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Critical Heart Disease in
Infants and Children
Critical Heart Disease in
Infants and Children

THIRD EDITION

Ross M. Ungerleider, MD, MBA David S. Cooper, MD, MPH


Director, Heart Center Medical Director, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Driscoll Children’s Hospital The Heart Institute
Corpus Christi, Texas Center for Acute Care Nephrology
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio
Jon N. Meliones, MD, MS, FCCM
Professor of Pediatrics Section Chief Jeffrey P. Jacobs, MD, FACS, FACC, FCCP
Divisions of Critical Care and Hospitalists Medicine
Children’s Memorial Herman Hospital Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics
UT Health McGovern Medical School The Johns Hopkins University
Houston, Texas Deputy Director, John’s Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute
Surgical Director of Heart Transplantation
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
Kristen Nelson McMillan, MD Saint Petersburg, Florida
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
and Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine
Director, Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care
Medical Director, Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device Program
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland
1600 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
Ste 1600
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2899

CRITICAL HEART DISEASE IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN,


THIRD EDITION ISBN: 978-1-4557-0760-7
Copyright © 2019 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the
Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center
and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.

This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other
than as may be noted herein).

Notices

Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden
our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become
necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and
using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or
methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they
have a professional responsibility.
With respect to any drug or pharmaceutical products identified, readers are advised to check the most
current information provided (i) on procedures featured or (ii) by the manufacturer of each product to be
administered, to verify the recommended dose or formula, the method and duration of administration, and
contraindications. It is the responsibility of practitioners, relying on their own experience and knowledge of
their patients, to make diagnoses, to determine dosages and the best treatment for each individual patient,
and to take all appropriate safety precautions.
To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any
liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or
otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the
material herein.

Libary of Congress Control Number: 2018949817

Previous editions copyrighted 2006 and 1995.

Content Strategist: Nancy Duffy


Senior Content Development Specialist: Deidre Simpson
Publishing Services Manager: Catherine Jackson
Senior Project Manager: Amanda Mincher
Design Direction: Amy Buxton

Printed in China

Last digit is the print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


To our readers, whose dedication to learning, commitment to caring,
and passion to constantly improving our profession gives us all great hope.
*******

Dedicated to my children, Susan, Peter, Graham, Brynn, and Worth, without


whom I would never have been able to fully comprehend why we in this field often exhaust
ourselves making sure we do our best; and to my wife, Jamie, who has helped nourish and
nurture the spirit called by my name with love, knowledge, wisdom, and joy.
RMU

To my incredible wife, Christine—thank you for the love, advice, and support—and to all
my amazing children; you inspire me every moment of every day!
JNM

To my father, Lesley Nelson: Thank you for being my lifelong hero and for
always being there, supporting, encouraging, and loving me.
To my husband, William McMillan: Thank you for your service to our country
and for your endless and unwavering dedication and love to me and to our
families. You are what makes all of this possible every day.
To my siblings, Kathe and Jon: Thank you for your unwavering support and love.
To Dr. David Nichols: Thank you for your passion and tremendous ability to teach cardiac
critical care that started me on this amazing road and continues to inspire me and countless
others.
To all of my patients and their families: There are not enough words to say what a privilege it
has been to be a part of your lives. Thank you for all you have taught me.
KNM

In memory of my father, Hy, for teaching me the value of hard work. To my mother, Irene,
for imparting unto me a love of learning and teaching. To my wife, Lisa, for her love and
unwavering support.To my children, Michael, Adam, and Daniel, for reminding me why I
do what I do and inspiring me to be better than I am.
DSC

To my parents, David and Marilyn Jacobs, for giving me the opportunity; to my wife, Stacy,
for supporting and loving me; to my children, Jessica and Joshua, for making me proud and
motivated; and to my patients, who represent the rationale for this initiative.
JPJ
Contributors

Mubbasheer Ahmed, MD Marc M. Anders, MD


Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Baylor College of Medicine Texas Children’s Hospital
Texas Children’s Hospital Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Nicholas D. Andersen, MD
Samuel M. Alaish, MD Chief Resident, Congenital Cardiac Surgery
Associate Professor of Surgery Department of Cardiac Surgery
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital
Surgical Director, THRIVE Center for Pediatric Intestinal Boston, Massachusetts
Rehabilitation
The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center Judith Ascenzi, DNP, APRN-CNS, RN, CCRN
Baltimore, Maryland Nurse Manager
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Euleche Alanmanou, MD, FAAP The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology Baltimore, Maryland
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas Scott I. Aydin, MD
Clinical Coordinator of Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and Cardiology
Driscoll Children’s Hospital Icahn School of Medicine
Corpus Christi, Texas Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai
New York, New York
Plato Alexander, MD, MBA
Associate Director Matthew K. Bacon, MD
Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital UK Healthcare
St. Petersburg, Florida University of Kentucky
Kentucky Children’s Hospital
Alaa Aljiffry, MBBS Lexington, Kentucky
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Pediatric Cardiology David J. Barron, MD, FRCP, FRCS(CT)
Emory University Consultant Cardiac Surgeon
Pediatric Cardiac Intensivist Department of Cardiac Surgery
Children’s Health Care of Atlanta Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Atlanta, Georgia Birmingham, United Kingdom

Melvin C. Almodovar, MD Amy Basken, MS


University of Miami Director of Programs
Miami, Florida Pediatric Congenital Heart Association
Madison, Wisconsin
Bahaaldin Alsoufi, MD
Professor of Surgery Kimberly D. Beddows, NP
University of Louisville School of Medicine Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Heart Transplant
Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Pediatric Heart Center
Norton Children’s Hospital The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
Louisville, Kentucky New York, New York

vi
Contributors vii

Melania M. Bembea, MD, MPH, PhD Craig S. Broberg, MD


Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Associate Professor of Cardiology and Radiology
Medicine Knight Cardiovascular Institute
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Oregon Health and Science University
Baltimore, Maryland Portland, Oregon

Alexis L. Benscoter, DO Ronald A. Bronicki, MD, FCCM, FACC


Assistant Professor of Cardiology Professor of Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Sections of Critical Care Medicine and Cardiology
Cincinnati, Ohio Baylor College of Medicine
Texas Children’s Hospital
Charles P. Bergstrom, MD Houston, Texas
Assistant Professor of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin Julie A. Brothers, MD
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Perelman School of Medicine
Meghan Bernier, MD University of Pennsylvania
Instructor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Attending Physician
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Division of Cardiology
Baltimore, Maryland The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Steve Bibevski, MD, PhD
Section of Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery Kristen M. Brown, DNP, CRNP, CPNP-AC
The Heart Institute Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine
Hollywood, Florida The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Instructor
David Bichell, MD Advanced Practice Simulation Coordinator
William S. Stoney Jr. Chair in Surgery Acute and Chronic Care
Professor of Surgery The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
Division of Cardiac Surgery Baltimore, Maryland
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee John R. Brownlee, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Geoffrey L. Bird, MD, MSIS Driscoll Children’s Health System
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Critical Care Medicine, and Corpus Christi, Texas
Anesthesiology
Cardiac Critical Care Medicine Roosevelt Bryant III, MD
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Assistant Professor of Surgery
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Surgical Director, Pediatric Heart Transplant Services
Konstantinos Boukas, MD The Heart Institute
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Division of Critical Care Medicine Cincinnati, Ohio
UTHealth McGovern Medical School
Houston, Texas Amulya Buddhavarapu, MD
Resident
Edward L. Bove, MD Department of Pediatrics
Helen and Marvin Kirsh Professor of Surgery Driscoll Children’s Hospital
Professor of Cardiac Surgery Texas A&M University
Section of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Corpus Christi, Texas
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, Michigan Duke E. Cameron, MD
Professor of Surgery
Ken Brady, MD Harvard Medical School
Associate Professor of Pediatric Anesthesiology Division of Cardiac Surgery
Texas Children’s Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital
Houston, Texas Boston, Massachusetts
viii Contributors

Paul J. Chai, MD Ralph J. Damiano Jr., MD


Associate Professor of Surgery Evarts A. Graham Professor of Surgery
Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Chief, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Columbia University Medical Center Washington University School of Medicine
Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital Barnes-Jewish Hospital
New York, New York Saint Louis, Missouri

Paul A. Checchia, MD, FCCM, FACC Miguel DeLeon, MD


Professor of Pediatrics Medical Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Sections of Critical Care Medicine and Cardiology Department of Neonatology
Baylor College of Medicine Driscoll Children’s Hospital
Texas Children’s Hospital Medical Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Houston, Texas Department of Neonatology
Corpus Christi Medical Center
Ira M. Cheifetz, MD Corpus Christi, Texas
Chief Medical Officer
Children’s Services Holly C. DeSena, MD
Duke Children’s Hospital Assistant Professor
Associate Chief Medical Officer The Heart Institute
Duke University Hospital Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Division Chief, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Cincinnati, Ohio
Professor of Pediatrics and Anesthesiology
Duke University Medical Center Nina Deutsch, MD
Durham, North Carolina Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics
Children’s National Medical Center
Clifford Chin, MD George Washington University
Professor of Pediatrics Washington, D.C.
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Medical Director, Pediatric Heart Transplant Services Pirooz Eghtesady, MD, PhD
The Heart Institute Emerson Chair in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Chief, Section of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
Cincinnati, Ohio Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Jill Marie Cholette, MD St. Louis, Missouri
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of Rochester Branden Engorn, MD
Rochester, New York Fellow
Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
Charles R. Cole, MD Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Fellow Fellow
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
University of Colorado Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern
Aurora, Colorado California
Los Angeles, California
David S. Cooper, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Allen Everett, MD
The Heart Institute Professor of Pediatrics
Center for Acute Care Nephrology Division of Pediatrics and Cardiology
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center The Johns Hopkins University
Cincinnati, Ohio Baltimore, Maryland

John D. Coulson, MD Lloyd Felmly, MD


Clinical Associate Resident Physician
Assistant Professor, Part-Time Faculty Department of Surgery
Department of Pediatrics Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Division of Pediatric Cardiology Medical University of South Carolina
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Charleston, South Carolina
Baltimore, Maryland
Contributors ix

Andrew C. Fiore, MD Katja M. Gist, DO, MSc


Professor of Surgery Assistant Professor
Division of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Department of Pediatrics
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Heart Institute
Saint Louis University School of Medicine Children’s Hospital Colorado
St. Louis, Missouri Denver, Colorado

Gregory A. Fleming, MD, MSCI Allan Goldman, MRCP, MBBcH, MSc


Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
Division of Pediatric Cardiology NHS Foundation Trust
Duke University Medical Center London, United Kingdom
Durham, North Carolina
Stuart L. Goldstein, MD
Saul Flores, MD Director, Center for Acute Care Nephrology
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Department of Pediatrics
Section of Critical Care The Heart Institute
Texas Children’s Hospital Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
Baylor College of Medicine Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Houston, Texas Cincinnati, Ohio

Rodney Franklin, MD Dheeraj Goswami, MD


Department of Pediatric Cardiology Assistant Professor of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine
Royal Brompton Hosptal The Johns Hopkins Hospital
London, United Kingdom Baltimore, Maryland

Charles D. Fraser III, MD Eric M. Graham, MD


Resident Professor of Pediatrics
Department of Surgery Chief, Division of Pediatric Cardiology
The Johns Hopkins Hospital Medical University of South Carolina
Baltimore, Maryland Charleston, South Carolina

Michael Gaies, MD, MPH, MS Michelle A. Grenier, MD


Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases Director of Imaging
University of Michigan Pediatric Cardiology
Ann Arbor, Michigan Driscoll Children’s Hospital
Corpus Christi, Texas
James J. Gangemi, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics Stephanie S. Handler, MD
Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Cardiology)
University of Virginia Health System Medical College of Wisconsin
Charlottesville, Virginia Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lasya Gaur, MD James R. Herlong, MD


Assistant Professor of Pediatric Cardiology Division Chief, Pediatric Cardiology
The Johns Hopkins Hospital Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute
Baltimore, Maryland Charlotte, North Carolina

Nancy S. Ghanayem, MD Kevin D. Hill, MD, MSCI


Professor of Pediatrics (Critical Care) Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Baylor College of Medicine Division of Pediatric Cardiology
Texas Children’s Hospital Duke University Medical Center
Houston, Texas Durham, North Carolina

Salil Ginde, MD Jennifer C. Romano, MD, MS


Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery and Pediatrics
(Cardiology) Section of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery
Medical College of Wisconsin University of Michigan Medical School
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Ann Arbor, Michigan
x Contributors

Siew Yen Ho, PhD Ilias Iliopoulos, MD, FRCPCH, FRCPC, FAAP
Cardiac Morphology Unit Cardiac Critical Care
Royal Brompton Hospital The Heart Institute
Imperial College London Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
London, United Kingdom Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics
George M. Hoffman, MD University of Cincinnati
Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics Cincinnati, Ohio
Medical Director, Pediatric Anesthesiology
Medical College of Wisconsin and Children’s Hospital of Kimberly Ward Jackson, MD
Wisconsin, Director, Pediatric Emergency Response
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Duke University
Osami Honjo, MD, PhD Durham, North Carolina
The Hospital for Sick Children
University of Toronto Jeffrey P. Jacobs, MD, FACS, FACC, FCCP
Toronto, Canada Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics
The Johns Hopkins University
Christoph P. Hornik, MD, MPH Deputy Director, John’s Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute
Associate Professor Surgical Director of Heart Transplantation
Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
Department of Pediatrics Saint Petersburg, Florida
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina Marshall L. Jacobs, MD
Professor of Surgery
Daphne T. Hsu, MD Division of Cardiac Surgery
Professor of Pediatrics The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Baltimore, Maryland
Chief, Pediatric Cardiology
Co-Director, Pediatric Heart Center James Jaggers, MD
The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Chief, Congenital Cardiac Surgery
New York, New York Professor of Surgery
Barton Elliman Chair of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Charles B. Huddleston, MD University of Colorado
Professor of Surgery Aurora, Colorado
Division of Pediatric Cardiology
Saint Louis University School of Medicine Laura N. Jansen, PA-C
St. Louis, Missouri Physician Assistant
Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
Christin Huff, MSN, CPNP-AC Levine Children’s Hospital
Nurse Practitioner Charlotte, North Carolina
Cardiac Critical Care
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Christopher M. Janson, MD
Cincinnati, Ohio Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Cardiac Center
Elizabeth A. Hunt, MD, MPH, PhD The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Director, Johns Hopkins Medicine Simulation Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Medicine Robert Jaquiss, MD
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Pogue Distinguished Chair in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
Baltimore, Maryland Research
Departments of Cardio Thoracic Surgery and Pediatrics
Salim F. Idriss, MD, PhD The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Associate Professor Dallas, Texas
Departments of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology, and Pediatric
Electrophysiology Emily Johnson, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC/AC
Duke University Nurse Practitioner
Durham, North Carolina Pediatric Palliative Care
Bloomberg Children’s Center
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore, Maryland
Contributors xi

Melissa B. Jones, MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC Christopher J. Knott-Craig, MD


Nurse Practitioner Team Lead for Critical Care Professor of Surgery
Cardiac Critical Care Chief, Cardiovascular Surgery
Children’s National Health System Director,Heart Institute
Washington, D.C. University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Lindsey Justice, DNP, RN, CPNP-AC Memphis, Tennessee
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Nurse Practitioner
The Heart Institute Jeannie Koo, MSN, BSN
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Nurse Practitioner
Cincinnati, Ohio Pediatric Critical Care
Duke University Medical Center
Patricia L. Kane, MSN, CNS, CPNP Durham, North Carolina
Lead Nurse Practitioner
Pediatric Cardiology/Cardiac Surgery Jennifer Kramer, MD
The Johns Hopkins Hospital Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Critical Care Fellow
Baltimore, Maryland Department of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Cardiology
Tara Karamlou, MD, MSc Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
Associate Professor of Surgery Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
Mayo Clinic The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Cardiothoracic Surgeon Baltimore, Maryland
Western Regional Medical Center
Goodyear, Arizona Catherine D. Krawczeski, MD
Medical Director, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
Vyas M. Kartha, MD, FAAP Department of Pediatrics
Director, Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Division of Cardiology
Department of Anesthesiology Stanford University
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Palo Alto, California
St. Petersburg, Florida
Ganga Krishnamurthy, MBBS
Minoo N. Kavarana, MD, FACS Garrett Isaac Neubauer Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Associate Professor of Surgery Director of Neonatal Cardiac Intensive Care
Medical University of South Carolina Columbia University Medical Center
Charleston, South Carolina Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
New York, New York
Abigail May Khan, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine Sapna R. Kudchadkar, MD, PhD
Knight Cardiovascular Institute Associate Professor
Oregon Health and Science University Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
Portland, Oregon The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland
Valerie King, BS
Parent as Collaborative Leader Educator Karan R. Kumar, MD
Parent Advocate Pediatric Critical Care Fellow
Yadkinville, North Carolina Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Duke University
Roxanne E. Kirsch, MD, MBE Durham, North Carolina
Cardiac Intensivist
Department of Pediatric Critical Care and Anesthesiology T.K. Susheel Kumar, MD
Critical Care Bioethics Associate Assistant Professor
Department of Bioethics Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
The Hospital for Sick Children Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Toronto, Ontario, Canada Memphis, Tennessee

Paul M. Kirshbom, MD David M. Kwiatkowski, MD, MS


Chief, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery Department of Pediatrics
Carolinas Healthcare System Division of Cardiology
Charlotte, North Carolina Stanford University
Palo Alto, California
xii Contributors

Jacqueline M. Lamour, MD Bradley S. Marino, MD, MPP, MSCE


Professor of Pediatrics Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Social Sciences
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Pediatric Heart Center Co-Director, Research and Academic Affairs
The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Divisions of Cardiology and Critical Care Medicine
Bronx, New York Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Timothy S. Lancaster, MD
Fellow in Cardiothoracic Surgery Thomas S. Maxey, MD
Washington University School of Medicine Pediatric Heart Surgeon
St. Louis Children’s Hospital Levine Children’s Hospital
Barnes-Jewish Hospital Charlotte, North Carolina
St. Louis, Missouri
Karen McCarthy, PhD
Benjamin J. Landis, MD Cardiac Morphology Unit
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Medical and Molecular Royal Brompton Hospital
Genetics Imperial College London
Indiana University School of Medicine London, United Kingdom
Indianapolis, Indiana
Michael C. McCrory, MD, MS
Javier J. Lasa, MD, FAAP Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Wake Forest School of Medicine
Sections of Critical Care Medicine and Cardiology Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Baylor College of Medicine
Texas Children’s Hospital Inder D. Mehta, MD
Houston, Texas Congenital Cardiovascular Surgeon
Driscoll Children’s Hospital
Matthew H.L. Liava’a, FRACS Corpus Christi, Texas
Assistant Attending
Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Christopher Mehta, MD
Columbia University Medical Center Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellow
Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital Department of Surgery
New York, New York Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois
Daniel J. Licht, MD
Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics Jon N. Meliones, MD, MS, FCCM
Department of Pediatrics Professor of Pediatrics Section Chief
Division of Neurology Divisions of Critical Care and Hospitalists Medicine
Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia Children’s Memorial Herman Hospital
Associate Professor UT Health McGovern Medical School
Department of Neurology Houston, Texas
Perelman School of Medicine
The University of Pennsylvania Christine Meliones, MSN, CPNP-AC/PC, FNP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiology Nurse
Practitioner
Matthew T. Lisi, MD Pediatric Cardiology/Electrophysiology
Assistant Professor of Pediatric Cardiology Duke University
Wake Forest University School of Medicine Durham, North Carolina
Winston Salem, North Carolina
Alison Miles, DO
Ryan Loftin, MD Assistant Professor
Medical Director, Maternal Fetal Medicine Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Driscoll Health System Medicine
Corpus Christi, Texas Johns Hopkins Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland
Rohit S. Loomba, MD, MS
Clinical Fellow
Division of Cardiology
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio
Contributors xiii

Michael E. Mitchell, MD Jennifer S. Nelson, MD, MS


Professor of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Associate Professor of Surgery
Department of Surgery University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Department of Cardiovascular Services
Professor of Surgery Nemours Children’s Hospital
Medical College of Wisconsin Orlando, Florida
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Kristen Nelson McMillan, MD
Erica Molitor-Kirsch, MD Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Medical Director, Cardiac Critical Care Medicine and Pediatrics
Children’s Mercy Hospital Division of Pediatric Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine
Professor of Pediatrics Director, Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care
University of Missouri–Kansas City Medical Director, Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device Program
Kansas City, Missouri The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland
Jenny A. Montgomery, RN, MSN, CPNP-AC
Cardiovascular Nurse Practitioner Coordinator Melanie Nies, MD
Pediatric Heart Center Department of Pediatric Cardiology
Driscoll Children’s Hospital The Johns Hopkins University
Corpus Christi, Texas Baltimore, Maryland

Lisa Moore, RN, MSN, MHA, NEA-BC John Nigro, MD


Senior Director, Nursing Cardiothoracic Surgery
Heart Institute Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego
Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital San Diego, California
St. Petersburg, Florida
Corina Noje, MD
David L.S. Morales, MD Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Chief, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Medicine
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center The Johns Hopkins University
Cincinnati, Ohio Medical Director, Pediatric Transport
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Cara Morin, MD, PhD Baltimore, Maryland
Clinical Fellow
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Sarah E. Norris, MD
Cincinnati, Ohio Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Nicholas Morin, MD, PhD Pediatric Heart Center
Johns Hopkins Medicine The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
Baltimore, Maryland Bronx, New York

Steven S. Mou, MD James O’Brien, MD


Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics Co-Director, The Ward Family Heart Center
Wake Forest School of Medicine Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Winston-Salem, North Carolina Children’s Mercy Hospital
Kansas City, Missouri
Ashok Muralidaran, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics George Ofori-Amanfo, MD
Oregon Health and Science University Chief, Divsion of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Portland, Oregon Professor of Pediatrics
Icahn School of Medicine
Raghav Murthy, MD, DABS, FACS Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai
Assistant Clinical Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery New York, New York
Rady Children’s Hospital
University of California, San Diego Richard G. Ohye, MD, CS
San Diego, California Professor and Associate Chair of Cardiac Surgery
Head, Section of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery
Joseph R. Nellis, MD, MBA University of Michigan Medical School
Resident Ann Arbor, Michigan
Department of Surgery
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
xiv Contributors

Yoshio Ootaki, MD, PhD William S. Ragalie, MD


Departments of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery and Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Resident
Cardiology Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center
Wake Forest Baptist Health Los Angeles, California
Winston Salem, North Carolina
William Ravekes, MD
Caroline P. Ozment, MD Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Assistant Professor Division of Pediatric Cardiology
Department of Pediatrics The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Baltimore, Maryland
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina Tia T. Raymond, MD
Pediatric Cardiac Intensivists of North Texas, PLLC
Giles J. Peek, MD Congenital Heart Surgery Unit
Professor of Clinical Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Medical City Children’s Hospital
Division of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Dallas, Texas
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Pediatric Heart Center Andrew Redington, MD
The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Chief, Pediatric Cardiology
Bronx, New York Executive Co-Director, The Heart Institute
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Autumn K. Peterson, BSN, MSN, CPNP-AC Cincinnati, Ohio
Critical Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Kyle J. Rehder, MD
Duke Children’s Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Duke University Medical Center Duke Children’s Hospital
Durham, North Carolina Physician Quality Officer
Duke Patient Safety Center
Renuka E. Peterson, MD Duke University Health System
Associate Professor of Pediatric Cardiology Durham, North Carolina
Division of Pediatric Cardiology
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Becky Riggs, MD
Saint Louis University School of Medicine Assistant Professor of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Critical Care
St. Louis, Missouri Medicine
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
John K. Petty, MD Baltimore, Maryland
Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics
Wake Forest School of Medicine Ramon Julio Rivera, MD
Winston-Salem, North Carolina Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
University of Texas Medical Branch
Prashob Porayette, MD, MSc Driscoll Children’s Hospital
Pediatric Cardiologist Corpus Christi, Texas
Driscoll Children’s Hospital
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Jennifer Roark, MSN, FNP-C
Texas A&M College of Medicine Nurse Practitioner
Corpus Christi, Texas Department of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Cardiology
David E. Procaccini, PharmD Duke University Medical Center
Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner Durham, North Carolina
Pediatric Intensive Care and Pediatric Cardiology/Heart
Transplant Lewis H. Romer, MD
The Johns Hopkins Hospital Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Cell
Baltimore, Maryland Biology, Biomedical Engineering, and Pediatrics
Center for Cell Dynamics
James Quintessenza, MD The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Professor and Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Baltimore, Maryland
Kentucky Children’s Hospital, University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky Amy Ryan, MSN, RN, CPNP-AC
Professor and Attending Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon Nurse Practitioner
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio
Contributors xv

Thomas D. Ryan, MD, PhD Donald H. Shaffner, MD


Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Crtical Care Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Director of Clinical Operations, Cardiomyopathy/Heart Failure Baltimore, Maryland
The Heart Institute
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Sanket Shah, MD, MHS
Cincinnati, Ohio Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Department of Pediatric Cardiology
Beth A. Rymeski, DO Children’s Mercy Hospital
Assistant Professor of General and Thoracic Surgery Kansas City, Missouri
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Cincinnati, Ohio Irving Shen, MD
Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics
Peter Sassalos, MD Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery Oregon Health and Science University
Section of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Portland, Oregon
University of Michigan Medical School
Ann Arbor, Michigan Avinash K. Shetty, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Jaclyn E. Sawyer, PharmD Associate Dean for Global Health
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Cardiology Wake Forest School of Medicine
Division of Pharmacy Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio Edd Shope, ADN
Staff Nurse
Frank Scholl, MD Duke Life Flight
Chief, Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery Duke University Medical Center
Surgical Director, Pediatric Heart Transplant Durham, North Carolina
Memorial Healthcare System
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Darla Shores, MD
Hollywood, Florida Associate Professor of Pediatric Gastroenterology
The Johns Hopkins University
Kevin Patrick Schooler, MD, PhD Baltimore, Maryland
Associate Professor of Anethesiology and Critical Care Medicine
Driscoll Children’s Hospital Ming-Sing Si, MD
Corpus Christi, Texas Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery
Section of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery
Jennifer Schuette, MD, MS University of Michigan Medical School
Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Ann Arbor, Michigan
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care
Medicine Nida Siddiqi, PharmD
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Baltimore, Maryland Pediatric Critical Care and Transplantation Sidra Medicine
Doha, Qatar
Jamie McElrath Schwartz, MD
Section Chief, Pediatric Critical Care Leah Simpson, RD
Director, Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Clinical Dietitian Specialist III
Pediatric Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine Pediatric Nutrition
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Batimore, Maryland Baltimore, Maryland

Daniel R. Sedehi, MD Zdenek Slavik, MD


Assistant Professor of Medicine Department of Pediatric Cardiology
Knight Cardiovascular Institute Royal Brompton Hospital
Oregon Health and Science University London, United Kingdom
Portland, Oregon
Heidi A.B. Smith, MD, FAAP, MSCI
Priya Sekar, MD, MPH Department of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Division of Pediatric Cardiology Nashville, Tennessee
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland
xvi Contributors

Zebulon Z. Spector, MD Sarah Tallent, BSN, MSN, CPNP-AC


Medical Instructor Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Division of Pediatric Cardiology and Electrophysiology Duke University Hospital
Department of Pediatrics Durham, North Carolina
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina Ravi R. Thiagarajan, MBBS, MPH
Senior Associate in Cardiology
Allison L. Speer, MD Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Assistant Professor of Pediatric Surgery Boston Children’s Hospital
McGovern Medical School Boston, Massachusetts
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, Texas Chani Traube, MD, FAAP, FCCM
Department of Pediatrics
Philip Spevak, MD, MPH Weill Cornell Medical College
Associate Professor of Pediatrics Department of Pediatrics
Johns Hopkins Medicine Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Baltimore, Maryland New York, New York

Dylan Stewart, MD, FACS Ephraim Tropp


Assistant Professor of Surgery MPH Student
The Johns Hopkins University Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Baltimore, Maryland Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
City University of New York
Robert D. Stewart, MD New York, New York
Staff, Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery
Heart and Vascular Institute Rocky Tsang, MD
Cleveland Clnic Department of Pediatrics
Cleveland, Ohio Baylor College of Medicine
Texas Children’s Hospital
James St. Louis, MD Houston, Texas
Professor of Surgery
Children’s Mercy Hospital Sebastian C. Tume, MD
Kansas City, Missouri Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Baylor College of Medicine
Matthew L. Stone, MD, PhD Houston, Texas
Fellow
Department of Surgery Joseph W. Turek, MD, PhD
Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Chief, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
University of Virginia School of Medicine Department of Surgery
Charlottesville, Virginia Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
Erik Su, MD
Director, Critical Care Ultrasound Jennifer L. Turi, MD
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Associate Professor of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Duke Children’s Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center
Baltimore, Maryland Medical Director, Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Duke University Medical Center
Kelly A. Swain, MSN, CPNP-AC Durham, North Carolina
Critical Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Immanuel I. Turner, MD
Duke Children’s Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery
Duke University Medical Center Cardiac Center at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital
Durham, North Carolina Hollywood, Florida

Cliff M. Takemoto, MD James S. Tweddell, MD


Associate Professor Chair, Cardiothoracic Surgery
Department of Pediatrics Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Division of Pediatric Hematology Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine University of Cincinnati
Baltimore, Maryland Cincinnati, Ohio
Contributors xvii

Chinwe Unegbu, MD Kevin M. Watt, MD, PhD


Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics Department of Pediatrics
Division of Cardiac Anesthesiology Duke Clinical Research Institute
Division of Anesthesiology, Sedation, and Perioperative Duke University
Medicine Durham, North Carolina
Children’s National Medical Center
Washington, District of Columbia Karl Welke, MD, MS
Congenital Cardiac Surgeon
Ross M. Ungerleider, MD, MBA Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute
Director, Heart Center Levine Children’s Hospital
Driscoll Children’s Hospital Charlotte, North Carolina
Corpus Christi, Texas
Renée Willett, MD
Jamie Dickey Ungerleider, MSW, PhD Pediatric Cardiology Fellow
Coach and Wellness Consultant Boston Children’s Hospital
Driscoll Children’s Hospital Boston, Massachusetts
Corpus Christi, Texas
Derek A. Williams, DO
Graham D. Ungerleider, MD Associate Professor of Pediatric Cardiology
Resident Wake Forest Baptist Health–Brenner Children’s Hospital
Cardiothoracic Surgery Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern
California Ronald K. Woods, MD, PhD
Los Angeles, California Associate Professor of Surgery
Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
Luca A. Vricella, MD Medical College of Wisconsin
Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Director, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Transplantation Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland Charlotte Woods-Hill, MD
Pediatric Critical Care Attending
Eric L. Vu, MD Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative and Pain Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Medicine Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Baylor College of Medicine
Texas Children’s Hospital Tharakanatha R. Yarrabolu, MD
Houston, Texas Adjunct Assistant Professor
Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine
Rajeev S. Wadia, MD Pediatric Cardiologist
Assistant Professor Driscoll Health System
Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiologist and Critical Care Intensivist Driscoll Children’s Hospital
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Corpus Christi, Texas
Baltimore, Maryland

Michael J. Walsh, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Wake Forest School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Preface

Ring the bells that still can ring edition has 28 more chapters than the second edition) while still
Forget your perfect ending keeping the material manageable. The first section of the book is
There’s a crack in everything devoted to the evolution of our specialty with regard to big picture
That’s how the light gets in thinking—leadership, systems, evaluation of outcome data, safety
That’s how the light gets in and quality collaboratives, ethics and decision making, family needs
–LEONARD COHEN and expectations, and even training and mentoring.These are all
new and unique and alone may help distinguish the value of this
This third edition of Critical Heart Disease in Infants and Children edition.Throughout the textbook, all chapters have been updated
is written for the learner in each of you.Your learning part is and, in many cases, we have invited new authors (not because of
connected to your courage piece—the element in you that is curious dissatisfaction with the previous authors—whose contributions we
and willing to admit that you might “not know,” and that is open greatly appreciate and value—but because we wanted to invite new
to struggle as you grapple with new ways of thinking that sometimes and emerging perspectives from others). In addition to updates on
challenge your well-groomed paradigms.Learners know that there previous chapters, we have included chapters on low-birth-weight
is no single CAPITAL T Truth—that the truth is actually the infants; bridging the fetus with critical heart disease to delivery and
consensus of numerous perspectives.This book is designed to offer care; common general surgery issues for children with critical heart
numerous perspectives and invites you to take the ones that fit disease; management of common postoperative complications; the
and that expand your ability to take care of children with complex use of bedside ultrasound; biomarkers, transport, and stabilization
heart disease. of the newborn with critical heart disease; and adult congenital
The last edition of Critical Heart Disease in Infants and Children heart disease.
was published in 2006.The book, which was originally developed We have also created access to an online component that will
by David Nichols (now chair of the American Board of Pediatrics) provide the reader with the opportunity to view more expanded
was successful beyond expectations.It has served as a major resource bibliographies, additional information (in appendix format), and
for medical students, residents, faculty physicians, nurses, and even videos and other expanded media content.
other important health care providers who comprise the team of You picked up this book to fill some of the “cracks” in you
multidisciplinary providers who have helped advance the profession hungering for knowledge, and we, the editors, hope we have
of pediatric cardiac critical care.For those of us who have participated compiled a feast of helpful and useful information.We hope you
in the development of this textbook, it has been a joy to see it on enjoy letting in some of the light.
the shelves and countertops of intensive care units around the world.
Over the past few years, several of us have been asked why we RMU
haven’t created a third edition.As if anything has changed since JNM
2006!During the preparation and planning of this edition, we KNM
wanted to honor the enormous progress in our profession by DSC
creating a textbook with attention to numerous new topics (this JPJ

xviii
Video Contents

Chapter 34 Echocardiography in the Video 36.5 Short axis steady-state free precession cine
showing septal flattening in diastole (due
Critically Ill Pediatric Patient to free pulmonary regurgitation in this
Video 34.1 Echocardiographic visualization of a large patient).
pericardial effusion. Video 36.6 Sagittal RV steady-state free precession
Video 34.2 Newborn with transposition of the great cine.
arteries with restrictive atrial septal defect.
Video 34.3 Subxiphoid view following balloon atrial Chapter 54 Aortopulmonary Window;
septostomy showing moderate sized atrial Hemitruncus
communication with left atrium to right
atrium flow. Video 54.1 Intraoperative recording of surgical repair
Video 34.4 Patient on venovenous extracorporeal of isolated aortopulmonary window using
membrane oxygenation. anterior approach.
Video 34.5 Newborn patient on venoarterial Video 54.2 Intraoperative recording of surgical repair
extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. of anomalous right pulmonary artery from
Video 34.6 Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane the ascending aorta.
oxygenation venous cannula in SVC and
venoarterial extracorporeal membrane Chapter 55 Truncus Arteriosus
oxygenation venous cannula in SVC color
Doppler. Video 55.1 Echocardiogram: Parasternal long-axis
Video 34.7 Left ventricular assist device. views of the single great vessel overriding
Video 34.8 Intraoperative transesophageal the ventricular septum.
echocardiogram during HeartWare Video 55.2 Echocardiogram: Parasternal long-axis
(continuous flow) left ventricular assist views of the single great vessel overriding
device. the ventricular septum.

Chapter 36 Imaging Modalities—Magnetic Chapter 65 Tricuspid Atresia


Resonance Imaging and Video 65.1 Extracardiac fenestrated Fontan
Computed Tomography operation.
Video 36.1 Cine steady-state free precession image
demonstrating aortic valve regurgitation Chapter 71 Pulmonary Hypertension
in the three chamber view. Video 71.1 Tricuspid regurgitation jet in newborn.
Video 36.2 Contrast (via right arm injection) flows Video 71.2 Patent ductus arteriosus bidirectional.
into the superior vena cava and branch Video 71.3 Premature infant, systemic RVP, septal
pulmonary arteries, with normal position.
pulmonary venous return through the Video 71.4 Pulmonary hypertension, four-chamber
right and left lower pulmonary vein. view, two-dimensional echocardiography,
Video 36.3 Phase map representing different right ventricular dilation and dysfunction.
velocities.
Video 36.4 Magnitude image demonstrating the
anatomy of the region of interest.

xxiii
PA RT I Systems-Based Intensive Care Unit

1
Whole Brain Leadership for Creating
Resonant Multidisciplinary Teams
ROSS M. UNGERLEIDER, MD, MBA; JAMIE DICKEY UNGERLEIDER, MSW, PHD

The animals decided they must do something to distinguish themselves and for leaders of multidisciplinary teams to understand how to
meet the challenges of a “new world” that demanded perfection. After create environments that flatten the hierarchy (by encouraging
consultation with experts, it was determined that development of universal all members of the team to contribute and to genuinely seek the
expertise would be in their best interests, so they formed a leadership academy wisdom and knowledge of their colleagues); environments that
and adopted a curriculum consisting of running, climbing, digging, encourage collaboration and cooperation (emphasizing collective
swimming, and flying. In order to produce the kind of expertise that would “wins” and “losses” both for the immediate team and for all of us,
lead to best outcomes, all animals were mandated to take all the as a profession); and environments that invite excellence (which is
courses. a process) versus expectation of perfection (which is an unrealistic
The duck was excellent in swimming. In fact, better than his instructor. outcome).
But he made only passing grades in running and was very poor in climbing. The concepts described in this brief chapter emanate from our
He felt ashamed of his inability to climb and practiced until his webbed work coaching health care leaders (both authors are certified profes-
feet and wings were torn to a point where his swimming began to suffer. sional coaches and specialize in leadership coaching); consulting
The rabbit started at the top of the class in running but after an accident for health care systems and working for a variety of hospitals,
trying to fly from the “green” level takeoff platform, he had to go to a academic medical centers, and medical schools; and from our
veterinarian, who placed his hind legs in a cast, and he was no longer able training and experience in medicine (one author is a practicing
to run. pediatric cardiac surgeon), business, psychology, and interpersonal
The squirrel was excellent in climbing but nearly drowned in the neurobiology (the science of relationships). Where appropriate,
beginner’s swimming class and was ridiculed by the fish, who told him he we provide references. Also, many of these concepts are nicely
would never be able to swim due to his short arms and fluffy tail (which depicted in videos that accompany our presentations (some of
they felt was a disability) that when wet got heavy and weighed him which are linked in this chapter), and we encourage readers to
down. watch them as they read.
The eagle had a behavioral issue for which he was disciplined severely.
In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree but insisted Whole Brain Leadership
on using his own way to get there and did not follow the “rules.”
The birds all did great in flying, but many of them broke their beaks There is an increasing amount of information linking leadership
in digging, became unable to eat, and almost starved. to a combination of task and relational skills.2-4 Information about
At the end of the year an abnormal frog that could swim exceeding brain function would attribute task-oriented focus to left-brain
well and also run, climb, and fly a little had the highest average and was function and relationship-oriented focus to right-brain function.
declared valedictorian and the leader. Interestingly, this dichotomy has been alluded to in health care as
Modified from original fable by George Reavis the difference between mechanical (predictable, linear) systems
versus complex adaptive (unpredictable, nonlinear) systems.5 In
mechanical systems, behavior (and expected outcomes) conforms
None of us is as smart as all of us. to reproducible patterns, and emergent (innovative) behavior is
Kenneth Blanchard discouraged. For example, a ventilator is a mechanical system, and
if it does not perform according to its settings, a repair person is
called to interrogate, judge, and fix the system. Complex adaptive
systems are unpredictable, and emergent (creative and innovative)

T
he culture of health care creates important challenges for behaviors can be welcomed with enthusiasm. In complex adaptive
health care professionals. In particular, we work in a culture systems, differences are explored to be understood and connected
that is (1) hierarchical, (2) competitive, and (3) perfectionistic. (joined). A growing body of literature on leadership (far too
Unfortunately, the tendency of acquiescing to those demands is expansive to reference here, but virtually every issue of Harvard
contrary to promoting resonant teamwork,1 and it is important Business Review for the past several years has articles on leadership)

1
2 PART I Systems-Based Intensive Care Unit

• BOX 1.1 Qualities Attributed to Leadership Skill might be better—because it challenges a well-ingrained protocol,
then the system becomes less flexible, unadaptive, and unsafe.)
Ability to be logical and realistic Invites possibilities The animal school parable at the beginning of this chapter is an
Big picture orientation Intuitive example of rigidity—making one size fit all and abolishing the
Relationship focused Task focused unique and variable experiences and abilities of the differentiated
Strategic/past aware Good with numbers members of a group. In chaotic systems there is no conformity.
Detailed Values stories as information
Differentiation abounds, and there is nothing linking the group—no
Values facts as information Good with concepts
Imaginative/creative Analytical
common purpose or goal, no common beliefs, leaving no one to
lead. Chaotic systems can be rich with ideas and energy, but without
linkage through integrated leadership, there is no way to harness
this “collective wisdom.” The eventual outcome for these teams is
dis-integration.
TABLE 1.1 Leadership Qualities From Box 1.1 Whole brain leaders possess knowledge and awareness of the
Reorganized Into “Whole Brain” Capacity allure of these two riverbanks and try to keep their teams flowing
in the river of integration.
Left Brain Right Brain
Whole brain leaders can integrate their systems and create
Ability to be logical and realistic Invites possibilities resonance in many ways, and some of these are described in the
Detailed Big picture orientation
following sections.

Task focused Relationship focused


Avoid Dissonance
Values facts as information Values stories as information
To describe whole brain leadership in practical terms, we like to
Analytical Intuitive imagine that whole brain leaders are integrating three primary
Good with numbers Good with concepts elements: self, others, and context, and we have described this in
previous publications.7,8 The challenges faced on teams generally
Strategic/Past aware Imaginative/Creative revolve around these three entities.
Self. What are my needs? What are my opinions? What do I
think I know, and what am I very committed to? What are my
fears, and do I have enough self-awareness and comfort to be able
offers a variety of leadership traits such as many listed in to acknowledge them? What are my biases? Can I access any
Box 1.1. These leadership traits can be reorganized (Table 1.1) to potential “unconscious biases” (see Chapter 9)? There is voluminous
better demonstrate the importance of what we refer to as whole literature citing the importance of leaders having impeccable self-
brain leadership. awareness and willingness to learn and to grow, and some ways
To develop and promote this kind of leadership, this chapter that this can be manifested are described later in this chapter.
will outline a few areas for leadership development. Self-awareness is the first element for emotional intelligence, and
whole brain leaders are emotionally intelligent.
Others. Whole brain leadership is relational leadership and
Integration requires the ability and willingness to value the perspectives of
We define integration as the linkage of differentiated parts. That others. Resonant, whole brain leaders understand that just like
is essentially what great leaders do—they link differentiated themselves, all individuals in the system have needs, opinions,
parts. Integration is a delicate process. It is a dynamic and ever- knowledge, and commitments. Whole brain leaders create resonance
changing challenge. Dan Siegel describes an integrated state as by making it apparent to team members that their individual and
FACES (Flexible, Adaptive, Coherent, Energized, and Stable). collective needs, values, opinions, ideas, and information are also
Coherence is in itself an acronym6 (Connected, Open, Harmoni- known and considered as important. Leaders can do this by asking
ous, Engaged, Receptive, Emergent [creative], Noetic [inviting questions, being curious, and simply caring about the needs of
spontaneity and newness], Compassionate, Empathic), and all of others. This ability to develop genuine caring for the members
these are important characteristics for a whole brain leader. Using of the team is considered by many successful leaders to be the
this concept of integration, it is helpful to think of integration as keystone of successful leadership,9,10 and it is an essential cultivator
the flowing of a river. Integrated states (FACES) are found in the for resonance within the system. Whole brain leaders genuinely
middle of the river. On one riverbank is rigidity (linkage without care, and they also care in general, meaning that they understand
differentiation), and on the other is chaos (differentiation without the power of story. Everyone in the system has a “story,” and
linkage). In rigid systems there is no allowance or acceptance for when we can know the story, then the system and how people are
individual differences. A mechanical system is rigid. It is predictable behaving or what they are wanting makes more sense. A powerful
and linear. Protocols and checklists can be rigid, and there is a example of “caring in general” was created by the Cleveland Clinic
space for them in all health care practices. Protocols and checklists Foundation in their video on empathy (https://www.youtube.com/
prevent errors of omission, but they will not prevent errors of watch?v=cDDWvj_q-o8). Valuing and tapping into the needs,
commission, as well as technical errors or errors of judgment. knowledge, and experience of others is what makes whole brain
Protocols and checklists create conformity for tasks that lend leaders powerful and resonant. Whole brain leaders genuinely
themselves to conformity, but they do not necessarily create safety. care, and they do this by exhibiting four major qualities that drive
(For instance, if the system is so rigid that no one is allowed to connection: (1) perspective taking (inquiring with curiosity to try
speak up to challenge a protocol—even when they see something and understand the experiences of others); (2) avoiding judgment
that concerns them or when they have an “emergent” idea that regarding someone else’s “truth”; (3) recognizing emotion in other
CHAPTER 1 Whole Brain Leadership for Creating Resonant Multidisciplinary Teams 3

people (which requires being “present” to the felt experience of comments that we have collected and reported,11 are indicative
others—having a sense for what might be happening for them that the system (team) is dissonant. We have now “collected”
“below the surface” that might not be expressed by their words); seven behaviors that we have observed in health care leaders
and (4) communicating and validating the importance of those that are dissonant leadership styles when used exclusively and
emotions. These traits can be both learned and developed and exhaustively over time. We have also observed these behaviors in
are essential for whole brain leadership. The difference between health care professionals. They are human behaviors inherent not
empathy and sympathy is also beautifully described by Brené just to leaders (who are every bit as human as the people they
Brown (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw) as the lead). Each of these behaviors shares lack of integration of self,
difference between driving disconnection versus driving connec- other, and context. They are briefly described in the following
tion. Creating connection is an essential component of resonant sections.
teamwork. In resonant teams all members are important and
valuable; the team is a single organism, and when one part is Dissonant Styles in Which the Leader Fails to Integrate
affected, the entire organism is affected. Whole brain leaders Others as Valuable Contributors to the Team
understand this and cultivate that oneness through genuine Commanding. These leaders are typically always “in charge”
caring. and lack curiosity to explore the stories of others. They commonly
Context. Context is the elephant in the room for health care. blame others or circumstances when things go wrong, have difficulty
Context is the patient, the situation, the reason for us working accepting any accountability, and exhibit little capacity for listening,
together, the ever-present “need” that drives our health care world. asking, inquiring. They already know. Commanding leaders simply
Context is huge and just like each of us, has needs that must be say, “Do it because I say so.” The Federal Aviation Administration
acknowledged and valued. Teamwork would be difficult enough created cockpit resource management33 to counteract the potential
if it simply required us to “get along” with each other; it becomes damage that can be done by a commanding leader who is unable
daunting when we have to do this in the shadow of urgent, life- or unwilling to access ideas, opinions, or information from others.
threatening, win-or-lose situations that challenge all that we might Likewise, Karl Weick has written about how High Consequence
know and be capable of doing. Add to that challenge the perceived Organizations can become High Reliability Organizations34 by
need for perfection, and we have the perfect storm. It is no wonder “flattening the hierarchy” to protect against commanding leaders
that many health care teams dis-integrate into rigidity (there is a when there are unexpected and potentially catastrophic events. In
single answer, and, by the way, it is the one espoused by the leader) Weick’s model the most important person on a team, at any moment
or chaos (there is no way we can work together because we all in time, is the person with the most important and relevant
have different opinions about how to get better results). Resonant information. It is the role of the leader to access that information,
teams understand that outcomes are an indicator of process drivers. wherever and in whomever it resides. An example of a commanding
Paul Baltaldan states that “every system is perfectly designed to leader is nicely demonstrated in this video (https://www.youtube.com/
give you the results you get,” and some systems fall into chaos watch?v=sYsdUgEgJrY).
when the individuals disconnect from process and begin to focus Pacesetting. This term was suggested in Primal Leadership,9
solely on outcome.11 Outcomes derive from structure and process and we have found it to be especially prevalent in cardiac teams,
(well described by the Donabedian model for health care quality where perfection is often the goal. Pacesetting can be extremely
or the Balanced Scorecard12 approach to best outcomes) (see dangerous because it always seems to be motivated by a “noble”
Chapter 2). need to do things right. Ironically, many people who have trained
In their book Primal Leadership,9 Daniel Goleman, Richard in medicine have been taught that “if you want a job done
Boyatzis, and Annie McKee describe the concept of resonant right, do it yourself.” That is pacesetting. (Actually, if you want
leadership and provide a few examples of both resonant and dissonant a job done your way, do it yourself; if you want it done “right,”
leadership styles. Boyatzis and McKee went on to write an entire then it can be done by many people as long as you can accept
book on resonant leadership,13 and their work is incorporated in that the “right” way will look different, and often unique and
our concept of whole brain leadership for creating resonant innovative, when you can let go of only one way being “right.”)
teamwork.1,8 (Our work is also based on contributions from many Pacesetters discourage emergent behaviors because their way is the
others we have studied [and in some cases worked with] over the right way, and this ultimately creates an environment of mistrust
course of almost two decades, including Dan Siegel, Virginia Satir, (a general sense of unease with someone or something) or distrust
Jean McLendon, Sidney Dekker, Don Beck, John Gottman, Doug (lack of trust based on experience with someone or something).
Silsbee, Brené Brown, and Richard Strozzi-Heckler to name just Pacesetters demand perfection (meaning the outcome must be
a few).1,3,4,10,14-32 precisely their way), and it is often simply not possible to satisfy
Whole brain leaders create resonance by understanding that rigid them, so team members simply stop trying (and this leads to
adherence to certain styles might fail to integrate the competing the experience of being no longer valuable to the team because
needs of self, others, and context, and over time this will lead one’s opinions, knowledge, experience, and ideas are simply not
to dissonance within a system. When there is dissonance, there welcomed). Pacesetters see themselves as being indispensable
is lack of positive energy, and members of these teams describe leaders because without their expertise, everything would fall apart.
their working environment as follows: “sucking the energy Ironically, pacesetters often become blamers when things do fall
from me,” “oppressive,” “it feels unsafe,” “there is no point to apart, despite their best intentions. Pacesetting can be insidious.
my being here because no one cares what I think,” “I just show Although pacesetting might be manifested by open disregard for
up and do what I’m told” (which is symptomatic of a system the ideas of others, it can also be conveyed by the leader who
that has disregarded someone’s potential for unique contribu- simply comes along and does everything their way, even after
tion), “I’m looking for another job somewhere” (I’m checking the team has already agreed on a different plan. See if you can
out), or “I just come to work to make money so I can have a recognize the pacesetting in this video (https://www.youtube.com/
life outside of here” (I’ve checked out). Any of these, and other watch?v=ZZv1vki4ou4).
4 PART I Systems-Based Intensive Care Unit

Manipulating. Manipulation is the ultimate creator of Dissonant Styles in Which the Leader Fails to Integrate
mistrust. Leaders who manipulate are typically dishonest and Context as a Valuable Component of the Team
unable or unwilling to communicate their needs. They typically Super Reasonable. We have seen this dissonant style most
abuse their position of authority to simply “trick” people into frequently when we have measured dissonant styles in medical
giving in to what they, the leader, wants. Leaders can gain insight systems. It seems to be the most convenient style that satisfies
that they are possibly being motivated to manipulate when they the need for our systems to be predictable and reproducible.
approach a dialogue, conflict, or problem with a predetermined It is a mechanical style because it disregards our human needs
conclusion regarding what they want and they begin thinking and variables. Mechanical focus works for mechanical systems
of strategies to get their needs met without wanting to directly (ventilators, heart lung machines, elevators, airplanes) that can be
express those needs. Manipulators are master strategists, and they interrogated (inspected) and fixed. Human systems are complex
are often fairly remorseless about the impact of their strategies adaptive systems, and the beauty of complex adaptive systems
on others. Their end justifies their means. They are driven solely is that they express emergent (innovative) and unique behaviors
by making sure they get their needs met, and they are never that are not always predictable. None of us wants to be “fixed.”
transparent.35 We would rather be “explored and understood.” Super reasonable
dissonance treats people like robots (https://www.youtube.com/
Dissonant Styles in Which the Leader Fails to Integrate watch?v=753eH92u2B0), and a machine cannot give you what a
Self as a Valuable Contributor to the Team person can. When leaders treat people like machines, they essentially
Placating. Placaters are driven by the need to be liked and are devaluing and dismissing the importance of our human factor.
to also make people on the team happy. Ironically, they gener- The only thing that is important is the context. Context is ubiquitous.
ally fail at both. They become nontrusted because they do not There is always a sick patient, a chapter that needs to be written,
express genuinely consistent values that team members know a lecture to prepare, teaching rounds to attend, a meeting for
the leader is committed to. Instead, they seem to be constantly making an important decision … always something to occupy us
influenced by the last person who has talked with them. They and distract us from our humanness. (Ironically, in recent years,
can be paralyzed from making critical decisions because they are “human factor” has become a phrase that connects our human
constantly worried about how they might be perceived or judged capacity for making mistakes to the risk of error in medical systems.
by others, particularly if they fail (and failure is common because However, it is also our human capability for innovating, observing,
little that these leaders do is an expression of their authentic skill and preventing mistakes that can lead to extraordinary advances
set). Placaters invite chaos because rather than knowing how to and safety in medical systems. We have found ways to measure
“link,” they give in to the constant demands of unending dif- the lives lost through “human error,”5 but how do we measure
ferentiation in the system. In trying to keep everyone happy, they the lives saved because of our incredible human contributions?)
become exhausted and frustrated; a sign of placating is occasional The insidious impact of denying our humanness is commonplace
emotional explosion as the exhausted placater erupts against the in medicine when super reasonable becomes the driving force.
disorganized demands coming at the leader from every insatiable This is beautifully and poignantly portrayed in the movie The
source. Unfortunately, our health care culture risks the development Doctor with William Hurt. In this movie William Hurt is a heart
of placating as a cultural norm as we are constantly reminded “to surgeon (how ironic) who develops cancer, and when his physician
put the needs of others before our own.”36 In fact, the Accreditation is informing him that he can begin radiation therapy on Thursday,
Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) definition he states that he cannot do that because he “has a heart surgery
of professionalism uses those precise words as an example of scheduled for Thursday.” It takes his wife, sitting next to him, to
what professionalism requires. The conundrum is that we are all overrule that objection and state, “No, Thursday is fine.” He has
human and we have needs, and sometimes those needs, when cancer. He is human. He is attentive to context. That is super
they are not appropriately acknowledged and valued, continue reasonable. (A bit later in this movie, he comes home early from
to express themselves “below the surface” until they simply come work, and his wife calls their son, Nick, to come down and say
out sideways or explode out the top. The antidote for placat- hi to his father. Nick runs downstairs and picks up the phone and
ing is unflinching self-awareness to know what is important to says, “Hi Dad” without even noticing his father standing there in
us; self-compassion37-39 for ourselves as learners and as valuable the room. Of course, there is no one on the phone, and Nick says,
members of the team; and to constantly develop mindfulness “Mom, we got disconnected.” Then Nick looks up and is totally
around our evolving selves. Whereas commanding, pacesetting, surprised to see his father, in the flesh.) Super reasonable is a sure
and manipulating eradicate others, placating eradicates the self; it way to disconnection.
creates a form of relational suicide, and it is simply nonsustainable. In Chapter 9 the syndrome of physician burnout is described,
In our work with (and in our own development as) leaders, this and one of the factors associated with burnout is depersonalization,
insatiable need to please others has created a common challenge, which is a measured consequence of our medical education process.
and the solution is simply to gently reacquaint ourselves with our We have recorded a progressive increase in depersonalization across
humanness, the validity of our needs (values, opinions, knowledge, 4 years of medical school education for one group of students at
and skills), and some tools for integrating ourselves into a culture a nationally recognized medical school. The class cohort shows an
that has normalized disregard of the self. The patient (our context) increase of depersonalization from approximately 10% of students
always comes first. And so do you. And so do others. Whole brain at the beginning of medical school—during orientation—to
leaders recognize the challenge of linking those differentiated parts approximately 45% of students at the completion of 4 years of
without excluding the part that is themselves. It is a constant medical school. Most disturbingly, depersonalization, unlike feelings
challenge to hang on to the self, and it is necessary to simply of depression, anxiety, and other factors linked to burnout (which
know that, because your team needs YOU and all the unique exhibit phasic increases and decreases throughout medical educa-
and extraordinary features that an authentic YOU can bring to tion), progressively increases and does not regress once it occurs.
the team. From this one medical school, almost half the graduating physicians
CHAPTER 1 Whole Brain Leadership for Creating Resonant Multidisciplinary Teams 5

are depersonalized at the time they begin their medical residency TABLE 1.2 Beneficial Leadership Traits When
training.40 Depersonalized physicians have just as many needs as Strengths Used Appropriately
they had before they became depersonalized; they are simply less
aware of and less compassionate toward them. Ultimately, they Strength Overdone Strength Used Appropriately
begin to treat all people in the system (including their patients) Dissonant version Resonant version
as they have learned to treat themselves. Depersonalized (super Commanding Assertiveness
reasonable) systems are subject to an 11-fold increase in medical Pacesetting Competence
errors, as well as to unprofessional and immoral acts, in addition Manipulating Strategic
to ultimate dis-integration from people who want more for their Placating Genuine caring
lives than burnout. Systems with depersonalized leaders feel oppres- Super reasonable Logical
sive and dehumanized. It is not possible to exist in them over the Irrelevant Creative and fun
long haul, and they exhibit frequent turnover. Team members find Invisible Self-protective
ways to “check out,” and there have also been reported examples
of some leaders who have committed suicide because they cannot
be perfect.
as a health care system—as a really exceptional health care system
Dissonant Styles in Which the Leader Fails to Integrate experiencing a terrible tragedy—help prevent this from happening
Self, Others, and Context—A Totally Chaotic and again—here or elsewhere.” But the leader was not visible. He was
Differentiated Team That Has No Linkage nowhere to be found, and the events unfolded differently. Some
Irrelevant. Irrelevance occurs when people become overwhelmed of the members of that team are still affected by that lack of
and are no longer capable of accessing their own needs or being leadership.
available to the needs of others or the context. Irrelevance is
nonattuned leadership; it is not focused, and it fails to connect. All of these styles become dissonant when they are used exclusively,
These are simply leaders who have “checked out” and who are no over time, as the most predictable response by the leader to a
longer available. Unlike invisible leaders (described in the next problem. The dissonance is created by the lack of FACES that
paragraph), these leaders are often distracting with their presence. resonant, whole brain leaders require in order to navigate the river
An example might be the leader who continually cracks jokes even of integration. Ironically, leaders (all of us) have access to each of
when things are falling apart and need their attention. Irrelevant these styles and, when integrated into a complete repertoire of
leaders tend to try to “minimize” problems and are not available response, can create a more vibrant ability to adapt and perform
to hear the very real concerns of their team members. Likewise, effectively. Each of these styles actually exists on a continuum or
they tend to minimize important context issues and might not spectrum of strengths. When the strengths are overdone, they can
respond appropriately. Charles Bosk41 termed the kind of errors lead to dissonance, but a strength used appropriately can be a
these leaders make as “normative errors,” meaning they fail to powerful tool or style. In Table 1.2 we demonstrate how the style
perform the normal duties and responsibilities of their leadership might look along this spectrum, with the “strength overdone”
role. Irrelevance creates dissonance because the members of the being represented as the dissonant style and the strength being
team become discouraged that their leader is not “available” to used when needed and at appropriate times representing the more
connect with them around their concerns and instead is a distract- resonant version.
ing presence when they need to have focus. At an extreme the Whole brain leaders create resonance through their ability to
irrelevant leader has given in to substance abuse as a form of escape integrate the various and changing needs of self, others, and context
from the demands of the job. Irrelevance might seem funny and into a dynamic and stable system. They access a wide range of
creative to the leader, but the leader is not attuned to the needs of possibilities that include tasks that need to be accomplished,
the team.1 problems that need to be solved, and the needs of the people in
Invisible. Invisible leaders are not present for their “leadership the system that need to be valued. An example of this is nicely
moments.” This is nicely described by Sidney Dekker in his work portrayed in the story of a young surgeon on vacation with his
on “Just Culture.”29 The members of the team become secondary wife published many years ago when the ACGME first introduced
victims of an unexpected or untoward event. There are times when their duty hour restriction, and we recommend reading it now so
the team needs a leader to “step up” and take accountability for that you can integrate the information about resonance into your
the team or to make a critical decision or to simply be “the leader.” understanding of the story.7
Invisible leaders tend to hide at these times in the hope that the
moment will pass (unnoticed) or that they might escape unscathed. Avoid the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Many years ago the national media covered an “error” at a major
medical center.42 The hospital leader was not visible on the newscasts. Several decades ago, a (then) young researcher in Seattle began
Ultimately, an individual on the team got the majority of the investigating how couples managed conflict and how their man-
blame. How different it might have been had the leader been agement styles were connected with the ultimate fate of their
immediately present and made a statement such as “This was a marriage. John Gottman was a mathematician who believed that
terrible tragedy for this patient; AND (we find it is always useful he could find logical explanations for how relationships thrived or
to insert “and” in place of “but,” so as not to diminish the value disintegrated. His first book, Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, was
of the immediately preceding statement; try it sometime) this was a seminal work and becomes particularly relevant to teams taking
also a terrible tragedy for our extraordinary health care team—some care of critically ill infants when the word Teams is inserted in place
of the best doctors and nurses in the world; AND this was a of the word Marriages. Gottman’s extraordinary work (based on
terrible tragedy for our hospital that this happened, and we commit extensive quantitative and qualitative research) became nationally
to trying to understand how these things happen so that we can, prominent when it was recognized that he could watch a couple
6 PART I Systems-Based Intensive Care Unit

in conflict for approximately 2 minutes and then predict (with because pacesetters have a belief that there is only one way to do
95% accuracy over 15-year follow-up) whether they would stay a job—their way. When contempt is expressed openly as disdain
married or end up divorced. He could even predict whether they for the abilities of someone in the system, the system will need
would divorce early (within 4 years) or late (after 8 years) with intervention to heal or it will disintegrate. One way to create
the same 95% accuracy. His work was mentioned by Malcolm this anticontempt energy in a system is to have team members
Gladwell in his book, Blink, and it has long served an important identify the strengths of each member of the team and to make
role in our own work with resonance in medical teams and the sure that those strengths are expressed as appreciations publicly
development of whole brain leadership. In his book, Gottman and openly. Quin Studer describes a process of “managing up,”44
described the “four horsemen of the Apocalypse,” and what he which is a way of spreading positive stories about other people
noticed as destroyers of couples relationships are every bit as on the team. Notice the times that contempt appears in your
relevant for team relationships. Whole brain leaders need to be system, either subtlety or overtly. And imagine how it might be
aware of these four destructive influences and acquainted with different if the perspective of the recipient of the contempt were
the antidotes for them. We briefly describe them in the follow- understood.
ing paragraphs (and recognize that there is a lot of information Defensiveness. Defensiveness is the other side of “blame.” It
around these factors that cannot be covered in the scope of this is in effect the same as saying, “I didn’t do it. She did it.” Defensive-
chapter). ness is often found in systems in which the leader has allowed
Criticism. Criticism is poison, and it is ubiquitous on medical punishment and criticism to exist, so defensiveness is expressed as
teams. Criticism is personal, and it is designed to identify a culprit a way to avoid these consequences. The problem with defensiveness
and let that person know how much he or she is to blame. Criticism is that it creates divisiveness. Defensiveness does not need to exist
is the finger pointing at someone, chastising the person for a in resonant systems where accountability is a part of problem
mistake. (Notice that when you are pointing a finger at someone, solving as opposed to a part of the blame-seeking process. The
where your other three fingers are pointing!) Criticism is a form antidote to defensiveness is self-accountability. Next time you have
of punishment doled out to the offending party, and research on a quality improvement conference (morbidity and mortality confer-
punishment is consistent—punishment does not work in technical ence) and a difficult outcome is being examined, try going around
fields. It only creates more of the undesirable behavior as people the room and, instead of assigning blame (root cause analysis),
begin to focus more on how to avoid punishment rather than have each team member courageously take accountability for some
engaging in the more challenging process of trying to understand piece of the outcome. What would each member have done dif-
the driving force for their behavior. Punishment creates fear of ferently, in retrospect? Have each team member imagine something
future punishment, and the undesirable consequences of this have he or she might wish he or she could have done now that the
been well described by others as creating a proclivity to “choke”43 team member knows what happened. This creates a culture that
or to disengage from the team or simply to find clever ways to reinforces our connectedness and dependence on one another.
disguise action to avoid more punishment. Regardless, criticism This interconnectedness of random events—often seemingly
is destructive, and it generally makes everyone on a team feel unrelated—contributing to one single occurrence is important for
demoralized and either afraid that they may be next to be criticized us to understand as we try to make sense of the overwhelming
or simply feel badly for their colleague and teammate who is the nature of what we experience. It is beautifully portrayed in the
recipient of the criticism. Criticism rarely creates problem solving accident scene from Benjamin Button (https://www.youtube.com/
as much as it creates polarization into the people who are “right” watch?v=mTDs0lvFuMc#t=32.076865449). In many of our
versus the people who are “wrong.” The antidote for criticism is programs, the taxi driver (often the surgeon) who is at the end of
complaint. A complaint is not personal, and it invites ALL team a series of events gets the “blame” for an event, but “life, being
members to engage in problem solving. Problems do not have what it is, a series of interconnected events,” can sometimes result
names—they are gender neutral. Imagine the difference between in an outcome that is the result of so many small events along the
criticism and complaint as if the problem is represented as a soccer line. The power of self (and shared) accountability is enormously
ball. Criticism is like putting the soccer ball inside someone and helpful to us as we attempt to put these events into perspective
then kicking the person around. A complaint is like putting the so that we can create resonance; understand interconnectedness;
soccer ball on the floor and letting everyone kick it around. The and remove blame and defensiveness as blockades to team under-
problem is not “why do YOU keep killing all my neonates with standing, improvement, and growth.
your poor management?” (personal—ouch!) The problem is “WE Flooding. Flooding refers to emotional overload. When we get
keep struggling with our neonatal outcomes. What kinds of things flooded, we simply want to shut down and not address the moment.
should WE try to do differently?” This can leave others on the team feeling abandoned, unheard, or
Contempt. Of the four horsemen, contempt may be the most ignored. When I (RMU) finish a challenging operation and return
destructive. Contempt does not necessarily require words; contempt to my office, I am sometimes “flooded,” and if my administrative
can be conveyed by an expression (such as a slight tilt of the assistant bombards me with a lot of requests—phone calls to return,
head and a rolling of the eyes). Contempt is a total annihilation tasks that need attention—I just want to ignore them. She might
of an “other.” Contempt is essentially a way of discrediting the take this personally, when actually the person with the immediate
value of another team member and minimizing that member’s need is me. So I have told my assistant that when I come back
importance to the team. Whole brain leaders develop antennae from the operating room and close the door to my office, it has
for contempt, and they do everything they can to remove it. The nothing to do with her—I simply need time to recenter myself
antidote for contempt is appreciation for what others know and so that I am ready to be available. We have found that this works
can bring to the system. It has been written that great leadership well, and the antidote for flooding is “self-soothing,” which can
requires great followership, meaning there are times to stop paceset- simply be acknowledging as a leader that people (including the
ting and commanding and let another team member do what leader) have needs to center and reconnect to their internal resources
that person does best. Pacesetting is a subtle form of contempt so that they can move on to the next demand. We have described
CHAPTER 1 Whole Brain Leadership for Creating Resonant Multidisciplinary Teams 7

internal resources in previous publications,45 and they can serve there is an enemy ship. He sees it and provides the warning in
as a useful source for resilience and integration. time to save the crew—all because he “accepted influence.” We
In the Prochaska change model, growth and change occur as can all do this. In a presidential address to the Southern Thoracic
we move from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompe- Surgical Association, a virtually uninterpretable photo of a cow is
tence. That is a huge move—we simply become aware of our displayed by the speaker.47 Only a few members of the audience
limitations and challenges. For whole brain leaders, this is a necessary even recognize it for what it is. If the leader simply ignores their
movement. Nothing really changes. We are still incompetent, AND perspective because he or she does not see what they see, then he
we are now available to learn tools to move us, slowly but inexorably, or she misses out on valuable information because when the photo
toward conscious competence and eventually (with practice and is redisplayed without the confusing background, the cow is readily
mastery—internal integration) to unconscious competence—and apparent and can be seen by everyone in the audience. Accepting
that is transformational change from which we never go back. influence is a powerful tool for a leader to introduce into the
The following sections describe, briefly, a few leadership tools system. It gives permission for people to speak up without fear of
to consider. There are many, and we are simply presenting a few. being ridiculed, ignored, or dismissed, and it allows the system to
be greater than the limitations of any one person. If only one
person sees something and the rest of the team is willing to accept
Accept Influence the reality that someone is seeing something they themselves have
In his work with couples, Gottman described (for his interview not seen and they become curious to know more about what was
with the Harvard Business Review) the ability to “accept influence” seen and how they, too, might be able to see it, then the entire
as one of the most important elements for creating healthy relation- team becomes more powerful. Whole brain leaders accept influence
ships.46 We have found this to be especially effective for medical because they genuinely value the perspectives of others, and they
teams. Accepting influence invites all the members of the team to make their teams powerful as a result.
be engaged and valued and to participate. By nature, leaders who
accept influence have found a way to abolish contempt and to Be Ratio Minded
“push the up button” as they create joy and resourcefulness for
their team, as well as a culture that promotes learning, growth, In an elegant investigation of the role of positivity and connectivity
and change.1 Accepting influence is a cultural change as much as for business teams, Losade and Heaphy, from the University of
it is a leadership tool. Imagine that in your organization you have Michigan School of Business, described the interrelationship between
a saltshaker full of “yes” crystals that you can sprinkle around a variety of parameters to quality of performance.48 Connectivity
liberally: “Yes, that is a good idea. Let’s try it.” “Yes, please keep (an essential trait for whole brain leaders) became a control
calling me when you have concerns.” “Yes, that would be great if parameter that was linked to various ratios that were associated
you would present that information at our next conference.” “Yes, with whether the teams performed at a high, medium, or low
I appreciate your thoughts on this.” “Yes.” “Yes” creates a different level. A graph of their findings is displayed in Fig.1.1.
culture than the more typical “No” culture, where the saltshaker
sprinkles around: “No, we don’t do things that way around here.”
“No, when I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.” “No, that is not
something we’re going to try.” “No, I don’t want your help.” “No, OTHER
I don’t really care what you think.” Which culture would feel more
attractive to you? Furthermore, when we hear (or even feel or
sense) “no,” it often invites implicit memories of not getting our
needs met. Consistent “no” might lead members of a team to give
up and stop trying because trying will only bring on another “no.”
Leaders who emphasize accepting influence can do this in numerous High performance
ways—allowing others in the system to make suggestions and then P:N = 5.625
taking those suggestions, even (especially) when they are different
than the cultural “norm.” This indicates to the team members that
ADVOCACY
INQUIRY

change is valued and ideas are respected.


There is a very instructive scene in the movie Master and Com- Medium performance
mander with Russell Crowe. He is the captain of a ship and is P:N = 1.875
called to the deck because the person on watch “thinks” he saw
an enemy ship through his spyglass. “You think you saw it?” asks
Crowe. “Yes, I think so. I can’t be sure. It was only for a moment—
through the fog.” Crowe then asks another member of the crew Low performance
P:N = .375
if he saw it. “No, sir. I didn’t.” Now this is a situation that would
be ripe for contempt (disdain) and dismissal of the experience of
the person in the minority opinion—in this case the person who
“thinks” he “might” have seen something. In some dissonant teams
there might be a sneering diminishment of the crew member who
“thought” he saw something “only for a moment,” unconfirmed SELF
by a more “trusted” team member. But Crowe does not take the • Figure 1.1 Emotional space projected over Inquiry/Advocacy and
bait. Instead he says, “Well, you did the right thing.” (That is a Other/Self. (Modified from Losade M, Heaphy E. The role of positivity and
way of sprinkling a “yes.”) “Go back to your posts. Thank you.” connectivity in performance of business teams: a nonlinear dynamic
(another “yes”) Then he (the captain) begins looking to verify if model. Am Behav Sci. 2004;47:740-765.)
8 PART I Systems-Based Intensive Care Unit

TABLE 1.3 Team Function Ratios we have sometimes referred to this as “attunement” (Dan Siegel
would call this “mindsight”).1,28 Typically in our professional
Ratio High Medium Low cultures, we refer to each other with titles (e.g., professor and chief
P :N 5.6 : 1 1.8 : 1 1 : 20 of cardiothoracic surgery, nurse manager, director of in-patient
services, lead perfusionist, assistant professor, staff nurse, chief
I :A 1 :1 2 :3 1 :3 executive officer, grand master), and these titles are often displayed
O :S 1 :1 2 :3 1 : 30 on our name badges as if that defines who we really are. We have
introduced to some teams the concept of slash IDs—that is, after
P : N, Positive versus Negative; I : A, Inquiry versus Advocacy; O : S, Other versus Self our official title, there is a slash and then the rest of who we are,
From Losade M, Heaphy E. The role of positivity and connectivity in performance of business
teams: a nonlinear dynamic model. Am Behav Sci. 2004;47:740-765.
such as avid golfer, fisherman, reader, sports fanatic, and father of
five children; or dog lover, cook, and stargazer—anything that
tells our team we are more than a title. We have seen people
actually inadvertently try to accomplish this when they have placed
photos of their children or pets over their own on their name
What is remarkable about their findings is that the increasing badge. The slash ID simply expands this to provide a larger window
ratio of positive to negative emotions (often referred to as essential into the world of those wonderful “others” who are on our team.
for high performance) is interrelated to the ratio of “other-focus” Another way whole brain leaders validate the perspectives of others
versus “self-focus” and to the ratio of “inquiry” (curiosity about is by accepting influence and cultivating a culture that invites
the perspectives of others) versus “advocacy” (fixed commitment engagement by all the members of the team. Finally, whole brain
to one’s own perspective). The remarkable association of these leaders validate the value of others by both “making” and “accepting”
three ratios to performance is displayed in Table 1.3. repair attempts. There has been a lot of work demonstrating that
Positive Versus Negative. The ratio and importance of positive our most positive mentors have been the ones who have supported
to negative has long been emphasized by some organizations as and nurtured us when we made mistakes. Mistakes made in an
crucial to high performance. What is more difficult to understand environment of support and caring are commensurate with learn-
is that the relationship between positive and negative is very complex. ing.53 In our systems we encounter errors, and sometimes this
Some teams have stated that it is easier to feel positive when things leads to “ruptured” relationships. One of the most powerful tools
are going well and that therefore this ratio is really the result of for healing these ruptures is to offer a repair attempt (a genuine,
how well the team is performing, not the other way around. sincere apology), and more important than that (particularly for
However, Losade and Heaphy’s research, as well as research by the leader to model) is to accept the repair attempt with compassion
Gottman,21,49 Fredrickson,19,50,51 and others has demonstrated that and understanding that ruptures and errors are a necessary part
it is actually the ability to create positivity that far exceeds negativity of our learning and growing processes. The power of an accepted
that leads to the better outcomes for teams. This is a ratio that is repair is enormous, and the damage from a cursorily dismissed
generated by whole brain leaders and in its most mature forms, repair is equally important to appreciate. When a team member
is associated with high performance. The actual desired ratio varies musters the courage to offer a repair, we serve our teams by stopping
from 3 : 1 (Fredrickson) to 5 : 1 (Gottman) to Losade and Heaphy’s and simply noticing that this tender moment is an opportunity
5.6 : 1, likely depending on the type of team and what is being for us to heal (when we accept the repair with kindness and sensitiv-
measured. However, three things are important to take away from ity) and with that healing, move forward to our next challenges.
this research. The first is the power of negativity. It takes much Inquiry Versus Advocacy. There are many ways a leader can
more positive to overcome the negative to produce high perfor- cultivate inquiry. One of the most powerful is to invite learning
mance. The second is the absolute necessity for negativity to be into the team. Carol Dweck has spent a lifetime describing the
present. Negative experience is important to acknowledge in a difference between learners (growth mindset) versus knowers (fixed
system. Without the negative there is a risk for false harmony,52 mindset). Her work is beautifully portrayed in her book Mindset,17
and this would ultimately eradicate any credibility to positivity. and we have referred to it in previous publications.1,11,53 All of our
Finally, from Losade and Heaphy’s work is the critical interdepen- teams are rich with talented, knowledgeable, capable, and passionate
dence of P : N with O : S and I : A. In the figure (see Fig. 1.1), P : N members who want the same thing: to do a great job taking care
increases as the axis moves to the upper left quadrants (“other-focus” of sick patients. Each team member brings a unique set of informa-
and “inquiry”) and away from the lower right quadrant (“self-focus” tion, experience, and ability. Whole brain leaders recognize that
and “advocacy”). High performance is a complex result of tools every one of us is an expert in something, so we are not afraid to
that whole brain leaders can employ to create more space for the ask for advice or for help. Inquiry is manifested as genuine, curious
perspectives of others (versus considering only their own self- exploration to understand the perspectives and actions of another.
perspective to have merit) as well as inquiring (with curious Too often on medical teams, we observe inquiry as “inquisition”—
exploration, as one would for complex adaptive systems) to learn the grilling of someone (who likely is about to be criticized, blamed,
more about the opinions, perspectives, and knowledge of others or disdained) to demonstrate that they are wrong—as opposed to
rather than constantly advocating their own beliefs (and limiting genuine curious exploration to try and understand another’s perspec-
the team to only what they know or believe). There are numerous tive. We can—should—imagine how to ask questions that help
techniques that leaders who are aware of these ratios can employ us understand rather than accuse, embarrass, or destroy. This is
to improve performance of their teams. a difficult technique to learn. However, with commitment,
Other Versus Self. A few things that leaders can do to improve training, and practice, whole brain leaders can achieve conscious
the O : S ratio include cultivating connections among team members. competence and uncover new ways of connecting to their team
One way to do this is to expand awareness of who the “others” member’s ideas and to each other.
are and appreciation for the wide array of talents, interests, and Learning is hard. We get stuck in schema (our strongly held
passions that we each bring to our teams. In our work with teams, belief in something), and then we evaluate information as either
CHAPTER 1 Whole Brain Leadership for Creating Resonant Multidisciplinary Teams 9

correct (it validates our belief ) or as incorrect (it contradicts our predators. Collins encourages organizations to also discover what
belief ). Ironically we can often find validation in the literature to they are uniquely positioned and resourced to be great at. Every
support our strongly held beliefs; there is almost always a study organization, every team, can be exceptional at something, but
to support or to contradict what we want to believe is true. Inquiry discovering that something takes time, effort, and whole brain leader-
permits us to practice finding alternative information and other ship. We like to think of it as “discovering the and” as portrayed
ways of managing a difficult problem. Inquiring leaders expand in this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srHDgimlgTQ).
rather than contract the scope of their team’s repository of possibili- We all want and expect to be excellent. Be aware that excellence is
ties and create opportunities that are flexible, adaptive, coherent, different than perfect. Excellence is a process that we can control.
energized, and stable. In this sense, whole brain leaders promote Perfection is an outcome that is not only out of our control but
the very nature of complex adaptive systems and permit growth, also impossible to attain. Wherever you see a commitment to
change, and learning, and with that, joy and positivity that lead perfection, as opposed to excellence, you will find shame and often
to high performance. the consequences of shame, which include blame, dishonesty, and
unhappiness—all leading to poor performance. Discovering the
Awareness of the impact of positivity, inquiry, and valuing the “and” invites teams to be more than excellent and to encourage
experience of others is a key ingredient for developing team reso- development of the team’s “hedgehog product.” It is a way for a
nance versus dissonance. Teams have an emotional culture54 that team to develop uniqueness that is authentic and linked to its
whole brain leaders are attentive to. Emotional culture influences core strengths and talents. These teams discover how they are both
employee satisfaction, burnout, teamwork, and even hard measures “excellent at providing children’s heart care” and. … The “and”
such as financial performance and absenteeism. Positive emotions is what else they do or offer that is unique and that distinguishes
are consistently associated with better performance, quality, and them. Great teams discover this additional area for performance
customer service. Negative emotions such as group anger, sadness, around which they are able to be truly great. Whole brain leaders
fear, and the like usually lead to negative outcomes, including mine for uniqueness and authenticity to help craft organizational
poor performance and high turnover.54 Most people can generally excellence by harnessing the strengths of the organization to a
distinguish as many as 135 different emotions, and even when shared mission and purpose that is meaningful and achievable
this is occurring at a level below conscious awareness, these emotions for the team. This generates system esteem and ultimately high
can greatly affect how we feel or behave. We are all greatly influenced performance.
by what is happening around us through our mirror neurons.55
Our ability to “attune” to the energy in our environment is what Commitment
has helped to keep us “safe” through evolution. Notice your ability
to be aware when you walk into a room of what the “energy” is No matter where you work and what team you work with, the
in that room—is it safe, or tense, or joyful? Whole brain leaders very nature of delivering care to neonates, infants and children,
remain attuned to and understand the importance of emotions and adults with complex congenital heart disease is hard, unpredict-
such as joy, love, anger, fear, and sadness. These emotions become able, and fraught with challenge. Plans do not always work out
a valuable “dipstick” for team performance for leaders who are the way we hope, the team may encounter “clusters” of bad
able to cultivate access to them. outcomes, or fractures in relationships from disagreements. The
major difference between resonant and dissonant teams is that
resonant teams find a way to work through these difficulties as a
Create Vision (Discover the “And”) natural part of being in relationship. Members of resonant teams
Some of the best work we have encountered on teamwork relates know—they have trust—that no matter what, their team will
to the importance of discovering the shared purpose and meaning stand by them. Team members remain committed to the team and
for the team.30 There are many ways for leaders to do this, and in to each other, even (especially) when times are challenging.
the most effective circumstances, the shared mission is real and Ultimately, the best teams find ways to work through these times
meaningful for all team members. This means that leaders cannot without destroying each other or disintegrating the team. They
simply insert their vision as the team vision. The team vision needs look at problems as challenges that all members can address, not
to be crafted and constructed through exploration and understanding as people who need to be “fixed” or removed. Research on relation-
of what the organization is uniquely positioned to produce and ships has emphasized the importance of commitment, 56,57 and
what the team members value. All programs that deliver care to teams are complex, adaptive relationships. There is likely no problem
children with critical heart disease want to be “excellent,” but a team cannot solve if the team members view the problem as the
excellence is a very general word and can manifest differently in challenge as opposed to each other as the challenge. Unfortunately,
a variety of programs. Some programs may define excellence as when caught up in the “amygdala hijacking” of intense difficulties,
uniqueness, emphasizing techniques or procedures that they offer people tend to revert to some of their more primitive “survival”
and in which they truly excel. Others may point to the volume of styles (exhibiting their strengths as overused) such as those outlined
cases they perform and their outcomes for those cases (measured as dissonant styles earlier in this chapter, and most commonly this
as Society of Thoracic Surgeons outcomes). Other programs may appears as blame (others do not count, “I need to protect myself ”)
consider the nature of the procedures they perform and how they or super reasonable (people do not matter—only patients matter—
produce outcomes with best long-term quality of life. Finally, some which by the way is wrong. People do matter, and if we do not
programs may consider excellence to be manifested as being a truly attend to our ability to work well together and support one another,
great place in which to work (e.g., a J.D. Power top 100 place to the patients will suffer). However, you may recognize any or all
work). Collins addresses this in his book, Good to Great, when of the dissonant coping styles, and simply being able to recognize
he describes the “hedgehog principle.” Basically, the hedgehog is them might be helpful. These styles tend to appear during times
really good at rolling up into a ball to protect itself. No animal of stress, and they can also be simply termed “stress stances”—they
is better at protecting itself in this manner from being eaten by are postures we exhibit when we become anxious and stressed.26,58
10 PART I Systems-Based Intensive Care Unit

Whole brain leaders first need to recognize within themselves Promote Work-Life Balance
which of these coping styles they are most likely to adopt and
simply acknowledge that when they are beginning to use this Many of us trained in a time of relentless emphasis on work. It still
style, it is an indicator that they, too, are feeling stressed. It is is commonplace to attend a medical meeting and have a colleague
a very useful early warning sign. They may also recognize these ask, “Are you busy?” We rarely respond by saying, “No, I’m trying
coping styles in members of the team and know that those team to spend more time with my family.” It is a cultural value in our
members are feeling stressed. If the team can become educated profession to be busy. How often do you think of taking a day
in this phenomenon, then the team can likely move from uncon- off to spend doing something unrelated to work? And when you
scious to conscious incompetence. (Nothing changes—the stress do, how do you feel about it? Guilty? Refreshed? Embarrassed?
stances are still present—but they can now be named [what we Secretive? Just notice. Whole brain leadership requires the ability
name we tame] and acknowledged—not as something “wrong” to access emotions (attuning to both one’s own emotions and the
with people, but rather as indicators that these team members emotions of the team—mindsight) and to value them as important
feel stressed or anxious.) Tools for managing these situations and meaningful. There is a younger generation arriving at our
are abundant and can be cultivated by whole brain leaders who workplace—physicians and other health care professionals who may
appreciate the reality that their teams are composed of people not share our cultural value of “busyness” as the proper spelling of
and that people have needs and emotions and that people our “business.” Leadership for the future will likely need to find a
are not machines and cannot be managed like a mechanical way to tap into flexible, adaptive, coherent, energized, and stable
system. ways to link this emerging culture with our goals for our teams.
Among the tools that we have found helpful is to solve the There is ample research documenting that work and life cannot
moment, not the problem. It is often likely that the problem is be “balanced,” but they can be integrated through choice into a
bigger than the moment and will require an energized, engaged, life that is intentional, rewarding, and perfectly suited to how we
and fully resourced team to be curious and open to potential want our individual lives to be. Leaders for the next generation of
solutions. (Dan Siegel refers to this state as COAL—Curious, health care, particularly in the high-stakes, high-stress environment
Open, Accepting [the problem is the problem and it is here; the of managing patients with critical congenital heart disease will be
root of unhappiness is wanting things to be different than they obligated to emphasize ways to integrate work with life in some
are], and Loving [meaning have compassion for oneself and others nonformulaic, individualized manner that attunes to the three
on the team as learners, who, when they can, will try to do better].) elements demanding our attention mentioned at the beginning
The moment is more manageable and can be addressed with dialogue of this chapter: Self, Others, and Context. All three are valuable,
that simply acknowledges that the members of the team are wishing important, and irrepressible. Honoring the needs of each creates
for something to be different. balance, and ignoring any to the repeated exclusion of one over
One way to dialogue is to learn techniques for Nonviolent the others will create dis-ease. Whole brain leadership is a learning
Communication.25 These techniques can transform the way members process that begins (and ends) with cultivation of the self, apprecia-
of a team converse with one another around difficult situations. tion for others, and remarkable diligent attentiveness to context.
There are other methods for communicating that are taught in
workshops on Crucial Conversations, TeamSTEPPS, Cockpit Resource Selected References
Management, and a variety of communication tools. Regardless of
which ones the team chooses, going through these trainings together A complete list of references is available on ExpertConsult.com.
is a growing and learning process that can be more valuable than
the techniques themselves. Regardless of which techniques the 1. Ungerleider RM, Ungerleider JD, da Cruz EM, Ivy D, Jaggers J, eds.
The Seven Practices of Highly Resonant Teams. Vol. 6. 1st ed. Pediatric
team chooses to learn, however, the most important tool to imple- and Congenital Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery and Intensive Care.
ment is genuine caring and compassion for each member of the London: Springer-Verlag; 2014:3423–3450.
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that have no magic or soul. Gravlee GP, et al, eds. Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Principles and Practice.
Many problems that occur in our profession are unavoidable— Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins; 2007:572–588.
patients bring us incredible challenges, and not all of these challenges 11. Ungerleider JD, Ungerleider RM. Improved Quality and Outcomes
are surmountable. All our team members come from differing Through Congruent Leadership, Teamwork and Life Choices. Prog
backgrounds (cultural, family, and professional training). As leaders, Pediatr Cardiol. 2011;32:75–83.
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ally. We can begin to see our organizations, not as problems to be Dorset Press; 2012.
47. Ungerleider RM. Whom does the Grail serve? Ann Thorac Surg.
solved, but rather as mysteries to be explored. When we fail, it is 2007;83:1927–1933.
not because we are bad doctors. We simply had a bad outcome. 48. Losade M, Heaphy E. The Role of Positivity and Connectivity in
This is how teams can try to stay connected. Commitment is Performance of Business Teams: A Nonlinear Dynamic Model. Am
staying connected as a team: through better and through worse, Behav Sci. 2004;47:740–765.
through sickness and in health, through paralyzed hemidiaphragm 54. Barsade S, O’Neill OA. Manage Your Emotional Culture. Harvard
and recurrent arch obstruction. Business Review; 2016(January-February): p. 58-66.
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2
Optimizing Care Delivery: Quality and
Performance Improvement
KYLE J. REHDER, MD; SARAH TALLENT, BSN, MSN, CPNP-AC;
JON N. MELIONES, MD, MS

W
ith increased emphasis on tracking patient outcomes, translational research, and tightly controlled randomized clinical
reducing hospital-acquired conditions, promoting trials. Unfortunately, there is often a lag of more than a decade
cost-conscious care, and inclusion of quality metrics between new research defining a best practice and that practice
as determinants of reimbursement, quality has become a major becoming standard of care. Similarly, even when a best practice is
focus in health care. However, defining what quality means in any known, it is commonly applied in an inconsistent fashion. This
given health care setting can be challenging. An isolated decrease delivery gap is where quality improvement is an essential part of
in patient mortality does not necessarily equate to quality care, providing care (Fig. 2.1). Quality improvement methodologies are
nor does improvement in any one other metric, particularly if that essential to ensuring consistent delivery of best care practices,
improvement comes at the expense of another important outcome. particularly as patients’ health issues have become more complicated
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has provided six domains and health care delivery systems have become more complex.
that define quality in the health care setting1: Although many of its concepts are relatively new to health care,
• Safe: Avoiding harm to patients from the care that is intended the field and process of quality improvement should not be dismissed
to help them as a “soft science.” Quality and performance improvement are
• Effective: Providing services based on scientific knowledge to built on proven strategies that have repeatedly enhanced patient
all who could benefit and refraining from providing services to care. Just as with traditional research, the best results in quality
those not likely to benefit (avoiding underuse and misuse, and performance improvement initiatives will be realized when
respectively) rigorous methodology is applied.
• Patient centered: Providing care that is respectful of and responsive Much of quality improvement science was developed and
to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring streamlined in business and manufacturing settings, with more
that patient values guide all clinical decisions recent introduction to the health care environment. The adaptation
• Timely: Reducing wait times and sometimes harmful delays for of these principles to the hospital setting may inherently lead to
both those who receive and those who give care conflict and confusion, given the primary goal of business is to
• Efficient: Avoiding waste, including waste of equipment, supplies, improve shareholder value, whereas the primary goal in medicine
ideas, and energy is to improve patient care. As a result, the direct translation of
• Equitable: Providing care that does not vary in quality because these business principles to health care can result in uncertainty
of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic as to the true focus of a given project, as well as which specific
location, and socioeconomic status strategy is best suited for the problem being addressed. An added
As health care providers, our primary goal is to deliver optimal challenge to quality and performance improvement in the health
outcomes to our patients, but this must be balanced with a fiscal care environment is the almost ubiquitous need for human factors
responsibility to provide care that is both cost-conscious and sustain- management for successful project implementation. In the next
able. The primary tenet of medicine, “first do no harm,” prioritizes several sections we describe some of the necessary strategies to
patient safety in all that we do. In this manner the pursuit of achieve transformative care for patients.
quality care must consider not only singular patient outcomes but
also other balancing measures, risk stratification and error proofing, Identifying Targets for Improvement
and outcomes important to the greater populace. Similarly, attention
must be paid to ensure this care is delivered in a consistent and Health care is complex and constantly changing. Although providers
equitable manner. and patients can typically identify many processes that either
contribute to suboptimal outcomes or are substantial sources of
dissatisfaction, determining specific targets for improvement can
Quality Improvement/Performance be challenging. It is also often unclear which improvement target
Improvement should take priority at any given time and what resources might
be available for the next improvement project.
Determining the best medical treatments for patients has tradition- The selection of improvement targets is generally achieved
ally been driven by rigorous research in the form of basic science, through the balance of two factors: those projects that can have

11
12 PART I Systems-Based Intensive Care Unit

quality improvement effort. Building a multidisciplinary group of


individuals with unique perspectives and priorities will help provide
Health care Quality a clear and robust analysis of the problem at hand. Furthermore,
Evidence-based
delivery and inclusion of these individuals in development of interventions
medicine
implementation care will bolster early multidisciplinary support for the project and
potential solutions. Ideal project members are experienced frontline
individuals with content expertise and strong teamwork skills who
RESEARCH
QUALITY also hold significant influence in their work area (regardless of
IMPROVEMENT leadership titles or lack thereof ). Paired with visible organizational
• Figure 2.1 Combining evidence-based medicine and quality improve- leadership support, the buy-in of these influential frontline staff
ment to achieve optimal outcomes. members will help garner widespread acceptance of new process
flow or other solutions.
Defining project scope is another key ingredient to designing a
the greatest impact on patient care and those changes that can be successful improvement initiative. A natural tendency while assessing
easily made. The latter of these, often termed low-hanging fruit, an array of issues in a given work area is to try to solve multiple
often provide short-term projects with low resource requirements. problems at once. Unfortunately, this approach may lead to lack
Early “wins” with these projects can help bolster a culture of of clarity and spread resources too thin to accomplish project
continuous improvement and gain momentum for those projects goals. Prioritization of a specific target outcome and use of a key
with the greatest potential impact. It is these impactful projects driver diagram (Fig. 2.2) can help narrow the focus of the project
that will likely require greater resources and long-term commitment, to the most impactful interventions. Development of a SMART
and it is these projects where specific quality improvement meth- statement is then an ideal strategy to define clear boundaries and
odologies and human factors engineering will be required to realize focus the scope of a given project.
change.
Any quality improvement project should start with a clear Measurement/Metrics
statement of the project’s goal. SMART statements are the generally
accepted method for defining the aim and scope of the project: Before starting any improvement project, it is essential to adequately
capture the current state of the process or outcome of interest.
Specific: Provide clear and unambiguous targets for Only by knowing the starting point will the project team know
improvement. if change was achieved. Ideally, the outcome of interest should be
Measurable: Ensure that the outcome is objectively quantifiable easily measured, with high validity, and have a clear impact on
and able to be tracked. patient outcomes.
Achievable: Is the project goal attainable in terms of scope, resources, Data collection efforts (i.e., accurate measurement and analysis)
and time available? in health care typically lag behind similar efforts in industry. This
Relevant: The “so-what” question. Is this an important initiative is a function of multiple issues, including, but not limited to, lack
for the organization, the patients, or the staff? Is this the right of contemporary information technology (IT), lack of IT invest-
intervention to affect the targeted outcome? ment, noncomplementary IT (i.e., systems that do not “speak” to
Time oriented: What time frame will this project span? each other), and conflicting priorities. Increased use of electronic
medical record systems has allowed for simplified tracking of certain
An example of a SMART statement with all the necessary ele- key outcomes in many institutions, but these data sources may
ments might be: “We will reduce the number of pressure ulcers require careful monitoring to ensure validity.
(grade 2 or higher) among patients in our unit to less than 2 ulcers Any process change may have unintended consequences; therefore
per 1000 patient days by August 1st.” This is a clearly measurable it is essential to also monitor a balancing outcome that may be
target with specific scope in terms of population and time frame. Of negatively affected by the proposed solution or process change.
course, determination of “achievable” and “relevant” must be decided For example, if a new protocol is implemented providing prophy-
in collaboration with the unit leadership and with consideration lactic anticoagulation to a high-risk population, it would be
for the current state as well as available resources for the project. important to monitor the incidence of bleeding in these patients.
Leadership backing of quality improvement efforts is essential Balancing measures for process changes often include cost, time,
for several reasons. First, leadership can help prioritize those projects or an outcome for a conflicting process.
that are of greatest importance to the organization and, in the Tracking improvement progress is best achieved through the
process, can also verify that necessary resources will be made available use of control charts (Fig. 2.3), where the identified primary
for project completion. The lack of such support can easily lead outcomes are tracked as a function of time, with notations on the
to project failure due to lack of means or inability to maintain chart for specific interventions or external changes that might
momentum. Second, organizational leadership will be aware of influence the outcome of interest. These charts provide a clear
other improvement initiatives that may be ongoing simultaneously. visual representation of improvement over time and can facilitate
Coordinating these efforts can avoid confusion around institutional statistical analysis of a process that lies within or drifts out of
priorities and promote collaboration between medical teams. Finally, control parameters. Control charts also allow for ongoing monitoring
public affirmation by organizational leadership regarding the priority of the outcome once the improvement initiative has concluded.
of an improvement project will help gain support from the staff
and assist with sustainability after the initial intensive push for Improving Care
process change.
Early identification of key stakeholders and incorporation of these A variety of quality management and performance improvement
individuals into the planning process is essential to the success of any (PI) methodologies are readily available for use in the hospital
CHAPTER 2 Optimizing Care Delivery: Quality and Performance Improvement 13

Aim Key drivers Interventions

All urinary catheter orders


Number of urinary will require indication for
Decrease rate of CAUTI catheters placed placement
to less than one infection
per 1000 patient days Education on urinary catheter
within 6 months indications and risks
Urinary catheters placed
using aseptic technique Introduce catheter insertion
Outcome measure: bundle based on evidence-
• CAUTI rate per 1000 based best practices
patient days
Standardize routine
Process measure: Appropriate urinary
catheter care
• Catheter use: catheter care
number urinary catheters
Assign urinary catheter care
placed per 100 patients
champions among staff
• Catheter days per 1000
patient days Duration of urinary
catheter use Begin daily rounding on
urinary catheter use

• Figure 2.2 Example of a key driver diagram demonstrating an approach to reducing catheter-
associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). Once a project aim and primary outcome measure are identi-
fied, the key driver diagram identifies primary contributors to that outcome and potential interventions to
promote change.

Another strategy that will assist with acceptance of a new process


Intervention #2

is to make the “right” path the “easy” path. It is common for new
Target outcome (metric)

initiatives to result in complex pathways to ensure the best outcome.


However, the best-intentioned process will be ineffective if it is
either too complex to follow or so onerous that staff develop
work-arounds. Streamlining the new process, removing barriers
Desired direction

to its implementation, or adding barriers to potential work-arounds


Intervention #1

can all act as forcing functions to help drive users of the process
toward desired behaviors.
Following a period of intense focus on improvement, many
Process mean processes and outcomes will drift back to their prior state, as
Control limits
attention is turned toward other issues and providers fall into old
Time habits. During the development of improvement initiatives, attention
• Figure 2.3 Sample control chart tracking impact of serial interventions must be paid to human factors that drive the process and potential
on desired outcome. strategies to increase sustainability. Six-Sigma methodology specifi-
cally addresses this issue with the “Control” phase of the DMAIC
(Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) model. Particular
strategies that may be helpful include development of forcing
setting. Most of these methodologies have been adapted from functions that drive individuals to follow the desired process or
business and manufacturing and then successfully translated to protocol, hardwiring the new process into the existing work flow,
health care.1 Some of the more common quality improvement making the desired process user friendly, and elimination of potential
methodologies are summarized in Table 2.1, along with the tools work-arounds. Continued monitoring of the outcomes of interest
commonly applied for each methodology. These methodologies after conclusion of the improvement project will be important to
often use similar tools, but each is suited for different aspects of confirm sustainability or to alert staff of process drift.
process control or improvement across the continuum of health Given the detailed nature of improvement science, organizations
care delivery. Although an in-depth discussion of different meth- or units looking to achieve real change will need to employ quality
odologies is beyond the scope of this chapter, Table 2.1 highlights improvement experts or seek to attain quality improvement training
the primary utility of each strategy and principal strengths and for their staff. Identifying these quality leaders and supporting
weaknesses. them with appropriate resources and data streams will be essential
Not every process deficiency requires an intervention using to achieving optimal patient outcomes.
in-depth quality improvement methodology. Many issues will have
an obvious and simple solution and can best be addressed with a Team Structure and Dynamics
“just do it” approach. These changes are typically clearly needed
and may not necessitate precise measurement of outcomes. However, Staffing models may vary widely among pediatric cardiac intensive
if measurement is possible, the “just do it” approach may be the care units (ICUs), and these staffing models may have significant
launching point for a series of Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles used in effect on patient outcomes. Although many children are well cared
the Model for Improvement.2 for in combined medical-surgical units after congenital heart surgery,
14 PART I Systems-Based Intensive Care Unit

TABLE 2.1 Common Quality Improvement Methodologies Used in Health Care


Methodology Primary Role Key Strengths Potential Limitations Tools Commonly Utilized
Model for Improvement Rapid process • Simplicity • Superficial analysis PDSA cycles, key driver
(Institute for Healthcare improvement • Swift implementation • Reliance on trial and error diagrams, process
Improvement) mapping, cause and
effect diagrams
Six Sigma Minimize variability, • Thorough analysis with • Complex methodology DMAIC, process mapping,
reduce defects focus on statistical change • Time intensive Pareto charts,
• Focus on maintaining gains cause-and-effect
diagrams, value stream
mapping
LEAN Reduce waste, • Focus on efficiency • Limited scope Value stream mapping,
increase process mapping
efficiency
Failure modes effect Error proofing • Proactive risk identification • Focus on major failures Process mapping, error
analysis (FMEA) • Increases process reliability • Often not comprehensive proofing, FMEA
• Complex methodology worksheets, SWIFT
analysis
Root cause analysis Error investigation • Identification of previously • Retroactive analysis; Process mapping, error
unidentified risk analysis may be limited by proofing
recall bias

DMAIC, Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control; PDSA, Plan-Do-Study-Act; SWIFT, structured what-if technique.

an increasing number of institutions have moved toward a model psychologic safety, and a culture of feedback. The latter directly
with a separate cardiac ICU, modeling what is commonplace in ties into the capability of the team to continuously improve and
adult centers. This strategy allows for focused expertise among is contingent on each of the former being in place. Specifically,
physician, nursing, respiratory therapy, and ancillary staff around use of debriefings as a feedback mechanism has been tied to
the unique population of children with congenital and acquired improved outcomes in ICU patients. Proven team training strategies
heart disease and is supported by improved outcomes in high-volume such as TeamSTEPPS8 can be leveraged to teach other evidence-
centers and dedicated cardiac ICUs.3-7 based tools to improve team behaviors and performance.
Physician staffing of pediatric cardiac ICUs should include A growing body of evidence links local work culture to patient
individuals with a strong understanding of the unique physiology outcomes.9-11 Teamwork scores, safety culture, staff burnout, and
of the congenital heart population and, when possible, prior training staff engagement scores have been linked to mortality, surgical
in both intensive care and cardiology. Inclusion of trainees, to be complications, medical errors, and other hospital-acquired infections.
expected at most academic centers, is essential for the training of To provide the best quality care to patients, unit leadership must
the next generation of cardiac ICU providers, as well as providing recognize this link and foster a culture of strong teamwork and
baseline management knowledge of this population to pediatric safety. In addition to focusing on optimal teamwork, Leadership
intensivists and cardiologists. Although cycling trainees through WalkRounds is a specific tool that can be beneficial toward safety
the unit for short rotations may add undesirable variability to culture.11 For WalkRounds, unit leaders circulate the unit on a
staffing, these trainees may also provide unique perspective and biweekly or monthly basis during different shifts. During these
offer partnering opportunities for research and improvement rounds, they speak to as many frontline staff as possible, asking
activities. Disruptions from the rotational nature of trainees can both “What is going well?” and “What could be better?” Feedback
be minimized with a detailed and consistent orientation to the is then provided to all staff regarding findings, recognition of high
unit protocols and culture. points, and potential changes to address concerns. This interaction
Advanced practice practitioners (nurse practitioners and physician between leadership and staff builds psychologic safety, models
assistants) may provide unique expertise in caring for children effective feedback, proactively identifies issues before they affect
with congenital and acquired heart disease as a potential bridge patients, and highlights safety and quality as organizational
between physicians and nursing staff. The addition of these priorities.
practitioners as long-term members of the team allows for ongoing The impact of team dynamics and unit culture on patient
development of their skill set unique to this population. Advanced outcomes demonstrates the comprehensive approach that must be
practice providers also foster ongoing relationship building within taken to improve quality of care. Disease treatment must have a
the team and may add continuity for patients with prolonged or sound basis in evidence-based therapies, but enhancing health care
recurrent hospitalizations. delivery encompasses the entire process of caring for patients,
Regardless of the unit structure or specific providers involved including patients, providers, and staff, and the means by which
in care, patient outcomes will be optimized only if the medical care is supplied. This holistic approach to quality must be embraced
team displays strong teamwork. This includes clear communication, to truly give our patients the pinnacle of care.
CHAPTER 2 Optimizing Care Delivery: Quality and Performance Improvement 15

Monitoring Quality at a Unit Driving the Balanced Scorecard to Unit Levels


and Organizational Level: The performance on the scorecard rolls up to provide a single score
The Balanced Scorecard for all goals and metrics. In this way it provides balance to the
organization because the overall score will be low if the organization
A common frustration of medical providers is the lack of meaning- performs well in one perspective (e.g., finance and growth) and
ful feedback on their practice habits and a lack of transparency does poorly in another (e.g., quality and safety). The next step is
to organizational priorities. This lack of transparency often leaves to have individual scorecards at the service unit level and finally,
providers feeling “kept in the dark” or asking “Is this the latest trend?” at the individual operating unit level. This tiered approach encour-
regarding strategic planning, quality management, and PI efforts. ages focused improvement efforts at the direct patient care level
To eliminate these questions and other impediments to success, that are aligned with the strategic goals of the broader organization.
clinical improvement strategies should be systematically implemented Without this alignment, PI efforts are often reactionary and focused
in a way that uses the advantages of each approach, while focusing on local concerns that may have little impact on organizational
on long-term goals. The balanced scorecard (BSC) can assist in outcomes. Aligning PI initiatives toward strategic goals provides
aligning these goals.12 a significant economy of scale and ensures that the entire organiza-
Originally developed to support PI in industry, the BSC has tion benefits from collaborative efforts.
been touted as a strategic planning framework that consolidates As an example, Duke Children’s Hospital has used the BSC to
multiple improvement projects into a single integrated platform.12 drive systemic improvements in several areas.13 Compared to the
As such, the scorecard is an integration of multiple interventions prior year in the quality and patient safety perspective, we witnessed
and keeps “score” of the success or failure of the strategic goals. a reduction in morbidity, a decrease in readmissions from 7% to
This approach is fundamental to success, promotes balance in the 4%, a decrease in infection rates from 3% to 1%, and a decrease
organization, and aligns all disciplines around a focused strategic in length of stay by 0.6 days. These improvements were seen in
agenda. conjunction with an increase in average daily census by 9% over
BSC methodology starts with the development of the mission the previous fiscal year.
and strategic plan in conjunction with senior leadership.1,2 Once In the finance and growth perspective, the patient flow team
the senior management team has defined the strategic goals, the achieved a 26% improvement in discharge times and 10% improve-
key metrics that measure performance are developed. Finally, initia- ment in pediatric ICU encounters. Multiple finance-based initiatives
tives are developed to improve performance and support achievement followed implementation of the BSC, resulting in an increase in
of the strategic goals. As such, the scorecard functions as an the variable contribution margin by 240%. In the patient experience
important strategic platform that drives the integration of key perspective, patient satisfaction scores have exceeded the set targets
initiatives, methodologies, and processes with focus on critical over the last fiscal year (Press Ganey overall mean score of 84). In
outcome measures. Although performance at the operational level the work culture perspective, independent observations of teamwork
frequently requires additional tools and techniques that bridge the increased by 72% (P < .001) and overall perception of teamwork
gap between strategy and tactics, the BSC becomes the tool that increased by 75% (P < .001). Surveys also demonstrated that 95%
identifies where initiatives should be focused and how these initia- of participants believed that team training would improve the way
tives impact the whole organization. they did business, and 100% of participants would recommend
The traditional health care BSC has the following perspectives: team training to coworkers.
quality and safety, patient experience, work culture, and finance The BSC is one methodology to ensure that strategy turns into
and growth (Table 2.2). In contrast to industry, which primarily action. Because of the wide variety of options available and the
focuses on financial performance, the quality and patient safety hospital staff’s lack of experience, many providers find implementing
perspective is placed at the top of the health care BSC, indicating clinical improvement programs in health care to be challenging.12-14
its priority importance. To be successful, these programs must be supported by senior
management, physicians, and caregivers. Physicians, as a group,
often are difficult to engage. Improvement initiatives may require
Defining Goals Linking Performance Metrics physicians to change their practice, yet they frequently do not
Once the strategic plan is defined, specific goals are determined include input from the physicians, resulting in a lack of physician
by the team and linked to each strategic perspective. Limiting the support for improvement initiatives and placing physicians at odds
goals to three or four per perspective is essential to maintaining with administrators.
focus on initiatives that will drive the strategic plan. After the Clinical improvement initiatives that involve a change in physi-
goals are determined, specific metrics are defined and linked to cian practice must engage physicians in the process. Engaging
each goal. The metrics must be measurable and collected at least physicians is challenging because they typically lack a background
quarterly. Performance targets are then defined and linked to each in improvement science and perceive that they will have difficulty
metric. It is best to pick targets from comparable institutions. If contributing to the mission. This reluctance can be overcome by
none are available, a modest improvement from baseline, such developing a specific training program for physicians, identifying
as 10% to 20% improvement is a good starting point. Many of clear goals and areas of focus, and linking the physicians with
the operational metrics that populate the BSC are derived from current operational and clinical improvement teams. In this way
hospital operational and financial databases, patient safety data the physicians can become an integral part of the process, and the
from internal safety reporting systems, patient satisfaction survey organization can leverage their considerable influence to achieve
data, and work culture survey data. Validity of the data is key, and success.
data accuracy must be ensured before presenting this to the team. The BSC requires thoughtful, considered adjustments in goals
Bad data will result in loss of confidence and can ruin the efforts and metrics to meet the changing strategic plan. For example, if
before implementation. an ICU expansion is planned, the BSC might be updated with
16 PART I Systems-Based Intensive Care Unit

TABLE 2.2 Sample Balanced Scorecard


TARGETa Quarter Actual YTD Actual
QUALITY AND PATIENT SAFETY
Infection prevention: catheter associated bloodstream infection 0.0 0.00 0.00
Infection prevention: urinary catheter associated urinary tract infection 0.5 1.10 0.63
Infection prevention: hand hygiene 95% 100% 98%
Infection prevention: central venous line utilization ratio 80% 76.6% 79.2%
Infection prevention: urinary catheter utilization ratio 20% 18.1% 16.2%
Pressure injury: assessed patients with acquired pressure injuries 5% 7.2% 6.1%
Patient falls rate per 1000 inpatient days 0.0 0.00 0.32
Patient falls with injury per 1000 inpatient days 0.0 0.00 0.00
Preventable medication related SRS events with patient impact 0.3 1.5 0.45
Restraints: percent of patients restrained 4% 8.4% 3.6%
Transfusion deviations 0.0 0.0 0.0
FINANCE AND GROWTH
Agency staff: percent of worked hours 0.0% 0.8% 0.6%
Flex expense percent variance 0.0% –0.9% 0.7%
Flex FTE percent variance 0.0% –1.3% –0.4%
Nursing overtime: percent of paid hours 2.5% 1.1% 1.9%
Skill mix: RN nursing care hours as a percent of all nursing care hours 97.5% 98.1% 96.9%
WORK CULTURE
Employee injury: rate of lost days of all inpatient nursing employees 0.0 0.0 0.0
Percent terminations annualized: overall 18% 23.1% 21.2%
Percent terminations annualized: RN 20% 24.5% 19.8%
RN staff: percent with BSN or above 80% 89.1% 84.7%
RN staff: percent with certification 50% 64.3% 59.6%
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Likelihood to recommend 90% 88% 94%
Responsiveness of hospital staff 80% 81% 84%
Acceptable noise levels at night 80% 63% 72%
Unit cleanliness 80% 82% 80%
Overall rating of unit 90% 91% 87%
Patient satisfaction: communication among team members 85% 82% 86%

a
Note that “target” reflects an achievable metric, allowing the team to progress towards the overall goal (e.g., the overarching goal is to have zero infections and zero medication errors). Metrics
highlighted in blue demonstrate areas where the team exceeds targets, while metrics highlighted in orange demonstrate performance below targets and potential focus areas for improvement efforts.
FTE, Full-time equivalent; SRS, safety reporting system; YTD, year to date.

new goals and metrics tied to this project and reflected in the ICU performance compares with other similar centers. Benchmarking
scorecards. In this way the BSC functions as a living record of against other centers is an important aspect of understanding the
how performance is tracking against the strategic plan. overall quality of care provided to patients. Outcomes databases
like the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database allow institu-
Benchmarking and Collaboration tions to follow their overall performance relative to peers. Beyond
internally set targets, this benchmarking highlights strengths and
Although the BSC allows for clear tracking of specific outcomes weaknesses within a program and can help focus resources for
within an institution over time, it may not detail how that center’s areas needing further attention.
CHAPTER 2 Optimizing Care Delivery: Quality and Performance Improvement 17

Even with comparative data, defining best practices within a path by which we can achieve that promise in a consistent and
single center can often be difficult, given small numbers of patients reliable manner. Development of a robust quality framework for
with heterogeneous disease processes and the lack of feasibility to patient care will require:
try many different care strategies. Multi-institution quality improve- • Validated and detailed data streams to effectively monitor
ment collaborations are a strategy to allow centers to learn from processes and outcomes
the experience of others, through shared evaluation of practice • Application of proven quality improvement methodologies with
variability and the individual strengths of each institution. Several dedicated resources that emphasize preserving progress in one
such collective efforts have led to improved care for children, process as new targets are identified
including delivery of surfactant for preterm infants,15 reductions • Focus on safety and teamwork culture within units, including
of catheter-associated bloodstream infections through the National attention to human factors that affect execution of health care
Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions delivery
(NACHRI) collaborative,16 and reductions of medical errors and • Balancing priorities and strategic initiatives with careful con-
other hospital-acquired conditions through the Solutions for Patient sideration given to financial stability, growth, and
Safety collaborative.17 sustainability
Within the congenital heart disease community, the National • Collaborative efforts between institutions to define and share
Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative has best practices
successfully leveraged data from several large pediatric cardiac centers Strong unit leadership will be needed to maintain the vision
to highlight key areas of variability and identify best practices that of the six domains of quality and to uphold patient-centered care
may not have been successfully elucidated in prior smaller studies. and outcomes. With such leadership and combined with thoughtful
With distribution of these best practices and increased focus on application of improvement methodologies, it is possible to truly
quality improvement at each individual site, the collaborative has elevate the care we provide to our most vulnerable patients.
seen a 40% decrease in mortality during the interstage period for
hypoplastic left heart syndrome following the Norwood procedure
among the participating institutions.18 Similarly, the Pediatric Selected References
Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4) is a large multicenter
registry with robust data from 30 of the largest US children’s A complete list of references is available at ExpertConsult.com.
hospitals.19 PC4 has delineated areas of substantial variability in 1. Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Committee on Quality of Health Care
care and outcomes20-22 and provides participants benchmarking in America. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the
data and opportunities for collaborative quality improvement 21st Century. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press; 2001.
efforts. 4. Hornik CP, He X, Jacobs JP, et al. Relative impact of surgeon and
Hallmarks of these collaborative efforts include transparency center volume on early mortality after the Norwood operation. Ann
among center practices and the willingness to forego competition Thorac Surg. 2012;93(6):1992–1997.
for the purposes of driving quality care. Centers must dedicate 6. Pasquali SK, Li JS, Burstein DS, et al. Association of center volume
local resources not only to process improvement but also to data with mortality and complications in pediatric heart surgery. Pediatrics.
collection and validation. With these combined efforts, institutions 2012;129(2):e370–e376.
can achieve better outcomes than any one center could achieve 7. Johnson JT, Tani LY, Puchalski MD, et al. Admission to a dedicated
cardiac intensive care unit is associated with decreased resource use
on its own, and for a larger number of patients. for infants with prenatally diagnosed congenital heart disease. Pediatr
Cardiol. 2014;35(8):1370–1378.
Conclusion 19. Gaies M, Cooper DS, Tabbutt S, et al. Collaborative quality improve-
ment in the cardiac intensive care unit: development of the Paediatric
Our primary goal as health care providers is to ensure that our Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4). Cardiol Young.
patients get the best possible care. Quality improvement is the 2015;25(5):951–957.
CHAPTER 2 Optimizing Care Delivery: Quality and Performance Improvement 17.e1

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TeamSTEPPS: Team Strategies and Tools science: describing implementation methods
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on Quality of Health Care in America. Advances in Patient Safety: New Direc- a national collaborative. J Healthc Qual
Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health tions and Alternative Approaches (Vol. 3: 2015;37(2):102–115, quiz 115–106.
System for the 21st Century. Washington, Performance and Tools). Rockville MD: 17. Lyren A, Brilli R, Bird M, Lashutka N,
D.C.: National Academy Press; 2001. 2008. Muething S. Ohio Children’s Hospitals’
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Jossey-Bass; 2009. 2016;222(2):122–128. 18. Clauss SB, Anderson JB, Lannon C,
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Waitzman NJ. Surgical volume, hospital Intensive care unit safety culture and laboration: the National Pediatric Quality
quality, and hospitalization cost in con- outcomes: a US multicenter study. Int J improvement Collaborative initiative. Curr
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4. Hornik CP, He X, Jacobs JP, et al. Relative Exposure to Leadership WalkRounds in Collaborative quality improvement in
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3
Streaming Analytics in Pediatric
Cardiac Care
MELVIN C. ALMODOVAR, MD

C
urrent-state computer and information technology allows decision making.10,11 For example, in patients with borderline left
extraction and aggregation of large volumes of diverse data heart structures being considered for or undergoing biventricular
types to support medical decision making in hospitalized repair, preoperative and postoperative hemodynamic, imaging,
patients.1-3 With abundant and readily available data there has laboratory, and historical data may be incorporated in a real-time
been growing interest and accumulating experience with advanced analytics approach to support such decisions as (1) determining
data analytics techniques such that there now exists both the demand whether or not biventricular repair is feasible, (2) which targeted
and an opportunity for intensivists, among other clinicians, to interventions may improve likelihood of success in attaining
pursue innovative information technology applications to benefit biventricular physiology, and (3) whether the intraoperative and
our fragile patients. But will we soon reach the “peak of inflated postoperative data indicate a successful physiology or predict
expectations” followed by a rapid descent to the “trough of disil- successful short- and long-term outcomes in this patient population.
lusionment” before realizing the promises of precision medicine, Population-based and patient-specific historical and real-time data
big data analytics, and machine learning applications as some have are available in such scenarios and, ideally, would inform the
suggested?4 It is the author’s belief that leveraging information decision-making approach during each management step over time.
technology and blending expertise from multiple disciplines such As one can see, such a scenario exemplifies a range of data analytics
as medicine, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and approaches that may be described to include the following major
even behavioral science will drive greater medical intelligence and categories: descriptive analytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive
more accurate and efficient health care across the range of clinical analytics. These categories may be viewed along a continuum that
and nonclinical scenarios. The formal establishment of the field considers what has happened, what could happen, and what should
of biomedical informatics and growing experience with data science be done, respectively. Descriptive analytics are familiar to all of us
applications to support medical decision making and patient care and involve the use of summary statistics that give insight into
delivery processes support this perspective.5-7 the past and are common in health care and non–health care
The purpose of this chapter is to describe basic principles of industries. Predictive analytics employ the use of mathematical
high-frequency data analytics and, specifically, how the streaming models to forecast the future or estimate data that are not yet in
analytics approach may be applied in the pediatric cardiac intensive existence. Accurate prediction requires that certain conditions
care unit (CICU) to enhance our understanding and management remain constant over time and that the correct or relevant data
of the critically ill patient with cardiac disease. elements are included in the models.12 There are a growing number
of health care applications and numerous non–health care applica-
Overview of Real-Time Data Analytics tions that are currently in existence as examples of predictive
methods. The extent to which any of these applications is successful
Real-time data analytics involves the capture, processing, and analysis is highly dependent on its level of validation during algorithm
of data as data is entering the system. In the data-rich intensive development and testing, as well as a robust system of application
care unit (ICU) environment, information and networking technol- evaluation and reengineering as needed. Prescriptive analytics
ogy, the ready access to clinical information, and the application incorporate the features of predictive modeling derived from histori-
of mathematical modeling methods are beginning to support our cal and real-time data to achieve accurate near- or real-time predic-
ability to better manage multiparameter data streams in our assess- tion for the expressed purpose of driving actions. At this time,
ment and treatment of patients.8,9 Depending on the analytics practical applications using this type of analytics in health care are
platform and database structure, stored genetic and other patient- relatively rare, at least in the live clinical setting because of limitations
specific, structured, and unstructured historical data may also be in extracting real-time data and a paucity of successfully validated
included, thereby adding context for the population or circumstance predictive models. On the other hand, there are numerous non–
of interest. At the same time, this would allow for growth of health care applications that are successfully driven by prescriptive
captured volumes of information for later use in research, quality, analytics methodology. Some examples of these include credit card
and outcomes analysis. Currently there is enthusiasm that robust fraud protection, cyber security monitoring, GPS location and
data management capabilities will foster the development of predic- guidance, and market data management to name a few.13,14 Finally,
tive algorithms that may eventually support enhanced real-time from the capabilities afforded by predictive and prescriptive methods

18
CHAPTER 3 Streaming Analytics in Pediatric Cardiac Care 19

comes streaming analytics, or event stream processing, the basic noting is the integration of historical data or low-frequency data
foundation of which will be reviewed in the next section. elements that support this approach for patient-specific or
population-based applications.
Streaming Analytics
Optimal care of critically ill cardiac patients requires thoughtful Development of a Real-Time Analytics
and accurate assessment of their physiologic state using a variety Platform in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
of data elements not just at a single point in time, but repetitively
and in response to expected and unexpected events. Hence any In 2010 a team from the CICU at Boston Children’s Hospital,
care strategy must seek to achieve accurate diagnoses and to discern led by P. Laussen and M. Almodovar began development of the
the patient’s overall trajectory pattern with the paradigm that T3 system to capture, display, store, and analyze physiologic data
deviations from expected patterns or valid early warnings will be streams from bedside monitoring devices. The term “T3” arose
heeded and appropriate adjustments in care will be made. from the primary functional elements of the system as initially
Digital data stream analysis is not new, and, historically, high- conceived to include the ability to track relevant physiologic data,
frequency, high-volume data have been processed in batches and enable assessment of a patient’s trajectory throughout the patient’s
at periodic intervals (daily, weekly, or at longer intervals). Much course in the CICU, and to support the ability to trigger appropriate
of the impact of this work has been realized through automation responses or actions. The T3 data collection and analytics platform
of clerical tasks and standardization of routine decisions and actions. was designed as a Web-based, vendor agnostic, and scalable software
In commercial industries, stream analytics has resulted in improved system with three main features: an interactive data visualization
business efficiency and customer satisfaction owing to data access, user interface, a robust data analytics engine, and high-volume
the Internet, and ubiquity of personal computers and mobile data storage capability. Fig. 3.2 describes an overview of the T3
devices.13,15,16 Unfortunately, many data management systems remain platform beginning with data stream capture and ending with the
fragmented and struggle with the management of large volumes multiple interfaces between its main features and data use applica-
of high-variety data that may present rapidly, a major consequence tions. Fig. 3.3 shows a simplified version of the system architecture,
of which is long latency periods for access to the right data to noting its relatively simple structure and the ability to add third-
make timely and correct decisions. In contrast to batch processing, party algorithms plus access to cumulatively stored data. The primary
event stream processing involves the continuous analysis of flowing goals of the technology were to improve visualization of data trends
time series data with the primary goals of providing real-time for CICU patients, to develop algorithms and predictive models
insight about a situation and to allow early detection of anomalies. driven by the real-time physiologic data to guide decision making,
Importantly, there is an inverse relationship between response time and to create a hosting platform for the development and testing
latency (i.e., the time from event or data element capture to delivery of algorithms using large volumes of stored data.
of action) and tactical value, thus emphasizing the importance of
timely data capture, analysis, and action within the streaming
analytics process.16 For such a system to be functional, it requires Continuous data stream capture
a complex architecture (Fig. 3.1) with the capability to support
the swift collection and aggregation of highly variable data types, Visualization & real-time Data storage
the ability to analyze that data in real time, and the ability to analytics (user interface)
directly influence end users (or even automated computerized Plus: Mathematical modeling &
Shared data
• Decision capture
systems) to make and execute appropriate decisions and actions. • Event annotation
predictive analytics
&
• Algorithms
Ideally, such a system would include measurable outcomes and • “Plug-in” app enabled • Risk-driven monitoring
analytics
similar events as input data elements from the data stream feedback consortium
• Testing/validation
loop. This enables a rapid-cycle process to assess system performance
Other inputs:
and to support system learning and refinement as needed, as would • Devices Assessment & management protocols • Decision making
occur in a machine learning paradigm. An additional feature worth • Labs • Clinical guidelines • Machine learning
• Financial data • Decision support • System intelligence
• Standardized management plans

Data sources Analytics & insight Decisions Outcomes


• Figure 3.2 Overview of the T3 data collection and analytics platform.
(real-time)
Information Data
systems us visualization Production &
tinuo y Monitoring network
Con quer research database
Monitors (Philips, GE, etc.) Data layer
servers
Biomedical Continuous Decisions Outcomes
devices Data Data HL7
stream query stream & & events
Medical actions
literature
processor Message bus
Ale
rts
Clinical events Notifications/ Business layer
& outcomes communication
Clinical 3rd party
• Structured data
Ad hoc calculator Web server algorithm
• Unstructured data query
Historical Other data
data (EMR) repositories
UI layer
IE browser (w/ chrome frame)

• Figure 3.1 Stream processing architecture. EMR, Electronic medical • Figure 3.3 T3 software system architecture. IE, Internet Explorer; UI,
record. user interface.
20 PART I The Systems-Based ICU

Central graphs with Dashboard view of


movable window showing current and past data Risk mitigation
data stream for selected from patient-connected
parameters devices
• Decisions
• Treatment algorithms
• Resource allocation
EMR Monitors Devices
• Training

Data aggregation
T3
Cardiovascular SI
• Plug-in feature Normal 68% Shock 32%
Document • Graded view of pt. instability Physiologic data
feature to • Derived from user-selected
capture event physiologic variables & target analytics
details and ranges Low DO2 24% Sepsis 8%
decision making • Real-time calculation based on
Drag and drop selected utility mapping of the dominant Physiology observer
parameter to the desired multivariate trend
central graph Low CO 6% Respiratory failure 18%

Third-party algorithms
• Figure 3.4 T3 user interface showing trend patterns for multiple physi- Risk-driven patient monitoring
ologic parameters, including the cardiovascular stability index (SI). Each
data point represents 5-second averages of the continuously streamed • Figure 3.5 Risk-based monitoring process. EMR, Electronic medical
data. record.

The T3 visualization user interface, as originally designed, is

P(Qp:Qs)
Single-ventricle physiology
shown in Fig. 3.4 and demonstrates how multiple data streams
2
are viewed simultaneously with trend patterns easily viewed in
context with one another. The interactive interface allows selected
Qp:Qs
1 2
1 Qp:Qs
parameters to be placed on the screen where desired and the ability
to zoom in for higher resolution (down to 5-second interval averages 0
19:12 21:36 00:00 02:24 04:48 07:12 09:36 12:00 14:24 16:48 19:12
between data points). The trend pattern can be examined along Time [hr:min]
the timeline using a sliding, zoomable window for as long as the
SvO2 [%]

P(SvO2)
patient has been connected to a bedside monitor. The dashboard 50

view in the upper right shows a sparkline summary of the recent 0 50


SvO2
100
0
data trends, the current parameter value, and user-determined 19:12 21:36 00:00 02:24 04:48 07:12 09:36 12:00 14:24 16:48 19:12
boundary limits for each parameter. The user interface also allows Time [hr:min]

for note entry or event annotation on the timeline (bottom) using


Inadequate DO2 80%
free text entry or menu-driven options. This allows for decisions Note:
High Qp:Qs→Low DO2
or other entries to be captured for easy querying and reporting at Low SvO2→Low DO2 High Qp: Qs 70%
a later time.
Among the analytics features of the system is the ability to
select a sample of multiparameter data from the live interface and • Figure 3.6 Panels showing probability density functions generated from
display summary statistics in tabular form for each parameter. In streamed physiologic and intermittent laboratory data (SvO2) for Qp:Qs and
addition, the first plug-in algorithm, the cardiovascular stability SvO2. Note the trend pattern change in which a rise in Qp:Qs is associated
index (SI), was designed to represent a graded view of patient with a decreased SvO2 as would be expected in single-ventricle physiol-
instability and is displayed along with the other parameters from ogy with parallel circulations. DO2, Oxygen delivery; Qp, pulmonary blood
flow; Qs, systemic blood flow; SvO2, mixed venous saturation.
which it is derived (see Fig. 3.4). The SI is generated from user-
selected physiologic variables (for instance, oxygen saturation as
measured by pulse oximetry [SpO2], mean blood pressure [BP], of algorithms derived from physiology-based models to estimate
and heart rate [HR]) and requires customized upper and lower the probability that a certain physiologic state exists. A key goal
target ranges for each included variable. The SI is a real-time calcula- of this approach is to assist in the management of clinician data
tion based on utility mapping of the dominant multivariate trend overload by processing multiparameter data streams and to account
calculated from the streaming data; in essence the value is influenced for the inherent uncertainty that exists in any clinical assessment
by the rate of change and the extent to which the measured value or treatment decision.10,11 A flow diagram depicting the risk-based
deviates from the ideal range parameter for the selected variables. monitoring process is shown in Fig. 3.5, where, as an example,
In the early experience with the algorithm, the predictive ability the probability of shock is estimated given the quantitative assess-
of the SI was evaluated in 28 neonates with hypoplastic left heart ment of its possible attributes. By signal processing methods,
syndrome following stage I palliation. Using the variables SpO2, quantitative estimates that a condition exists (like shock or poor
HR, and mean arterial BP, the maximum SI within the first 6 to oxygen delivery) are generated from probability density functions
48 hours postoperatively (SI >0.11) predicted an ICU length of for the relevant variables derived from the continuous physiologic
stay greater than 12 days. All patients with SI less than 0.11 (n = data stream. Fig. 3.6 shows how the probability density functions
13) were discharged from the ICU within 12 days. for the attributes ratio of pulmonary to systemic blood flow (Qp:Qs)
The most advanced analytics feature of the T3 platform involves and mixed venous saturation (SvO2) are viewed over time and
a predictive analytics technique, termed risk-based patient monitoring how the data can be translated into a quantifiable risk of the
or risk analytics (Etiometry, LLC, Brighton, Massachusetts), which condition, which in this case is inadequate oxygen delivery (IDO2),
involves signal processing methodology along with the application using the single-ventricle physiology model. The analysis can be
CHAPTER 3 Streaming Analytics in Pediatric Cardiac Care 21

Probability of inadequate oxygen delivery Probability of inadequate oxygen delivery Predictive


1 1
window of 3
0.8 0.8 % of time spent hours
0.6 0.6 with Maximum blood
0.4 0.4 IDO2 > 75% lactate (>10 mmol/L)
in 12h periods up to
0.2 0.2
5 days postop
0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
9h
Probability of balanced circulation Probability of balanced circulation
1 1
0.8 0.8
Surgery 12h 12h 12h 12h
0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 ... Day 5
0.2 0.2 • Figure 3.8 Test design scheme for the evaluation of the IDO2 algorithm
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 as a predictor of physiologic state as defined by lactate >10. IDO2, Inad-
Days post operation equate oxygen delivery.
Patient 1: hypoxia; low QP:QS; cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest Patient 2: uneventful course

• Figure 3.7 Risk-based analytics demonstration of the probability of


inadequate oxygen delivery on two patients with single-ventricle physiol- % of time spent with
ogy. Qp:Qs, Ratio of pulmonary to systemic blood flow. IDO2 >75%
up to the earliest event
or 48 hours postop

computed at single or multiple time points or even continuously.


Continuous real-time risk assessment reveals the trajectory pattern ? End point:
for a condition of interest that may evolve in due course or in • Death during hospitalization
response to therapeutic interventions. Taken further, if a given Surgery or within 30 days of surgery
48 hours
• ECMO
pattern can be shown to “predict” a certain outcome, then in • Cardiac arrest
theory the early detection of anomalies could be achieved from • Cardiac reinterventions
the data stream to alter treatment course to either achieve or avoid • Dialysis
that outcome. Algorithm testing and proper validation is crucial
for this to be adopted by clinicians and to be safely incorporated • Figure 3.9 Test design scheme for the evaluation of the IDO2 algorithm
as a predictor of selected end point. ECMO, Extracorporeal membrane
into clinical practice. In a simple but illustrative example, Fig. 3.7 oxygenation; IDO2, inadequate oxygen delivery.
shows the continuous probability assessments for IDO2 and Qp:Qs
equal to 1 in two patients, one who experiences cardiac arrest and
other experiencing an uneventful course. One can appreciate the Fig. 3.9. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed an area
difference in risk analytics trend pattern between the two patients under the curve (AUC) for elevated blood lactate level prediction
experiencing different outcomes. One can also appreciate the of 0.84 (0.75–0.9) and an AUC of 0.84 (0.77–0.89) in predicting
sustained rise in IDO2 probability and a simultaneously low risk poor outcome.
of “imbalanced Qp:Qs” that occurred in patient 1 a few days leading In a separate study the IDO2 algorithm and thus the predictive
up to the arrest, which might be attributable to the Qp:Qs imbalance analytics approach was evaluated in its ability to predict a measured
with low DO2 as a cause of the event. SvO2 value less than 40%. A low measured SvO2 in high-risk
Since its initial creation, the IDO2 algorithm has undergone postoperative cardiac patients has been widely accepted as a proxy
further evaluation and testing in regard to its ability to predict a for low cardiac output, a condition approaching a state of anaerobic
patient’s physiologic state and outcomes. metabolism, and high risk of poor clinical outcome.17,18 In this
In a retrospective study of a sample of 274 neonates undergoing multi-institutional study involving over 1500 cardiac surgical and
cardiac surgery over a 4-year period, the risk analytics IDO2 nonsurgical cardiac patients less than 12 years of age, the IDO2
algorithm, derived from the continuous physiologic and periodic algorithm (probability of IDO2 value greater than 75%) driven
laboratory data parameters of SvO2 value of 50% or less, SaO2-SvO2 off continuous physiologic data plus periodically measured SvO2
difference of 50 or higher, and mean arterial blood pressure of by venous blood gas was shown to be a good predictor of SvO2
45 mm Hg or less, was evaluated as a predictor of blood lactate less than 40% (AUC of 0.84). The test design was based off IDO2
level greater than 10 mmol/L and separately as a predictor of poor greater than 75% between 15 and 120 minutes leading up to SvO2
outcome. Poor outcome was defined as experiencing cardiac arrest, measurement. In this study the relative risk of measuring a low
dying by postoperative day 30, and the need for cardiac reinterven- SvO2 level (<40%) increased with higher IDO2 range, with the
tion, mechanical circulatory support, or dialysis. The test design IDO2 range 75% to 100% associated with a relative risk of 4 to
for predicting an abnormal physiologic state (lactate level greater 7 in this population of neonates, infants, and children with cardiac
than 10 mmol/L) involved identifying the percentage of time spent disease.
immediately postoperatively with IDO2 probability greater than From these studies it is apparent that the IDO2 algorithm
75% over a 9-hour period leading up to a predictive window 3 provides real-time quantitative information about a patient’s
hours before a maximum lactate value of greater than 10 mmol/L condition, and that the rise in IDO2 value, even to modest levels,
was measured. These 12-hour cycles occurred up to 5 days post- may signify an increased risk of inadequate DO2, thus triggering
operatively as is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3.8. In predicting some sort of action to potentially improve the patient’s immediate
poor outcome the test design involved identifying the percentage course and subsequent outcome. To date neither the IDO2 algorithm
of time IDO2 was greater than 75% up to the earliest event or 48 nor any of the work involving the T3 predictive analytics has been
hours postoperatively. The schema for this design is shown in evaluated in relation to specific treatment actions. However, since
22 PART I The Systems-Based ICU

its initial creation the T3 analytics platform has undergone modifica- recognized that the demands of the dynamic, data-rich, and
tions to the visualization user interface that enable its use as an resource-intensive CICU coupled with the potential for data
always-on persistent display of the continuous data stream plus overload among clinicians warranted pursuit of a system with T3’s
IDO2 estimation, with the real-time incorporation of selected capabilities. It was also recognized that the electronic medical record
laboratory data in the same view. Body system and physiology-based and existing telemetry systems were not capable of providing an
views (i.e., respiratory and neurologic) have been developed with intuitive and integrated view of the data elements necessary to
work on the incorporation of more diverse data elements ranging assist in the continuous and rapid assessment of a patient’s trajectory
from static patient-specific information to digitally available or evolving pattern of deterioration. And lastly, without ready
waveform data. access to stored, aggregated data, extracting meaningful insight
was onerous or impossible in some cases where event review was
Visual Analytics and Data Visualization necessary. What has been achieved by the creation and implementa-
tion of the T3 system is summarized as follows:
Visual analytics represents another area of science that is inherent 1. High-frequency physiologic data from multiple sources are now
to the streaming analytics approach. As described in the previous captured, aggregated, and stored, then accessed and
section, data visualization is an important component of the T3 distributed.
analytics platform because it provides a graphical representation 2. Captured data can be organized and presented on an intuitive
of data that identifies and communicates important patterns and visual interface for efficient and effective processing by clinicians
concepts about the data. According to Alberto Cairo, a renowned in the live clinical setting who must make timely assessments
data visualization expert, the goal of any visualization is to “assist and interventions.
the eyes and brain to perceive what lies beyond their natural reach.” 3. Streamed data can be analyzed in real time to produce a variety
Thus data visualization seeks to integrate our visual perception of metrics that help to quantitatively assess a patient’s condition
capabilities with our cognitive abilities so that we can receive and instantaneously or over time and allow for trend pattern assess-
process the information effectively.19 ment, including judgment of the response to treatment.
Ideally, a visualization should provide an intuitive, integrated 4. Predictive analytics using signal processing and mathematical
view of relevant parameters while preserving situational context, modeling techniques from the combination of high-frequency
support care management, and be interactive, allowing the end data and intermittent data is achievable to estimate variables
user to easily navigate and manipulate the data. Visual analytics or a stream of relevant data that does not yet exist. With further
involves analytic reasoning as facilitated by visualization interfaces development, testing, and validation, these streams may reduce
and is believed to play a key role in supporting the effective use data overload and improve the timeliness and effectiveness of
of data and information derived from big data analytics techniques.20 care.
When designing and implementing a data visualization tool, human 5. A robust data analytics platform can support integration of
factors principles should be considered to enhance the user experi- data that continuously grows and integrates elements from
ence and thus promote a higher likelihood of user adoption.21 multiple sources, thus enhancing knowledge about the individual
However, with any novel or evolving technology application, patient or groups of patients within a database and through
resistance to adoption may occur for a variety of reasons. This can data sharing across institutions and databases. Depending on
be addressed with attention to potential or known barriers early the platform structure, databases can be leveraged to support
in the design, testing, and implementation course. From the clinical benchmarking, protocol integration, and quality improvement
safety perspective, simulation methods may be useful for training and rapid-cycle research activity. Regardless of the system
purposes and also to identify system glitches, through usability architecture, it is crucial that data privacy and security be achieved
and heuristic evaluation, before and after the system is brought and maintained.
into production.22 6. At the time of this writing, other systems with similar capabilities
have been or are actively being developed at institutions around
Final Comments the world. Laussen and others at The Hospital for Sick Children
in Toronto are expanding the data science approaches upon
Streaming analytics has made its way into the contemporary ICU, which the T3 platform is based, which now include waveform
though this is not an entirely new phenomenon given the history data. His colleagues in the neonatal ICU at the same institution
of intensive monitoring and use of broad, though basic, types of have been working on big data applications using high-frequency
clinical data since the early days of critical care medicine. What analytics to enhance the monitoring and identification of
is different from previous eras are a number of factors related to important events in at-risk neonatal patients.23 At Texas Children’s
the evolution of standards and expectations around outcomes, the Hospital, real-time high-frequency data were being used to
growth in knowledge and information in medicine, advances in develop an algorithm designed to identify subtle signs of clinical
computer and information technology that bring massive volumes deterioration that may lead to cardiopulmonary arrest in complex
of information to us, and examples outside of health care that neonatal patients with parallel circulations.24 Finally, a group
real-time analytics can be applied in profound and beneficial ways. at Emory University Hospital, like others, has been working
Though limited to a few examples, this chapter highlights some on the optimal engineering design to achieve the “smarter ICU,”
of the early experience of streaming analytics in a critical care an important part of which involves the application of big data
environment, specifically in a dynamic, high-volume pediatric analytics to improve caregiver situation awareness for early
CICU. The impetus to pursue high-frequency data analytics in identification of anomalies and prompt intervention.25 From
this unit arose from the desire to better understand the trajectory work described in this chapter, it appears that further technologic
patterns of critically ill patients in hopes of identifying anomalies advances are likely and the achievement of automated intelligent
in their course, affording the opportunity to proactively manage early warning and patient management technology-driven
situations and avoid catastrophic events. In addition, it was processes involving streaming analytics are now within our reach.
CHAPTER 3 Streaming Analytics in Pediatric Cardiac Care 23

Selected References Paper presented at: IEEE 52nd Annual Conference on Decision and
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Monitor Powered by In-Silico Physiology. Paper presented at: Annual
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Have They Improved Outcomes? Pediatr Clin North Am. Biology Society 2015.
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3. Celi LA, Csete M, Stone D. Optimal Data Systems: The Future of 16. Pigni F, Piccoli G, Watson R. Digital Data Streams: Creating Value
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2016;63(2):10. IEEE. 2015;3.
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Monitoring Solution to the Data Overload in Intensive Care Medicine.
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References 10. Mcmanus M, Baronov D, Almodovar 18. Tweddell JS, Hoffman GM, Fedderly RT,
M, et al. Novel Risk-based Monitoring et al. Patients at Risk for Low Systemic
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Another random document with
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Aggie was dressing for dinner.
'Think about what, Polly?'
'Oh, miss, Mr Gustie gave me a kiss.'
'Well?'
'Yes, and a 'alf-crown.'
'Where, and when, and what for?'
'In your budd-oyre, miss, soon's you were gone, not to tell he stole your
letter from dear Master Antony.'
'But I found the letter on the table where I left it.'
'Yes, miss, cause master hisself put it there.'
'Did my cousin, Mr Robb, give it to father?'
'That he did. I see'd him with these beautiful eyes, as Mr Gustie called
'em. And I 'eard all 'e said, and master too.'
'Ah! Polly, never mind; but I'm afraid you have neither earned your kiss
nor your half-crown. There's a dress of mine, Polly, you can have for the
servants' ball next month. It only wants altering.'
'Oh, thanks; and I won't ever let Mr Gustie kiss me or 'alf-crown me
never no more. Yours until death do us part, Polly Smiggins.'
Then Aggie Blake went down to dinner.
'Oh, by the way, Aggie,' said Mr Blake, 'did you find your letter? You had
dropped it on the hall-floor, and then it was picked up, and I placed it on
your desk.'
'Thank you very much, papa. It was only from Antony. He is enjoying
himself very much, and is going to travel soon. Shall I give it to you?'
'Oh, you needn't, Aggie. Fact is, seeing it was in Frank's handwriting, I'm
afraid I was rude enough to read it.'
'Was it the butler who found it, daddy?'
'Ye—ye—es,' Gustus Robb interjected. 'The fellow picked it up just as I
was entering the library, and I handed it to you, Mr Blake.'
The only reply Aggie made was, 'Um—m—m!'
And that might have meant anything.
CHAPTER XI.

BLOWN OUT TO SEA.

U P in the north the weather continued clear and calm and beautiful;
woods and forests, now bedded with fallen leaves, a carpet on which
those feeble folk the coneys played and gambolled all day long, but
ready, aye ready, to dart into their burrows should their 'cute, alert ears detect
the sound of a footfall or snapping of a twiglet in the distance.
The sun went down about three in the afternoon now, but the gloaming
was long, and the stars ever so large and near and brilliant. Indeed, the tallest
spruce-trees seemed high enough to move amongst them, one would have
thought. The aurora borealis danced and flitted on the northern sky above the
sea every night, their marching spears of light sometimes darting upwards as
far as the zenith.
There was but little doing in camp at present. The show was seldom
visited except when some new feature was advertised in the neighbouring
towns. The merman, it was stated in the Murlin and Creel, was hibernating,
but sometimes awoke and came to the surface, ravenous for want of food.
The dreaded dooroocoolie gave voice but seldom now, but was quite
prepared to swallow any boy under fifteen that came within reach of its
fearful jaws.
It must not be supposed, however, that there was any such thing as
idleness in the camp. No, for every one under Biffins Lee had to work hard
for his 'screw.' Moreover, there was to be great doings about the New Year,
and when these were over the Queerest Show would be preparing for the
spring campaign. But New Year's Day was some distance ahead yet, so Lotty
had plenty of time to row, to sail, and manœuvre her New Jenny Wren. She
took the skiff out first all alone by herself, but did not venture to sail. So
pleased with her seaworthiness was she that she next took Chops with her,
and this youth was even a better sailor than Lotty. They tried the Jenny Wren
with the mainsail, then with mainsail and jib, and in a second and third
cruise also with the gaff most tentatively. The ballast was well secured so as
not to shift, and Lotty clapped her hands with delight to see how close to the
wind the pretty craft could sail, and how like a 'puffick hangel,' as Chops
called her, she behaved.
Then after this Lotty ventured out alone with Wallace, bending what she
called her storm-jib, and having a reef in the mainsail, but no gaff. With so
well-ballasted and nicely built a boat this was a very safe rig. Last of all, she
took Antony himself for a sail, and tried the experiment of having Wallace at
the same time lying on a lot of tarpaulin for'ard towards the bows.
Everything went well, and young Blake expressed himself as delighted
beyond measure.
Lotty's experiments were not nearly all over yet. But the thoughtful child
always went alone when there was the slightest danger, and there was always
a spice of this when there was a bit of a breeze on. On such occasions the
marvel was that the Jenny Wren did not capsize; but her little skipper
evidently knew what she was about. She went round, too, with the greatest
caution; and sometimes, had she not been one of the strongest girls for her
age that ever swung an Indian club, her boat-sail would have defeated her.
She always kept her craft well trimmed, and had an eagle eye to the ballast
before she put to sea. And such confidence did Lotty gain at last, not only in
her own prowess and management, but in the seaworthiness and good
qualities of the Jenny Wren, that she feared nothing, and never seemed to be
so much at home as when out on the open sea.
Biffins Lee, to tell the whole truth, rather encouraged her in rashness than
the contrary. This man was inordinately fond of money, or rather perhaps the
making of it. To him this was a species of gambling that he could never tire
of; and now—at times when Lotty was out in her boat, 'evoluting,' as she
called it—he used to walk the beach, watching her through his spyglass, and
wondering whether he could not make this infant prodigy of his pay as a
daring child-sailor.
It is doubtful whether he had any real love for Lotty apart from the
money she brought to his purse, the grist to his mill. Her feats of strength
were certainly marvellous enough in all conscience for one so young.
Somehow, Frank Antony did not like to see his little friend on the stage
performing any of her 'tit-bits,' as she laughingly called them. He had seen
her once swinging the clubs to music with a gracefulness of strength and
attitudes such as he had never believed possible. But he had not gone a
second time. He used to hear the wild shouts of applause sometimes when he
knew her to be acting, and was satisfied with that.
There is, of course, a deal of art and artfulness in feats of strength. Every
muscle of the body must be made the right use of at the proper time, and
every nerve and sinew has to perform its own duty in its own place. There
must be method, else, to put it in plain language, one muscle may get in the
way of the other.
It was very easy for Lotty, after getting gracefully into position, to have
Skeleton to leap nimbly on her shoulders and stand there, a trained cat
running up his back and sitting down on his head, and finally a white rat to
run up over all, and, standing on pussy's back, wave the Union-jack. It was
more difficult for Lotty to balance herself with one foot on Wallace's
shoulders and one on his rump, her arms extended, and thus permit Skeleton
to take his place on her shoulders. But the main feat of strength undoubtedly
lay in rising off the stage, on which she had crouched, with all the weight of
Mary the fat lady on her back. This was not only wonderful, but it was
positive cruelty to the child. Only, it brought down the house, and that was
all Biffins Lee cared about.
There were performing Shetland ponies at the Queerest Show on Earth,
and with these not only Lotty, but Chops, Skeleton, and Mary performed in a
marvellous way. One pony was but little bigger than Wallace, and the two
together never failed to create quite a sensation, so numerous were the tricks
they tried. The strange thing is this: in their play not even Biffins Lee
himself knew beforehand exactly what was going to take place. There
appeared to be the most complete understanding betwixt dog and pony.
Sometimes it was Wallace who suggested a new antic, and sometimes it was
evidently the pony. But it was certain that both of them were delighted with
the roars of laughter they succeeded in eliciting from the audience. At the
conclusion of a performance like this Lee would come to the front of the
stage, leading Wallace with his left hand and Tony the pony with his right.
Both animals bent low their heads and forelegs by way of making a bow,
then Lee would put to his audience the question: 'Which is the nobler
animal?' and asked for a show of hands, first for Wallace, and then for Tony.
It was not always apparent who had it. Only, Wallace was not yet eighteen
months old, while Tony scored ten years.
No, it was not Lotty the show-girl whom Antony loved—well, liked, then
—but Lotty, his dear, delightful little companion of the woods and wilds.
. . . . . . .
Terrible are the squalls that sometimes rise suddenly during the winter
over this far northern sea, and frequently they break the weather for days.
Probably Lotty had become too confident in the sailing qualities and
prowess of her tiny yacht and in her undoubted abilities as skipper; and she
thus grew almost foolhardy. But then she was only a child, albeit an infant
prodigy.
There is a long twilight even in winter up in these latitudes; but one
afternoon the sea was so inviting, the sky so serene, that Lotty had been
manœuvring the Jenny Wren farther from shore than probably she believed
herself to be. Suddenly she noticed a huge black cloud rising rapidly up in
the south-west. So dense and dark was it that, though fringed along its top-
edge at first by the yellow-gold light of sunset, it speedily assumed the
appearance of a huge pall obscuring the sky and obliterating every vestige of
twilight from the surface of the sea. Lotty could see a line of foam
approaching, and for the first time in her boating career she felt nervous. She
never lost her presence of mind for one moment, however.
The wind had changed a bit, and well she knew it would soon blow
almost a hurricane off the shore. But she was ready. Down went the helm;
she lowered sail quickly. The danger was in broaching-to, and she had to act
as skipper and crew as well—ay, and the man at the wheel—for she must try
to keep the skiffs head to the wind and seas. Only her extraordinary strength
enabled her now to unstep the mast, and this with the oars and sail she
quickly tied together with some spare rope and the sheet. She worked
cautiously, yet with a speed that was wondrous, tying everything securely
and with the best of sailor's knots, and finally crawling aft and fastening the
boat's painter firmly to the whole as near to the centre of the jib as possible.
Then overboard with a flash went the lashed oars and spar, but not a
second too soon. The squall drove down on her with tremendous force, and
had the painter snapped nothing could have saved the gipsy lass from a
watery grave. But that painter held, and next moment she was crouching in
comparative safety between the bows of the Jenny Wren.
There was driving scud and spray, almost whole water at times, and a
constant lifting of the after-part of the boat, which seemed to flog the seas
with a noise that made Lotty think the timbers were snapping. But as the tiny
yacht filled up with water till she was nearly swamped both this movement
and the noise became less apparent. Lotty had no intention, however, of
letting the Jenny Wren get wholly swamped, so as soon as the first force of
the squall had abated a little she set herself to bail the boat. The bailer was
semi-shallow and a very useful one. It was lashed so that there could be no
danger of losing it.
Both water and wind now were bitterly cold, and the work of bailing put
some life in the girl. She did not mind that she was drenched as far as feet
and legs went, for she was well used to that, and her body was well protected
by a smart oilskin, her head by a natty little sou'-wester tied with a ribbon
firmly under her chin. It was the girl's pride to have everything on board the
Jenny Wren ship-shape and Bristol fashion. Attached to a girdle round her
waist she had even a small compass, and in a waterproof bag lashed under a
thwart was a strong electric flashlight. In this bag also were stored
provisions and a bottle of milk, to say nothing of a bagful of hazel-nuts and a
box of chocolate which Chops had bought her when last at the neighbouring
town.
She was thankful that she had not brought Wallace, for he might have got
excited and swamped the boat.
It was now very dark, and every now and then the squall came down with
merciless force upon her, so that, with the chance of the painter snapping
when extra strain was on it, or the lashed spars being driven down upon the
bows and staving them in, Lotty's position was that of exceeding great peril.
In the midst of it all, however, she felt hungry, and presently crept farther aft;
and, in spite of the intense darkness that now reigned, managed to open the
bag and secure her supper. At the same time she took out her flashlight and
hung this by its ring on to her girdle. She had a long draught of milk and
returned the bottle, then—with a portion of food, a few nuts, and all the
chocolates—she got forward again and resumed her place under the bows.
Her supper revived her spirits and courage, although as yet she had not
taken into consideration the chances of her being able to ride out the storm to
leeward of her bundle of oars and spars. It was well for her she did not think
much, for she was entirely at the mercy of the wind and the waves, and
drifting nor'ard and east into one of the wildest seas anywhere around our
coasts. More than a sea was this; it was part of the great Atlantic Ocean, that
extended in one unbroken line or expanse till it reached the Arctic and
thundered upon the wintry bergs of the sea of ice itself. But, more betoken,
the farther away the boat drifted from the shore, the higher became the
waves, the less the poor wee gipsy lass's chance of keeping above the stormy
waves.
CHAPTER XII.

'OUT YONDER, ON THE LEE BOW, SIR.'

T HERE was not a pulse in the gipsy camp that did not beat more quickly
with anxiety on this sad winter's evening when the sudden black squall
came roaring over the hills, bringing with it the darkness of night and
obliterating both sea and land. Hardly did any one dare to ask another what
would become of the helpless child in her little boat. Dread fear and
uncertainty seemed at once to kill all hope.
'Were the Jenny Wren a strong man-o'-war pinnace,' said one old sailor,
'or the sturdiest herring-boat that ever turned head to wind, there could be
but small chance for her in the teeth of the gale that is now beginning to
rage.'
To young Blake the whole affair was too frightful to contemplate. To
have tried not to think of it would have been an act of cowardice, and to
hope against hope seemed folly. Never till now had he known how his little
companion had, with her innocence and winsome ways, wound herself round
his heart, entwined herself into his affections. Strong he was, it is true, but in
character most gentle and loving. He almost cursed the day now on which he
had ordered the new boat. The old one that he had been so awkward as to
sink was less safe in reality. Yet Lotty knew it, and would not have dared so
much in it.
In about half an hour after the first fierce squall the darkness lifted just a
little; then with his best telescope anxiously did Antony sweep the sea, while
Biffins with his did the same. Not a speck of anything was to be seen.
'She has gone down,' raved the gipsy Lee; 'boat and all has sunk. And
Lotty was the best property of the show. I am ruined! I am ruined!'
Antony was looking at the man hard and angrily.
'It is only the show you think of, Mr Lee. Have you neither love nor pity
for the lost child—your daughter?' It was with difficulty Antony could utter
the last two words.
'True, true,' Biffins replied; 'it is a pity about the lass; it is a pity all ways
of it, and—I'll never get another like Lotty.'
Blake walked away. He felt that had he waited another minute he would
have been tempted to fell the man on the beach where he stood.
He met Mary. Poor fat soul! she was wringing her hands in the anguish of
really womanly grief.
'Oh, my bonny bairn!' she was crying. 'Oh, Mr Blake, you loved her, but
will never see the lassie mair.'
'Cheer up, Mrs Pendlebury; cheer up, we may still hope.'
'Hope, sir; hope? Na, na; there are few ships on that dark sea at this time
of the year. Oh, the cruel winds and the cruel, cruel waves!'
Chops was huddled up beside the great caravan, silent, dumb with the
great sorrow that had overtaken him. Having no word of comfort to utter,
Antony entered the 'Gipsy Queen' and lit his lamps. Wallace was on the sofa.
He whined and cried when Antony came in. Well did he know his mistress
was gone. The young man sat down beside him and took his great head in
his lap; but the dog refused consolation, and at every outside sound lifted his
head, holding it a little to one side as he listened and watched the door.
All this was more than Antony could endure, and he formed a sudden
resolve. He would go right away out into the night, and, if he could but find
his way through the upland woods, pay a visit to Crona in her lonely cottage.
Battling with the wind would help to assuage his grief.
'Yes, Wallace, you may come. We are going to the house of Crona, dear
boy.'
The dog sprang down off the couch at once and shook himself in
readiness. No doubt he thought he was going to find Lotty.
Antony took a strong flashlight with him, and after telling Mary of his
intentions, started off at once. Until well into the very depths of the forest the
road was by no means difficult to follow; but it was dangerous from the
falling branches, while the roar of the wind among the lofty pines was
bewildering. But for Wallace he would certainly have failed to keep upon the
little winding footpath. But the trees that Chops had blazed assisted him
considerably, and after a tiresome march he came out into the open and
could now see the blinking light in the witch's window. He was soon near
enough to hear the yapping of the startled fox, and when he reached the door
and knocked he speedily heard Crona behind it asking in Scotch, 'Fa [who]
be ye that knocks sae bauldly at an auld body's door at this untimeous oor o'
nicht?'
'It is me, Crona. Me—Antony Blake.'
Then the door was opened, and the light of the blazing fire fell upon his
face.
When he told his story she was not nearly so much astonished as he
expected she would be.
'Something told me what would happen,' she replied smiling; 'and I tell
you now, Frank Antony Blake, to keep up your heart, for Lotty will return.'
'Oh, Crona, if I could but believe it! But tell me, now that we are alone,
have you really the gift of second-sight?'
Said Crona in reply, 'There is no gift about it, dear boy, though to ignorant
people who consult me on their future I might put on airs of mystery, and
say:

'Tis the sunset of life gives me mystical lore,


And coming events cast their shadows before.'

Antony held his peace.


'To you,' she added, 'I tell the truth, that palmistry, even prophecy, if you
like to call it so, is only the outcome of long study and science. I know you
are fond of your playmate, boy, for you are little else; well, pray if you like,
for there is One who heareth prayer.'
'Oh, I have prayed, Crona, ever so much, all the way through the forest.
But you give me a little hope, and I am so glad I have come.'
'Lotty will return,' Crona said again.
And Antony was now smiling.
'Think you she has been picked up by some vessel already?'
She did not answer immediately. The blazing peat and wood sent darting
tongues of flame up through the blue-white smoke, and it was at these the
witch was gazing.
'I can see the dear bairn at this moment,' she said. 'Lotty is crouching
under the bows of her boat, and this is riding to the lee of something, I
cannot tell you what. That is all you or I will know to-night.' Then she
placed her hand on the back of his, and smoothed, patted, and stroked it.
It may have been some magnetic influence, or it may not; but true it is
that from that moment Antony mourned no more for Lotty, only hoped.
But now she began to speak of himself, and told him much as she looked
at his palm about his past and not a little about his future.
'Have you an enemy,' she said abruptly; 'a tall, dark man?'
'Oh, there is nearly always a tall, dark man in fortune-telling, Crona.'
'I am not fortune-telling, dear, foolish boy.'
Then Antony suddenly remembered his cousin Gustus.
'That man,' said Crona, 'will work you and yours evil. Beware of him.'
The fire was making Blake drowsy perhaps. He could see Tod Lowrie
curled up in a corner into which Wallace had quietly rolled him, as he always
did; pussy nodding in the binkie; and, not far off, Joe himself with his head
buried underneath his ragged wing. Then he knew nothing more until
daylight. But he went back home to camp with a new hope in his heart that
nothing could entirely extinguish, and told poor Mary all his adventure.
. . . . . . .
Perhaps at the very time that Antony awoke in Crona's cottage, Lotty also
awoke, but under sadly different circumstances. The wind was still roaring
across the sea, but the boat was almost empty of water, and, crouched up as
she had been, she was fairly dry and warm. But she noted now that one of
the lashings of the sail she had fixed around the oars and mast was coming
undone. She got hold of the painter and commenced, against the scud of the
sea, to round in the slack of it, thus working the little boat at great risk up to
her floating moorings.
It took her a whole hour to make things taut and trim and safe. But they
were so at last, and now the child discovered that she was very hungry. So
she opened the bag and looked over the stores, as she termed the food. Quite
as wise and provident was Lotty as any skipper who had been to sea all his
life. She found that the food would last for a whole day, and the milk longer.
Then there would be the nuts—Chops's nuts.
'Poor Chops!' she sighed. 'Why, the stupid boy loves me so much that he
will be half-dead with grief.'
She had a meagre breakfast and a little sup of milk, but felt very cold
after eating, and her legs were cramped. But Lotty did not dare to stand up,
the wind was so high. She simply stretched her numbed limbs, and this
relieved her a little.
The whole of that day, whenever the boat was on the crest of a high wave,
she kept looking out. But nothing saw she until the red sun was nearly
setting and turning the spray into frothy blood; then, oh joy! a steamer
bearing right down towards her. Oh joy! and oh hope! but oh grief and
collapse when it passed on its way and never saw the Jenny Wren!
Then down went the angry sun, and, slowly to-night, came darkness on.
But although the spray dashed inboard so much that she scarce could look to
windward, the sky was clear and a thousand bright stars were shining.
Later on there was the aurora borealis. Later still, and after eating a few
nuts, the gipsy lass, still crouching in the old place, fell into a deep, sound
sleep while saying her prayers.
. . . . . . .
'But I tell you it is, sir. Just out yonder on the lee bow, sir; my night-glass
never told me a fib yet.'
'Well, mate, if you like to keep away a bit and maybe save a life, as you
suggest, you may do so; only, don't let her get stove on top of some floating
wreckage.'
'The wind is nearly down, skipper, though the seas are a bit high.'
'Hard a-port!'
'Hard it is, sir!'
'Easy, steady as you go!'
A short, sturdy sailor was this mate, a bearded man with a kindly eye,
who had roughed it far away in the Greenland Ocean even from his
boyhood, and the bark he was now on board of was the Nor'lan' Star of Hull,
on a voyage now to Archangel for timber. Few vessels dared so dangerous a
voyage at this season; but those brave fellows who did managed to make a
very good thing of it. There was a big lump of a boy standing by his side in
the starlight.
'Take a look through that glass, Ben, my lad.
Presently the black hull of the bark was looming within fifty yards over her.
LASS. Page 129.

Focus her to your own tune, and squint ahead. See anything?'
'Ay, that do I, mate. Summat dark but dippin', dippin' ahind the seas like.'
'I thought your young sight was better than mine. See anything else?'
'It is a small boat, sir, and she is moored to leeward of something floating.
And oh, sir, I can see a figure for'ard. Now, now I see a hand raised!'
Lotty's hand might have been raised in a dream, yet was she fast enough
asleep.
'Ben, hustle aft with all your might and fetch me a Roman candle.'
There was a bright dazzling light all around the little boat, and Lotty
awoke with a start, very much bewildered to see stars, bright crimson, blue,
and green, falling all about her in the sea.
But she had sense enough to know it was a rocket of some kind, and
quickly pulled herself together. A noise of voices shouting came down the
wind, and she flashed her light over and over again to show the sailors of
that huge, dark ship that someone was alive in the boat. Presently the black
hull of the bark was looming within fifty yards over her, and she could see
her masts waving back and fore among the glittering stars. She did not forget
to thank God for the deliverance that was close at hand. She, too, had been
praying until, childlike, she had fallen asleep in the middle of 'Our Father,
who art.'
The rough sailors carried her tenderly on deck and aft, and even the Jenny
Wren was hoisted. Then sails were filled, and northwards once more sailed
the Nor'lan' Star.
The skipper had his wife on board, and she hardly knew how kind to be
to poor Lotty, who was soon sound asleep on the saloon sofa, all her cares
forgotten for the time being.
. . . . . . .
The time in camp went wearily by—oh, so wearily!—day after day, a
whole week, and there was no word or sign of Lotty.
Antony got all the newspapers he could think of, and read them, inch by
inch, handing them quietly to Biffins Lee to glance at after he had finished.
As long as he found nothing about Lotty in the paper hope lived in his heart,
but again and again, to keep it burning, he had to recall the words of Crona.
He feared, somehow, to go back there again notwithstanding, lest she might
have received some second revelation that would dash all that hope aside.
Wallace followed him everywhere and slept in his caravan at night. But
the dog seemed very nervous at times, and would start as if with fear when
he heard the slightest unusual sound. Antony avoided Biffins as much as he
possibly could, because the man appeared to have but one string on which he
cared to harp—namely, the utter ruin to the Queerest Show that the loss of
Lotty Lee was bound to entail.
But one day a strange thing happened. Antony Blake was walking sadly
enough by the seashore at some distance from the camp, and Wallace
himself quietly followed. Suddenly the great dog gave a yap of impatience,
and, looking about, the young man saw him rush seawards, and, with a howl
of mingled joy and despair apparently, take the water with a splash. And to
his horror Antony noticed that the dog was making for some sort of cloth or
garment that was rising and falling on the waves a long distance out. His
heart almost stood still, and there were beads of cold perspiration on his
brow as the dog seized the fearful something and was seen making his way
inshore with it. It must be, young Antony thought, poor Lotty's dead body.
He placed his hand over his eyes and kept it there for quite a long time, until
he heard the dog bark again close beside him on the beach. What he had
brought in was the mast and sail of the Jenny Wren. And Antony could
breathe more freely now. But that night he made his way again to Crona's
cottage, and, strangely enough, the old lady was waiting to receive him.
CHAPTER XIII.

ON BOARD THE 'NOR'LAN' STAR.'

T HE little gipsy lass was in a very pleasant dream—at least she firmly
believed it was a dream. Her dreams were nearly always nice, so much
so indeed that she never cared to waken too soon out of one. She did not
mean to, out of this one, for she was very warm and comfortable, and she
would be aroused far too speedily presently, and find herself in the little
caravan with hardly time for breakfast before Biffins Lee would be shouting
for all hands to come to rehearsal.
Yet she could not help wondering what o'clock it might be, so she just
opened her eyes wide enough to look lazily through the lashes at the wee
clock that ticked up in the skylight. Lo! the clock was not there. That was a
skylight sure enough, but not Lotty's, and—why, surely it was moving, and
everything else seemed moving, even her bed and her body. What a droll
dream to be sure! Then the sound of voices close beside her, and the music
of knives and forks and plates fell upon her ears, and the whole appeared to
be very real. What could have happened? Where could she be? She
remembered nothing.
'Wasn't it a blessing, mate, that you discovered that bit of a boat?'
'It was a 'tarposition of Providence, and that's what I calls it. God is ever
kind, and those that has got to live He will bring again up out of the depths
of the yawning deep itself.'
'That's so, mate; that's so.—How sweet and pretty the child looks asleep
there. I declare, wife, I would like to go and kiss her.'
'Then why don't you, dear?'
'Well, Maggie, at present my mouth's about half-full of kippered herring,
and it seems to me that kippered herring and kisses are not on the same
quarterdeck like.'
Lotty was beginning to think this surely could not be a dream, so she
opened her eyes a very little way again and looked round her. She appeared
to be inside a large German concertina, for this saloon was perfectly
octagonal, but very cosily curtained and pretty, with plenty of pictures and
photographs on the bulkheads. At the round table in the centre were seated
four red people all looking her way—a rosy, motherly-like lady; a red-faced,
good-natured-looking sumph of a lad, somewhat like Chops, but not so fat; a
redder-faced, brown-bearded figure, jolly-looking, and dressed in blue pilot;
and another man dressed similarly, the jolliest-looking and reddest of all—
painted red by the sea every one of them, and by the spray of salt waves and
the wild winds that had brushed their cheeks for many a long year.
Perhaps the skipper's wife had seen the flickering of the child's eyes, for
she got up now and knelt down beside the sofa, taking Lotty's hand.
'Are you better, darling? You've had such a nice sleep.'
The bonny blue eyes were wide enough open now.
'It isn't a dream then?'
'No dream, little un,' said the skipper across the table. 'You are saved.'
'Oh, I don't like Salvation Army people,' cried Lotty; 'the band is vile. But
this can't be heaven surely?'
'A long way off that port, my pretty. But you are saved, all the same, from
a watery grave.'
'It were a 'tarposition of Providence, it were,' said the first mate. 'Hadn't
been for the boy Ben, here, who is doin' dooty as second-mate, I wouldn't
have seen Miss Mite. It's 'im ye've got to thank, little missie—nobut Ben.'
'And God,' said the skipper reverently.
'And God,' assented the mate.
'I remember all now,' said the gipsy lass, 'and I am very thankful; but they
will all be so sad on shore, Chops and Mary and all. You couldn't land me,
could you?'
'Ay, little dear,' laughed the skipper, 'we'll land ye; but it will be in
Trondhjem. But we've made up our minds to make ye as happy as Arctic
summer days are long.'
Having once comforted herself with the thought that, although Antony
and Chops and all the rest would mourn for her for a time as dead, there
would be such a joyful meeting to make up for all when she got back again,
she settled herself to be happy and to enjoy her strange, new life. When the
captain and the mate and the boy Ben went on deck, the motherly lady
dressed her and tidied her hair as much as it ever would tidy—for it was, like
Lotty herself, very irrepressible—she sat down to breakfast. Lotty was not
shy, no well-brought-up child of the world ever is. She could not even be
timid beside so kindly a soul as the skipper's wife.
No, she did not care for fish. 'It was nearly all fish in the camp,' she told
Mrs Skipper Paterson; but the English bacon was a treat, and the English
toast, and, 'Oh those eggs, how beautiful! What are they?'
'Sea-gulls', dear, from the rocks of Tromsö.'
'How large and pointed they are, and so sweetly green; and what are those
curious streaks of black and brown, like a baby's writing, all over them?'
'Well,' said Mrs Skipper, who was just a little romantic, as all true sailors
are, 'well, Lotty, I think that every egg is a love-letter written by a gull to her
charming mate.'
'It seems such a pity to break them though.'
'So I have often thought, but one doesn't mind so much when one is
hungry.'
'I love the sea-gulls,' said Lotty, 'and they all love me, and don't mind
coming close up; and then they are so neat and so clean, never a feather
awry, and with eyes ever so clear and bright. I think they are just little bits of
the waves with souls put into them.'
When Lotty got on deck she could hardly keep upright, for it was
blowing half a gale from the west, and now the bonny bark, with her close-
reefed topsails and storm staysails, was standing nor'-east, and away where
black clouds had painted the sky from zenith to horizon. The girl looked a
queer figure—a wee sou'-wester on her head, which could not hide her hair
nor her beauty, and a huge pilot jacket belonging to Ben, the sleeves a bit too
long and the garment itself coming right down to her heels. She swayed and
swayed till the red-faced mate came to her assistance, tucked her under his
arm, and trotted her off for a stroll under the weather bulwarks. Then she felt
as if she had been at sea all her life.
Kaye—kaye—kaye! screamed the birds, for there were sea-gulls even
here, playing at tack and half-tack around and over the quarterdeck, darting
through the fountainheads of wind-vexed seas, circling, swirling, swishing in
every beautiful attitude conceivable—kaye—kaye—kaye! Oh, how happy,
how glorious, those feathered children of the ocean!
Lotty just longed to catch one, tie a message to its leg, kiss it, and tell it to
fly home with this to the little gipsy camp by the lone seashore.
Up and down, fore and aft, the two walked together, and the girl thought
she could never tire listening to the mate's strange stories of the sea, while he
was quite as pleased to have so innocent and sweet a listener.
So a whole hour passed quickly by, and then something happened. A full-
rigged ship was seen bearing towards them from afar, very close-hauled and
with snow-white sails.
'A Yankee from Bergen, I'll lay my last sixpence on that. I'll try to speak
her if she crosses our hawse, and tell her you are safe.—Ben!' he shouted.
'Ben, my boy, look lifty.'
'Ay, ay, sir.'
'Bring my megaphone.[D] Sharp's the word, lad; quick's the action.'
Next minute Ben had hurried aft, and presented his superior officer with a
large tea-tray and a lump of chalk.
'A very old-fashioned arrangement,' he said, 'but does well enough for us.'
In huge letters on the back of his 'megaphone,' as he grandly termed it, he
hastily wrote:

'Timber-ship Nor'lan' Star—Capt. Paterson.

'Child girl picked up at sea,


Which her name is Lotty Lee.
'Report to Lloyds.'

Then he took his stand on the grating right abaft the wheel, and held the tea-
tray aloft.
With her cloud of snowy canvas on came the Yankee. Then, as she was
passing, a real megaphone roared out the words: 'The Louisiana of
Baltimore, U.S.A., bearing up for London, England, en route for the States.
What is that?' continued the awful voice. 'Hold your bally old tea-tray
higher. Captain Peters, eh? Little girl born at sea. All right, I'll report it.
Hope mother and daughter are doing well. Love to the missus. Good-bye,
old grampus; bon voyage.'
Next minute the Louisiana was past and away, and the mate dashed the
tea-tray on the deck with a rattle and a word that made Lotty jump.
'Hang the fellow!' he cried; 'he couldn't read plain English, and now he's
off, and may all the bad weather go with him, for he'll report that Mrs
Paterson—— Ha, ha, ha!'
He laughed louder than the west wind as he jumped down.
'Never mind. Come along, Lotty, and we'll have another stroll. Merrily
does at sea, little lass.

With a he! and a ho!


How the wild winds blow,
As we go rolling home, brave boys,
As we goes a-rolling home!'

The gale moderated considerably in the first dog-watch, and the sea
became smoother. Reefs were shaken out, and as the sun set red in the nor'-
west a heavenly starlit night succeeded the stormy day.
Ben went on watch at eight o'clock, and the rest settled around the stove
in the cosy octagonal cabin.
They were plain-living people in the Nor'lan' Star, as all true sea-folks
are. The skipper smoked in his easy-chair, Mrs Paterson sat knitting in hers,
with Lotty on a footstool by her knee, and the red-faced mate between. The
steward brought tumblers to these two men-people, so they sipped their grog
and then settled to yarning and singing.
So soft, so sweet, yet so ringing withal was the good mate's voice as he
gave his rendering of the 'Bay of Biscay' and 'Tom Bowling' that Lotty had
tears in her eyes; but she clapped her little hands as he finished.
'Oh, how much I love that!' she cried with real enthusiasm; 'and oh, Mr
Mate, how delighted my daddy Biffins Lee would be to have you in our
camp! People would come from all directions to hear you sing real sea-songs
like that.'
The mate laughed. 'I fear,' he said, 'I should make but a poor gipsy. But
why do you like my songs, little lass?'
'Because I hear things in them.'
'Hear things in them?'
'Yes, oh yes, for as you sing I can hear the woesome wail of white-winged
gulls as they beat to windward in the dark-cloud sky, dipping now and then
down, down till they touch the darker water and dive through the spray, then
up and up, screaming, till the haze hides the silver of their flight. And I can
hear the storm wind too, sir, rising and falling, falling and rising, so
mournful-like because of the quiet sleeping dead that lie so far beneath the
waves upon the yellow sands.'
Lotty was blushing now at her own youthful enthusiasm, and was fain to
hide her face on Mrs Skipper's lap. And Mrs Skipper patted the shapely
yellow poll.
'So we've really picked up a little poet, have we, from off the stormy
main? said Mr Mate.
'Lotty,' cried the captain suddenly, 'you can sing I'm sure!'
The blue, sparkling eyes glanced upwards through the tousled hair. 'Yes,'
she replied, 'I sing always in the show. I have a mandoline. Have you a
mandoline?'
'No, just the fiddle.'
'Oh, that will do. It is tuned the same. Thanks, not the bow, only my
fingers.'
The child's voice was very beautiful, and almost sad were the songs she
sang.
The skipper beckoned to the steward and pointed to the empty tumblers.
Then he threw back his head in his easy-chair and shut his eyes.
'Sing again, my sweet,' he said.
Lotty did, and once more too.
And the ship swayed and swung in rhythm, while Mrs Skipper, though
her eyes were on her work, forgot to knit.
'Maggie, lass,' said the captain as a song was ended, 'Maggie, dear wife, I
feel sure, quite sure, I saw a tear drop down upon your wool. There! I was
sure of it. Your eyelashes are wet.'
Well, maybe—who knows?—this kindly, homely skipper's wife had a bit
of romance buried away back in her past.
But that evening was a happy one to all, and so were many more that
followed.

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