Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) is being used in many pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) to aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of children with known or suspected pathophysiological changes to cerebral hemodynamics. Standardized approaches to scanning protocols, interpretation, and documentation of TCD examinations in this setting are lacking. A panel of multidisciplinary clinicians with expertise in the use of TCD in the PICU undertook a three-round modified Delphi process to reach unanimous agreement on 34 statements and then create practice recommendations for TCD use in the PICU. Use of these recommendations will help to ensure that high quality TCD images are captured, interpreted, and reported using standard nomenclature. Furthermore, use will aid in ensuring reproducible and meaningful study results between TCD practitioners and across PICUs.

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OBJECTIVESPatients supported on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have an increased incidence of seizures. Phenobarbital (PB) and fosphenytoin (fos-PHT) are common antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used to manage seizures in the pediatric population; however, it is unknown what effect ECMO has on the serum concentrations of AEDs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of ECMO on AED serum concentrations.METHODS A retrospective, matched-cohort study was performed in patients younger than 18 years who received ECMO and were treated with intravenous (IV) PB or fos-PHT at Texas Children's Hospital between 2004 and 2014. Patients receiving IV AED therapy and ECMO were matched, based on age, sex, and weight, with patients receiving IV AED therapy without ECMO. The 24-hour cumulative AED dose, serum concentrations, number of doses per serum concentration drawn ratio, volume of distribution, therapeutic serum concentrations, and time to therapeutic serum concentration were compared between both groups. The fos-PHT and PB groups were analyzed in all patients and in neonates only. CONCLUSION Pediatric patients receiving PB on ECMO and neonatal patients receiving fos-PHT on ECMO required larger doses, and in pediatric patients achieved lower serum concentrations, suggesting the necessity for alternative dosing strategies in these populations.