Central nervous system infections and related conditions
Pearls • The classic triad of fever, neck stiffness, and a change in mental status is present in less than 50% of pediatric meningitis cases. • Streptococcus species (particularly viridans…
CRITICAL CARE
Acute rehabilitation and early mobility in the pediatric intensive care unit
Pearls • Increased survival from pediatric critical illness has been accompanied by an increase in both short- and long-term morbidities for children undergoing active neurocognitive development. • The harms of…
Pediatric stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage
Pearls • Childhood stroke includes arterial ischemic stroke, cerebral sinus venous thrombosis, and intracranial hemorrhage. • Diagnosis of acute stroke in childhood is often delayed owing to failure to detect…
Critical care considerations for common neurosurgical conditions
Pearls • Hydrocephalus is a common brain disease characterized by a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain, causing elevated intracranial pressure. Untreated hydrocephalus can be a medical emergency, requiring…
Intracranial hypertension and monitoring
Pearls • As intracranial hypertension progresses, changes may occur in the vital signs, with an elevation of blood pressure, decrease or increase in pulse, and irregularity in the respiratory rhythm….
Acute neuromuscular disease and disorders
Pearls • Common causes of acute flaccid paralysis in childhood include Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), acute flaccid myelitis, botulism, tick paralysis, periodic paralyses, and organophosphate poisoning. • Risk factors for respiratory…
Neurologic assessment and monitoring
Pearls • Much of the practice of brain-directed critical care in children is empiric, but studies in traumatic brain injury show that protocol-directed care with multidisciplinary teams in the intensive…
Structure, function, and development of the nervous system
Pearls • In humans, general central nervous system anatomy is established by birth. However, the brain undergoes substantial postnatal development, including changes in synaptic density and dendritic arborization, maturation of…
Mechanical ventilation and respiratory care
Pearls • Modern respiratory care requires a major institutional commitment in resource allocation for state-of the-art management of the pediatric patient requiring mechanical ventilation. • A comprehensive and unified approach…
Pediatric lung transplantation
Pearls • Pediatric lung transplantation is an accepted option for children of all ages who have end-stage, life-threatening disease and all medical options for treatment have been exhausted. • Outcomes…
