stroke is dwarfed by that available for adult stroke, and it is therefore tempting to extend research questions and treatment trials from adults to children. A trial designed to answer a question about stroke in adults may yield useful information about stroke in childhood, but a trial that incorporates the unique neurodevelopmental and etiologic aspects of childhood stroke is more likely to truly advance care. Research questions and study design in childhood stroke must capture the complexity of stroke mechanisms and medical comorbidities in children who suffer stroke, the impact on the developing nervous system, and the role of normal and aberrant neurodevelopment in recovery.

Targeted Temperature Management Protocol in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Project

BACKGROUND

In patients with acute neurological injury, abrupt temperature change exacerbates increased intracranial pressures and negatively affects perfusion pressure and cerebral blood flow. Critical care nurses must provide coordinated and effective interventions to maintain normothermia without precipitating shivering immediately after acute neurological injury in pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE

To improve hyperthermia management in a 40-bed pediatric intensive care unit, an interdisciplinary pediatric critical care team developed, implemented, and evaluated a targeted temperature management protocol.

METHODS

The project was guided by the organization's plan-do-study-act quality improvement process. Quality improvement was assessed retrospectively using electronic medical records of patients meeting eligibility criteria. Samples of pediatric patients who received temperature interventions were compared before and after protocol implementation. The protocol included environmental, pharmacological, and body surface cooling device interventions, as well as use of a bedside shivering assessment scale and stepwise interventions to prevent and control shivering.

RESULTS

Before implementation of the targeted temperature management protocol, 64% of patients had documented temperatures higher than 37.5 °C, and body surface cooling devices were used in 10% of patients. After protocol implementation, more than 80% of patients had documented temperatures higher than 37.5 °C, and body surface cooling devices were used in 62% of patients. Four patients (6%) before and 5 patients (31%) after protocol implementation were treated with body surface cooling without requiring use of neuromuscular blockade.

CONCLUSIONS

Creation and implementation of a targeted temperature management protocol increased nurses' documented use of body surface cooling to manage hyperthermia in pediatric intensive care unit patients with acute neurological injury.