Extracorporeal Life Support: Four Decades and Counting.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or extracorporeal life support (ECLS) is a form of heart lung bypass that is used to support neonates, pediatrics, and adult patients with cardiorespiratory failure for days or weeks till organ recovery or transplantation. Venoarterial (VA) and venovenous (VV) ECLS are the most common modes of support. ECLS circuit components and monitoring have been evolving over the last 40 years.

Dexmedetomidine for pediatric MRI sedation: a review of a series of cases.

Background: The aim of this review was to determine whether dexmedetomidine alone provided satisfactory conditions for children undergoing magnetice resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: A retrospective review of 21 patients was undertaken, (age range: 1-8 years, weight 10-27 kg) who received dexmedetomidine to provide deep sedation for an MRI procedure.

Results: In the initial eight patients who received dexmedetomidine (bolus 0.

The clinical effect of mixing different proportions of rocuronium and mivacurium.

Background: A synergistic effect has been described when rocuronium (Roc) and mivacurium (Miv) are combined in equal (i.e. 1:1) ED95 proportions at various total doses.

Methadone dosage for prevention of opioid withdrawal in children.

Background: Opioids are frequently used for sedation in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). With time the dosing often increases because of tolerance. On cessation of the sedation there is a risk of the opioid withdrawal syndrome.

Heliox enhances carbon dioxide clearance from lungs of normal rabbits during low bias flow oscillation.

Objectives: To evaluate carbon dioxide clearance in normal rabbits during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation with helium-oxygen mixtures by using a low bias flow oscillation (LBFO) system designed to conserve expensive gas.

Design: A prospective, paired-controlled, interventional, in vivo animal laboratory study.

Setting: Animal laboratory of a health science university.

Sedation monitoring of children by the Bispectral Index in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Objective: To compare the Bispectral Index with clinical sedation assessment using the Ramsay score in normal sedated and paralyzed critically ill children.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Multidisciplinary 18-bed pediatric intensive care unit at a university-affiliated children's hospital.