Research Networks

Pediatric critical care research networks span the globe

Take Part in Global Research

Training Assessment of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine in Resource Limited Settings (TAP-RLS)

End date:

2026-05-31

Investigators:

Aly Aly, MD, FAAP (Lead Investigator) and Roger Bedimo, MD (Principal Investigator)

Affiliation:

University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, USA and PALISI Global Health Subgroup.

Training Assessment of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine in Resource-Limited Settings (TAP-RLS) is an international, multi-institutional survey study led by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, USA). The study is endorsed by the Global Health Subgroup of the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network and the World Institute of Critical Care and Emergency Medicine (WICCEM). TAP-RLS aims to identify and characterize disparities in pediatric critical care medicine (PCCM) training and educational infrastructure among providers caring for children with acute critical illness in resource-limited settings.

The survey has been piloted in 19 countries across the Middle East and Africa. We are currently expanding participation globally to ensure accurate representation of the diversity, challenges, and disparities that exist across resource-limited settings worldwide.

We are partnering with international sites to ensure the survey reflects the real-world needs and experiences of providers practicing in these environments. The target population includes pediatric trainees and attending physicians who meet the following inclusion criteria: (1) active involvement in the care of pediatric patients with acute critical illness; (2) practice in countries classified as developing by the World Health Organization (WHO) or in resource-limited settings as defined by the 2014 CHEST consensus statement; (3) proficiency in English to ensure accurate interpretation of survey items; and (4) reliable internet access to complete the online survey. Exclusion criteria include emergency medical services personnel, nursing staff, and medical students.

The survey is comprehensive and designed to capture detailed information on hospital capacity, PCCM training, and educational needs. It requires approximately 15–20 minutes to complete, and respondents may save their progress and return at any time. All eligible providers are strongly encouraged to participate. Participation will generate critical data to inform future studies and targeted interventions aimed at strengthening pediatric critical care training, educational infrastructure, and hospital capacity in resource-limited settings.

For collaboration inquiries or to request a physical or PDF copy of the survey—particularly if the survey link is blocked by your institutional or network domain—please contact aly.aly@utsouthwestern.edu.

Global PARITY

End date:

2026-08-01

Investigators:

Teresa Kortz, MD, PhDc / Adrian Holloway, MD

Affiliation:

PALISI Global Health

Global PARITY (Pediatric Acute cRitical Illness sTudY) is a point prevalence study being conducted by the Global Health subgroup of the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network to determine the burden of pediatric acute, critical illness in resource-limited settings. We are partnering with sites around the globe where primary data collection will take place. We are actively recruiting sites for participation.

This study is being conducted by the Global Health subgroup of the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network to determine the burden of pediatric acute, critical illness in resource-limited settings. We are partnering with sites around the globe where primary data collection will take place. This study will include pediatric patients (aged 28 days to 14 years) from settings around the world and involve screening on 4 separate study dates over one year. Data collection will include a baseline case report form on the screening day, followed by a brief daily case report form for up to 7 days if the child is hospitalized to capture resource utilization, and a final case report form for admitted children recording the final hospital outcome. Screening and data collection will begin in 2021.

Eligible study sites include: Hospitals in resource-limited settings that care for pediatric-aged patients and have the ability to admit them to an inpatient location (ward, high-dependency unit, intensive care unit, etc.).

This study does not involve any form of study intervention. There is currently no dedicated funding for study sites. Authorship and collaborator status will be offered to those meeting specific criteria. Assistance for local ethics committee approval will be provided by the study team.

All eligible hospitals are encouraged to participate in this exciting global study of acute pediatric critical illness epidemiology and resource utilization. Your participation will provide critical information that can be used to design future studies to improve outcomes for acute, critically ill children in resource-limited settings.

Interested parties should contact Teresa Kortz, MD, PhDc or Adrian Holloway, MD at globalparity2021@gmail.com

Para consultas en Español, envíe un correo electrónico a: parityLaRed@gmail.com

Pour toute demande en Français, veuillez envoyer un courriel: parityFrench@gmail.com

Para consultas em Português, envie um e-mail para: parityBrazil@gmail.com

SPARC Global (SePsis And Infection-Related Organ Dysfunction in Children Globally)

End date:

2027-05-01

Investigators:

Teresa Kortz, MD, MS, PhD

Affiliation:

PALISI Global Health

SPARC Global (SePsis And Infection-Related Organ Dysfunction in Children Globally) is a global, multicenter, observational point-prevalence study coordinated through the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Global Health network and led by the University of California, San Francisco.

The study aims to determine the prevalence of pediatric sepsis and septic shock, as defined by the Phoenix Sepsis Criteria, in hospitalized children in resource-limited settings. Participating hospitals will collect de-identified clinical data from medical records on predefined study days to characterize infection-related organ dysfunction, management practices, and outcomes at hospital discharge.

SPARC Global is a site-based study. Participation requires a local site principal investigator, local ethics approval, and data collection by the site team. WFPICCS is disseminating information about this study to its network to support awareness and collaboration. Interested sites are invited to click on the survey button or to contact the study team directly for further details regarding participation at SPARC.global@ucsf.edu

Sedation Practices in the Care of Severe Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

End date:

2025-12-31

Investigators:

Alexis Thompson, MD, Clinical Instructor of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Affiliation:

Johns Hopkins Medicine, USA

This survey was adapted from a previously validated and submitted survey by Dr. Sapna Kudchadkar(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4061156/). regarding sedation practices in the Pediatric ICU.

The objective was to identify sedation practices among clinicians caring for children with TBI, including pediatric intensivists, neurologists, and other providers. The survey content was then reviewed by experts in pediatric critical care and traumatic brain injury via the Pediatric Neurocritical Care Research Group (PNCRG).

The survey target population was a non-probability purposive sampling approach via planned distribution through PNCRG, WFPICCS, and PALISI networks. Items were generated and refined through expert consultation, ensuring clarity, relevance, and single-construct focus. The survey employed nominal and ordinal response formats, with “other” and indeterminate options where appropriate.

Pretesting was completed with clinician respondents who assessed clarity, feasibility, and completeness. Feedback confirmed that the survey questions were understandable, comprehensive, and aligned with our study objectives.

Needs Assessment for a Formal Curriculum in Shared Decision-Making During Medical Training

End date:

2025-12-31

Investigators:

Yuen Lo Yau, MD / Dipankar Gupta, MD / Katie M Moynihan MD / Celine Cattier, MD

Affiliation:

Shands Children’s Hospital, University of Florida and Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Shands Children’s Hospital, University of Florida and Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School are conducting a research study. The goal of this study is to obtain a global perspective for Needs Assessment for a Formal Curriculum in Shared Decision-Making During Medical Training. This study has been approved by the by the University of Florida IRB (Protocol #ET00043110).

We would truly appreciate if you can share your opinion regarding this important topic by completing this survey. Your participation is voluntary, and the responses will remain anonymous. By filling out this survey, you are consenting to participate in this research. It should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The first 1000 people to complete this survey will receive a $5 USD gift card. To ensure validity of this study, please do not take it more than once.

Paediatric Sepsis Priority Setting Partnership (PSP)

End date:

2025-10-24

Investigators:

Amanda Williams, Dr Tom Solan, Amanda Williams

Affiliation:

James Lind Alliance

The purpose of this protocol is to clearly set out the aims, objectives and commitments of the Paediatric Sepsis Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) in line with James Lind Alliance (JLA) principles. The Protocol is a JLA requirement and will be published on the PSP’s page of the JLA website. The Steering Group will review the Protocol regularly and any updated version will be sent to the JLA.

The JLA is a non-profit making initiative, established in 2004. It brings patients, carers and clinicians together in PSPs. These PSPs identify and prioritise the evidence uncertainties, or ‘unanswered questions’, that they agree are the most important for research in their topic area. Traditionally PSPs have focused on uncertainties about the effects of treatments, but some PSPs have chosen to broaden their scope beyond that. The aim of a PSP is to help ensure that those who fund health research are aware of what really matters to patients, carers and clinicians. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR – www.nihr.ac.uk) coordinates the infrastructure of the JLA to oversee the processes for PSPs, based at the NIHR Coordinating Centre (NIHRCC), University of Southampton.

Real-Vaso Survey: Evaluation of the real world use of vasopressin in ICU

End date:

2025-07-31

Investigators:

Vladimir L Cousin, Geneva University Hospital / Mathieu Jozwiak, University Hospital of Nice

Affiliation:

Pierre Tissières, Kremlin-Bicêtre Hospital / Akash Deep, King’s College Hospital

The aim of this survey is to have a global picture of the use of vasopressin in patients with septic shock.

Vasopressin, a naturally occurring hormone, has gained attention because of its vasopressor activity in the management of patients with septic shock. Besides to its vasopressor activity, low-doses of vasopressin through V1 receptors activation also decrease pulmonary artery pressure and improve the renal function by inducing efferent vasoconstriction, resulting in a theoretical increase in glomerular renal perfusion pressure and thus higher glomerular filtration.

The last Surviving Sepsis Campaign suggested adding vasopressin to current vasopressor support in patients with septic shock with persistent shock. Current literature only gives low-quality evidence on such practice. The threshold for adding vasopressin remains unclear, and vasopressin could increase the risk of ischemia. Therefore, the place of vasopressin in the management of patients with septic shock is still debated with significant heterogeneity between ICUs, as the appropriate timing, dosage and duration of vasopressin therapy remain subjects of clinical debate

ACCEPT ICU Survey

End date:

2025-06-01

Investigators:

Naveed ur Rehman Siddiqui, MBBS, FCPS, FCCM (naveed.rehman@aku.edu)

Affiliation:

The Society of Critical Care Medicine

The Society of Critical Care Medicine is evaluating the ICU Liberation Bundle (A-F) and current best practices in critical care practice models in low- and middle-income countries. This project evaluates the current best practices in critical care practice models in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The ICU Liberation Bundle (A-F) aims to provide evidence-based strategies for the entire multiprofessional critical care team to effectively improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital costs, and provide a structure by which ICU culture can be transformed to incorporate flexibility and vigilance to improve patient care.

The Assessing Critical Care Provider’s Thoughts on ICU Liberation Bundle in Resource-Limited Settings (ACCEPT-ICU) survey aims to identify common beliefs about the ICU Liberation Bundle in LMICs. The knowledge gained from this project will be valuable to the future preparedness of critical care delivery in LMICs. Data gathered from this research project will allow the compilation of best practice recommendations for successful critical care practice in LMICs.

If you work in or have experience in resource-limited settings and have been involved in implementing the ICU Liberation Bundle, please complete this brief survey.

Participation is voluntary and will help develop strategies to improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital costs, and create effective ICU care structures.

Thank you, in advance, for your valuable time and effort in participating in this survey. Your contribution is instrumental in our collective efforts to improve patient outcomes. We truly appreciate your support.

Pediatric Cardiac ICU Nursing Education and Training Study

End date:

2025-02-01

Investigators:

Sandra Staveski RN, PhD, CPNP-AC, FAAN

We are doing a research study about pediatric cardiac intensive care nurse education and training. As a nurse working with critically ill children with congenital or acquired heart disease, we would like you to participate in this study (work in the ICU or stepdown/high dependency unit).

If you choose to be in the study, you will complete an online survey. It will take about 10 minutes to complete.

You can skip questions that you do not want to answer or stop the survey at any time. The survey is anonymous, and no one will be able to link your answers back to you. Please do not include your name or other information that could be used to identify you in the survey responses.

Please contact Sandy Staveski with questions about this study. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you can call the UCSF Institutional Review Board at 01-415-476-1814.

Being in this study is optional. If you want to participate, read the consent below and click on the “I consent” button and then the language of choice and then you will get to the survey. After you have given your consent, you will need to go onto to the next section. Please feel free to forward this to your nurse colleagues. Your help is very important.

Role of Active De-escalation in Critically Ill Children with Fluid Accumulation

End date:

2023-12-31

Investigators:

Angela Aramburo

Affiliation:

ANZICS-PSG, PCCS-SG, ESPNIC, PALISI and PACCMAN

A survey of paediatric critical care physicians.

As you know, fluid management in critical illness remains controversial. While fluid resuscitation is a cornerstone of the management of hypovolaemic shock, it is less clear what fluid management strategy should be pursued in the post-resuscitation phase when fluid accumulation is common.

Our clinical research collaboration aims to investigate whether active fluid removal (de-escalation) impacts clinical outcomes in critically ill children.

We would be grateful to medical members for 10-15 minutes of your time to complete this online PSG endorsed survey. Its purpose is to understand the perspectives of intensivists regarding fluid management in critically ill children.

Your views will help to inform the design of future trials.

The survey has been endorsed by ANZICS-PSG, PCCS-SG, ESPNIC, PALISI and PACCMAN, and will be distributed internationally. It is administered anonymously, however if you would like to be part of this collaboration and/or receive a copy of the survey results, please leave us your email address at the end.

Please contact Angela Aramburo with any queries – Paediatric Intensivist Consultant, Queensland Children’s Hospital; Australia angela.aramburo@health.qld.gov.au

Determining Emergency and Critical Care Paediatric Resource Needs in Resource Limited Settings

End date:

2023-10-01

Affiliation:

Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) REB/IRB

Are you a provider of emergency and/or critical care to paediatric patients in a resource limited setting? You are invited to participate in a research survey to determine emergency and critical care paediatric resource needs in resource limited settings (RLS) as determined by providers in those settings. Please consider participating and/or sharing with providers who may fulfill participation criteria.

To participate in this study, you must be a doctor, nurse, paramedic, or other medical professional providing medical care to acutely and critically ill paediatric patients in a RLS. For the purposes of this study, RLS will be defined as a hospital setting with limited access to medication, equipment, supplies, devices, less developed infrastructure, and fewer trained personnel relative to patient volume.

Your participation in this study will require the completion of two consecutive surveys. Each survey will take approximately 20 minutes of your time. If you participate in both survey rounds, will have the option of being added to our list of collaborators or in the annex (depending on publication) in any potential publications of our survey findings. Please contact the study team if you do not wish to be added to the list of collaborators. Your decision to participate in this research study will not affect your employment or academic standing.

Survey on a new questionnaire for toddler and infant Health-Related Quality of Life

End date:

2023-05-01

Investigators:

Janine Verstraete

We are inviting you to participate in a survey about the newly developed EQ-TIPS (EuroQol Toddler and Infant Populations) questionnaire, formerly known as the Toddler and Infant (TANDI) Health-Related Quality of Life measure. The aim of this survey is to obtain feedback on the content, acceptability, appropriateness and scoring system of the EQ-TIPS to inform further international development.

The EQ-TIPS was developed for children aged 0-3 years, to be completed by proxy. The EQ-TIPS is similar in format to the EQ-5D instruments which measure the health of older children and adults across five dimensions with three or five levels of severity. They further measure general health on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The EQ-TIPS was developed from the ground up and was not merely an adaptation of the EQ-5D instruments. Thus the EQ-TIPS consists of six dimensions, measured on three levels of severity, and a Visual Analogue Scale measuring general health. The six dimensions include movement, play, pain, communication, social interaction, and eating.

We would value your expert input on the EQ-TIPS descriptive system and a potential scoring system. With your consent, this information will be collated, presented and discussed within a smaller group of experts to inform further development of the instrument and for publication. For further information on the EQ-TIPS and this study, please watch the introductory presentation video below.

Participation in this online survey should take 20-25 minutes. Your participation in the study is voluntary and there will be no reimbursement for your time. Your responses will be anonymous and no identifying information will be captured, unless you leave your contact details to be contacted for further EQ-TIPS research.

Survey on management of analgesia, sedation and delirium in European PICUs

End date:

2021-03-21

Investigators:

Florian von Borell

Please only complete this survey if you are working in an European PICU.

We are a working group from different PICUs in Germany and would like to assess the current state of analgesia, sedation, withdrawal and delirium management in Europe. We would like to identify difficulties and challenges emerging with analgosedation and delirium to provide data promoting further improvement in the ever-evolving care for our critical ill pediatric patients.

For this purpose we designed a short (10 minutes) survey, which we would like to share with as many PICUs and NICUs all over Europe as we can reach.

Please contact us for questions and further suggestions: Florian von Borell florian.vonborell@uniklinik-dresden.de

Promote your Research

If you have a survey and study that you would like to have promoted on WFPICCS’ website please complete the following form

IMPORTANT: If your survey has been adapted/copied from other surveys, we ask that you show evidence of permission for adaptation.