Use of Noninvasive Ventilation in Respiratory Failure After Extubation During Postoperative Care in Pediatrics.

The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of failure of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) after cardiac surgery in pediatric patients with respiratory failure after extubation and to identify predictive success factors. This was a prospective cohort study of pediatric patients diagnosed with congenital heart disease who underwent heart surgery and used NIV. Data were collected from 170 patients with a median age of 2 months. No patient presented cardiorespiratory arrest nor any other complication during the use of NIV. The success rate for the use of NIV was 61.8%. Subjects were divided for analysis into successful and failed NIV groups. Statistical analysis used Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and Student's t tests, which were performed after univariate and multivariate logistic regression for p < 0.05. In the multivariate analysis, only the minimal pressure gradient (OR 1.45 with p = 0.007), maximum oxygen saturation (OR 0.88 with p = 0.011), and maximum fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) (OR 1.16 with p < 0.001) influenced NIV failure. The following variables did not present a statistical difference: extracorporeal circulation time (p = 0.669), pulmonary hypertension (p = 0.254), genetic syndrome (p = 0.342), RACHS-1 score (p = 0.097), age (p = 0.098), invasive mechanical ventilation duration (p = 0.186), and NIV duration (p = 0.804). In conclusion, NIV can be successfully used in children who, after cardiac surgery, develop respiratory failure in the 48 h following extubation. Although the use of higher pressure gradients and higher FiO2 are associated with a greater failure rate for NIV use, it was found to be generally safe.

The Epidemiology of Sepsis in Childhood.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis, or systemic inflammatory response to infection, is a major childhood disease and a common cause of death in children. Despite its importance, a global perspective on the epidemiology and mortality of pediatric sepsis across the world is still lacking. METHODS: A non-systematic review of the medical articles published in Medline from 2005 to 2015. RESULTS: Studies suggest that there has been a rise in the number of pediatric sepsis cases along the last two decades, which may relate to the increased survival of preterm and low birth-weight infants and children with severe chronic conditions. Children living in low-income countries represent a vulnerable population for sepsis. Despite several initiatives to improve the diagnosis and early treatment of pediatric sepsis, the mortality resulting from pediatric sepsis remains high, ranging from 5% to 40%. Poor outcomes, however, do not seem to be related to the limitation of resources but to the delay in the recognition and early treatment of sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Educational efforts aiming to increase the awareness on sepsis by the general public and the adherence to the treatment guidelines by healthcare providers may result in significant improvements in sepsis survival. The global attention to pediatric sepsis, however, can only be achieved with the standardization of the definitions and the use of simple and sensitive diagnostic criteria that incorporate the differences in the necessities among different settings and the availability of local resources.

Liver transplantation after stage II palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

The association of biliary atresia (BA) with congenital heart diseases has been extensively described, and there are a number of reports on the outcomes of patients in this group who undergo liver transplantation (LT). The intraoperative management and the timing of LT for patients with end-stage liver disease are matters of debate, especially when complex heart diseases are involved. This report describes the outcome after LT for a pediatric recipient with BA and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The patient underwent Norwood-Sano and Glenn procedures for heart palliation before LT. He was cyanotic, was severely malnourished, and had complications secondary to chronic liver failure. At the time of transplantation, the child was 16 months old and weighed 5175 g. Despite the critical clinical scenario and the long hospitalization period, there were no cardiac, vascular, or biliary complications after LT. At the age of 48 months, the patient was awaiting the final cardiac repair. In conclusion, the presence of complex cardiac malformations may not be a contraindication to LT. An experienced surgical team and a multidisciplinary approach are key to a successful outcome.

The impact of daily evaluation and spontaneous breathing test on the duration of pediatric mechanical ventilation: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the combination of daily evaluation and use of a spontaneous breathing test could shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation as compared with weaning based on our standard of care. Secondary outcome measures included extubation failure rate and the need for noninvasive ventilation. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Two pediatric intensive care units at university hospitals in Brazil. PATIENTS: The trial involved children between 28 days and 15 yrs of age who were receiving mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hrs. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to one of two weaning protocols. In the test group, the children underwent a daily evaluation to check readiness for weaning with a spontaneous breathing test with 10 cm H2O pressure support and a positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 cm H2O for 2 hrs. The spontaneous breathing test was repeated the next day for children who failed it. In the control group, weaning was performed according to standard care procedures. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 294 eligible children were randomized, with 155 to the test group and 139 to the control group. The time to extubation was shorter in the test group, where the median mechanical ventilation duration was 3.5 days (95% confidence interval, 3.0 to 4.0) as compared to 4.7 days (95% confidence interval, 4.1 to 5.3) in the control group (p = .0127). This significant reduction in the mechanical ventilation duration for the intervention group was not associated with increased rates of extubation failure or noninvasive ventilation. It represents a 30% reduction in the risk of remaining on mechanical ventilation (hazard ratio: 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: A daily evaluation to check readiness for weaning combined with a spontaneous breathing test reduced the mechanical ventilation duration for children on mechanical ventilation for >24 hrs, without increasing the extubation failure rate or the need for noninvasive ventilation.

Biventricular repair in unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect.

We present the case of a 2.5 year-old child with unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect due to a small left ventricle (LV) (mitral annulus of 10mm and a 0.4 ratio in relation to the tricuspid annulus, LVDD: 17 mm, LV Vd2: 15 ml/m(2) and LV/RV long-axis ratio of 0.71); he had a favorable outcome after biventricular surgical repair. Normal LV development was observed three months after the operation (mitral annulus of 22 mm, with a 0.84 ratio in relation to the tricuspid annulus, and LVDD of 30 mm). Current parameters for utilization of the hypoplastic ventricle are discussed.

Correção biventricular em defeito do septo atrioventricular desbalanceado / Corrección biventricular en defecto del septo atrioventricular desbalanceado / Biventricular repair in unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect

É apresentada a evolução favorável, após correção operatória biventricular, de criança com 2,5 anos de idade, com defeito do septo atrioventricular desbalanceado, com ventrículo esquerdo (VE) pequeno (anel mitral de 10 mm em relação de 0,4 com o anel tricúspide, DDVE de 17 mm, Vd2 VE de 15 ml/m² e relação do índice longitudinal VE/VD de 0,71). Houve desenvolvimento normal do VE, verificado três meses após a operação (anel mitral de 22 mm, em relação de 0,84 com o da valva tricúspide e DDVE de 30 mm). Discutem-se os parâmetros atuais de utilização do ventrículo hipoplásico.

We present the case of a 2.5 year-old child with unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect due to a small left ventricle (LV) (mitral annulus of 10mm and a 0.4 ratio in relation to the tricuspid annulus, LVDD: 17 mm, LV Vd2: 15 ml/m² and LV/RV long-axis ratio of 0.71); he had a favorable outcome after biventricular surgical repair. Normal LV development was observed three months after the operation (mitral annulus of 22 mm, with a 0.84 ratio in relation to the tricuspid annulus, and LVDD of 30 mm). Current parameters for utilization of the hypoplastic ventricle are discussed.

Presenta evolución favorable después de corrección operatoria biventricular, de niño con 2,5 años de edad, con Defecto del Septo Atrioventricular Desbalanceado con ventrículo izquierdo (VI) pequeño (anillo mitral de 10 mm en relación de 0,4 con el anillo tricúspide, DDVI de 17 mm, Vd2 VI de 15 ml/m2 y relación de ejes longitudinales VI/VD de 0,71). Hubo desarrollo normal del VI, verificado tres meses después de la operación (anillo mitral de 22 mm, en relación de 0,84 con el de la válvula tricúspide y DDVI de 30 mm). Se discuten los parámetros actuales de utilización del ventrículo hipoplásico.

[High-frequency ventilation in children and adolescents with acute respiratory distress syndrome (impact on the use of ECMO)]. / Ventilação de alta freqüência em crianças e adolescentes com síndrome do desconforto respiratório agudo (impacto sobre o uso de ECMO).

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of high-frequency ventilation (HFV) in children and adolescents with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) through estimates of survival rate and time of ventilation. To verify whether HFV can reduce the indication for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in children and adolescents with ARDS. METHODS: a systematic review of medical literature on the use of HFV and ECMO in children and adolescents with ARDS was carried out. Medline, Lilacs and Embase databases were searched for the following terms: adult respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory distress syndrome, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ECMO, high-frequency ventilation, high-frequency jet ventilation and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. Search was conducted for controlled and randomized clinical trials, cohort studies and a series of cases which compared HFV with conventional mechanic ventilation (CMV), ECMO with CMV, or HFV preceding the use of ECMO. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty nine publications related to HFV, ARDS and ECMO were found. Of these, only nine matched pre-established selection criteria which refer to use of HFV and/or ECMO in children and adolescents with ARDS. CONCLUSION: It was not possible to determine if use of HFV improves the survival rate of children and adolescent with ARDS. Regarding ventilation time, there is no study that confirms, with statistical significance, its increase or decrease. Whether HFV reduces indication of ECMO for children and adolescents with ARDS or not was also determined.

Ventilação de alta freqüência em crianças e adolescentes com síndrome do desconforto respiratório agudo (impacto sobre o uso de ecmo) / High-frequency ventilation in children and adolescents with acute respiratory distress syndrome (impact on the use of ecmo)

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o efeito da ventilação de alta freqüência (VAF) em crianças e adolescentes com síndrome do desconforto respiratório (SDRA) por meio de estimativas de sobrevida e tempo de ventilação. Verificar se a VAF reduziu a indicação de oxigenação de membrana extracorpórea (ECMO) em crianças e adolescentes com SDRA. MÉTODOS: A técnica empregada foi uma revisão sistemática da literatura médica sobre o uso de VAF e ECMO em crianças e adolescentes com SDRA. O levantamento bibliográfico utilizou os bancos de dados Medline, Lilacs e Embase. Os termos utilizados para pesquisa foram: adult respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory distress syndrome, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ECMO, high-frequency ventilation, high-frequency jet ventilation e high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. Foram procurados ensaios clínicos controlados e randomizados, estudos de coorte e série de casos que comparavam VAF com ventilação mecânica convencional (VMC), ECMO com VMC ou VAF precedendo o uso de ECMO. RESULTADOS: Foram identificadas 289 publicações relacionadas a VAF, SDRA e ECMO. Destas, apenas nove atendiam aos critérios de seleção pré-estabelecidos referindo-se a utilização de VAF e/ou ECMO em crianças e adolescentes com SDRA. CONCLUSÃO: Não foi possível confirmar se o uso de VAF melhora a sobrevida de crianças e adolescentes com SDRA. Quanto ao tempo de ventilação, não houve estudo que comprovasse, com significância estatística, a sua redução ou aumento. Não foi possível verificar se VAF diminui ou não a indicação de ECMO em crianças e adolescentes com SDRA.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of high-frequency ventilation (HFV) in children and adolescents with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) through estimates of survival rate and time of ventilation. To verify whether HFV can reduce the indication for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in children and adolescents with ARDS. METHODS: a systematic review of medical literature on the use of HFV and ECMO in children and adolescents with ARDS was carried out. Medline, Lilacs and Embase databases were searched for the following terms: adult respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory distress syndrome, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ECMO, high-frequency ventilation, high-frequency jet ventilation and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. Search was conducted for controlled and randomized clinical trials, cohort studies and a series of cases which compared HFV with conventional mechanic ventilation (CMV), ECMO with CMV, or HFV preceding the use of ECMO. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty nine publications related to HFV, ARDS and ECMO were found. Of these, only nine matched pre-established selection criteria which refer to use of HFV and/or ECMO in children and adolescents with ARDS. CONCLUSION: It was not possible to determine if use of HFV improves the survical rate of children and adolescent with ARDS. Regarding ventilation time, there is no study that confirms, with statistical significance, its increase or decrease. Whether HFV reduces or not indication of ECMO for children and adolescents with ARDS was also determined.

Transplante hepático com doador vivo familiar / Liver transplantation from living related donors

Objetivos: Apresentar a experiência com os primeiros 12 transplantes hepáticos com doadores vivos realizados no Hospital Sírio-Libanês de Säo Paulo. Métodos: Foram utilizados como doadores 6 pais e 6 mäes com idade entre 30 e 48 anos. Todos os doadores form submetidos ao termo de consentimento esclarecido, à avaliaçäo clínica, laboratorial e radiológica, e à coleta prévia de sangue para autotransfusäo. A idade dos receptores variou de 7 meses a 10 anos e, o peso, de 6,3 a 34 kg. Seis receptores foram considerados de alto risco devido a complicaçöes da doença hepática avançada e foram submetidos ao transplante em caráter de urgência. Resultados: A mortalidade dos doadores foi nula, e o tempo médio de internaçäo foi de 10 dias. Foram observadas complicaçöes técnicas em 4 receptores, enquanto que, em 7, ocorreram um ou mais episódios de infecçäo bacteriana, viral ou fúngica. Um ou mais episódios de rejeiçäo, comprovados por biópsia, foram diagnosticados em 7 pacientes. A sobrevida dos receptores foi de 67 por cento, sendo 83 por cento nos casos eletivos e 50 por cento nos casos urgentes. O seguimento pós-operatório variou de 8 a 25 meses. Dos 8 sobreviventes, 7 apresentam excelente qualidade de vida e funçäo hepática normal...