scholarly journals Neonatal Nurses’ and Therapists’ Perceptions of Positioning for Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

2013 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cori Zarem ◽  
Tara Crapnell ◽  
Lisa Tiltges ◽  
Laura Madlinger ◽  
Lauren Reynolds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Neonatal Nurses ◽  
Positioning Method ◽  
Main Outcome Variable

Purpose: Determine perceptions about positioning for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).Design: Twenty-item survey.Sample: Neonatal nurses (n = 68) and speech, physical, and occupational therapists (n = 8).Main outcome variable: Perceptions about positioning were obtained, and differences in perceptions between nurses and therapists were explored.Results: Ninety-nine percent of respondents agreed that positioning is important for the well-being of the infant. Sixty-two percent of nurses and 86 percent of therapists identified the Dandle ROO as the ideal method of neonatal positioning. Forty-four percent of nurses and 57 percent of therapists reported that the Dandle ROO is the easiest positioning method to use in the NICU. Some perceptions differed: Therapists were more likely to report that the SleepSack does not hold the infant in good alignment. Nurses were more likely to report that the infant does not sleep well in traditional positioning.

scholarly journals Patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants; experience of a tertiary referral neonatal intensive care unit: prevalence, complications, and management

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reem M. Soliman ◽  
Fatma Alzahraah Mostafa ◽  
Antoine Abdelmassih ◽  
Elham Sultan ◽  
Dalia Mosallam
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Patent Ductus Arteriosus ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Preterm Infants ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Ductus Arteriosus ◽  
Patent Ductus

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.

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

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.

Parent Psychological Distress in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Within the Context of the Social Ecological Model: A Scoping Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 495-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristy Loewenstein
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Family Cohesion ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Well Being

BACKGROUND: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents are at risk for psychological distress and impaired mental health, and statistics related to parent psychological distress vary. OBJECTIVE: To determine the scope of literature regarding the mental health and psychosocial well-being of parents in the NICU. DESIGN: A scoping review within the Arksey and O’Malley framework and the SEM was undertaken to answer, “What factors contribute to parent’s mental health in the NICU?” A systematic review of the literature was performed using the PRISMA methodology. RESULTS: Common socioeconomic factors and infant and parent characteristics may place parents at a greater risk for developing distress. History of mental illness, family cohesion, birth trauma, altered parenting role, gestational age, birth weight, and severity of prematurity/illness emerged as themes. CONCLUSION: Further research is required to provide a standard for the screening and assessment of parents’ mental health and psychosocial well-being during a NICU hospitalization. The experiences of nonbirth parents in the NICU should be explored to examine the effects of the hospitalization on all types of parents.

Adapting the Six-Part Storymaking Method for use with siblings of infants on the neonatal intensive care unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-242
Author(s):  
Rebecca Ann Versaci
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Case Vignette ◽  
Profound Influence ◽  
Insight Into

When an infant is hospitalized on the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) it can have a profound influence on the psychosocial well-being of the infant and their older sibling(s). This article presents a case vignette of the use of the Six-Part Storymaking Method with the sibling of an infant hospitalized on the NICU. The article reviews the therapeutic aims and benefits of the intervention, including: supporting emotional expression, providing opportunity for the sibling to be deeply witnessed by caregivers, therapist and hospital staff, empowering the sibling to inhabit the big sibling role and fostering insight into the sibling’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours as related to their infant’s hospitalization. Considerations for facilitation and assessment are also discussed.

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