Non-invasive High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation as Initial Respiratory Support for Preterm Infants With Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and feasibility of nHFOV as initial respiratory support in preterm infants with RDS.Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 244 premature infants with RDS who were treated in our hospital from January 2016 to January 2019 and divided into the nHFOV group (n = 115) and the BiPAP group (n = 129) based on the initial respiratory support method.Results: Respiratory outcomes showed that the rate of NIV failure during the first 72 hours of life in the nHFOV group was significantly lower than that in the BiPAP group. The time of NIV in the nHFOV group was significantly shorter than that in the BiPAP group. The time of supplemental oxygen in the nHFOV group was significantly shorter than that in the BiPAP group. The incidence of air leakage syndrome in the nHFOV group was significantly lower than that in the BiPAP group, and the length of hospital stay of the nHFOV group was also significantly shorter than that in the BiPAP group. Although the rate of infants diagnosed with BPD was similar between the two groups, the rate of severe BPD in the nHFOV group was significantly lower than that in the BiPAP group.Conclusion: This study showed that nHFOV as initial respiratory support for preterm infants with RDS was feasible and safe compared to BiPAP. Furthermore, nHFOV can reduce the need for IMV and reduce the incidence of severe BPD and air leak syndrome.

Airway injury and pneumomediastinum associated with less invasive surfactant administration in a premature neonate: a case report

Background The use of less invasive surfactant administration (LISA)/minimally invasive surfactant therapy (MIST) has increased due to its potential advantage over traditional surfactant delivery methods through an endotracheal tube. Known complications for this procedure include failure of the first attempt at insertion, desaturation, and bradycardia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema following LISA. Case presentation A preterm newborn born at 27 weeks of gestation presented with respiratory distress syndrome requiring surfactant replacement. LISA using the Hobart method was completed. There was a report of procedural difficulty related to increased resistance to insertion of the 16G angiocath. The newborn was subsequently noted to have subcutaneous emphysema over the anterior aspect of the neck and substantial pneumomediastinum on radiological assessment. Associated complications included hypotension requiring inotropic support. The newborn was successfully managed conservatively, with complete resolution of the air leak. Conclusions Upper airway injury leading to air leak syndrome is a rare complication of the Hobart method for LISA. Awareness of such procedural complications is important as the use of the LISA method increases.

Clinical Analysis of Air-Leak Syndrome Following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Pediatric Patients

Background: Air-leak syndrome (ALS) occurs when there is leakage of gas from the alveoli, which results in clinical symptoms including cough and sputum, dyspnea, and hypoxemia. ALS is rare but potentially life-threatening in patients who have received an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and is an independent prognosis factor of patients undergoing HSCT. However, the clinical features and risk factors for post-transplant ALS among pediatric patients have rarely been explored. Aims: This study analyzed the clinical characteristics, risk factors, clinical treatment options and prognosis to provide a scientific basis for ALS prevention and treatment for pediatric patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients who were diagnosed with ALS following allo-HSCT between January 2013 and December 2019 at the Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital, and analyzed the role of ALS in the prognosis of the HSCT. Results: A total of 2026 pediatric patients received an HSCT between January 2013 and December 2019. The ALS incidence rate was 1.4% (28 of 2,206 patients) with a survival rate of 64.3% (10 of 28 patients). The median overall survival (OS) time was 429 days (range: 55-1614 days). Sixteen patients were males and 12 were female. The median patients age was 12 years old (range: 1-16 years), and the median follow-up time was 871 days (range: 55-2973 days).We divided ALS into two categories: 15 cases of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) and 13 cases of idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS). There was a significant difference in OS between the twogroups (80% among BOS patients versus 46% among IPS patients; P=0.037). Logical regression analysis showed that gender, an unmatched transplant donor and recipients (P=0.049), time to first occurrence of graft-versus-host disease after transplantation (P=0.021), and dosage of methylprednisolone >0.5mg/kg at the onset of ALS (P=0.049), were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in ALS. In addition, we found fluticasone, azithromycin, and montelukast (FAM) could significantly improve the prognosis following ALS (P=0.005). Compared with IPS, our results showed that some patients with BOS may benefit from imatinib (P=0.055), ruxolitinib (P=0.009), or pirfenidone (P=0.044). Conclusion: ALS is a rare manifestation of pulmonary complications following HSCT among pediatric patients. Our analysis demonstrates that early diagnosis and FAM treatment may improve the survival rate of ALS following HSCT among pediatric patients. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

COVID-19 Pneumomediastinum: Possible Role of Transesophageal Echo in Bedside Percutaneous Bicaval Double-Lumen ECMO Cannulation in Children. A Case Report

COVID-19 is generally uneventful in children. Only 8% of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome corona virus 2 pediatric patients require intensive care; of these, 1% may need extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Preexisting medical conditions are an independent risk factor for pediatric intensive care unit admission. We describe the case of an 11-year-old girl with adenosine deaminase 2 deficiency who presented severe COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome, complicated by a massive air leak syndrome. The respiratory failure, refractory to conventional support, required veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. To prevent viral diffusion, bicaval double-lumen cannulation was performed percutaneously at the bedside under exclusive echo guidance. Because of pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and subcutaneous emphysema, ultrasound visualization of the heart was possible only with transesophageal echo. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a transesophageal echo guided bedside percutaneous bicaval double-lumen extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation in a pediatric patient. Pitfalls of the technique are highlighted.

Can high-flow nasal cannula reduce the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia compared with CPAP in preterm infants? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease that affects the premature lung, and to reduce its incidence has been used non-invasive ventilatory support, such as continuous positive airway (CPAP) and high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC). Thus, the objective of this review was to assess whether the use of high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) compared to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) decreases the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in premature newborns. Methods The protocol was registered (Prospero: CRD42019136631) and the search was conducted in the MEDLINE, PEDro, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, and LILACS databases, and in the clinical trials registries, until July 2020. We included randomized clinical trials comparing HFNC versus CPAP use in premature infants born at less than 37 weeks of gestational age. The main outcome measures were the development of BPD, air leak syndrome, and nasal injury. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the GRADE system was used to summarize the evidence recommendations. Meta-analyses were performed using software R. Results No difference was found between HFNC or CPAP for the risk of BPD (RR: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.90–1.34), air leak syndrome (RR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.52–2.14), and nasal trauma (RR: 2.00; 95% CI: 0.64–6.25), with a very low level of evidence. Conclusion(s) The HFNC showed similar results when compared to CPAP in relation to the risk of BPD, air leak syndrome, and nasal injury. In the literature, no randomized clinical trial has been found with BPD as the primary outcome to support possible outcomes.

Air leak syndrome in COVID-19 – A case series

Air leak syndrome manifesting as pneumomediastinum (PM), pneumothorax (PNX) or subcutaneous emphysema (SCE) has been reported in COVID-19 patients with increasing frequency and with varying outcomes. We report a series of eight cases of PM or SCE from 1 April to May 31, 2021, among COVID-19 patients admitted in our ICU. All the patients had severe hypoxemia (PaO2/FiO2 ratio ≤100) and were on noninvasive ventilation when the air leak was detected except one. PM/SCE was observed mostly on the 3 to 5 day after instituting positive pressure ventilation. High respiratory drive with mean tidal volumes in the range of 6 to 10ml/kg predicted body weight was observed in these patients. Mean inspiratory pressure (Pressure support + positive end expiratory pressure) and mean positive end expiratory pressure delivered by the ventilator ranged between 11 to 21 and 5 to 12 cm HO respectively. Outcomes varied with four deaths, four patients requiring intubation, two patients requiring chest drainage and four patients showing overall improvement out of the total eight patients with air leak.1.Air leak syndrome is not rare in COVID-19 with reported incidence of 10-14%; 2. Spontaneous noninvasive ventilation in patients with high respiratory drive and large fluctuations in tidal volumes seems to be a risk factor for air leak in patients with severe lung involvement; 3. A conservative approach without intercostal drainage seems to be acceptable in the absence of pneumothorax; 4. Prognosis is varied depending on the underlying disease and not always catastrophic.