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Biomedical subjects

Larry S Jefferson

Publications and source records attributed to Larry S Jefferson.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Effect of exogenous surfactant (calfactant) in pediatric acute lung injury: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Despite evidence that patients with acute lung injury (ALI) have pulmonary surfactant dysfunction, trials of several surfactant preparations to treat adults with ALI have not been successful. Preliminary studies in children with ALI have shown that instillation of a natural lung surfactant (calfactant) containing high levels of surfactant-specific protein B may be beneficial. OBJECTIVE: To determine if endotracheal instillation of calfactant in infants, children, and adolescents with ALI would shorten the course of respiratory failure. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: A multicenter, randomized, blinded trial of calfactant compared with placebo in 153 infants, children, and adolescents with respiratory failure from ALI conducted from July 2000 to July 2003. Twenty-one tertiary care pediatric intensive care units participated. Entry criteria included age 1 week to 21 years, enrollment within 48 hours of endotracheal intubation, radiological evidence of bilateral lung disease, and an oxygenation index higher than 7. Premature infants and children with preexisting lung, cardiac, or central nervous system disease were excluded. INTERVENTION: Treatment with intratracheal instillation of 2 doses of 80 mL/m2 calfactant or an equal volume of air placebo administered 12 hours apart. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ventilator-free days and mortality; secondary outcome measures were hospital course, adverse events, and failure of conventional mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: The calfactant group experienced an acute mean (SD) decrease in oxygenation index from 20 (12.9) to 13.9 (9.6) after 12 hours compared with the placebo group's decrease from 20.5 (14.7) to 15.1 (9.0) (P = .01). Mortality was significantly greater in the placebo group compared with the calfactant group (27/75 vs 15/77; odds ratio, 2.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-4.85), although ventilator-free days were not different. More patients in the placebo group did not respond to conventional mechanical ventilation. There were no differences in long-term complications. CONCLUSIONS: Calfactant acutely improved oxygenation and significantly decreased mortality in infants, children, and adolescents with ALI although no significant decrease in the course of respiratory failure measured by duration of ventilator therapy, intensive care unit, or hospital stay was observed.

Adolescent↗

Dead space ventilation in critically ill children with lung injury.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: In children with acute lung injury, there is an increase in minute ventilation (E) and inefficient gas exchange due to a high level of physiologic dead space ventilation (VD/VT). Mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure, when used in critically ill patients to correct hypoxemia, may contribute to increased VD/VT. The purpose of this study was to measure metabolic parameters and VD/VT in critically ill children. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Pediatric ICU of a university hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 45 mechanically intubated children (mean age, 5.5 years). INTERVENTIONS: Indirect calorimetry was used to measure metabolic parameters. VD/VT parameters were calculated using the modified Bohr-Enghoff equation. ARDS was defined based on criteria by The American-European Consensus Conference. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The group mean (+/- SD) ventilatory equivalent for oxygen (VeqO(2)) and ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide (VeqCO(2)) were 2.9 +/- 1 and 3.3 +/- 1 L per 100 mL, respectively. The group mean VD/VT was 0.48 +/- 0.2. When compared to non-ARDS patients (33 patients), the patients with ARDS (12 patients) had a significantly higher VeqO(2) (3.3 +/- 1 vs 2.8 +/- 1 L per 100 mL, respectively; p < 0.05), a significantly higher VeqCO(2) (3.7 +/- 1 L/100 vs 3.1 +/- 1 L per 100 mL, respectively; p < 0.05), and a significantly higher VD/VT (0.62 +/- 0.14 vs 0.43 +/- 0.15, respectively; p < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Critically ill children with ARDS have increased VD/VT. Increased VD/VT was the main cause of the excess of E demand in these patients. Increased metabolic demands, as shown by the VeqO(2), VeqCO(2), and ventilatory support, are the major determinants of E requirements in children with ARDS.

Acute Disease↗

Noncompliance with medical follow-up after pediatric intensive care.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the medical follow-up ordered, the health care utilization, the appointment compliance, and the risk factors associated with noncompliance in patients who are discharged after a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) stay. METHODS: A prospective, analytic, cohort study of 111 critically ill children, age 1 day to 16 years, who were admitted to a 30-bed PICU in an urban, tertiary-care, pediatric teaching hospital compared children who were compliant with medical follow-up with those who were not. The main outcomes measured were emergent and unscheduled physician visits during the first 6 weeks after hospital discharge; compliance with ordered medical follow-up after hospital discharge; and comparisons of socioeconomic, demographic, and medical need factors between compliant and noncompliant children. Discharge orders for follow-up appointments with general pediatricians and subspecialists were collected from the chart at hospital discharge. Patients were contacted after hospital discharge to determine whether and when they received medical follow-up; 28% were found to be noncompliant. Risk factors associated with noncompliance were evaluated. Emergent and unscheduled physician visits were tracked during the first 6 weeks after hospital discharge. RESULTS: Lack of follow-up orders at hospital discharge did not affect the frequency of emergent visits. Children fell into 2 groups: those who were 100% compliant and those with < or =67% compliance. No socioeconomic or demographic risk factors could be identified between the 2 groups. Compared with the 100% compliant patients, patients who were compliant with < or =67% of appointments were more severely ill, as defined by higher peak pediatric risk of mortality scores during their PICU stay (11.5 vs 8.4), longer PICU length of stays (10.1 days vs 4.6 days), and longer hospital length of stays (25.5 days vs 14 days). Most predictive of noncompliance was the number of medical appointments ordered by physicians. Patients with 3 or more appointments were less likely to be compliant with follow-up. After hospital discharge, children were more likely to visit a primary care physician compared with a subspecialist (95% vs 82%). When patients were ordered to see a specialist, scheduled appointments were much better attended than the recommended appointments (92% vs 67%). CONCLUSIONS: Lack of ordered medical follow-up did not affect emergent visits. In this group of critically ill children, a significant percentage (28%) did not receive timely medical follow-up. No socioeconomic or demographic risk factors were identified in noncompliant children. However, severity of illness (higher peak pediatric risk of mortality score, longer PICU stay, and longer hospital stay) and the number of follow-up appointments ordered were predictors of noncompliance. Potential exists for implementing strategies to improve compliance in identified populations.

Adolescent↗

The 2003 national pediatric pressure ulcer and skin breakdown prevalence survey: a multisite study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to document the prevalence of pressure ulcers and other types of skin breakdown in hospitalized children. DESIGN: This descriptive study included documentation of findings from chart reviews and physical assessments of children. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Nine children's hospitals from throughout the United States participated for a total sample of 1064 children. Subjects were inpatients in the children's hospitals between the ages of neonate to 17 years. INSTRUMENTS: The data collection tools included the interrater reliability quiz, the patient data collection form, FAST data collection software, the Braden Q Risk Assessment Scale, and the Neonatal/Infant Braden Q Risk Assessment Scale. METHODS: Prevalence of pressure ulcers and skin breakdown was measured on a predetermined day during an 8-hour period at each institution. Eight hospitals required a signed informed consent before study participation; 1 hospital's institutional review board waived consent. A physical skin assessment was done on each inpatient, and all pressure ulcers found were staged according to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel staging system. A chart review was done on all subjects to collect information on patient demographics and potential risk factors. The Neonatal/Infant Braden Q Risk Assessment was scored for infants younger than 1 year old, and the Braden Q Risk Assessment for children 1 year and older. Patient data collection forms were completed, and all data were entered into the FAST data collection software at the end of the study day. Analyses of data and reports were generated from a central site. RESULTS: There were 1,064 children surveyed, with a pressure ulcer prevalence of 4.0% and other skin breakdown prevalence of 14.8%. Ninety-two percent of the pressure ulcers were partial thickness, Stages I and II. Sixty-six percent of the pressure ulcers were facility associated. Locations of pressure ulcers were predominately in the head area 31%, seat area 20%, and foot area 19%. The 3 most common types of skin breakdown were excoriation/diaper dermatitis, skin tear, and IV extravasation. Predominant locations for skin breakdown were seat area 35%, foot area 20%, and upper extremities 18%. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of pressure ulcers was low in the pediatric population studied, but skin breakdown prevalence (excluding pressure ulcers) was higher, with 74% of all wound types consisting of excoriation/diaper dermatitis, skin tears, and IV extravasation sites. Future studies are needed to evaluate prevention and treatment options for pressure ulcers and skin breakdown in this population. Repeating this multisite study at intervals may be beneficial to continue to build and modify the benchmark data.

Adolescent↗

Risk factors associated with pressure ulcers in the pediatric intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors that are associated with the development of pressure ulcers in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). DESIGN: Case control study with no interventions held in a 30-bed PICU of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: The study included 59 patients who developed pressure ulcers in the PICU and 59 patients who were critically ill who did not develop pressure ulcers during the same time period. INSTRUMENTS: Risk assessment data collection tool and Braden scale. METHODS: A comparison was done to identify risk factors between 2 groups of pediatric patients with and without pressure ulcers. A 45-indicator assessment tool was used. Physical assessment including staging of pressure ulcers was performed. RESULTS: Risk factors associated with pressure ulcers include edema (P = .0016), length of stay > 96 hours (P = .001), increasing positive end expiratory pressure (P = .002), not turning the patient or use of a specialty bed in the turning mode (P = .0001), and weight loss (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of edema, increasing length of stay, patients on increasing positive-end expiratory pressure, not turning the patient, use of a specialty bed in the turning mode, and weight loss are associated with the increased risk of development of pressure ulcers in patients in the PICU.

Adolescent↗