Research

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Research

Our researchers in pediatric critical care span the breadth of clinical, translational and educational research.

In the unit, Dr. Chani Traube has worked collaboratively to establish the first standardized screen for pediatric delirium. Her team is investigating the risk factors for the development of delirium as well as trialing pharmacologic treatments.

Dr. Steven Pon, in collaboration with the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI), is exploring the effects of the administration of exogenous surfactant on children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who have active hematologic malignancy or are status post stem cell transplant.

In the lab, Dr. Marianne Nellis works to understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms of the morbidities associated with the receipt of older red blood cells. In addition, she is investigating newer techniques to predict bleeding in critically ill children in order to guide transfusion therapy. The unit participates in ABC-PICU, an international, randomized trial of “fresh” red blood cell transfusions.

Dr. Joy Howell, in collaboration with Dr. Kevin Ching and the simulation center, is studying the outcomes of simulation exercises to identify sepsis early. With the help of Dr. Howell and Dr. Doreen Hsing, the unit participates in NEAR-4-KIDS, a multi-center, prospective registry for advanced airway management in Pediatric ICUs.