Stress ulcer prophylaxis in critically ill children: Protocol for a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Stress ulcer prophylaxis is standard in adult ICUs.
• Its benefit and harm in critically ill children remain unclear.
• Evidence is needed to guide clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the patient-important benefits and harms of stress ulcer prophylaxis in critically ill children.
• To compare proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or histamine-2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) against placebo or no prophylaxis.
• To inform clinical practice and future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of randomized clinical trials.
• Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis will be performed.
• Searches will include major databases (Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, etc.).
• Risk of bias and GRADE assessments will be conducted.

Main Results:

• This section is to be populated upon study completion.

Conclusions:

• An updated systematic review is necessary.
• Summarizing benefits and harms of stress ulcer prophylaxis in pediatric ICU patients is crucial.
• This will guide evidence-based decision-making.