Mechanical ventilation for a child with quadriplegia.

Parents generally have the right to make medical decisions for their children. This right can be challenged when the parents' decision seems to go against the child's interests. The toughest such decisions are for a child who will survive with physical and neurocognitive impairments.

Oral, jaw, and neck injury in infants and children: from abusive trauma or intubation?

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the incidence of oral, jaw, and neck injury secondary to endotracheal intubation in young children.

Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the pediatric intensive care unit at a level 1 trauma center. From October 1998 to January 1999 and November 2007 to April 2008, all intubated patients younger than 3 years with no prior oral procedures were examined within 24 hours of intubation.

Pulmonary artery catheters.

Background: After its introduction in 1970, the use of the pulmonary artery catheter became a central part of the management of critically ill patients in adult and pediatric intensive care units. However, because it was introduced as a class II device, efficacy for its safety and clinical benefit did not exist during the early years of use. This review describes the pulmonary artery catheter and reviews the literature supporting its use.

Hypopnea in pediatric patients with obesity hypertension.

Obesity is associated with the development of hypertension but it is still not clear why hypertension is not observed in all obese patients. Obesity is a risk factor for the development of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children. OSAS has been linked to the development of hypertension in adults and children.

Helium-oxygen therapy for pediatric acute severe asthma requiring mechanical ventilation.

Objective: To illustrate the use of helium-oxygen gas mixtures as therapy for pediatric patients with acute severe asthma requiring conventional mechanical ventilation.

Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: Tertiary care children's teaching hospital.

Evaluation of the safety of short-acting nifedipine in children with hypertension.

Concerns regarding the safety of nifedipine emerged in 1995 with the report of an increased risk of myocardial infarction associated with adult patients receiving short-acting calcium channel blockers. There have been few case reports of adverse events in children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect on blood pressure (BP) and the incidence of adverse events associated with nifedipine in our pediatric population.