Evaluation and analysis of the Modified Finnegan Scoring System for assessment of neonatal abstinence syndrome

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-196
Author(s):  
Rafia Q. Baloch, MD ◽  
Jamie M. Pinto, MD ◽  
Patricia Greenberg, MS ◽  
Yen-Hong Kuo, PhD ◽  
Anita Siu, PharmD, BCPPS
Keyword(s):  
Vital Sign ◽  
Scoring System ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Scoring Tool ◽  
Study Setting

Objective: The Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring System (FNASS) is the most commonly used scoring system for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) both in its original and modified versions, despite challenges related to tool length and observer bias. The purpose of this study was to determine the most frequent symptoms of NAS that led to score elevation and prompted initiation of drug therapy on the Modified Finnegan (MF). We also sought to identify vital sign changes associated with score elevation.Design: We conducted a retrospective study of neonates diagnosed with NAS, based on ICD-9 codes and charge data for methadone administration.Setting: The study setting was in a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.Patients, Participants: Ninety patients with a total of 286 MF scores recorded from 2011 to 2015 met inclusion criteria.Main Outcome Measure(s): The primary outcome was overall occurrence for each specific component of the MF scoring tool during symptomatic periods. Secondary outcomes were vital sign changes.Results: Among the MF elements, there were 13 components that were scored more often than others in symptomatic infants. Respiratory rate (RR) was elevated in infants with NAS, but other vital signs did not differ from age-specific norms. Conclusions: Of the various signs of NAS used to score the MF, few are frequently observed. Our study reinforces literature that proposes a shortened MF assessment tool. Experimental research will be needed to determine the efficacy of a shortened MF tool for diagnosing NAS.

Nurses' Finnegan Scoring of Newborns with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Not Affected by Time or Day of the Week

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (02) ◽  
pp. 224-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alla Kushnir ◽  
Jennifer L. Bleznak ◽  
Judy G. Saslow ◽  
Gary Stahl
Keyword(s):  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Chart Review ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Institutional Review ◽  
Day Of The Week ◽  
Scoring Tool

Abstract Objective Newborns exposed to drugs in utero are at risk of developing neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), characterized by behavioral changes and physiologic instability. Finnegan scoring tool quantifies severity of symptoms and guides treatment. This article evaluates whether time of day and the number of shift hours affects modified Finnegan scores, and the subjective component of these scores. Study Design Institutional review board-approved, retrospective chart review of newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care or transitional nursery from 2011 to 2014. Inclusion criteria: > 35 weeks' gestation, known maternal substance use, positive maternal or newborn urine, or meconium drug screen, NAS treatment. Results A total of 101 charts were evaluated. Mean treatment duration was 31.8 days (standard deviation ±18.3). There was no significant relationship between observer shift hour and high scores (> 8) (p = 0.83). Highest scores occurred in the afternoon, decreased at night (p = 0.03), and throughout admission (p < 0.0001). Weekend and weekday scores were similar (p = 0.4). The objective component of the scores remained similar throughout the day (p = 0.91) and week (p = 0.52). Conclusion Finnegan scores given by nurses were not influenced by shift hour. Time of day did not influence overall high scores or the proportion of objective to total Finnegan score. Inter-rater reliability was maintained regardless of time of day or day of the week.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Morphine Delivery in Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal

2016 ◽  
Vol 10s1 ◽  
pp. SART.S34550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Chisamore ◽  
Safaa Labana ◽  
Sandra Blitz ◽  
Alice Ordean
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Opioid Withdrawal ◽  
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Chart Audit ◽  
Newborn Period ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
Scoring Tool ◽  
Delivery Models

Current estimates of the prevalence of opioid withdrawal in newborns from the 2012 Better Outcomes Registry and Network Ontario reveal that more than 4 births per 1000 display recognizable symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). With a growing consensus surrounding aspects of newborn opioid withdrawal care, clinicians might agree that all infants exposed to maternal opioids require supportive observation and care to ensure appropriate adaptation and growth in the newborn period and, likewise, that there exists a smaller percentage of newborns who require additional pharmacotherapy. However, due to the dearth of comparative studies of NAS tools, there remains a lack of evidence to support the use of a specific NAS method of scoring or treatment. Two types of NAS treatment protocols currently in use include a symptom-only versus weight-based protocols. Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has used both models. A formal structured NAS tool and weight-based morphine delivery system began in our NICU in 1999. We audited all newborns with known exposure to maternal opioids in our NICU from the years 2000 to 2014. The Finnegan scoring tool was used throughout all years of the chart audit. Modifications made to the Finnegan scoring tool from the MOTHER study were adapted for use in our NICU at the same time as adopting the Johns Hopkins model of symptom-only based morphine delivery in 2006. The objective of this comparative study using a retrospective chart audit is to compare length of stay (LOS) and total accumulative morphine dose across these two morphine delivery protocols. Our audit revealed that there were a significantly higher proportion of newborns in the symptom-only model that received morphine and, perhaps accordingly, also had a significantly higher LOS compared to those in the weight-based model. Comparing only those infants who did receive morphine, the comparative total accumulative dose of morphine and LOS were not significantly different between the weight-based and symptom-only morphine delivery models.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Cardiovascular Effects of Clonidine in Neonates Treated for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 473-478
Author(s):  
Raymond P. Meddock ◽  
Deirdre Bloemer
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Diastolic Blood Pressure ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Dose Range ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Cardiovascular Effects ◽  
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Abstinence Syndrome

OBJECTIVES Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is characterized by withdrawal symptoms in neonates exposed to legal or illegal substances in utero, and it is often managed with medications such as opiates, phenobarbital, and clonidine. Clonidine use is increasing, but further safety data regarding its use in neonates are warranted. This study evaluated the effects of clonidine on heart rate and blood pressure in neonates treated for NAS at doses up to 24 mcg/kg/day. METHODS A retrospective review via the electronic medical record of infants at least 35 weeks' gestation treated adjunctively with clonidine for NAS in the neonatal intensive care unit at St Elizabeth was conducted. Heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were recorded at baseline, while on different dose ranges of clonidine (small: ≤1.5 mcg/kg per dose every 3 hours; medium: &gt;1.5 to 2 mcg/kg per dose every 3 hours; and large: &gt;2 mcg/kg to 3 mcg/kg per dose every 3 hours), and upon discontinuation. RESULTS A total of 64 infants treated with clonidine for NAS between August 2015 and December 2016 were included. Heart rate decreased in all clonidine dose ranges compared with baseline (average reduction of 7 bpm [CI: −12 to −2], 9 bpm [CI: −16 to −2], and 10 bpm [CI: −18 to −1] for the small, medium, and large dose ranges, respectively; p &lt; 0.0001). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were not significantly different from baseline when infants were receiving any dose of clonidine, except diastolic blood pressure while on medium–dose range clonidine, where diastolic blood pressure was higher than baseline (p = 0.0128). Increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were evident upon discontinuation of clonidine (p &lt; 0.0001 and p = 0.0156, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Clonidine doses up to 24 mcg/kg/day are well tolerated in neonates ≥35 weeks' gestation treated for NAS. Any decreases in heart rate are likely clinically insignificant, and increases in blood pressure upon discontinuing clonidine are mild and may be mitigated further with extended discontinuation protocols. Further trials should be conducted to evaluate the long-term safety of clonidine in this population.

scholarly journals Project Console: a quality improvement initiative for neonatal abstinence syndrome in a children’s hospital level IV neonatal intensive care unit

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e001079
Author(s):  
Kathryn L Ponder ◽  
Charles Egesdal ◽  
Joanne Kuller ◽  
Priscilla Joe
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Quality Improvement Initiative ◽  
Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
High Acuity

ObjectiveTo improve care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome.DesignInfants with a gestational age of ≥35 weeks with prenatal opioid exposure were eligible for our quality improvement initiative. Interventions in our Plan–Do–Study–Act cycles included physician consensus, re-emphasis on non-pharmacological treatment, the Eat Sleep Console method to measure functional impairment, morphine as needed, clonidine and alternative soothing methods for parental unavailability (volunteer cuddlers and automated sleeper beds). Pre-intervention and post-intervention outcomes were compared.ResultsLength of stay decreased from 31.8 to 10.5 days (p<0.0001) without an increase in readmissions. Composite pharmacotherapy exposure days decreased from 28.7 to 5.5 (p<0.0001). This included reductions in both morphine exposure days (p<0.0001) and clonidine exposure days (p=0.01). Fewer infants required pharmacotherapy (p=0.02).ConclusionsOur study demonstrates how a comprehensive initiative can improve care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome in an open-bay or a high-acuity neonatal intensive care unit when rooming-in is not available or other comorbidities are present.

scholarly journals Methadone for Treatment of Pregnant Opiate Addicted Women: Is There a Safer Alternative? A Review of Literature

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Tichelkamp ◽  
Thomas Parish
Keyword(s):  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Abstinence Syndrome ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Methadone Dose ◽  
Intrauterine Growth ◽  
Opiate Use ◽  
Hospital Stays ◽  
Opiate Addicts ◽  
Alternative Medications

Methadone is commonly used for the treatment of pregnant opiate-addicts. But, it can have severe effects on the neonate including Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, increased length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, and intrauterine growth retardation. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome includes neurological excitability, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and autonomic signs. Because of these adverse effects, studies have been conducted to determine what can help reduce the severe complications caused by methadone. Varied dosages of methadone and alternative medications, such as buprenorphine, slow-release morphine, and others have been studied. Most of the alternative medications, especially buprenorphine, are gaining popularity in Europe where there is a growing problem of opiate use during pregnancy. In the studies comparing methadone and buprenorphine, a slight decline in symptoms of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome as well as shorter hospital stays for the neonates exposed to buprenorphine was noted. Studies of different dosages of methadone were conducted to determine the lowest methadone dose that is both effective for the mother and safe for the neonate. All of the studies have provided information that is helping in the search for the safest and most effective treatment for opiate addiction. What is known is that helping the mother overcome the addiction is very important. So far, the data collected are not strong enough to make a conclusion on the best choice for treatment. Further research is indicated for methadone itself and also for all its possible alternatives.

scholarly journals Early warning score using electronically-held data for patients discharged from intensive care units

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Pimentel ◽  
Alistair Johnson ◽  
Julie Darbyshire ◽  
Lionel Tarassenko ◽  
David Clifton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Event ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Vital Sign ◽  
Scoring System ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Early Warning Score ◽  
Hospital Death ◽  
Icu Discharge

Abstract Rationale. Intensive care units (ICUs) admit the most severely ill patients. Once these patients are discharged from the ICU to a step-down ward, they continue to have their vital signs monitored by nursing staff, with early warning score (EWS) systems being used to identify those at risk of deterioration. Objectives. We report the development and validation of an enhanced continuous scoring system for predicting adverse events, which combines vital signs measured routinely on acute care wards (as used by most EWSs) with a risk score of a future adverse event calculated on discharge from ICU.Methods. A modified Delphi process identified common, and candidate variables frequently collected and stored in electronic records as the basis for a ‘static’ score of the patient’s condition immediately after discharge from the ICU. L1-regularised logistic regression was used to estimate the in-hospital risk of future adverse event. We then constructed a model of physiological normality using vital-sign data from the day of hospital discharge, which is combined with the static score and used continuously to quantify and update the patient’s risk of deterioration throughout their hospital stay. Data from two NHS Foundation Trusts (UK) were used to develop and (externally) validate the model.Measurements and Main Results. A total of 12,394 vital-sign measurements were acquired from 273 patients after ICU discharge for the development set, and 4,831 from 136 patients in the validation cohort. Outcome validation of our model yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.724 for predicting ICU re-admission or in-hospital death within 24h. It showed an improved performance with respect to other competitive risk scoring systems, including the National EWS (NEWS, 0.653). Conclusion. We showed that a scoring system incorporating data from a patient’s stay in ICU has better performance than commonly-used EWS systems based on vital signs alone.

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