Development and Validation of an Empiric Tool to Predict Favorable Neurologic Outcomes Among PICU Patients.

Objectives: To create a novel tool to predict favorable neurologic outcomes during ICU stay among children with critical illness.

Design: Logistic regression models using adaptive lasso methodology were used to identify independent factors associated with favorable neurologic outcomes. A mixed effects logistic regression model was used to create the final prediction model including all predictors selected from the lasso model.

Risk factors and outcomes of in-hospital cardiac arrest following pediatric heart operations of varying complexity.

Background: Multi center data regarding cardiac arrest in children undergoing heart operations of varying complexity are limited.

Methods: Children <18 years undergoing heart surgery (with or without cardiopulmonary bypass) in the Virtual Pediatric Systems (VPS, LLC) Database (2009-2014) were included. Multivariable mixed logistic regression models were adjusted for patient's characteristics, surgical risk category (STS-EACTS Categories 1, 2, and 3 classified as "low" complexity and Categories 4 and 5 classified as "high" complexity), and hospital characteristics.

Quality assurance and reproducibility of high-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis and silver staining in polyacrylamide gels.

Qualitative data from high-resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) have become clinically useful in immunoglobulin clonality analysis, in resolution of ambiguities in immunofixation typing of paraproteins, and in genetic typing of serum proteins. Since 1986, the authors have been evaluating the College of American Pathologists Reference Preparation for Serum Proteins (RPSP) as a quality control material for 2DE because (1) it is prepared exclusively from pooled human sera, (2) the pool yields a reference pattern of mixed heterozygosity for genetic markers, and (3) RPSP is widely available as a lyophilized preparation that currently serves in the authors' laboratory as a qualitative quality control preparation and that may become a quantitative quality control material or external quality assessment material for 2DE. Using the ISO-DALT 2DE system and silver-staining, the peptide patterns were examined in 11 lots of RPSP and compared with fresh serum and with each other.

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen as a marker for squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal.

Twenty-one patients with documented squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the anal canal underwent prospective serial collection of 101 serum samples for radioimmunoassay of SCC antigen to evaluate regression or progression of disease. Eighteen presented with primary SCC of the anal canal, two with metastatic disease, and one with a recurrence in the perineum. Median follow-up was 18 months.

Quality control and technical outcome of ISO-DALT two-dimensional electrophoresis in a clinical laboratory setting.

In this paper, we present initial quality-control evaluations for a prototype clinical laboratory, recommendations for clinical and technical data record-keeping, and laboratory protocols designed to minimize operator-dependent analytical error in a multi-user environment. These evaluations and recommendations are based on qualitative and semiquantitative two-dimensional electrophoresis studies of the College of American Pathologists' Reference Preparation for Serum Proteins (RPSP). We include the schematic map of RPSP and manually derived estimates of analytical precision for within-run and run-to-run performance with the standard 18 X 18 cm ISO-DALT system.