A retrospective study was done to determine the effect of potassium (K+) infusions on serum levels in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Eighty-two percent of 92 cases studied received 40 mEq/L K+ infusion over the treatment period of median 13.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 7–18) hours. The median K+ value at the end of this period was 3.9 (IQR: 3.4–4.2) mEq/L. There were 31 data points of low K+ values (<3.5 mEq/L) and 4 high values (>5.5 mEq/L) during this treatment period. The K+ infusions of 40 mEq/L may be sufficient to normalize serum K+ when treating DKA.

A retrospective data analysis was conducted to evaluate enteral nutrition practices for children admitted with status asthmaticus in a single-center pediatric intensive care unit. Of 406 charts, 315 were analyzed (63% male); 135 on bilevel positive airway pressure ventilation (BIPAP) and 180 on simple mask. Overall median age and weight were 6.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 6.0) years and 24.8 (IQR: 20.8) kg, respectively. All children studied were on full feeds while still on BIPAP and simple mask; 99.3 and 100% were fed per oral, respectively. Median time to initiation of feeds and full feeds was longer in the BIPAP group, 11.0 (IQR: 20) and 23.0 hours (IQR: 26), versus simple mask group, 4.3 (IQR: 7) and 12.0 hours (IQR: 15), p = 0.001. The results remained similar after adjusting for gender, weight, clinical asthma score at admission, use of adjunct therapy, and duration of continuous albuterol. By 24 hours, 81.5% of patients on BIPAP and 96.6% on simple mask were started on feeds. Compared with simple mask, patients on BIPAP were sicker with median asthma score at admission of 4 (IQR: 2) versus 3 (IQR: 2) on simple mask, requiring more adjunct therapy (80.0 vs. 43.9%), and a longer median length of therapy of 41.0 (IQR: 41) versus 20.0 hours (IQR: 29), respectively, p = 0.001. There were no complications such as aspiration pneumonia, and none required invasive mechanical ventilation in either group. Enteral nutrition was effectively and safely initiated and continued for children admitted with status asthmaticus, including those on noninvasive bilevel ventilation therapy.

Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) have associated extracardiac co-morbidities at the time of surgery and during ongoing growth and development. Perioperative events include disrupted glucose homeostasis, capillary leak, and fluid retention. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has an important role in homeostasis in that the secretion of cortisol contributes to the response to stress, glucose regulation, blood volume control and immune regulation. We investigated the diurnal rhythm of the HPA axis in infants with CHD by measuring salivary cortisol in the morning (0600–0900 hr – circadian peak) and evening (2100–2400 hr – circadian nadir). Twenty-nine infants aged 12 weeks to 1 year were included: 16 with acyanotic disease (SpO2≥90%) and 13 with cyanotic disease (SpO2<90%). Morning salivary cortisol was similar between the two groups [acyanotic 7.0 nmol/L (1.8–23.1); cyanotic 9.7 nmol/L (0.9–15.6); p=0.68]. Evening salivary cortisol was similar between the two groups [acyanotic 0.9 nmol/L (0.2–8.5); cyanotic 1.4 nmol/L (0.5–14.9); p=0.32]. Both cyanotic and acyanotic groups demonstrated an intact diurnal rhythm. In conclusion, chronic hypoxia secondary to cyanotic CHD does not affect the circadian rhythm of the HPA axis. By twelve weeks of age, infants with hypoxia secondary to cyanotic CHD have a normal cortisol diurnal rhythm.

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