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Biomedical subjects

Joseph Carcillo

Publications and source records attributed to Joseph Carcillo.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network (CPCCRN).

Pediatric critical care was formally recognized as a separate subspecialty in pediatrics in 1987. Since that time the numbers of pediatric intensivists, pediatric intensive care units, and pediatric intensive care beds in the United States have increased dramatically. Research efforts have lagged behind, however, as this new discipline has struggled to identify the necessary time, funding, and other resources to pursue clinical and laboratory investigation. In April 2004, the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research of the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development issued a request for applications to establish the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network (CPCCRN). The CPCCRN provides an infrastructure to pursue collaborative clinical trials and descriptive studies in pediatric critical care medicine. Six pediatric centers involving seven intensive care units and a data-coordinating center were identified through a competitive application process. Network goals include the support of collaborative clinical trials otherwise impracticable in single institutions and the establishment of a framework for developing the scientific basis for pediatric critical care practice. This article describes how the CPCCRN was established, its organization, and its goals and future plans.

Child↗

Sleep monitoring in children during neuromuscular blockade in the pediatric intensive care unit: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Sleep is an important physiologic process that is known to be disrupted in the intensive care unit. Nevertheless, there is little information on how intensive care unit admission affects sleep in children. Because laryngotracheoplasty is elective but entails 5-7 days of neuromuscular blockade following surgery, children undergoing this procedure present a unique opportunity to analyze sleep during neuromuscular blockade apart from confounding variables resulting from critical illness. OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of using polysomnography to assess sleep patterns in children during neuromuscular blockade. METHODS: Polysomnography recordings were obtained continuously for 4 days (96 hrs) in two children following laryngotracheoplasty. Medication administration (neuromuscular blockades, sedatives) and time of suctioning were also recorded. RESULTS: Both subjects had documented sleep. However, the proportion of time in each stage was markedly different from developmental norms, and a greater proportion of sleep occurred during the day. Furthermore, there was substantial day-night and day-to-day variability. Some rebound of consolidated sleep appeared by day 4. Sedative use varied considerably. However, neither bolus sedation administration nor endotracheal suctioning appeared to affect sleep. Few monitoring difficulties were encountered. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep can be monitored with minimal difficulty in children undergoing neuromuscular blockade in the pediatric intensive care unit. Sleep occurred throughout the day, and there was considerable fragmentation. To fully assess sleep in the intensive care unit, monitoring needs to be continuous over several days, rather than only at night or for < or =24 hrs. Further research is needed in the area to determine typical sleep patterns in children undergoing neuromuscular blockade.

Child, Preschool↗

sFas and sFas ligand and pediatric sepsis-induced multiple organ failure syndrome.

The Fas-Fas ligand system is important for apoptosis of activated immune cells. Perturbation of this system occurs in diseases with dysregulated inflammation. Increased soluble Fas (sFas) occurs in systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and can block apoptosis. Increased shedding of FasL (sFasL) occurs in viral infection and hepatitis. Although dysregulated inflammation is associated with sepsis-induced multiple organ failure (MOF) in children, a role for Fas has not been established. We hypothesize that 1) sFas will be increased in children with severe and persistent sepsis-induced MOF and will correlate with inflammatory markers suggesting a role for sFas in inflammatory dysregulation in severe sepsis, and 2) sFasL will be increased when viral sepsis or sepsis-induced liver failure-associated MOF is present in children. Plasma sFas, sFasL, IL-6, IL-10, nitrite + nitrates, and organ failure scores were measured on d 1 and d 3 in 92 children with severe sepsis and 12 critically ill control children. sFas levels were increased in severe sepsis, continued to increase in persistent MOF and nonsurvivors, and were correlated with serum inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-10, nitrite + nitrate levels). In contrast, sFasL was not increased in severe sepsis and did not correlate with inflammation. sFasL was, however, increased in liver failure-associated MOF and in nonsurvivors, and was associated with viral infection. At autopsy, hepatocyte destruction and lymphocyte infiltration were associated with increased sFas and sFasL levels. sFas may interfere with activated immune cell death and contribute to dysregulation of inflammation, worsening outcome from severe sepsis. sFasL may contribute to hepatic injury and the development of liver failure-associated MOF.

Adolescent↗