Safety, timing, and outcomes of early post-operative cardiac catheterisation following congenital heart surgery.

Objective: The safety of early post-operative cardiac catheterisation has been described following congenital heart surgery. Optimal timing of early post-operative cardiac catheterisation remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to describe the safety of early post-operative cardiac catheterisation and its impact on cardiac ICU and hospital length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, and extracorporeal support.

A Cluster Randomized Trial to Reduce Missed Abusive Head Trauma in Pediatric Intensive Care Settings.

Objective: To estimate the impact of the PediBIRN (Pediatric Brain Injury Research Network) 4-variable clinical decision rule (CDR) on abuse evaluations and missed abusive head trauma in pediatric intensive care settings.

Study Design: This was a cluster randomized trial. Participants included 8 pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in US academic medical centers; PICU and child abuse physicians; and consecutive patients with acute head injures <3 years (n = 183 and n = 237, intervention vs control).

Racial and Ethnic Disparities and Bias in the Evaluation and Reporting of Abusive Head Trauma.

Objective: To characterize racial and ethnic disparities in the evaluation and reporting of suspected abusive head trauma (AHT) across the 18 participating sites of the Pediatric Brain Injury Research Network (PediBIRN). We hypothesized that such disparities would be confirmed at multiple sites and occur more frequently in patients with a lower risk for AHT.

Study Design: Aggregate and site-specific analysis of the cross-sectional PediBIRN dataset, comparing AHT evaluation and reporting frequencies in subpopulations of white/non-Hispanic and minority race/ethnicity patients with lower vs higher risk for AHT.

Probability of survival based on etiology of cardiopulmonary arrest in pediatric patients.

Objective: To aggregate data across institutions to identify, characterize, and differentiate potential survivors from nonsurvivors based on etiology of event.

Aim: To evaluate the association of the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) duration and probability of survival (Ps), stratified by etiology of arrest.

Background: In-hospital cardiac arrests occur in 2-6% of pediatric patients with poor survival rates resulting in significant expenditures of time and resources.

Multicenter cohort study of out-of-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest.

Objectives: To describe a large cohort of children with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with return of circulation and to identify factors in the early postarrest period associated with survival. These objectives were for planning an interventional trial of therapeutic hypothermia after pediatric cardiac arrest.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at 15 Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network clinical sites over an 18-month study period.

In-hospital versus out-of-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest: a multicenter cohort study.

Objectives: : To describe a large multicenter cohort of pediatric cardiac arrest (CA) with return of circulation (ROC) from either the in-hospital (IH) or the out-of-hospital (OH) setting and to determine whether significant differences related to pre-event, arrest event, early postarrest event characteristics, and outcomes exist that would be critical in planning a clinical trial of therapeutic hypothermia (TH).

Design: : Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: : Fifteen Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network sites.

Multicenter cohort study of in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest.

Objectives: 1) To describe clinical characteristics, hospital courses, and outcomes of a cohort of children cared for within the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network who experienced in-hospital cardiac arrest with sustained return of circulation between July 1, 2003 and December 31, 2004, and 2) to identify factors associated with hospital mortality in this population. These data are required to prepare a randomized trial of therapeutic hypothermia on neurobehavioral outcomes in children after in-hospital cardiac arrest.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Survival after treatment of rabies with induction of coma.

We report the survival of a 15-year-old girl in whom clinical rabies developed one month after she was bitten by a bat. Treatment included induction of coma while a native immune response matured; rabies vaccine was not administered. The patient was treated with ketamine, midazolam, ribavirin, and amantadine.

The epidemiology of traumatic brain injury in Wisconsin, 2001.

Problem: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. To implement more effective injury prevention and treatment programs, it is important to identify the regional impact, causes, risk factors, and trends of TBI. This report summarizes the public health impact of TBI in Wisconsin.