Respiratory management of the infant with type 1 spinal muscular atrophy

Identifying Opportunities to Provide Family-centered Care for Families With Children With Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy

STUDY PURPOSE

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand, from the parent perspective, the experience of the family whose child has Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (Type 1 SMA), in the emergency center, hospital, and clinical care settings to identify opportunities for improved family-centered care (FCC).

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study used a qualitative descriptive design with individual or small group interviews guided by a semi-structured questionnaire. Reviewers used framework analysis to identify gaps in the provision of FCC and opportunities for improvement with respect to services health professionals may provide families of children with Type 1 SMA.

RESULTS

Nineteen families with 22 children with Type 1 SMA participated. Results are organized according to eight basic tenets of FCC. Family-to-family interactions strongly impacted participants' decision-making and perceived level of support. Participants valued strong family/provider partnerships, feeling heard and respected by their providers, and receiving complete education regarding disease trajectory.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analyses revealed both successful application of FCC and gaps in care where FCC could have been used to benefit families who have children with Type 1 SMA. As a pediatric chronic illness affects the whole family, FCC is important in maintaining the providers' focus on the family during the child's care.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

There are opportunities for nursing, social work, care managers and others to engage as care coordinators to explain the family's goals and values to the medical team. Care coordinators help ensure understanding between families and providers, empowering the family to articulate their hopes and concerns.

Increasing admissions to paediatric intensive care units in England and Wales: more than just rising a birth rate

OBJECTIVE

To determine the number of individual children admitted to Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) in England and Wales between 2004 and 2013 and to investigate potential factors for any change over time, including ethnicity.

METHODS

Anonymised demographic and epidemiological data were extracted from the Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network (PICANet) database and analysed for all children resident in England and Wales admitted to PICUs of National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in those countries between 2004 and 2013. Population data, including births, were obtained from the Office of National Statistics and analysed. Predicted numbers of children admitted to PICU were compared with actual admissions, averaged over 3-year periods.

RESULTS

Increasing numbers of individual children were admitted to PICUs in England and Wales between 2004 and 2013. The largest increases were among younger children (0-5 years) and those with primary respiratory or cardiac diagnoses. They were also greatest in regions with the most mothers born overseas. From 2009 onwards, more children were admitted to PICUs than predicted, separate from overall population growth, South Asian ethnicity or requirement for ventilation.

CONCLUSIONS

An additional increase in the number of children from England and Wales admitted to PICU from 2009 onwards is not explained by a rising child population or an increased risk of admission among South Asian children. There was no evidence of a reduction in the admission criteria to PICUs. Given healthcare funding in England and Wales, continued increases would present a challenging prospect for both providers and commissioners of these services.

[Neuromuscular disease: respiratory clinical assessment and follow-up]

Patients with neuromuscular disease are an important group at risk of frequently suffering acute or chronic respiratory failure, which is their main cause of death. They require follow-up by a pediatric respiratory medicine specialist from birth or diagnosis in order to confirm the diagnosis and treat any respiratory complications within a multidisciplinary context. The ventilatory support and the cough assistance have improved the quality of life and long-term survival for many of these patients. In this paper, the authors review the pathophysiology, respiratory function evaluation, sleep disorders, and the most frequent respiratory complications in neuromuscular diseases. The various treatments used, from a respiratory medicine point of view, will be analyzed in a next paper.

[Multicentric study of medical care and practices in spinal muscular atrophy type 1 over two 10-year periods]

AIM

Questions about care practices and the role of palliative care in pediatric neurodegenerative diseases have led the Neuromuscular Committee of the French Society of Neurology to conduct a retrospective study in spinal muscular atrophy type 1, a genetic disease most often leading to death before the age of 1 year.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective multicenter study from pediatricians included in the reference centers of pediatric neuromuscular diseases was carried out on two 10-year periods (1989-1998 and 1999-2009).

RESULTS

The 1989-1998 period included 12 centers with 106 patients, the 1999-2009 period 13 centers with 116 children. The mean age of onset of clinical signs was 2.1 months (range, 0-5.5 months), the median age at diagnosis was 4 months (range, 0-9 months) vs 3 months. The median age of death was 7.5 months (range, 0-24 months) vs 6 months. The care modalities included physiotherapy (90 %), motor support (61 % vs 26 % for the previous period), enteral nutrition by nasogastric tube (52 % vs 24 %), and 3.4 % of children had a gastrostomy (vs 1.8 %). At home, pharyngeal aspiration was used in 64 % (vs 41 %), oxygen therapy in 8 %, noninvasive ventilatory support in 7 %. The mean age at death was 8.1 months (range, 0-24 months) vs 7 months, the time from diagnosis to death was 4 months vs 3 months. Death occurred at home in 23 % vs 17 %, in a pediatric unit in 62 % vs 41 %. The use of analgesics and sedative drugs was reported in 60 % of cases: 40 % morphine (vs 18 %) and benzodiazepines in 48 % (vs 29 %). Respiratory support was limited mostly to oxygen by nasal tube (55 % vs 54 %), noninvasive ventilation in 9 % of the cases, and intubation and assisted mechanical ventilation (2 %).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

These results confirm a change in practices and the development of palliative care in children with a French consensus of practices quite different from the standard care in North-America and closer to the thinking of English medical teams. A prospective study within the 2011 national hospital clinical research program (PHRC 2011) is beginning in order to evaluate practices and the role of families and caregivers.

Home mechanical ventilation in children is feasible in developing countries

BACKGROUND

The results of many national surveys on pediatric home mechanical ventilation (HMV) in developed countries have been presented elsewhere, but data from developing countries with low national incomes are scarce.

METHODS

Twenty-nine pediatric patients, treated in the Mother and Child Institute of Serbia, who had been receiving long-term ventilatory support at home, were surveyed. The major criterion for initiating HMV was hypercapnia, diagnosed by blood gas analysis, performed in the morning, after awakening. Other criteria were either symptoms of hypoventilation during the night associated with an apnea index of >5, or apnoea-hypopnoea index of >15, or nocturnal hypoxemia, defined as an oxygen saturation rate of <90% for >5% of total sleep time.

RESULTS

The mean age at initiation of HMV was 9.3 years (range 0.5-17.8 years). Patients waited for HMV initiation either in hospital or at home; the mean period was 6.3 months (range 1-18 months). The subjects received HMV for a mean of 25.06 months (range 3-119 months). There was a significant difference in the duration of HMV for different underlying diseases (P= 0.046), and mechanical malfunction was strongly dependent on the duration of HMV (P= 0.011). Eleven patients underwent invasive HMV via a tracheostomy, and 18 others received non-invasive ventilation, via nasal and full-face masks.

CONCLUSION

HMV is feasible in developing countries. Valuable reimbursement policies as well as an organized and functional network are essential for its implementation, as a standard of care in leading national pediatric hospitals.

Outcome of long-term mechanical ventilation support in children

BACKGROUND

Improved technology and care in recent years have significantly improved the prognosis and quality of life for patients on long-term mechanical ventilation. This study examined the status of children on long-term mechanical ventilation (MV) support in Taiwan.

METHODS

The medical records of patients between January 1998 and December 2006 were retrospectively reviewed, and the clinical factors were systematically reviewed.

RESULTS

One hundred and thirty-nine (139) patients aged 3 months to 18 years, with 53 (38.1%) girls and 86 (61.9%) boys, were enrolled. The common underlying disorders included neurologic/neuromuscular diseases (n=100, 71.9%) and airway/lung dysfunction (n=19, 13.7%). After instituting MV, the children returned to the medical center mainly for infection (n=157, 47.7%) and elective surgery or procedures (n=46, 13.9%). After long-term follow-up, 37 (26.6%) died, 81 (58.3%) were transferred to respiratory care wards in local hospitals, and 21 (15.1%) received home care support.

CONCLUSIONS

There are now more children on long-term MV support in Taiwan and most are in respiratory care wards in local hospitals. The shift in underlying diagnoses from pulmonary disease to neurogenic respiratory insufficiency affects hospitalization. The main cause of respiratory insufficiency is neurologic insult.

Perfluorodecalin lavage of a longstanding lung atelectasis in a child with spinal muscle atrophy

OBJECTIVE

Persistent lung atelectasis is difficult to treat and perfluorochemical (PFC) liquid may be an option for bronchioalveolar lavage (BAL).

CASE REPORT

A 4-year-old girl with spinal muscle atrophy was admitted in respiratory failure. On admission, the X-ray confirmed the persistence of total right-sided lung atelectasis, which had been present for 14 months. She was endotracheally intubated and ventilated from the day of admission. BAL with normal saline was performed twice without improvement. Following failed extubation and being dependent on continuous respiratory support, a trial of BAL using PFC liquid (Perfluorodecalin HP) was carried out. The PFC was delivered through the endotracheal tube on three consecutive days. A loading dose of 3 ml/kg was administered, followed by a varying dose in order to more effectively lavage the lungs. She tolerated the procedure well the first 2 days, although there were no clinical signs of improvement in the atelectasis. Intentionally, higher inflation pressures were applied after PFC instillation on day 3. Chest X-ray then showed hazy infiltrates on her left lung and she required more ventilatory support. However, lung infiltrates cleared over the next 3 days. A tracheotomy was done 6 days after the last PFC instillation. She had a slow recovery and was successfully decanulated. Clinical improvement of lung function was seen including less need of BiPAP and oxygen. A chest CT scan showed then functional lung tissue appearing in the previous total atelectatic right lung.

CONCLUSION

Lavage with PFC can safely be performed with a therapeutic effect in a child with unilateral total lung atelectasis.

Demographic characteristics of SMA type 1 patients at a tertiary center in Turkey

The aim of this study was to demonstrate demographics of 39 consecutive Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1 patients diagnosed genetically in a tertiary center between June 2006 and June 2009. There was history of consanguineous marriage in 27 (69%) patients. The average patient lifespan was 251 days (30-726 days). The average patient age at diagnosis was 129 days (33-297 days). A statistically significant correlation was found between the age at diagnosis and the lifespan (p = 0.00). No significant correlation was found between the time spent in intensive care and the lifespan (p = 0.43). Routine physical therapy was found to have no significant impact on the lifespan average (p = 0.17). The cause of death in all of our patients was respiratory issues. Genetic counseling was given to 35 families. A second child with SMA was born in three out of the 14 families who declined prenatal diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

A national program is needed in Turkey for SMA prevention and creation of expert teams for the management of these patients.

Tracheotomy and children with spinal muscular atrophy type 1: ethical considerations in the French context

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 is a genetic neuromuscular disease in children that leads to degeneration of spinal cord motor neurons. This sometimes results in severe muscular paralysis requiring mechanical ventilation to sustain the child's life. The onset of SMA type 1, the most severe form of the disease, is during the first year of life. These children become severely paralysed, but retain their intellectual capacity. Ethical concerns arise when mechanical ventilation becomes necessary for survival. When professionals assess the resulting life for the child and family, they sometimes fear it will result in unreasonably excessive care. The aim of this article is to present an analysis of ethical arguments that could support or oppose the provision of invasive ventilation in this population. This examination is particularly relevant as France is one of the few countries performing tracheotomies and mechanical ventilation for this condition.

Research governance and change in research ethics practices at a major Australian university

Recent revisions of the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research put a great emphasis on research governance. Institutional responsibility for the governance of the research is not limited only to the ethical review by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), but also to the accountability for quality, safety, privacy, risk management and financial management of the research. Despite the development of proposed research governance frameworks, many Australian institutions do not have such structures in place and rely excessively on HRECs to perform administrative functions that are not their responsibility. In this paper we report on implementation of a research governance framework at University of New South Wales which led to reduced HREC workload and allowed more attention to its core functions. We present the approach undertaken by the university to separate the ethical review process by HREC from the research governance. We recommend that with proper research governance frameworks in place, the role of HRECs and the institutional responsibility of governance of the research can be defined clearly.

How much weight should we give to parental interests in decisions about life support for newborn infants?

Life-sustaining treatment is sometimes withdrawn or withheld from critically ill newborn infants with poor prognosis. Guidelines relating to such decisions place emphasis on the best interests of the infant. However, in practice, parental views and parental interests are often taken into consideration. In this paper I draw on the example of newborn infants with severe muscle weakness (for example spinal muscular atrophy). I provide two arguments that parental interests should be given some weight in decisions about treatment, and that they should be given somewhat more weight in decisions about newborns than for older children. Firstly, the interests of the infant and of parents intersect, and are hard to separate. Parents' views about treatment may be relevant to an assessment of the infant's interests, and they may also affect those interests. Secondly, the interests of the infant in her future are relatively reduced by her developmental immaturity. In some situations parents' welfare interests outweigh those of the infant. However, I argue that this would not justify treatment limitation except in the setting of severe impairment.

Chronic respiratory failure and neuromuscular disease

The outlook for children with respiratory complications of neuromuscular disease has improved significantly in the past 15 years. This has been the result of many advances in clinical care, including improved monitoring of lung function and hypoventilation during sleep; coordinated respiratory care by experienced physicians with access to specialized respiratory services, especially physiotherapy; and, most importantly, the widespread introduction of noninvasive ventilation.

The use of invasive ventilation is appropriate in children with genetically proven spinal muscular atrophy type 1: the motion against

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a relatively common, profoundly disabling and incurable disease that presents in early childhood with hypotonia, weakness and decreased movement. Without ventilatory support, premature death from respiratory insufficiency is universal in children with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1). With mechanical ventilation, however, long-term survival in SMA1 has been reported from numerous international centres. Children kept alive by this means experience progressive paralysis and eventually become effectively 'locked in' on the ventilator, with no useful movements of the extremities, progressive facial and bulbar weakness, and complete inability to communicate. Prolongation of life by invasive ventilation in such cases is futile given the absence of curative treatments for infants with SMA1, and overly burdensome given the unacceptable quality of life of such children.

Physician attitudes towards ventilatory support for spinal muscular atrophy type 1 in Australasia

BACKGROUND

Without ventilatory support, premature death from respiratory insufficiency is virtually universal in infants with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 (SMA1). With mechanical ventilation, however, long-term survival has been reported from numerous international centres. We aimed to characterize physician attitudes to the various forms of ventilatory support for children with SMA1.

METHODS

We surveyed neurologists, respiratory physicians, clinical geneticists and intensivists from all major paediatric hospitals in Australia and New Zealand regarding their views on ventilatory management of SMA1.

RESULTS

Ninety-two of the 157 (59%) physicians surveyed replied. Respondents included 16 clinical geneticists, 19 intensive care physicians, 28 neurologists and 29 respiratory physicians. Almost half (47%) opposed invasive ventilation of children with SMA1 and respiratory failure precipitated by intercurrent illness. The majority (76%) opposed invasive ventilatory support for chronic respiratory failure in SMA1. In contrast, non-invasive ventilation was felt by 85% to be appropriate for acute respiratory deteriorations, with 49% supporting long-term non-invasive ventilatory support. Most physicians felt that decisions regarding ventilation should be made jointly by parents and doctors, and that hospital Clinical Ethics Committees should be involved in the event of discordant opinion regarding further management. A majority felt that a defined hospital policy would be valuable in guiding management of SMA1.

CONCLUSIONS

Respiratory support in SMA1 is an important issue with significant ethical, financial and resource management implications. Most physicians in Australian and New Zealand oppose invasive ventilatory support for chronic respiratory failure in SMA1. Non-invasive ventilation is an accepted intervention for acute respiratory decompensation and may have a role in the long-term management of SMA1. Clinical Ethics Committees and institutional policies have a place in guiding physicians and parents in the management of children with SMA1.

Consensus statement for standard of care in spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy is a neurodegenerative disease that requires multidisciplinary medical care. Recent progress in the understanding of molecular pathogenesis of spinal muscular atrophy and advances in medical technology have not been matched by similar developments in the care for spinal muscular atrophy patients. Variations in medical practice coupled with differences in family resources and values have resulted in variable clinical outcomes that are likely to compromise valid measure of treatment effects during clinical trials. The International Standard of Care Committee for Spinal Muscular Atrophy was formed in 2005, with a goal of establishing practice guidelines for clinical care of these patients. The 12 core committee members worked with more than 60 spinal muscular atrophy experts in the field through conference calls, e-mail communications, a Delphi survey, and 2 in-person meetings to achieve consensus on 5 care areas: diagnostic/new interventions, pulmonary, gastrointestinal/nutrition, orthopedics/rehabilitation, and palliative care. Consensus was achieved on several topics related to common medical problems in spinal muscular atrophy, diagnostic strategies, recommendations for assessment and monitoring, and therapeutic interventions in each care area. A consensus statement was drafted to address the 5 care areas according to 3 functional levels of the patients: nonsitter, sitter, and walker. The committee also identified several medical practices lacking consensus and warranting further investigation. It is the authors' intention that this document be used as a guideline, not as a practice standard for their care. A practice standard for spinal muscular atrophy is urgently needed to help with the multidisciplinary care of these patients.

Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication during gastrostomy tube placement and noninvasive ventilation may improve survival in type I and severe type II spinal muscular atrophy

Progressive respiratory muscle weakness with bulbar involvement is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in type I and severe type II spinal muscular atrophy. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation techniques coupled with laparoscopic gastrointestinal procedures may allow for improved morbidity and mortality. The authors present a series of 7 spinal muscular atrophy patients (6 type I and 1 severe type II) who successfully underwent laparoscopic gastrostomy tube insertion coupled with Nissen fundoplication and early postoperative extubation using noninvasive positive pressure ventilation techniques. The authors measured the length of survival and the frequencies of pneumonia and hospitalization before and after surgery as outcomes of these new surgical and medical interventions. All 7 patients had respiratory symptoms (unmanageable oropharyngeal secretions, cough, pneumonia), difficulty feeding, and weight loss. Six patients had documented reflux via diagnostic testing preoperatively. Five patients were on noninvasive positive pressure ventilation and other supportive respiratory therapies prior to surgery. All 7 patients survived the procedures. By August 2006, 5 patients with type I and 1 with severe type II spinal muscular atrophy were alive and medically stable at home 1.5 months to 41 months post-op. One patient with type I expired approximately 5 months post-op due to obstructive apnea. This case series demonstrates that laparoscopic gastrostomy tube placement coupled with Nissen fundoplication and noninvasive positive pressure ventilation can be successfully used as a treatment option to allow for early postoperative extubation and to optimize quality of life in type I and severe type II spinal muscular atrophy patients.

Spinal muscular atrophy type 1: is long-term mechanical ventilation ethical?

We present a baby with spinal muscular atrophy type 1, an inherited disorder causing progressive weakness, leading to complete paralysis of respiratory, facial and limb muscles. Without intervention, death occurs in infancy due to respiratory failure. Mechanical ventilatory support can prolong life, but the child's quality of life is highly debatable. We discuss the appropriateness of initiating and continuing intensive care for this child and others in a similar position.

Enterostomy tube placement in children with spinal muscular atrophy type 1

OBJECTIVE

To determine the major complication rate in the first 30 days after enterostomy tube insertion in infants with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective case review of all children with SMA type 1 who had a gastrostomy or gastrojejunostomy tube placed by the image-guided technique at the Hospital for Sick Children from 1994-2004. Major complications were classified as peritonitis, aspiration pneumonia, respiratory failure, nonelective admission to the pediatric intensive care unit, and death.

RESULTS

Twelve children were identified as having SMA type 1 with an enterostomy tube insertion. The median age at tube insertion was 6.1 months (range 2.2 to 15.8 months). Major complications in the first 30 days after the procedure included aspiration pneumonia (5/12 patients [41.6%]), respiratory failure requiring admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (4/12 [33%]), and death (2/12 [16.7%]). Children with development of aspiration pneumonia were significantly older at time of tube insertion (P < .05) than those with no aspiration.

CONCLUSIONS

Major complications including death are seen in children with SMA type 1 in the first 30 days after enterostomy tube insertion.

Health and quality of life of ventilator-dependent children

AIM

This paper reports a qualitative study with ventilator-dependent children and their parents, describing their experiences and meanings concerning the children's health and quality of life.

BACKGROUND

Recent medical advances have enabled children to survive premature birth, congenital anomalies, critical illness and accidents with long-term use of mechanical ventilation to support breathing. In economically developed countries, the number of ventilator-dependent children is increasing and many require nurse-led home healthcare services. Debate has been polarized as to whether life on a ventilator is in the best interests of all children. The perspectives of ventilator-dependent children are largely absent in the literature.

METHODS

Principles derived from Heideggerian phenomenology were used to describe how children and their parents interpreted and rationalized the quality of the child's 'ventilator-dependent' life and their health. The study had two phases with data collection commencing in 1998 and completed in 2004.

RESULTS

The participants were 35 ventilator-dependent children, and 50 mothers and 17 fathers of 53 children. Emergent themes revealed some common features across this heterogeneous group. Ventilation made the children feel better and if they had sufficient breath, they experienced better quality of life. It was not possible to delineate the magnitude of health gain or benefit, especially amongst preverbal children and those with profound sensory impairments. Quality of life equated to quality of life experiences, but some children experienced negative social impacts and low self-esteem. Home healthcare services were not designed to bring about the desired social outcomes that children identified. Parent's accounts showed subtle more negative differences.

CONCLUSION

The acceptance of children's dependence on machines to live has brought about the need for nursing, medical, social and biological boundaries to be redefined, especially around children's meanings of their health, what they understand to be good quality of life, and what they need to achieve it. Flexible, high quality child-focused homecare is likely to improve children's outcomes.

Resource use and service costs for ventilator-dependent children and young people in the UK

This paper describes the resource use and costs involved in supporting ventilator-dependent children and young people at home compared with those in hospital. Accommodation arrangements, patterns of service and resource use in the year prior to interview were recorded for 35 index cases aged 1-18 years using a piloted variant of the Client Services Receipt Inventory. Costs to the National Health Service (NHS), social services (excluding local authority housing costs), education (excluding basic statutory education costs), and voluntary and independent sectors were included. For each of the resources and supports used, a unit cost was calculated at 2002 prices, which was a close approximation to the long-run marginal opportunity cost. Of the 35 cases, 24 lived at home, seven were in hospital and four had transferred from hospital to home during the previous 12 months. Twelve used ventilation 24-h per day. The children and young people made intensive use of NHS services and resources. In total, the 35 cases cost just over pound 6.2 million to support during the year prior to interview; 92% of the costs were borne by the NHS. It was mostly, but not always, cheaper for children to live at home. A care package including qualified nurses and 24-h care (mean=pound 239,855 per year) was more expensive than a children's ward (mean=pound 155,158 per year), but less expensive than a long-term ventilation unit (mean=pound 301,888 per year) or an intensive care unit (mean=pound 630,388 per year), where most cases live whilst awaiting discharge. Support costs for children with complex ventilator dependency were seven times higher than those with simple ventilator dependency. These estimates provide commissioners and managers with good-quality data to inform the implementation of recently published national guidance on care for these children and young people.

Spinal muscular atrophy type 1: what are the ethics and practicality of respiratory support?

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type I (SMA I) is the most severe form of SMA. It presents in infancy and without treatment death occurs by 2 years. Treatments in use address respiratory and nutritional issues but even with aggressive treatment death is still likely in childhood. Thus their use is not obligatory. However, pediatric respirologists must be willing and comfortable at presenting all treatment options, including the option of palliative care, to families and then supporting the family's choice. Whatever the chosen treatment regimen, decision making is difficult for families. Support and help must be provided from the time of presentation till death by a knowledgeable and compassionate team.