Objective Delirium occurs frequently in adults, and is an independent predictor of mortality. However, the epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric delirium are not well-characterized. The primary objectives of this study were to describe the incidence of delirium in critically ill children, its duration, associated risk factors, and effect on in-hospital outcomes, including mortality. Secondary objectives included determination of delirium subtype, and effect of delirium on duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), and length of hospital stay (LOS). Design Prospective longitudinal cohort study. Setting Urban academic tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Patients All consecutive admissions from September 2014 through August 2015. Intervention Children were screened for delirium twice daily throughout their ICU stay. Measurements and Main Results Of 1547 consecutive patients, delirium was diagnosed in 267 (17%), and lasted a median of two days (IQR 1,5). Seventy-eight percent of children with delirium developed it within the first three PICU days. Most cases of delirium were of the hypoactive (46%) and mixed (45%) subtypes; only 8% of delirium episodes were characterized as hyperactive delirium. In multivariable analysis, independent predictors of delirium included age ≤2 years, developmental delay, severity of illness, prior coma, mechanical ventilation, and receipt of benzodiazepines and anticholinergics. PICU LOS was increased in children with delirium (adjusted relative LOS 2.3, CI= 2.1, 2.5, p<0.001), as was duration of MV (median 4 vs. 1 day, p<0.001). Delirium was a strong and independent predictor of mortality (adjusted OR 4.39, CI= 1.96–9.99, p<0.001). Conclusions Delirium occurs frequently in critically ill children and is independently associated with mortality. Some in-hospital risk factors for delirium development are modifiable. Interventional studies are needed to determine best practices to limit delirium exposure in at-risk children.

RATIONALE:A guideline that both evaluates current practice and provides recommendations to address sedation, pain, and delirium management with regard for neuromuscular blockade and withdrawal is not currently available. OBJECTIVE:To develop comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for critically ill infants and children, with specific attention to seven domains of care including pain, sedation/agitation, iatrogenic withdrawal, neuromuscular blockade, delirium, PICU environment, and early mobility. DESIGN:The Society of Critical Care Medicine Pediatric Pain, Agitation, Neuromuscular Blockade, and Delirium in critically ill pediatric patients with consideration of the PICU Environment and Early Mobility Guideline Taskforce was comprised of 29 national experts who collaborated from 2009 to 2021 via teleconference and/or e-mail at least monthly for planning, literature review, and guideline development, revision, and approval. The full taskforce gathered annually in-person during the Society of Critical Care Medicine Congress for progress reports and further strategizing with the final face-to-face meeting occurring in February 2020. Throughout this process, the Society of Critical Care Medicine standard operating procedures Manual for Guidelines development was adhered to. METHODS:Taskforce content experts separated into subgroups addressing pain/ analgesia, sedation, tolerance/iatrogenic withdrawal, neuromuscular blockade, delirium, PICU environment (family presence and sleep hygiene), and early mobility. Subgroups created descriptive and actionable Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome questions. An experienced medical information specialist developed search strategies to identify relevant literature between January 1990 and January 2020. Subgroups reviewed literature, determined quality of evidence, and formulated recommendations classified as "strong" with "we recommend" or "conditional" with "we suggest. " Good practice statements were used when indirect evidence supported benefit with no or minimal risk. Evidence gaps were noted. Initial recommendations were reviewed by each subgroup and revised as deemed necessary prior to being disseminated for voting by the full taskforce. Individuals who had an overt or potential conflict of interest abstained from relevant votes. Expert opinion alone was not used in substitution for a lack of evidence. RESULTS:The Pediatric Pain, Agitation, Neuromuscular Blockade, and Delirium in critically ill pediatric patients with consideration of the PICU Environment and Early Mobility taskforce issued 44 recommendations (14 strong and 30 conditional) and five good practice statements.

In 2017, an autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy indicated for children and young adults with relapsed and/or refractory CD19 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia became the first gene therapy to be approved in the USA. This innovative form of cellular immunotherapy has been associated with remarkable response rates but is also associated with unique and often severe toxicities, which can lead to rapid cardiorespiratory and/or neurological deterioration. Multidisciplinary medical vigilance and the requisite health-care infrastructure are imperative to ensuring optimal patient outcomes, especially as these therapies transition from research protocols to standard care. Herein, authors representing the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Subgroup and the MD Anderson Cancer Center CAR T Cell Therapy-Associated Toxicity (CARTOX) Program have collaborated to provide comprehensive consensus guidelines on the care of children receiving CAR T cell therapy.