The effect of whole-body cooling on hematological and coagulation parameters in asphyxic newborns

Cooling Under a Blanketrol System Versus Cooling With an Arctic Sun Thermoregulation System (CATS) for Neonates Undergoing Therapeutic Hypothermia

Background Despite evidence suggesting improved outcomes in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH), data on the impact of temperature variability during cooling and its association with clinical outcomes remain limited. Objective To compare the efficacy and ease of use of two different cooling systems, the Arctic Sun (Medivance, Inc., Louisville, CO) vs. the Blanketrol III (Gentherm Medical, Cincinnati, OH) on achieving TH, temperature variability, and clinical outcomes in neonates with HIE undergoing TH. Methods This study was conducted at the Baylor Scott and White Medical Center's Level IV NICU. The study employed a retrospective cohort design, comparing infants treated with the Arctic Sun device (from December 2020 to August 2021) to a historical cohort treated with the Blanketrol system (from January 2017 to November 2020). Both groups were evaluated for clinical characteristics, patients' outcomes, and ease of use of the cooling devices. Ease of use was assessed through a self-developed survey administered to NICU nurses. Core body temperatures throughout the cooling course were documented at four-hour intervals, including induction, maintenance, and rewarming phases. Results Twenty-two infants were cooled using the Arctic Sun system, and 44 infants were cooled with the Blanketrol device. Median birth weight and gestational age were comparable. There were no significant differences in one-minute and five-minute appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration (APGAR) scores. The Arctic Sun group had a significantly higher rate of maternal morbidities, including diabetes and placental abruption. Although the median temperature achieved with both devices was 33.5°C, temperature variability was significantly greater with the Blanketrol device (p = 0.03). Thrombocytopenia rates were statistically different between the groups (9% in Arctic Sun vs. 38% in Blanketrol, p = 0.001). Although the Blanketrol group had higher rates of disseminated intravascular coagulation (48% vs. 37%), hypercalcemia (23% vs. 5%), and subcutaneous fat necrosis (7% vs. 5%), these differences were not statistically significant. A nurses' survey on ease of use revealed a strong preference for the Arctic Sun cooling system. Over 85% of nurses found it easier to learn and set up and required less manual intervention than the Blanketrol device. Conclusions Gel adhesive pad-based TH is a potentially superior modality to traditional water-circulating cooling devices. These pads offer advantages in user-friendliness, improved temperature control precision, and potentially reduced adverse event profiles.

Hemostasis in Neonates with Perinatal Hypoxia—Laboratory Approach: A Systematic Review

Birth asphyxia, with an estimated prevalence of 1 to 6 per 1,000 live births, may lead to multiorgan dysfunction due to impaired oxygen and/or blood supply to various organ systems, including the hemostatic system. Coagulopathy, a common complication of perinatal asphyxia, has been described since the 1960s. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature for records on the use of hemostasis tests in the evaluation of coagulation disorders, in neonates who had suffered from perinatal hypoxia or asphyxia. We identified published studies by searching PubMed and Scopus, up until April 2022. The literature search retrieved 37 articles fulfilling the inclusion criteria of the review. According to the bibliography, thrombocytopenia is commonly associated with perinatal hypoxia/asphyxia. The thrombocytopenia is usually described as mild and platelets return to normal levels by the 10th day of life. Additionally, hypoxic neonates usually present with a hypocoagulable profile, as reflected by the prolongation of standard coagulation tests, including prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and international normalized ratio, findings commonly associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation, and by the reduction of the levels of the physiologic inhibition of coagulation system. A few studies thus far using ROTEM/TEG in hypoxic neonates have come to the same conclusion as well; hypoxic newborns seem to be characterized by a hypocoagulable profile compared with healthy neonates. It should be emphasized, however, that standard coagulation tests provide only a rough estimation of the true bleeding or thrombotic risk of hypoxic neonates. On the contrary, viscoelastic methods seem to be more precise in the early detection of hemostasis disorders in the neonatal population. However, until now, there was uncertainty as to the most appropriate coagulation assays for diagnosis and management of coagulation derangement in neonates with perinatal hypoxia indicating the need for further research on this field.

Proposing a care practice bundle for neonatal encephalopathy during therapeutic hypothermia

Neonates with neonatal encephalopathy (NE) often present with multi-organ dysfunction that requires multidisciplinary specialized management. Care of the neonate with NE is thus complex with interaction between the brain and various organ systems. Illness severity during the first days of birth, and not only during the initial hypoxia-ischemia event, is a significant predictor of adverse outcomes in neonates with NE treated with therapeutic hypothermia (TH). We thus propose a care practice bundle dedicated to support the injured neonatal brain that is based on the current best evidence for each organ system. The impact of using such bundle on outcomes in NE remains to be demonstrated.

Turkish Neonatal Society Guideline on neonatal encephalopathy

Neonatal encephalopathy is a major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Therapeutic hypothermia is standard treatment for newborns at 35 weeks of gestation or more with intrapartum hypoxia-related neonatal encephalopathy. Term and late preterm infants with moderate-to-severe encephalopathy show improved survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months of age after therapeutic hypothermia. Therapeutic hypothermia can increase survival without increasing major disability. Neonates with severe neonatal encephalopathy remain at risk of death or severe neurodevelopmental impairment. This guideline was prepared by the Turkish Neonatal Society to standardize the management of neonatal encephalopathy throughout the country.

Passive hypothermia (≥35 - <36°C) during transport of newborns with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND

Hypothermia initiated in the first six hours of life in term infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy reduces the risk of death and severe neurological sequelae. Our study's principal objective was to evaluate transport predictors potentially influencing arrival in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at a temperature ≥35-<36°C.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

A multi-centric, prospective cohort study was conducted during 18 months by the three Neonatal Transport Teams and 13 NICUs. Newborns were selected for inclusion according to biological and clinical criteria before transport using passive hypothermia using a target temperature of ≥35-<36°C. Data on 120 of 126 inclusions were available for analysis. Thirty-three percent of the children arrived in NICU with the target temperature of ≥35-<36°C. The mean temperature for the whole group of infants on arrival in NICU was 35.4°C (34.3-36.5). The median age of all infants on arrival in NICU was 3h03min [2h25min-3h56min]. Three infants arrived in NICU with a temperature of <33°C and eleven with a temperature ≥37°C. Adrenaline during resuscitation was associated with a lower mean temperature on arrival in NICU.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Our strategy using ≥35-<36°C passive hypothermia combined with short transport times had little effect on temperature after the arrival of Neonatal Transport Team although did reduce numbers of infants arriving in NICU in deep hypothermia. For those infants where hypothermia was discontinued in NICU our strategy facilitated re-warming. Re-adjustment to a lower target temperature to ≥34.5-<35.5°C may reduce the proportion of infants with high/normothermic temperatures.

Urinary markers of acute kidney injury in newborns with perinatal asphyxia (.)

BACKGROUND

Acute kidney injury (AKI) affects up to 60% of severely asphyxiated neonates. The diagnosis of AKI can be and is further challenged by a lack of good biomarkers. We studied the role of novel markers for AKI, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), interleukin-8 (IL-18), Netrin-1 (NTN-1), and sodium hydrogen exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) on development and early diagnosis of AKI in newborns with perinatal asphyxia (PA).

METHODS

Forty-one newborns with a diagnosis of PA (15 with AKI and 26 without AKI) and 20 healthy matched controls were involved to the study. Urinary samples were obtained on postnatal days 1 and 4 for patients with PA and on postnatal day 1 for the control subjects. AKI was defined using a serum creatinine-based modification of the acute kidney injury network criteria.

RESULTS

The levels of NGAL, NTN-1, NHE3, and IL-18 on the first postnatal day urine samples were higher in patients compared to controls (p < 0.001, p <0.001, p  <0.02, p  <0.001, respectively). In patients with AKI, the levels of NGAL and IL-18 were higher when compared to patients without AKI (p = 0.002, p  <0.001, respectively). The levels of NTN-1 and NHE3 were similar in both groups. For the samples obtained on postnatal day 4, only NGAL levels were significantly higher in patients with AKI (p = 0.004) compared to those without AKI.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the largest study, which evaluated the utility of urinary biomarkers in the diagnosis of AKI in newborns with PA. First day, urine NGAL and IL-18 levels have an important diagnostic power in such patients.

Biomarkers of multiorgan injury in neonatal encephalopathy

Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a major contributor to neurodevelopmental deficits including cerebral palsy in term and near-term infants. The long-term neurodevelopmental outcome is difficult to predict with certainty in first few days of life. Multiorgan involvement is common but not part of the diagnostic criteria for NE. The most frequently involved organs are the heart, liver, kidneys and hematological system. Cerebral and organ involvement is associated with the release of organ specific biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid, urine and blood. These biomarkers may have a role in the assessment of the severity of asphyxia and long-term outcome in neonates with NE.

Fresh Frozen Plasma Administration in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Evidence-Based Guidelines

Neonates receiving fresh frozen plasma (FFP) should do so according to evidence-based guidelines so as to reduce inappropriate use of this life-saving and costly blood product and to minimize associated adverse effects. The consensus-based uses of FFP in neonatology involve neonates with active bleeding and associated coagulopathy. However, because of limited and poor-quality evidence, considerable FFP utilization occurs outside these recommendations. In this review, we describe what we conclude are currently the best practices for the use of FFP in neonates, including interpreting neonatal coagulation tests and strategies for reducing unnecessary FFP transfusions.

Physiological responses to hypothermia

Therapeutic hypothermia is the only treatment currently recommended for moderate or severe encephalopathy of hypoxic‒ischaemic origin in term neonates. Though the effects of hypothermia on human physiology have been explored for many decades, much of the data comes from animal or adult studies; the latter originally after accidental hypothermia, followed by application of controlled hypothermia after cardiac arrest or trauma, or during cardiopulmonary bypass. Though this work is informative, the effects of hypothermia on neonatal physiology after perinatal asphyxia must be considered in the context of a prolonged hypoxic insult that has already induced a number of significant physiological sequelae. This article reviews the effects of therapeutic hypothermia on respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic parameters, including glycaemic control and feeding requirements. The potential pitfalls of blood‒gas analysis and overtreatment of physiological changes in cardiovascular parameters are also discussed. Finally, the effects of hypothermia on drug metabolism are covered, focusing on how the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and dosing requirements of drugs frequently used in neonatal intensive care may change during therapeutic hypothermia.

Evaluation of the Diagnostic Accuracy of Serum D-Dimer Levels in Pregnant Women with Adnexal Torsion

We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of serum D-dimer levels in pregnant women with adnexal torsion (AT). The pregnant women with ovarian cysts who suffered from pelvic pain were divided into two groups; the first group consisted of the cases with surgically proven as AT (n = 17) and the second group consisted of the cases whose pain were resolved in the course of follow-up period without required surgery (n = 34). The clinical characteristics and serum D-dimer levels were compared between the groups. Patients with AT had a higher rate of elevated serum white blood cell (WBC) count (57% vs. 16%, p = 0.04) and serum D-dimer levels (77% vs. 21%, p < 0.01) on admission in the study group than in the control group. Elevated D-dimer and cyst diameter larger than 5 cm yielded highest sensitivity (82% for each); whereas the presence of nausea and vomiting and elevated CRP had the highest specificity (85% and 88%, respectively). This is the first study that evaluates the serum D-dimer levels in humans in the diagnosis of AT, and our findings supported the use of D-dimer for the early diagnosis of AT in pregnant women.