Pediatric massive transfusion

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between whole blood (WB) and mortality among injured children who received immediate blood transfusion. BACKGROUND: The use of WB for transfusion therapy in trauma has been revisited, and recent studies have reported an association between WB and improved survival among adults. However, evidence of a similar association lacks in children. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study from the ACS-TQIP between 2020 and 2021...

BACKGROUND: The increase in firearm injuries at U.S. pediatric trauma centers is a national public health crisis. This spike in penetrating trauma has challenged even the most mature pediatric trauma centers. OBJECTIVE: This project aims to identify U.S. pediatric trauma center best practices for the evaluation and resources dedicated to pediatric firearm injuries. METHODS: This study used an exploratory cross-sectional survey design using a study-specific questionnaire...

The base deficit (B), international normalized ratio (I), and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) (BIG) score is useful in predicting mortality in pediatric trauma patients; however, studies on the use of BIG score in adult patients with trauma are sparse. In addition, studies on the correlation between the BIG score and massive transfusion (MT) have not yet been conducted. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of BIG score for mortality and the need for MT in adult trauma patients. This retrospective study used data collected between 2016 and 2020 at our hospital's trauma center and registry...

OBJECTIVES: Trauma Team Leaders (TTLs) are critical for coordinating and leading trauma resuscitations. This survey sought to characterize the demographics and professional practices of Canadian TTLs at level one trauma centres. As a secondary objective, this information will be utilized to inform the operational goals of the Trauma Association of Canada (TAC) TTL Committee. METHODS: A detailed survey, developed by the TAC board of directors and TTL committee leads, was sent to 225 TTLs across Canada's level one trauma centres...

Giant greater omental cysts with associated massive hemorrhage are rare. We encountered a 16-month-old boy with a four-day history of acute abdominal pain, distension, and paleness. Physical examination revealed a blood pressure of 74/27 mmHg. No well-defined masses were observed on abdominal palpation. The hemoglobin level on admission was 24 g/L. After initial resuscitation and blood transfusion, a computed tomography (CT) scan was performed, revealing a giant cystic mass with an intracystic hemorrhage...

Pediatric chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a very rare malignancy (age-related incidence 0.1/100,000) typically presenting with leucocyte counts >100,000/µL. However, clinical signs of leukostasis are observed at diagnosis in only approximately 10% of all cases and among these, priapism is infrequent. Here, we analyze data from pediatric CML registries on the occurrence of priapism heralding diagnosis of CML in 16/491 (3.2%) boys (median age 13.5 years, range 4-18) with pediatric CML. In the cohort investigated, duration of priapism resulting in a diagnosis of CML was not reported in 5 patients, and in the remaining 11 patients, occurred as stuttering priapism over 3 months ( n = 1), over 6 weeks ( n = 1), over 1-2 weeks ( n = 2), over several days ( n = 2), or 24 h ( n = 1), while the remaining 4 boys reported continuous erection lasting over 11-12 h...

Smoking is a major public health problem and is considered the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Gas-phase smoke carries bioactive substances and toxic compounds, affecting human health and reducing life spans. The negative effects of smoking on red blood cell (RBC) quality include destroying RBCs and increasing carboxy hemoglobin (COHb). Smoking increases the concentrations of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in the blood. Moreover, tobacco smoking has been found to be associated with heightened platelet (PLT)-dependent thrombin level which will induce a prothrombotic state...

BACKGROUND: The current study was performed to systemically review the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid (TXA) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery at a single large-volume cardiovascular center. METHODS: A computerized search of electronic databases was performed to identify all relevant studies using search terms till December 31st, 2021. The primary outcomes were postoperative blood loss and the composite incidence of mortality and morbidities during hospitalization...

Rapunzel syndrome is a rare clinical entity in pediatric patients with a history of trichotillomania and trichophagia that has only been mentioned a few times in the literature. It is characterized by abnormal gastric bezoar formation that sometimes extends to the duodenum, jejunum, or colon. Here, we present a case of a 16-year-old previously healthy female patient who had prolonged hospitalization due to complications related to a significant gastric bezoar that led to massive bleeding due to a superior mesenteric artery (SMA)-duodenal fistula successfully treated with stent graft placement...

BACKGROUND: The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq produced thousands of pediatric casualties, utilizing substantial military medical resources. We sought to describe characteristics of pediatric casualties that underwent operative intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of pediatric casualties treated by US Forces in the Department of Defense Trauma Registry (DoDTR) with at least one operative intervention during their course. We report descriptive, inferential statistics, and multivariable modeling to assess associations for receiving an operative intervention and survival...

CONTEXT: Gaucher's disease (GD) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder caused by the defective activity of glucocerebrosidase. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and substrate reduction therapy are the treatment of choice. Total splenectomy has a role when the child develops complications of massive splenomegaly. There are only a few case series of partial splenectomy in GD in the pediatric age group. AIMS: To study the role, technical feasibility, and challenges of partial splenectomy in children with GD with hypersplenism...

Patient blood management is a patient-centered evidence-based approach to improve patient outcomes by harnessing the patient's own hematopoietic system to optimize blood health while promoting patient safety and empowerment. Perioperative patient blood management is a standard of care in adult medicine, yet it is not commonly accepted in pediatrics. Raising awareness may be the first step in improving perioperative care for the anemic and/or bleeding child. This article highlights five preventable perioperative blood conservation error traps for children...

This is the first case report on two children presenting with immediate and severe hemolytic anemia following the administration of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIGs) in the context of pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS). Hemolytic anemia was described as a significant decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in lactate dehydrogenase after the second administration of high-dose IVIGs was performed. Both patients were found to have AB blood group...

BACKGROUND: Antifibrinolytic medications have been associated with reduced mortality in pediatric hemorrhage but may contribute to adverse events such as acute kidney injury (AKI). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the MAssive Transfusion in Children (MATIC), a prospectively collected database of children with life-threatening hemorrhage (LTH), and evaluated for risk of adverse events with either antifibrinolytic treatment, epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA) or tranexamic acid (TXA)...

INTRODUCTION: With the emergence of whole blood in trauma resuscitation, cost-related comparisons are of significant importance to providers, blood banks, and hospital systems throughout the country. The objective of this study is to determine if there is a transfusion-related cost difference between trauma patients that received low titer O+ whole blood (LTO + WB) and component therapy (CT). METHODS: Retrospective review of adult and pediatric trauma patients who received either LTO + WB or CT from time of injury to within 4 hours of arrival...

As a relatively new field, there has been a recent explosion in evidence around the management of children in the emergency department (ED). This review highlights 10 articles published in the last year providing evidence that is germane to the care of children by emergency medicine (EM) physicians. There is a focus on high prevalence conditions, such as fever and trauma, as well as interventions that can improve mortality, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and massive transfusion.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that standardized code teams may improve outcomes following cardiac arrests. Pediatric intra-operative cardiac arrests are rare events and are associated with a mortality rate of 18%. There is limited data available regarding use Medical Emergency Team (MET) response to pediatric intra-operative cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study was to identify the use of MET in response to pediatric intraoperative cardiac arrest as an exploratory step in establishing evidence-based standardized practice across the hospital for training and management of this rare event...

BACKGROUND: Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas are one of the most enigmatic, bloody tumors encountered by otorhinolarygnologists, head and neck surgeons, neurosurgeons, and anesthesiologists. Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas are rare, benign, highly vascular tumors with a propensity towards aggressive local invasion. Surgery, open or endoscopic, to remove the growth is the primary treatment of choice for Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas. Historically, surgical resection was associated with massive, rapid blood loss, traditionally managed by blood product transfusion and deliberate hypotension...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Trauma is the leading cause of death in children over 5 years old. Early mortality is associated with trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC), with balanced resuscitation potentially mitigating the effects of TIC. We review TIC, balanced resuscitation and the best evidence for crystalloid fluid versus early blood products, massive transfusion protocol (MTP) and the optimal ratio for blood products. RECENT FINDINGS: Crystalloid fluids have been associated with adverse events in paediatric trauma patients...

BACKGROUND: The paediatric massive transfusion protocol (MTP) is activated in the paediatric population for both trauma and non-trauma related indications. While it helps to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the delivery of blood products, it can also result in increased wastage. We aimed to evaluate the wastage rates from our paediatric MTP activations from 2013 to 2018. METHOD: As part of an audit, we retrospectively reviewed the records of the paediatric patients who had MTP activations...