Implications of sedation during the use of noninvasive ventilation in children with acute respiratory failure (SEDANIV Study).

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of sedation administration on clinical parameters, comfort status, intubation requirements, and the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) length of stay (LOS) in children with acute respiratory failure (ARF) receiving noninvasive ventilation (NIV). METHODS: Thirteen PICUs in Spain participated in a prospective, multicenter, observational trial from January to December 2021. Children with ARF under the age of five who were receiving NIV were included. Clinical information and comfort levels were documented at the time of NIV initiation, as well as at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. The COMFORT-behavior (COMFORT-B) scale was used to assess the patients' level of comfort. NIV failure was considered to be a requirement for endotracheal intubation. RESULTS: A total of 457 patients were included, with a median age of 3.3 months (IQR 1.3-16.1). Two hundred and thirteen children (46.6%) received sedation (sedation group); these patients had a higher heart rate, higher COMFORT-B score, and lower SpO2/FiO2 ratio than did those who did not receive sedation (non-sedation group). A significantly greater improvement in the COMFORT-B score at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h, heart rate at 6 and 12 h, and SpO2/FiO2 ratio at 6 h was observed in the sedation group. Overall, the NIV success rate was 95.6%-intubation was required in 6.1% of the sedation group and in 2.9% of the other group (p = 0.092). Multivariate analysis revealed that the PRISM III score at NIV initiation (OR 1.408; 95% CI 1.230-1.611) and respiratory rate at 3 h (OR 1.043; 95% CI 1.009-1.079) were found to be independent predictors of NIV failure. The PICU LOS was correlated with weight, PRISM III score, respiratory rate at 12 h, SpO2 at 3 h, FiO2 at 12 h, NIV failure and NIV duration. Sedation use was not found to be independently related to NIV failure or to the PICU LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Sedation use may be useful in children with ARF treated with NIV, as it seems to improve clinical parameters and comfort status but may not increase the NIV failure rate or PICU LOS, even though sedated children were more severe at technique initiation in the present sample.

Implementation feasibility of animal-assisted therapy in a pediatric intensive care unit: effectiveness on reduction of pain, fear, and anxiety.

Animal-assisted therapies are an innovative strategy within health care humanization initiatives, and they could play a role in the reduction of pain or anxiety. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing animal-assisted therapy in a pediatric intensive care unit and its effectiveness for the reduction of pain, fear, and anxiety. A prospective, quasi-experimental study of animal-assisted therapy was designed in the pediatric intensive care unit of the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre of Madrid, from January 2019 to December 2019. The study sample included patients who had been admitted to the unit and were over 3 years old. Satisfaction surveys were collected from the patients, family, and health personnel involved. Physiological variables and the level of pain (visual analog scale or Wong-Baker scale), fear (Child Medical Fear Scale), and anxiety (modified Yale Preoperatory Anxiety Scale) were evaluated before and after each session. Any existence of adverse events was recorded. A total of 74 therapy sessions were performed on 61 patients. All sessions were completed without any adverse effects. A total of 164 surveys were collected, providing an overall project rating of 9.69 out of a possible 10. The survey comments were found to be positive in most cases. No differences were found in the physiological variables measured before and after each session. There was a statistically significant decrease in pain, fear, and anxiety levels (p < 0.01).   Conclusion: The implementation of an animal-assisted therapy project in a pediatric intensive care unit is feasible and safe and has a high degree of acceptance among both participants and healthcare staff. Animal-assisted therapy is effective for the reduction of pain, fear, and anxiety, and therefore, it could be considered an adjunct to non-pharmacological therapy. What is Known: • Animal assisted therapies (AAT) are an innovative strategy that could be beneficial to help pediatrics patients cope with admission difficulties and could even play a role in reducing pain, anxiety and/or delirium. • To date there are not studies to analyze the effectiveness of AAT in the field of Pediatric Intesive Care. What is New: • Our study confirms the feasibility and effectiveness of the implementation of an AAT in the field of Pediatric Intensive Care with a high degree of acceptance by participants, caregivers and healthcare personnel. • AAT demonstrated a reduction in pain, fear and anxiety in pediatrics patients admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Infecciones durante oxigenación de membrana extracorpórea / Experience with infections in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

OBJETIVO: Identificar factores de riesgo asociados con el desarrollo de infecciones nosocomiales en pacientes pediátricos asistidos con oxigenación por membrana extracorpórea (ECMO). PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: Se han revisado de forma retrospectiva los pacientes que han recibido asistencia en ECMO de enero de 2011 a diciembre de 2014. Se han recogido datos demográficos, sobre la asistencia y sobre las infecciones que aparecen durante dicha asistencia. RESULTADOS: En este periodo hubo 50 asistencias en ECMO. Veinte pacientes tuvieron 23 episodios de infección, de los que 16 fueron bacteriemias, siendo el microorganismo más frecuente el estafilococo coagulasa negativo (habiendo 2 casos de candidemia). En cuanto a los grupos de edad, el lugar y el tipo de canulación, la presencia de coagulopatía grave y la realización de intervenciones quirúrgicas durante la asistencia, ninguno de estos factores resultó un factor de riesgo de infección estadísticamente significativo. La duración media de soporte en ECMO fue significativamente mayor en los pacientes que tuvieron alguna infección (8,91 vs. 5,96 días; p = 0,039). No hubo diferencias significativas en cuanto a la estancia en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos ni en cuanto a la supervivencia. CONCLUSIONES: La incidencia de infección durante ECMO es muy alta y los pacientes que tienen una infección están asistidos un tiempo significativamente mayor, por lo que se deben instaurar medidas para prevenir la aparición de estas infecciones e intentar minimizar el tiempo de asistencia en ECMO

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors associated with infectious complications acquired by paediatric patients during extracorporeal life support (ECLS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients under ECLS from January 2011 to December 2014 have been retrospectively reviewed and data on demographics, care and infectious complications were collected. RESULTS: There were 50 ECLS assistances in the study period, of which 20 patients had 23 infectious complications: 16 were bloodstream infections, with coagulase negative staphylococci being the predominant isolate (there were 2 cases of candidaemia). Age, site of cannulation procedure, cannulation site, severe coagulopathy, and surgical interventions during assistance were analysed as risk factors for infectious complications, but no significant differences were found. ECLS duration was significantly longer in patients with infectious complications (8.91 vs 5.91 days; P=.039). There were no significant differences as regards Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) stay, or in survival. CONCLUSIONS: Infectious complications during ECLS are very common, and ECLS duration is significantly longer in patients with infections. Measures should be put in place to prevent infectious complications and reduce time on ECLS

[Experience with infections in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation]. / Infecciones durante oxigenación de membrana extracorpórea.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors associated with infectious complications acquired by paediatric patients during extracorporeal life support (ECLS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients under ECLS from January 2011 to December 2014 have been retrospectively reviewed and data on demographics, care and infectious complications were collected. RESULTS: There were 50 ECLS assistances in the study period, of which 20 patients had 23 infectious complications: 16 were bloodstream infections, with coagulase negative staphylococci being the predominant isolate (there were 2 cases of candidaemia). Age, site of cannulation procedure, cannulation site, severe coagulopathy, and surgical interventions during assistance were analysed as risk factors for infectious complications, but no significant differences were found. ECLS duration was significantly longer in patients with infectious complications (8.91 vs 5.91 days; P=.039). There were no significant differences as regards Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) stay, or in survival. CONCLUSIONS: Infectious complications during ECLS are very common, and ECLS duration is significantly longer in patients with infections. Measures should be put in place to prevent infectious complications and reduce time on ECLS.