Pearls • The structures of the upper airway undergo extensive changes from infancy through young adulthood. An understanding of the numerous variations, congenital anomalies, and resulting special vulnerabilities of the…
Pearls • Bronchiolitis accounts for 5% to 10% of total pediatric intensive care unit admissions in the United States. • Treatment for critical bronchiolitis is predominantly supportive, particularly for hypoxia,…
Pearls • Pulse oximetry is based on the principles that the pulsatile component of the optical absorbance detected from tissue is primarily from arterial blood and that oxyhemoglobin and reduced…
Pearls • Children younger than 5 years have nearly equal peripheral and central airway resistance. This makes them more susceptible to developing respiratory failure with illnesses that affect the lower…
Pearls • Lungs increase in volume from about 250 mL at birth to 6000 mL in the adult. • Each lung lobe is subdivided into 19 bronchopulmonary segments, which receive…
Pearls • Both the cardiac and thoracic pump mechanisms play a role in infants and children during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Thus, attention to excellent chest compression technique—with an emphasis on “push…
Pearls • Arrhythmias may result from ongoing therapies; ask, “What’s the DEAL?” ( d rugs and drips, e lectrolytes, a irway and acid-base, l ines). • Appropriate diagnosis is key….
Pearls • Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), which originated in the mid-twentieth century, was designed to allow for the repair of congenital heart defects. Its history has since been characterized by perpetual…
Pearls • Most pediatric transplantations are performed for cardiomyopathy or congenital heart disease not amenable to correction or palliation. • Individuals may have a good quality of life following heart…
Pearls • The neonatal myocardium is less compliant than that of the older child, less tolerant of increases in afterload, and less responsive to increases in preload. A predictable decrease…
