# Practice of ventilation in critically ill pediatric patients: protocol for an international, long–term, observational study, and results of the pilot feasibility study

## TL;DR

This study aims to track and analyze how respiratory support is used in critically ill children over 10 years, starting with invasive ventilation and expanding to other methods.

## Contribution

The study introduces a long-term, evolving protocol for collecting detailed data on pediatric respiratory support practices globally.

## Key findings

- A pilot feasibility study confirmed the effectiveness of the electronic data collection system with minimal missing data.
- The study will initially focus on invasive ventilation and later expand to noninvasive support and rescue therapies.
- PRoVENT-PED will collect data biannually over 10 years, including during epidemics or pandemics.

## Abstract

This manuscript describes the protocol of an investigator-initiated, international, multicenter, long-term, prospective observational study named PRactice of VENTilation in PEDiatric Patients (PRoVENT-PED), designed to investigate the epidemiology, respiratory support practices and outcomes of critically ill pediatric patients.

Data will be collected biannually over 10 years during predefined 4-week intervals, with an additional optional period to accommodate data collection during an epidemic or pandemic. The specific focus of PRoVENT-PED will evolve as the study progresses, initially emphasizing collecting detailed ventilator data from invasively ventilated patients. In later phases, the focus will shift to noninvasive respiratory support and typical aspects of respiratory support, like patient-ventilator asynchronies, weaning practices, and rescue therapies, as extracorporeal support. PRoVENT-PED includes patients under 18 years of age, admitted to a participating intensive care unit, and receiving respiratory support. The endpoints vary with the focus in each phase but will always include a set of key settings and ventilation parameters and related outcomes. If applicable, potentially modifiable factors and associations with outcomes will be studied. The pilot feasibility study demonstrated that the electronic capturing system effectively collects all necessary data within a reasonable time limit, with little missing data.

PRoVENT-PED is a 10-year, international, multicenter study focused on collecting data on respiratory support practices in critically ill pediatric patients. Its scope evolves from invasive to noninvasive ventilatory support, ultimately encompassing patient-ventilator asynchronies, weaning practices, and rescue therapies.