Higher mortality rates among inborn infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units at night

Association of 24-Hour In-house Neonatologist Coverage with Outcomes of Extremely Preterm Infants

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess if 24-hour in-house neonatologist (NN) coverage is associated with delivery room (DR) resuscitation/stabilization and outcomes among inborn infants <29 weeks' gestational age (GA).

STUDY DESIGN

Survey-linked cohort study of 2,476 inborn infants of 23 to 28 weeks' gestation, admitted between 2014 and 2015 to Canadian Neonatal Network Level-3 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) with a maternity unit. Exposures were classified using survey responses based on the most senior provider offering 24-hour in-house coverage: NN, fellow, and no NN/fellow. Primary outcome was death and/or major morbidity (bronchopulmonary dysplasia, severe neurological injury, late-onset sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and retinopathy of prematurity). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between exposures and outcomes and adjust for confounders.

RESULTS

Among the 28 participating NICUs, most senior providers ensuring 24-hour in-house coverage were NN (32%, 9/28), fellows (39%, 11/28), and no NN/fellow (29%, 8/28). No NN/fellow coverage and 24-hour fellow coverage were associated with higher odds of infants receiving DR chest compressions/epinephrine compared with 24-hour NN coverage (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.12-10.6 and aOR = 3.33, 95% CI: 1.44-7.70, respectively). Rates of mortality/major morbidity did not differ significantly among the three groups: NN, 63% (249/395 infants); fellow, 64% (1092/1700 infants); no NN/fellow, 70% (266/381 infants).

CONCLUSION

24-hour in-house NN coverage was associated with lower rates of DR chest compressions/epinephrine. There was no difference in neonatal outcomes based on type of coverage; however, further studies are needed as ecological fallacy cannot be ruled out.

KEY POINTS

· Lower rates of DR cardiopulmonary resuscitation with 24h in-house NN coverage. · The type of 24h in-house coverage was not associated with mortality and/or major morbidity.. · High-volume centers more often have 24h in-house neonatal fellow coverage.

Child Health and the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Workforce: 2020-2040

In 2022, 3.7 million children were born in the United States, of whom ∼600 000 received care from a neonatologist. The dramatic growth of the neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) workforce from 375 in 1975 to 5250 in 2022 has paralleled exploding clinical demand. As newborn medicine continues to push the limits of gestational viability and medical complexity, the NPM workforce must advance in numbers, clinical capability, scientific discovery, and leadership. This article, as part of an American Board of Pediatrics Foundation-sponsored supplement that is designed to project the future of the pediatric subspecialty workforce, features a discussion of the NPM workforce's history and current status, factors that have shaped its current profile, and some plausible scenarios of the workforce's needs and configuration in the future. In the article, we use an analytical model that forecasts the growth trajectory of the neonatologist workforce from 2020 through 2040. The model uses recent data on the number of neonatologists and clinical work equivalents per 100 000 children and projects future workforce supply under several theoretical scenarios created by modifying key baseline parameters. The predictions of this model confirm the need for a greater sustainable clinical capacity of the NPM workforce. Several future trends indicate that there may be geographic shortages of neonatologists, similar to expected shortages in other pediatric subspecialties. We do not address what an appropriate target for workforce size should be with the model or this article because the current and projected geographic variability in the NPM workforce and risk-appropriate care suggest that a uniform answer is unlikely.

Overnight staffing in Canadian neonatal and pediatric intensive care units

Aim

Infants and children who require specialized medical attention are admitted to neonatal and pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) for continuous and closely supervised care. Overnight in-house physician coverage is frequently considered the ideal staffing model. It remains unclear how often this is achieved in both pediatric and neonatal ICUs in Canada. The aim of this study is to describe overnight in-house physician staffing in Canadian pediatric and level-3 neonatal ICUs (NICUs) in the pre-COVID-19 era.

Methods

A national cross-sectional survey was conducted in 34 NICUs and 19 pediatric ICUs (PICUs). ICU directors or their delegates completed a 29-question survey describing overnight staffing by resident physicians, fellow physicians, nurse practitioners, and attending physicians. A comparative analysis was conducted between ICUs with and without in-house physicians.

Results

We obtained responses from all 34 NICUs and 19 PICUs included in this study. A total of 44 ICUs (83%) with in-house overnight physician coverage provided advanced technologies, such as extracorporeal life support, and included all ICUs that catered to patients with cardiac, transplant, or trauma conditions. Residents provided the majority of overnight coverage, followed by the Critical Care Medicine fellows. An attending physician was in-house overnight in eight (15%) out of the 53 ICUs, seven of which were NICUs. Residents participating in rotations in the ICU would often have rotation durations of less than 6 weeks and were often responsible for providing care during shifts lasting 20-24 h.

Conclusion

Most PICUs and level-3 NICUs in Canada have a dedicated in-house physician overnight. These physicians are mainly residents or fellows, but a notable variation exists in this arrangement. The potential effects on patient outcomes, resident learning, and physician satisfaction remain unclear and warrant further investigation.

Time of Delivery Contributes to Mortality and Morbidity in Preterm Infants

INTRODUCTION

Knowledge about the time of birth and its impact on premature infants is essential when planning perinatal and neonatal care and resource allocation. We studied the time of birth and its contribution to early death and morbidity in preterm infants.

METHODS

We explored the time and mode of birth of infants with birthweight of <1,500 g and gestational age of <32+0/7 weeks. Additionally, we divided the infants into three groups stratified by their time of birth, i.e., during office hours, evening, and nighttime and assessed associations between these groups and mortality and morbidity.

RESULTS

The study comprised 1,610 infants of whom 156 (10%) died during their stay in neonatal intensive care unit. The highest number of deliveries occurred on Fridays (21%, n = 341/1,610), primarily due to high number of cesarean sections. Deliveries peaked on workdays at 10 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Mortality was lowest among infants born on Fridays (6%, n = 21/341) and highest on Mondays (13%, n = 28/218). Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (odds ratio [OR]: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.10-2.03, p = 0.010) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.13-3.91, p = 0.019) were more common among infants born at nighttime. These associations attenuated after adjustment for covariates.

CONCLUSION

Deliveries of premature infants peaked on Fridays. Mortality was lower among those born on Fridays, compared with Mondays. Many low-risk deliveries on Fridays may decrease, and the tendency to postpone high-risk deliveries to Mondays, increase the proportional risk of mortality. Indication of higher risk of IVH and NEC among infants born during nighttime may be due to different patient population.

Associations between unit workloads and outcomes of first extubation attempts in extremely premature infants below a gestational age of 26 weeks

Objective

The objective was to explore whether high workloads in neonatal intensive care units were associated with short-term respiratory outcomes of extremely premature (EP) infants born <26 weeks of gestational age.

Methods

This was a population-based study using data from the Norwegian Neonatal Network supplemented by data extracted from the medical records of EP infants <26 weeks GA born from 2013 to 2018. To describe the unit workloads, measurements of daily patient volume and unit acuity at each NICU were used. The effect of weekend and summer holiday was also explored.

Results

We analyzed 316 first planned extubation attempts. There were no associations between unit workloads and the duration of mechanical ventilation until each infant's first extubation or the outcomes of these attempts. Additionally, there were no weekend or summer holiday effects on the outcomes explored. Workloads did not affect the causes of reintubation for infants who failed their first extubation attempt.

Conclusion

Our finding that there was no association between the organizational factors explored and short-term respiratory outcomes can be interpreted as indicating resilience in Norwegian neonatal intensive care units.

Office hours and caesarean section: systematic review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Unnecessary caesarean births may be affected by physician factors, such as preferences, incentives and convenience. Delivery during office hours can be a valuable proxy for measuring such effects.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of office hours on the decision for caesarean delivery by assessing the odds of caesarean during office hours compared to out-of-office hours.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov , The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from the beginning of records through August 2021.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Search results were screened by three researchers. First, we selected studies that reported odds ratios of caesareans, or data allowing their calculation, for office and out-of-office hours. We extracted data on the study population, study design, data sources, setting, type of caesarean section, statistical analysis, and outcome measures. For groups reporting the same outcome, we performed a standard inverse-variance random-effects meta-analysis, which enabled us to calculate the overall odds ratios for each group. For groups reporting varying outcomes, we performed descriptive analysis.

MAIN RESULTS

Meta-analysis of weekday vs weekend for any caesarean section showed higher odds of caesarean during weekdays in adjusted analysis 1.40 (95%CI 1.13, 1.72 from 1,952,691 births). A similar effect was observed in the weekday vs Sunday comparison (1.39, 95%CI 1.10, 1.75, 150,932 births). A lower effect was observed for emergency CS, with a slight increase in adjusted analysis (1.06, 95%CI 0.90, 1.26, 2,622,772 births) and a slightly higher increase in unadjusted analysis (1.15, 95%CI 1.03, 1.29, 12,591,485 births). Similar trends were observed in subgroup analyses and descriptive synthesis of studies examining other office hours outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Delivery during office hours is associated with higher odds for overall caesarean sections and little to no effect for emergency caesarean. Non-clinical factors associated with office hours may influence the decision to deliver by caesarean section. Further detailed investigation of the "office hours effect" in delivery care is necessary and could lead to improvements in care systems.

FUNDING

The authors received no direct funding for this study.

Time at birth and short-term outcomes among extremely preterm infants in Spain: a multicenter cohort study

The first hours after birth entail a window of opportunity to decrease morbidity and mortality among extremely preterm infants. The availability of staff and its tiredness vary depending on the timing and day of the week. We hypothesized that these circumstances may impact neonatal outcomes. We have conducted a multicenter cohort study with data obtained from the Spanish neonatal network database SEN1500, where staff doctors are in the house 24/7. The main study exposure was the time of birth; secondary exposures were cumulative work hours from the medical and nurses' shifts and day of the week. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes included common preterm infants' in-hospital complications. Univariate and multivariate analysis adjusting for potential confounders was performed. All extremely preterm infants (N = 8798) born between 2011 and 2019 were eligible; 35.7% of them were admitted during the night shift. No differences were found between day and night births regarding survival or morbidity. No differences were found between weekdays and weekends or when considering cumulative worked hours in the shifts. Infants born during the night shift were more likely to be intubated at birth (OR 1.20, CI95% 1.06-1.37), receive surfactant (OR 1.24, CI95% 1.08-1.44), and having anemia requiring transfusion (OR 1.23, CI 95% 1.08-1.42).

CONCLUSION

the time of birth did not seem to affect mortality and morbidity of extremely preterm infants.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• The first hours after birth in extremely preterm infants are a very valuable opportunity to decrease mortality and morbidity. • Time and day of birth have long been linked to outcomes in preterm infants, with night shifts and weekends classically having higher rates of mortality and morbidity.

WHAT IS NEW

• In this study, no differences were found between day and night births regarding survival or major morbidity. • Infants born during the night shift were more likely to be intubated at birth, receive surfactant and having anemia requiring transfusion.

Overnight admissions to a neonatal intensive care unit in Ethiopia are not associated with increased mortality

Background

In 2019, 2.4 million neonates died globally, with most deaths occurring in low-resource settings. Despite the introduction of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in these settings, neonatal mortality remains high, and caring for sick neonates around the clock can be challenging due to limited staff and resources.

Objective

To evaluate whether neonatal intensive care admissions during daytime and overnight hours affects in-hospital neonatal mortality.

Methods

A retrospective case-control study was conducted using 2016 chart data at a University hospital in Ethiopia. Cases were defined as neonates who died in the NICU, and controls were defined as neonates who survived. Overnight hours were defined as 17:00 to 07:59, and day hours were defined as 08:00 to 16:59. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to investigate the relationship between time of admission and mortality, along with perinatal characteristics.

Results

A total of 812 neonates, 207 cases and 605 controls, met inclusion criteria. There were 342 admissions during the day and 470 overnight. Neonatal mortality (aOR 1.02, 95% CI [0.64–1.62], p = 0.93) was not associated with overnight admissions after controlling for maternal age, parity, C-section, birthweight, and gestational age, respiratory distress, and admission level of consciousness. Admission heart rate >160 (aOR 0.52, 95% CI [0.30–0.91], p = 0.02) was the only variable significantly associated with overnight admissions.

Conclusion

Being admitted overnight to the NICU in Gondar, Ethiopia was not associated with increased mortality, consistent with a constant level of care, regardless of the time of admission. Further qualitative and implementation research are needed to understand contextual factors that have affected these data.

Birth during on-call period: Impact of care organization on mortality and morbidity of very premature neonates

OBJECTIVES

The evidence that risks of morbidity and mortality are higher when very premature newborns are born during the on-call period is inconsistent. This study aimed to assess the impact of this situation among other determinants of outcomes, particularly newborn characteristics and care organization.

METHODS

Observational study including all infants born < 30 weeks' gestation in a French tertiary perinatal center between 2007 and 2020. On-call period corresponded to weekdays between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m., weekends, and public holidays. The primary endpoint was survival without severe morbidity, including grade 3-4 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), cystic periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis, severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and severe retinopathy of prematurity. The relationship between admission and outcome was assessed by an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) on the propensity of being born during on-call period and expressed vs. weekday. Secondary analyses were carried out in extremely preterm newborns (<27 weeks' gestation), in cases of early death (within 7 days), and before (2007-2013, 51.5% of the cohort) vs. after (2014-2020, 48.5% of the cohort) the implementation of a pediatrician-nurse team dedicated to newborn care in the delivery room.

RESULTS

A total of 1,064 infants [27.9 (26.3; 28.9) weeks, 947 (760; 1,147) g] were included: 668 during the on-call period (63%) and 396 (37%) on weekdays. For infants born on weekdays, survival without severe morbidity was 54.5% and mortality 19.2%. During on-call, these rates were 57.3% [aOR 1.08 (0.84-1.40)] and 18.4% [aOR 0.93 (0.67-1.29)]. Comparable rates of survival without severe morbidity [aOR 1.42 (0.87-2.34)] or mortality [aOR 0.76 (0.47-1.22)] were observed in extremely preterm infants. The early death rate was 6.4% on weekdays vs. 8.2% during on-call [aOR 1.44 (0.84-2.48)]. Implementation of the dedicated team was associated with decreased rates of mortality [aOR 0.57 (0.38, 0.85)] and grade 3-4 IVH [aOR 0.48 (0.30, 0.75)], and an increased rate of severe BPD [aOR 2.16 (1.37, 3.41)], for infants born during on-call.

CONCLUSION

In this cohort, most births of very premature neonates occurred during the on-call period. A team dedicated to newborn care in the delivery room may have a favorable effect on the outcome of infants born in this situation.

Association of timing of birth with mortality among preterm infants born in Canada

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between time of birth and mortality among preterm infants.

STUDY DESIGN

Population-based study of infants born 22-36 weeks gestation (GA) in Canada from 2010 to 2015 (n = 173 789). Multivariable logistic regression models assessed associations between timing of birth and mortality.

RESULT

Among infants 22-27 weeks GA, evening birth was associated with higher mortality than daytime birth (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.29). Among infants 28-32 weeks GA and 33-36 weeks GA, night birth was associated with lower mortality than daytime birth (AOR 0.75, 95% CI 0.59-0.95; AOR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.99, respectively). Sensitivity analysis excluding infants with major congenital anomaly revealed that associations between hour of birth and mortality among infants born 28-32 and 33-36 weeks GA decreased or were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Higher mortality among extremely preterm infants during off-peak hours may suggest variations in available resources based on time of day.

Mortality and Morbidities according to Time of Birth in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants

BACKGROUND

Although the overall quality of high-risk neonatal care has improved recently, there is still concern about a difference in the quality of care when comparing off-hour births and regular-hour births. Moreover, there are no data in Korea regarding the impact of time of birth on mortality and morbidities in preterm infants.

METHODS

A total of 3,220 infants weighing < 1,000 g and born at 23-34 weeks in 2013-2017 were analyzed based on the Korean Neonatal Network data. Mortality and major morbidities were analyzed using logistic regression according to time of birth during off-hours (nighttime, weekend, and holiday) and regular hours. The institutes were sub-grouped into hospital group I and hospital group II based on the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) care level defined by the mortality rates of < 50% and ≥ 50%, respectively, in infants born at 23-24 weeks' gestation.

RESULTS

The number of births during regular hours and off-hours was similar. In the total population and hospital group I, off-hour births were not associated with increased neonatal mortality and morbidities. However, in hospital group II, increased early mortality was found in the off-hour births when compared to regular-hour births.

CONCLUSION

Efforts to improve the overall quality of NICU are required to lower the early mortality rate in off-hour births. Also, other sensitive indexes for the evaluation of quality of NICU care should be further studied.

Effect of shift work in intensive care on attention disorder in nurses

AIM

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of attention between shifts and to make recommendations about the regulation of shifts.

METHODS

The researchers applied the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Stroop color word interaction test (SCWI) in 72 intensive care workers working in different shifts.

RESULT

The study included a total of 72 participants, including 30 (43.3%) females and 42 (58.3%) males. There were statistically significant differences between the groups in the sub-items of the HAM-D and SCWI test (Table 3). There was a significant elongation in the night-shift employees at all times within the SCWI sub-items. A significant height in the number of errors and corrections in the cards applied in the continuation of the test was also determined in the night-shift group.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed a significant decrease in the level of attention in the night-shift compared with the day-shift. This increase in attention deficit may also be a preventable cause of increased mortality in the night-shift.

Effect of 24/7 attending coverage in the neonatal intensive care unit on fellow education

BACKGROUND

There is a current change in type of attending coverage in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) from home calls to 24/7 in house coverage. Effects of this increased attending physician presence on education of NICU fellows has not been studied. The objective of this study is to evaluate the fellows' perception of in house attending coverage on their education and evaluate its effect on their perceived autonomy.

METHODS

A secure, anonymous, web-based survey was designed using RedCap. The web-based survey was sent via the section of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine of the American Academy of Pediatrics, to all members of Training & Early Career Neonatologists. Questions were focused on perception of IH attending coverage on fellows' educational experience including the respondent's perceived ability to make independent decisions (autonomy). Chi-square tests were used to compare responses between groups, with Fisher Exact tests used when the expected cell frequencies were small.

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty-three surveys were analyzed, that included responses from 82 fellows & 41 early career neonatologists. 52% reported having 24/7 attending in-house (IH) coverage. Thirty of the 123 respondents experienced a change in model of attending coverage during their training. Among these 30, only 26.6% preferred the model of attending IH coverage. The respondents currently working in IH models, when compared to those in non-IH coverage models felt IH attending coverage was beneficial for fellow education (p < 0.05) but was less likely to give fellows autonomy for decision making (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

In our survey respondents with in house attending, had a more favorable view of its benefit on fellow education. Institutions practicing or considering IH attending coverage should consider use of adequate measures to balance fellow supervision and education.

Survival prognosis of newborns from an intensive care unit through the SNAP-PE II risk score

OBJECTIVES

Although child mortality has declined significantly in recent decades, the reduction of neonatal mortality remains a major challenge as neonatal mortality represents 2/3 of the mortality rate in this population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension II (SNAP-PE II) score for evaluating the survival prognosis of newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

METHODS

The study design involved an observational cross-sectional retrospective collection, as well as a prospective component. The sample included all newborns admitted to the NICU validated by the SNAP-PE II tool from January 1 to December 31, 2014.

RESULTS

A predominance of young mothers (25.4 years), underwent prenatal care (86.2%), however a considerable percentage (49.4%) of mothers received insufficient medical consultation (less than six consults during their pregnancy). A prevalence of male admissions (62.4%) were noted in the NICU. Premature (61.7%) and underweight (weight <2,500 grams) newborns were also prevalent. The SNAP-PE II score showed an association between the infants who were discharged from the neonatal unit and the non-survivors. An increased prevalence of low birth weight and hypothermia was noted in the group of non-survivors. The mean arterial pressure appears to be a significant risk factor in the newborn group that progressed to death. Hypothermia, mean arterial pressure, and birth weight were the most significant variables associated with death.

CONCLUSION

The SNAP-PE II was a beneficial indicator of neonatal mortality. The prevention of prematurity and hypothermia by improving maternity care and newborn care can decisively influence neonatal mortality.

Reduction of severe intraventricular hemorrhage, a tertiary single-center experience: incidence trends, associated risk factors, and hospital policy

OBJECTIVES

To determine the incidence, trends, maternal and neonatal risk factors of severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) among infants born 24-32 weeks and/or < 1500 g, and to evaluate the impact of changing of hospital policies and unit clinical practice on the IVH incidence.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective chart review of preterm infants with a gestational age (GA) of 24-32⁶ weeks and/or weight of < 1500 g born at King Abdulaziz Medical City-Riyadh (KAMC-R), Saudi Arabia, from 2016 to 2018. Multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to determine the probability of developing severe IVH and identify associations with maternal and neonatal risk factors.

RESULTS

Among 640 infants, the overall incidence of severe IVH was 6.4% (41 infants), and its rate decreased significantly, from 9.4% in 2016 to 4.5% and 5% in 2017 and 2018 (p = 0.044). Multivariate analysis revealed that caesarian section delivery decreased the risk of severe IVH in GA group 24-27 weeks (p = 0.045). Furthermore use of inotropes (p = 0.0004) and surfactant (p = 0.0003) increased the risk of severe IVH. Despite increasing use of inotropes (p = 0.024), surfactant therapy (p = 0.034), and need for delivery room intubation (p = 0.015), there was a significant reduction in the incidence of severe IVH following the change in unit clinical practice and hospital policy (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

Cesarean section was associated with decreased all grades of IVH and severe IVH, while use of inotropes was associated with increased severe IVH. The changes in hospital and unit policy were correlated with decreased IVH during the study period.

Admission hypothermia, neonatal morbidity, and mortality: evaluation of a multicenter cohort of very low birth weight preterm infants according to relative performance of the center

This prospective cohort study aimed to assess the association of admission hypothermia (AH) with death and/or major neonatal morbidities among very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants based on the relative performance of 20 centers of the Brazilian Network of Neonatal Research. This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data using the database registry of the Brazilian Network on Neonatal Research. Center performance was defined by the relative mortality rate using conditional inference trees. A total of 4356 inborn singleton VLBW preterm infants born between January 2013 and December 2016 without malformations were included in this study. The centers were divided into two groups: G1 (with lower mortality rate) and G2 (with higher mortality rate). Crude and adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated by simple and multiple log-binomial regression models. An AH rate of 53.7% (19.8-93.3%) was significantly associated with early neonatal death in G1 (adjusted RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.09-1.84) and G2 (adjusted RR 1.29, 95%CI 1.01-1.65) and with in-hospital death in G1 (adjusted RR 1.29, 95%CI 1.07-1.58). AH was significantly associated with a lower frequency of necrotizing enterocolitis (adjusted RR 0.58, 95%CI 38-0.88) in G2.Conclusion: AH significantly associated with early neonatal death regardless of the hospital performance. In G2, an unexpected protective association between AH and necrotizing enterocolitis was found, whereas the other morbidities assessed were not significantly associated with AH. What is Known: • Admission hypothermia is associated with early neonatal death. • The association of admission hypothermia with major neonatal morbidities has not been fully established. What is New: • Admission hypothermia was significantly associated with early neonatal and in-hospital death in centers with the lowest relative mortality rates. • Admission hypothermia was not associated with major neonatal morbidities and with in-hospital death but was found to be a protective factor against necrotizing colitis in centers with the highest relative mortality rates.

Unit-Level Variations in Healthcare Professionals' Availability for Preterm Neonates <29 Weeks' Gestation: An International Survey

INTRODUCTION

The availability of and variability in healthcare professionals in neonatal units in different countries has not been well characterized. Our objective was to identify variations in the healthcare professionals for preterm neonates in 10 national or regional neonatal networks participating in the International Network for Evaluating Outcomes (iNeo) of neonates.

METHOD

Online, pre-piloted questionnaires about the availability of healthcare professionals were sent to the directors of 390 tertiary neonatal units in 10 international networks: Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Finland, Illinois, Israel, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Tuscany.

RESULTS

Overall, 325 of 390 units (83%) responded. About half of the units (48%; 156/325) cared for 11-30 neonates/day and had team-based (43%; 138/325) care models. Neonatologists were present 24 h a day in 59% of the units (191/325), junior doctors in 60% (194/325), and nurse practitioners in 36% (116/325). A nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:1 for infants who are unstable and require complex care was used in 52% of the units (170/325), whereas a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 for neonates requiring multisystem support was available in 59% (192/325) of the units. Availability of a respiratory therapist (15%, 49/325), pharmacist (40%, 130/325), dietitian (34%, 112/325), social worker (81%, 263/325), lactation consultant (45%, 146/325), parent buddy (6%, 19/325), or parents' resource personnel (11%, 34/325) were widely variable between units.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified variability in the availability and organization of the healthcare professionals between and within countries for the care of extremely preterm neonates. Further research is needed to associate healthcare workers' availability and outcomes.

24/7 in house attending staff coverage improves neonatal short-term outcomes: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVES

to compare short-term outcomes of newborns over 36 weeks with Apgar scores≤3 at 1min, following the adoption of a 24/7 in house coverage schedule STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective chart review comparing two 12-month epochs. Epoch 1: coverage provided by residents with availability on call at home of attending staff. Epoch 2: On site coverage by attending staff.

RESULTS

71 and 60 charts were reviewed from Epoch 1 and 2 respectively. The number of infants receiving chest compressions was reduced during Epoch 2 (from 19% to 1.6%, p<0.0001). The proportion of infants admitted to the NICU (81% vs 61%, p<0.01), and the median length of stay in hospital (61 vs 48h, p=0.03) were significantly reduced in Epoch 2.

CONCLUSION(S)

Continuous coverage by attending staff decreased the number of admissions to intensive care as well as the duration of hospitalization stay for newborns with low Apgar scores.

Association between Off-Peak Hour Birth and Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality among Very Low Birth Weight Infants

OBJECTIVE

To assess the independent association between overnight or "off-peak" hour delivery and 3 neonatal morbidities strongly associated with childhood neurocognitive impairment.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective population based cohort study of all infants with birth weights of 500-1499 g born without severe congenital anomalies in California or Pennsylvania between 2002 and 2009. Off-peak hour delivery was defined as birth between 12:00 a.m. and 6:59 a.m. The study outcomes were death; bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, and severe (grade 3 or 4) intraventricular hemorrhage among survivors; the composite of each morbidity or mortality; and the composite of death or 1 or more of the evaluated morbidities.

RESULTS

Of 47 617 evaluated infants, 9317 (19.6%) were born during off-peak hours. The frequencies of all study outcomes were higher among infants born during off-peak compared with peak hours. After adjusting for maternal, infant, and hospital characteristics, off-peak hour delivery was associated with increased odds of severe intraventricular hemorrhage among survivors (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.23-1.57) and the composite outcomes of death or severe intraventricular hemorrhage (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07-1.25) and death or major morbidity (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.15). There was no evidence of subgroup effects based on delivery mode, birth hospital neonatal intensive care level or annual very low birth weight infant delivery volume, or weekday vs weekend off-peak hour delivery for any study outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Very low birth weight infants born between midnight and 7:00 a.m. are at increased risk for severe intraventricular hemorrhage and death or major neonatal morbidity.

The impact of changes in intensive care organization on patient outcome and cost-effectiveness-a narrative review

The mortality rate of critically ill patients is high and the cost of the intensive (ICU) department is among the highest within the health-care industry. The cost will continue to increase because of the aging population in the western world. In the present review, we will discuss the impact of changes in ICU department organization on patient outcome and cost-effectiveness. The general perception that drug and treatment discoveries are the main drivers behind improved patient outcome within the health-care industry is in general not true. This is especially the case for the ICU department, in which the past decades' organizational changes were the main drivers behind the reduction of ICU mortality. These interventions were at the same time able to reduce cost, something which is rare for drug and treatment discoveries. The organization of the intensive care department has been changed over the past decades, resulting in better patient outcome and reduction of cost. Major changes are the implementation of the "closed format" and electronic patient record. Furthermore, we will present possible future options to improve the organization of the ICU department to further reduce mortality and cost such as pooling of dedicated ICU into mixed ICU and embedding business strategies such as lean and total quality management. Challenges are ahead as the ICU is taking up the largest share of national health-care expenditure, and with the aging of the population, this will continue to increase. Besides future improvements of organizational structures within the ICU, the focus should also be on the implementation of and compliance with proven beneficial organizational structures.

Does Time of Delivery Influence the Risk of Neonatal Morbidity?

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether time of delivery influences the risk of neonatal morbidity among women with singleton pregnancies.

STUDY DESIGN

Secondary analysis of data from the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network Factor V Leiden Mutation study. We categorized time of delivery as day (07:00-16:59), evening (17:00-23:59), and overnight (midnight-06:59). Severe neonatal morbidity was defined by at least one of the following: respiratory distress syndrome, transient tachypnea of the newborn, sepsis, seizures, neonatal intensive care admission, or a 5-minute APGAR ≤3. We calculated frequencies of severe neonatal morbidity by time of delivery. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine whether time of delivery was independently associated with severe neonatal morbidity.

RESULTS

Among 4,087 women, 1,917 (46.9%) delivered during the day, 1,140 (27.9%) delivered in the evening, and 1,030 (25.2%) delivered overnight. We observed no significant differences in the rates of neonatal morbidity between delivery time periods (day: 12.3%; evening: 12.8%; overnight: 12.6%; p = 0.9). No significant association was observed between time of delivery and neonatal morbidity after adjustment for maternal, obstetric, and peripartum factors.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that time of delivery is not associated with severe neonatal morbidity.

Outborns or Inborns: Where Are the Differences? A Comparison Study of Very Preterm Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infants Cared for in Australia and New Zealand and in Canada

BACKGROUND

Very preterm infants born outside tertiary centers are at higher risks of adverse outcomes than inborn infants. Regionalization of perinatal care has been introduced worldwide to improve outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the risk-adjusted outcomes of both inborn and outborn infants cared for in tertiary neonatal intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand and in Canada.

METHODS

Deidentified data of infants <32 weeks' gestational age from the 29 Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network units (ANZNN; n = 9,893) and 26 Canadian Neonatal Network units (CNN; n = 7,133) between 2005 and 2007 were analyzed for predischarge adverse outcomes.

RESULTS

ANZNN had lower rates of outborns compared to CNN (13 vs. 19%), particularly of late admissions (>2 days of age; 5.8 vs. 22.2% of outborns) who had high morbidity rates. After adjusting for confounding variables including gestation, ANZNN inborn infants had lower odds of chronic lung disease [CLD; 17.0 vs. 23.3%; adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.64-0.77], severe neurological injuries on ultrasound (SNI; 4.1 vs. 6.7%; AOR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.53-0.73), severe retinopathy (5.6 vs. 7%; AOR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.59-0.84) and necrotizing enterocolitis (3.5 vs. 5.4%; AOR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.56-0.79), but no difference in mortality odds. After excluding the late outborn admissions, ANZNN outborns had lower odds of SNI (AOR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.32-0.58) and CLD (AOR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.49-0.81) than CNN.

CONCLUSIONS

ANZNN inborn and early admitted outborn infants had lower odds of neonatal morbidities than their CNN counterparts. However, compared to ANZNN, the higher CNN rates of outborns and their late admissions are likely related to the differences in regionalization and referral practices, and may explain differences in outcomes.

Neonatal networks: clinical research and quality improvement

Worldwide, neonatal networks have been formed to address both the research and quality improvement agenda of neonatal-perinatal medicine. Neonatal research networks have led the way in conducting many of the most important clinical trials of the last 25 years, including studies of cooling for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, delivery room management with less invasive support, and oxygen saturation targeting. As we move into the future, increasing numbers of these networks are tackling quality improvement initiatives as a priority of their collaboration. Neonatal quality improvement networks have been in the forefront of the quality movement in medicine and, in the 21st century, have contributed to many of the reported improvements in care. In the coming years, building and maintaining this community of care is critical to the success of neonatal-perinatal medicine.

Effect of time of birth on maternal morbidity during childbirth hospitalization in California

OBJECTIVE

This observational study aimed to determine the relationship between time of birth and maternal morbidity during childbirth hospitalization.

STUDY DESIGN

Composite maternal morbidities were determined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification and vital records codes, using linked hospital discharge and vital records data for 1,475,593 singleton births in California from 2005 through 2007. Time of birth, day of week, and sociodemographic, obstetric, and hospital volume risk factors were estimated using mixed effects logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The odds for pelvic morbidity were lowest between 11 PM-7 AM compared to other time periods and the reference value of 7-11 AM. The odds for pelvic morbidity peaked between 11 AM-7 PM (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1101-1500 = 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.09; 1501-1900 = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.06-1.10). Odds for severe morbidity were higher between 11 PM-7 AM (AOR, 2301-0300 = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.21-1.41; 0301-0700 = 1.30; 95% CI, 1.20-1.41) compared to other time periods. The adjusted odds were not statistically significant for weekend birth on pelvic morbidity (AOR, Saturday = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.98-1.02]; Sunday = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.99-1.03) or severe morbidity (AOR, Saturday = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00-1.18; Sunday = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.94-1.13). Cesarean birth, hypertensive disorders, birthweight, and sociodemographic factors that include age, race, ethnicity, and insurance status were also significantly associated with severe morbidity.

CONCLUSION

Even after controlling for sociodemographic factors and known risks such as cesarean birth and pregnancy complications such as hypertensive disorders, birth between 11 PM-7 AM is a significant independent risk factor for severe maternal morbidity.

A Systematic Review: The Utility of the Revised Version of the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Among Critically Ill Neonates

The revised version of the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology (SNAP-II) has been used across all birth weights and gestational ages to measure the concept of severity of illness in critically ill neonates. The SNAP-II has been operationalized in various ways across research studies. This systematic review seeks to synthesize the available research regarding the utility of this instrument, specifically on the utility of measuring severity of illness sequentially and at later time points. A systematic review was performed and identified 35 research articles that met inclusion and exclusion criteria. The majority of the studies used the SNAP-II instrument as a measure of initial severity of illness on the first day of life. Six studies utilized the SNAP-II instrument to measure severity of illness at later time points and only 2 studies utilized the instrument to prospectively measure severity of illness. Evidence to support the use of the SNAP-II at later time points and prospectively is lacking and more evidence is needed.

Outcome comparison of very preterm infants cared for in the neonatal intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand and in Canada

AIM

To compare risk-adjusted neonatal intensive care unit outcomes between regions of similar population demography and health-care systems in Australia-New Zealand and Canada to generate meaningful hypothesis for outcome improvements.

METHODS

Retrospective study of data from preterm infants (<32 weeks gestational age) cared for in 29 ANZNN (Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network) and 26 Canadian Neonatal Network (CNN) intensive care unit admitted between 2005 and 2007. Moribund infants or those with major congenital malformation were excluded.

RESULTS

The 9995 ANZNN infants had a higher gestational age (29 vs. 28 weeks, P < 0.0001), lower rate of outborn status (13.2% vs. 19.1%, P < 0.0001) and Apgar score <7 at 5 min (14.8% vs. 21.6%, P < 0.0001) than their 7141 CNN counterparts. After adjustment, ANZNN and CNN infants had a similar likelihood of survival (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.01 (0.88, 1.16)), but ANZNN infants were at lower risk of severe retinopathy (AOR 0.71 (0.61, 0.83)), severe ultrasound neurological injury (AOR 0.68 (0.59, 0.78)), necrotising enterocolitis (AOR 0.65 (0.56, 0.76)), chronic lung disease (AOR 0.67 (0.62, 0.73)) and late-onset sepsis (AOR 0.83 (0.76, 0.91)). ANZNN infants were at a higher risk of pulmonary air leak (AOR 1.20 (1.01, 1.42)), early-onset sepsis (AOR 1.33 (1.02, 1.74)). More ANZNN infants received any respiratory support (AOR 1.27 (1.14, 1.41)) and continuous positive airway pressure as sole respiratory support (AOR 2.50 (2.27, 2.70)).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite similarities in settings, ANZNN infants fared better in most measures. Outcome disparities may be related to differences in tertiary service provision, referral and clinical practices.

Predictive power of serial neonatal therapeutic intervention scoring system scores for short-term mortality in very-low-birth-weight infants

BACKGROUND

The Neonatal Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (NTISS) is used to indicate disease severity for neonates who need intensive care. We examined the ability of serial NTISS scores to predict mortality in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of all preterm infants that had a birth weight of <1500 g and were admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit from 2007 to 2011. We calculated the NTISS scores at 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after admission, and assessed the predictive power for mortality using receiver-operating characteristic curve and area under the curve analysis. We also constructed a predictive model with gestational age, birth weight, and NTISS scores to predict mortality in these very-low-birth-weight infants.

RESULTS

In total, 172 infants were enrolled into this study. Eighteen (10.5%) infants died in the first 7 days after birth. The area under the curve of the NTISS score was 0.913 at 24 hours, 0.955 at 48 hours, and 0.958 at 72 hours. However, there was no significant difference in the overall average NTISS scores between 48 hours and 72 hours. The NTISS score at 48 hours was a better predictor of mortality than that at 24 hours after admission. Combining gestational age, birth weight, and NTISS score at 48 hours, birth weight was found to contribute little to the predictive power of mortality. The model with gestational age and NTISS score at 48 hours had a better predictive power than the NTISS score alone (area under the curve = 0.99).

CONCLUSION

The NTISS score at 48 hours seemed to be effective to predict mortality in preterm infants whose birth weight was less than 1500 g. In addition, gestational age played a more important role in predicting mortality than birth weight.

[Utility of a physiologic stability index based on Transport Risk Index of Physiologic Stability (TRIPS) for the evaluation of infants transferred to a specialized hospital]

BACKGROUND

Neonatal mortality is a public health priority. We review the physiological instability of the newborn after a transfer, which contributes to increased neonatal mortality. The objective of this work was to determine whether the Transport Risk Index of Physiologic Stability (TRIPS) in newborns transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a secondary hospital serves as a predictor of early neonatal mortality.

METHODS

We use the TRIPS to predict neonatal death in the first 7 days after patients' admission.

RESULTS

Neonatal mortality at 7 days after admission is related to the TRIPS rating. The score of the survivors and neonatal deaths show a significant difference (p: 0.009). For a score of 16, a sensitivity of 62% and a specificity of 84%; area under the curve of 0.757 was determined.

CONCLUSIONS

Physiological index weighting using TRIPS is a good predictor of neonatal mortality. It is important to establish measures to improve physiological stability of the newborn before, during and after the transfer in order to reduce neonatal mortality.

Quality improvement in neonatal care - a new paradigm for developing countries

Infrastructure for facility-based neonatal care has rapidly grown in India over last few years. Experience from developed countries indicates that different health facilities have varying clinical outcomes despite accounting for differences in illness severity of admitted neonates and random variation. Variation in quality of care provided at different neonatal units may account for variable clinical outcomes. Monitoring quality of care, comparing outcomes across different centers and conducting collaborative quality improvement projects can improve outcome of neonates in health facilities. Top priority should be given to establishing quality monitoring and improvement procedures at special care neonatal units and neonatal intensive care units of the country. This article presents an overview of methods of quality improvement. Literature reports of successful collaborative quality improvement projects in neonatal health are also reviewed.

Population study of neurodevelopmental outcomes of extremely premature infants admitted after office hours

AIM

The aim of the study was to compare neurodevelopmental outcomes of extremely preterm infants admitted during (OH) and after (AH) office hours.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory Neonatal Intensive Care Units' (NICUs) Data Collection of all infants <29 weeks gestation admitted to New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory NICUs between January 1998 and December 2004 was conducted. The primary outcome was moderate/severe functional disability (FD) at 2-3 years follow-up defined as developmental delay (Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales general quotient or Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II mental developmental index >2 standard deviations below the mean), cerebral palsy (unable to walk without aids), deafness (requiring bilateral hearing aids) or blindness (visual acuity <6/60 in the better eye).

RESULTS

Mortality and age at follow-up were comparable between the AH and OH groups. Developmental outcome was evaluated in 972 (74.9%) infants admitted during AH and 501 (74.6%) admitted during OH. FD was not significantly different between the AH and OH groups (17.1% vs. 14.8%, adjusted odds ratio 1.131, 95% confidence interval 1.131 (0.839-1.523), P = 0.420). There were no significant differences between AH and OH infants with cerebral palsy (9.6% vs. 7.6%), developmental delay (5.4% vs. 5.0%) or any other component of FD.

CONCLUSION

There is little circadian variation in mortality and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in an NICU network with the current model of after hours staffing and support, and sharing of NICU workload within a network.

The International Network for Evaluating Outcomes of very low birth weight, very preterm neonates (iNeo): a protocol for collaborative comparisons of international health services for quality improvement in neonatal care

BACKGROUND

The International Network for Evaluating Outcomes in Neonates (iNeo) is a collaboration of population-based national neonatal networks including Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. The aim of iNeo is to provide a platform for comparative evaluation of outcomes of very preterm and very low birth weight neonates at the national, site, and individual level to generate evidence for improvement of outcomes in these infants.

METHODS/DESIGN

Individual-level data from each iNeo network will be used for comparative analysis of neonatal outcomes between networks. Variations in outcomes will be identified and disseminated to generate hypotheses regarding factors impacting outcome variation. Detailed information on physical and environmental factors, human and resource factors, and processes of care will be collected from network sites, and tested for association with neonatal outcomes. Subsequently, changes in identified practices that may influence the variations in outcomes will be implemented and evaluated using quality improvement methods.

DISCUSSION

The evidence obtained using the iNeo platform will enable clinical teams from member networks to identify, implement, and evaluate practice and service provision changes aimed at improving the care and outcomes of very low birth weight and very preterm infants within their respective countries. The knowledge generated will be available worldwide with a likely global impact.

The relationship between in-house attending coverage and nighttime extubation following congenital heart surgery*

OBJECTIVES

Many cardiac ICUs have instituted 24/7 attending physician in-house coverage, which theoretically may allow for more expeditious weaning from ventilation and extubation. We aimed to determine whether this staffing strategy impacts rates of nighttime extubation and duration of mechanical ventilation.

DESIGN

National data were obtained from the Virtual PICU System database for all patients admitted to the cardiac ICU following congenital heart surgery in 2011 who required postoperative mechanical ventilation. Contemporaneous data from our local institution were collected in addition to the Virtual PICU System data. The combined dataset (n = 2,429) was divided based on the type of nighttime staffing model in order to compare rates of nighttime extubation and duration of mechanical ventilation between units that used an in-house attending staffing strategy and those that employed nighttime residents, fellows, or midlevel providers only.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Institutions that currently use 24/7 in-house attending coverage did not demonstrate statistically significant differences in rates of nighttime extubation or the duration of mechanical ventilation in comparison to units without in-house attendings. Younger patients cared for in non-in-house attending units were more likely to require reintubation.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric patients who have undergone congenital heart surgery can be safely and effectively extubated without the routine presence of an attending physician. The utilization of nighttime in-house attending coverage does not appear to have significant benefits on the rate of nighttime extubation and may not reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation in units that already use in-house residents, fellows, or other midlevel providers.

Adaptive behavior, functional outcomes, and quality of life outcomes of children requiring urgent ICU admission

OBJECTIVE

To describe the adaptive behavior and functional outcomes, and health-related quality of life of children who were urgently admitted to the ICU.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study.

SETTING

Critical Care Medicine program at a University-affiliated pediatric institution.

PATIENTS

Urgently admitted patients, aged 1 month to 18 yrs.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

We evaluated children's adaptive behavior functioning with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-2, functional outcomes with the pediatric cerebral performance category and pediatric overall performance category, and health-related quality of life with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4 and Visual Analogue Scale. We enrolled 91 children and 65 (71%) completed the 1-month assessment. Patients had a mean (SD) Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-2 rating of 83.2 (± 24.8), considered to be moderate-low adaptive behavior functioning. From baseline to 1 month, pediatric cerebral performance category ratings did not significantly change (p = 0.59) and pediatric overall performance category ratings significantly improved (p = 0.03). Visual Analogue Scale ratings significantly worsened from baseline to 1 wk (p < 0.0001) and significantly improved from 1 wk to 1 month (p=0.002). At 1 month, patients had a mean (SD) Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4 rating of 52.8 (± 27.9) of 100, a poor quality of life rating. Circulatory admissions, worse pediatric cerebral performance category score at baseline, worse transcutaneous oxygen saturation, and longer cardiac compression duration were independently associated with worse adaptive behavior functioning. Neurological admissions, worse pediatric cerebral performance category score at baseline, longer ICU stay, and longer duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were independently associated with worse functional outcome. Worse pediatric cerebral performance category score at baseline, longer ICU stay, and longer duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were independently associated with worse health-related quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Children surviving PICU have significant adaptive behavior functioning and functional morbidity and reduced health-related quality of life. Although neurologic morbidity following ICU was associated with baseline state, we found that resuscitation intensity and illness severity factors were independently associated with the development of acquired brain injury and reduced quality of life.

Effects of hospital delivery during off-hours on perinatal outcome in several subgroups: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Studies have demonstrated a higher risk of adverse outcomes among infants born or admitted during off-hours, as compared to office hours, leading to questions about quality of care provide during off-hours (weekend, evening or night). We aim to determine the relationship between off-hours delivery and adverse perinatal outcomes for subgroups of hospital births.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was based on data from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry, a countrywide registry that covers 99% of all hospital births in the Netherlands. Data of 449,714 infants, born at 28 completed weeks or later, in the period 2003 through 2007 were used. Infants with a high a priori risk of morbidity or mortality were excluded. Outcome measures were intrapartum and early neonatal mortality, a low Apgar score (5 minute score of 0–6), and a composite adverse perinatal outcome measure (mortality, low Apgar score, severe birth trauma, admission to a neonatal intensive care unit).

Results

Evening and night-time deliveries that involved induction or augmentation of labour, or an emergency caesarean section, were associated with an increased risk of an adverse perinatal outcome when compared to similar daytime deliveries. Weekend deliveries were not associated with an increased risk when compared to weekday deliveries. It was estimated that each year, between 126 and 141 cases with an adverse perinatal outcomes could be attributed to this evening and night effect. Of these, 21 (15-16%) are intrapartum or early neonatal death. Among the 3100 infants in the study population who experience an adverse outcome each year, death accounted for only 5% (165) of these outcomes.

Conclusion

This study shows that for infants whose mothers require obstetric interventions during labour and delivery, birth in the evening or at night, are at an increased risk of an adverse perinatal outcomes.

Does after-hours in-house senior physician cover improve standard of care and outcomes in high-risk preterm neonates? A retrospective cohort study

AIM

To compare the standard of care and outcomes to discharge for inborn high-risk preterm (gestation <32 weeks) neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before and after adopting an after-hours in-house senior physician cover roster (ISPCR). The ISPCR involved the presence of a consultant neonatologist or neonatal fellow in the NICU until 11 pm.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data for 12 months before (1 February 2002 to 31 January 2003, epoch 1) and after (1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, epoch 2) adopting the ISPCR. Short-term neonatal outcomes, including mortality and morbidity such as intraventricular haemorrhage, retinopathy of prematurity, necrotising enterocolitis and chronic lung disease, were examined. The standard of acute care, including admission temperature, correct positioning of tubes and lines, and preventable ventilatory complications in the first 8 h following admission, was also compared.

RESULTS

The numbers (235 in epoch 1, 245 in epoch 2), demographic characteristics and severity of illness (CRIB score) of neonates admitted to the NICU was comparable between epochs. Overall neonatal outcomes did not show significant improvement after adopting an ISPCR, nor were they improved for after-hours admissions in the presence of senior in-house physicians. The standard of acute care was also not significantly different. Minor improvements, such as earlier administration of surfactant, were noted in epoch 2.

CONCLUSIONS

Adoption of an ISPCR was not associated with any significant change in the standard of acute care and short-term outcomes for inborn neonates <32 weeks' gestation.

Impact of timing of birth and resident duty-hour restrictions on outcomes for small preterm infants

OBJECTIVE

The goal was to examine the impact of birth at night, on the weekend, and during July or August (the first months of the academic year) and the impact of resident duty-hour restrictions on mortality and morbidity rates for very low birth weight infants.

METHODS

Outcomes were analyzed for 11,137 infants with birth weights of 501 to 1250 g who were enrolled in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network registry in 2001-2005. Approximately one-half were born before the introduction of resident duty-hour restrictions in 2003. Follow-up assessments at 18 to 22 months were completed for 4508 infants. Mortality rate, short-term morbidities, and neurodevelopmental outcome were examined with respect to the timing of birth.

RESULTS

There was no effect of the timing of birth on mortality rate and no impact on the risks of short-term morbidities except that the risk of retinopathy of prematurity (stage > or =2) was higher after the introduction of duty-hour restrictions and the risk of retinopathy of prematurity requiring operative treatment was lower for infants born during the late night than during the day. There was no impact of the timing of birth on neurodevelopmental outcome except that the risk of hearing impairment or death was slightly lower among infants born in July or August.

CONCLUSION

In this network, the timing of birth had little effect on the risks of death and morbidity for very low birth weight infants, which suggests that staffing patterns were adequate to provide consistent care.

Predicting adverse outcomes in women with severe pre-eclampsia

The reason pre-eclampsia matters so much to maternity care providers is that adverse maternal and perinatal events cluster around the diagnosis of proteinuric gestational hypertension. While that is true, most pre-eclampsia is mild and evanescent, resolving rapidly postpartum. Therefore, every effort must be made to identify those women at greatest personal risk, and those bearing fetuses at greatest risk, so that they can be offered closer surveillance and lower thresholds for the use of effective interventions, such as delivery and the use of MgSO(4). Conversely, as delivery remote from term can increase perinatal risks and as liberal MgSO(4) use is associated with maternal morbidity, it may be as important to identify those women who have "mild" disease and bear little personal and/or fetal actuarial risk. For women with "mild" disease at presentation, expectant management remote from term or nonuse of MgSO(4) would be appropriate. Through the PIERS (Pre-eclampsia Integrated Estimate of RiSk) model research program, we have determined that most criteria for "severe" disease perform poorly when operationalized to predict adverse maternal and/or perinatal outcomes. However, with standardized assessment and surveillance of women with suspected and confirmed pre-eclampsia it is possible to lower maternal risks both within individual institutions and across regions. In addition, the PIERS group developed, and is currently validating, 2 outcome prediction models (full-PIERS and mini-PIERS) that we hope will provide an evidence base for the definition of "severe" disease and guide clinical decision-making, especially remote from term when potential perinatal gains are so great.

How to interpret your dot: decoding the message of clinical performance indicators

Comparative performance reports continue to proliferate, so it is increasingly important that healthcare workers can interpret the graphically displayed results correctly. This article acquaints readers with key concepts for thinking clearly and critically about such displays: (1) articulating the question a display answers, along with reflecting on questions the display might appear to, but does not, answer; (2) establishing that provider comparisons are made fairly, ever mindful of methodological assumptions and limitations; (3) accounting for systematic differences among performers that are unexplained by specified predictors, that is, random effect methods that yield 'shrunken' estimates; (4) understanding funnel plots used to summarize complex analyses and how one may vary the interrogative focus so that 'outlier' values most likely signal extraordinary performance. Finally, these concepts are given broader context in a view of the ultimate aim of the evaluative enterprise.

Instituting Surveillance Guidelines and Adverse Outcomes in Preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

To assess the incidence of combined adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes in women with preeclampsia before and after introducing standardized assessment and surveillance.

METHODS

This study was a preintervention (retrospective) compared with a postintervention (prospective) cohort comparison in a single-tertiary, perinatal unit that included women admitted to hospital with preeclampsia. We interrogated an existing retrospective 24-month database and then introduced the guidelines, assessing the incidence of the combined adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes for 41 months (September 2003 through February 2007). Tests of organ (dys)function were performed at least as often as on the day of admission, admission day +1, every Monday and Thursday, day of delivery, and delivery day +1. All data were checked for errors. The combined maternal outcome was maternal death or one or more of hepatic failure, hematoma, or rupture, Glasgow coma score of less than 13, stroke, at least two seizures, cortical blindness, need for positive inotrope support, myocardial infarction, infusion of any third antihypertensive, renal dialysis, renal transplantation, at least 50% FIO(2) for greater than 1 hour, intubation, or transfusion of at least 10 units of blood products. The combined perinatal outcome was perinatal or infant mortality, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, grade III/IV intraventricular hemorrhage, cystic periventricular leukomalacia, or stage 3-5 retinopathy of prematurity.

RESULTS

Two hundred ninety-five and 405 women were in the preintervention and postintervention cohorts, respectively. The incidence of adverse maternal outcome fell (5.1% to 0.7%; Fisher P<.001; odds ratio 0.14, 95% confidence interval 0.04-0.49). Perinatal outcomes did not change.

CONCLUSION

Standardized surveillance of women with preeclampsia was associated with reduced maternal risk.

The chasm in neonatal outcomes in relation to time of birth in Lebanon

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the time of birth and the mortality and morbidity of infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units.

DESIGN

This prospective, cohort study examined the records of women and infants admitted to the NICUs of four hospitals in Beirut, Lebanon, between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2003. The hospitals selected were university affiliated and had a large number of deliveries (5,152 total for the year 2002-2003).

MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLES

Neonatal mortality and morbidity for infants admitted to the NICU were evaluated in relation to time of birth.

RESULTS

For the whole sample, mortality was higher for infants born during the night shift than for those born during the day shift. Mortality, morbidity, and brain asphyxia rates were also higher for infants born during the night shift and admitted to the NICU. Maternal risk factors and delivery complications were nor consistently higher on the night shift.

Revalidation of the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology in the Vermont Oxford Network

OBJECTIVES

Our specific objectives were (1) to document the performance of the revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology and the revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension in predicting death in the Vermont Oxford Network, compared with published normative values; (2) to determine whether this performance could be improved through recalibration of the weights for individual score items; (3) to determine the impact of including congenital anomalies in the predictive model; and (4) to compare performance against that of the Vermont Oxford Network risk adjustment, separately and in combination.

METHODS

Fifty-eight Vermont Oxford Network centers collected data prospectively for the revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology in the first 12 hours after admission of infants in 2002.

RESULTS

Data were collected for 10,469 infants, and analyses were undertaken for 9897 who met inclusion criteria. The median revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology was 5, and the mean birth weight was 1951 g. Recalibration of the revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology and revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension resulted in minimal changes in their discriminatory abilities. The Vermont Oxford Network risk adjustment performed similarly, compared with the revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension.

CONCLUSIONS

Current score performance was similar to that observed previously, which suggests that the revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology and revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension have not decalibrated over the 7 years since the first cohort was assembled, despite advances in neonatal care during that period. Addition of congenital anomalies to the revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension improved discrimination significantly, particularly for infants with birth weights of >1500 g. The Vermont Oxford Network risk adjustment performed similarly, compared with the revised Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology Perinatal Extension.

The impact of fatigue on patient safety

Modern medicine is founded on a culture of diligent, fatigued physicians. Fatigue is not desirable; however, the task of managing fatigue in health care professionals is complex and an ideal solution has not been described. Solutions need to integrate the immediate need for continued high-quality patient care, education of trainees, and the limited supply of health and human resources. Exploration of alternate scheduling models, broadened scope of practice, and new models of care delivery in demonstration projects or formal studies should be performed before widespread implementation. Appropriate evaluations are essential if well-meaning but larger scale errors in the name of patient safety are to be avoided.

Neonatal intensive care unit characteristics affect the incidence of severe intraventricular hemorrhage

OBJECTIVES

The incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), adjusted for known risk factors, varies across neonatal intensive care units (NICU)s. The effect of NICU characteristics on this variation is unknown. The objective was to assess IVH attributable risks at both patient and NICU levels.

STUDY DESIGN

Subjects were <33 weeks' gestation, <4 days old on admission in the Canadian Neonatal Network database (all infants admitted in 1996-97 to 17 NICUs). The variation in severe IVH rates was analyzed using Bayesian hierarchical modeling for patient level and NICU level factors.

RESULTS

Of 3772 eligible subjects, the overall crude incidence rates of grade 3-4 IVH was 8.3% (NICU range 2.0-20.5%). Male gender, extreme preterm birth, low Apgar score, vaginal birth, outborn birth, and high admission severity of illness accounted for 30% of the severe IVH rate variation; admission day therapy-related variables (treatment of acidosis and hypotension) accounted for an additional 14%. NICU characteristics, independent of patient level risk factors, accounted for 31% of the variation. NICUs with high patient volume and high neonatologist/staff ratio had lower rates of severe IVH.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of severe IVH is affected by NICU characteristics, suggesting important new strategies to reduce this important adverse outcome.

In-house, overnight physician staffing: a cross-sectional survey of Canadian adult and pediatric intensive care units

OBJECTIVE

Physician staffing is an important determinant of patient outcomes following intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We conducted a national survey of in-house after-hours physician staffing in Canadian ICUs.

DESIGN

: Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Canadian adult and pediatric ICUs.

PARTICIPANTS

ICU directors.

INTERVENTIONS

ICU directors of Canadian adult and pediatric ICUs were surveyed to describe overnight staffing by interns, residents, critical care medicine trainees, clinical assistants, and ICU physicians in their ICUs.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Data were collected regarding hospital and ICU demographics and ICU staffing. For ICUs with in-house overnight physicians, we documented physician experience, shift duration, and clinical responsibilities outside the ICU. We identified 98 Canadian ICU directors, of whom 88 (90%) responded. Dedicated in-house physician coverage overnight was reported in 53 (60%) ICUs, including 13 (15%) in which ICU staff physicians stayed in-house overnight. Compared with ICUs without in-house physicians, those with in-house physicians had more ICU beds (15 vs. 8.5, p=.0001) and fewer ICU staff physicians (5 vs. 7, p=.03). For the 271 physicians who provide overnight staffing, the median level of postgraduate experience was 3 yrs (range, <1 yr, >10 yrs); 129 (48%) had <3 months of ICU experience. Most shifts (83%) were >20 hrs long.

CONCLUSIONS

In-house overnight physician staffing in Canadian ICUs varies widely. Only a minority of ICUs comply with the 2003 Society of Critical Care Medicine guidelines for adult ICUs recommending continuous in-house staffing by ICU staff physicians. The duration of most ICU shifts raises concern about workload-associated fatigue and medical error. The impact of current nighttime staffing requires further evaluation with respect to patient outcomes.

Mortality and morbidities among very premature infants admitted after hours in an Australian neonatal intensive care unit network

OBJECTIVES

To assess risk-adjusted early (within 7 days) mortality and major morbidities of newborn infants at < 32 weeks' gestation who are admitted after office hours to a regional Australian network of NICUs where statewide caseload is coordinated and staffed by on-floor registrars working in shift rosters. We hypothesize that adverse sequelae are increased in these infants.

DESIGNS

We conducted a database review of the records of infants (n = 8654) at < 32 weeks' gestation admitted to a network of 10 tertiary NICUs in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory from 1992 to 2002. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to adjust for case-mix and significant baseline characteristics.

OUTCOMES

Sixty-five percent of infants were admitted to the NICUs after hours. These infants did not have an increase in early neonatal mortality or major neonatal sequelae compared with their office-hours counterparts. Admissions during late night hours after midnight or fatigue risk periods before the end of a medical 12-hour shift were not associated with higher early mortality. Risk factors significantly predictive of early neonatal death were lack of antenatal steroid treatment, Apgar score < 7 at 5 minutes, male gender, gestation age, and being small for gestation.

CONCLUSIONS

Current staffing levels, specialization, and networking are associated with lower circadian variation in adverse outcomes and after-hours admission to this NICU network and have no significant impact on early neonatal mortality and morbidity.