Objectives Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a less understood and a rare complication of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Given the scarce data regarding this novel disease, we aimed to describe the clinical features and outcomes of our patients with MIS-C and to evaluate the associated factors for the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. Methods The MIS-C patients under 18 years old diagnosed and treated in three referral centers between July 2020 and March 2021 were included. Data of the patients were retrospectively obtained from their medical records. Results Overall, 76 subjects (24 females) with a mean age of 8.17 ± 4.42 years were enrolled. Twenty-seven (35.5%) patients were admitted to the PICUs. The two most common systemic involvement patterns were cardiac and gastrointestinal. There was only one lethal outcome in a patient with underlying acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Those with higher procalcitonin levels at admission were found to stay longer in the hospital (r = 0.254, p = 0.027). The risk of PICU admission increased with age (aOR: 1.277; 95% CI: 1.089-1.498; p = 0.003) and with decreased initial serum albumin levels (aOR: 0.105; 95% CI: 0.029-0.378; p = 0.001). Conclusion Although there is a wide clinical variability among the patients with MIS-C, we suggest that those with older age and lower initial serum albumin levels merit close monitoring due to their higher risk for PICU admission.

Background and objective: Severe sepsis and septic shock are life-threatening organ dysfunctions and causes of death in critically ill patients. The therapeutic goal of the management of sepsis is restoring balance to the immune system and fluid balance. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is recommended in septic patients, and it may improve outcomes in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is another extracorporeal procedure that can improve organ function by decreasing inflammatory and anti-fibrinolytic mediators and correcting haemostasis by replenishing anticoagulant proteins. However, research about sepsis and CRRT and TPE in children has been insufficient and incomplete. Therefore, we investigated the reliability and efficacy of extracorporeal therapies in paediatric patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. Materials and methods: We performed a multicentre retrospective study using data from all patients aged <18 years who were admitted to two paediatric intensive care units. Demographic data and reason for hospitalization were recorded. In addition, vital signs, haemogram parameters, and biochemistry results were recorded at 0 h and after 24 h of CRRT. Patients were compared according to whether they underwent CRRT or TPE; mortality between the two treatment groups was also compared. Results: Between January 2014 and April 2019, 168 septic patients were enrolled in the present study. Of them, 47 (27.9%) patients underwent CRRT and 24 underwent TPE. In patients with severe sepsis, the requirement for CRRT was statistically associated with mortality (p < 0.001). In contrast, the requirement for TPE was not associated with mortality (p = 0.124). Conclusion: Our findings revealed that the requirement for CRRT in patients with severe sepsis is predictive of increased mortality. CRRT and TPE can be useful techniques in critically ill children with severe sepsis. However, our results did not show a decrease of mortality with CRRT and TPE.

In the past decade, multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria have become a major problem, especially for patients in intensive care units. Recently, colistin became the last resort therapy for MDR gram-negative bacteria infections. However, nebulised colistin use was limited to adult patients. Thus, we investigated the efficacy and safety of nebulised colistin treatment against MDR microorganisms in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Data of all patients admitted for various critical illnesses (January 2016 to January 2019) were reviewed. Differences between groups (with and without a history of nebulised colistin) were compared. Of 330 patients, 23 (6.97%) used nebulised colistin. Significant relationships were found between nebulised colistin usage and several prognostic factors (inotropic drug use (p = 0.009), non-invasive mechanical ventilation (p ≤ 0.001), duration in PICU (p ≤ 0.001), and C-reactive protein level (p = 0.003)). The most common microorganism in tracheal aspirate and sputum cultures was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13 patients). The most common underlying diagnosis was cystic fibrosis, noted in 6 patients. No serious nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity occurred. This study showed that colistin can be safely used directly in the airway of critically ill children. However, nebulised colistin use did not have a positive effect on mortality and prognosis.

Children in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are vulnerable to infections because invasive devices are frequently used during their admission. We aimed to determine the prevalence, associated factors, and prognosis of infections in our PICU. This retrospective study evaluated culture results from 477 paediatric patients who were treated in the PICU between January 2014 and March 2019. Ninety patients (18.9%) had bacterial infections, with gram-negative bacteria being the predominant infectious agents. Culture-positive patients were younger than culture-negative patients, and age was related to mortality and various clinical factors. Culture-positive bacterial infections in the PICU were associated with increased use of invasive mechanical ventilation (odds ratio(OR); 2.254), red blood cell (RBC) transfusions (OR:2.624), and inotropic drugs (OR:2.262). Carbapenem resistance was found in approximately one-third of gram-negative bacteria, and was most common in tracheal aspirate specimens and cases involving Klebsiella spp. Total parenteral nutrition was a significant risk factor (OR:5.870). Positive blood culture results were associated with poorer patient survival than other culture results. These findings indicate that infections, especially those involving carbapenem-resistant bacteria, are an important issue when treating critically ill children.

Stevens‐Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are life‐threatening mucocutaneous reactions characterized by necrosis and detachment of the epidermis. Drugs and bacterial or viral infections are the most common causes of SJS/TEN. Although cases of SJS/TEN have been reported after hydroxychloroquine, vaccine (mRNA [Biontech], and inactivated vaccine [Sinovac]) administration and during the clinical course of active Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), limited data is indicating the COVID‐19 disease as a triggering factor. Also, there are no pediatric cases of SJS/TEN associated with COVID‐19 in the literature. Herein we reported two pediatric cases with a diagnosis of TEN related to COVID‐19. Therapeutic plasma exchange therapy was applied to both of our patients. Although there are a few adult cases in the literature, our article is the first pediatric case report about patients diagnosed with TEN related to COVID‐19 and successfully treated with plasma exchange.

IntroductionThere have been some significant changes regarding healthcare utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Majority of the reports about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diabetes care are from the first wave of the pandemic. We aim to evaluate the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the severity of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and new onset Type 1 diabetes presenting with DKA, and also evaluate children with DKA and acute COVID-19 infection.MethodsThis is a retrospective multi-center study among 997 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes who were admitted with DKA to 27 pediatric intensive care units in Turkey between the first year of pandemic and pre-pandemic year.ResultsThe percentage of children with new-onset Type 1 diabetes presenting with DKA was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic (p &lt; 0.0001). The incidence of severe DKA was also higher during the COVID-19 pandemic (p &lt; 0.0001) and also higher among children with new onset Type 1 diabetes (p &lt; 0.0001). HbA1c levels, duration of insulin infusion, and length of PICU stay were significantly higher/longer during the pandemic period. Eleven patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, eight were positive for new onset Type 1 diabetes, and nine tested positive for severe DKA at admission.DiscussionThe frequency of new onset of Type 1 diabetes and severe cases among children with DKA during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the cause of the increased severe presentation might be related to restrictions related to the pandemic; however, need to evaluate the potential effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the increased percentage of new onset Type 1 diabetes.

Background: This retrospective study aimed to describe the efficacy, complications, and outcome of non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) in critically ill children. Non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) has achieved a significant breakthrough success in treating acute respiratory failure. NIV failure drastically increases the risk of mortality and morbidity. Many factors have been associated with the success of NIV. Methods. We performed a multicenter retrospective study using the demographic, prognostic, and laboratory findings of children (<18 years old) who were admitted in two pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). We compared clinical and laboratory variables in both successful and failed NIV groups. Results. Between January 2014 and April 2019, 1101 children were admitted to two PICU wards, of which, 403 were eligible for this study. In total, 138 (34.2%) patients received high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), 138 (34.2%) patients received NIV-pressure control and 127 (31.6%) received NIV-pressure support (PSV). Patient mortality was 3.2% (13 patients) and the success rate of our study was 83.4%. Majority of our patients were provided NIV on admission (62.8%). Patients with successful NIV required fewer inotropic drugs, had shorter PICU stay duration, and a lower mortality rate during the follow up. The failure group presented a greater frequency of NIV-PSV and NIV-PCV use, along with higher NIV-associated complications. Logistic regression analysis revealed that NIV and HFNC failure increased PICU mortality by 19 times. Conclusions. HFNC and NIV are support modalities for respiratory distress in the PICU and were associated with a significant decrease in the PICU intubation rate.

Aims: The aim of this study was to present a comprehensive overview of the clinical spectrum and outcomes of critically ill pediatric patients admitted to a tertiary-level pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Furthermore, we aimed to assess potential factors that could influence the requirement for PICU admission. The findings of this study may aid in the prompt identification and management of critically ill pediatric patients, thereby reducing the likelihood of PICU admission. Methods: This descriptive study investigated the presentation of critical illness among pediatric patients aged between 1 month-18 years old admitted to the PICU was conducted in Sancaktepe Sehit Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Training and Research Hospital, from February 2022 to January 2023. Demographic data, clinical variables, and outcome data (alive/expired) were analyzed. Results: A total of 456 patients were analyzed, of which 258 (56.6%) were males and 198 (43.4%) were females. The median length of stay in the PICU was 5 days (1-114). Respiratory diseases (43.2%) were the most common reasons for admission to the PICU, followed by sepsis (13.2%), and neurological diseases (13.8%). We observed a mortality rate of 6.1%, with no association with age or sex. Variables found to be risk factors for mortality were PRISM III score, presence of sepsis and acute renal failure, the requirement for mechanical ventilation, use of inotropic agents, continuous renal replacement therapy and therapeutic plasma exchange requirement, and length of stay (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The profile of patients admitted to the PICU can serve as a basis for developing dedicated protocols for critical care and redistributing the PICUs’ resources.