IntroductionHyperferritinemia is associated with increased mortality in pediatric sepsis, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and critical illness. The International Histiocyte Society has recommended that children with hyperferritinemia and secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) should be treated with the same immunosuppressant/cytotoxic therapies used to treat primary HLH. We hypothesized that patients with hyperferritinemia associated secondary HLH/sepsis/MODS/MAS can be successfully treated with a less immunosuppressant approach than is recommended for primary HLH.MethodsWe conducted a multi-center cohort study of children in Turkish Pediatric Intensive Care units with hyperferritinemia associated secondary HLH/sepsis/MODS/MAS treated with less immunosuppression (plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin or methyl prednisolone) or with the primary HLH protocol (plasma exchange and dexamethasone or cyclosporine A and/or etoposide). The primary outcome assessed was hospital survival.ResultsTwenty-three children with hyperferritinemia and secondary HLH/sepsis/MODS/MAS were enrolled (median ferritin = 6341 μg/dL, median number of organ failures = 5). Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that use of plasma exchange and methyl prednisolone or intravenous immunoglobulin (n = 17, survival 100%) was associated with improved survival compared to plasma exchange and dexamethasone and/or cyclosporine and/or etoposide (n = 6, survival 50%) (P = 0.002).ConclusionsChildren with hyperferritinemia and secondary HLH/sepsis/MODS/MAS can be successfully treated with plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulin, and methylprednisone. Randomized trials are required to evaluate if the HLH-94 protocol is helpful or harmful compared to this less immune suppressive and cytotoxic approach in this specific population.

A hypercoagulable state and the risk of thromboembolism in both arterial and venous circulation is a relatively frequent and serious feature of nephrotic syndrome (NS) in children and adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the coagulation states of children with NS before and after corticosteroid (CS) therapy and to compare the results with a healthy control group. The first group consisted of 49 nephrotic children (30 boys and 19 girls) with a mean age of 6. 5+/-4.9 years (range 1-16 years). The control group included 17 healthy children (9 boys and 8 girls). At the time of admission, all patients were evaluated for the presence of clinical thromboembolism, hematological and biochemical indicators of a hypercoagulative state, and renal disease. This was repeated after CS treatment. Deep vein thrombosis was observed in 2 nephrotic patients who had very low plasma antithrombin III (AT III) levels and fibrinogen levels above 750 mg/dl. Thus, the prevalence of thromboembolism was 4% in our pediatric nephrotic population. The mean AT III level of the study group was 68.2+/-23.4% at the onset of the disease, which was significantly lower than the level of the control group (84.0+/-7. 6%). Plasma AT III levels increased to 74.4+/-15.3% after CS treatment, which correlated with the serum albumin levels. However, there was no correlation with urinary protein excretion. Protein C levels were higher than controls during all stages of the disease in both steroid-responsive and -unresponsive patients. The mean protein S level was similar in both groups. Plasma fibrinogen and cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the study group but decreased to within normal limits with remission. Our study suggests that thromboembolic complications are not infrequent in children with NS, and may be related to low plasma AT III and albumin and high fibrinogen and cholesterol levels.

We concluded that subclavian central venous catheterization is a safe procedure with minimal complications in pediatric patients. Arterial injury was the most frequent complication. In experienced hands, the success rate was 100%. Subclavian central venous catheter insertion may be considered as the first approach in critically ill patients.

Asymptomatic colonization with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in intensive care units of pediatric departments should alert health care providers about forthcoming carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. Those carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae colonized patients at risk of developing infection due to carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae may be targeted for interventions to reduce subsequent infection occurence and also for timely initiation of empirical carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae active treatment, when necessary.

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Background Bloodstream infections related to use of catheters are associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates, prolonged hospital lengths of stay, and increased medical costs. oBjectives To compare the effectiveness of chlorhexidine-impregnated dressings with that of standard dressings in preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections. Methods A total of 100 children were randomly divided into 2 groups of 50 each: a chlorhexidine group and a standard group. Patient care was provided in accordance with prevention bundles. Patients were followed up for development of catheter-related bloodstream infections. results Catheter colonization occurred in 4 patients in the standard group (8%) and in 1 patient in the chlorhexidine group (2%). Catheter-related bloodstream infections occurred in 5 patients in the standard group (10%) and in 1 patient in the chlorhexidine group (2%). Although more patients in the standard group had catheter-related bloodstream infections, the difference in infection rates between the 2 groups was not significant (P = .07). conclusions Use of chlorhexidine-impregnated dressings reduced rates of catheter-related bloodstream infections, contamination, colonization, and local catheter infection in a pediatric intensive care unit but was not significantly better than use of standard dressings. (Critical Care Nurse. 2016;36[6]:e1-e7)

The results suggest that serum urea and bicarbonate concentrations can be helpful in the estimation of fluid deficit independently from serum sodium concentration, and may be considered to be adjuncts to clinical evaluation in assessing the degree of dehydration.

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