Neonatal Tracheostomy

Outpatient management of established bronchopulmonary dysplasia: An update

As the incidence of infants with bronchopulmonary dyspasia (BPD) has continued to rise, so has their rate of survival. Their medical management is often complex and requires the use of numerous therapies such as steroids, bronchodilators, diuretics and modalities to deliver supplemental oxygen and positive pressure. It also requires multi-disciplinary care to ensure adequate growth and to optimize neurodevelopmental outcomes. This review aims to discuss the most widely used therapies in the treatment of patients with established BPD. The focus will be on ongoing outpatient (post-neonatal intensive care) management of children with BPD. Since many of the mentioned therapies lack solid evidence to support their use, more high quality research, such as randomized controlled trials, is needed to assess their effectiveness using defined outcomes.

Open and percutaneous pediatric tracheostomy: comorbidities and in-hospital mortality

Background

Tracheostomy procedures are used to establish a surgical airway in patients when non-invasive methods fail to offer adequate support. In pediatric patients, this procedure is relatively rare, and data on patients is scarce, limiting the ability of physicians to contextualize patient outcomes and identify those most at risk. This can be crucial, as research has shown that early tracheostomy in pediatric patients may improve clinical outcomes. The objective of this study is to characterize the comorbidities of pediatric patients undergoing open and percutaneous tracheostomies and examine their association with in-hospital mortality, as well as to compare patient demographics and comorbidity frequency between the two approaches. The 2016 Kids’ Inpatient Database was used to identify patients younger than 21 with ICD-CM-10 codes for open or percutaneous tracheostomies to determine demographic characteristics and identify the most frequent comorbidities in these patient cohorts.

Results

A weighted total of 5229 cases were analyzed. Congenital cardiopulmonary defects, newborn respiratory diseases, and traumatic lung or brain injury were the most common comorbidities for tracheostomy patients. In open tracheostomies, there was an increased likelihood of in-hospital mortality in patients aged less than one (OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.6–3.0) and in patients with atrial septal defects (OR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.5–2.5), patent ductus arteriosus (OR = 2.5, 95% CI, 2.0–3.3), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR = 2.1; 95% CI, 1.6–2.8), and acute kidney injury (OR = 5.6, 95% CI, 4.3–7.2). Trauma-related comorbidities were more common in patients who underwent percutaneous procedures and were not associated with an increased likelihood of mortality. Patient age < 1 was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in both the open (OR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.6–3.0) and percutaneous (OR = 2.3, 95% CI (1.3–3.9) approaches.

Conclusion

There are many indications for pediatric tracheostomy, and patients often present with complicated disease profiles and complicated courses of care. Broadly, we found that congenital cardiopulmonary defects were associated with a higher likelihood of in-hospital patient mortality, especially in younger patients undergoing an open-approach procedure. Patients undergoing a percutaneous-approach procedure were more likely to have trauma-related comorbidities such as pneumothorax or brain hemorrhage that were not associated with in-hospital mortality.

Management of Choanal Atresia: National Recommendations with a Comprehensive Literature Review

Choanal atresia is the most common congenital anatomical abnormality of the nasal cavities, manifested with a clinical picture of neonatal respiratory distress. The treatment requires interdisciplinary management based mainly on tertiary referral centre experiences. However, there is a lack of high-quality evidence in the available literature. Recommendations were prepared based on a systematic review of the supporting literature: on a website survey addressed to the participating authors consisting of 28 questions and on five live meetings. The initial response to the recommendations was determined at their presentation at the sectional meeting of the section for otorhinolaryngology of the Slovenian Medical Association. Then, reactions from the professional public were accepted until the recommendations were presented at the Expert Council for Otorhinolaryngology of the Slovenian Medical Association. A systematic literature review identified eight systematic reviews or meta-analyses and four randomized controlled clinical trials. Thirty-four recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and postoperative management were consolidated. The paper presents the proposal and first Slovenian recommendations for treating patients with choanal atresia. They are based on foreign medical institutions' published literature and our clinical experience. They represent the basic requirements of diagnostics and may represent an essential guide in treatment.

Tracheostomy in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia: A review

In recent years, with increased survival of infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), long term ventilation due to severe BPD has increased and become the most common indication for tracheostomy in infants less than one year of age. Evidence shows that tracheostomy in severe BPD may improve short- and long-term respiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, there is significant variation among centers in the indication, timing, intensive care management, and follow-up care after hospital discharge of infants with severe BPD who received tracheostomy for chronic ventilation. The timing of liberation from the ventilator, odds of decannulation, rate of rehospitalization, growth, and neurodevelopment are all clinically important outcomes that can guide both clinicians and parents to make a well-informed decision when choosing tracheostomy and long-term assisted ventilation for infants with severe BPD. This review summarizes the current literature regarding the indications and timing of tracheostomy placement in infants with severe BPD, highlights center variability in both intensive care and outpatient follow-up settings, and describes outcomes of infants with severe BPD who received tracheostomy.

Weaning from the Ventilator in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

For the newborns needing respiratory support at 36 weeks postmenstrual age, regardless of the type of ventilation used, it is critical to take into account the mechanics properties of both airways and lungs affected by severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD). Ventilator strategies, settings, and weaning must change dramatically after sBPD is established, but to date there is almost no high-quality evidence base supporting a specific approach to guide the optimal ventilator management and weaning in patients with sBPD. Weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation, management of the immediately postextubation period, and weaning from noninvasive ventilation in patients with sBPD are the topics covered in this chapter.

Polyhydramnios is associated with postnatal dysphagia determining short-term prognosis of the newborn with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome - A case series analysis

OBJECTIVE

We experienced a case of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS), with severe polyhydramnios, and dysphagia, which prompted us to review prognosis in neonates with 22qDS, with a focus on dysphagia.

CASE REPORT

A patient was referred to our hospital at 35 gestational weeks because of polyhydramnios. After amniotic fluid reduction, labor was induced at 38 weeks. The neonate had serious dysphagia, and 22qDS was diagnosed postnatally by fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis. This prompted a retrospective analysis of 9 cases with 22qDS experienced in our facility. Three out of these nine cases showed polyhydramnios, and had severe dysphagia postnatally. In total, 4 cases had dysphagia, while mortality was observed in 2 of these 4 cases. Additionally, 5 cases without dysphagia had normal development and no major complications.

CONCLUSION

Polyhydramnios associated with postnatal dysphagia might be a risk factor related to short-term prognostic outcomes in newborns with 22qDS.

Comparing Long-Term Outcomes in Tracheostomy Placed in the First Year of Life

OBJECTIVES//HYPOTHESIS

To characterize long-term outcomes in pediatric patients requiring tracheotomy in the first year of life.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

METHODS

A retrospective longitudinal registry of tracheostomy patients was queried for patients who underwent tracheotomy from birth to 11 months. Primary outcomes were decannulation and survival. Secondary outcomes included neurocognitive quality of life assessed with the PedsQL Family Impact Module (scored from worst to best, 0 to 100 points).

RESULTS

The study included 337 children. Thirty (8.90%) were neonates and 307 (91.10%) were infants. The population was 56.08% male (n = 189), and the racial and ethnicity composition were equally distributed (29.97% White, 31.45% Black, and 31.16% Hispanic). Significant differences between neonates and postneonates included birth weight in grams (2,731.40 vs. 1,950.44, P < .05), extreme prematurity (13.33% vs. 38.88%, P = .01), upper airway obstruction (80.00% vs. 42.67%, P < .05), and the need for mechanical ventilation (40.00% vs. 83.71%, P < .05). Despite these differences, long-term outcomes were similar: decannulation (X²  = 2.19, P = .14), death (X²  = 2.63, P = .11), and neurocognitive quality of life (X²  = 2.63, P = .27). Having a child with a tracheostomy caused the most problems with being physically tired (mean = 75.32 ± 3.90), emotional frustration (mean = 77.31 ± 5.05), and worry (mean standard deviation = 74.23 ± 6.48).

CONCLUSION

There were demographic differences between neonatal and infantile tracheostomy patients, but they did not affect long-term outcomes. The presence of a tracheostomy caused a significant impact on a family's quality of life.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 Laryngoscope, 131:2115-2120, 2021.

Quantifying the benefits from a care coordination program for tracheostomy placement in neonates

OBJECTIVE

Value-based care models are becoming instrumental in structuring clinical care delivery in our healthcare climate. Our objective was to determine the value associated with implementation of a Family-Centered Care Coordination (FCCC) program for neonates undergoing tracheostomy.

METHODS

A multi-disciplinary FCCC program was implemented at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and MassGeneral Hospital for Children in January 2013. This program is designed to ensure a safe transition out of the hospital for children undergoing tracheostomy, reduce re-admission rates, and increase caregiver quality of life (QOL). Study participants included neonates undergoing tracheostomy in 2012 and 2015. This retrospective cohort study examined length of stay (LOS), utilized time-driven activity-based costing to estimate the cost of care, assessed caregiver QOL with 1-month Pediatric Tracheostomy Health Status Instrument (PTHSI) scores, and assessed complications with 6-month Medical Complications Associated with Pediatric Tracheostomy (MCAT) scores.

RESULTS

Following implementation of the FCCC program, average LOS decreased from 30.5 days (range 17-39) to 16.6 days (range 9-23). The largest process improvement (cost reduction of 61%) occurred in the discharge-planning phase. The overall cost per care cycle was reduced by 36%. A large clinically meaningful benefit was demonstrated for PTHSI (effect size 0.80) as well as MCAT scores (effect size 9.35).

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated the higher outcomes, including reductions in caregiver burden and complication rates, and the lower costs associated with implementation of the FCCC program for neonates undergoing tracheostomy.

Impact of tracheostomy on language and cognitive development in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia

OBJECTIVE

The impact of tracheostomy on language and cognitive development in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is not known. We hypothesize that tracheostomy has an independent negative impact on language and cognitive development in infants with severe BPD.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a retrospective cohort study of de-identified data of infants with severe BPD who received tracheostomy at <2 years of age, compared with infants with severe BPD without tracheostomy. The primary outcomes measured were total language and cognitive scores at 2-3 years of age as determined by Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition.

RESULTS

A total of 26 patients with tracheostomies and 28 patients without tracheostomies were analyzed. There was no significant difference in total language development or cognitive development between patients with tracheostomies and those without. Insurance status had an effect on language and cognition while controlling for trach status.

CONCLUSIONS

Tracheostomy does not independently impact the language and cognitive development of infants with severe BPD.