Effects of Supportive Positioning Training Video Program for Preterm Infants on the Knowledge and Performance of Nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract Background Patent ductus arteriosus poses diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma for clinicians, diagnosis of persistent PDA, and determination of its clinical and hemodynamic significance are challenging. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of PDA in preterm infants admitted to our NICU, to report cardiac and respiratory complications of PDA, and to study the management strategies and their subsequent outcomes. Result Echocardiography was done for 152 preterm babies admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on day 3 of life. Eighty-seven (57.2%) preterms had PDA; 54 (62.1%) non-hemodynamically significant PDA (non-hsPDA), and 33 (37.9%) hemodynamically significant PDA. Hemodynamically significant PDA received medical treatment (paracetamol 15 mg/kg/6 h IV for 3 days). Follow-up echocadiography was done on day 7 of life. Four babies died before echo was done on day 7. Twenty babies (68.9%) achieved closure after 1st paracetamol course. Nine babies received 2nd course paracetamol. Follow-up echo done on day 11 of life showed 4 (13.7%) babies achieved successful medical closure after 2nd paracetamol course; 5 babies failed closure and were assigned for surgical ligation. The group of non-hsPDA showed spontaneous closure after conservative treatment. Pulmonary hemorrhage was significantly higher in hsPDA group. Mortality was higher in hsPDA group than non-hsPDA group. Conclusion Echocardiographic evaluation should be done for all preterms suspected clinically of having PDA. We should not expose vulnerable population of preterm infants to medication with known side effects unnecessarily; we should limit medical closure of PDA to hsPDA. Paracetamol offers several important therapeutic advantages options being well tolerated and having more favorable side effects profile.

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The value of autopsy in preterm infants at a Swedish tertiary neonatal intensive care unit 2002–2018

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-93358-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alice Hoffsten ◽

Laszlo Markasz ◽

Katharina Ericson ◽

Leif D. Nelin ◽

Richard Sindelar

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Causes Of Death ◽

Perinatal Care ◽

Clinical Findings ◽

Period 2 ◽

Centralized Care

AbstractReliable data on causes of death (COD) in preterm infants are needed to assess perinatal care and current clinical guidelines. In this retrospective observational analysis of all deceased preterm infants born < 37 weeks’ gestational age (n = 278) at a Swedish tertiary neonatal intensive care unit, we compared preliminary COD from Medical Death Certificates with autopsy defined COD (2002–2018), and assessed changes in COD between two periods (period 1:2002–2009 vs. period 2:2011–2018; 2010 excluded due to centralized care and seasonal variation in COD). Autopsy was performed in 73% of all cases and was more than twice as high compared to national infant autopsy rates (33%). Autopsy revised or confirmed a suspected preliminary COD in 34.9% of the cases (23.6% and 11.3%, respectively). Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) as COD increased between Period 1 and 2 (5% vs. 26%). The autopsy rate did not change between the two study periods (75% vs. 71%). We conclude that autopsy determined the final COD in a third of cases, while the incidence of NEC as COD increased markedly during the study period. Since there is a high risk to determine COD incorrectly based on clinical findings in preterm infants, autopsy remains a valuable method to obtain reliable COD.

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