ECMO support in neonates with FSV requiring ECPR can result in favorable outcome in more than half of patients at hospital discharge. Aggressive strategy toward timely application of ECPR is justified. Expeditious ECPR deployment after proper patients' selection, refinement of CPR quality and use of adjunctive neuroprotective interventions, such as induced hypothermia, might further improve outcomes.

IRAs are common in infants with HS. Infants with symptoms presented by 6 months of age. There was no failure of expectant management resulting in midgut volvulus during a median follow-up of 1.6 years.

Introduction: Pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a high risk, low-volume technology. Infrequency of this technology and associated complications may translate to unfamiliarity of identification and management of potentially life-threatening events, which may require knowledge and procedural skills to be performed quickly. Providers involved in managing ECMO must be able to promptly identify and initiate management for such events, particularly when surgical colleagues are not readily available. Methods: A multidisciplinary ECMO simulation program was implemented in a tertiary children’s hospital. Over 18 months, a prospective, observational study was conducted evaluating simulations involving circuit and patient emergencies, teamwork and communication behaviors and technical skills. An on-line survey was sent to participants following sessions to evaluate post-simulation confidence, lessons learned and potential barriers to implementation of necessary skills and behaviors. Results: Ten simulation sessions occurred during implementation. Mean participants per session was 7 (range: 5-11). Eight Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit attendings, four Advance Practice Nurses, 54 pediatric intensive care unit registered nurses, and 55 pediatric respiratory therapists attended. Tasks with highest self-reported increase in confidence were related to (1) diagnosis (tension pneumothorax, oxygenator failure, and ventricular tachycardia), (2) fluid administration and (3) early and efficient mobilization for ECPR, with less reported confidence increase with technical skills More than 90% of participants provided a task or behavior they would implement if a specific emergency was encountered in real-life following simulation training. Real-life application occurred following simulations with participants reporting direct impact of training on their ability to perform the skill efficiently and correctly. Conclusions: Implementation of ECMO multidisciplinary simulations provides structured opportunities for the team to learn and practice ECMO skills together in scenarios they may encounter without surgical presence. Ensuring competency of providers through implementation of such a program may improve patient safety through enhanced team communication, knowledge, and hands-on experience.

Cardiac symptoms are a frequent reason for pediatric patients to present to the emergency department. As stressful as these visits can be for both parents and inexperienced providers, many of these symptoms may have a benign explanation, and recognition of red flags are of the utmost importance to provide optimal care. In this article, we present four clinical scenarios that have a cardiac etiology and are common to the pediatric emergency department. In addition to highlighting differential diagnoses, we discuss important red flags, key signs, and findings on physical examination that should not be missed. A brief review of important workup and management is also discussed. Lastly, we review common electrocardiogram pearls and pitfalls important for the ordering provider to recognize. In this article, we hope to provide guidance on when to provide reassurance and when to refer to a pediatric cardiologist for evaluation. [ Pediatr Ann . 2023;52(4):e128–e134.]

Acute kidney injury (AKI) after pediatric cardiac surgery is manifested by injury along multiple pathways. One of these is oxidative injury related to hemolysis and subsequent deposition of hemoglobin in the kidney. Acetaminophen inhibits hemoprotein-catalyzed lipid peroxidation associated with hemolysis and in turn, may attenuate renal injury. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients undergoing pediatric cardiac surgery. A randomized controlled trial previously performed dictated a regimented, high dosage, acetaminophen. A historical cohort who received ad hoc acetaminophen prior to that study and that met the same inclusion/exclusion criteria were also analyzed, as patients from that era were likely to have less acetaminophen administered. The patients were divided into those who developed AKI and those who did not and those groups were compared by total acetaminophen dose. Important inclusion criteria included age 3 months to 4 years who underwent cardiac surgery via midline sternotomy and were extubated within 3 hours of admission. Patients with preexisting or chronic kidney disease were excluded. A total of 181 patients were included. Of these, 69 (38%) developed AKI. There were no significant pre- or intraoperative risk differences in characteristics between those who developed AKI and those who did not. Acetaminophen dose did significantly differ between those who developed AKI and those who did not with lower acetaminophen dose in the AKI group (30 vs. 50 mg/kg, p-value = 0.01). A multivariate analysis was performed which found that higher acetaminophen dosage and lower immediate postoperative hemoglobin were independently associated with a lower risk of AKI. AKI occurs in ∼38% after pediatric cardiac surgery. Most often this is stage 1 AKI and resolves after a day. After adjusting for other covariables, higher acetaminophen dose may be associated with lower risk of AKI. This does not prove that acetaminophen given prospectively will reduce AKI. Further studies are needed.