Noninvasive Ventilation or CPAP in the Initial Treatment Phase of Small Infants With Respiratory Failure.

Respiratory failure in infants is a common reason for admission to the pediatric ICU (PICU). Although high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is the preferred first-line treatment at our institution, some infants require CPAP or noninvasive ventilation (NIV). Here we report our experience using CPAP/NIV in infants <10 kg.

Physical Violence and Aggression in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review.

Background: Physical violence and aggression (PVA), defined as behaviors with the potential to cause bodily injury, are unfortunate risks in the management of all-cause neurodegenerative dementias. While dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD) may not be evident for many years after clinical onset, neuropsychiatric disturbances occur at all stages of the disease. At issue is whether PVA in PD is associated with clinical factors that can be targets for prevention and management in the absence of a prevailing dementia syndrome.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Risk of Degenerative Synucleinopathies: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: A systematic review was conducted to answer whether adult-onset post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related synucleinopathies.

Design: A systematic search of Medline (Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), PsycInfo (Ovid), Cochrane Library (Wiley), and Web of Science (Clarivate) was performed using MeSH headings and equivalent terms for PTSD, PD, DLB, and related disorders.

Setting: No restrictions.

High-Frequency Jet Ventilation in Infants With Congenital Heart Disease.

Background: High-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) is primarily used in neonates but may also have a role in the treatment of infants with congenital heart disease and severe respiratory failure. We hypothesized that HFJV would result in improved gas exchange in these infants.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all pediatric patients with complex congenital heart disease treated HFJV in our pediatric cardiac ICU between 2014 and 2018.

High-Flow Nasal Cannula in Pediatric Critical Asthma.

Background: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has been used in the treatment of pediatric asthma, although high-quality data comparing HFNC to aerosol mask nebulizer are lacking. We hypothesized that HFNC would perform similarly to the aerosol mask for meaningful clinical outcomes in children with critical asthma.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of children with critical asthma (age 2-17 y) with a modified pulmonary index score (MPIS) ≥ 8 admitted to our pediatric ICU as part of a quality improvement project.

High-Frequency Jet Ventilation in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Failure.

Background: High-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) is primarily used in premature neonates; however, its use in pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure has been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate HFJV use in the pediatric critical care setting. We hypothesized that HFJV would be associated with improvements in oxygenation and ventilation.

Initial Modified Pulmonary Index Score Predicts Hospital Length of Stay for Asthma Subjects Admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Scoring systems are frequently used to assess the severity of pediatric asthma exacerbations. The modified pulmonary index score (MPIS) has been found to be highly correlated with length of stay (LOS) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We sought to evaluate the use of the MPIS to predict hospital LOS for patients admitted to our PICU.

A Respiratory Therapist-Driven Asthma Pathway Reduced Hospital Length of Stay in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Asthma is a common reason for admissions to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Since June 2014, our institution has used a pediatric asthma clinical pathway for all patients, including those in PICU. The pathway promotes respiratory therapist-driven bronchodilator weaning based on the Modified Pulmonary Index Score (MPIS).

High catalytic activity of heteropolynuclear cyanide complexes containing cobalt and platinum ions: visible-light driven water oxidation.

A near-stoichiometric amount of O2 was evolved as observed in the visible-light irradiation of an aqueous buffer (pH 8) containing [Ru(II) (2,2'-bipyridine)3 ] as a photosensitizer, Na2 S2 O8 as a sacrificial electron acceptor, and a heteropolynuclear cyanide complex as a water-oxidation catalyst. The heteropolynuclear cyanide complexes exhibited higher catalytic activity than a polynuclear cyanide complex containing only Co(III) or Pt(IV) ions as C-bound metal ions. The origin of the synergistic effect between Co and Pt ions is discussed in relation to electronic and local atomic structures of the complexes.