BACKGROUND Antibiotic surveillance is mandatory to optimise antibiotic therapy. Our objectives were to evaluate antibiotic use in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and to implement a simple achievable intervention aimed at improving antibiotic therapy. METHOD Prospective, 3 months surveillance of antibiotic use on PICU (phase I) and evaluation according to the CDC 12-step campaign with...

Although there is a growing body of literature about the medical problems which arise in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), rather little has been written about psychiatric issues characteristic of the critical care setting for children. This article will describe the PICU as a community made up of several sub-groups, the various psychosocial stresses, the reactions to stresses, and the in...

OBJECTIVE There is lack of evidence to guide thromboprophylaxis in the pediatric intensive care unit. We aimed to assess current prescribing practice for pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis in critically ill children. SETTING Pediatric intensive care units in the United States and Canada with at least ten beds. DESIGN Cross-sectional self-administered survey of pediatric intensivists using ado...

UNLABELLED Nasal ala pressure sores are among complications of nasogastric tube in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The severity of the injury is usually minor and easily ignored. However, the complication could be easily avoided. This is a case of nasal ala sore after the placement of nasal enteral tube in a pediatric intensive care unit in our center. A 5-month-old female with pulmonary ...

OBJECTIVE To describe physicians' experiences in attempting to provide optimal care for families of children who suffer from sudden, acute life-threatening conditions (SALTC). DESIGN To generate descriptive data in this exploratory study, we used qualitative methods including focus groups and in-depth interviews. Transcripts of focus groups and interviews were analyzed for content using stand...

OBJECTIVE To assess the performance of the Nursing Activities Score in a pediatric intensive care unit, compare its scores expressed as time spent on nursing activities to the corresponding ones calculated using the Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System, and correlate the results obtained by both instruments with severity, morbidity and mortality. METHODS Prospective, observation...

The objective of this study was to understand the vulnerability experienced by the family of children hospitalized in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The Symbolic Interactionism and the Concept of Family Vulnerability were the frameworks used to understand this experience. Qualitative Content Analysis was used. Data was collected through interviews and observation with 11 families of ch...

BACKGROUND Tracheal intubation-associated events (TIAEs) are common (20%) and life threatening (4%) in pediatric intensive care units. Physician trainees are required to learn tracheal intubation during intensive care unit rotations. The authors hypothesized that "just-in-time" simulation-based intubation refresher training would improve resident participation, success, and decrease TIAEs. ME...