Outcome of patients requiring tracheostomy in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Background: Although tracheostomy is a commonly performed procedure, there is a lack of studies in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) setting that describe its association with patient outcome and especially hospital mortality. Our goal was to evaluate the outcome of patients receiving a tracheostomy, while on mechanical ventilation (MV), in a PICU.

Methods: Records of 260 children were reviewed retrospectively regarding PICU mortality, PICU length of stay (PICU LOS), duration of MV and a cost indicator (weighted hospital days; WHD).

Bedside transpyloric tube placement in the pediatric intensive care unit: a modified insufflation air technique.

Objective: To test air insufflation as an adjunct to placement of enteral feeding tubes and the effectiveness of using a smaller insufflation volume in pediatric patients.

Design And Setting: A randomized, controlled study in a pediatric intensive care unit in two tertiary hospitals.

Patients: A total of 78 children with indication for transpyloric tube feeding were studied.