Endothelium and endotheliopathy
• Because of their location, endothelial cells have the ability to interact with blood components, such as flow, soluble factors, and other cells. Endothelial cells integrate these signals into a…
Regional peripheral circulation
Pearls • When delivering critical care, one must understand the specific properties that characterize the various regional circulations because therapies that benefit one region may be detrimental to another. •…
Structure and function of the heart
Pearls • The basic form of the human heart and great vessels is complete 8 weeks after conception, after which the structures grow and mature. • Immediately after birth, there…
Long-term outcomes following critical illness in children
Pearls • Development of specialized pediatric intensive care has contributed to substantially reduced mortality for critically ill children. • Research has identified physical, cognitive, health-related quality of life, and mental…
Burnout and resiliency
Pearls • Both individual and organizational measures can be used to mitigate burnout and build resilience. • Organizational strategies to promote a healthy work environment include team debriefings after critical…
Ultrasonography in the pediatric intensive care unit
Pearls • Intensivist-operated ultrasound is an important adjunct for vascular procedures at the pediatric intensive care unit bedside and is emerging as an important procedural aid across all percutaneous vascular…
Organ donation process and management of the organ donor
Pearls • Successful organ recovery for transplantation requires perioperative donor management expertise to correct physiologic derangements associated with neurologic death. • A collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to end-of-life care and donation…
Ethical issues around death and dying
Pearls • Although decision-making at the end of life most commonly rests with a child’s parents, there may be times when a parent requests therapies that are deemed inappropriate by…
Pediatric critical care ethics
Pearls • Ethical issues in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) include high-visibility crises as well as subtle everyday ethical issues that stem from values and biases that infuse daily…
Patient- and family-centered care in the pediatric intensive care unit
Pearls • Patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) uses an “innovative approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of healthcare that is grounded in a mutually beneficial partnership among patients, families,…
