Development and Validation of a Model for Endotracheal Intubation and Mechanical Ventilation Prediction in PICU Patients.

Objectives: To develop and externally validate an intubation prediction model for children admitted to a PICU using objective and routinely available data from the electronic medical records (EMRs).

Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting: Two PICUs within the same healthcare system: an academic, quaternary care center (36 beds) and a community, tertiary care center (56 beds).

Use of plasma exchange in pediatric severe sepsis in children's hospitals.

Pediatric severe sepsis (PSS) is an important cause of death in children. Mortality increases in those with sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Plasma exchange (PE) has been used as an adjuvant therapy in sepsis, with trials demonstrating variable success.

Does pretreatment fluorescence in situ hybridization for BCR-ABL predict imatinib-associated hematologic toxicity in chronic myeloid leukemia?

Imatinib (IM)-associated myelosuppression is rare in gastrointestinal stromal cell tumors (<10%) but common in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Selective inhibition of predominantly Philadelphia chromosome (Ph+) driven hematopoiesis may explain myelosuppression in CML. In the absence of clinical methods to quantitate the Ph+/Ph- progenitor ratio, we hypothesized that the pre-IM percentage of BCR-ABL+ cells measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) predicts for myelosuppression.

Efficacy of dasatinib for the treatment of intractable chronic myeloid leukemia.

Dasatinib (DAS) is a well tolerated oral dual SRC inhibitor with remarkable activity against all phases of imatinib-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This paper focuses on the activity of DAS in intractable CML, and reviews outcomes of patients enrolled on DAS clinical trials. Safety and tolerability as well as practical tips for management of side-effects, and drug interactions are included.