Funding outcome

'International Study on Current Management of Critically Ill Children with Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation' Scientific advances, population growth, lower mortality, and increasing complexity of diseases have boosted up the number of patients requiring prolonged breathing assistance with mechanical ventilators in the pediatric intensive care units (PICU) in North America and perhaps in many parts of the developed world. Previous studies also suggest that there is a small group of children who actually need such a high level of support for extended periods of time, utilizing a lot of human and technical resources. We defined children with prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) if they required supports with a breathing machine for more than 21 days. We propose an international study of children requiring PMV in PICU. We will conduct the study in multiple centers in four different regions, including Canada, United States, Europe, and Japan, with a strong relationship with local physician colleagues. Practice for patients requiring PMV will be examined from multiple points of views; the type and size of local PICU, admission and discharge policies, and patient and treatment modalities administered to such patients, types of professionals looking after patients in PMV, types of health care,etc. Based on the results of this study, we would determine if there is a need for further studies about the best possible practices for management of PMV. Such studies will be regarded as quality improvement initiatives and we will institute recommendations to best translate the evidence that exists to the bedside practice. Specifically, as an immediate consequence, by comparing and understanding the differences in patient demographics, practice details among PICUs in regards to the background factors of local PICUs and their patients, practitioners can learn from other colleagues and analyze their own way of dealing with such patients. In that way, the best evidence will be available and it can generate guidelines and lead to patient care improvement in their PICUs.