Predictive Value of Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter for Diagnosis of Intracranial Hypertension in Children With Severe Brain Injury.

Background And Aims: Intracranial Hypertension (ICH) is a life-threatening complication of brain injury. The invasive measurement of intracranial pressure (ICP) remains the gold standard to diagnose ICH. Measurement of Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter (ONSD) using ultrasonography is a non-invasive method for detecting ICH.

Improving mealtimes for paediatric intensive care children and families: A quality improvement initiative.

Background: Many critically ill children can be fed orally at some point during their paediatric intensive care (PICU) stay, but reduced appetite and other factors may impact their intake. At home, oral feeding is usually delivered by parents, so involving parents more actively during mealtimes in the PICU may contribute to improved patient/family satisfaction.

Aim: To assess the impact of a new "room service" initiative involving parents on mealtime quality and on both family and health care professional (HCP) satisfaction.

Implementation and evaluation of a paediatric nurse-driven sedation protocol in a paediatric intensive care unit.

Background: Optimal sedation and analgesia is a challenge in paediatric intensive care units (PICU) because of difficulties in scoring systems and specific metabolism inducing tolerance and withdrawal. Excessive sedation is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation and hospitalisation. Adult and paediatric data suggest that goal-directed sedation algorithms reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation.

A New Observation of an Atypical and Severe Variant of the Guillain-Barre Syndrome in a Child: Remaining Challenges for Diagnosis, Nosologic Classification, and Therapeutic Course.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare acute polyradiculoneuropathy. Several variants and unusual presentations have been described, particularly in pediatrics. In most cases, making an early diagnosis is challenging due to the treatments that consist in the rapid administration of intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange.

Effect of molecular adsorbents recirculating system treatment in children with acute liver failure caused by Wilson disease.

Objectives: Because fulminant Wilson disease (WD) has an extremely poor prognosis, the use of liver support that can bridge patients to liver transplantation is lifesaving. We report the experience of albumin dialysis in acute liver failure (ALF) caused by WD in children.

Methods: Chart review of children admitted for ALF secondary to acute WD and treated by the molecular adsorbents and recirculating system.

Patient-controlled epidural analgesia versus continuous epidural infusion with ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia in children.

Unlabelled: Epidural ropivacaine infusion has been used in children; however, patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) has not been evaluated in the pediatric population. In this study, we compared the clinical efficiency of PCEA and of continuous epidural infusion analgesia (CEA) in children. Forty-eight children undergoing orthopedic surgery were randomized to receive PCEA or CEA with ropivacaine 0.

Risk factors for airway complications during general anaesthesia in paediatric patients.

Background: Although airway complications are a frequent problem during paediatric anaesthesia, no study has prospectively identified risk factors for adverse respiratory events during airway management when LMA trade mark (laryngeal mask airway), face mask (FM) or a tracheal tube (TT) are used.

Methods: A prospective study was performed at a university hospital's paediatric centre. Preoperative information included recent history of respiratory infection and type of surgery.