Severe Pneumonia in PICU Admissions: The Pediatric Acute and Critical Care Medicine Asian Network (PACCMAN) Observational Cohort Study, 2020-2022.

Objectives: Mortality from pneumonia is three times higher in Asia compared with industrialized countries. We aimed to determine the epidemiology, microbiology, and outcome of severe pneumonia in PICUs across the Pediatric Acute and Critical Care Medicine Asian Network (PACCMAN).

Design: Prospective multicenter observational study from June 2020 to September 2022.

Lung-Protective Ventilation for Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Despite the recommendation for lung-protective mechanical ventilation (LPMV) in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS), there is a lack of robust supporting data and variable adherence in clinical practice. This study evaluates the impact of an LPMV protocol vs. standard care and adherence to LPMV elements on mortality.

Respiratory Support After Extubation in Children With Pediatric ARDS.

Background: Postextubation respiratory support in pediatric ARDS may be used to support the recovering respiratory system and promote timely, successful liberation from mechanical ventilation. This study's aims were to (1) describe the use of postextubation respiratory support in pediatric ARDS from the time of extubation to hospital discharge, (2) identify potential risk factors for postextubation respiratory support, and (3) provide preliminary data for future larger studies.

Methods: This pilot single-center prospective cohort study recruited subjects with pediatric ARDS.

Executive Summary: International Clinical Practice Guidelines for Pediatric Ventilator Liberation, A Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network Document.

Pediatric-specific ventilator liberation guidelines are lacking despite the many studies exploring elements of extubation readiness testing. The lack of clinical practice guidelines has led to significant and unnecessary variation in methods used to assess pediatric patients' readiness for extubation. Twenty-six international experts comprised a multiprofessional panel to establish pediatrics-specific ventilator liberation clinical practice guidelines, focusing on acutely hospitalized children receiving invasive mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours.

The longitudinal course of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome and its time to resolution: A prospective observational study.

Background: The longitudinal course of patients with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) is not well described. In this study, we describe the oxygenation index (OI) and oxygen saturation index (OSI) in mild, moderate, and severe PARDS over 28 days and provide pilot data for the time to resolution of PARDS ( ), as a short-term respiratory-specific outcome, hypothesizing that it is associated with the severity of PARDS and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This prospective observational study recruited consecutive patients with PARDS.

Tests and Indices Predicting Extubation Failure in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: There is lack of consensus on what constitutes best practice when assessing extubation readiness in children. This systematic review aims to synthesize data from existing literature on pre-extubation assessments and evaluate their diagnostic accuracies in predicting extubation failure (EF) in children.

Methods: A systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane was performed from inception of each database to 15 July 2021.

The Association Between Alveolar Dead Space Fraction and Mortality in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Alveolar dead-space fraction (AVDSF), the volume of alveolar gas that does not participate in gas exchange, has been reported to predict mortality and morbidity in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This study aims to characterize AVDSF in patients with pediatric ARDS (PARDS), to determine its association with clinical outcomes and examine the validity of a previously studied cutoff (AVDSF > 0.25).

Pediatric COVID-19 Risk Factors in Southeast Asia-Singapore and Malaysia: A Test-Negative Case-Control Study.

There is a scarcity of population-level data of pediatric COVID-19 infection from Southeast Asia. This study aims to describe and compare epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and outcome data among pediatric COVID-19 cases versus controls in two neighboring countries, Singapore and Malaysia. We used a test-negative case-control study design recruiting all suspected COVID-19 cases (defined by either clinical or epidemiological criteria) from January 2020 to March 2021 admitted to two main pediatric centers in Singapore and Malaysia.

Protein supplementation versus standard feeds in underweight critically ill children: a pilot dual-centre randomised controlled trial protocol.

Introduction: Protein-energy malnutrition, increased catabolism and inadequate nutritional support leads to loss of lean body mass with muscle wasting and delayed recovery in critical illness. However, there remains clinical equipoise regarding the risks and benefits of protein supplementation. This pilot trial will determine the feasibility of performing a larger multicentre trial to determine if a strategy of protein supplementation in critically ill children with body mass index (BMI) z-score ≤-2 is superior to standard enteral nutrition in reducing the length of stay in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Immunomodulator use in paediatric severe sepsis and septic shock.

Introduction: The use of drugs that modulate the immune system during paediatric severe sepsis and septic shock may alter the course of disease and is poorly studied. This study aims to characterise these children who received immunomodulators and describe their clinical outcomes.

Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock admitted into the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Fluid overload in children with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome: A retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To assess the association of cumulative fluid overload (FO) up to 14 days from the diagnosis of pediatric acute respiratory syndrome (PARDS) with pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) mortality, 28-day mechanical ventilation free days (VFD), and 28-day intensive care unit free days (IFD). We hypothesized that fluid overload, even beyond the acute period, would be associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of PARDS patients admitted to PICU from 2009 to 2015.

Nutritional Intake in Children with Septic Shock: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

Nutritional practice in children with severe sepsis or septic shock remains poorly described. We aimed to describe nutrition received by children with severe sepsis or septic shock and explore the association of nutritional intake with clinical outcomes. This study was a retrospective study of children who required pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission from 2009 to 2016.

Large scale cytokine profiling uncovers elevated IL12-p70 and IL-17A in severe pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The specific cytokines that regulate pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) pathophysiology remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the respiratory cytokine profile in PARDS to identify the molecular signatures associated with severe disease. A multiplex suspension immunoassay was used to profile 45 cytokines, chemokines and growth factors.

Skeletal Muscle Changes, Function, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Survivors of Pediatric Critical Illness.

Objectives: To describe functional and skeletal muscle changes observed during pediatric critical illness and recovery and their association with health-related quality of life.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Single multidisciplinary PICU.

Psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric healthcare workers.

Introduction: Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at risk of psychological distress. This study evaluates the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on HCWs in a national paediatric referral centre.

Methods: This was a survey-based study that collected demographic, work environment and mental health data from paediatric HCWs in the emergency, intensive care and infectious disease units.

A Cross-Sectional Study of the Clinical Metrics of Functional Status Tools in Pediatric Critical Illness.

Objectives: To determine the clinical metrics of functional assessments in pediatric critical illness survivors.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: PICU follow-up clinic.

Changes Adopted in Asian Pediatric Hospitals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Report from the Pediatric Acute and Critical Care COVID-19 Registry of Asia.

There is wide variation in the overall clinical impact of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across countries worldwide. Changes adopted pertaining to the management of pediatric patients, in particular, the provision of respiratory support during the COVID-19 pandemic is poorly described in Asia. We performed a multicenter survey of 20 Asian pediatric hospitals to determine workflow changes adopted during the pandemic.

Lung-Protective Mechanical Ventilation Strategies in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Objectives: Reduced morbidity and mortality associated with lung-protective mechanical ventilation is not proven in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome. This study aims to determine if a lung-protective mechanical ventilation protocol in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome is associated with improved clinical outcomes.

Design: This pilot study over April 2016 to September 2019 adopts a before-and-after comparison design of a lung-protective mechanical ventilation protocol.

Nutritional status, intake, and outcomes in critically ill children with bronchiolitis.

Background: Optimal nutrition in children with severe bronchiolitis remains poorly described. We aimed to describe nutritional status and practices in children with severe bronchiolitis requiring admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and explore their associations with outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on patients with bronchiolitis requiring PICU stay from 2009 to 2014.