Critical Care Thresholds in Children with Bronchiolitis

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (S 02) ◽  
pp. S42-S45
Author(s):  
Steve Cunningham

Reduction in mortality from bronchiolitis in developed health is principally achieved from the availability of critical care. Different health care providers and countries demonstrate considerable variance in admission rates, but globally the use and cost of this resource are increasing. The reasons of this are multifold and include organizational, cultural, and clinical aspects. The organization of care has evolved differently in different health care settings at the threshold of critical need, with local priorities and resources determining the location of care (ward or critical care). Critical care areas adopting high-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) (a ward-based therapy in some institutions) have seen significant increase in their occupancy, without change in rates of mechanical ventilation. Culturally, some countries appear to have a lower threshold for intubation and mechanical ventilation: United States (18%), Finland (4%), and even in countries with high rates of critical care admission (27% in Australia and New Zealand), intubation rates can decline with time (reducing from 27% to 11%). Baseline clinical characteristics of children admitted to critical care are remarkably similar, children are young (c30–60 days) and often born prematurely (21–46%). Clinical thresholds for admission as predefined by critical care units in online guidance focus on presence of apnea (observed in 7–42% of admissions), low pulse oxygen saturation and subjective measures (exhaustion and reduced consciousness). Clinical characteristics of children at the time of admission are commonly reported in relation to the modified Woods Clinical Asthma Score (mean = 3.8 to ≥7) and raised pCO2 (range = 8.0–8.8 kPa), with pCO2 the only significant parameter in a multivariate analysis of factors associated with intubation. Key Points

2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46
Author(s):  
Joanna G. Katzman ◽  
Laura E. Tomedi ◽  
Karla Thornton ◽  
Paige Menking ◽  
Michael Stanton ◽  
...  

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) at the University of New Mexico is a telementoring program that uses videoconferencing technology to connect health care providers in underserved communities with subject matter experts. In March 2020, Project ECHO created 10 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) telementoring programs to meet the public health needs of clinicians and teachers living in underserved rural and urban regions of New Mexico. The newly created COVID-19 programs include 7 weekly sessions (Community Health Worker [in English and Spanish], Critical Care, Education, First-Responder Resiliency, Infectious Disease Office Hours, and Multi-specialty) and 3 one-day special sessions. We calculated the total number of attendees, along with the range and standard deviation, per session by program. Certain programs (Critical Care, Infectious Disease Office Hours, Multi-specialty) recorded the profession of attendees when available. The Project ECHO research team collected COVID-19 infection data by county from March 11 through May 31, 2020. During that same period, 9765 health care and general education professionals participated in the COVID-19 programs, and participants from 31 of 35 (89%) counties in New Mexico attended the sessions. Our initial evaluation of these programs demonstrates that an interprofessional clinician group and teachers used the Project ECHO network to build a community of practice and social network while meeting their educational and professional needs. Because of Project ECHO’s large reach, the results of the New Mexico COVID-19 response suggest that the rapid use of ECHO telementoring could be used for other urgent national public health problems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 542-544
Author(s):  
Shaun L Greene ◽  
Anton Scamvougeras ◽  
Amanda Norman ◽  
Yvonne Bonomo ◽  
David J Castle

Objective: North American and other jurisdictions have seen an alarming rise in the abuse of the fentanyls, with related overdose deaths. We sought to review this group of drugs to alert Australian psychiatrists and drug and alcohol clinicians to their clinical effects and potential harms. Conclusions: The extreme potency of the fentanyls underlie their lethality. Vigilance and investment from both policy makers and health care providers are required to mitigate harm from a possible future Australian fentanyl epidemic.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Wilson ◽  
Cathy Haut ◽  
Bimbola Akintade

Critical care providers are responsible for many aspects of patient care, primarily focusing on preserving life. However, nearly 40% of patients who are admitted to an adult critical care unit will not survive. Initiating a conversation about end-of-life decision-making is a daunting task. Often, health care providers are not trained, experienced, or comfortable facilitating these conversations. This article describes a quality improvement project that identified current views on end-of-life communication in the intensive care unit and potential barriers that obstruct open discussion, and offering strategies for improvement.


CHEST Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Wahlster ◽  
Monisha Sharma ◽  
Ariane K. Lewis ◽  
Pratik V. Patel ◽  
Christiane S. Hartog ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra L. Wiegand ◽  
Jooyoung Cheon ◽  
Giora Netzer

Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy at the end of life is a complex phenomenon. Intensive care nurses and physicians are faced with caring for patients and supporting families, as these difficult decisions are made. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experience of critical care nurses and physicians participating in the process of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to guide this qualitative investigation. Interviews were conducted with critical care nurses and physicians from 2 medical centers. An inductive approach to data analysis was used to understand similarities between the nurses and the physicians’ experiences. Methodological rigor was established, and data saturation was achieved. The main categories that were inductively derived from the data analysis included from novice to expert, ensuring ethical care, uncertainty to certainty, facilitating the process, and preparing and supporting families. The categories aided in understanding the experiences of nurses and physicians, as they worked individually and together to see patients and families through the entire illness experience, withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy decision-making process and dying process. Understanding the perspectives of health-care providers involved in the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy process will help other health-care providers who are striving to provide quality care to the dying and to their families.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Piva ◽  
Robert M. DiBlasi ◽  
April E. Slee ◽  
Alan H. Jobe ◽  
Aldo M. Roccaro ◽  
...  

Abstract Background COVID-19 causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and depletes the lungs of surfactant, leading to prolonged mechanical ventilation and death. The feasibility and safety of surfactant delivery in COVID-19 ARDS patients have not been established. Methods We performed retrospective analyses of data from patients receiving off-label use of exogenous natural surfactant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven COVID-19 PCR positive ARDS patients received liquid Curosurf (720 mg) in 150 ml normal saline, divided into five 30 ml aliquots) and delivered via a bronchoscope into second-generation bronchi. Patients were matched with 14 comparable subjects receiving supportive care for ARDS during the same time period. Feasibility and safety were examined as well as the duration of mechanical ventilation and mortality. Results Patients showed no evidence of acute decompensation following surfactant installation into minor bronchi. Cox regression showed a reduction of 28-days mortality within the surfactant group, though not significant. The surfactant did not increase the duration of ventilation, and health care providers did not convert to COVID-19 positive. Conclusions Surfactant delivery through bronchoscopy at a dose of 720 mg in 150 ml normal saline is feasible and safe for COVID-19 ARDS patients and health care providers during the pandemic. Surfactant administration did not cause acute decompensation, may reduce mortality and mechanical ventilation duration in COVID-19 ARDS patients. This study supports the future performance of randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of meticulous sub-bronchial lavage with surfactant as treatment for patients with COVID-19 ARDS.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Esmaeili ◽  
Nahid Dehghan nayeri ◽  
Fatemeh Bahramnezhad ◽  
Samrand Fattah Ghazi ◽  
Parvaneh Asgari

Abstract Background: The number of patients with chronic diseases requiring invasive mechanical ventilation at home is increasing. Family caregiving for patients with home mechanical ventilation (HMV) is associated with a particularly heavy workload. Thus, identifying the challenges of this valuable type of care can be an elective step for achieving health-related goals. This study was carried out to determine the challenges faced by home health care providers.Methods: 15 participants (9 family caregivers, 3 home nurses, and 3 home care attendants) were selected. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and structured observation. All the interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed using qualitative content analysis and Max Qualitative Data Analysis 2010.Results: Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) Hospital-based challenges with two subthemes the family unpreparedness for home care and the lack of continuous education, (2) Home health care agency challenges with two sub themes. Home health care workers and the deficiency in organizational policies, and (3) Economic challenges.Conclusions: Three themes of hospital-related challenges, home health care agency challenges, and economic challenges emerged in the study showed that support from the insurance system, improvement of home care agency policies, and holistic care for patients through a multidisciplinary team approach are essential for addressing the current challenges of home care for patients under invasive mechanical ventilation at home.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 201-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon JW Oczkowski ◽  
Ian Mazzetti ◽  
Cynthia Cupido ◽  
Alison E Fox-Robichaud

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that patient outcomes are not affected by the offering of family presence during resuscitation (FPDR), and that psychological outcomes are neutral or improved in family members of adult patients. The exclusion of family members from the resuscitation area should, therefore, be reassessed.OBJECTIVE: The present Canadian Critical Care Society position paper is designed to help clinicians and institutions decide whether to incorporate FPDR as part of their routine clinical practice, and to offer strategies to implement FPDR successfully.METHODS: The authors conducted a literature search of the perspectives of health care providers, patients and families on the topic of FPDR, and considered the relevant ethical values of beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy and justice in light of the clinical evidence for FPDR. They reviewed randomized controlled trials and observational studies of FPDR to determine strategies that have been used to screen family members, select appropriate chaperones and educate staff.RESULTS: FPDR is an ethically sound practice in Canada, and may be considered for the families of adult and pediatric patients in the hospital setting. Hospitals that choose to implement FPDR should develop transparent policies regarding which family members are to be offered the opportunity to be present during the resuscitation. Experienced chaperones should accompany and support family members in the resuscitation area. Intensive educational interventions and increasing experience with FPDR are associated with increased support for the practice from health care providers.CONCLUSIONS: FPDR should be considered to be an important component of patient and family-centred care.


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