Pediatric delirium
Pearls • Delirium is a frequent complication of pediatric critical illness and is associated with substantial morbidity. • Refractory agitation in the pediatric intensive care unit is often a manifestation…
Evaluation, stabilization, and initial management after trauma
Pearls • The primary survey, as defined by Advanced Trauma Life Support, is a prioritized evaluation and management protocol focused on identifying and treating the most life-threatening injuries first. This…
Sedation and analgesia
Pearls • A wide selection of sedation and analgesia options is available in the pediatric intensive care unit. • No ideal sedative agent exists for all patients. • Most children…
Burn and inhalation injury
Pearls • The accurate estimation of burn severity is crucial both for appropriate resuscitation and for maintenance of adequate urine output and hemodynamics, including blood pressure and cardiac output. The…
Pediatric sepsis
• The typical patient with septic shock has simultaneous derangements of cardiovascular function, intravascular volume status, respiratory function, immune/inflammatory regulation, renal function, coagulation, hepatic function, and/or metabolic function. • The…
Toxidromes and their treatment
• Flumazenil, when used for benzodiazepine overdose, may unmask seizures caused by a coingested substance or precipitate acute withdrawal in the patient who habitually uses benzodiazepines. • β-Adrenergic antagonists, when…
Pediatric rheumatologic disease
• Approximately 1 child in 250 has a rheumatologic disease. • A child may present to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a life-threatening manifestation of an undiagnosed rheumatologic disease…
Innate immunity
• Innate immunity provides the frontline ready-made response to pathogen invasion. • These same pathways are activated in response to other critical insults, including trauma, hypoxic/ischemic injury, and bypass. •…
Adaptive immunity
• Unlike the innate immune response, the adaptive immune response is characterized by specific antigen recognition and immunologic memory. • Lymphocytes are the key cell types of the adaptive immune…
Nutrition of the critically ill child
• Provision of individually tailored optimal nutrition is an important goal of pediatric critical care. • Malnutrition is prevalent in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and is associated with…
