Therapeutic plasma exchange in critically ill children: A single center experience.

INTRODUCTION: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is used in a wide spectrum of diseases in critically ill pediatric patients. We aim to review the indications, complications, safety, and outcomes of critically ill children who received TPE. METHODS: All of the TPE procedures performed in a pediatric intensive care unit providing tertiary care during 19 years (January 2013-January 2023) were evaluated retrospectively. A total of 154 patients underwent 486 TPE sessions. RESULTS: Median age was 6 years (2-12.5) and 35 children had a body weight of <10 kg (22.7%). Number of organ failure was 4 (2-6). Liver diseases were the most common indication for TPE (31.2%) followed by sepsis with multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (27.3%). Overall survival rate was 72.7%. The highest mortality was observed in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis group. Non-survivors had significantly higher number of organ failure (p < 0.001), higher PRISM score (p < 0.001), and higher PELOD score on admission (p < 0.001). Adverse events were observed in 68 (13.9%) sessions. Hypotension (7.8%) and hypocalcemia (5.1%) were the most frequent adverse events. CONCLUSION: TPE is safe for critically ill pediatric patients with experienced staff. Survival rate may vary depending on the underlying disease. Survival decreases with the increase in the number of failed organs.

Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure in a child with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory failure is a prevalent condition in childhood with a high rate of mortality. Invasive mechanical ventilation support may be required for the management of these patients. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a method used when ventilation support is insufficient. However, the less invasive extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal method can be used as an alternative in cases of hypercapnic respiratory failure. CASE: A 9-year-old patient with cystic fibrosis presented to the hospital with acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia. Bilateral patchy areas of consolidation were evident in the chest x-ray. Invasive mechanical ventilation support was consequently provided to treat severe hypercapnia. Although peak and plateau pressure levels exceeded 32 cmH2O (49 cmH2O) and 28 cmH2O (35 cmH2O), respectively, the patient continued to have severe respiratory acidosis. Therefore extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal support was initiated to provide lung-protective ventilation. By Day 10, venovenous ECMO support was initiated due to deteriorating oxygenation. CONCLUSION: In cases where conventional invasive mechanical ventilation support is insufficient due to acute hypercapnic respiratory failure, extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal support, which is less invasive compared to ECMO, should be considered as an effective and reliable alternative method. However, it should be noted that extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal support does not affect oxygenation; it functions solely as a carbon dioxide removal system.

Impact of Decompressive Craniectomy on Diagnosing Brain Death in Children.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of decompressive craniectomy (DC) on the brain death (BD) determination process in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All children who were diagnosed with BD in the PICU between 2009 and 2020 were included in this study. Patient demographics, causative mechanisms, BD examinations, and ancillary tests used were recorded. The time intervals (from PICU admission to first BD examination, from first BD examination to BD diagnosis) and number of BD examinations were compared between patients with and without DC. RESULTS: During the study period, 70 pediatric cases were diagnosed with BD among 513 total deaths (13.6%). Their median age was 54.5 months [interquartile range (IQR): 24-140]. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) was performed in 66 patients (94.3%). The most common combination of ancillary tests was the apnea test and TCD combination, which was performed in 56 patients (80%). Thirty-four children (48.6%) experienced immediate surgery for DC. Patients with DC had a higher median number of BD examinations than patients without DC [3 (IQR: 2-3) vs. 2 (IQR: 1-2), P < .001]. The patients with DC had a longer time interval between the first examination and declaration of BD than patients without DC [45.5 hours (IQR: 21.7-91.7) versus 15 hours (IQR: 2-31.2), P < .006]. CONCLUSION: Decompressive craniectomy may complicate BD determination and cause challenges for brain death diagnosis based on cerebral flow imaging techniques. The lack of specific recommendations for this patient group in the guidelines causes a delayed diagnosis of BD. Cite this article as: Ekici B, Ersayoglu I, Yazici Özkaya P, Cebeci K, Koç G, Turanli EE. Impact of decompressive craniectomy on diagnosing brain death in children. Turk Arch Pediatr. 2024;59(1):93-97.