Minibronchoalveolar lavage is a safe and technically simple procedure for obtaining quantitative lower airway cultures in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Quantitative culture results obtained by minibronchoalveolar lavage are similar to those obtained by the protected specimen brush technique.

Pediatric sedation results in 4 categories of immobility. Complete immobility during painful and invasive procedures is associated with a higher incidence of adverse events. The depth of sedation (ie, CS, DS, or GA) required to achieve each category of immobility is unpredictable and varies from patient to patient. Thus, granting a limited sedation authority (conscious sedation only) to physicians may be of limited practical value.

No abstract