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Wang D, Li L, Ming BW, Ou CQ, Han T, Cao J, Xie W, Liu C, Feng Z, Li Q. Differences in the attitudes towards resuscitation of extremely premature infants between neonatologists and obstetricians: a survey study in China. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1308770. [PMID: 38152648 PMCID: PMC10751309 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1308770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Neonatologists and obstetricians are crucial decision-makers regarding the resuscitation of extremely preterm infants (EPIs). However, there is a scarcity of research regarding the differing perspectives on EPI resuscitation between these medical professionals. We aim to determine the differences and influential factors of their attitudes towards EPIs resuscitation in China. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in public hospitals of 31 provinces in Chinese mainland from June to July 2021. Influential factors of binary variables and those of ordinal variables were analyzed by modified Poisson regression models and multinomial logistic regression models due to the invalid parallel line assumption of ordinal logistic regression models. Results A total of 832 neonatologists and 1,478 obstetricians who were deputy chief physicians or chief physicians participated. Compared with obstetricians, neonatologists delivered a larger proportion of infants of <28-week gestational age (87.74% vs. 84.91%) and were inclined to think it inappropriate to use 28 weeks as the cutoff of gestational age for providing full care to premature infants [63.34% vs. 31.60%, adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.61 (95% CI: 1.46-1.77)], and to suggest smaller cutoffs of gestational age and birth weight for providing EPIs resuscitation. Notably, 46.49% of the neonatologists and 19.01% of the obstetricians believed infants ≤24 weeks' gestation should receive resuscitation. Conclusions In China, notable disparities exist in attitudes of neonatologists and obstetricians towards resuscitating EPIs. Strengthening collaboration between these two groups and revising the pertinent guidelines as soon as possible would be instrumental in elevating the resuscitation rate of EPIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Department of Newborn Care Center, Senior Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Li Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Biostatistics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bo-Wen Ming
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Biostatistics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chun-Quan Ou
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Department of Biostatistics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Han
- Department of Newborn Care Center, Senior Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Jingke Cao
- Department of Newborn Care Center, Senior Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Wenyu Xie
- Department of Newborn Care Center, Senior Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Changgen Liu
- Department of Newborn Care Center, Senior Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Zhichun Feng
- Department of Newborn Care Center, Senior Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Qiuping Li
- Department of Newborn Care Center, Senior Department of Pediatrics, The Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
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Deligianni M, Voultsos P, Tzitiridou-Chatzopoulou MK, Drosou-Agakidou V, Tarlatzis V. Moral distress among neonatologists working in neonatal intensive care units in Greece: a qualitative study. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:114. [PMID: 36890500 PMCID: PMC9993694 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-03918-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working as a neonatologist in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is stressful and involves ethically challenging situations. These situations may cause neonatologists to experience high levels of moral distress, especially in the context of caring for extremely premature infants (EPIs). In Greece, moral distress among neonatologists working in NICUs remains understudied and warrants further exploration. METHODS This prospective qualitative study was conducted from March to August 2022. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling was used and data were collected by semi-structured interviews with twenty neonatologists. Data were classified and analyzed by thematic analysis approach. RESULTS A variety of distinct themes and subthemes emerged from the analysis of the interview data. Neonatologists face moral uncertainty. Furthermore, they prioritize their traditional (Hippocratic) role as healers. Importantly, neonatologists seek third-party support for their decisions to reduce their decision uncertainty. In addition, based on the analysis of the interview data, multiple predisposing factors that foster and facilitate neonatologists' moral distress emerged, as did multiple predisposing factors that are sometimes associated with neonatologists' constraint distress and sometimes associated with their uncertainty distress. The predisposing factors that foster and facilitate neonatologists' moral distress thus identified include the lack of previous experience on the part of neonatologists, the lack of clear and adequate clinical practice guidelines/recommendations/protocols, the scarcity of health care resources, the fact that in the context of neonatology, the infant's best interest and quality of life are difficult to identify, and the need to make decisions in a short time frame. NICU directors, neonatologists' colleagues working in the same NICU and parental wishes and attitudes were identified as predisposing factors that are sometimes associated with neonatologists' constraint distress and sometimes associated with their uncertainty distress. Ultimately, neonatologists become more resistant to moral distress over time. CONCLUSIONS We concluded that neonatologists' moral distress should be conceptualized in the broad sense of the term and is closely associated with multiple predisposing factors. Such distress is greatly affected by interpersonal relationships. A variety of distinct themes and subthemes were identified, which, for the most part, were consistent with the findings of previous research. However, we identified some nuances that are of practical importance. The results of this study may serve as a starting point for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Deligianni
- Laboratory of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology (Division: Medical Law and Ethics), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, GR 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Polychronis Voultsos
- Laboratory of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology (Division: Medical Law and Ethics), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, GR 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Maria K Tzitiridou-Chatzopoulou
- Midwifery Department, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Western Macedonia (Greece), Ikaron 3, GR 50100, Kozani, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Drosou-Agakidou
- 1st Department of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, GR 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vasileios Tarlatzis
- 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, GR 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Syltern J, Ursin L, Solberg B, Støen R. Postponed Withholding: Balanced Decision-Making at the Margins of Viability. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2022; 22:15-26. [PMID: 33998962 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2021.1925777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Advances in neonatology have led to improved survival for periviable infants. Immaturity still carries a high risk of short- and long-term harms, and uncertainty turns provision of life support into an ethical dilemma. Shared decision-making with parents has gained ground. However, the need to start immediate life support and the ensuing difficulty of withdrawing treatment stands in tension with the possibility of a fair decision-making process. Both the parental "instinct of saving" and "withdrawal resistance" involved can preclude shared decision-making. To help health care personnel and empower parents, we propose a novel approach labeled "postponed withholding." In the absence of a prenatal advance directive, life support is started at birth, followed by planned redirection to palliative care after one week, unless parents, after a thorough counseling process, actively ask for continued life support. Despite the emotional challenges, this approach can facilitate ethically balanced decision-making processes in the gray zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janicke Syltern
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- St Olavs Hospital University Hospital in Trondheim
| | - Lars Ursin
- The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
| | | | - Ragnhild Støen
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
- St Olavs Hospital University Hospital in Trondheim
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Han T, Wang D, Xie W, Liu C, Zhang Q, Feng Z, Li Q. Obstetricians' Attitudes Toward the Treatment of Extremely Preterm Infants in China. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2233511. [PMID: 36166226 PMCID: PMC9516285 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.33511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Extremely preterm infants (EPIs) are at high risk of mortality and disability, and whether obstetricians are active in treating EPIs is directly related to whether EPIs can get an opportunity to enter the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for treatment. A greater understanding of the attitudes of obstetricians toward the treatment of EPIs is needed to improve treatment of this population and optimize pediatric health policies and services. OBJECTIVE To clarify the attitudes of obstetricians toward the treatment of EPIs in China. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A cross-sectional, online, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among obstetricians from various provinces and cities in China through the wenjuanxing application (a survey platform) between June and July 2021. The questionnaire included characteristics of the participants, their experiences in delivering EPIs, their attitudes toward EPI resuscitation, and their opinions about the cutoff for providing full care to preterm infants in China. Possible factors associated with their attitudes toward the cutoff for providing full care to preterm infants were analyzed by logistic regression. Data analysis was performed from August 2021 to January 2022. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The attitudes of obstetricians toward the resuscitation and treatment of EPIs, and the current cutoff for providing full care to premature infants. RESULTS A total of 2817 valid questionnaires were recovered from 30 provinces and cities in mainland China. Of the 2817 obstetricians (mean [SD] age, 41.76 [8.50] years) investigated, 156 (5.5%) were male, 2661 (94.5%) were female, 1339 (47.5%) were deputy chief physicians or chief physicians, 1662 (59.0%) were from tertiary hospitals, and 2048 (72.7%) had experience in delivering EPIs. The proportion of obstetricians who supported resuscitation of preterm infants was 19.1% (539 respondents) at a gestational age 24 weeks, 24.1% (679 respondents) at 25 weeks, 54.8% (1543 respondents) at 26 weeks, and 100.0% (2817 respondents) at 27 weeks. A total of 1326 obstetricians (47.1%) reported that it was common or very common for EPIs to be withdrawn from resuscitation and not to be admitted to the NICU for treatment. Regarding the treatment of EPIs with higher possibility of survival, 1621 obstetricians (57.5%) maintained that appropriate information should be communicated but their parents' wishes should be respected. Most obstetricians (2051 respondents [72.8%]) maintained that 28 weeks was the cutoff for providing full care to preterm infants in China; 766 respondents (27.2%) thought of it as inappropriate, suggesting the cutoff should be less than 28 weeks. Logistic regression analysis showed that these differences were significantly associated with the professional titles of the obstetricians, geographical regions, hospital levels and types, whether they had any experience in delivering EPIs, and the total number of EPIs born yearly in their units. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional study, most Chinese obstetricians maintained a conservative attitude toward the treatment of EPIs. It was very common for EPIs to be withdrawn from treatment without entering the NICU directly after birth. Most obstetricians maintained that 28 weeks' gestational age should be the cutoff for providing full care to premature infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Han
- Department of Neonatology, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Neonatology, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenyu Xie
- Department of Neonatology, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Changgen Liu
- Department of Neonatology, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Neonatology, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Zhichun Feng
- Department of Neonatology, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
| | - Qiuping Li
- Department of Neonatology, Senior Department of Pediatrics, the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Birth Defects Prevention and Control of Key Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pediatric Organ Failure, Beijing, China
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Sanchini V, Sala R, Gastmans C. The concept of vulnerability in aged care: a systematic review of argument-based ethics literature. BMC Med Ethics 2022; 23:84. [PMID: 35974362 PMCID: PMC9379886 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-022-00819-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vulnerability is a key concept in traditional and contemporary bioethics. In the philosophical literature, vulnerability is understood not only to be an ontological condition of humanity, but also to be a consequence of contingent factors. Within bioethics debates, vulnerable populations are defined in relation to compromised capacity to consent, increased susceptibility to harm, and/or exploitation. Although vulnerability has historically been associated with older adults, to date, no comprehensive or systematic work exists on the meaning of their vulnerability. To fill this gap, we analysed the literature on aged care for the meaning, foundations, and uses of vulnerability as an ethical concept. METHODS Using PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of argument-based ethics literature in four major databases: PubMed, Embase®, Web of Science™, and Philosopher's Index. These covered biomedical, philosophy, bioethical, and anthropological literature. Titles, abstracts, and full texts of identified papers were screened for relevance. The snowball technique and citation tracking were used to identify relevant publications. Data analysis and synthesis followed the preparatory steps of the coding process detailed in the QUAGOL methodology. RESULTS Thirty-eight publications met our criteria and were included. Publication dates ranged from 1984 to 2020, with 17 publications appearing between 2015 and 2020. Publications originated from all five major continents, as indicated by the affiliation of the first author. Our analyses revealed that the concept of vulnerability could be distinguished in terms of basic human and situational vulnerability. Six dimensions of older adults' vulnerability were identified: physical; psychological; relational/interpersonal; moral; sociocultural, political, and economic; and existential/spiritual. This analysis suggested three ways to relate to older adults' vulnerability: understanding older adults' vulnerability, taking care of vulnerable older adults, and intervening through socio-political-economic measures. CONCLUSIONS The way in which vulnerability was conceptualised in the included publications overlaps with distinctions used within contemporary bioethics literature. Dimensions of aged care vulnerability map onto defining features of humans, giving weight to the claim that vulnerability represents an inherent characteristic of humans. Vulnerability is mostly a value-laden concept, endowed with positive and negative connotations. Most publications focused on and promoted aged care, strengthening the idea that care is a defining practice of being human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Sanchini
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Roberta Sala
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Chris Gastmans
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Cavolo A, Dierckx de Casterlé B, Naulaers G, Gastmans C. Neonatologists' Resuscitation Decisions at Birth for Extremely Premature Infants. A Belgian Qualitative Study. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:852073. [PMID: 35402353 PMCID: PMC8989134 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.852073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Deciding whether initiating or withholding resuscitation at birth for extremely preterm infants (EPIs) can be difficult due to uncertainty on outcomes. Clinical uncertainty generates ethical uncertainty. Thus, physicians' attitudes and perspectives on resuscitation of EPIs might influence resuscitation decisions. We aimed at understanding how neonatologists make clinical-ethical decisions for EPI resuscitation and how they perceive these decisions. METHODS We performed a qualitative study using a constructivist account of grounded theory. Face-to-face, semi-structured in-depth interviews with neonatologists comprised data collection. For data analysis, we used the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven. RESULTS We interviewed 20 neonatologists working in 10 hospitals in Belgium. Participants' decision-making can be described as consensus-based, gestational age-based, contextualized, progressive, and shared. All participants agreed on the importance of using the consensus expressed in guidelines as a guidance for the decision-making, i.e., consensus-based. Consequently, all 20 participants use GA thresholds indicated in the guidelines, i.e., GA-based. However, they use these thresholds differently in their decisions. Few participants rigidly follow established thresholds. The vast majority reported using additional contextual factors as birthweight or parents' wishes in the decision-making, rather than only the EPIs' GA, i.e., contextualized. All participants agreed on the importance of involving the parents in the decision-making, i.e., shared, and indeed parents' wishes were among the most valued factors considered in the decision-making. However, the extent to which parents were involved in the decision-making depended on the infant's GA. Participants described a gray zone in which parents' were viewed as the main decision-makers due to the high clinical uncertainty. This mean that participants tend to follow parents' request even when they disagree with it. Outside the gray zone, physicians were viewed as the main decision-makers. This mean that, although parents' wishes were still considered, counseling was more directive and the final decision was made by the physician. CONCLUSION Although an EPI's GA remains the main factor guiding neonatologists' resuscitation decisions, other factors are seriously considered in the decision-making process. All neonatologist participants agreed on the importance of involving parents in the decision-making. However, they involve parents differently depending on the EPI's GA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Cavolo
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Gunnar Naulaers
- Pregnancy, Fetus and Newborn, Department of Development and Regeneration, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chris Gastmans
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Cavolo A, de Casterlé BD, Naulaers G, Gastmans C. Neonatologists' decision-making for resuscitation and non-resuscitation of extremely preterm infants: ethical principles, challenges, and strategies-a qualitative study. BMC Med Ethics 2021; 22:129. [PMID: 34563198 PMCID: PMC8467007 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-021-00702-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Deciding whether to resuscitate extremely preterm infants (EPIs) is clinically and ethically problematic. The aim of the study was to understand neonatologists’ clinical–ethical decision-making for resuscitation of EPIs. Methods We conducted a qualitative study in Belgium, following a constructivist account of the Grounded Theory. We conducted 20 in-depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with neonatologists. Data analysis followed the qualitative analysis guide of Leuven. Results The main principles guiding participants’ decision-making were EPIs’ best interest and respect for parents’ autonomy. Participants agreed that justice as resource allocation should not be considered in resuscitation decision-making. The main ethical challenge for participants was dealing with the conflict between EPIs’ best interest and respect for parents’ autonomy. This conflict was most prominent when parents and clinicians disagreed about births within the gray zone (24–25 weeks). Participants’ coping strategies included setting limits on extent of EPI care provided and rigidly following established guidelines. However, these strategies were not always feasible or successful. Although rare, these situations often led to long-lasting moral distress. Conclusions Participants’ clinical–ethical reasoning for resuscitation of EPIs can be mainly characterized as an attempt to balance EPIs’ best interest and respect for parents’ autonomy. This approach could explain why neonatologists considered conflicts between these principles as their main ethical challenge and why lack of resolution increases the risk of moral distress. Therefore, more research is needed to better understand moral distress in EPI resuscitation decisions. Clinical Trial Registration: The study received ethical approval from the ethics committee of UZ/KU Leuven (S62867). Confidentiality of personal information and anonymity was guaranteed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation of 25 May 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Cavolo
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35/3, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | | | - Gunnar Naulaers
- Pregnancy, Fetus and Newborn, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, UZ, Herestraat 49/7003 21, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chris Gastmans
- Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35/3, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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Noh J, Kim CY, Jung E, Lee JH, Park YS, Lee BS, Kim EAR, Kim KS. Challenges of acute peritoneal dialysis in extremely-low-birth-weight infants: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Nephrol 2020; 21:437. [PMID: 33076845 PMCID: PMC7570022 DOI: 10.1186/s12882-020-02092-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been used occasionally in extremely-low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants with acute kidney injury (AKI). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of ELBW infants with AKI treated with PD. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, the medical records of ELBW infants with AKI, who underwent PD from January 2008 to February 2018, were reviewed. A PD catheter (7.5–9.0 Fr) or central venous catheter (4 Fr) was used for the peritoneal access. Treatment with PD solutions (2.5 or 4.25%) was started at 10 mL/kg, which was increased to 20–30 mL/kg for 60–120 min/cycle continuing for 24 h. Results Twelve ELBW infants (seven male and five female infants) were treated, and their mean (±SD) gestational age and birth weight were 27.2 (±3.3) weeks and 706.5 (±220.5) g, respectively. Two patients had severe perinatal asphyxia (5-min Apgar score ≤ 3). The most important indication for starting PD was AKI due to sepsis. The average (±SD) duration of PD was 9.4 (± 7.7) days. The potassium levels in the ELBW infants with hyperkalemia decreased from 6.8 to 5.0 mg/mL after 9.3 (± 4.4) days. The most common complication of PD was mechanical dysfunction of the catheters, such as dialysate leakage (75%). Two patients were successful weaned off PD. The mortality rate of the infants treated with PD was 91.7%. Conclusions In this series, the mortality rate of ELBW infants with AKI treated with PD was relatively high because of their incompletely developed organ systems. Therefore, the use of PD should be carefully considered for the treatment of ELBW infants with AKI in terms of decisions regarding resuscitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihyun Noh
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Chae Young Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Euiseok Jung
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
| | - Joo Hoon Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Young-Seo Park
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Byong Sop Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Ellen Ai-Rhan Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Ki-Soo Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
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Elser H, Gemmill A, Casey JA, Karasek D, Bruckner T, Mayo JA, Lee HC, Stevenson DK, Shaw GM, Catalano R. Stillbirths and live births in the periviable period. Ann Epidemiol 2020; 49:8-12. [PMID: 32648545 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We use data from California, where 13% of US births occur, to address two questions arising from efforts in the first decade of this century to avoid stillbirths before 25 6/7 weeks of gestation (i.e., in the periviable period). First, did stillbirths decline in the first decade of this century? Second, if stillbirths did decline, did periviable live births increase simultaneously? Answering these questions is important given that periviable infants represent less than 1% of live births but account for roughly 40% of infant mortality and 20% of hospital-based obstetric costs in the United States. METHODS We constructed 240 monthly conception cohorts, starting with that conceived in January 1991, from 9,880,536 singleton pregnancies that reached the 20 0/7 week of gestation. We used time-series design and Box-Jenkins methods that address confounding by autocorrelation, including secular trends and seasonality to answer our questions. RESULTS We detected a downward shift in stillbirths in April 2007 that coincided with an upward shift in periviable live births. CONCLUSIONS Our findings imply that, since 2007, fewer Californians than expected from history and from the size of conception cohorts reaching 20 0/7 weeks of gestation have had to contend with the sequelae of stillbirths, but more than expected likely have had to contend with those of periviable births.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Elser
- Division of Epidemiology, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA; Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
| | - Alison Gemmill
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Joan A Casey
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
| | - Deborah Karasek
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Tim Bruckner
- Program in Public Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine
| | - Jonathan A Mayo
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Henry C Lee
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - David K Stevenson
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Gary M Shaw
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Ralph Catalano
- Division of Epidemiology, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA
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