BackgroundReintubation after pediatric cardiac surgery is associated with a high rate of mortality. Therefore, adequate respiratory support for postextubation acute respiratory failure (ARF) is important. However, little is known about the physiological impact of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy on ARF after pediatric cardiac surgery. Our working hypothesis was that HFNC therapy for postextubation ARF after pediatric cardiac surgery improves hemodynamic and respiratory parameters.MethodsThis was a prospective observational study conducted at a single university hospital. Children less than 48 months of age who had postextubation ARF after cardiac surgery were included in this study. HFNC therapy was started immediately after diagnosis of postextubation ARF.Data obtained just before starting HFNC therapy were used for pre-HFNC analysis, and data obtained 1 h after starting HFNC therapy were used for post-HFNC analysis. We compared hemodynamic and respiratory parameters between pre-HFNC and post-HFNC periods. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze these indices.ResultsTwenty children were included in this study. The median age and body weight were 4.5 (2.3–14.0) months and 4.3 (3.1–7.1) kg, respectively. Respiratory rate (RR) significantly decreased from 43.5 (32.0–54.8) to 28.5 (21.0–40.5) breaths per minute (p = 0.0008) 1 h after the start of HFNC therapy. Systolic blood pressure also decreased from 87.5 (77.8–103.5) to 76.0 (70.3–85.0) mmHg (p = 0.003). Oxygen saturation, partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, heart rate, and lactate showed no remarkable changes. There was no adverse event caused by HFNC therapy.ConclusionsHFNC therapy improves the RR of patients who have postextubation ARF after pediatric cardiac surgery without any adverse events.

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Background and aims Agreement between measurements of creatinine concentrations using point‐of‐care (POC) devices and measurements conducted in a standard central laboratory is unclear for pediatric patients. Our objectives were (a) to assess the agreement for pediatric patients and (b) to compare the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) according to the two methods. Methods This retrospective, single‐center study included patients under 18 years of age who underwent cardiac surgery and who were admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary teaching hospital (Okayama University Hospital, Japan) from 2013 to 2017. The primary objective was to assess the correlation and the agreement between measurements of creatinine concentrations by a Radiometer blood gas analyzer (Cregas) and those conducted in a central laboratory (Crelab). The secondary objective was to compare the incidence of postoperative AKI between the two methods based on Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Results We analyzed the results of 1404 paired creatinine measurements from 498 patients, whose median age was 14 months old (interquartile range [IQR] 3, 49). The Pearson correlation coefficient of Cregas vs Crelab was 0.968 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.965‐0.972, P < 0.001). The median bias between Cregas and Crelab was 0.02 (IQR ‐0.02, 0.05) mg/dL. While 199 patients (40.0%) were diagnosed as having postoperative AKI based on Crelab, 357 patients (71.7%) were diagnosed as having postoperative AKI based on Cregas (Kappa = 0.39, 95% CI, 0.33‐0.46). In a subgroup analysis of patients whose Cregas and Crelab were measured within 1 hour, similar percentage of patients were diagnosed as having postoperative AKI based on Cregas and Crelab (42.8% vs 46.0%; Kappa = 0.76, 95% CI, 0.68‐0.84). Conclusion There was an excellent correlation between Cregas and Crelab in pediatric patients. Although more patients were diagnosed as having postoperative AKI based on Cregas than based on Crelab, paired measurements with a short time gap showed good agreement on AKI diagnosis.

The current coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented unique health challenges in the pediatric population. Compared to adults, the most significant change in viral disease manifestation is encompassed by the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). MIS-C is a new inflammatory syndrome which develops 2–4 weeks after COVID-19 exposure, with evidence suggesting it is a post-infectious immune reaction. We describe its epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis (which varies based on definition used) and treatment options based on published recommendations. A systematic literature search we conducted through MEDLINE yielded 518 abstracts and identified five studies that reported more than 100 cases of MIS-C and their mortality. Most cases developed multiorgan dysfunction, including cardiovascular, dermatologic, neurological, renal, and respiratory issues, and required intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Many patients admitted to the ICU needed inotrope support and invasive mechanical ventilation, and the most severe cases required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Most clinicians treated MIS-C with intravenous immunoglobulin, systemic steroids, and biological therapies. Overall mortality was low (2–3%) in all studies. Further research is needed to: understand if early intervention can prevent its progression; optimize its treatment; and improve outcomes of this new syndrome for the patients who develop MIS-C. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00540-021-02952-6.

Background Pneumopericardium in neonates is often associated with respiratory diseases, of which positive pressure ventilation (PPV) is an exacerbating factor. Here, we present a neonate case of pneumopericardium after cardiac surgery which was resolved after applying PPV. Case presentation A 28-day-old neonate with left recurrent nerve palsy after aortic reconstruction for interrupted aortic arch developed pericardial effusion. Pericardiocentesis was performed under general anesthesia, and a drainage tube was left in the pericardium. After extubation, stridor gradually exacerbated, following hemodynamic deterioration. A chest X-ray demonstrated pneumopericardium. Upper airway stenosis due to recurrent nerve palsy developed excessive negative pleural pressure, and air was drawn into pericardium via the insertion site of the drainage tube. After tracheal intubation and applying PPV, the pneumopericardium improved. Conclusion PPV does not always exacerbate pneumopericardium. In a patient with pericardial-atmosphere communication, increased inspiration effort can cause pneumopericardium, and PPV is a therapeutic option to alleviate the pneumopericardium.