PICU Doc On Call

In this episode of PICU Doc on Call, hosts Dr. Monica Gray and Dr. Pradip Kamat explore procedural sedation in the pediatric ICU. They cover sedation levels, pre-screening, risk stratification using ASA classifications, and medication selection tailored to each patient's hemodynamic and respiratory status. Through real-world case discussions involving respiratory failure, septic shock, and acute neurological decline, they highlight the importance of end-tidal CO2 monitoring and early adverse event recognition. Key takeaways include avoiding the term "conscious sedation," preparing rescue plans, and prioritizing patient safety through careful assessment and monitoring.
Show Highlights:
Definitions and levels of sedation (minimal, moderate, deep sedation, and general anesthesia)
Importance of terminology in procedural sedation
Monitoring sedation levels using scales like the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS)
Pre-screening and risk stratification considerations for pediatric patients
ASA physical status classification system for assessing patient risk
Unique challenges of procedural sedation in critically ill children
Adverse events associated with pediatric procedural sedation, particularly respiratory complications
Management strategies for specific cases requiring sedation (e.g., respiratory failure, septic shock)
Importance of end-tidal CO2 monitoring during sedation
Key takeaways for safe sedation practices in the pediatric ICU setting

References:
Nir Atlas; Rahul C. Damania; Pradip P. Kamat In Fuhrman & Zimmerman - Textbook of Pediatric Critical Care Chapter 135, 1624-1628
Statement on Continuum of Depth of Sedation: Definition of General Anesthesia and Levels of Sedation/Analgesia by Committee on Quality Management and Departmental Administration. Last Amended: October 23, 2024.
Coté CJ, Wilson S; AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS; AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY. Guidelines for Monitoring and Management of Pediatric Patients Before, During, and After Sedation for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures. Pediatrics. 2019 Jun;143(6):e20191000. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-1000. PMID: 31138666.x
Krauss B, Green SM. Procedural sedation and analgesia in children. Lancet. 2006 Mar 4;367(9512):766-80. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68230-5. PMID: 16517277.
Sharif S, Kang J, Sadeghirad B, Rizvi F, Forestell B, Greer A, Hewitt M, Fernando SM, Mehta S, Eltorki M, Siemieniuk R, Duffett M, Bhatt M, Burry L, Perry JJ, Petrosoniak A, Pandharipande P, Welsford M, Rochwerg B. Pharmacological agents for procedural sedation and analgesia in the emergency department and intensive care unit: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials. Br J Anaesth. 2024 Mar;132(3):491-506. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.11.050. Epub 2024 Jan 6. PMID: 38185564.
Smith, Heidi A. B. MD, MSCI (Chair)1,2; Besunder, James B. DO, FCCM3,4; Betters, Kristina A. MD1; Johnson, Peter N. PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, FCCM, FPPA, FASHP5,6; Srinivasan, Vijay MBBS, MD, FCCM7,8; Stormorken, Anne MD9,10; Farrington, Elizabeth PharmD, FCCM11; Golianu, Brenda MD12,13; Godshall, Aaron J. MD14; Acinelli, Larkin CPNP-AC, ACHPN15; Almgren, Christina CPNP16; Bailey, Christine H. MD17; Boyd, Jenny M. MD18,19; Cisco, Michael J. MD20; Damian, Mihaela MD, MPH21,22; deAlmeida, Mary L. MD23,24; Fehr, James MD13,25; Fenton, Kimberly E. MD, FCCM14; Gilliland, Frances DNP, CPNP-AC/PC26,27; Grant, Mary Jo C. CPNP-AC, PhD, FAAN28; Howell, Joy MD29; Ruggles, Cassandra A. PharmD, BCCCP, BCPPS30; Simone, Shari DNP31,32; Su, Felice MD21,22; Sullivan, Janice E. MD33,34; Tegtmeyer, Ken MD, FAAP, FCCM35,36; Traube, Chani MD, FCCM29; Williams, Stacey CPNP-AC37; Berkenbosch, John W. MD, FAAP, FCCM (Chair)33,34. 2022 Society of Critical Care Medicine Clinical Practice Guidelines on Prevention and Management of Pain, Agitation, Neuromuscular Blockade, and Delirium in Critically Ill Pediatric Patients With Consideration of the ICU Environment and Early Mobility. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine 23(2):p e74-e110, February 2022. | DOI: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000002873
Benzoni T, Agarwal A, Cascella M. Procedural Sedation. [Updated 2025 Mar 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551685/
Kerson AG, DeMaria R, Mauer E, Joyce C, Gerber LM, Greenwald BM, Silver G, Traube C. Validity of the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) in critically ill children. J Intensive Care. 2016 Oct 26;4:65. doi: 10.1186/s40560-016-0189-5. PMID: 27800163; PMCID: PMC5080705.
Tel-Dan SF, Shavit D, Nates R, Samuel N, Shavit I. Emergency Physician-Administered Sedation for Thoracostomy in Children With Pleuropneumonia. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2021 Dec 1;37(12):e1209-e1212. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000001975. PMID: 31929389.
Cosgrove P, Krauss BS, Cravero JP, Fleegler EW. Predictors of Laryngospasm During 276,832 Episodes of Pediatric Procedural Sedation. Ann Emerg Med. 2022 Dec;80(6):485-496. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2022.05.002. Epub 2022 Jun 23. PMID: 35752522.
Cravero JP, Blike GT, Beach M, Gallagher SM, Hertzog JH, Havidich JE, Gelman B; Pediatric Sedation Research Consortium. Incidence and nature of adverse events during pediatric sedation/anesthesia for procedures outside the operating room: report from the Pediatric Sedation Research Consortium. Pediatrics. 2006 Sep;118(3):1087-96. doi: 10.1542/peds.2006-0313. PMID: 16951002.

In this episode of *PICU Doc on Call*, Dr. Monica Gray and Dr. Pradip Kamat are joined by fellow Dr. Hope Vancleve to discuss a complex case of a 12-year-old with MRSA septic shock requiring VA ECMO. The conversation covers sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction, including its pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. The hosts also explore differential hypoxia, or Harlequin syndrome, a serious VA ECMO complication causing upper body deoxygenation, and discuss monitoring strategies and circuit reconfiguration to prevent cerebral and myocardial ischemia.
Show Highlights:
Clinical case discussion of a 12-year-old male patient with MRSA septic shock.
Complications of sepsis, including sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction and refractory shock.
Management strategies for septic shock, including antibiotic therapy and fluid resuscitation.
Use of venoarterial ECMO support in pediatric patients with severe cardiac dysfunction.
Pathophysiology of sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction and its impact on cardiac function.
Differential hypoxia (North-South syndrome) in patients on femoral VA ECMO.
Diagnostic approaches for sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction, including echocardiography and biomarkers.
Importance of monitoring and managing end-organ function in septic patients.
Strategies for addressing differential hypoxia in ECMO patients, including circuit reconfiguration.
Discussion of the risks and benefits of various ECMO configurations and management techniques.

References:
Fuhrman & Zimmerman - Textbook of Pediatric Critical Care Chapter
Reference 1: Torre DE, Pirri C. Harlequin Syndrome in Venoarterial ECMO and ECPELLA: When ECMO and Native or Impella Circulations Collide - A Comprehensive Review. Rev Cardiovasc Med. 2025 Aug 26;26(8):39992. doi: 10.31083/RCM39992. PMID: 40927093; PMCID: PMC12415751.
Reference 2 : Cove ME. Disrupting differential hypoxia in peripheral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Crit Care. 2015 Jul 22;19(1):280. doi: 10.1186/s13054-015-0997-3. PMID: 27391473; PMCID: PMC4511033.

In this episode of PICU Doc on Call, hosts Dr. Monica Gray and Dr. Pradip Kamat discuss a 15-year-old girl who attempted suicide by ingesting rat poison, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and amlodipine. The episode focuses on long-acting anticoagulant rodenticides (LAARs), such as brodifacoum, which inhibit vitamin K epoxide reductase, causing delayed coagulopathy. Key topics include clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and management, emphasizing vitamin K1 as the primary antidote and prothrombin complex concentrate or fresh-frozen plasma for major bleeding. The patient stabilized with aggressive supportive care, including vasoactive agents and NAC therapy, alongside psychiatric intervention. Listen to learn more!
Show Highlights
Clinical case of a 15-year-old girl who attempted suicide through polypharmacy ingestion
Ingestion of multiple substances, including chewable rat poison, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and amlodipine
Discussion of toxicology related to long-acting anticoagulant rodenticides (LAARs) like brodifacoum
Symptoms and clinical presentation following acute ingestion, including metabolic acidosis and elevated lactate
Diagnostic evaluation and laboratory findings, including coagulation studies and liver function tests
Management strategies for LAAR poisoning, including the use of vitamin K and supportive care
Importance of monitoring for delayed coagulopathy and serial INR testing
Consideration of calcium channel blocker toxicity in the context of the patient's clinical instability
Overview of the mechanisms of action of LAARs and their impact on vitamin K-dependent clotting factors
Key take-home points regarding the recognition and management of rodenticide ingestion in pediatric patients

References
Reference: King N, Tran MH. Long-Acting Anticoagulant Rodenticide (Superwarfarin) Poisoning: A Review of Its Historical Development, Epidemiology, and Clinical Management. Transfus Med Rev. 2015 Oct;29(4):250-8.
Reference 2: Feinstein DL, Akpa BS, Ayee MA, et al. The emerging threat of superwarfarins: history, detection, mechanisms, and countermeasures. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016 Jun;1374(1):111-22.

In this episode of PICU Doc on Call, Dr. Monica Gray and Dr. Pradip Kamat chat about flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) in the pediatric ICU. They walk through a case involving an eight-year-old who’s dealing with respiratory failure after a stem cell transplant. Along the way, they talk about when and why you might use bronchoscopy both for diagnosis and treatment—plus how to approach sedation and what effects the procedure can have on the heart and lungs. They also dive into important topics like managing hypoxia, handling increased airway and pulmonary vascular resistance, and what to keep in mind if your patient has a traumatic brain injury. The episode wraps up with tips for managing fever after the procedure and a quick look at how rigid bronchoscopy compares.
Show Highlights:
Use of flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) in the pediatric ICU (PICU)
Indications for performing bronchoscopy (diagnostic and therapeutic)
Management of sedation and analgesia during bronchoscopy
Cardiovascular effects associated with bronchoscopy procedures
Respiratory effects and complications during bronchoscopy
Special considerations for bronchoscopy in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Post-procedure complications, including fever and its management
Overview of rigid bronchoscopy and its indications
Importance of understanding physiological changes during bronchoscopy
Educational focus on acute pediatric care for current and aspiring PICU interns

References:
Reference 1: Sachdev A, Chhawchharia R. Flexible Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy in Pediatric Practice. Indian Pediatr. 2019 Jul 15;56(7):587-593. PMID: 31333214.
Reference 2: Li SX, Tao XF, Wu HJ, Jin F, Zhu GH, Wang YS, Tang LF, Chen ZM, Wu L. Advances in pediatric flexible bronchoscopy. World J Pediatr. 2025 Oct;21(10):945-956. doi: 10.1007/s12519-025-00967-7. Epub 2025 Oct 4. PMID: 41045338; PMCID: PMC12578761.
Reference 3: Truitt BA, Kasi AS, Kamat PP, Fundora MP, Simon DM, Guglani L. Cryoextraction via flexible bronchoscopy in children with tracheobronchial obstruction. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2023 Sep;58(9):2527-2534. doi: 10.1002/ppul.26540. Epub 2023 Jun 23. PMID: 37350368.

In this episode of "PICU Doc on Call," Drs. Monica Gray and Pradip Kamat from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta dive into the use of inhaled anesthetics, especially isoflurane, in the pediatric ICU. We’re focusing on those tough cases: refractory status asthmaticus and status epilepticus.
We’ll chat about why isoflurane is our go-to over other agents like sevoflurane, desflurane, or nitrous oxide, and break down its bronchodilatory and anticonvulsant properties. We’ll also touch on important pharmacology concepts, such as MAC and the blood-gas partition coefficient, and discuss how we approach dosing and ventilator management when using isoflurane.
Of course, we’ll also discuss the potential adverse effects that can come with prolonged use, and why it’s important to stop other sedatives and beta-agonists once you start isoflurane. Join us as we walk through the practical aspects and pearls for using inhaled anesthetics in the PICU!
Show Highlights:
Use of inhaled anesthetics in pediatric intensive care units (PICU)
Focus on isoflurane for managing refractory status asthmaticus and status epilepticus
Comparison of inhaled anesthetic agents: isoflurane, sevoflurane, nitrous oxide, and desflurane
Importance of minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) and blood-gas partition coefficient in anesthetic pharmacodynamics
Mechanism of action of isoflurane in airway management and bronchodilation
Clinical administration techniques for isoflurane in critically ill children
Ventilator management principles for intubated children with status asthmaticus
Role of isoflurane in refractory and super-refractory status epilepticus
Potential adverse effects and considerations for prolonged isoflurane use
Summary of pharmacologic concepts essential for safe isoflurane therapy in pediatric patients

References:
Rogers Text Book of Pediatric Intensive Care: Chapter 47: Acute Severe Asthma. Stewart C, Brilli RJ. pages 763-775
Reference 1: Stetefeld HR, Schaal A, Scheibe F, Nichtweiß J, Lehmann F, Müller M, Gerner ST, Huttner HB, Luger S, Fuhrer H, Bösel J, Schönenberger S, Dimitriadis K, Neumann B, Fuchs K, Fink GR, Malter MP; IGNITE Study Group, with support from the German Neurocritical Care Society (DGNI). Isoflurane in (Super-) Refractory Status Epilepticus: A Multicenter Evaluation. Neurocrit Care. 2021 Dec;35(3):631-639. doi: 10.1007/s12028-021-01250-z. Epub 2021 Jul 20. PMID: 34286464; PMCID: PMC8692280.
Reference 2: Zeiler FA, Zeiler KJ, Teitelbaum J, Gillman LM, West M. Modern inhalational anesthetics for refractory status epilepticus. Can J Neurol Sci. 2015 Mar;42(2):106-15. doi: 10.1017/cjn. 2014.121. Epub 2015 Jan 9. PMID: 25572922.
Reference 3: Werner HA. Status asthmaticus in children: a review. Chest. 2001 Jun;119(6):1913-29. doi: 10.1378/chest. 119.6.1913. PMID: 11399724.
Reference 4: Gill B, Bartock JL, Damuth E, Puri N, Green A. Case report: Isoflurane therapy in a case of status asthmaticus requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Nov 8;9:1051468. doi: 10.3389fmed. .2022.1051468. PMID: 36425104; PMCID: PMC9679515.