Feasibility of sedation and analgesia interruption following cannulation in neonates on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Purpose: In most extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centers patients are heavily sedated to prevent accidental decannulation and bleeding complications. In ventilated adults not on ECMO, daily sedation interruption protocols improve short- and long-term outcome. This study aims to evaluate safety and feasibility of sedation interruption following cannulation in neonates on ECMO. Methods: Prospective observational study in 20 neonates (0.17-5.8 days of age) admitted for ECMO treatment. Midazolam (n = 20) and morphine (n = 18) infusions were discontinued within 30 min after cannulation. Pain and sedation were regularly assessed using COMFORT-B and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Midazolam and/or morphine were restarted and titrated according to protocolized treatment algorithms. Results: Median (interquartile range, IQR) time without any sedatives was 10.3 h (5.0-24.1 h). Median interruption duration for midazolam was 16.5 h (6.6-29.6 h), and for morphine was 11.2 h (6.7-39.4 h). During this period no accidental extubations, decannulations or bleeding complications occurred. Conclusions: This is the first study to show that interruption of sedatives and analgesics following cannulation in neonates on ECMO is safe and feasible. Interruption times are 2-3 times longer than reported for adult ICU patients not on ECMO. Further trials are needed to substantiate these findings and evaluate short- and long-term outcomes

Modern microwave methods in solid state inorganic materials chemistry: from fundamentals to manufacturing

No abstract available

Evaluation of the Antiviral Response to Zanamivir Administered Intravenously for Treatment of Critically Ill Patients With Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Infection

A retrospective nationwide study on the use of intravenous (IV) zanamivir in patients receiving intensive care who were pretreated with oseltamivir in the Netherlands was performed. In 6 of 13 patients with a sustained reduction of the viral load, the median time to start IV zanamivir was 9 days (range, 4–11 days) compared with 14 days (range, 6–21 days) in 7 patients without viral load reduction (P = .052). Viral load response did not influence mortality. We conclude that IV zanamivir as late add-on therapy has limited effectiveness. The effect of an immediate start with IV zanamivir monotherapy or in combination with other drugs need to be evaluated

Severe acute respiratory infection caused by swine influenza virus in a child necessitating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), the Netherlands, October 2016.

In October 2016, a severe infection with swine influenza A(H1N1) virus of the Eurasian avian lineage occurred in a child with a previous history of eczema in the Netherlands, following contact to pigs. The patient's condition deteriorated rapidly and required life support through extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. After start of oseltamivir treatment and removal of mucus plugs, the patient fully recovered. Monitoring of more than 80 close unprotected contacts revealed no secondary cases

Effectiveness of simulation training and assessment of PICU nurses' resuscitation skills: A mixed methods study from the Netherlands

Purpose: The quality of resuscitation and effective leadership are decisive for the outcome of a resuscitation. Nurses are usually the first responders upon cardiac arrest. Therefore, we started the “proficiency check” project, which aims to improve nurses' resuscitation and teamwork skills. This article describes the effectiveness of the proficiency check and nurses' experiences with it. Design and methods: This study was done among intensive care nurses working on a pediatric ICU (PICU) in the Netherlands. It was designed as a mixed-methods study combining a quantitative and a qualitative approach. Quantitative data were obtained through a pre-posttest comparison of nurses' resuscitation and teamwork skills, in a simulation setting. Qualitative data on nurses' experiences were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. Results: Both resuscitation and teamwork skills improved significantly. In 39 nurses (32%), the improvement of both resuscitation and teamwork skills after the intervention was large (effect size >0.8). The experiences of nu

Dutch Prospective Observational Study on Prehospital Treatment of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: The BRAIN-PROTECT Study Protocol

Background: Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with a high mortality rate and those that survive commonly have permanent disability. While there is a broad consensus that appropriate prehospital treatment is crucial for a favorable neurological outcome, evidence to support currently applied treatment strategies is scarce. In particular, the relationship between prehospital treatments and patient outcomes is unclear. The BRAIN-PROTECT study therefore aims to identify prehospital treatment strategies associated with beneficial or detrimental outcomes. Here, we present the study protocol. Study Protocol: BRAIN-PROTECT is the acronym for BRAin INjury: Prehospital Registry of Outcome, Treatments and Epidemiology of Cerebral Trauma. It is a prospective observational study on the prehospital treatment of patients with suspected severe TBI in the Netherlands. Prehospital epidemiology, interventions, medication strategies, and nonmedical factors that may affect outcome are studied. Multivariable regression based modeling will be used to identify confounder-adjusted relationships between these factors and patient outcomes, including mortality at 30 days (primary outcome) or mortality and functional neurological outcome at 1 year (secondary outcomes). Patients in whom severe TBI is suspected during prehospital treatment (Glasgow Coma Scale score 8 in combination with a trauma mechanism or clinical findings suggestive of head injury) are identified by all four helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) in the Netherlands. Patients are prospectively followed up in 9 participating trauma centers for up to one year. The manuscript reports in detail the objectives, setting, study design, patient inclusion, and data collection process. Ethical and juridical aspects, statistical considerations, as well as limitations of the study design are discussed. Discussion: Current prehospital treatment of patients with suspected severe TBI is based on marginal evidence, and optimal treatment is basically unknown. The BRAINPROTECT study provides an opportunity to evaluate and compare different treatment strategies with respect to patient outcomes. To our knowledge, this study project is the first large-scale prospective prehospital registry of patients with severe TBI that also collects long-term follow-up data and ma