Clinical Research Directory

PROSpect: Prone and Oscillation Pediatric Clinical Trial

Severe pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) is a life-threatening and frequent problem experienced by thousands of children each year. Little evidence supports current supportive practices during their critical illness. The overall objective of this study is to identify the best positional and/or ventilation practice that leads to improved patient outcomes in these critically ill children. We hypothesize that children with high moderate-severe PARDS treated with either prone positioning or high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) will demonstrate more days off the ventilator when compared to children treated with supine positioning or conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV).

Assessment of Airway Opening Pressure in Invasively Ventilated Children

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in children is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Current studies seek to individualize the management of children by defining several phenotypes, based until now mainly on clinical presentation. A better understanding of the respiratory mechanics of each patient could allow the individualization of other phenotypes and adapt their management with individualized ventilation. The method for detecting airway opening pressure (AOP) in children has not yet been validated and the reference methods in adults are difficult to apply in children due to their physiological particularities. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the feasibility of two methods for measuring airway opening pressure in invasively ventilated pediatric patients.