Object The management strategies and outcomes in pediatric patients with elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are examined in this study. Methods This study was a retrospective review of a prospectively acquired pediatric trauma database. More than 750 pediatric patients with brain injury were seen over a 10-year period. Records were retrospectively reviewed to determine interventions for correcting ICP, and surviving patients were contacted prospectively to determine functional status and quality of life. Only patients with 2 years of follow-up were included in the study. Results Ninety-six pediatric patients (age range 3–18 years) were identified with a Glasgow Coma Scale score < 8 and elevated ICP > 20 mm Hg on presentation. The mean injury severity score was 65 (range 30–100). All patients were treated using a standardized head injury protocol. The mean time course until peak ICP was 69 hours postinjury (range 2–196 hours). Intracranial pressure control was achieved in 82 patients (85%). Methods employed to achieve ICP control included maximal medical therapy (sedation, hyperosmolar therapy, and paralysis) in 34 patients (35%), ventriculostomy in 23 patients (24%), and surgery in 39 patients (41%). Fourteen patients (15%) had refractory ICP despite all interventions, and all of these patients died. Seventy-two patients (75%) were discharged from the hospital, whereas 24 (25%) died during hospitalization. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of vascular injury, refractory ICP, and cisternal effacement at presentation had the highest correlation with subsequent death (p < 0.05). Mean follow-up was 53 months (range 11–126 months). Three patients died during the follow-up period (2 due to infections and 1 committed suicide). The mean 2-year Glasgow Outcome Scale score was 4 (median 4, range 1–5). The mean patient competency rating at follow-up was 4.13 out of 5 (median 4.5, range 1–4.8). Univariate analysis revealed that the extent of intracranial and systemic injuries had the highest correlation with long-term quality of life (p < 0.05). Conclusions Controlling elevated ICP is an important factor in patient survival following severe pediatric TBI. The modality used for ICP control appears to be less important. Long-term follow-up is essential to determine neurocognitive sequelae associated with TBI.

Burnout incurs significant costs to health care organizations and professionals. Mattering, moral distress, and secondary traumatic stress are personal experiences linked to burnout and are byproducts of the organizations in which we work. This article conceptualizes health care organizations as moral communities—groups of people united by a common moral purpose to promote the well-being of others. We argue that health care organizations have a fundamental obligation to mitigate and prevent the costs of caring (eg, moral distress, secondary traumatic stress) and to foster a sense of mattering. Well-functioning moral communities have strong support systems, inclusivity, fairness, open communication, and collaboration and are able to protect their members. In this article, we address mattering, moral distress, and secondary traumatic stress as they relate to burnout. We conclude that leaders of moral communities are responsible for implementing systemic changes that foster mattering among its members and attend to the problems that cause moral distress and burnout.

This study tested the hypothesis that pediatric patients who develop chylothorax (CTX) after surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) have an elevated incidence and risk profile for central venous thrombosis (CVT). We evaluated 30 patients who developed CTX after surgery for CHD. All but one CTX patient were surgery-, anatomy-, and age-matched with two controls (NON-CTX) to compare their relative risk and incidence of CVT. Using conditional logistic regression analyses, CTX development was associated with significantly longer ventilator dependence (14.8 +/- 10.9 vs. 6.1 +/- 5.9 days, p = 0.003) and a non-significant trend towards more days of central venous catheters (CVC) (19.1 +/- 16.6 vs. 12.2 +/- 10.0 days; p = 0.16) when comparing the period prior to CTX development with the entire hospitalization in NON-CTX patients. CTX development was associated with a significantly elevated mortality risk (Odds Ratio 6.2, 95% CI 1.3-30.9). Minimum and mean daily central venous pressures were significantly higher in the CTX group. Post operative need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation conferred an increased risk of CTX development in this sample of patients (Odds Ratio 9.9, 95% CI 2.2-44.8). Incidence of documented CVT was 26.7% in the CTX group versus 5.1% in the NON-CTX group. Prospective screening for CVT risk and formation, combined with early removal of CVC may help reduce the incidence of CTX.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore professional mattering in a broad cohort of nurses. BACKGROUND Mattering is a construct from social psychology that describes the feeling that one makes a difference in the lives of others and has significance in one's community. METHODS A cross-sectional survey assessing mattering, meaning, social support, burnout, and engagement was administered to nurses and nurse practitioners working in various specialties in the United States. RESULTS Higher levels of mattering at work were associated with lower burnout and higher engagement. Mattering was correlated with perceived social support from one's organization, supervisor, peers, and subordinates. Open-ended responses describing experiences of mattering at work included demonstrating professional competence, positive interactions with patients and interprofessional peers, and receiving recognition from one's organization. CONCLUSIONS A perception of mattering at work is associated with lower levels of burnout. Our data suggest that affirming interactions with other healthcare team members promote a sense of mattering.

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