Publications by authors named "K O'Hearn"

Objective: To better understand critically ill children's lived experiences with family presence in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Study Design: This qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study is grounded in a Childhood Ethics ontology. We recruited children (aged 6-17 years) admitted to one of four participating Canadian PICUs between November 2021-July 2022 using maximum variation sampling.

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Children use nasogastric tubes (NGTs) to ensure optimum nutrition and medication delivery when oral feeding fails or when they experience faltering growth. Although this method is less invasive, children may experience complications associated with NGTs. There is a gap in the literature regarding the types and prevention of complications of NGTs in the pediatric population at home.

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Paediatric critical care units are designed for children at a vulnerable stage of development, yet the evidence base for practice and policy in paediatric critical care remains scarce. In this Health Policy, we present a roadmap providing strategic guidance for international paediatric critical care trials. We convened a multidisciplinary group of 32 paediatric critical care experts from six continents representing paediatric critical care research networks and groups.

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Background: The rate of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in critically ill children worldwide has been estimated at 50%. These children are at risk of multiple organ dysfunction, chronic morbidity, and decreased health related quality of life (HRQL). Pediatric and adult ICU clinical trials suggest that VDD is associated with worse clinical outcomes, although data from supplementation trials are limited and inconclusive.

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Article Synopsis
  • The Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG) aims to promote Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in critical care research by creating a glossary of sociodemographic determinants of health to support educational initiatives and enhance inclusive language among professionals.
  • The glossary includes twelve key sociodemographic domains like age, sex, race, and income, with detailed definitions and examples related to healthcare disparities relevant to critical care.
  • Developed collaboratively with various stakeholders, this resource is meant to guide critical care professionals in addressing equity issues and improving health outcomes in their practices.
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