Iatrogenic Withdrawal Syndrome in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: Incidence, Risk Factors and Outcome.

Objectives: Critically ill children and neonates routinely receive opioids and benzodiazepines for analgesia and sedation in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Prolonged opioid therapy often leads to tolerance and is associated with iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome (IWS) when opioids and benzodiazepines are weaned or discontinued. Our aim is to study the incidence, risk factors and outcome of IWS following use of a withdrawal protocol on pediatric patients after cardiac surgery.

The efficacy of the COMFORT score and pain management protocol in ventilated pediatric patients following cardiac surgery.

Background And Objectives: An optimal scoring system for pain assessment in pediatric intensive care is necessary to determine the efficacy of analgesics. We assess the COMFORT scale in postoperative ventilated children and study the effect of pain and sedation protocols on their outcomes.

Patients And Methods: We included postoperative ventilated patients.

The short- and long-term effect of Blalock-Taussig shunt size on the outcome after first palliative surgery for cyanotic heart diseases.

Background And Objectives: The Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt is regarded a safe and effective means increasing pulmonary blood flow for cyanotic heart conditions. The evaluation of shunt size for postoperative hemodynamics and until second-stage palliation remains difficult. Our objective is to compare the effect of different shunt sizes on short- and long-term outcomes after a BT shunt surgery.

Outcomes of Damus-Kaye-Stansel anastomosis at time of cavopulmonary connection in single ventricle patients at risk of developing systemic ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

Objectives: Children with various single ventricle anomalies are at risk of developing systemic ventricular outflow tract obstruction (SVOTO) following volume unloading with cavopulmonary connection (CPC). We aim to evaluate the value of Damus-Kaye-Stansel (DKS) anastomosis at the time of CPC in eliminating late SVOTO risk.

Methods: Retrospective review of single ventricle patients who underwent DKS concurrent with CPC between 1997 and 2012 was performed.