A first alert for little hearts

Melissa Lubahn, MSN, RN, PICU Nurse manager with the NIRS pad

Donor-funded equipment provides doctors with vital information when every second counts

“Nothing enriches your life more than giving. Giving your money, giving your time, giving your attention. You never know what life has in store. You may have needs of your own some day and need the giving grace of others. It has been a privilege to be a small part of what Cook Children’s is doing for our community.” – Cortney Pelley

Our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) cares for our sickest patients. These children have life-threatening illnesses and injuries or might be recovering from procedures such as cardiothoracic surgeries, brain surgeries, kidney transplants or spinal surgeries. Because these children require life support and intensive monitoring, we are constantly searching for new ways to provide non-invasive testing.

One piece of equipment that provides our team of PICU specialists with vital information is the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) pad. The NIRS pad is a non-invasive technology that continuously monitors the oxygen saturation of the brain and other tissues, such as muscle, liver and lungs. When treating patients who have already experienced an incredible amount of trauma, utilizing non-invasive technology not only elevates the patient experience but also helps manage treatment.

“Using the NIRS system gives us all the information we need, without the use of needles,” Raymond Nkwantabisa, M.D., and PICU specialist emphasized. “We are able to get real-time readings on how well oxygen is getting into our patients’ bodies, if we need to make any adjustments to the respirator or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines, or make adjustments to medications.”

The real-time information NIRS provides is invaluable. Dr. Nkwantabisa calls it the “first alert” because doctors can monitor the subtle changes happening when every second counts and timely intervention is critical.

With only two machines with the NIRS capabilities, the PICU staff found their need was greater than their machines allowed for.

Because cardiology also utilizes the same technology, staff in the PICU often asked to borrow an additional machine.

When Blue Peaks Giving Circle and Jewel Charity members Alex and Cortney Pelley learned of the need for more NIRS machines, they jumped at the chance to donate.

Cortney Pelley pictured with her daughters Palmer and Pearl

“Cook Children’s has always been here when we needed answers and care,” Cortney said. “We feel blessed to have a hospital of this caliber right down the street and felt compelled to get more involved. The PICU has a very special place in my heart. My niece and nephew were born at 26 weeks. Fortunately, they are improving each year based on the care they received while at Cook Children’s. Alex and I knew this piece of equipment was a quick way to evaluate patients non-invasively. This is just a small way we could help the tiniest of patients.”

The PICU now has three NIRS systems, but the need for two more machines is high. Ideally, every PICU patient would use this system, but right now, use is limited to the sickest patients.