Consensus of the Respiratory Committee of the Latin American Society for Pediatric Intensive Care: Management of pediatric SARS-CoV-2. (SLACIP)

COVID-19 Pediatric

Abstract

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic generated many controversies in the management of critically ill pediatric patients. The main ones were about ventilatory support, phenotypic differences between adults and children, and acute and subacute clinical forms.

For this reason, the Respiratory Committee (RC) of the Latin American Society of Pediatric Intensive Care (SLACIP) generated a document to summarize the recommendations with the best evidence. The objective of these recommendations is to provide an update on issues related to pediatric COVID-19.

Methods and Materials The Respiratory Committee created a group composed of 19 pediatric kinesiologists/physiotherapists and intensivists from 8 Latin American countries and defined on 3/27/20 the 15 most relevant topics, assigning 3 referents and 2 reviewers for each. The manuscripts went through 4 stages until their final version. The complete document was freely distributed on 22/05/20 and updated twice (07/08/20 and 02/09/21). For the current version there were 3 special collaborators.

Result The material consists of a complete 94-page document and an executive summary. The topics included are case definition, epidemiology, clinical classification, subacute inflammatory syndrome, personal protective equipment, aerosolization situations (intubation, extubation, suctioning, sampling, filter replacement, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, early mobilization), high flow cannula support, invasive, non-invasive and high frequency mechanical ventilation, pharmacological treatment, laboratory and imaging.

Conclusion The purpose of this document is to serve as a guide for nurses, kinesiologists/physiotherapists and physicians in the management of critically ill pediatric patients with COVID-19.