Roberta E. V. Castro, PhD
Professional Designation(s)/Title:
MD, MSc, PhD
How long have you been a member of SPS?
3 months
Why did you choose the Pediatric Sedation field?
I work only in PICUs, and the diagnostic and therapeutic management of critically ill patients is almost always invasive and aggressive. Avoiding and treating a child’s anxiety and pain is primarily a duty of the pediatrician from an ethical and humanitarian point of view. In addition, proper treatment of pain and anxiety generated by the medical approach provides better and faster recovery of the sick child, making it more likely to be successful in invasive procedures. That’s why I am passionate about the sedation and analgesia field and that’s why I chose it.
Please list a few of your most recent accomplishments:
Master of Sciences (2011-2013): Evaluation of Delirium and Withdrawal Syndrome in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
2018: Twitter champion by the International Federation of Delirium Societies for the dissemination of the World Delirium Awareness Day
PhD in Medicine (2013-2018): Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Pediatric Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit to Brazilian Portuguese
Why did you join SPS?
I am a pediatric intensivist and I wish to learn more about sedation in children. My aim is to improve knowledge concerning how sedation can provide more comfort to our little patients, and how to better manage sedatives and doses, avoiding side effects. Moreover, I would like to get in touch with professionals who are also dedicated to the study of pediatric sedation, sharing experiences for a better approach to pediatric patients.
Short Biography:
I was graduated in 2004 in medicine in the Faculty of Medicine of Valença, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In February 2005, I went to the city of Rio de Janeiro to do a residency in Pediatrics and finished it in January 2007. Soon after, I started my residency in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) in February 2007 and ended in January 2009. In 2011, I started my master’s degree concerning iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome and delirium in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU). After completing my master’s degree in 2013, I started my doctorate. At the moment, I work as a pediatric intensivist in three big hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, two publics, and one private. I also work as a medical editor responsible for the content of Pediatrics and PCCM at a large Brazilian medical website. Moreover, I am coordinating the Latin American Delirium Special Interest Group, an ADS chapter in Latin America.