Factors associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation in children with pulmonary failure: Cohort study from the LARed Network registry

OBJECTIVES

To identify factors associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation (pMV) in pediatric patients in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort.

SETTING

PICUs in centers that are part of the LARed Network between April 2017 and January 2022.

PARTICIPANTS

Pediatric patients on mechanical ventilation (IMV) due to respiratory causes. We defined IMV time greater than the 75th percentile of the global cohort.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MAIN VARIABLES OF INTEREST

Demographic data, diagnoses, severity scores, therapies, complications, length of stay, morbidity, and mortality.

RESULTS

1698 children with MV of 8±7 days were included, and pIMV was defined as 9 days. Factors related to admission were age under 6 months (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.17-2.22), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR 3.71, 95% CI 1.87-7.36), and fungal infections (OR 6.66, 95% CI 1.87-23.74), while patients with asthma had a lower risk of pIMV (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.12-0.78). Regarding evolution and length of stay in the PICU, it was related to ventilation-associated pneumonia (OR 4.27, 95% CI 1.79-10.20), need for tracheostomy (OR 2.91, 95% CI 1.89-4.48), transfusions (OR 2.94, 95% CI 2.18-3.96), neuromuscular blockade (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.48-2.93), high-frequency ventilation (OR 2.91, 95% CI 1.89-4.48), and longer PICU stay (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.10-1.16). In addition, mean airway pressure greater than 13cmH2O was associated with pIMV (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.12-2.21).

CONCLUSIONS

Factors related to IMV duration greater than 9 days in pediatric patients in PICUs were identified in terms of admission, evolution, and length of stay.

[Lower socioeconomic conditions are associated with higher rates but similar outcomes in Sepsis in children]

Sepsis is an important cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality, especially in low-income countries. Data on regional prevalence, mortality trends, and their relationship with socioeconomic variables are scarce.

OBJECTIVE

to determine the regional prevalence, mortality, and sociodemographic situation of patients diagnosed with severe sepsis (SS) and septic shock (SSh) admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs).

PATIENTS AND METHOD

patients aged 1 to 216 months admitted to 47 participating PICUs with a diagnosis of SS or SSh between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2018, were included. Secondary analysis was performed on the Argentine Society of Intensive Care Benchmarking Quality Program (SATI-Q) database for SS and SSh and a review of the annual reports of the Argentine Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Statistics and Census for the sociodemographic indices of the respective years.

RESULTS

45,480 admissions were recorded in 47 PICUs, 3,777 of them with a diagnosis of SS and SSh. The combined prevalence of SS and SSh decreased from 9.9% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2018. The combined mortality decreased from 34.5% to 23.5%. Multivariate analysis showed that the Odds ratio (OR) of the association between SS and SSh mortality was 1.88 (95% CI: 1.46-2.32) and 2.4 (95% CI: 2.16-2.66), respectively, adjusted for malignant disease, PIM2, and mechanical ventilation. The prevalence of SS and SSh in different health regions (HR) was associated with the percentage of poverty and infant mortality rate (p < 0.001). However, there was no association between sepsis mortality and HR adjusted for PIM2.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence and mortality of SS and SSh have decreased over time in the participating PICUs. Lower socioeconomic conditions were associated with higher prevalence but similar sepsis outcomes.

Factors to be Considered in Advancing Pediatric Critical Care Across the World

This article reviews the many factors that have to be taken into account as we consider the advancement of pediatric critical care (PCC) in multiple settings across the world. The extent of PCC and the range of patients who are cared for in this environment are considered. Along with a review of the ongoing treatment and technology advances in the PCC setting, the structures and systems required to support these services are also considered. Finally the question of how PCC can be made sustainable in a volatile world with the impacts of global crises such as climate change is addressed.

The Current and Future State of Pediatric Sepsis Definitions: An International Survey

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Definitions for pediatric sepsis were established in 2005 without data-driven criteria. It is unknown whether the more recent adult Sepsis-3 definitions meet the needs of providers caring for children. We aimed to explore the use and applicability of criteria to diagnose sepsis and septic shock in children across the world.

METHODS

This is an international electronic survey of clinicians distributed across international and national societies representing pediatric intensive care, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and pediatric infectious diseases. Respondents stated their preferences on a 5-point Likert scale.

RESULTS

There were 2835 survey responses analyzed, of which 48% originated from upper-middle income countries, followed by high income countries (38%) and low or lower-middle income countries (14%). Abnormal vital signs, laboratory evidence of inflammation, and microbiologic diagnoses were the criteria most used for the diagnosis of "sepsis." The 2005 consensus definitions were perceived to be the most useful for sepsis recognition, while Sepsis-3 definitions were stated as more useful for benchmarking, disease classification, enrollment into trials, and prognostication. The World Health Organization definitions were perceived as least useful across all domains. Seventy one percent of respondents agreed that the term sepsis should be restricted to children with infection-associated organ dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians around the world apply a myriad of signs, symptoms, laboratory studies, and treatment factors when diagnosing sepsis. The concept of sepsis as infection with associated organ dysfunction is broadly supported. Currently available sepsis definitions fall short of the perceived needs. Future diagnostic algorithms should be pragmatic and sensitive to the clinical settings.

Challenges and health-care priorities for reducing the burden of paediatric sepsis in Latin America: a call to action

Sepsis is a worldwide public health problem due to its high incidence and accompanying mortality, morbidity, and financial burden. It is a major cause of admission to paediatric intensive care units; despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment, both incidence and mortality are high in low-income and middle-income countries. There are several barriers in addressing the enormous burden of paediatric sepsis in these countries, which include: lack of data of incidence and mortality; unfamiliarity of sepsis by the lay public, leading to failure to seek care early, and by health professionals, leading to failure to treat emergently; and insufficient government funding for sepsis care programmes leading to inadequate staffing, material, and financial resources, and therefore, poor health systems. Socioeconomic inequalities, such as inequity and marked variation in income and education, high rates of malnutrition, high percentage of young population, and health systems that do not meet the population's demands also represent barriers in the care of children with sepsis in Latin America. In this Viewpoint, we draw attention to the problem of paediatric sepsis in Latin America and call for action to reduce the disease burden by proposing some solutions.

Challenges of implementing the Paediatric Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines 2020 in resource-limited settings: A real-world view beyond the academia

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines for the Management of Septic Shock and Sepsis-associated Organ Dysfunction in Children was released in 2020 and is intended for use in all global settings that care for children with sepsis. However, practitioners managing children with sep sis in resource-limited settings (RLS) face several challenges and disease patterns not experienced by those in resource-rich settings. Based upon our collective experience from RLS, we aimed to reflect on the difficulties of implementing the international guidelines. We believe there is an urgent need for more evidence from RLS on feasible, efficacious approaches to the management of sepsis and septic shock that could be included in future context-specific guidelines.

Latin American Consensus on the Management of Sepsis in Children: Sociedad Latinoamericana de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos [Latin American Pediatric Intensive Care Society] (SLACIP) Task Force: Executive Summary

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to develop evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), more specifically in Latin America. Design: A panel was formed consisting of 27 experts with experience in the treatment of pediatric sepsis and two methodologists working in Latin American countries. The experts were organized into 10 nominal groups, each coordinated by a member. Methods: A formal consensus was formed based on the modified Delphi method, combining the opinions of nominal groups of experts with the interpretation of available scientific evidence, in a systematic process of consolidating a body of recommendations. The systematic search was performed by a specialized librarian and included specific algorithms for the Cochrane Specialized Register, PubMed, Lilacs, and Scopus, as well as for OpenGrey databases for grey literature. The GRADEpro GDT guide was used to classify each of the selected articles. Special emphasis was placed on search engines that included original research conducted in LMICs. Studies in English, Spanish, and Portuguese were covered. Through virtual meetings held between February 2020 and February 2021, the entire group of experts reviewed the recommendations and suggestions. Result: At the end of the 12 months of work, the consensus provided 62 recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric sepsis in LMICs. Overall, 60 were strong recommendations, although 56 of these had a low level of evidence. Conclusions: These are the first consensus recommendations for the diagnosis and management of pediatric sepsis focused on LMICs, more specifically in Latin American countries. The consensus shows that, in these regions, where the burden of pediatric sepsis is greater than in high-income countries, there is little high-level evidence. Despite the limitations, this consensus is an important step forward for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric sepsis in Latin America.

Therapeutic variability in infants admitted to Latin-American pediatric intensive units due to acute bronchiolitis

The objective of this study was to describe the management of infants with acute bronchiolitis admit ted to 20 pediatric intensive care units (PICU) members of LARed in 5 Latin American countries. Pa tients and Method: Retrospective, multicenter, observational study of data from the Latin American Registry of Acute Pediatric Respiratory Failure. We included children under 2 years of age admitted to the PICU due to community-based acute bronchiolitis between May and September 2017. Demo graphic and clinical data, respiratory support, therapies used, and clinical results were collected. A subgroup analysis was carried out according to geographical location (Atlantic v/s Pacific), type of insurance (Public v/s Private), and Academic v/s non-Academic centers. Results: 1,155 patients were included in the registry which present acute respiratory failure and 6 were excluded due to the lack of information in their record form. Out of the 1,147 patients, 908 were under 2 years of age, and out of those, 467 (51.4%) were diagnosed with acute bronchiolitis, which was the main cause of admission to the PICU due to acute respiratory failure. The demographic and severity characteristics among the centers were similar. The most frequent maximum ventilatory support was the high-flow nasal can nula (47%), followed by non-invasive ventilation (26%) and invasive mechanical ventilation (17%), with a wide coefficient of variation (CV) between centers. There was a great dispersion in the use of treatments, where the use of bronchodilators, antibiotics, and corticosteroids, representing a CV up to 400%. There were significant differences in subgroup analysis regarding respiratory support and treatments used. One patient of this cohort passed away. Conclusion: we detected wide variability in respiratory support and treatments among Latin American PICUs. This variability was not explained by demographic or clinical differences. The heterogeneity of treatments should encourage collabora tive initiatives to reduce the gap between scientific evidence and practice.

Characteristics of Medically Transported Critically Ill Children with Respiratory Failure in Latin America: Implications for Outcomes

Several challenges exist for referral and transport of critically ill children in resource-limited regions such as Latin America; however, little is known about factors associated with clinical outcomes. Thus, we aimed to describe the characteristics of critically ill children in Latin America transferred to pediatric intensive care units for acute respiratory failure to identify risk factors for mortality. We analyzed data from 2,692 patients admitted to 28 centers in the Pediatric Collaborative Network of Latin America Acute Respiratory Failure Registry. Among patients referred from another facility (773, 28%), nonurban transports were independently associated with mortality (adjusted odds ratio = 9.4; 95% confidence interval: 2.4–36.3).

Paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (PIMS-TS): a narrative review and the viewpoint of the Latin American Society of Pediatric Intensive Care (SLACIP) Sepsis Committee

Background

In this review, we discuss some important aspects of paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (PIMS-TS), a new syndrome that is temporally related to previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This virus has a broad spectrum of presentation that may overlap with Kawasaki disease in terms of presenting symptoms and laboratory and cardiac findings. Our objective was to review and summarise published evidence regarding the most important aspects of PIMS-TS, with special emphasis on the treatment strategies suggested for middle-income and low-income countries.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was performed in the principal medical databases including PubMed, Embase (OVID) and Google Scholar between December 2019 and August 2020.

Results

A total of 69 articles were identified in the described databases. Altogether, 13 articles met the inclusion criteria and were eligible. The most frequently described symptoms of PIMS-TS include fever (82%), shock (67%) and gastrointestinal (87%), skin (71%) and cardiac disorders (75%). In most series, it has been observed between 4 and 6 weeks after the pandemic appears in the general population. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is presented as a great systemic inflammatory response syndrome, which sometimes presents as shock requiring fluid resuscitation and vasoactive drug support (26%). Several treatment strategies have been used, including immunoglobulin, steroids, aspirin, anakinra and anticoagulation among others. These general and specific interventions should be guided by an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary team, especially in settings with limited resources.

Conclusions

PIMS-TS COVID-19 is a new type of presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with an exaggerated inflammatory response and frequent-but not exclusive-digestive and myocardial involvement. It is important to describe the clinical course and outcomes in countries with limited resources as well as establish the role of biomarkers for early diagnosis, effective therapeutic strategies and outpatient follow-up schemes.

Recommendations for the initial management of multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally related to COVID-19, in children and adolescents

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally related to COVID-19 in children and adolescents is a clinical presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It shares some features with Kawasaki disease, toxic shock, sepsis, macrophage activation syndrome, and myocarditis. Few publications have addressed its initial management, which is similar to that proposed for septic shock. This review analyzes such approach based on the characteristics typical of multisystem inflammatory syndrome related to COVID-19 in accordance with the paradigm of an "institutional practice guideline" and suggests therapeutic approach strategies, including early detection, stabilization, referral, specific treatment, and process analysis.

Epidemiological study of pediatric severe sepsis in Argentina

INTRODUCTION

Severe sepsis (SS) is one of the leading causes of pediatric mortality in Argentina. The objective was to describe the epidemiological characteristics and to analyze risk factors associated with mortality from SS among patients hospitalized in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) in Argentina.

POPULATION AND METHODS

Observational, prospective cohort study among patients with SS hospitalized in PICUs in Argentina from 8/1/2008 to 9/30/2008.

RESULTS

Two thousand five hundred and fifty nine patients were admitted at 59 PICUs. A total of 315 patients (335 events) were included. Patients' median age was 8 months (1-182). The frequency was 13.8 %, and 28-day mortality was 31.6 %. Patients with a higher mortality were those who were coming from rural areas, had comorbidities at the time of admission or a history of cancer, had shock or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), were administered low-dose corticosteroids or vasoactive drugs or more than 60 ml/kg of fluid in the first hour and in the first 6hours, and had severe malnutrition. Following adjustment by severity using a multivariate logistic regression model, only coming from a rural area, having shock or ARDS remained associated with 28-day mortality. Forty per cent of patients received antibiotics 60 minutes after diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

SS is an event with a high frequency and mortality in Argentina. In the severity adjusted multivariate analysis, only coming from a rural area, having ARDS and/or shock were associated with higher mortality.

Recommendations for the management of pediatric septic shock in the first hour (part one)

In the past two years, different organizations have updated their clinical practice guidelines for hemodynamic support in pediatric septic shock. The studies conducted in adults have questioned the initial management of sepsis in accordance to protocols based on achieving various goals. However, the usefulness of these protocols in children has been demonstrated. The possibility of adhering to guidelines may vary depending on patients and facilities, so it is necessary to update the general aspects of initial care for children with sepsis. The proposal is to shift the paradigm from an "individual practice guideline," which is universal for all, to an "institutional practice guideline" and to assess the factors that should be improved at each facility. This manuscript is divided into two parts. The first part analyzes the bundles for the early detection of septic shock. Part two addresses treatment, stabilization, referral, and process analysis.

[Recommendations for the management of pediatric septic shock in the first hour (part two)]

In 2016, the Surviving Sepsis Campaign and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) developed clinical practice guidelines for the management of pediatric septic shock. In 2017, the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM) updated its recommendations for hemodynamic support of pediatric shock. Recognizing septic shock is critical, as well as an optimal, time-sensitive treatment. An adequate consultation with a pediatric specialist and/or a timely referral to a facility with a higher level of care are also critical for an appropriate outcome in the management of this condition. Here we analyze the bundles used in the management of these patients, which are essential to improve the quality of care.

Dying in the intensive care unit: collaborative multicenter study about forgoing life-sustaining treatment in Argentine pediatric intensive care units

OBJECTIVE

Describe modes of death and factors involved in decision-making together with life support limitation (LSL) procedures.

DESIGN

Prospective, descriptive, longitudinal, and noninterventional study.

SETTING

Sixteen pediatric intensive care units in Argentina.

PATIENTS

Every patient who died during a 1-yr period was included.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Age, sex, length of stay (LOS), primary and admission diagnosis, underlying chronic disease (CD), postoperative condition (PO). Deaths were classified in four groups: a) failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); b) do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status; c) withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment (WH/WD); and d) brain death (BD). Justifications were classified as a) imminent death; b) poor long-term prognosis; c) poor quality of life; and d) family request. Data were collected from medical records and interviews with the attending physicians. Descriptive statistics were performed. Differences among groups were analyzed through contingency tables and analysis of variance when required. Relative risks and confidence intervals of variables potentially related to LSL were analyzed, and logistic regression was performed. There were 6358 admissions and 457 deaths. CPR was performed in 52%, DNR in 16%, WH/WD in 20%, and BD in 11% of dead patients. BD patients were older, LOS and CD prevalence were higher in the WH/WD group. Inotropic drugs were the most frequently limited treatment in 110 patients (55%), CPR in 72 (35.6%), and mechanical ventilation in 63 (31%). Imminent death was the most frequently reported justification for LSL. CD and more staff were associated with a higher probability of LSL.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the patients in Argentina underwent CPR before their death. We have a high proportion of patients with CD (65%) and low BD diagnosis. PO condition decreased LSL probability in chronically ill patients. Do-not-resuscitate orders and withholding new treatments were the most common LSL. Active withdrawal was exceptional. The Ethics Committee was consulted in 5% of the LSL population.