Incidence of opioid-induced constipation in the pediatric intensive care unit: A descriptive cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a well-known phenomenon, although there is limited literature evaluating the incidence of OIC in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The primary aim of this study was to determine the incidence of OIC in the PICU and to determine if it is associated with a higher rate of morbidities or prolonged length of stay (LOS). METHODS: We conducted a single-center retrospective chart review from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015, in our PICU. We included all patients aged ≤18 years with a PICU stay of ≥96 h who received opioids during their admission. Data were collected on the frequency of bowel movements and characteristics of opioid administration. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from Virtual Pediatric Systems, LLC. RESULTS: Of the 94 patients who met the study criteria, 39.4% developed constipation. These patients tended to be older (P = 0.06) and were noted to weigh more (P = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the total or median daily doses, duration of opioid treatment, or mode of administration. Constipation rates did not differ by the severity of illness. There was a higher incidence of constipation in the patients who were admitted for neurological issues or after trauma or abdominal surgery (P = 0.002). Patients with constipation had a longer LOS than patients without constipation, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that opioid use is not the sole risk factor for constipation in the PICU setting.

Enhancing pediatricians' engagement on social media: the role of board style questions.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background: Social Media is used among medical professionals for collaborative education. Little is known about how case discussions prompt engagement. Objective: To determine the association between item characteristics of board exam-style questions to social media engagement. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study through the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) PediaLink FaceBook page, conducted in 2018 over 9 months. Items from the 2017 PREP® questions were ranked in difficulty, then rated in relevance to general pediatrics through content-expert consensus. Thirty-six questions were randomly posted on FaceBook and Twitter weekly. Independent variables included item difficulty rank, difficulty level (easy vs hard), relevance to general pediatrics, and word count. Outcome variables included percent correct responses and total comments under the post. Results: More difficult questions were associated with fewer comments (rho=0.63, p<0.001) and lower correct response percentages (rho=0.39, p=0.02). Easy questions garnered more comments than hard questions (median 18 IQR 13-23 vs median 9.5 IQR 5-14, p=0.001). Correct response percentage was lower for hard questions (90% IQR 85-95% vs. 77% IQR 60-94%, p=0.04). Relevance to general pediatrics and word count did not affect engagement (p > 0.1). Conclusion: Easier practice test items attracted more responses from pediatricians on social media, increasing engagement.

Successful use of inhaled epoprostenol as rescue therapy for pediatric ARDS.

Severe pediatric ARDS remains a significant challenge for clinicians, and management strategies are essentially limited to lung protective ventilation strategies, and adjunct approaches such as prone positioning, steroids, surfactant, and inhaled nitric oxide in unique situations. Inhaled nitric oxide produces pulmonary vasodilation in ventilated regions of the lung, shunting blood away from poorly ventilated areas and thus optimizing the ventilation perfusion ratio. A subset of patients with ARDS are known to be non-responders to nitric oxide, and selective pulmonary vasodilators such as Epoprostenol can be useful as rescue therapy in such cases. We describe a case of severe pediatric ARDS in the setting of pre-existing pulmonary hypertension and Trisomy 21, whose clinical course improved remarkably once inhaled Epoprostenol was initiated.

A rare case of group A streptococcal toxic-shock syndrome in a postpartum adolescent leading to multi-organ failure.

Teenage pregnancy is not uncommon, but given the age of the patient, experience, and competency among medical providers varies. While toxic-shock syndrome from group A streptococcus is rare in teenage pregnancy, observed is a gap in care of bridging.

Burn-induced myocardial depression in a pediatric patient leading to fulminant cardiogenic shock and multiorgan failure requiring extracorporeal life support.

Cardiac stress is a critical determinant of outcomes associated with severe thermal injury. The cardiovascular response to a catecholamine-mediated surge from severe burns passes through two phases. Initial hypovolemia with myocardial depression leads to a low cardiac output, which then progresses to a hyperdynamic-hypermetabolic phase with increased cardiac output.

Intravenous immunoglobulin for acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis refractory to plasmapheresis.

Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy should be considered in pediatric acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis that is refractory to steroid and plasmapheresis.

Giant cell myocarditis causing refractory ventricular tachycardia in a pediatric patient.

Giant cell myocarditis should be considered in all pediatric patients with refractory ventricular arrhythmia. Endomyocardial biopsy should be obtained to confirm the diagnosis of giant cell myocarditis.

Case report of male child with elevated lipoprotein (a) leading to acute ischemic stroke.

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in children is rare with almost 40% diagnosed as cryptogenic. One possible mechanism associated with AIS is an elevated Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] level. Here, we discuss the case of an 11-year old boy who presented with multiple thrombotic strokes secondary to elevated Lp(a), which was identified as the only risk factor and immediately treated with lipoprotein apheresis (LA). Eighteen months post-AIS, he is still receiving LA treatments and has made remarkable progress in his recovery without another cerebrovascular event.

Safety of Enteral Feedings in Critically Ill Children Receiving Vasoactive Agents.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the safety of enteral feeding in children receiving vasoactive agents (VAs). METHODS: Patients aged 1 month to 18 years with a pediatric intensive care unit stay for ≥96 hours during 2007 and 2008 who received any VA (epinephrine, norepinephrine, vasopressin, milrinone, dopamine, and dobutamine) were included and categorized into fed and nonfed groups. Their demographics, clinical characteristics, type and dose of VA, and presence of gastrointestinal (GI) outcomes were obtained. GI outcomes were compared between the groups by the χ(2) test, Mann-Whitney test, and logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, 339 patients were included. Of these, 55% were in the fed group and 45% in the nonfed group. Patients in the fed group were younger (median age, 1.05 vs 2.75 years, respectively; P < .001) and tended to have a lower Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 (PIM2) risk of mortality (ROM) than those in the nonfed group (median, 3.33% vs 3.52%, respectively; P = .106). Mortality was lower in the fed group than the nonfed group (6.9% vs 15.9%, respectively; odds ratio [OR], 0.39; 0.18-0.84; P < .01, 95% CI), while GI outcomes did not differ between the groups. The vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) did not differ between the groups except on day 1 (P = .017). The ROM did not differ between the groups after adjusting for age, PIM2 ROM, and VIS on day 1 (OR, 0.58; 0.26-1.28; P = .18, 95% CI). CONCLUSIONS: Enteral feeding in patients receiving VAs is associated with no difference in GI outcomes and a tendency towards lower mortality. Prospective studies are required to confirm the safety of enteral feedings in patients receiving VAs.