Spontaneous recovery from neuromuscular block after a single dose of a muscle relaxant in pediatric patients: A systematic review using a network meta-analytic and meta-regression approach.

BACKGROUND: Age-related differences in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) and the short duration of many surgical procedures put pediatric patients at risk of postoperative residual curarization (PORC). To date, the duration of neuromuscular blocking agent effect in children has not been analyzed in a quantitative review. The current meta-analysis aimed to compare spontaneous recovery following administration of various types and doses of neuromuscular blocking agents and to quantify the effect of prognostic variables associated with the recovery time in pediatric patients. METHOD: We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) that compared the time to 25% T1 (t25), from 25% to 75% T1 (RI25-75), and to ≥90% train-of-four (tTOF90) neuromuscular recovery between common neuromuscular blocking agent treatments administered as a single bolus to healthy pediatric participants. We compared spontaneous t25, RI25-75, and tTOF90 between (1) neuromuscular blocking agent treatments and (2) age groups receiving a given neuromuscular blocking agent intervention and anesthesia technique. Bayesian random-effects network and pairwise meta-analyses along with meta-regression were used to evaluate the results. RESULTS: We used data from 71 randomized controlled trials/controlled clinical trials including 4319 participants. Network meta-analysis allowed for the juxtaposition and ranking of spontaneous t25, RI25-75, and tTOF90 following common neuromuscular blocking agent interventions. For all neuromuscular blocking agents a log-linear relationship between dose and duration of action was found. With the neuromuscular blocking agent treatments studied, the average tTOF90 (mean[CrI95]) in children (>2-11 y) was 41.96 [14.35, 69.50] and 17.06 [5.99, 28.30] min shorter than in neonates (<28 d) and infants (28 d-12 M), respectively. We found a negative log-linear correlation between age and duration of neuromuscular blocking agent effect. The difference in the tTOF90 (mean[CrI95]) between children and other age groups increased by 21.66 [8.82, 34.53] min with the use of aminosteroid neuromuscular blocking agents and by 24.73 [7.92, 41.43] min with the addition of sevoflurane/isoflurane for anesthesia maintenance. CONCLUSIONS: The times to neuromuscular recovery are highly variable. These can decrease significantly with age and are prolonged when volatile anesthetics are administered. This variability, combined with the short duration of many pediatric surgical procedures, makes quantitative neuromuscular monitoring mandatory even after a single dose of neuromuscular blocking agent.

Traumatic Spinal Injury in Children; Time to Revise Pre-Hospital and Diagnostic Protocols?

Background: Traumatic spinal injury in children is a rare but serious life event. Predicting pediatric patients at risk for spinal injury remains difficult. This study focuses on the cause of the injury and predictors to identify children at risk and appropriate diagnostic procedures. Methods: Retrospective chart review from the Landelijke Trauma Registratie of patients with spinal injury from 2010 to 2021 in a level 1 pediatric trauma center. Results: We included 114 children with spinal injury, 79.8% of whom were aged 12-17 years. In the overall trauma population, the incidence of spinal injury was 10% in children aged 12-17 years, 2.3% in children aged 6-11 years, and 0.4% in children 0-5 years of age. Neurological deficits were present in 27.2% of patients in the emergency department, with permanent deficits in 14.0%. Spinal fractures were present in 91.2% of 12-17-year-olds, 43.8% in 6-11-year-olds, and 71.4% in 0-5-year-olds. ISS was 23 (SD 14) in children with spinal injury compared to 8 (SD 9) for children without spinal injury. Conclusions: In children 0-11 years old, spinal injury is very rare compared to the overall trauma population, and there are more non-osseous injuries. Clinicians should consider MRI as the next step after conventional X-ray to diagnose or exclude spinal injuries in this group. In older children aged 12-17 years, the incidence of spinal injury is much higher, at 10%. Although ISS is higher in children with spinal injury, a low ISS does not exclude spinal injury. If one fracture is found, more fractures in other regions of the spine may be present.

Oxygenation during general anesthesia in pediatric patients: A retrospective observational study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Protocols are used in intensive care and emergency settings to limit the use of oxygen. However, in pediatric anesthesiology, such protocols do not exist. This study aimed to investigate the administration of oxygen during pediatric general anesthesia and related these values to PaO2, SpO2 and SaO2. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: Tertiary pediatric academic hospital, from June 2017 to August 2020. PATIENTS: Patients aged 0-18 years who underwent general anesthesia for a diagnostic or surgical procedure with tracheal intubation and an arterial catheter for regular blood withdrawal were included. Patients on cardiopulmonary bypass or those with missing data were excluded. Electronic charts were reviewed for patient characteristics, type of surgery, arterial blood gas analyses, and oxygenation management. INTERVENTIONS: No interventions were done. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome defined as FiO2, PaO2 and SpO2 values were interpreted using descriptive analyses, and the correlation between PaO2 and FiO2 was determined using the weighted Spearman correlation coefficient. MAIN RESULTS: Data of 493 cases were obtained. Of these, 267 were excluded for various reasons. Finally, 226 cases with a total of 645 samples were analyzed. The median FiO2 was 36% (IQR 31 to 43), with a range from 20% to 97%, and the median PaO2 was 23.6 kPa (IQR 18.6 to 28.1); 177 mmHg (IQR 140 to 211). The median SpO2 level was 99% (IQR 98 to 100%). The study showed a moderately positive association between PaO2 and FiO2 (r = 0.52, p < 0.001). 574 of 645 samples (89%) contained a PaO2 higher than 13.3 kPa; 100 mmHg. CONCLUSIONS: Oxygen administration during general pediatric anesthesia is barely regulated. Hyperoxemia is observed intraoperatively in approximately 90% of cases. Future research should focus on outcomes related to hyperoxemia.

Development and external validation of a clinical prediction model for predicting quality of recovery up to 1 week after surgery.

The Quality of Recovery Score-40 (QoR-40) has been increasingly used for assessing recovery after patients undergoing surgery. However, a prediction model estimating quality of recovery is lacking. The aim of the present study was to develop and externally validate a clinical prediction model that predicts quality of recovery up to one week after surgery. The modelling procedure consisted of two models of increasing complexity (basic and full model). To assess the internal validity of the developed model, bootstrapping (1000 times) was applied. At external validation, the model performance was evaluated according to measures for overall model performance (explained variance (R2)) and calibration (calibration plot and slope). The full model consisted of age, sex, previous surgery, BMI, ASA classification, duration of surgery, HADS and preoperative QoR-40 score. At model development, the R2 of the full model was 0.24. At external validation the R2 dropped as expected. The calibration analysis showed that the QoR-40 predictions provided by the developed prediction models are reliable. The presented models can be used as a starting point for future updating in prediction studies. When the predictive performance is improved it could be implemented clinically in the future.

Electroencephalographic density spectral array monitoring during propofol/sevoflurane coadministration in children, an exploratory observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Propofol and sevoflurane have a long history in pediatric anesthesia. Combining both drugs at low dose levels offers new opportunities. However, monitoring the hypnotic effects of this drug combination in children is challenging, because the currently available processed EEG-based systems are insufficiently validated in young children and the co-administration of anesthetics. This study investigated electroencephalographic density spectral array monitoring during propofol/sevoflurane coadministration with fixed sevoflurane- and variable propofol dosages. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the density spectral array pattern recorded during propofol/sevoflurane anesthesia in pediatric patients from birth to 11 years of age. Data from 78 patients were suitable for analysis. The primary outcome parameter of this study was the correlation between variable propofol dosages and the expression of the four electroencephalogram frequency bands ß, α, θ, and δ. The main secondary outcome parameters were the intra-operative total EEG power and the prevalence of burst suppression. RESULTS: In patients above the age of 1 year, a dose-dependent correlation between the propofol dosage and the relative percentage of ß (-12.2%, p < 0.001) and δ (5.1%, p < 0.001) was found. There was an age-dependent trend toward increasing mean EEG power, with the most significant increase in the first year of life. In 14.1% of our patients, at least one episode of burst suppression occurred. CONCLUSION: DSA-guided augmentation of propofol anesthesia with sevoflurane provides sufficient depth of anesthesia at doses usually considered sub-anesthetic in children, leading to less anesthetic drug exposure for the individual child.

A Systematic Review on Long-Term Postsurgical Pain Outcomes; What Is the Effect of Upper Extremity Regional Anesthesia?

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a recognized complication of surgery, and it has been hypothesized that regional anesthesia might reduce the risk of development of chronic pain after upper extremity surgery. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed to assess whether in patients undergoing elective upper extremity surgery (P), regional anesthesia (I), compared to general anesthesia (C), would result in lower long-term (>3 months) postoperative pain intensity (O). We included randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials (RCTs). Our primary outcome was numerical rating score or visual analogue scale for pain, at >3 months postoperatively. The Embase, Medline ALL, Web of Science Core Collections, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar databases were searched for all reports assessing pain at >3 months after upper extremity surgery under general versus regional anesthesia. Secondary outcomes were: opioid prescription filling, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) incidence, the Mayo Wrist Score (MWS), and scores on the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. Quality (or certainty) of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Risk-of-bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool for randomized trials (RoB 2.0) and nonrandomized trials (ROBINS-I). RESULTS: This review included 14 studies, comprising 7 RCTs and 7 nonrandomized studies. Six of the 7 studies (4 RCTs, N = 273; 2 nonrandomized studies, N = 305) using a pain score, our primary outcome, report comparable long-term postoperative pain scores after regional and general anesthesia. Six of the 7 studies using our secondary outcomes report comparable long-term outcomes in terms of opioid prescription filling (2 retrospective cohort studies [RCSs], N = 89,256), CRPS incidence (1 RCT, N = 301), MWS (1 RCT and 1 RCS, N = 215), and DASH score (1 RCT, N = 36). Comparable outcomes were reported in all 7 RCTs (N = 778) and in 5 of the 7 nonrandomized studies, comprising 5 RCSs (N = 89,608). Two prospective observational studies (POSTs), comprising 279 patients, report a statistically significant difference in outcomes, with less pain and better DASH scores after brachial plexus anesthesia. All 14 studies provided moderate to very low certainty evidence, and there was a serious risk of bias due to confounding bias in 5 of the 7 nonrandomized studies (N = 631). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this review indicate that upper extremity regional anesthesia, compared to general anesthesia, is unlikely to change pain intensity at >3 months postoperatively.

Intraoperative hypotension in noncardiac surgery patients with chronic beta-blocker therapy: A matched cohort analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To explore the incidence of intraoperative hypotension in patients with chronic beta-blocker therapy, expressed as time spent, area and time-weighted average under predefined mean arterial pressure thresholds. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a prospective observational cohort registry. SETTING: Patients ≥60 years undergoing intermediate- to high-risk noncardiac surgery with routine postoperative troponin measurements on the first three days after surgery. PATIENTS: 1468 matched sets of patients (1:1 ratio with replacement) with and without chronic beta-blocker treatment. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was the exposure to intraoperative hypotension in beta-blocker users vs. non-users. Time spent, area and time-weighted average under predefined mean arterial pressure thresholds (55-75 mmHg) were calculated to express the duration and severity of exposure. Secondary outcomes included incidence of postoperative myocardial injury and thirty-day mortality, myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Furthermore, analyses for patient subgroup and beta-blocker subtype were conducted. MAIN RESULTS: In patients with chronic beta-blocker therapy, no increased exposure to intraoperative hypotension was observed for all characteristics and thresholds calculated (all P > .05). Beta-blocker users had lower heart rate before, during and after surgery (70 vs. 74, 61 vs. 65 and 68 vs. 74 bpm, all P < .001, respectively). Postoperative myocardial injury (13.6% vs. 11.6%, P = .269) and thirty-day mortality (2.5% vs. 1.4%, P = .055), MI (1.4% vs. 1.5%, P = .944) and stroke (1.0% vs 0.7%, P =  .474) rates were comparable. The results were consistent in subtype and subgroup analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In this matched cohort analysis, chronic beta-blocker therapy was not associated with increased exposure to intraoperative hypotension in patients undergoing intermediate- to high-risk noncardiac surgery. Furthermore, differences in patient subgroups and postoperative adverse cardiovascular events as a function of treatment regimen could not be demonstrated.

Incidence of Chronic Postsurgical Pain after Upper Extremity Surgery and its Correlation with Preoperative Pain.

The incidence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) after upper extremity surgery is not known. The goal was to study CPSP at 5 years postoperative and to investigate patient, surgical, and anesthetic risk factors. Methods: Patients scheduled for elective upper extremity surgery were included, and numeric rating scale (NRS) score for pain was obtained preoperatively and at 5 years postoperatively. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain definition, CPSP was defined as an increase in NRS compared with preoperatively. Results: A total 168 patients were contacted at 5 years postoperatively. Incidence of CPSP was 22%, and 35% had an NRS score of 4 or more. The number of patients with an NRS score of 0 and with an NRS score of 4 or more preoperatively was higher in the no-CPSP group, with P values of 0.019 and 0.008, respectively. Of the patients with no preoperative pain, 34% developed CPSP. Regional anesthesia was associated with a lower CPSP incidence (P = 0.001) and was more frequently applied in surgery on bony structures and in patients with a preoperative NRS score of 4 or more. Conclusions: The incidence CPSP was 22%. Patients with no pain or an NRS score of 4 or more preoperatively were less likely to develop CPSP, but individual susceptibility to pain and success of the surgery may be of influence. One-third of the patients with no preoperative pain developed CPSP. More studies are needed to reveal the exact relation between brachial plexus anesthesia and CPSP.

Alternatives to the in-person anaesthetist-led preoperative assessment in adults undergoing low-risk or intermediate-risk surgery: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The design of the optimal preoperative evaluation is a much debated topic, with the anaesthetist-led in-person evaluation being most widely used. This approach is possibly leading to overuse of a valuable resource, especially in low-risk patients. Without compromising patient safety, we hypothesised that not all patients would require this type of elaborate evaluation. OBJECTIVE: The current scoping review aims to critically appraise the range and nature of the existing literature investigating alternatives to the anaesthetist-led preoperative evaluation and their impact on outcomes, to inform future knowledge translation and ultimately improve perioperative clinical practice. DESIGN: A scoping review of the available literature. DATA SOURCES: Embase, Medline, Web-of-Science, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. No date restriction was used. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies in patients scheduled for elective low-risk or intermediate-risk surgery, which compared anaesthetist-led in-person preoperative evaluation with non-anaesthetist-led preoperative evaluation or no outpatient evaluation. The focus was on outcomes, including surgical cancellation, perioperative complications, patient satisfaction and costs. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies with a total of 361 719 patients were included, reporting on various interventions: telephone evaluation, telemedicine evaluation, evaluation by questionnaire, surgeon-led evaluation, nurse-led evaluation, other types of evaluation and no evaluation up to the day of surgery. Most studies were conducted in the United States and were either pre/post or one group post-test-only studies, with only two randomised controlled trials. Studies differed largely in outcome measures and were of moderate quality overall. CONCLUSIONS: A number of alternatives to the anaesthetists-led in-person preoperative evaluation have already been researched: that is telephone evaluation, telemedicine evaluation, evaluation by questionnaire and nurse-led evaluation. However, more high-quality research is needed to assess viability in terms of intraoperative or early postoperative complications, surgical cancellation, costs, and patient satisfaction in the form of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures and Patient-Reported Experience Measures.

Prognostic models for outcome prediction following in-hospital cardiac arrest using pre-arrest factors: a systematic review, meta-analysis and critical appraisal.

BACKGROUND: Several prediction models of survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) have been published, but no overview of model performance and external validation exists. We performed a systematic review of the available prognostic models for outcome prediction of attempted resuscitation for IHCA using pre-arrest factors to enhance clinical decision-making through improved outcome prediction. METHODS: This systematic review followed the CHARMS and PRISMA guidelines. Medline, Embase, Web of Science were searched up to October 2021. Studies developing, updating or validating a prediction model with pre-arrest factors for any potential clinical outcome of attempted resuscitation for IHCA were included. Studies were appraised critically according to the PROBAST checklist. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to pool AUROC values of externally validated models. RESULTS: Out of 2678 initial articles screened, 33 studies were included in this systematic review: 16 model development studies, 5 model updating studies and 12 model validation studies. The most frequently included pre-arrest factors included age, functional status, (metastatic) malignancy, heart disease, cerebrovascular events, respiratory, renal or hepatic insufficiency, hypotension and sepsis. Only six of the developed models have been independently validated in external populations. The GO-FAR score showed the best performance with a pooled AUROC of 0.78 (95% CI 0.69-0.85), versus 0.59 (95%CI 0.50-0.68) for the PAM and 0.62 (95% CI 0.49-0.74) for the PAR. CONCLUSIONS: Several prognostic models for clinical outcome after attempted resuscitation for IHCA have been published. Most have a moderate risk of bias and have not been validated externally. The GO-FAR score showed the most acceptable performance. Future research should focus on updating existing models for use in clinical settings, specifically pre-arrest counselling. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42021269235. Registered 21 July 2021.

Treatment of pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury by Dutch Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS).

BACKGROUND: Sparse data are available on prehospital care by Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study focusses on prehospital interventions, neurosurgical interventions and mortality in this group. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of pediatric (0-18 years of age) patients with TBI treated by Rotterdam HEMS. RESULTS: From January 2012 to December 2017 415 pediatric (<18 years of age) patients with TBI were included. Intubation was required in in 92 of 111 patients with GCS ≤ 8, 92 (82.9%), compared to 12 of 77 (15.6%) with GCS 9-12, and 7 of 199 (3.5%) with GCS 13-15. Hyperosmolar therapy (HSS) was started in 73 patients, 10 with a GCS ≤8. Decompressive surgery was required in 16 (5.8%), nine patients (56.3%) of these received HSS from HEMS. Follow-up data was available in 277 patients. A total of 107 (38.6%) patients were admitted to a (P)ICU. Overall mortality rate was 6.3%(n = 25) all with GCS ≤8, 15 (60.0%) died within 24 hours and 24 (96.0%) within a week. Patients with neurosurgical interventions (N = 16) showed a higher mortality rate (18.0%). CONCLUSIONS: The Dutch HEMS provides essential emergency care for pediatric TBI patients, by performing medical procedures outside of regular EMS protocol. Mortality was highest in patients with severe TBI (n = 111) (GCS≤8) and in those who required neurosurgical interventions. Despite a relatively good initial GCS (>8) score, there were patients who required prehospital intubation and HSS. This group will require further investigation to optimize care in the future.

Perioperative Mortality in Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review of Risk Assessment Tools for Use in the Preoperative Setting.

BACKGROUND: There are multiple preoperative risk scores for pediatric mortality. The aim of this study was to systematically describe and compare the existing studies of patient-specific multispecialty risk prediction scores for perioperative mortality in pediatric populations, with the goal of guiding clinicians on which may be most appropriate for use in the preoperative setting. METHODS: This study is a systematic literature review of published journal articles that presented the development, extension/updating, and/or validation of a risk core that predicted all-cause mortality (up to 30 days postoperatively) in pediatric patients undergoing a procedure in which anesthesia was used. Scores needed to be applicable to surgeries in more than one noncardiac surgical specialty and had to be able to be calculated by the anesthesiologist at the time of the preanesthetic assessment. Two investigators independently screened studies for inclusion and assessed study quality in the domains of clinical applicability, feasibility/ease of use in the clinical setting, and risk of bias. RESULTS: A total of 1,681 titles were retrieved. Of these, 10 studies met inclusion criteria: 9 reported the development and validation of scores, and 1 was an external validation of an existing score. Seven studies used varying years of multicenter data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric Participant Use File for development and/or validation. The unadjusted rate of mortality in the studies ranged from 0.3 to 3.6%. The preoperative predictors of mortality used in score development included patient demographics, preoperative therapies, and chronic conditions, among others. All models showed good discrimination upon validation (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve greater than 0.8). Most risk scores had high or unclear risks of bias. CONCLUSIONS: There are numerous scores available for the prediction of mortality in pediatric populations, all of which exhibited good performance. However, many have high or unclear risks of bias, and most have not undergone external validation.

The impact of video laryngoscopy on the first-pass success rate of prehospital endotracheal intubation in The Netherlands: a retrospective observational study.

PURPOSE: The first-pass success rate for endotracheal intubation (ETI) depends on provider experience and exposure. We hypothesize that video laryngoscopy (VL) improves first-pass and overall ETI success rates in low and intermediate experienced airway providers and prevents from unrecognized oesophageal intubations in prehospital settings. METHODS: In this study 3632 patients were included. In all cases, an ambulance nurse, HEMS nurse, or HEMS physician performed prehospital ETI using direct Laryngoscopy (DL) or VL. RESULTS: First-pass ETI success rates for ambulance nurses with DL were 45.5% (391/859) and with VL 64.8% (125/193). For HEMS nurses first-pass success rates were 57.6% (34/59) and 77.2% (125/162) respectively. For HEMS physicians these successes were 85.9% (790/920) and 86.9% (1251/1439). The overall success rate for ambulance nurses with DL was 58.4% (502/859) and 77.2% (149/193) with VL. HEMS nurses successes were 72.9% (43/59) and 87.0% (141/162), respectively. HEMS physician successes were 98.7% (908/920) and 99.0% (1425/1439), respectively. The incidence of unrecognized intubations in the oesophagus before HEMS arrival in traumatic circulatory arrest (TCA) was 30.6% with DL and 37.5% with VL. In medical cardiac arrest cases the incidence was 20% with DL and 0% with VL. CONCLUSION: First-pass and overall ETI success rates for ambulance and HEMS nurses are better with VL. The used device does not affect success rates of HEMS physicians. VL resulted in less unrecognized oesophageal intubations in medical cardiac arrests. In TCA cases VL resulted in more oesophageal intubations when performed by ambulance nurses before HEMS arrival.

Optic Nerve Sheath Viscoelastic Properties: Re-Examination of Biomechanical Behavior and Clinical Implications.

BACKGROUND: Meta-analyses show a variable relationship between optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and the presence of raised intracranial pressure (ICP). Because optic nerve sheath (ONS) tissue can be deformed, it is possible that ONSD reflects not only the current ICP but also prior deforming biomechanical exposures. In this post hoc analysis of two published data sets, we characterize ONS Young's modulus (E, mechanical stress per unit of strain) and calculate threshold pressure for plastic deformation. METHODS: The authors of two previously published articles contributed primary data for these unique post hoc analyses. Human cadaveric ex vivo measurements of ONSD (n = 10) and luminal distending pressure (range 5 to 65 mm Hg) were used to calculate E and the threshold pressure for plastic deformation. Clinical in vivo measurements of ONSD and ICP during endotracheal tube suction from patients with traumatic brain injury (n = 15) were used to validate the ex vivo cadaveric findings. RESULTS: Ex vivo ONS estimate of E was 140 ± 1.3 mm Hg (mean ± standard error), with evidence of plastic deformation occurring with distending pressure at 45 mm Hg. Similar E (71 ± 10 mm Hg) was estimated in vivo with an average ICP of 34 ± 2 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS: Ex vivo, ONS plastic deformation occurs at levels of pressure commonly seen in patients with raised ICP, leading to distortion of the ICP-ONSD relationship. This evidence of plastic deformation may illustrate why meta-analyses fail to identify a single threshold in ONSD associated with the presence of raised ICP. Future studies characterizing time-dependent viscous characteristics of the ONS will help determine the time course of ONS tissue biomechanical behavior.

Characteristics, management and outcome of prehospital pediatric emergencies by a Dutch HEMS.

BACKGROUND: In prehospital care, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) can be dispatched for critically injured or ill children. However, little detail is known about dispatches for children, in terms of the incidence of prehospital interventions and overall mortality. The primary objective of this study is to provide an overview of pediatric patient characteristics and incidence of interventions. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients ≤ 17 years who received medical care by Rotterdam HEMS from 2012 until 2017 was carried out. RESULTS: During the study period, 1905 pediatric patients were included. 59.1% of patients were male and mean age was 6.1 years with 53.2% of patients aged ≤ 3 years. 53.6% were traumatic patients and 49.7% were non-traumatic patients. 18.8% of patients were intubated. Surgical procedures were performed in 0.9%. Medication was administered in 58.1% of patients. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was necessary in 12.9% of patients, 19.9% were admitted to the intensive care unit and 14.0% needed mechanical ventilation. Overall mortality was 9.5%. Mortality in trauma patients was 5.5% and in non-trauma group 15.3%. 3.9% of patients died at the scene. CONCLUSIONS: Patients attended by HEMS are at high risk of prehospital interventions like CPR or intubation. EMS has little exposure to critically ill or injured children. Hence, HEMS expertise is required to perform critical procedures. Trauma patients had higher survival rates than non-traumatic patients. This may be explained by underlying illnesses in non-traumatic patients and CPR as reason for dispatch. Further research is needed to identify options for improving prehospital care in the non trauma pediatric patients.

A Nationwide Retrospective Analysis of Out-of-Hospital Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Treated by Helicopter Emergency Medical Service in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: There is generally limited but conflicting literature on the incidence, causes, and outcomes of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This study was performed to determine the incidence and outcome of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest reported by all helicopter emergency medical services in the Netherlands and to provide a description of causes and treatments and, in particular, a description of the specific interventions that can be performed by a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of all documented pediatric (0 < 18 years of age) out-of-hospital cardiac arrests from July 2015 to July 2017, attended by all 4 Dutch helicopter emergency medical service teams. RESULTS: Two hundred two out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were identified. The overall incidence in the Netherlands is 3.5 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in children per 100,000 pediatric inhabitants. The overall survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was 11.4%. Eleven (52%) of the survivors were in the drowning group and between 12 and 96 months of age. CONCLUSION: Helicopter emergency medical services are frequently called to pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the Netherlands. The survival rate is normal to high compared with other countries. The 12- to 96-month age group and drowning seem to have a relatively favorable outcome.

[Communication about in hospital resuscitation orders]. / Communicatie over reanimatiebeleid in het ziekenhuis.

BACKGROUND: The decision to attempt or refrain from resuscitation is preferably based on prognostic factors for outcome and subsequently communicated with patients. Both patients and physicians consider good communication important, however little is known about patient involvement in and understanding of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) directives. AIM: To determine the prevalence of Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)-orders, to describe recollection of CPR-directive conversations and factors associated with patient recollection and understanding. METHODS: This was a two-week nationwide multicentre cross-sectional observational study using a study-specific survey. The study population consisted of patients admitted to non-monitored wards in 13 hospitals. Data were collected from the electronic medical record (EMR) concerning CPR-directive, comorbidity and at-home medication. Patients reported their perception and expectations about CPR-counselling through a questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 1136 patients completed the questionnaire. Patients' CPR-directives were documented in the EMR as follows: 63.7% full code, 27.5% DNR and in 8.8% no directive was documented. DNR was most often documented for patients >80 years (66.4%) and in patients using >10 medications (45.3%). Overall, 55.8% of patients recalled having had a conversation about their CPR-directive and 48.1% patients reported the same CPR-directive as the EMR. Most patients had a good experience with the CPR-directive conversation in general (66.1%), as well as its timing (84%) and location (94%) specifically. CONCLUSIONS: The average DNR-prevalence is 27.5%. Correct understanding of their CPR-directive is lowest in patients aged ≥80 years and multimorbid patients. CPR-directive counselling should focus more on patient involvement and their correct understanding.

Long-term neurodevelopment in children born with esophageal atresia: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Although the survival rate of esophageal atresia (EA) has increased to over 90%, the risk of functional long-term neurodevelopmental deficits is uncertain. Studies on long-term outcomes of children with EA show conflicting results. Therefore, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the long-term neurodevelopmental outcome of children with EA. METHODS: We performed a structured literature search in Embase, Medline Ovid, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Google scholar on November 8, 2020 with the keywords 'esophageal atresia', 'long-term outcome', 'motor development', 'cognitive development', and 'neurodevelopment'. RESULTS: The initial search identified 945 studies, of which 15 were included. Five of these published outcomes of multiple tests or tested at multiple ages. Regarding infants, one of six studies found impaired neurodevelopment at 1 year of age. Regarding preschoolers, two of five studies found impaired neurodevelopment; the one study assessing cognitive development found normal cognitive outcome. Both studies on motor function reported impairment. Regarding school-agers, the one study on neurodevelopmental outcome reported impairment. Cognitive impairment was found in two out of four studies, and motor function was impaired in both studies studying motor function. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term neurodevelopment of children born with EA has been assessed with various instruments, with contrasting results. Impairments were mostly found in motor function, but also in cognitive performance. Generally, the long-term outcome of these children is reason for concern. Structured, multidisciplinary long-term follow-up programs for children born with EA would allow to timely detect neurodevelopmental impairments and to intervene, if necessary.