Newborn Hemodynamic

OBJECTIVE: Arrhythmias are a common occurrence in critically ill pediatric patients. Pharmacotherapy is a usual modality for treatment and prevention of arrhythmias in this patient population. This review will highlight particular arrhythmias in the pediatric critical care population and discuss salient points of pharmacotherapy of these arrhythmias. The mechanisms of action for the various agents, potential adverse events, place in therapy, and evidence for their use will be summarized...

OBJECTIVE: To review the pharmacologic treatment options for pulmonary arterial hypertension in the cardiac intensive care setting and summarize the most-recent literature supporting these therapies. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: Literature search for prospective studies, retrospective analyses, and case reports evaluating the safety and efficacy of pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies. DATA EXTRACTION: Mechanisms of action and pharmacokinetics, treatment recommendations, safety considerations, and outcomes for specific medical therapies...

OBJECTIVE: Thrombotic complications are increasingly being recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric and congenital heart disease. The objective of this article is to review the medications currently available to prevent and treat such complications. DATA SOURCES: Online searches were conducted using PubMed. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were selected for inclusion based on their scientific merit and applicability to the pediatric cardiac population...

BACKGROUND: Extremely preterm infants receive frequent blood transfusions in the first week of life. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of blood transfusion on intestinal blood flow and oxygenation during the first week of life in extremely preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) peak systolic velocity (PSV) and diastolic velocities were measured 30 to 60 minutes before and after transfusion. Splanchnic tissue hemoglobin index (sTHI), splanchnic tissue oxygenation index (sTOI), and splanchnic fractional tissue oxygen extraction (sFTOE) were measured continuously from 15 to 20 minutes before to after transfusion along with vital variables...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVE: To gather information for a future confirmatory trial of dobutamine (DB) for circulatory impairment (ie, low superior vena cava [SVC] flow). STUDY DESIGN: A total of 127 infants born at < 31 weeks gestational age were serially scanned from birth to 96 hours after birth. The infants were randomly assigned to 2 groups and were treated with DB (stepwise dose increase, 5-10-15-20 μg/kg/min) or placebo if they had an SVC flow < 41 mL/kg/min within the first 24 hours after birth...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: The perfusion index (PI) derived from pulse oximetry readings represents the ratio of pulsatile (arterial blood) and nonpulsatile contributors to infrared light absorption. PI has been shown to correlate with cardiac performance. In theory, PI is readily available on every pulse oximeter; therefore, no additional sensors or infant handling are required. Currently, reference values are lacking in (preterm) neonates and the association with common clinical conditions is unclear...

UNLABELLED: Brain injuries remain a significant problem for preterm infants, despite extensive physiological monitoring. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) monitoring in the neonatal intensive care unit has to date remained limited to research activities. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the increasing clinical application of NIRS in delivery suites and neonatal units. Four randomised controlled trials incorporating NIRS monitoring suggest that the future may indeed be brighter for this technology in the care of very preterm infants...

BACKGROUND: As survival and outcomes continue to improve in neonates born prematurely, there is an increasing need to promptly identify and treat pulmonary hypertension (PHT) in this population. Several echocardiographic indices have been used to evaluate for PHT. There is no clear consensus on how to utilize these parameters specifically for the evaluation of PHT in infants with chronic lung disease of prematurity. OBJECTIVES: Τhe objectives of the study were (1) to identify the different echocardiographic techniques for assessment of PHT in infants with chronic lung disease of prematurity in an evidence-based manner and (2) to establish an echocardiographic screening protocol based on available literature using different echocardiographic techniques...

AIM: This study evaluated the impact of blood sampling via peripheral arterial catheters on cerebral oxygenation and blood volume as a function of blood sampling velocity. METHODS: Near-infrared spectroscopy was applied to 20 very low-birthweight infants during peripheral arterial blood sampling. Changes in cerebral oxygenated, deoxygenated and total haemoglobin, cerebral blood volume and cerebral oxygenation index were recorded. Heart rate and oxygen saturation were measured continuously...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of targeted neonatal echocardiography (TnEcho) on heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation (SPO2), cerebral regional oxygen saturation (CrSO2) and cerebral fractional oxygen extraction (CFOE) in extremely preterm infants during the first 3 postnatal days. STUDY DESIGN: s a nested study in a prospective observational study, we acquired continuous data on heart rate, SPO2, CrSO2 and CFOE. Data averaged for the duration of TnEcho study were compared with the data collected during a baseline period immediately before the start of echocardiography...

OBJECTIVE: Securing an arterial line to monitor continuous blood pressure (BP) is difficult in infants. We aimed to reveal the extent of discrepancies between oscillometric and direct BP. STUDY DESIGN: Infants who required continuous BP monitoring were prospectively enrolled. Direct and indirect BP were simultaneously recorded. Disposable BP cuffs matching one-half to two-thirds of the upper arm circumference were used. RESULTS: A total of 74 infants were studied (gestational age [GA], 24-42 weeks)...

BACKGROUND: Early respiratory management of very low birth weight infants has changed over recent years to a practice of early use of CPAP with early selective surfactant administration, and decreased use of mechanical ventilation. One strategy is to use the combination of surfactant and prompt extubation to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (INtubate, SURfactant, Extubate, or INSURE). The aim of this study is to describe blood flow and ductal flow in a prospective cohort during the transitional period when this respiratory management strategy is used...

Clinician performed ultrasound (CPU) by the clinician caring for a sick patient is increasingly used in critical care specialties. The real-time haemodynamic information obtained helps the clinician to understand underlying physiology, target treatment and refine clinical decision-making. Neonatologists are increasingly using ultrasound to assess sick neonates with a range of clinical presentations and demand for training and accreditation programmes is increasing. This review discusses the current expanded uses for CPU in the haemodynamic assessment of the sick neonate...

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated hemodynamic changes in preterm neonates with septic shock using functional echocardiography and studied the effects of vasoactive drugs on hemodynamic variables. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Level III neonatal ICU. SUBJECTS AND PATIENTS: We enrolled 52 preterm neonates with septic shock (shock group) and an equal number of gestation and postnatal age-matched healthy neonates (control group)...