Circulating levels of KL-6 in acute respiratory distress syndrome sepsis or traumatic brain injury in critically ill children.

KL-6 is a high molecular weight glycoprotein that is expressed on the apical borders of normal secretary alveolar epithelial cells. The aim of our study was to elucidate the potential role of circulating levels of KL-6, related to C-reacting protein (CRP), disease severity (PRISM, TISS), length of stay (LOS) or mechanical ventilation (LOMV), and outcome, in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, or traumatic brain injury (TBI). KL-6 concentrations were monitored using solid phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in plasma of nine patients with ARDS and compared to nine patients with TBI, nine with sepsis, and nine ventilated patients with cancer of matched illness severity on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10.

Current trends of clinical and genetic characteristics influencing the resource use and the nurse-patient balance in an intensive care setting.

Purpose: To determine the impact of resource use on the nurse/patient ratio in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). To examine the longitudinal influence of chronic or genetically influenced diseases on this interrelation.

Materials And Methods: Overall, 1586 patients admitted to the PICU through various modes of admission during a 5-year period were prospectively studied.

Prior antimicrobial therapy in the hospital and other predisposing factors influencing the usage of antibiotics in a pediatric critical care unit.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether prior antimicrobial therapy is an important risk factor for extended antimicrobial therapy among critically ill children. To evaluate other predisposing factors influencing the usage of antibiotics in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) setting. To examine the relationship between the extent of antimicrobial treatment and the incidence of nosocomial infections and outcome.