Dexmedetomidine Use in Critically Ill Children With Acute Respiratory Failure. (Dodd)

Grant MJ, et al. Dexmedetomidine Use in Critically Ill Children With Acute Respiratory Failure. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2016 Dec; 17(12): 1131-1141.

OBJECTIVE: Care of critically ill children includes sedation but current therapies are suboptimal. To describe dexmedetomidine use in children supported on mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure.

DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from the Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure clinical trial.

SETTING: Thirty-one PICUs.

PATIENTS: Data from 2,449 children; 2 weeks to 17 years old.

INTERVENTIONS: Sedation practices were unrestrained in the usual care arm. Patients were categorized as receiving dexmedetomidine as a primary sedative, secondary sedative, periextubation agent, or never prescribed. Dexmedetomidine exposure and sedation and clinical profiles are described.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 1,224 usual care patients, 596 (49%) received dexmedetomidine. Dexmedetomidine as a primary sedative patients (n = 138; 11%) were less critically ill (Pediatric Risk of Mortality III-12 score median, 6 [interquartile range, 3-11]) and when compared with all other cohorts, experienced more episodic agitation. In the intervention group, time in sedation target improved from 28% to 50% within 1 day of initiating dexmedetomidine as a primary sedative. Dexmedetomidine as a secondary sedative usual care patients (n = 280; 23%) included more children with severe pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome or organ failure. Dexmedetomidine as a secondary sedative patients experienced more inadequate pain (22% vs 11%) and sedation (31% vs 16%) events. Dexmedetomidine as a periextubation agent patients (n = 178; 15%) were those known to not tolerate an awake, intubated state and experienced a shorter ventilator weaning process (2.1 vs 2.3 d).

CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the use of dexmedetomidine as a primary agent in low criticality patients offering the benefit of rapid achievement of targeted sedation levels. Dexmedetomidine as a secondary agent does not appear to add benefit. The use of dexmedetomidine to facilitate extubation in children intolerant of an awake, intubated state may abbreviate ventilator weaning. These data support a broader armamentarium of pediatric critical care sedation.

Accuracy of an Extubation Readiness Test in Predicting Successful Extubation in Children With Acute Respiratory Failure From Lower Respiratory Tract Disease. (Betters)

Faustino EV, et al. Accuracy of an Extubation Readiness Test in Predicting Successful Extubation in Children With Acute Respiratory Failure From Lower Respiratory Tract Disease. Crit Care Med. 2017 Jan;45(1):94-102.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying children ready for extubation is desirable to minimize morbidity and mortality associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation and extubation failure. We determined the accuracy of an extubation readiness test (Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure extubation readiness test) in predicting successful extubation in children with acute respiratory failure from lower respiratory tract disease.

DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from the Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure clinical trial, a pediatric multicenter cluster randomized trial of sedation.

SETTING: Seventeen PICUs in the intervention arm.

PATIENTS: Children 2 weeks to 17 years receiving invasive mechanical ventilation for lower respiratory tract disease.

INTERVENTION: Extubation readiness test in which spontaneously breathing children with oxygenation index less than or equal to 6 were placed on FIO2 of 0.50, positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 cm H2O, and pressure support.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 1,042 children, 444 (43%) passed their first extubation readiness test. Of these, 295 (66%) were extubated within 10 hours of starting the extubation readiness test, including 272 who were successfully extubated, for a positive predictive value of 92%. Among 861 children who were extubated for the first time within 10 hours of performing an extubation readiness test, 788 passed their extubation readiness test and 736 were successfully extubated for a positive predictive value of 93%. The median time of day for extubation with an extubation readiness test was 12:15 hours compared with 14:54 hours for extubation without an extubation readiness test within 10 hours (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: In children with acute respiratory failure from lower respiratory tract disease, an extubation readiness test, as described, should be considered at least daily if the oxygenation index is less than or equal to 6. If the child passes the extubation readiness test, there is a high likelihood of successful extubation.

Dexmedetomidine Use in Critically Ill Children With Acute Respiratory Failure. (Emrath)

Grant MJ, et al. Dexmedetomidine Use in Critically Ill Children With Acute Respiratory Failure. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2016 Sep 20. [Epub ahead of print]

OBJECTIVE: Care of critically ill children includes sedation but current therapies are suboptimal. To describe dexmedetomidine use in children supported on mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure.

DESIGN: Secondary analysis of data from the Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure clinical trial.

SETTING: Thirty-one PICUs.

PATIENTS: Data from 2,449 children; 2 weeks to 17 years old.

INTERVENTIONS: Sedation practices were unrestrained in the usual care arm. Patients were categorized as receiving dexmedetomidine as a primary sedative, secondary sedative, periextubation agent, or never prescribed. Dexmedetomidine exposure and sedation and clinical profiles are described.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 1,224 usual care patients, 596 (49%) received dexmedetomidine. Dexmedetomidine as a primary sedative patients (n = 138; 11%) were less critically ill (Pediatric Risk of Mortality III-12 score median, 6 [interquartile range, 3-11]) and when compared with all other cohorts, experienced more episodic agitation. In the intervention group, time in sedation target improved from 28% to 50% within 1 day of initiating dexmedetomidine as a primary sedative. Dexmedetomidine as a secondary sedative usual care patients (n = 280; 23%) included more children with severe pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome or organ failure. Dexmedetomidine as a secondary sedative patients experienced more inadequate pain (22% vs 11%) and sedation (31% vs 16%) events. Dexmedetomidine as a periextubation agent patients (n = 178; 15%) were those known to not tolerate an awake, intubated state and experienced a shorter ventilator weaning process (2.1 vs 2.3 d).

CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the use of dexmedetomidine as a primary agent in low criticality patients offering the benefit of rapid achievement of targeted sedation levels. Dexmedetomidine as a secondary agent does not appear to add benefit. The use of dexmedetomidine to facilitate extubation in children intolerant of an awake, intubated state may abbreviate ventilator weaning. These data support a broader armamentarium of pediatric critical care sedation.

Utilizing a Collaborative Learning Model to Promote Early Extubation Following Infant Heart Surgery. (Colman)

Mahle WT, et al. Utilizing a Collaborative Learning Model to Promote Early Extubation Following Infant Heart Surgery. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2016 Aug 10. [Epub ahead of print]

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a collaborative learning strategy-derived clinical practice guideline can reduce the duration of endotracheal intubation following infant heart surgery.

DESIGN: Prospective and retrospective data collected from the Pediatric Heart Network in the 12 months pre- and post-clinical practice guideline implementation at the four sites participating in the collaborative (active sites) compared with data from five Pediatric Heart Network centers not participating in collaborative learning (control sites).

SETTING: Ten children’s hospitals.

PATIENTS: Data were collected for infants following two-index operations: 1) repair of isolated coarctation of the aorta (birth to 365 d) and 2) repair of tetralogy of Fallot (29-365 d). There were 240 subjects eligible for the clinical practice guideline at active sites and 259 subjects at control sites.

INTERVENTIONS: Development and application of early extubation clinical practice guideline.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: After clinical practice guideline implementation, the rate of early extubation at active sites increased significantly from 11.7% to 66.9% (p < 0.001) with no increase in reintubation rate. The median duration of postoperative intubation among active sites decreased from 21.2 to 4.5 hours (p < 0.001). No statistically significant change in early extubation rates was found in the control sites 11.7% to 13.7% (p = 0.63). At active sites, clinical practice guideline implementation had no statistically significant impact on median ICU length of stay (71.9 hr pre- vs 69.2 hr postimplementation; p = 0.29) for the entire cohort. There was a trend toward shorter ICU length of stay in the tetralogy of Fallot subgroup (71.6 hr pre- vs 54.2 hr postimplementation, p = 0.068).

CONCLUSIONS: A collaborative learning strategy designed clinical practice guideline significantly increased the rate of early extubation with no change in the rate of reintubation. The early extubation clinical practice guideline did not significantly change postoperative ICU length of stay.