OBJECTIVE To determine whether catheter-associated bloodstream infections were associated with increased lengths of stay in pediatric intensive care units and hospitals and increased healthcare costs in critically ill children. Previous studies have shown that hospital-acquired bloodstream infections are associated with longer stays in pediatric intensive care units, increased hospital costs, a...

BACKGROUND Checklists have been recognized by multiple industries as a valuable tool to reduce errors of omission. In the busy environment of a pediatric intensive care unit, adverse events are common and can have severe consequences. Researchers have focused on developing evidence-based practice guidelines; however, the nature of human error means that consistent application of this evidence i...

Coarctation is a constriction or narrowing of the aorta and presents most commonly within the first two weeks of life. This article reviews a case study of an infant diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta on day 8 of life. It includes an overview of the etiology, clinical presentation, and management plus an account of the infant's transport to a regional pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

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 assess influenza vaccination rates of healthcare workers (HCWs) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), and oncology units in Pediatric Prevention Network (PPN) hospitals. PARTICIPANTS Infection control practitioners and HCWs in NICUs, PICUs, and oncology units. METHODS In November 2000, posters, electronic copies of a slide presentatio...

Many of injured children will require surgical treatment with involvement of the anesthesiologist. The anesthesia providers may have to take care of pediatric patients on following occasions: 1- Initial stabilization in the emergency department 2- Providing sedation and monitoring for imaging 3- Preoperative management of emergent surgical procedures such as laparotomy or craniotomy 4- Manageme...

OBJECTIVE To assess the discrimination and calibration of the Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 in patients admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit. METHODS The study was conducted with a contemporary cohort from November 2005 to November 2006. Patients aged 29 days to 18 years were included in the study. Patients who died within 12 hours of admission and cases of readmission were excluded f...

BACKGROUND The presence of patients' families during resuscitation has been an important practice issue. An American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) practice alert "Family Presence During Resuscitation and Invasive Procedures" supports family members of patients undergoing resuscitation being given the option of bedside presence. Parent Advocacy Group for Events of Resuscitation (PAG...

Stress hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are associated with increased mortality and morbidity in critically ill patients. Three randomized controlled trials, in the surgical, medical, and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of the Leuven University in Belgium, demonstrated the beneficial response of tightly controlling blood glucose levels within age-adjusted narrow limits by applying intensive ...

This study evaluated the outcome of patients in a pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) of a developing country applying Pediatric Index of Mortality (PIM) version-2 scoring system. A total of 163 consecutive patients were prospectively studied. Data included demographics, diagnoses at admission, PIM-2 score, the duration of ICU stay and hospital outcome. Predicted mortality and standardized mort...