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Objective: To assess the effect of reducing retrieval team response time on the outcomes of babies born outside a cardiac centre (outborn) with antenatally diagnosed transposition of the great arteries., Study Design: Retrospective cohort study of all outborn babies with antenatally diagnosed TGA anticipated to require transfer for urgent balloon atrial septostomy over a 6-year period (15 babies pre intervention and 27 post intervention). The intervention involved a collaborative multicomponent practice change aiming to reduce retrieval team response time., Result: The mean (SD) time from birth to cardiac ICU arrival was 159 (12) min pre intervention and 103 (6) min post intervention (mean difference -57 min [95% CI, -81 to -32]). There was a significant decrease in need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (33% versus 4%), RR 0.11 [95% CI, 0.02-0.65]), with a number needed to treat of 3.4 to prevent one ECMO episode., Conclusion: Reducing retrieval time is achievable with collaborative systems, and significantly improves clinical outcomes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the use of therapeutic hypothermia in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after paediatric cardiac surgery is associated with increased complication rates., Methods: We undertook a retrospective study to compare the complication rates and clinical course of children after cardiac surgery in two groups – extracorporeal membrane oxygenation without therapeutic hypothermia (group 1) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with therapeutic hypothermia (group 2). Therapeutic hypothermia was performed via the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit heater-cooler device., Results: A total of 96 patients were included in this study (59 in group 1 and 37 in group 2). Complications were comparable between group 1 and group 2, except that more patients with therapeutic hypothermia had hypertension while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Therapeutic hypothermia was not independently associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio 1.16, 95% CI: 0.33-4.03; p=0.82)., Conclusion: Therapeutic hypothermia can be safely provided to children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after cardiac surgery without an increase in complication rates.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between glucose derangement, insulin administration, and mortality among children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation., Design: Retrospective cohort., Setting: Tertiary PICU., Patients: Two hundred nine children receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, including 97 neonates., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: Hyperglycemia and severe hyperglycemia were defined as a single blood glucose level greater than 15 mmol/L (270 mg/dL) and greater than 20 mmol/L (360 mg/dL), respectively. Hypoglycemia and severe hypoglycemia were defined as any single glucose level less than 3.3 mmol/L (60 mg/dL) and less than 2.2 mmol/L (40 mg/dL), respectively. A total of 15,912 glucose values were recorded. The median number of glucose values was 59 per patient, corresponding to a mean 0.53 ± 0.12 tests per hour. Sixty-nine patients (33.0%) without dysglycemia and who received no insulin were defined as the control group. Eighty-nine (42.6%) and 26 (12.4%) patients developed hyperglycemia and severe hyperglycemia, respectively. Sixty-three (30.1%) and 17 (8.1%) patients developed hypoglycemia and severe hypoglycemia, respectively. Sixty-one patients (29.2%) received IV insulin during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia were associated with increased mortality on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (46% and 48%, respectively, vs 29% of controls; p = 0.03). However, after adjusting for severity of illness and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation complications, abnormal glucose levels were not independently related to mortality., Conclusions: Dysglycemia in children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was common but not independently associated with increased mortality. The optimal glucose range for this high-risk population requires further investigation.

Objectives: To investigate whether the use of continuous renal replacement therapy is independently associated with increased in-hospital mortality in children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation., Design: Retrospective, 1:1 propensity-matched cohort study., Setting: Tertiary PICU., Patients: Eighty-six children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, 43 of whom also received hemofiltration., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: Demographics, pre-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation hemodynamic data, fluid status, and biochemistry tests were collected, as well as duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, blood product use, complications, and mortality. Forty-three children receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and continuous renal replacement therapy were matched to a cohort of 43 children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation not receiving continuous renal replacement therapy. The main indication for hemofiltration was fluid overload in 29 patients (67.4%), renal failure in nine patients (20.9%), and electrolyte abnormalities in five patients (11.6%). The median duration of hemofiltration was 108 hours (47-209 hr). Patients receiving hemofiltration had a longer duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (127 hr [94-302 hr] vs 121 hr [67-182 hr]; p = 0.05) and received more platelet transfusions (0.91 mL/kg/hr [0.43-1.58 mL/kg/hr] vs 0.63 mL/kg/hr [0.30-0.79 mL/kg/hr]; p = 0.01). There were otherwise no differences in mechanical or patient-related complications between both groups. There was no difference in the proportion of patients who were successfully decannulated (81.4% vs 74.4%; p = 0.44), survived to ICU discharge (65.1% vs 55.8%; p = 0.38), or survived to hospital discharge (62.8% vs 48.8%; p = 0.19) in the controls versus the hemofiltration group., Conclusions: In-hospital mortality was similar between children on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with and without hemofiltration although hemofiltration appeared to be associated with a slight increase in the duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and more liberal platelet transfusions.

Objectives: To explore the prevalence and risk factors for hemolysis in children receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and examine the relationship between hemolysis and adverse outcomes., Design: Retrospective, single-center study., Setting: Tertiary PICU., Patients: Two hundred seven children receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation., Interventions: None., Measurements and Main Results: Plasma-free hemoglobin was tested daily and hemolysis was diagnosed based on peak plasma-free hemoglobin as mild (< 0.5 g/L), moderate (0.5-1.0 g/L), or severe (> 1.0 g/L). Gender, age, weight, diagnosis, oxygenator type, cannulation site, mean venous inlet pressure, mean pump speed, mean flow, and visible clots in the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit were entered into the ordered logistic regression model to identify risk factors of hemolysis. Complications and clinical outcomes were compared across four hemolysis groups. Of the 207 patients, 69 patients (33.3%; 95% CI, 27.0-40.2%) did not have hemolysis, 98 patients (47.3%; 95% CI, 40.4-54.4%) had mild hemolysis, 26 patients (12.5%; 95% CI, 8.4-17.9%) had moderate hemolysis, and 14 patients (6.8%; 95% CI, 3.7-11.1%) had severe hemolysis with a median peak plasma-free hemoglobin of 1.51 g/L (1.18-2.05 g/L). The independent risk factors for hemolysis during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were use of Quadrox D (odds ratio, 7.25; 95% CI, 3.10-16.95; p < 0.001) or Lilliput (odds ratio, 37.32; 95% CI, 8.95-155.56; p < 0.001) oxygenators, mean venous inlet pressure (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.98; p = 0.002), and mean pump speed (odds ratio, 2.89; 95% CI, 1.36-6.14; p = 0.006). Patients with hemolysis were more likely to experience a longer extracorporeal membrane oxygenation run and require more blood products. After controlling for age, weight, pediatric index of mortality 2, and diagnosis, patients with severe hemolysis were more likely to die in the ICU (odds ratio, 5.93; 95% CI, 1.64-21.43; p = 0.007) and in hospital (odds ratio, 6.34; 95% CI, 1.71-23.54; p = 0.006)., Conclusions: Hemolysis during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with centrifugal pumps was common and associated with a number of adverse outcomes. Risk factors for hemolysis included oxygenator types, mean venous inlet pressure, and mean pump speed. Further studies are warranted comparing pump types while controlling both physical and nonphysical confounders.