Acute liver failure
• Pediatric acute liver failure represents a large number of heterogenous etiologies. • Effective diagnosis requires a systemic approach; however, despite thorough workup, in a large proportion of cases, cause…
CRITICAL CARE
Hemoglobinopathies
• The pathophysiology of sickle cell disease is multifactorial, involving hemoglobin polymerization, oxidative damage to cell membrane proteins, white blood cell activation and inflammation, activation of the clotting cascade, and…
Disorders and diseases of the gastrointestinal system
• So much reliance is placed on electronic monitoring of patients that physicians are often tempted to perform only a cursory examination or go days without laying hands on the…
Coagulation and coagulopathy
• Traditionally, coagulation has been presented as a set of discrete “intrinsic,” “extrinsic,” and “common” pathways, but this view fails to include the many interactions between pathways, any of the…
Gastrointestinal structure and function
Pearls • The alimentary tract is responsible for mechanical and enzymatic degradation of nutrients, absorption of biochemical substrates, hormone regulation of substrate flow, separation of the external from internal environments,…
Critical illness in children undergoing hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation
• Outcomes for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients requiring intensive care unit care have improved over the past 2 decades. • Both acute and late cardiac complications occur in…
Hematology and oncology problems
• Proactive treatment measures for tumor lysis syndrome include hydration with hypotonic or isotonic saline solution; alkalinization; use of allopurinol or urate oxidase; avoidance of exogenous potassium; close monitoring of…
Transfusion medicine
• The decision to prescribe the transfusion of any blood product must be based on individualized indications and must take into account specific health problems. • Acute severe anemia (hemoglobin…
Thrombosis in pediatric critical care
• Vascular access devices are the most common cause of thromboembolic disease in children; thus, every attempt should be made to limit their use based on real clinical need. •…
The erythron
Pearls • Together, red blood cells (RBCs) at each stage of development may be considered an organ (termed the erythron ) now appreciated to participate in active regulation of regional…
