Identification of important and potentially avoidable risk factors in a prospective audit study of neonatal deaths in a paediatric hospital in Vietnam

Audit identified modifiable factors in Hospital Care of Newborns in low-middle income countries: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Audit of facility-based care provided to small and sick newborns is a quality improvement initiative that helps to identify the modifiable gaps in newborn care (BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 14: 280, 2014). The aim of this work was to identify literature on modifiable factors in the care of newborns in the newborn units in health facilities in low-middle-income countries (LMICs). We also set out to design a measure of the quality of the perinatal and newborn audit process.

METHODS

The scoping review was conducted using the methodology outlined by Arksey and O'Malley and refined by Levac et al, (Implement Sci 5:1-9, 2010). We reported our results using the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. We identified seven factors to ensure a successful audit process based on World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations which we subsequently used to develop a quality of audit process score.

DATA SOURCES

We conducted a structured search using PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, LILACS, POPLINE and African Index Medicus.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies published in English between 1965 and December 2019 focusing on the identification of modifiable factors through clinical or mortality audits in newborn care in health facilities from LMICs.

DATA EXTRACTION

We extracted data on the study characteristics, modifiable factors and quality of audit process indicators.

RESULTS

A total of six articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, four were mortality audit studies and two were clinical audit studies that we used to assess the quality of the audit process. None of the studies were well conducted, two were moderately well conducted, and four were poorly conducted. The modifiable factors were divided into three time periods along the continuum of newborn care. The period of newborn unit care had the highest number of modifiable factors, and in each period, the health worker related modifiable factors were the most dominant.

CONCLUSION

Based on the significant number of modifiable factors in the newborn unit, a neonatal audit tool is essential to act as a structured guide for auditing newborn unit care in LMICs. The quality of audit process guide is a useful method of ensuring high quality audits in health facilities.

Nursing & parental perceptions of neonatal care in Central Vietnam: a longitudinal qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Neonatal mortality accounts for nearly three quarters of all infant deaths in Vietnam. The nursing team are the largest professional group working with newborns, however do not routinely receive neonatal training and there is a lack of research into the impact of educational provision. This study explored changes in nursing perceptions towards their role following a neonatal educational intervention. Parents perceptions of nursing care were explored to determine any changes as nurses gained more experience.

METHOD

Semi-Structured qualitative interviews were conducted every 6 months over an 18 month period with 16 nurses. At each time point, parents whose infant was resident on the neonatal unit were invited to participate in an interview to explore their experiences of nursing care. A total of 67 parents participated over 18 months. Interviews were conducted and transcribed in Vietnamese before translation into English for manifest content analysis facilitated by NVivo V14.

RESULTS

Analysis of nursing transcripts identified 14 basic categories which could be grouped (23) into 3 themes: (1) perceptions of the role of the neonatal nurse, (2) perception of the parental role and (3) professional recollections. Analysis of parent transcripts identified 14 basic categories which could be grouped into 3 themes: (1) information sharing, (2) participation in care, and (3) personal experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Qualitative interviews highlighted the short term effect that the introduction of an educational intervention can have on both nursing attitudes towards and parental experience of care in one neonatal unit in central Vietnam. Nurses shared a growing awareness of their role along with its ethical issues and challenges, whilst parents discussed their overall desire for more participation in their infants care. Further research is required to determine the long term impact of the intervention, the ability of nurses to translate knowledge into clinical practice through assessment of nursing knowledge and competence, and the impact and needs of parents. A greater understanding will allow us to continue to improve the experiences of nurses and parents, and highlight how these areas may contribute towards the reduction of infant mortality and morbidity in Vietnam.

The cause-specific morbidity and mortality, and referral patterns of all neonates admitted to a tertiary referral hospital in the northern provinces of Vietnam over a one year period

Objective

To describe the cause-specific morbidity and mortality, and referral patterns of all neonates admitted to a tertiary referral hospital in the northern provinces of Vietnam.

Design

A prospective hospital based observational study.

Setting

The Neonatal Department, National Hospital of Pediatrics, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Patients

All admissions to the Neonatal Department over a 12 month period.

Main outcome measures

Cause-specific morbidity and mortality; deaths.

Results

There were 5064 admissions with the commonest discharge diagnoses being infection (32%) and prematurity (29%). The case fatality ratio (CFR) was 13.9% (n = 703). Infection (38%), cardio/respiratory disorders (27%), congenital abnormalities (20%) and neurological conditions (10%) were the main causes of death. Of all the deaths, 38% had an admission weight ≥2500g. Higher CFR were associated with lower admission weights. Very few deaths (3%) occurred in the first 24 hours of life. Most referrals and deaths came from Hanoi and neighbouring provincial hospitals, with few from the most distant provinces. Two distant referral provinces had the highest CFR.

Conclusions

The CFR was high and few deaths occurred in neonates <24 hours old. The high rates of infection call for an improvement in infection control practices and peripartum antibiotic use at provincial and tertiary level. Understanding provincial hospital capacity and referral pathways is crucial to improving the outcomes at tertiary centres. A quality of care audit tool would enable more targeted interventions and monitoring of health outcomes.

Classification systems for causes of stillbirth and neonatal death, 2009-2014: an assessment of alignment with characteristics for an effective global system

Background

To reduce the burden of 5.3 million stillbirths and neonatal deaths annually, an understanding of causes of deaths is critical. A systematic review identified 81 systems for classification of causes of stillbirth (SB) and neonatal death (NND) between 2009 and 2014. The large number of systems hampers efforts to understand and prevent these deaths. This study aimed to assess the alignment of current classification systems with expert-identified characteristics for a globally effective classification system.

Methods

Eighty-one classification systems were assessed for alignment with 17 characteristics previously identified through expert consensus as necessary for an effective global system. Data were extracted independently by two authors. Systems were assessed against each characteristic and weighted and unweighted scores assigned to each. Subgroup analyses were undertaken by system use, setting, type of death included and type of characteristic.

Results

None of the 81 systems were aligned with more than 9 of the 17 characteristics; most (82 %) were aligned with four or fewer. On average, systems were aligned with 19 % of characteristics. The most aligned system (Frøen 2009-Codac) still had an unweighted score of only 9/17. Alignment with individual characteristics ranged from 0 to 49 %. Alignment was somewhat higher for widely used as compared to less used systems (22 % v 17 %), systems used only in high income countries as compared to only in low and middle income countries (20 % vs 16 %), and systems including both SB and NND (23 %) as compared to NND-only (15 %) and SB-only systems (13 %). Alignment was higher with characteristics assessing structure (23 %) than function (15 %).

Conclusions

There is an unmet need for a system exhibiting all the characteristics of a globally effective system as defined by experts in the use of systems, as none of the 81 contemporary classification systems assessed was highly aligned with these characteristics. A particular concern in terms of global effectiveness is the lack of alignment with “ease of use” among all systems, including even the most-aligned. A system which meets the needs of users would have the potential to become the first truly globally effective classification system.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-016-1040-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A high burden of late-onset sepsis among newborns admitted to the largest neonatal unit in central Vietnam

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence, causes and outcome of sepsis in hospitalized neonates in the largest neonatal unit in central Vietnam.

STUDY DESIGN

A 1-year prospective cohort study of newborns admitted to the neonatal unit in Da Nang. A sepsis work-up including blood culture was undertaken before commencing antibiotics for neonates with suspected sepsis.

RESULT

Of 2555 neonatal admissions, 616 neonates had 729 episodes of suspected invasive sepsis. A pathogen was isolated from blood in 115 (16%) episodes in 106 neonates. The prevalence of early-onset sepsis (EOS) was 8 (95% confidence interval (CI): 4 to 11) per 1000 admissions, and of late-onset sepsis (LOS) was 34 (95% CI: 27 to 41) per 1000 admissions. Of 86 neonates with LOS, 69 (80%) also fulfilled the criteria for nosocomial sepsis. The commonest bacterial causes of EOS were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) and Staphylococcus aureus, and of LOS were Acinetobacter, CoNS and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Fungal sepsis occurred in 35 neonates of which most were nosocomial sepsis. In vitro resistance to multiple antibiotics was common among Gram-negative bacteria. Antibiotics were prescribed and given to 68% of all admissions, and 14% of all admissions received four or more different antibiotics. The case fatality rate for confirmed sepsis was 46%.

CONCLUSION

Late-onset, nosocomial sepsis was common and associated with a high mortality in hospitalized newborns in the largest neonatal unit in central Vietnam. These findings highlighted the need for improved infection control measures and antibiotic stewardship, which have since been implemented.

Morbidity and mortality in hospitalised neonates in central Vietnam

AIM

This study explored neonatal morbidity and mortality in hospitalised patients in central Vietnam and risk factors associated with mortality.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study of all newborn infants (<28 days) hospitalised in a neonatal unit over a 1-year period and followed until discharge. The main outcome measures were case fatality rate and the rate of different clinical diagnoses.

RESULTS

There were 2555 admissions during the study period. The leading primary causes of admissions were infections (41%), haematological problems such as jaundice (23%) and prematurity and its complications (18%). The overall case fatality rate was 8.6%, and it was 59% among very low-birthweight (<1500 g) neonates. Mortality was inversely associated with birthweight and gestational age. Of the 220 deaths, 57% occurred within the first 7 days of life. Although the causes of death were often multifactorial, the leading primary causes were infections (32%), prematurity and its complications (25%), birth defects (24%) and birth asphyxia (6%). Risk factors associated with death were being outborn, early gestational age, small for gestational age, confirmed sepsis and birth defects.

CONCLUSION

Mortality rates were high among hospitalised neonates in central Vietnam, and this paper suggests interventions that might improve outcomes.