Emergency Department Management of Pediatric Shock

Emergency Department Sepsis Triage Scoring Tool Elements Associated With Hypotension Within 24 Hours in Children With Fever and Tachycardia

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric sepsis screening is becoming the standard of care for children presenting to the emergency department (ED) and has been shown to improve recognition of severe sepsis, but it is unknown if these screening tools can predict progression of disease. The objective of this study was to determine if any elements of a sepsis triage trigger tool were predictive of progression to hypotensive shock in children presenting to the ED with fever and tachycardia.

METHODS

This study is a retrospective case-control study of children ≤18 years presenting to an ED with fever and tachycardia, comparing those who went on to develop hypotensive shock in the subsequent 24 hours (case) to those who did not (control). Primary outcome was the proportion of encounters where the patient had specific abnormal vital signs or clinical signs as components of the sepsis triage score. The secondary outcomes were the proportion of encounters where the patient had a sepsis risk factor.

RESULTS

During the study period, there were 94 patients who met case criteria and 186 controls selected. In the adjusted multivariable model, the 2 components of the sepsis triage score that were more common in case patients were the presence of severe cerebral palsy (adjusted odds ratio, 9.4 [3.7, 23.9]) and abnormal capillary refill at triage (adjusted odds ratio, 3.1 [1.4, 6.9]).

CONCLUSIONS

Among children who present to a pediatric ED with fever and tachycardia, those with prolonged capillary refill at triage or severe cerebral palsy were more likely to progress to decompensated septic shock, despite routine ED care.

Citrulline and ADI-PEG20 reduce inflammation in a juvenile porcine model of acute endotoxemia

Background

Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid that is depleted in critically ill or surgical patients. In pediatric and adult patients, sepsis results in an arginine-deficient state, and the depletion of plasma arginine is associated with greater mortality. However, direct supplementation of arginine can result in the excessive production of nitric oxide (NO), which can contribute to the hypotension and macrovascular hypo-reactivity observed in septic shock. Pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20, pegargiminase) reduces plasma arginine and generates citrulline that can be transported intracellularly to generate local arginine and NO, without resulting in hypotension, while maintaining microvascular patency. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of ADI-PEG20 with and without supplemental intravenous citrulline in mitigating hypovolemic shock, maintaining tissue levels of arginine, and reducing systemic inflammation in an endotoxemic pediatric pig model.

Methods

Twenty 3-week-old crossbred piglets were implanted with jugular and carotid catheters as well as telemetry devices in the femoral artery to measure blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, and respiration rate. The piglets were assigned to one of three treatments before undergoing a 5 h lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infusion protocol. Twenty-four hours before LPS infusion, control pigs (LPS; n=6) received saline, ADI-PEG20 pigs (n=7) received an injection of ADI-PEG20, and seven pigs (ADI-PEG20 + CIT pigs [n=7]) received ADI-PEG20 and 250 mg/kg citrulline intravenously. Pigs were monitored throughout LPS infusion and tissue was harvested at the end of the protocol.

Results

Plasma arginine levels decreased and remained low in ADI-PEG20 + CIT and ADI-PEG20 pigs compared with LPS pigs but tissue arginine levels in the liver and kidney were similar across all treatments. Mean arterial pressure in all groups decreased from 90 mmHg to 60 mmHg within 1 h of LPS infusion but there were no significant differences between treatment groups. ADI-PEG20 and ADI-PEG20 + CIT pigs had less CD45+ infiltrate in the liver and lung and lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the plasma.

Conclusion

ADI-PEG20 and citrulline supplementation failed to ameliorate the hypotension associated with acute endotoxic sepsis in pigs but reduced systemic and local inflammation in the lung and liver.

Development of a New Screening Tool for Pediatric Septic Shock

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Existing screening tools for sepsis in children are limited by suboptimal sensitivity. Our objective was to develop a new, more sensitive screening tool for pediatric septic shock by enhancing 2 aspects of the 4-point Liverpool quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (LqSOFA) tool.

METHODS

We performed a secondary analysis of a cohort of children (1 month to 18 years) who presented to a pediatric emergency department (ED) with suspected infection over a 10-year period. Septic shock was defined as intravenous vasoactive infusion within 24-hours of arrival for children with suspected infection and intravenous antibiotics administered. We developed the 4-point quick Pediatric Septic Shock Screening Score (qPS4) by making 2 changes to the 4-point LqSOFA: (1) the pulse rate parameter was replaced with the recently derived Temperature and Age-adjusted Mean Shock Index and (2) standard respiratory rate cutoffs for tachypnea were replaced by cutoffs derived empirically from the study cohort. The other 2 LqSOFA criteria were unchanged (abnormal mentation and capillary refill ≥3 seconds). We defined a positive qPS4 as ≥2 criteria (consistent with LqSOFA). We used the training cohort from the parent study to derive cutoffs for respiratory rate and the validation cohort to compare the qPS4 with LqSOFA and qSOFA.

RESULTS

Among the 47,231 encounters in the validation cohort from the parent study, with median age of 4.5 years, qPS4 had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for septic shock of 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92 to 0.96). qPS4 ≥2 had a sensitivity of 89.7% (95% CI 84.9% to 94.5%), and a specificity of 92.2% (95% CI 92.0% to 92.5%) for septic shock. In comparison, the LqSOFA achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.86 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.89), a sensitivity of 56.1% (95% CI 48.3% to 63.9%), and a specificity of 96.8% (95% CI 96.6% to 96.9%). The median time from first positive qPS4 to initiation of an intravenous vasoactive infusion was 2.5 hours (IQR 0.9 to 6.1) compared to 0.7 hours (IQR 0.0 to 4.5) for LqSOFA.

CONCLUSION

The qPS4, with 2 enhancements to the LqSOFA, demonstrated overall improved sensitivity and specificity for pediatric septic shock.

Red Code Management in a Pediatric Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study

The "red code" (RC) represents the highest level of emergency in the emergency department (ED). This study retrospectively analyzed RCs in the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital ED, a regional referral center in north Italy, between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2023. The aim was to describe RC characteristics and to identify significant correlations between presenting complaints and clinical management. The study includes 934 RCs (0.9% of overall ED admissions); 64% were assigned based on the Pediatric Assessment Triangle alteration. Most patients, 86.5%, followed the medical pathway, while 13.5% were surgical cases. Admission complaints were respiratory (46.9%), neuropsychiatric (26.7%), traumatic (11.8%), cardiologic (9.3%), metabolic (3.8%), and surgical (1.5%). Seventy-six percent of patients received vascular access, and intraosseous access was obtained in 2.2% of them. In one-third of RCs, an urgent critical care evaluation was necessary, and 19% of cases required admission to the intensive care unit. The overall mortality rate was 3.4% (0.4% in ED setting). The study identified six distinct diagnostic pathways, each associated with specific characteristics in clinical presentation, management, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes. Our findings underscore the need for a systematic approach in pediatric emergency settings, supported by international and national guidelines but also by clearly defined diagnostic pathways, aiming to enhance the quality of care and patient outcomes.

Use of POCUS for the assessment of dehydration in pediatric patients-a narrative review

In pediatric practice, POCUS (point-of-care ultrasound) has been mostly implemented to recognize lung conditions and pleural and pericardial effusions, but less to evaluate fluid depletion. The main aim of this review is to analyze the current literature on the assessment of dehydration in pediatric patients by using POCUS. The size of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and its change in diameter in response to respiration have been investigated as a tool to screen for hypovolemia. A dilated IVC with decreased collapsibility (< 50%) is a sign of increased right atrial pressure. On the contrary, a collapsed IVC may be indicative of hypovolemia. The IVC collapsibility index (cIVC) reflects the decrease in the diameter upon inspiration. Altogether the IVC diameter and collapsibility index can be easily determined, but their role in children has not been fully demonstrated, and an estimation of volume status solely by assessing the IVC should thus be interpreted with caution. The inferior vena cava/abdominal aorta (IVC/AO) ratio may be a suitable parameter to assess the volume status in pediatric patients even though there is a need to define age-based thresholds. A combination of vascular, lung, and cardiac POCUS could be a valuable supplementary tool in the assessment of dehydration in several clinical scenarios, enabling rapid identification of life-threatening primary etiologies and helping physicians avoid inappropriate therapeutic interventions.   Conclusion: POCUS can provide important information in the assessment of intravascular fluid status in emergency scenarios, but measurements may be confounded by a number of other clinical variables. The inclusion of lung and cardiac views may assist in better understanding the patient's physiology and etiology regarding volume status. What is Known: • In pediatric practice, POCUS (point-of-care ultrasound) has been mostly implemented to recognize lung conditions (like pneumonia and bronchiolitis) and pleural and pericardial effusions, but less to evaluate fluid depletion. • The size of the IVC (inferior vena cava) and its change in diameter in response to respiration have been studied as a possible screening tool to assess the volume status, predict fluid responsiveness, and assess potential intolerance to fluid loading. What is New: • The IVC diameter and collapsibility index can be easily assessed, but their role in predicting dehydration in pediatric age has not been fully demonstrated, and an estimation of volume status only by assessing the IVC should be interpreted carefully. • The IVC /AO(inferior vena cava/abdominal aorta) ratio may be a suitable parameter to assess the volume status in pediatric patients even though there is a need to define age-based thresholds. A combination of vascular, lung, and cardiac POCUS can be a valuable supplementary tool in the assessment of intravascular volume in several clinical scenarios.

A Temperature- and Age-Adjusted Shock Index for Emergency Department Identification of Pediatric Sepsis

OBJECTIVE

To empirically derive a novel temperature- and age-adjusted mean shock index (TAMSI) for early identification of sepsis and septic shock in children with suspected infection.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of children aged 1 month to <18 years presenting to a single emergency department with suspected infection over a 10-year period. TAMSI was defined as (pulse rate - 10 × [temperature - 37])/(mean arterial pressure). The primary outcome was sepsis, and the secondary outcome was septic shock. In the two-thirds training set, we determined TAMSI cutoffs for each age group using a minimum sensitivity of 85% and Youden Index. In the one-third validation data set, we calculated test characteristics for the TAMSI cutoffs and compared them with those for the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) tachycardia or systolic hypotension cutoffs.

RESULTS

In the sepsis validation data set, the sensitivity-targeting TAMSI cutoff yielded a sensitivity of 83.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 81.7% to 85.4%) and specificity of 42.8% (95% CI 42.4% to 43.3%) versus a sensitivity of 77.7% (95% CI 75.7% to 79.8%) and specificity of 60.0% (95% CI 59.5% to 60.4%) for PALS. For septic shock, the sensitivity-targeting TAMSI cutoff achieved a sensitivity of 81.3% (95% CI 75.2% to 87.4%) and a specificity of 83.5% (95% CI 83.2% to 83.8%) versus a sensitivity of 91.0% (95% CI 86.5% to 95.5%) and a specificity of 58.8% (95% CI 58.4% to 59.3%) for PALS. TAMSI yielded an increased positive likelihood ratio and similar negative likelihood ratio versus PALS.

CONCLUSIONS

TAMSI achieved a similar negative likelihood ratio and improved positive likelihood ratio compared with PALS vital sign cutoffs for the prediction of septic shock, but it did not improve on PALS for sepsis prediction, among children with suspected infection.

Pediatric Shock Review

Shock occurs when there is energy failure due to inadequate oxygen/glucose delivery to meet metabolic demands. Shock is a leading cause of death and disability in children worldwide. Types of shock include hypovolemic, cardiogenic, distributive, and obstructive. This review provides an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical signs and symptoms of each of these types of shock, followed by a discussion of advancements in diagnostic tests and tools and management/treatment principles for different categories of shock.

Not all Shock States Are Created Equal: A Review of the Diagnosis and Management of Septic, Hypovolemic, Cardiogenic, Obstructive, and Distributive Shock

Shock in the critically ill patient is common and associated with poor outcomes. Categories include distributive, hypovolemic, obstructive, and cardiogenic, of which distributive (and usually septic distributive) shock is by far the most common. Clinical history, physical examination, and hemodynamic assessments & monitoring help differentiate these states. Specific management necessitates interventions to correct the triggering etiology as well as ongoing resuscitation to maintain physiologic milieu. One shock state may convert to another and may have an undifferentiated presentation; therefore, continual re-assessment is essential. This review provides guidance for intensivists for management of all shock states based on available scientific evidence.

Advances in Shock Management and Fluid Resuscitation in Children

Shock in children is associated with significant mortality and morbidity, particularly in resource-limited settings. The principles of management include early recognition, fluid resuscitation, appropriate inotropes, antibiotic therapy in sepsis, supportive therapy for organ dysfunction, and regular hemodynamic monitoring. During the past decade, each step has undergone several changes and evolved as evidence that has been translated into recommendations and practice. There is a paradigm shift from protocolized-based care to personalized management, from liberal strategies to restrictive strategies in terms of fluids, blood transfusion, ventilation, and antibiotics, and from clinical monitoring to multimodal monitoring using bedside technologies. However, uncertainties are still prevailing in terms of the volume of fluids, use of steroids, and use of extracorporeal and newer therapies while managing shock. These changes have been summarized along with evidence in this article with the aim of adopting an evidence-based approach while managing children with shock.

Motor Vehicle Collision and Acute Kidney Injury in Children

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in pediatric patients who sustained trauma due to motor vehicle collision (MVC) and identify factors associated with its development.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical information and laboratory tests of pediatric patients who were admitted because of MVC from January 2014 to April 2021. The occurrence of AKI was our primary outcome, which was defined by the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria. A serum creatine kinase (CK) level of 1000 IU/L or greater was defined as rhabdomyolysis.

RESULTS

Sixty-four patients (median age, 9.6 years) were included in the study. Twenty three of the patients (35.9%) developed AKI: stage 1 AKI in 18 (78.3%) and stage 2 AKI in 5 (21.7%) patients. Acute kidney injury patients had higher injury severity scores (no AKI: 5.0; stage 1 AKI: 10.5; stage 2 AKI: 26.0). Rhabdomyolysis was present in 21.1% of the patients and was associated with the overall AKI risk (odds ratio [OR], 7.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-32.6) and stage 2 AKI (OR, 15.0; 95% CI, 1.4-163.2). Blood tests from AKI patients showed lower serum bicarbonate and base excess, higher leukocyte and CK levels on admission, and a higher peak CK in the first 72 hours of admission. Intubation in emergency department (OR, 11.1; 95% CI, 1.2-102.1) and surgical interventions (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.0-9.8) were associated with AKI. Acute kidney injury patients required longer stay in pediatric intensive care unit (median 1.0 vs 2.3 days, P < 0.001) and hospital (median 4.1 vs 7.0 days, P = 0.010).

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately one third of pediatric patients who sustained trauma from MVC developed AKI. Initial blood results, including higher CK and leukocyte count, and lower bicarbonate and base excess, were associated with the development of AKI. Rhabdomyolysis occurred in approximately one fifth of the patients and was significantly associated with AKI.

Decision-Making in the Pediatric Emergency Department-A Survey of Guidance Strategies among Residents

(1) Introduction: Working in an emergency department requires fast and straightforward decisions. Therefore, decision guidance represents an essential tool for successful patient-centered care. Beyond the residents' own knowledge and experience, printed books have been the primary source of information in the past. The aim of this study was to discover which strategies current residents use the most and to identify alternative quick reference strategies in the digital age. (2) Materials and Methods: This study analyzed the responses of a short questionnaire directed at 41 residents in a single pediatric emergency department (32 pediatric and 9 pediatric surgery residents) over a period of one month. (3) Results: Thirty-three (80.5%) residents answered the entire questionnaire. Strikingly, responses indicated that printed books are still pivotal in guiding decision-making. In addition, the acquisition of information via computers or smartphones plays an increasing role. However, the opinion and council of the attending physician is still of great value to the residents and is not to be underestimated. Overall, most of the residents would prefer to have access to a specially designed smartphone application. (4) Conclusions: Certainty and validity are essential in decision-making in a pediatric emergency department. Although printed books and attending physicians are still considered as reliable sources of information, internet-based information plays an increasing role. In order to provide the best up-to-date and most recent information, a validated and consistently updated smartphone application could be a useful option.

Non-invasive Cardiac Output Monitoring and Assessment of Fluid Responsiveness in Children With Shock in the Emergency Department

Introduction

The assessment of fluid responsiveness is important in the management of shock but conventional methods of assessing fluid responsiveness are often inaccurate. Our study aims to evaluate changes in objective hemodynamic parameters as measured using electrical cardiometry (ICON® monitor) following the fluid bolus in children presenting with shock and to evaluate whether any specific hemodynamic parameter can best predict fluid responsiveness among children with shock.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a prospective observational study in children presenting with shock to our emergency department between June 2020 and March 2021. We collected the parameters such as heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and hemodynamic data such as cardiac output CO), cardiac index (CI), index of contractility (ICON), stroke volume (SV), stroke index (SI), corrected flow time (FTC), systolic time ratio (STR), variation of index of contractility (VIC), stroke volume variation (SVV), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and thoracic fluid content (TFC) using the ICON monitor before and after fluid bolus (FB). We assessed percent change (Δ) and used paired-sample Student's t-test to compare pre- and post-hemodynamic data and Mann-Whitney U-test to compare fluid responders and non-responders. P-Values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

We recorded 42 fluid interventions in 40 patients during our study period. The median IQR age was 10.56 (4.8, 14.8) years with male/female ratio (1.2:1). There was a significant decrease in ΔRR [-1.61 (-14.8, 0); p = 0.012], ΔDBP [-5.5 (-14.4, 8); p = 0.027], ΔMAP [-2.2 (-11, 2); p = 0.018], ΔSVR [-5.8 (-20, 5.2); p = 0.025], and ΔSTR [-8.39 (-21, 3); p = 0.001] and significant increase in ΔTFC [6.2 (3.5, 11.4); p = 0.01] following FB. We defined fluid responders by an increase in SV by ≥10% after a single FB of 20 ml/kg crystalloid. Receiver operating curve analysis revealed that among all the parameters, 15% change in ICON had an excellent AUC (0.85) for the fluid responsiveness.

Conclusion

Our study showed significant changes in objective hemodynamic parameters, such as SVR, STR, and TFC following FB in children presenting with shock. A 15% change in ICON had an excellent predictive performance for the fluid responsiveness among our cohort of pediatric shock.

Renal Oxygen Saturation as an Early Indicator of Shock in Children

Background

Shock is a life-threatening syndrome in which tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery are inadequate. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been suggested as a noninvasive tool for monitoring and detecting the state of inadequate tissue perfusion. Renal and mesenteric oximetry show decreased cardiac output earlier than systemic or global parameters of tissue oxygenation or cerebral oximetry. However, until now there has been no study on the validity of regional renal oxygen saturation (rRSO₂) by NIRS for diagnosing shock in children.

Purpose

To analyze the validity of rRSO₂ by NIRS to diagnose shock in children.

Patients and Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in critically ill children (aged 1 month–18 years) who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), from September to November 2020, consecutively. Patients were classified into two groups: shock and non-shock. The diagnosis of shock is based on clinical criteria (tachycardia, sign of hypoperfusion and decrease systolic blood pressure <P5 according to age). Measurement of rRSO₂ by NIRS was performed by the doctor in charge when the patient came to PICU. The baseline rRSO₂ value (%) made a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and was used to find the optimal cut-off value and calculated sensitivity and specificity.

Results

We enrolled 20 critically ill patients. The baseline rRSO₂ in the shock (n=10) and non-shock (n=10) groups were, 44.00±4.95 vs 78.70±4.52 (p 0.003). The optimal cutoff value of the baseline rRSO₂ to predict shock is less than 58.5% with area under the curve (AUC) value is 94.4% (95% CI of 84.4–100%), p 0.001, sensitivity 90% and specificity 90% in critically ill children.

Conclusion

The rRSO₂ value by NIRS can differentiate between shock and non-shock in critically ill patients accurately.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound to Evaluate the Acute Abdomen: A Case of Bowel Perforation After Unknown Single Magnet Ingestion

ABSTRACT

We report the case of a 3-year-old boy who presented to the pediatric emergency department in undifferentiated shock with an acute abdomen. Point-of-care ultrasound revealed viscous perforation with a large amount of free fluid. Intraoperatively, a single magnet was discovered as the likely cause of bowel perforation and the resulting state of shock.

New-Onset Pediatric Diabetes Complicated By Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Invasive Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis With Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion

BACKGROUND

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) has increased in prevalence in the emergency department (ED) in recent years. The complications of DKA are life threatening and necessitate rapid identification and management. Pediatric complications include cerebral edema, venous thrombosis, acute kidney injury, and severe infections including necrotizing fasciitis and mucormycosis. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis carries a high mortality rate and requires early treatment with antifungals and surgical debridement.

CASE REPORT

A 16-year-old boy with no significant past medical history presented to the ED with new-onset DKA complicated by hypothermia, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, cerebral edema, and multifactorial shock. During a complicated pediatric intensive care unit admission, he was found to have fatal invasive rhinocerebral mucormycosis, causing internal carotid artery occlusion with evidence of both direct and hematogenous spread into his brain. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Early identification of shock and appropriate management with intravenous fluids, vasopressors, and reversal of the underlying process is key in hypotensive children. In pediatric DKA, the emergency physician must consider cerebral edema, appropriate fluid resuscitation, and identify the likely precipitants leading to the onset of DKA. Thorough workup for potential precipitants should be initiated in the ED, searching for etiologies including infection, intoxication, insulin deficiency, inflammation, and ischemia. We must remember that pediatric patients, especially those with new DKA, are susceptible to life-threatening infection, including mucormycosis. Mucormycosis is a rare diagnosis, and management includes antifungal therapies and involvement of otorhinolaryngology.

Obstructive shock in pediatric patient with congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation: A case report

Introduction

and importance: Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM) is a rare cystic lesion in the lungs. CCAM might present in the early neonatal period with symptoms of respiratory distress.

Case presentation

A 2-year-old girl was admitted to our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with signs of severe respiratory distress. She had been diagnosed with CCAM since she was three months old. She also had undergone several procedures such as thoracotomy and decortication since then, but she still suffered some episodes of pulmonary infection. In this admission, her computerized thoracic tomography revealed a pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB).

Clinical discussion

An obstruction of blood outflow from the left ventricle could happen when an intrathoracic mass exists, leading to a decrease of cardiac output and resulting in an obstructive shock, which could be fatal. One of the malignancy types commonly occurring is pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB), which has a poor prognosis. Early detection on CCAM can be done by prenatal ultrasound.

Conclusion

Obstructive shock is one of complication that might occur in pleuropulmonary blastoma.

•

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) has a poor prognosis.

•

Lobectomy is recommended to prevent recurrence of infection.

•

Early detection on CCAM could be done by prenatal ultrasound.

[Paediatric Life Support]

The European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Paediatric Life Support (PLS) guidelines are based on the 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Science with Treatment Recommendations of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). This section provides guidelines on the management of critically ill or injured infants, children and adolescents before, during and after respiratory/cardiac arrest.

European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: Paediatric Life Support

These European Resuscitation Council Paediatric Life Support (PLS) guidelines, are based on the 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Science with Treatment Recommendations. This section provides guidelines on the management of critically ill infants and children, before, during and after cardiac arrest.

Improving the Pediatric Emergency Department Learning Experience: A Simulation-Based Orientation for Pediatric PGY 1 Residents

INTRODUCTION

Rotations in the pediatric emergency department (PED) may expose residents to very few critically ill patients. In our previous work, interns at our institution showed low self-confidence in decision-making and preparedness to stabilize acutely ill patients. In order to improve this, we designed a new, peer-led, simulation-based orientation to the PED rotation for interns focusing on workflow and decision-making. The cases presented learners with practical and generalizable challenges, such as ordering initial labs and medications and defining the ultimate disposition for the patient.

METHODS

This orientation curriculum was designed for first-year residents using high-fidelity simulation mannequins. In the first of two cases, learners managed a 10-year-old boy presenting with status asthmaticus who required continuous albuterol and parenteral magnesium to achieve stability for admission. In the second case, a 4-year-old girl with short gut syndrome and an indwelling central line presented with fever, was found to be septic, but responded well to fluid resuscitation and antibiotic therapy.

RESULTS

Over 2 years of implementation, 39 residents participated. Pre- and postintervention Likert-based survey evaluations showed significant increases in confidence in decision-making and preparedness to stabilize acutely ill children that were not seen in a control group during the pilot year. A subsequent class-wide implementation showed similar significant improvements, as well as increased comfort initiating treatment prior to staffing.

DISCUSSION

Using simulation mannequins in a case-based orientation can improve PGY 1 residents' self-confidence and sense of preparedness during their first rotation in the PED.

Epidemiology and effects of fluid bolus administration in the paediatric emergency department

OBJECTIVE

Fluid bolus therapy (FBT) is recommended as the initial form of acute circulatory support for many disease processes. The epidemiology of its use in the ED is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess indications, use patterns and short-term effects of FBT in a paediatric ED.

METHODS

Retrospective observational study in the ED of the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia (annual census >90 000) using hospital electronic medical record data for all patients who received an i.v. fluid bolus in the ED over the calendar year 2018 were included in the study. We extracted demographics, indications, volume, content of FBT as well as subsequent vital sign and biochemical changes.

RESULTS

One thousand five hundred and thirty-nine fluid boluses were administered to 1343/90 000 children (1.5%), 1185 received 1, 123 received 2, 32 received 3, and 3 received 4 boluses. Fluid bolus volume of 10 mL/kg was used in 45.3%, 20 mL/kg in 35.7%, 500 mL in 6.4% and 1000 mL in 7.1%. The fluid content was 0.9% saline in 99.9% of cases. The most common indications for FBT were: vomiting/diarrhoea (23%), acute febrile illness (11%) and pneumonia or sepsis (10% each). FBT was associated with a reduction in median heart rate by 6 beats per minute (P < 0.01), reduction in mean blood pressure by 3 mmHg (P < 0.01), and reduction in venous lactate by 0.2 mmol/L (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Fluid bolus therapy is a commonly used intervention in the paediatric ED, most often for dehydration. Variability in indications, dose and effects of FBT warrant further exploration.