OBJECTIVE: Despite recognition that dying children and their families have unique palliative care needs, there has been little empirical inquiry of parent perspectives to improve the quality of end-of-life care and communication. The purpose of this…
OBJECTIVE: We sought to explore the beliefs regarding palliative care team utilization, as well as increase consultation and awareness of the palliative care team's role in the NICU. STUDY DESIGN: The study design in this Level 4 NICU included…
AIM: Medical providers may face unique emotional challenges when confronted with the suffering of chronically ill, dying, and bereaved children. This study assessed the preliminary outcomes of participation in a group-based multimodal mindfulness…
OBJECTIVE: To compare characteristics of family conferences at the bedside vs. the conference room in the PICU. DESIGN: Single-site, cohort survey study. SETTING: Thirty-three bed academic PICU in an urban setting. PARTICIPANTS: Ten PICU physicians…
The Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) score was developed from the Physiologic Stability Index (PSI) to reduce the number of physiologic variables required for pediatric ICU (PICU) mortality risk assessment and to obtain an objective weighting of…
OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to investigate how physicians in a pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) currently make decisions to withdraw and withhold life support. Consultation with the patient's primary caregiver often precedes decisions about…
OBJECTIVE: To explore patient-related factors which influence the decisions of pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) caregivers to restrict life-support interventions. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: A university-affiliated pediatric ICU.…
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine has evolved drastically as a specialty since its inception more than five decades ago.1 Advances in technology and medical interventions have led to a substantial reduction in mortality rates, which are now in the…
We present a baby with spinal muscular atrophy type 1, an inherited disorder causing progressive weakness, leading to complete paralysis of respiratory, facial and limb muscles. Without intervention, death occurs in infancy due to respiratory…
OBJECTIVE: Donation after cardiac death has been endorsed by professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics as a means of increasing the supply of transplantable organs. However, ethical concerns have been raised about…
This study describes the influence of a palliative care team on location of death and location of death discussions with patients/caregivers, and determines whether location of death discussions influence location of death. With palliative care or a…
OBJECTIVES: To compare pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) mortality risk using models from two distinct time periods; and to discuss the implications of changing mortality risk for severity systems and quality-of-care assessment. DATA SOURCES AND…
OBJECTIVE: To describe the consequences of the prolonged administration of sedative and analgesic agents to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patient. The problems to be investigated include tolerance, physical dependency, and withdrawal. DATA…
The indications for sedation in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patient are varied ranging from short term use for various procedures to prolonged administration to provide comfort during mechanical ventilation. When faced with the decision…
The article outlines the benefits of palliative care supporting the child and family with attention to individualized symptom management, improved communication, and support making difficult decisions. Topics mentioned include the research program…
OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of selective nontreatment of extremely premature, critically ill, or malformed infants among all infant deaths in a level III intensive care nursery (ICN) and to determine the reasons documented by neonatologists…
Losing a child is devastating for parents and grandparents. Family and friends generally focus on comforting and supporting the bereaved parents, unintentionally ignoring the bereaved grandparents. Grandmothers and grandfathers often struggle with…
OBJECTIVE: To examine physiologic and therapeutic changes following withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in children. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: University-affiliated tertiary care pediatric hospital. PATIENTS: All patients who…
