Pediatric Risk Of Mortality III Research Articles

Clinical Profile, Intensive Care Needs, and Short-Term Outcome of Toxic Shock Syndrome Among Children:A 10-Year Single-Centre Experience from North India.

ObjectiveTo describe the clinical and laboratory profile, management, intensive care needs, and outcome of children with toxic shock syndrome (TSS) admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary care center in North India.MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted in the PICU of a tertiary care hospital in North India over a period of 10 y (January 2011–December 2020) including children < 12 y with TSS (n = 63).ResultsThe median (interquartile range, IQR) age was 5 (2–9) y, 58.7% were boys, and Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM-III) score was 15 (12–17). The primary focus of infection was identified in 60.3% children, 44.5% had skin and soft tissue infections, and 17.5% (n = 11) had growth of Staphylococcus aureus. Common manifestations were shock (100%), rash (95.2%), thrombocytopenia (79.4%), transaminitis (66.7%), coagulopathy (58.7%), and acute kidney injury (AKI) (52.4%); and involvement of gastrointestinal (61.9%), mucus membrane (55.5%), respiratory (47.6%), musculoskeletal (41.3%), and central nervous system (CNS) (31.7%). The treatment included fluid resuscitation (100%), vasoactive drugs (92.1%), clindamycin (96.8%), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (92.1%), blood products (74.6%), mechanical ventilation (58.7%), and renal replacement therapy (31.7%). The mortality was 27% (n = 17). The duration of PICU and hopsital stay was 5 (4–10) and 7 (4–11) d, respectively. Higher proportion of nonsurvivors had CNS involvement, transaminitis, thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, and AKI; required mechanical ventilation and blood products; and had higher vasoactive–inotropic score.ConclusionTSS is not uncommon in children in Indian setup. The management includes early recognition, intensive care, antibiotics, source control, and adjunctive therapy (IVIG and clindamycin). Multiorgan dysfunction and need for organ supportive therapies predicted mortality.

Clinical Role of Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase Assessment in Critically Ill Pediatric Patients with Sepsis

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory disorder that may be associated with higher rate of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients admitted to intensive care unit with sepsis. Usage of different biomarkers may be helpful for early detection and appropriate management of sepsis. Our objectives was to investigate the role of serum lactate dehydrogenase in prediction of sepsis in critical pediatric patients, and its relation with prognostic scoring systems. A prospective cohort study was conducted at El Galaa teaching hospital between January 2020 and December 2020. A total of 168 pediatric patients were divided into the septic group (84) critically ill patients with sepsis from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)] and control group (84 stable patients admitted to the inpatient word). Demographic and clinical data were collected, routine laboratory investigation including LDH on admission and after 24 hours were performed. Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISMIII) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA) were assessed. Serum LDH level was significantly higher in septic group than control (P=0.000) and in non-survivor than survivor group (P=0.000). Also there was statistically significant correlation between survivor and non-survivor as regarding length of hospitality, pSOFA score and PRISMIII score. There was statistically significant positive correlation between LDH, PRISMIII (r=0.842, P&lt;0.001) and pSOFA (r=0.785, P&lt;0.001). We concluded that LDH is a useful marker in predicting of sepsis in critically ill pediatric patients especially when combined with prognostic scoring systems.

Serum Albumin Level as a Predictor of Outcome in Patients Admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Units.

The aim of this study was to assess serum albumin level on admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) as a prognostic indicator. A prospective study was conducted in Fayoum University Children's Hospital. The study subjects' demographics and clinical and laboratory data were recorded. Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM-III) score was calculated. Serum albumin level was assessed within 24 hours from admission. Outcomes included mortality, PICU and hospital stay, need and duration of mechanical ventilation, and inotrope use. The incidence of admission hypoalbuminemia was 26%. The study subjects had a significantly higher mortality rate than subjects with normal albumin levels (42.3% vs 17.6%, respectively, P = 0.011). Each unit of increase in serum albumin decreased the risk of mortality by 28.9% (odds ratio, 0.289; confidence interval, 0.136-0.615, P = 0.001). Serum albumin showed a fair discriminatory power (area under the curve, 0.738). At a cutoff point of ≤3.7 g/dL, albumin had a 79.2% sensitivity, 67.1% specificity, 43.2% positive predictive value, and 91.1% negative predictive value. Incorporation of serum albumin with PRISM-III score was more predictive of mortality than either predictors alone (area under the curve, 0.802). No significant difference was found between the 2 groups regarding either PICU and hospital stay as well as the need and duration of ventilation. In PICUs, admission hypoalbuminemia is a good predictor of mortality. Further studies to confirm the value of adding serum albumin to PRISM-III score are recommended.

Prognostic factors of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit.

BackgroundPediatric patients who received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) tend to have high morbidity and mortality. While, the prognostic factors of adult patients received bone marrow transplantation were already known, there is little known in pediatric pateints. This study aimed to identify the prognostic factor for pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) mortality of critically ill pediatric patients with HSCT.MethodsRetrospectively reviewed that the medical records of patients who received HSCT and admitted to PICU between January 2010 and December 2019. Mortality was defined a patient who expired within 28 days.ResultsA total of 131 patients were included. There were 63 boys (48.1%) and median age was 11 years (interquartile range, 4–15 years). The most common HSCT type was haploidentical (38.9%) and respiratory failure (44.3%) was the most common reason for PICU admission. Twenty-eight–day mortality was 22.1% (29/131). In comparison between survivors and non-survivors, the number of HSCTs received, sepsis, oncological pediatric risk of mortality-III (OPRISM-III), pediatric risk of mortality-III (PRISM-III), pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA), serum lactate, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and use of mechanical ventilator (MV) and vasoactive inotropics were significant predictors (P<0.05 for all variables). In multivariate logistic regression, the number of HSCTs received, use of MV, OPRISM-III, PRISM-III and pSOFA were independent risk factors of PICU mortality. Moreover, three scoring systems were significant prognostic factors of 28-day mortality.ConclusionsThe number of HSCTs received and use of MV were more accurate predictors in pediatric patients received HSCT.

An Artificial Neural Network-Based Pediatric Mortality Risk Score: Development and Performance Evaluation Using Data From a Large North American Registry.

BackgroundIn the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), quantifying illness severity can be guided by risk models to enable timely identification and appropriate intervention. Logistic regression models, including the pediatric index of mortality 2 (PIM-2) and pediatric risk of mortality III (PRISM-III), produce a mortality risk score using data that are routinely available at PICU admission. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) outperform regression models in some medical fields.ObjectiveIn light of this potential, we aim to examine ANN performance, compared to that of logistic regression, for mortality risk estimation in the PICU.MethodsThe analyzed data set included patients from North American PICUs whose discharge diagnostic codes indicated evidence of infection and included the data used for the PIM-2 and PRISM-III calculations and their corresponding scores. We stratified the data set into training and test sets, with approximately equal mortality rates, in an effort to replicate real-world data. Data preprocessing included imputing missing data through simple substitution and normalizing data into binary variables using PRISM-III thresholds. A 2-layer ANN model was built to predict pediatric mortality, along with a simple logistic regression model for comparison. Both models used the same features required by PIM-2 and PRISM-III. Alternative ANN models using single-layer or unnormalized data were also evaluated. Model performance was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the area under the precision recall curve (AUPRC) and their empirical 95% CIs.ResultsData from 102,945 patients (including 4068 deaths) were included in the analysis. The highest performing ANN (AUROC 0.871, 95% CI 0.862-0.880; AUPRC 0.372, 95% CI 0.345-0.396) that used normalized data performed better than PIM-2 (AUROC 0.805, 95% CI 0.801-0.816; AUPRC 0.234, 95% CI 0.213-0.255) and PRISM-III (AUROC 0.844, 95% CI 0.841-0.855; AUPRC 0.348, 95% CI 0.322-0.367). The performance of this ANN was also significantly better than that of the logistic regression model (AUROC 0.862, 95% CI 0.852-0.872; AUPRC 0.329, 95% CI 0.304-0.351). The performance of the ANN that used unnormalized data (AUROC 0.865, 95% CI 0.856-0.874) was slightly inferior to our highest performing ANN; the single-layer ANN architecture performed poorly and was not investigated further.ConclusionsA simple ANN model performed slightly better than the benchmark PIM-2 and PRISM-III scores and a traditional logistic regression model trained on the same data set. The small performance gains achieved by this two-layer ANN model may not offer clinically significant improvement; however, further research with other or more sophisticated model designs and better imputation of missing data may be warranted.

A Prospective Cohort Study on Serum Sodium and Clinical Outcome in Pediatric Nontraumatic Coma.

To study the serum sodium level and clinical outcome in pediatric nontraumatic coma. A prospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) from September 2015 to June 2016. Children aged < 13 y with nontraumatic coma [modified-Glasgow Coma Scale (m-GCS) score ≤ 8 or fall of ≥ 3 from baseline within 24h of admission] were included. Children who received intravenous fluids for > 24h, those with developmental delay, or died within 24h of admission were excluded. The serum sodium profile (mEq/L) in the first 72h and clinical outcome [mortality, length of stay in mechanical ventilation, PICU, and hospital] were studied. Eighty patients [Died n = 26 and Survived n = 54] were enrolled. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] age and m-GCS were 21 (4-78) mo and 9 (7-11), respectively. The mean [standard deviation (SD)] Pediatric Risk of Mortality-III (PRISM-III) was 17.7 (4). The most common etiology was acute central nervous system (CNS) infections (30%, n = 24) followed by an intracranial bleed (11.3%, n = 9). Mean (Standard error, SE) sodium levels and fluctuation of serum sodium from baseline up to 72h were similar between nonsurvivors and survivors [140.8 (1.3) vs. 139.6 (0.8), p = 0.421] and [1.2 (0.3) vs. 0.8 (0.2), p = 0.307], respectively. On multivariate analysis, the need for vasoactive therapy was an independent predictor of mortality [adjusted odds ratio = 20.78, 95% CI 4.24-101.85, p = < 0.001, R2 = 0.62]. Mean serum sodium within normal range and fluctuation of serum sodium of 0.8 to 1.2mEq/L over 72h was not associated with poor outcomes in pediatric nontraumatic coma. Vasoactive therapy was an independent predictor of mortality.

Analysis of immunity markers related to nosocomial infection in children with sepsis

Objective: To investigate the immunity markers related to nosocomial infection in children with sepsis. Methods: A retrospective study including 155 cases diagnosed as sepsis from September 2015 to June 2020 in children's intensive care unit (PICU) of Shanghai Children's Medical Center was conducted. According to the presence of nosocomial infection occurred in PICU, septic children were divided into two groups: no nosocomial infection and nosocomial infection group. The differences about helper T-cells 1 and 2 cytokines, T cells subgroup absolute count, the proportion of CD14+ human leukocyte antigen DR (CD14+HLA-DR), the proportion of regulatory T cells, pediatric risk of mortality Ⅲ (PRISM-Ⅲ), the treatment and outcome between the two groups were compared. Through propensity score matching (PSM), the disease severity and treatment of the two groups were matched to analyze the differences between the above indicators. Chi-square test or U test was used for comparison between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to predict the occurrence of nosocomial infection. Results: There were 104 cases in no nosocomial infection group and 51 cases in nosocomial infection group. The first PICU-acquired infections occurred at (12±7) days after PICU admission. The most common PICU-acquired infections were pneumonia (26 cases, 51.0%) and bloodstream infections (15 cases, 29.4%). PRISM-Ⅲ of nosocomial infection group was significantly higher than that in no nosocomial infection group (8 (0-31) vs. 4 (0-17), Z=3 913.00, P<0.01).The proportion of using vasoactive drugs and invasive mechanical ventilation of nosocomial infection group was significantly higher (35.3% (18/51) vs. 10.6% (11/104), χ²=13.77, P<0.01; 86.3% (44/51) vs. 38.5% (40/104), χ²=31.51, P<0.01).The PICU length of stay of nosocomial infection group was significantly longer (20 (3-94) vs.7 (2-41) days, Z=4 585.50, P<0.01). The mortality of the nosocomial infection group was significantly higher than that of the group without nosocomial infection (29.4% (15/51) vs. 6.7% (7/104), χ²=14.45, P<0.01). Interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 of the nosocomial infection group were significantly higher than that in no nosocomial infection group (37.83 (2.23-7 209.99) vs. 13.45 (0.80~50 580.64) ng/L, Z=3 390.50, P=0.01; 10.42 (1.11-6 052.21) vs.4.10 (0.16-409.28) ng/L, Z=3 212.00, P=0.03). CD4+/CD8+ and the percentage of CD14+HLA-DR were significantly lower in the nosocomial infection group compared with the no nosocomial infection group (1.16 (0.44-4.96) vs. 1.61 (0.15-6.37), Z=1 955.00, P=0.01; 0.48 (0.08-0.99) vs. 0.67 (0.09-0.98), Z=1 915.50, P<0.01). After PSM, the percentage of CD14+HLA-DR of nosocomial infection group was significantly lower than that in no nosocomial infection group (0.44 (0.08-0.99) vs. 0.64 (0.09-0.98), Z=758.00, P=0.02). The ROC curve analysis of the percentage of CD14+HLA-DR in predicting nosocomial infection showed that the area under the curve was 0.642, the cut-off value was 0.39, and the 95%CI was 0.528-0.755. Conclusion: The level of the percentage of CD14+HLA-DR maybe is related to the occurrence of nosocomial infection in children with sepsis.

Prediction of Pediatric Critical Care Resource Utilization for Disaster Triage.

Pediatric protocols to guide allocation of limited resources during a disaster lack data to validate their use. The 2011 Pediatric Emergency Mass Critical Care Task Force recommended that expected duration of critical care be incorporated into resource allocation algorithms. We aimed to determine whether currently available pediatric illness severity scores can predict duration of critical care resource use. Retrospective cohort study. Seattle Children's Hospital. PICU patients admitted 2016-2018 for greater than or equal to 12 hours (n = 3,206). None. We developed logistic and linear regression models in two-thirds of the cohort to predict need for and duration of PICU resources based on Pediatric Risk of Mortality-III, Pediatric Index of Mortality-3, and serial Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction-2 scores. We tested the predictive accuracy of the models with the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (need for each resource) and R (duration of use) in a validation cohort of the remaining one of three of the sample and among patients admitted during one-third of the sample and among patients admitted during surges of respiratory illness. Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction score calculated 12 hours postadmission had higher predictive accuracy than either Pediatric Risk of Mortality or Pediatric Index of Mortality scores. Models incorporating 12-hour Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction score, age, Pediatric Overall Performance Category, Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category, chronic mechanical ventilation, and postoperative status had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.8831 for need for any PICU resource (positive predictive value 80.2%, negative predictive value 85.9%) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.9157 for mechanical ventilation (positive predictive value 85.7%, negative predictive value 89.2%) within 7 days of admission. Models accurately predicted greater than or equal to 24 hours of any resource use for 78.9% of patients and greater than or equal to 24 hours of ventilation for 83.1%. Model fit and accuracy improved for prediction of resource use within 3 days of admission, and was lower for noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, vasoactive infusions, continuous renal replacement therapy, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and length of stay. A model incorporating 12-hour Pediatric Logistic Organ Dysfunction score performed well in estimating how long patients may require PICU resources, especially mechanical ventilation. A pediatric disaster triage algorithm that includes both likelihood for survival and for requiring critical care resources could minimize subjectivity in resource allocation decision-making.

Effect of sedation weaning pattern on withdrawal syndrome in pediatric intensive care unit

Objective: To investigate the sedation weaning strategies in critically ill patients with mechanical ventilation in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and to explore the effect of different sedative weaning patterns on withdrawal syndrome. Methods: A single-center prospective cohort study was conducted from April 1, 2016 to April 30, 2017. One hundred and twelve patients who required mechanical ventilation and benzodiazepines and (or) opioids for at least 5 consecutive days in PICU of Shanghai Children's Medical Center were enrolled. Twenty patients (17.9%) had an intermittent weaning pattern, defined as a 50% or greater increase in daily benzodiazepine and (or) opioid dose after the start of weaning, and the remaining 92 cases (82.1%) had a steady weaning pattern. The demographic and clinical features, duration and dose of sedative and analgesics, and the incidence of withdrawal syndrome were evaluated. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison about clinical features between different weaning pattern groups and children with withdrawal syndrome or not. Logistic regression was used to explore the risk factors of withdrawal syndrome. Results: Among the 112 patients, 46 (41.1%) had withdrawal syndrome. The patients with the intermittent weaning pattern had a high score of pediatric risk of mortality Ⅲ (PRISM-Ⅲ) (10.0 (3.5, 12.0) vs. 6.0 (2.0, 10.0), U=654.50, P=0.043) and were prone to re-intubation (35.0% (7/20) vs. 7.6% (7/92), P=0.003). The patients with withdrawal syndrome had longer duration of sedation (19.5 (16.8, 24.3) vs. 10.0 (7.0, 17.3) days, U=743.50, P<0.01), higher incidence of intermittent weaning pattern (32.6% (15/46) vs. 7.6% (5/66),χ(2)=11.58, P=0.001), longer PICU hospitalization (19.0 (15.8, 25.3) vs. 12.0 (8.8, 17.0) days, U=755.00, P<0.01) and higher cost (89 (57,109) vs. 53 (32, 79) thousand yuan, U=804.00, P<0.01). Logistic regression showed that intermittent weaning pattern (odds ratio (OR)=4.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39-16.91, P=0.013), perioperative period of liver transplantation (OR=6.97, 95%CI 1.25-39.04, P=0.027) and a cumulative dose of midazolam ≥ 34.7 mg/kg (OR=8.12, 95%CI 3.09-21.37, P<0.01) were risk factors of withdrawal syndrome. Conclusions: Withdrawal syndrome is more likely to occur in children who are intermittently weaned from sedation. Steady weaning strategy may help prevent iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome.

25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Cardiovascular Sequential Organ Failure Assessment and Pediatric Risk of Mortality III Scores in Critically Ill Children.

Aim: Investigate 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and the correlation with cardiovascular sequential organ failure assessment (CV-SOFA) and pediatric risk of mortality III (PRISM-III) scores in critically ill children.Methods: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted on consecutive critical ill children aged 1 month to 14 years old in 1 year. The blood sample was collected upon PICU admission. 25(OH)D deficiency was defined as<20 ng/mL. We performed univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate associations with CV-SOFA and PRISM-III scores and other important outcomes.Results: 296 critically ill children were enrolled in the study. The mean serum 25(OH)D level was 22.5 (IQR 16.3–31.8) ng/mL. The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was 39.2% in critically ill children. 25(OH)D levels were significantly decreased in septic shock and associated with CV-SOFA and PRISM-III scores. In multivariate analysis, vitamin D deficiency is associated with CV—SOFA and PRISM—III scores.Conclusion: 25(OH)D deficiency is prevalent in critically ill children at PICU admission and seems to be associated with higher CV-SOFA and PRISM-III scores. Our study provides additional data for 25 (OH) D statuses that impact the outcomes of critically ill children.

Chromogranin A provides additional prognostic information in children with severe hand, foot, and mouth disease: A prospective observational study

ObjectiveSevere hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is associated with high mortality in children, and persistent sympathetic activation is a common presentation. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate serum chromogranin A (CHGA) levels and their prognostic role in this condition. MethodsSerum CHGA, creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB), serum D-dimer, norepinephrine, blood glucose, lactate, and C-reactive protein levels, white blood cell (WBC) counts, usage of vasopressors, pediatric risk of mortality Ⅲ (PRISM-Ⅲ) scores, and viral etiology were measured upon pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. The correlation between clinical outcomes and the indicators listed above were analyzed, and the ability of CHGA as a biomarker to predict mortality was evaluated. ResultsSerum CHGA levels were higher in the non-survivors group than in the survivors group (median (interquartile range): 434.8 (374.3–502.4) vs 183.3 (131.9–246.9) μg/l; p < 0.001) and were correlated with norepinephrine (r = 0.37. p < 0.001), blood glucose (r = 0.32, p = 0.001), lactate (r = 0.25, p = 0.009), WBC (r = 0.20, p = 0.039), and PRISM-Ⅲ scores (r = 0.748, p < 0.0001). Patients suffering neurogenic pulmonary edema, those infected with enterovirus A71, and those requiring more vasopressors had higher serum CHGA levels (median (interquartile range): 385 (239.9–488.8) vs 161 (115.6–222.9), 340.6 (190.6–436.0) vs 150.5 (112.1–210.0), 395.6 (209.1–487.0) vs 167.7 (110.5–240.5) μg/l, respectively; p < 0.0001). The CHGA level upon PICU admission in severe HFMD could be an independent risk factor for mortality (adjusted odds ratio 2.459, 95% confidence interval 1.054–5.906, p = 0.038) with high specificity (87.5%) and sensitivity (82.6%) (cut-off value at 339.6 μg/l). ConclusionsThe CHGA level in severe HFMD was found to be associated with cardiopulmonary failure. If measured upon PICU admission, CHGA may provide additional prognostic information in this disease.

C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio as an Independent Predictor of Mortality in Critically Ill Pediatric Patients

AbstractIt is necessary to stratify the risk of pediatric patients at the time of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and to predict their outcomes. This helps to allocate the scarce ICU resources to start the appropriate treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of C-reactive protein/albumin ratio on admission to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in predicting mortality, PICU length of stay, the need for mechanical ventilation, and the use of inotropic drugs. This cohort study was conducted at Pediatric Cairo University Hospital. The study included 178 critically ill children. Pediatric Risk of Mortality–III (PRISM-III) score was calculated; CRP and serum albumin levels were assessed within 24 hours from admission. The median CRP/albumin ratio was significantly higher in nonsurvivors than survivors (18.60 and 4.65, respectively). The CRP/albumin ratio at a cutoff of ≥25.83 had significant discriminatory power in predicting mortality (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.795 and p &lt; 0.001) with 85.4% accuracy. Furthermore, CRP/albumin ratio alone showed a comparable discriminatory power to that of PRISM-III score (AUCs = 0.795 and 0.793, respectively). A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that each unit of increase in the CRP/albumin ratio increased the risk of mortality by 1.075 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.075). CRP/albumin ratio showed a significantly higher median in ventilated (6.86) compared with non-ventilated (5.22) patients. Patients supported with inotropes showed significantly higher median CRP/albumin ratio (11.70 and 3.68, respectively). CRP/albumin ratio at admission to PICU was a good independent predictor of mortality.

Inhibition of neogenin fosters resolution of inflammation and tissue regeneration.

The resolution of inflammation is an active process that is coordinated by endogenous mediators. Previous studies have demonstrated the immunomodulatory properties of the axonal guidance proteins in the initial phase of acute inflammation. We hypothesized that the neuronal guidance protein neogenin (Neo1) modulates mechanisms of inflammation resolution. In murine peritonitis, Neo1 deficiency (Neo1-/-) resulted in higher efficacies in reducing neutrophil migration into injury sites, increasing neutrophil apoptosis, actuating PMN phagocytosis, and increasing the endogenous biosynthesis of specialized proresolving mediators, such as lipoxin A4, maresin-1, and protectin DX. Neo1 expression was limited to Neo1-expressing Ly6Chi monocytes, and Neo1 deficiency induced monocyte polarization toward an antiinflammatory and proresolving phenotype. Signaling network analysis revealed that Neo1-/- monocytes mediate their immunomodulatory effects specifically by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway and suppressing the TGF-β pathway. In a cohort of 59 critically ill, intensive care unit (ICU) pediatric patients, we found a strong correlation between Neo1 blood plasma levels and abdominal compartment syndrome, Pediatric Risk of Mortality III (PRISM-III) score, and ICU length of stay and mortality. Together, these findings identify a crucial role for Neo1 in regulating tissue regeneration and resolution of inflammation, and determined Neo1 to be a predictor of morbidity and mortality in critically ill children affected by clinical inflammation.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes associated with nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation in acute pediatric respiratory failure.

AIMTo characterize the clinical course and outcomes of nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation (NIMV) use in acute pediatric respiratory failure.METHODSWe identified all patients treated with NIMV in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) or inpatient general pediatrics between January 2013 and December 2015 at two academic centers. Patients who utilized NIMV with other modes of noninvasive ventilation during the same admission were included. Data included demographics, vital signs on admission and prior to initiation of NIMV, pediatric risk of mortality III (PRISM-III) scores, complications, respiratory support characteristics, PICU and hospital length of stays, duration of respiratory support, and complications. Patients who did not require escalation to mechanical ventilation were defined as NIMV responders; those who required escalation to mechanical ventilation (MV) were defined as NIMV non-responders. NIMV responders were compared to NIMV non-responders.RESULTSForty-two patients met study criteria. Six (14%) failed treatment and required MV. The majority of the patients (74%) had a primary diagnosis of bronchiolitis. The median age of these 42 patients was 4 mo (range 0.5-28.1 mo, IQR 7, P = 0.69). No significant difference was measured in other baseline demographics and vitals on initiation of NIMV; these included age, temperature, respiratory rate, O2 saturation, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and PRISM-III scores. The duration of NIMV was shorter in the NIMV non-responder vs NIMV responder group (6.5 h vs 65 h, P < 0.0005). Otherwise, NIMV failure was not associated with significant differences in PICU length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, or total duration of respiratory support. No patients had aspiration pneumonia, pneumothorax, or skin breakdown.CONCLUSIONMost of our patients responded to NIMV. NIMV failure is not associated with differences in hospital LOS, PICU LOS, or duration of respiratory support.

Poor Adherence to Lung-Protective Mechanical Ventilation in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

To determine the frequency of low-tidal volume ventilation in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome and assess if any demographic or clinical factors improve low-tidal volume ventilation adherence. Descriptive post hoc analysis of four multicenter pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome studies. Twenty-six academic PICU. Three hundred fifteen pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome patients. All patients who received conventional mechanical ventilation at hours 0 and 24 of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome who had data to calculate ideal body weight were included. Two cutoff points for low-tidal volume ventilation were assessed: less than or equal to 6.5 mL/kg of ideal body weight and less than or equal to 8 mL/kg of ideal body weight. Of 555 patients, we excluded 240 for other respiratory support modes or missing data. The remaining 315 patients had a median PaO2-to-FIO2 ratio of 140 (interquartile range, 90-201), and there were no differences in demographics between those who did and did not receive low-tidal volume ventilation. With tidal volume cutoff of less than or equal to 6.5 mL/kg of ideal body weight, the adherence rate was 32% at hour 0 and 33% at hour 24. A low-tidal volume ventilation cutoff of tidal volume less than or equal to 8 mL/kg of ideal body weight resulted in an adherence rate of 58% at hour 0 and 60% at hour 24. Low-tidal volume ventilation use was no different by severity of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome nor did adherence improve over time. At hour 0, overweight children were less likely to receive low-tidal volume ventilation less than or equal to 6.5 mL/kg ideal body weight (11% overweight vs 38% nonoverweight; p = 0.02); no difference was noted by hour 24. Furthermore, in the overweight group, using admission weight instead of ideal body weight resulted in misclassification of up to 14% of patients as receiving low-tidal volume ventilation when they actually were not. Low-tidal volume ventilation is underused in the first 24 hours of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome. Age, Pediatric Risk of Mortality-III, and pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome severity were not associated with improved low-tidal volume ventilation adherence nor did adherence improve over time. Overweight children were less likely to receive low-tidal volume ventilation strategies in the first day of illness.

Survival and neurological outcome following in-hospital paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation in North India

Background:: Data on outcome of children undergoing in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in low- and middle-income countries are scarce. Aims:: To describe the clinical profile and outcome of children undergoing in-hospital CPR. Methods:: This prospective observational study was undertaken in the Advanced Pediatric Center, PGIMER, Chandigarh. All patients aged 1 month to 12 years who underwent in-hospital CPR between July 2010 and March 2011 were included. Data were recorded using the ‘Utstein style’. Outcome variables included ‘sustained return of spontaneous circulation’ (ROSC), survival at discharge and neurological outcome at 1 year. Results:: The incidence of in-hospital CPR in all hospital admissions (n = 4654) was 6.7% (n = 314). 64.6% (n = 203) achieved ROSC, 14% (n = 44) survived to hospital discharge and 11.1% (n = 35) survived at 1 year. Three-quarters of survivors had a good neurological outcome at 1-year follow-up. Sixty per cent of patients were malnourished. The Median Pediatric Risk of Mortality-III (PRISM-III) score was 16 (IQR 9–25). Sepsis (71%), respiratory (39.5%) and neurological (31.5%) illness were the most common diagnoses. The most common initial arrhythmia was bradycardia (52.2%). On multivariate logistic regression, duration of CPR, diagnosis of sepsis and requirement for vasoactive support prior to arrest were independent predictors of decreased hospital survival. Conclusions:: The requirement for in-hospital CPR is common in PGIMER. ROSC was achieved in two-thirds of children, but mortality was higher than in high-income countries because of delayed presentation, malnutrition and severity of illness. CPR >15 min was associated with death. Survivors had good long-term neurological outcome, demonstrating the value of timely CPR.

Correlation of Hypocalcemia with Serum Parathyroid Hormone and Calcitonin Levels in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

To investigate factors involved in causing hypocalcemia in critically ill patients. The patients aged 1 mo to 18 y, admitted to PICU at Nemazee Hospital, from May through November 2012, were reviewed. Those with impaired calcium hemostasis or on vitamin-D supplement were excluded. Calcitonin and parathyroid hormone levels were checked if ionized calcium level was less than 3.2 mg/d. Patient's demographic data, length of stay, Pediatric Risk of Mortality-III (PRISM-III) score, the need for mechanical ventilation, inotropic drug administration and outcome were recorded. Among the 294 patients enrolled in the study, the incidence of ionized hypocalcemia was 20.4 %. The mortality rate was 45 % in hypocalcemic groups and 24.8 % in normocalcemic patients. Highly significant negative correlations were found between serum ionized calcium, PRISM-III score (r = -0.371, P = 0.004), and calcitonin level (r = -0.256, P = 0.049), but no significant correlation between hypocalcemia and parathyroid hormone level (P = 0.206) was found. A significant difference was observed between survivor and non-survivor groups regarding PRISM-III score (P = 0.00), ionized calcium (P = 0.00), and calcitonin (P = 0.022) but not parathyroid hormone level (P = 0.206). Hypocalcemia was associated with increased mortality rate in PICU patients. A negative correlation was found between ionized calcium level and calcitonin. There was also a link between PTH level and severity of illness. It can therefore be concluded that evaluating serum ionized calcium, calcitonin, and PTH levels can be used as prognostic factors in critically ill patients.

Antithrombin-III as an early prognostic factor in children with acute lung injury

Purpose : To evaluate the potential prognostic value of the antithrombin-III (AT-III) level in the children with acute lung injury (ALI), we analyzed several early predictive factors of death including AT-III level at the onset of ALI and compared the relative risk of them for mortality. Methods : Over a 18-month period, a total of 198 children were admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit and 21 mechanically ventilated patients met ALI criteria, as defined by American-European consensus conference, i.e., bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and PaO2/FiO2 lower than 300 without left atrial hypertension. Demographic variables, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters, underlying diseases, as well as Pediatric Risk of Mortality-III (PRISM-III) scores and Lung Injury Score (LIS) at admission were collected. AT-III levels were measured within 3 hours after admission. These variables were compared between survivors and non-survivors and entered into a multiple logistic regression analysis to evaluate their independent prognostic roles. Results : The overall mortality rate was 38.1% (8/21). Non-survivors showed lower age, lower lung compliance, higher PEEP, higher oxygenation index (OI), lower arterial pH, lower PaO2/FiO2, higher PRISM-III score and LIS, and lower AT-III level. PRISM-III score, LIS, OI and decreased AT-III level (less than 70%) were independently associated with a risk of death and the odds ratio of decreased AT-III level for mortality is 2.75 (95% confidence interval; 1.28-4.12) Conclusion : These results suggest that the decreased level of AT-III is an important prognostic factor in children with ALI and the replacement of AT-III may be considered as an early therapeutic trial.