scholarly journals Pigs in a Blanket: Evaluation of a Novel Device to Support Premature Neonatal Thermal Regulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Tomlin ◽  
Nicholas David–Paul Bluhm ◽  
Lagora Carrell ◽  
Melissa Bible ◽  
Jacqueline Linnes

Background: 1.47 million preterm births worldwide tragically end in neonatal death (death within 28 days after birth). Contributing to this is the inability for preterm neonates to thermoregulate. In low-resource areas, access to incubators may be non-existent. Kangaroo Mother Care/Skin-to-Skin care (KMC/STS) is one method used in such situations and involves the caregiver strapping the infant to their chest in a kangaroo-like pouch. This method is effective but does not provide warming when the caregiver needs rest, nor does it allow the infants heart and respiratory rate to be monitored reliably. We created a device that aims to solve these issues in a safe, cost effective, and efficient way. Methods: Pilot studies were performed with 3 pigs to develop parameters that will validate the devices efficacy in a pre-clinical trial. Newborn pigs from 0-5 days old were used as the model for these initial trials. Test configurations were designed to demonstrate 1) the pigs could not regulate their core temperature without the device and 2) the heating elements of the device provided better support than a simple blanket. The pig’s core temperature was used as the standard measurement across all trials. Results: When exposed to an ambient temperature of 20oC, the pigs were not able to regulate their core temperature, which dropped 0.5oC per hour. After reaching hypothermic temperature (below 36.5oC), pigs placed in the warming device returned to a healthy core temperature (38.6oC) over the course of one hour. Pigs in the device with heating off only recovered partially. No pig had any abrasions or burns. Conclusion: These studies prove the devices feasibility and have established the parameters needed to design a larger trial. If the device continues to show similar efficacy in the future tests, it could be used to help lower premature infant mortality in low-resource settings.

Author(s):  
Allicia Ostoposides Imada ◽  
James J. O’Hara ◽  
Ignacio L. Proumen ◽  
Pablo S. Molinari ◽  
Daniel C. Wascher ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Siju Mishra ◽  
P. Supraja ◽  
Vishnu V. Jaiswal ◽  
P. Ravi Sankar ◽  
R. Rakesh Kumar ◽  
...  

Abstract We report the double-fold enhancement of piezoelectric nanogenerator output voltage with a simple design strategy. The piezoelectric nanogenerator is fabricated with ZnO nanosheets coated on both sides of the aluminum substrate in this new design strategy with necessary electrodes. The cost-effective hydrothermal method is employed to synthesize two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanosheets on both sides of the aluminum substrate at a low growth temperature of 80˚C for 4 hours. The ZnO nanosheets were characterized for their morphology, crystallinity, and photoluminescence property. The nanogenerator is fabricated with a double-side coated aluminum substrate and compared its performance with a single-side coated aluminum substrate. The nanogenerators fabricated only with one side coating produced an output voltage of ~ 170 mV. In contrast, the nanogenerators fabricated with a double side coating produced an output voltage of ~ 285 mV. The nanogenerator with double-side coating produced ~1.7 times larger voltage output compared to the voltage output from one side coated nanogenerators fabricated with each side of the substrate. The enhancement in the output


2021 ◽  
pp. 42-44
Author(s):  
Varsha Konyala ◽  
Poornima M ◽  
Suma K.B

Aim:To study preterm delivery outcomes in a tertiary care hospital in South India. Methods: The study was conducted for a 7 month period from July 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021at JSS Hospital, Mysuru. Relevant details of every pregnant woman who underwent a preterm delivery and the subsequent neonate born were collected and followed till discharge. Results: The prevalence rate of preterm births was 11.81%. There were 44 early preterm deliveries and 88 late preterm deliveries. The most common maternal complications that lead to preterm births PPROM and preeclampsia.36 early preterm and 29 late preterm neonates required an NICU admission. This included 7 pairs of twins in the early preterm and 1 pair of twins in the late preterm. In the NICU, the most common complications noted were RDS, and sepsis.4 neonates remained by mother's side soon after delivery in the early preterm subset, whereas 54 of late preterm neonates were kept by the mother's side soon after delivery. 31 of 40 early preterm, 86 of the 88 of late preterm neonates were healthy and t for discharge. Conclusion:The prevalence of preterm birth rate in our study stands comparable to the reported global average. Preterm births have a multifactorial etiology. Timely referral to higher centers, experienced obstetricians, and a good NICU facility proved helpful to both the mother and neonate. Thorough record keeping also allows a true picture of preterm prevalence on the basis of which, policies and decisions can be made to further improve preterm care.


2011 ◽  
Vol 152 (33) ◽  
pp. 1320-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter Lakatos

Osteoporosis affects approximately 9% of the population in Hungary resulting in about 100 000 osteoporotic fractures annually. Thirty-five percent of patients with hip fractures due to osteoporosis will die within 1 year. Direct costs of osteoporosis exceed 25 billion forints per year. Apparently, cost-effective reduction of bone loss and consequent fracture risk will add up to not only financial savings but improvement in quality of life, as well. A number of pharmacological modalities are available for this purpose. The mainstay of the treatment of osteoporosis is the bisphosphonate group that includes effective anti-resorptive compounds mitigating bone loss and fragility. The recently registered denosumab exhibits similar efficacy by neutralizing RANK ligand, however, marked differences can be observed between the two drug classes. Strontium has a unique mechanism of action by rebalancing bone turnover, and thus, providing an efficient treatment option for the not fast bone losers who are at high fracture risk. The purely anabolic teriparatide is available for the extremely severe osteoporotic patients and for those who do not respond to other types of therapy. Older treatment options such as hormone replacement therapy, raloxifene, tibolone or calcitonin may also have a restricted place in the management of osteoporosis. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 1320–1326.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Whitworth ◽  
Barbara A. Anderson ◽  
Sandra T. Buffington ◽  
Jennifer Braun

PURPOSE: In low resource areas, neonatal hypothermia is an important source of neonatal morbidity. Separating newborns from their mothers at birth puts neonates at risk for hypothermia. The Teso Safe Motherhood Project (TSMP) in Soroti, Uganda provides birth center care for women in conflict areas of Northern Uganda. After conducting a needs assessment at TSMP, a continuing education project was developed to facilitate change in clinical practice to enhance prevention and recognition of neonatal hypothermia, including implementation of skin-to-skin practices at birth.STUDY DESIGN: This education project employed multiple learning strategies including pretest and posttest questionnaires, group discussion of cultural beliefs and practices, didactic education, participation in creative informational art, and demonstration, supervision, and return demonstration of skills.MAJOR FINDINGS: At the completion of the program, 100% of participants demonstrated a statistically significant increase in both knowledge and skills in the prevention and management of neonatal hypothermia (p = .011).MAIN CONCLUSION: The participants reported that this continuing education project enhanced their skills in neonatal hypothermia prevention and management. The cost-effective strategies employed in this project can be replicated in low resource settings, contributing to decreased mortality and morbidity from newborn hypothermia.


2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 288-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
LG Futterman ◽  
L Lemberg

Syncope may be a manifestation of many diseases. The etiology is often difficult to determine. Much effort, time, and expense have been required to determine a diagnosis. A thorough history and physical examination are essential (Table 3). Several clinical pearls may be of help in the diagnosis of syncope: (a) the most important elements in the evaluation of syncope are a detailed history and physical examination; (b) syncope is a common problem in young healthy adults and the elderly; (c) a heavy meal is a specific cause of syncopy in the elderly (postprandial), however this etiology often goes unrecognized; (d) syncope is caused by 1 of 3 mechanisms: decreased cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, or cerebrovascular disease; (e) reflex-mediated syndromes (vasovagal) are common causes of syncope in young adults, and orthostatic hypotension is an important cause of syncope in the elderly; and (f) the 1-year mortality of cardiac syncope (18%-33%) is significantly higher than that from non-cardiac syncope (0%-12%). A proven and useful tool has recently been advanced to aid in the evaluation of syncope. The Reveal Plus insertable loop recorder has auto activation that allows automatic capture and recording of arrhythmic events. Patient activation is an option. The recorder lasts 12 to 14 months and has proven to be a valuable and reliable cost-effective asset in our quest to evaluate syncope.


1970 ◽  
pp. 26-31
Author(s):  
Tahsinul Amin ◽  
MAK Azad Chowdhury ◽  
M Monir Hossain ◽  
M Mahbubul Hoque

Background: There is still controversy among the pediatricians regarding when and how to start enteral feeding in preterm neonates. However, early feeding with breast milk was presumed to be well-tolerated, cost-effective and promote growth better than late feeding. Objectives: To compare growth pattern, benefits and risks between early and late breast feeding in preterm (30-35 weeks' gestation) neonates. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial. Total 100 preterm neonates were stratified into early feeding (n=50) and late feeding (n=50) groups. Early feeding was started on day 3 and late feeding on day 5 of life with expressed breast milk as 20 ml/ kg/day by gavage feeding with daily increment 20 ml/kg till full enteral feeding. Growth was recorded by anthropometric measurements with accuracy and precision for first 3 months of life. Results: Early breast feeding was found to be significantly better than late breast feeding in duration to reach full feeding (13.08 days vs. 16.70 days), time to regain enrolment weight (10.87 days vs. 13.70 days), feed tolerance (78% vs. 58%), hospital stay (13.58 days vs. 16.82 days), mean weight (3773.62 ±310.49 gm vs. 3636.91 ±340.20 gm), linear growth (53.64 ±2.26 cm vs. 52.62 ±2.04 cm) and OFC growth (35.85 ±1.50 cm vs. 35.35 ±1.40 cm) at 3 months of age. Conclusion: Early feeding with breast milk is well tolerated with less morbidity and promotes growth better than late feeding in preterm neonates. Key words: Growth pattern; preterm; breast fed DOI: 10.3329/bjch.v31i1.6071 Bangladesh Journal of Child Health 2007; Vol.31(1-3): 26-31


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 443-451
Author(s):  
Nodir Madrahimov ◽  
Ruslan Natanov ◽  
Abdurasul Khalikov ◽  
Erin C Boyle ◽  
Danny Jonigk ◽  
...  

Hypothermia is a treatment strategy for different clinical conditions and an essential part of cardiopulmonary bypass in complex cardiac procedures. Clinically, cooling patients is achieved via a mattress and heat exchanger integrated into a membrane oxygenator connected to a waterbed using a refrigerator system based on volatile and toxic liquids. Peltier elements are known as environmentally friendly thermoelectric generators that enable rapid warming and cooling. In this paper, we describe the construction of a novel device for rapid and precise control of mouse warming and cooling using thermoelectric Peltier elements. Six male BALB/c mice were subjected to deep hypothermia and were rewarmed under full physiological monitoring. After rewarming, all animals were observed for two hours, and pathology was evaluated in several organs. All animals tolerated the rapid cooling process well and remained active after rewarming. Temperature-relevant changes were seen via electrocardiography, with heart-rate patterns showing a strong linear correlation to body temperature. No myocardial ischaemia was seen. However, two animals experienced bradycardic atrial fibrillation which spontaneously converted to normal sinus rhythm during rewarming. No histological damage was seen in the heart, liver, kidney or lungs. Our device can effectively be used for heat shock and hypothermia studies in mice, and we foresee no obstacles for its application to other small rodents such as hamsters and young rats. In comparison to known experimental and clinical methods of hypothermia, our device is environmentally friendly, cost-effective and easy to handle, allowing precise control and maintenance of body temperatures ranging from 18℃ to 42℃.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaide F. Olabode ◽  
Simon Fletcher ◽  
Andrew P. Longstaff ◽  
Naeem S. Mian

Temperature measurement is one of the most important aspects of manufacturing. There have been many temperature measuring techniques applied for obtaining workpiece temperature in different types of manufacturing processes. The main limitations of conventional sensors have been the inability to indicate the core temperature of workpieces and the low accuracy that may result due to the harsh nature of some manufacturing environments. The speed of sound is dependent on the temperature of the material through which it passes. This relationship can be used to obtain the temperature of the material provided that the speed of sound can be reliably obtained. This paper investigates the feasibility of creating a cost-effective solution suitable for precision applications that require the ability to resolve a better than 0.5 °C change in temperature with ±1 °C accuracy. To achieve these, simulations were performed in MATLAB using the k-wave toolbox to determine the most effective method. Based upon the simulation results, experiments were conducted using ultrasonic phase-shift method on a steel sample (type EN24T). The results show that the method gives reliable and repeatable readings. Based on the results from this paper, the same setup will be used in future work in the machining environment to determine the effect of the harsh environment on the phase-shift ultrasonic thermometry, in order to create a novel technique for in-process temperature measurement in subtractive manufacturing processes.


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