Video recording in the delivery room: current status, implications and implementation

Many factors determine the performance and success of delivery room management of newborn babies. Improving the quality of care in this challenging surrounding has an important impact on patient safety and on perinatal morbidity and mortality. Video recording (VR) offers the advantage to record and store work as done rather than work as recalled. It provides information about adherence to algorithms and guidelines, and technical, cognitive and behavioural skills. VR is feasible for education and training, improves team performance and results of research led to changes of international guidelines. However, studies thus far have not provided data regarding whether delivery room video recording affects long-term team performance or clinical outcomes. Privacy is a concern because data can be stored and individuals can be identified. We describe the current state of clinical practice in high- and low-resource settings, discuss ethical and medical-legal issues and give recommendations for implementation with the aim of improving the quality of care and outcome of vulnerable babies. IMPACT: VR improves performance by health caregivers providing neonatal resuscitation, teaching and research related to delivery room management, both in high as well low resource settings. VR enables information about adherence to guidelines, technical, behavioural and communication skills within the resuscitation team. VR has ethical and medical-legal implications for healthcare, especially recommendations for implementation of VR in routine clinical care in the delivery room. VR will increase the awareness that short- and long-term outcomes of babies depend on the quality of care in the delivery room.

Low mortality and short-term morbidity in very preterm infants in Austria 2011-2016

AIM

The current study determined survival, short-term neonatal morbidity and predictors for death or adverse outcome of very preterm infants in Austria.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study included 5197 very preterm infants (53.3% boys) born between 2011 and 2016 recruited from the Austrian Preterm Outcome Registry. Main outcome measures were gestational age-related mortality and major short-term morbidities.

RESULTS

Overall, survival rate of all live-born infants included was 91.6% and ranged from 47.1% and 73.4% among those born at 23 and 24 weeks of gestation to 84.9% and 88.2% among infants born at 25 and 26 weeks to more than 90.0% among those with a gestational age of 27 weeks or more. The overall prevalence of chronic lung disease, necrotising enterocolitis requiring surgery, intraventricular haemorrhage Grades 3-4, and retinopathy of prematurity Grades 3-5 was 10.0%, 2.1%, 5.5%, and 3.6%, respectively. Low gestational age, low birth weight, missing or incomplete course of antenatal steroids, male sex, and multiple births were significant risk predictors for death or adverse short-term outcome.

CONCLUSION

In this national cohort study, overall survival rates were high and short-term morbidity rate was low.

Childhood asthma is associated with mutations and gene expression differences of ORMDL genes that can interact

BACKGROUND

Genomewide association studies identified ORMDL3 as a plausible asthma candidate gene. ORMDL proteins regulate sphingolipid metabolism and ceramide homeostasis and participate in lymphocyte activation and eosinophil recruitment. Strong sequence homology between the three ORMDL genes and ORMDL protein conservation among different species suggest that they may have shared functions. We hypothesized that if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ORMDL3 alter its gene expression and play a role in asthma, variants in ORMDL1 and ORMDL2 might also be associated with asthma.

METHODS

Asthma associations of 44 genotyped SNPs were determined in at least 1303 subjects (651 asthmatics). ORMDL expression was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 55 subjects (eight asthmatics) before and after allergen stimulation, and in blood (n = 60, 5 asthmatics). Allele-specific cis-effects on ORMDL expression were assessed. Interactions between human ORMDL proteins were determined in living cells.

RESULTS

Sixteen SNPs in all three ORMDLs were associated with asthma (14 in ORMDL3). Baseline expression of ORMDL1 (P = 1.7 × 10(-6) ) and ORMDL2 (P = 4.9 × 10(-5) ) was significantly higher in PBMC from asthmatics, while induction of ORMDLs upon stimulation was stronger in nonasthmatics. Disease-associated alleles (rs8079416, rs4795405, rs3902920) alter ORMDL3 expression. ORMDL proteins formed homo- and heterooligomers and displayed similar patterns of interaction with SERCA2 and SPT1.

CONCLUSIONS

Polymorphisms in ORMDL genes are associated with asthma. Asthmatics exhibit increased ORMDL levels, suggesting that ORMDLs contribute to asthma. Formation of heterooligomers and similar interaction patterns with proteins involved in calcium homeostasis and sphingolipid metabolism could indicate shared biological roles of ORMDLs, influencing airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness.

Fine-mapping of IgE-associated loci 1q23, 5q31, and 12q13 using 1000 Genomes Project data

BACKGROUND

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) repeatedly identified 1q23 (FCER1A), 5q31 (RAD50-IL13 and IL4), and 12q13 (STAT6) as major susceptibility loci influencing the regulation of total serum IgE levels. As GWAS may be insufficient to capture causal variants, we performed fine-mapping and re-genotyping of the three loci using 1000 Genomes Project datasets.

METHODS

Linkage disequilibrium tagging polymorphisms and polymorphisms of putative functional relevance were genotyped by chip technology (24 polymorphisms) or MALDI-TOF-MS (40 polymorphisms) in at least 1303 German children (651 asthmatics). The effect of polymorphisms on total serum IgE, IgE percentiles, and atopic diseases was assessed, and a risk score model was applied for gene-by-gene interaction analyses. Functional effects of putative causal variants from these three loci were studied in silico.

RESULTS

Associations from GWAS were confirmed and extended. For 1q23 and 5q31, the majority of associations were found with mild to moderately elevated IgE levels, while in the 12q13 locus, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with strongly elevated IgE levels. Gene-by-gene interaction analyses suggested that the presence of mutations in all three loci increases the risk for elevated IgE up to fourfold.

CONCLUSION

This fine-mapping study confirmed previous associations and identified novel associations of SNPs in 1q23, 5q31, and 12q13 with different levels of serum IgE and their concomitant contribution to IgE regulation.

The burden of pneumococcal meningitis in Austrian children between 2001 and 2008

The present study was conducted to evaluate the burden of pneumococcal meningitis in Austrian children between 2001 and 2008. Clinical outcome was retrospectively analyzed both on discharge and on follow-up investigations. This study was based on a prospective multicentre surveillance study on hospitalized invasive pneumococcal infections in Austrian children with a total annual "study population" of about 399,000 children aged below 5 years per year. Between 2001 and 2008, 74 cases of pneumococcal meningitis were identified in children aged below 5 years. The mean annual incidence rate for pneumococcal meningitis was 2.3 per 100,000 children in this age group. In 57/74 children (mean age on admission 14.5 ± 13.3 months), outcome data on hospital discharge were available: 5 deaths (8.8%), 20 children (35.1%) with sequelae and 32 children (56.1%) without sequelae were observed. Sequelae on discharge included motor impairment in 8 children (14.0%), hearing impairment in 9 children (15.8%) and/or other complications in 14 children (24.6%). In 7/8 children with motor deficits, matching cerebral lesions were identified by neuroimaging: cerebral infarction in five children, cerebral vasculitis and cerebral abscess in one child each. In 40/57 children, long-term outcome (18.9 ± 20.2 months after discharge) could be assessed: 1 child (2.5%) died 9 months after hospital discharge, 11 children (27.5%) had one or two long-term sequelae and 28 children (70.0%) had no sequelae. Long-term sequelae included motor impairment in three children (7.5%), hearing impairment in nine children (22.5%) and other deficits in two children (5.0%).

CONCLUSION

Our study confirms that pneumococcal meningitis causes high mortality and severe long-term sequelae. On long-term follow-up, we observed improvements of motor impairment, but not of hearing impairment.

Polymorphisms in the IRF-4 gene, asthma and recurrent bronchitis in children

BACKGROUND

Interferon-regulatory factors (IRFs) play a crucial role in immunity, not only influencing interferon expression but also T cell differentiation. IRF-4 was only recently recognized as a further major player in T cell differentiation.

OBJECTIVE

As IRF-1 polymorphisms were shown to be associated with atopy and allergy, we comprehensively investigated effects of IRF-4 variants on allergy, asthma and related phenotypes in German children.

METHODS

Fifteen tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IRF-4 gene were genotyped by MALDI-TOF MS in the cross-sectional ISAAC phase II study population from Munich and Dresden (age 9-11; N = 3099). Replication was performed in our previously established genome-wide association study (GWAS) data set (N = 1303) consisting of asthma cases from the Multicenter Asthma Genetic in Childhood (MAGIC) study and reference children from the ISAAC II study.

RESULTS

SNPs were not significantly associated with asthma but with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, atopy and, most interestingly, with recurrent bronchitis in the first data set. The IRF-4 variant rs9378805 was associated with recurrent bronchitis in the ISAAC population and replicated in the GWAS data set where further SNPs showed associations with recurrent bronchitis and asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

We found genetic associations in IRF-4 to be associated with recurrent bronchitis in our two study populations. Associated polymorphisms are localized in a putative regulatory element in the 3'UTR region of IRF-4. These findings suggest a putative role of IRF-4 in the development of bronchitis.

A role of FCER1A and FCER2 polymorphisms in IgE regulation

BACKGROUND

Both FCER2 and FCER1A encode subunits of IgE receptors. Variants in FCER1A were previously identified as major determinants of IgE levels in genome-wide association studies.

METHODS

Here we investigated in detail whether FCER2 polymorphisms affect IgE levels alone and/or by interaction with FCER1A polymorphisms. To cover the genetic information of FCER2, 21 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by Illumina HumanHap300 BeadChip (5 SNPs) and the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS; 14 SNPs) in at least 1303 Caucasian children (651 asthmatics) (ISAAC II/ MAGICS population); genotypes of two SNPs were imputed.

RESULTS

SNP rs3760687 showed the most consistent effect on total serum IgE levels (b [SE] = -0.38 [0.16]; P = 0.016), while FCER2 polymorphisms in general were predominantly associated with mildly-to-moderately increased IgE levels (50th and 66th percentiles). Gene-by-gene interaction analysis suggests that FCER2 polymorphism rs3760687 influences IgE levels mainly in individuals not homozygous for the risk allele of FCER1A polymorphism rs2427837, which belongs to the major IgE-determining tagging bin in the population.

CONCLUSION

FCER2 polymorphism rs3760687 affects moderately elevated total serum IgE levels, especially in the absence of homozygosity for the risk allele of FCER1A SNP rs2427837.

Compliance with guidelines recommending the use of simulation for neonatal and infant resuscitation training in Austria

BACKGROUND

Current international resuscitation guidelines recommend simulation for the training of neonatal and infant resuscitation. We aimed at assessing compliance rates with these recommendations in Austria.

METHOD

We performed a national questionnaire survey among 31 neonatal institutions in Austria.

RESULTS

25 questionnaires (80.6%) were analyzed. 22/25 institutions (88%) used simulation as an instructional modality. 8 institutions (32%) had access to medical simulation centers, with 6/8 being used for neonatal and infant resuscitation training. Simulation equipment was available at 17/25 institutions (68%), with a median of 1 part-task trainer (0-2), 2 low-fidelity resuscitation mannequins (0-10), and 0 high-fidelity patient simulators (0-7). Resuscitation training frequency varied widely, ranging from one training per month to one training per year. 5 simulation centers utilized interdisciplinary resuscitation training with other medical specialties and team training including physicians and nursing staff. Of the 17 institutions with simulation equipment at their disposal, 8 (47.1%) carried out interdisciplinary training and 13 (76.5%) performed team-oriented training sessions.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

The majority of surveyed institutions adopted simulation for neonatal and infant resuscitation training according to current guidelines and had simulation equipment at their disposal. However, educational practice varied widely, especially in regard to training frequency. Therefore, we suggest a national consensus agreement on best practices in simulation-based neonatal and infant resuscitation training.

Free asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is low in children and adolescents with classical phenylketonuria (PKU)

INTRODUCTION

Free asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a competitive inhibitor of the nitric oxide synthases (NOS). Suppression of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis increases the risk of atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, in the condition of oxidative stress, NOS blockade by ADMA may exert protective effects. Protein metabolism is altered in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) on dietary treatment and as shown recently, oxidative stress is high in PKU. Since free ADMA concentrations are determined by both protein metabolism and oxidative stress we hypothesized, that free ADMA levels may be elevated in PKU patients.

DESIGN

Sixteen patientswith PKU on dietary treatment (mean age 10.1 ± 5.2 yrs), and 91 healthy children (mean age 11.6 ± 3.7 yrs) participated in a cross sectional study.

RESULTS

ADMA, total homocysteine (tHcy) and blood glucose were lower and the L-arginine/ADMA ratio was higher in PKU patients compared to controls. No significant correlation was present between phenylalanine (Phe) concentrations, protein intake, and lipid profile, history of cardiovascular disease or ADMA.

DISCUSSION

In contrast to our hypothesis, ADMAwas lower and the L-arginine/ADMA ratio was higher in PKU patients. Therefore, in PKU patients, the regulating function of ADMA on NO synthesis is altered and may thus contribute to oxidative stress.

Actinomyces neuii and neonatal sepsis

Actinomyces neuii belongs to the coryneform bacteria. In the case presented here this gram-positive rod had to be considered the pathogen causing not only the chorioam nionitis but also the neonatal sepsis. Conventional therapeutic regimes are effective due to the high sensitivity of A. neuii to beta-lactam antibiotics.

Increased tacrolimus levels during diarrhea

While it is well known that diarrhea results in decreased trough levels of cyclosporin A, experience with levels of tacrolimus (FK506) and diarrhea is limited. We have therefore measured the tacrolimus trough levels of four male and two female recipients of solid organs before, during, and after gastroenteritis. The average age of these six patients was 31 (1-60) years. Four patients had received a kidney transplant, one patient had undergone simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation, and another patient had received a liver transplant. Rotavirus was identified in the feces specimen of a 1-year-old child that had undergone liver transplantation. All patients showed an elevated tacrolimus trough level (peak 20-60 ng/ml) after onset of gastroenteritis. Under symptomatic therapy and adequate adjustment of tacrolimus dose, the gastroenteritis stopped and tacrolimus levels returned to the therapeutic range. We recommend that FK506 levels be carefully monitored during diarrhea in order to prevent intoxication.

Elevated tacrolimus trough levels in association with mycophenolate mofetil-induced diarrhea: a case report

The combination of tacrolimus (TAC) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is frequently used for immunosuppression after organ transplantation (Tx), but the pharmacokinetics and interactions between the two drugs are poorly elucidated. We describe here the increase of TAC trough levels during MMF-induced diarrhea in a 8-yr-old boy after kidney Tx. Early dose reduction of TAC, together with short-term monitoring of TAC trough levels in the presence of diarrhea, is recommended.

Rotavirus infection as cause of tacrolimus elevation in solid-organ-transplanted children

Rotavirus (RV) is the most common cause of diarrheal illness in children. We report three solid-organ-transplanted patients in whom RV infection caused increased trough levels of the immunosuppressive macrolide tacrolimus (TAC) by mechanisms that are still under investigation. The virus was detected for longer in the feces of these patients than in infants not receiving immunosuppressive therapy. In association with short-term monitoring of blood trough levels of TAC, the dosage should be reduced early if symptoms of an acute gastroenteritis are present.

The release of antidiuretic hormone is appropriate in response to hypovolemia and/or sodium administration in children with severe head injury: a trial of lactated Ringer's solution versus hypertonic saline

We conducted an open, randomized, and prospective study to determine the effect of hypertonic saline on the secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and aldosterone in children with severe head injury (Glasgow coma scale <8). Thirty-one consecutive patients at a level III pediatric intensive care unit at a children's hospital received either lactated Ringer's solution (Ringer's group, n = 16) or hypertonic saline (Hypertonic Saline group, n = 15) over a 3-day period. Serum ADH levels were significantly larger in the Hypertonic Saline group as compared with the Ringer's group (P = 0.001; analysis of variance) and were correlated to sodium intake (Ringer's group: r = 0.39, R(2) = 0.15, P = 0.02; Hypertonic Saline group: r = 0.42, R(2) = 0.18, P = 0.02) and volume of fluids given IV (Ringer's group: r = 0.38, R(2) = 0.15, P = 0.02; Hypertonic Saline group: r = 0.32, R(2) = 0.1, P = not significant). Correlation of ADH to plasma osmolality was significant if plasma osmolality was >280 mOsm/kg (r = 0.5, R(2) = 0.25, P = 0.06), indicating an osmotic threshold for ADH release. Serum aldosterone levels were larger on the first day than during Days 2 and 3 in both groups and inversely correlated to serum sodium levels only in the Ringer's group (r = -0.55, R(2) = 0.3, P < 0.001). This group received a significantly larger fluid volume on Day 1 (P = 0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test) than did patients in the Hypertonic Saline group, indicating hypovolemia during the first day. Head-injured children have appropriate levels of ADH. They may be hypovolemic during the first day of treatment, especially if they receive lactated Ringer's solution.

IMPLICATIONS

In head-injured patients, we recommend fluid restriction to avoid inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. In a prospective, randomized, and controlled study in 31 children, we were able to show that the antidiuretic hormone levels are appropriate in response to hypovolemia, sodium load, or both.

[Thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in 13 children: a case series]

Since thromboembolic events (TE) are rare among children there is only limited information on the optimal choice of antithrombotic agents, dose and duration of antithrombotic therapy. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is increasingly used for thrombolytic therapy of organ- and limb threatening thrombosis in children. We investigated retrospectively the efficacy and safety of rt-PA in 13 children treated consecutively between 1996-1999, following the same protocol. The median age was 3.9 years (3 days to 16 years). All children suffered from underlying diseases. In addition, 7 children had cardiac catheters and central venous catheters and two children suffered from Factor V Leiden mutation. Seven children presented with a TE in the arterial system, 6 with one in the venous system. All children were treated with continuous infusion of rt-PA (median dose 0.05; 0.0125-0.2 mg/kg/h) together with low-dose standard heparin (median dose 8; 5-15 IU/kg/h). Thrombolysis was performed for a median time period of 102 hours (6 hours to 16 days). Treatment effects on the thrombus were regularly confirmed by ultrasound. Plasma levels of fibrinogen and haemoglobin decreased moderately during treatment. No cumulative effect or increased dose requirement of rt-PA was detected during extended treatment. Patency of obstructed vessels was achieved in all children. One child developed severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Six children (46%) developed minor bleeding at the site of catheter puncture. One child developed rethrombosis at the site of the previous thrombus 2 weeks after completion of rt-PA treatment. Under rigorous laboratory and ultrasound control, our protocol using low dose rt-PA over a prolonged period of time was effective and safe.

Predicting survival infants ventilated with high-frequency oscillation

This retrospective study identifies factors which may predict outcome in preterm infants and infants born at term, ventilated with high-frequency oscillation (HFO). In a 16-bed neonatal and paediatric intensive care unit (level III), 58 consecutive preterm and term infants with a median gestational age of 30 (24-41) weeks and a median birth weight of 1200 (520-3660) g suffered respiratory failure and were managed with HFO as rescue therapy. Forty-nine patients (84%) received exogenous surfactant before HFO which was initiated after a median interval of 20 (1-910) hours following birth. The overall survival rate was 70%. No significant differences existed between survivors and nonsurvivors in respect to demographic data. A greater proportion of patients with respiratory distress syndrome survived (76%) than with lung hypoplasia (20%) or with air-leak syndromes (pulmonary interstitial emphysema 60%, pneumothorax 28%). In survivors, the mean oxygenation index (OI) before HFO was significantly lower than that in nonsurvivors (16 +/- 1.3 vs. 26 +/- 3, p < 0.01) and showed a significant reduction of 32% within 4 hours. In contrast, mean OI increased to 68% over the first 4 hours in nonsurvivors and the difference between survivors and nonsurvivors remained significant during this time (after 2 hours: 15 +/- 1.5 vs. 30 +/- 6, p < 0.01; after 4 hours: 11 +/- 1 vs. 43 +/- 1, p < 0.01). A receiver of operator analysis revealed that an initial OI < 25 or alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (AaDO2) < 450 mmHg predicted survival with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 41%. The positive predictive value was 79%; the negative predictive value, 70%.

CONCLUSION

A low OI and AaDO2 at the beginning of HFO, improvement in oxygenation over the first four hours of HFO ventilation and no development of air-leak syndromes were associated with a high predicted survival. This allows early identification of infants who may not survive and may benefit from established and alternative modes of respiratory support such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, nitric oxide and liquid ventilation.

High-frequency oscillatory ventilation does not decrease endothelin release in lung-lavaged rabbits

High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFO) has been shown to reduce lung injury and pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). We hypothesized that HFO leads to decreased endothelin 1 (ET-1) and endothelin 3 (ET-3) release when compared to conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) in lung-lavaged rabbits.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomized, controlled animal study. In 26 adult New Zealand White Rabbits ventilated by CMV or HFO under hypoxemic and normoxemic conditions after lung lavage (CMV-hypo: n = 5; CMV-normo: n = 8; HFO-hypo: n = 7; HFO-normo: n = 6) we recorded systemic and PAP, measured blood gases, ET-1 and ET-3 and calculated intrapulmonary venous admixture during a 4-h experiment. ET-1 was significantly increased after lavage (p < 0.05) with no further increase until the end of the experiment. Neither pulmonary arterial nor systemic arterial ET-1 differed between CMV and HFO or between hypoxemia and normoxemia. Systemic arterial ET-3, however, was significantly higher in HFO-hypo than in the other two groups ventilated under normoxemic conditions at the end of the experiment (HFO-hypo vs. CMV-normo, p < 0.05; HFO-hypo vs. HFO-normo, p < 0.05). PAP showed a continuous increase in all groups (p < 0.05). We did not find any correlation between PAP and ET-1 or ET-3. Intrapulmonary venous admixture increased in animals ventilated under hypoxemic conditions, whereas it decreased after lung lavage in those ventilated under normoxemic conditions until the end of the experiment (HFO-normo, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that HFO does not decrease ET-1 and ET-3 release compared to CMV in lung-lavaged rabbits. Hypoxemia, however, may increase ET-3 release from the lungs, leading to an increased intrapulmonary shunt.

Conventional ventilation versus high-frequency oscillation: hemodynamic effects in newborn babies

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a prospective study to assess the hemodynamic effects of conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) compared with high-frequency oscillation (HFO) in newborn babies with respiratory distress syndrome.

METHODS

A total of 18 consecutive term and preterm infants were examined by two-dimensional M-mode and pulsed Doppler echocardiography.

RESULTS

Five patients had to be excluded, three of them because of increasing cardiovascular support after initiation of HFO. The remaining 13 infants (seven males, six females) had a median gestational age of 33 wks (range, 25-40) and a birth weight of 2350 g (range, 790-3600). Patients entered the study at 21 hrs (range, 5-69) of life, receiving total maintenance fluid of 90 mL/kg/day (range, 60-120). Five babies (38%) needed continuous inotropic support. HFO was used as a rescue therapy in infants who failed with CMV. In all 13 patients, HFO significantly impaired cardiac performance compared with CMV by decreasing aortic velocity-time integral: median, 10.2 cm (range, 6.0-14.6) vs. 8.3 cm (range, 5.3-12.4; p<.002); stroke volume: median, 3.8 mL (range, 1.6-6.8) vs. 3.2 mL (range, 1.3-5.9; p<.002); and cardiac index: 281 mL/min/kg of body weight (range, 177-579) vs. 200 mL/min/kg of body weight (range, 156-591; p<.002). Fractional shortening was also significantly reduced: median, 0.31% (range, 0.24-0.44) vs. 0.29% (range, 0.20-0.34; p<.01), because of a significantly smaller left ventricular diastolic diameter during HFO: median, 1.4 cm (range, 1.0-1.9) vs. 1.4 cm (range, 0.9-1.8; p<.05), with a median difference of -0.07 cm (range, -0.4-0.2). HFO also causes a significant decrease in heart rate-corrected left ventricular ejection time: median, 0.25 sec (range, 0.23-0.28) vs. 0.23 sec (range, 0.21-0.26; p < .02) and heart rate-corrected velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (Vcfc): median, 1.3 circ/sec (range, 1.0-1.6) vs. 1.2 circ/sec (range, 0.9-1.4; p<.05). Left ventricular end-systolic wall stress (LVESWS; g/cm2) remained stable. The correlation between Vcfc and LVESWS did not show any significance (CMV, r2 = .2; HFO, r2 = .09). The regression line between Vcfc and LVESWS showed a higher y-intercept and steeper slope during CMV than during HFO. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and left ventricular systolic diameter remained unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

In newborn babies, HFO significantly decreased left ventricular cardiac output caused by reduced left ventricular filling and HFO decreased contractility at higher mean airway pressures than with CMV.

Complications of percutaneous insertion of Hickman catheters in children

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The aim of this study was a retrospective evaluation of insertion and management complications of percutaneous Hickman catheter lines in pediatric patients to investigate whether the complication rate is acceptable in comparison with other insertion methods or other age groups.

METHODS

Over a period of 22 months a total of 27 Hickman catheters were inserted in 22 pediatric patients (20 oncological, 2 nononcological; age 6 weeks to 17.5 years).

RESULTS

Twenty-three of 36 insertion attempts (63.9%) were successful at first attempt. In another 4 patients, catheters were placed after repeated attempts. In an additional 4 patients, catheters were inserted by surgeons after percutaneous insertion failed. As immediate complications, 1 pneumothorax and 1 malposition were seen. Late complications included 1 to 29 (median, 8) days of fever in 15 patients, corresponding to 53 of 1,000 catheter days. Fourteen patients showed 21 positive blood cultures, including 11 cases of Staphylococcus epidermides, which might be related to the catheter. Antibiotics were given for a total of 1 to 130 (median, 35) days, that is 205 of 1,000 catheter days. No catheter was removed because of infectious complications. The total life span of the Hickman catheters was 1 to 371 (median, 163) days, the patients were in the hospital from 1 to 351 (median, 102) days because of their underlying disease. At the end of the study period, 8 of 27 (29.6%) catheters remained functioning in situ; 9 (33.3%) had been selectively removed. Two patients died with the catheter (7.4%) functioning well. Another 2 patients showed catheter thrombosis. Six catheters (22.2%) in 5 patients showed inadvertent dislodgement.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous Hickman catheter insertion in pediatric patients is effective; however, complication rate is relevant, but not higher than percutaneous insertion of subclavian vein or Hickman catheters in adults.

Paralysis of ventilated newborn babies does not influence resistance of the total respiratory system

Paralysis with pancuronium bromide is used in newborn infants to facilitate ventilatory support during respiratory failure. Changes in lung mechanics have been attributed to paralysis. The aim of this study was to examine whether or not paralysis per se has an influence on the passive respiratory mechanics, resistance (Rrs) and compliance (Crs) of the respiratory system in newborn infants. In 30 infants with acute respiratory failure, Rrs was measured during paralysis with pancuronium bromide and after stopping pancuronium bromide (group A). Rrs was also measured in an additional 10 ventilated infants in a reversed fashion (group B): Rrs was measured first in nonparalysed infants and then they were paralysed, mainly for diagnostic procedures, and the Rrs measurement repeated. As Rrs is highly dependent on lung volume, several parameters, that depend directly on lung volume were recorded: inspiratory oxygen fraction (FI,O2), arterial oxygen tension/alveolar oxygen tension (a/A) ratio and volume above functional residual capacity (FRC). In group A, the Rrs was not different during (0.236+/-0.09 cmH2O x s x mL(-1)) and after (0.237+/-0.07 cmH2O x s x mL(-1)) paralysis. Also, in group B, Rrs did not change (0.207+/-0.046 versus 0.221+/-0.046 cm x s x mL(-1) without versus with pancuronium bromide). FI,O2, a/A ratio and volume above FRC remained constant during paralysis. These data demonstrate that paralysis does not influence the resistance of the total respiratory system in ventilated term and preterm infants when measured at comparable lung volumes.

Bilateral nephrectomy, peritoneal dialysis and subsequent cadaveric renal transplantation for treatment of renal failure due to polycystic kidney disease requiring continuous ventilation

We report here on a newborn with end-stage renal failure due to autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease, also causing ventilation-requiring respiratory distress. Peritoneal dialysis was able to keep the newborn alive but not wean it from the respirator. After removal of both huge kidneys, dialysis became more effective and allowed the neonate to be extubated only 5 days later. It was decided to register the baby for a pediatric cadaveric kidney transplant when it reached 6 kg/body wt or to perform a living related transplant if no such kidney became available and the baby grew to 7 kg/body wt. At the age of 9 months and a weight of 6 kg a cadaveric kidney from a 20-month-old donor became available and was transplanted extraperitoneally. Prophylactic immunosuppression included cyclosporin, mycophenolate mofetil and steroids. Pneumonia on post-operative day 10 required respiratory care for several days and acute rejection requiring peritoneal dialysis. Both complications were controlled with antibiotics and conversion from cyclosporin to tacrolimus and a temporary increase in steroids. Thirteen months later the child is alive and well with a serum creatinine of 0.6 mg%. From this experience we would recommend early removal of both polycystic kidneys causing end-stage renal failure and respiratory insufficiency, starting peritoneal dialysis and performing a renal transplant as soon as possible. This therapeutic strategy seems appropriate for this complex situation.

Intraosseous lines in preterm and full term neonates

AIM

To evaluate the use of intraosseous lines for rapid vascular access in primary resuscitation of preterm and full term neonates.

METHODS

Thirty intraosseous lines were placed in 27 newborns, in whom conventional venous access had failed.

RESULTS

All the neonates survived the resuscitation procedure, with no long term side effects.

CONCLUSION

Intraosseous infusion is quick, safe, and effective in compromised neonates.

A prospective, randomized, and controlled study of fluid management in children with severe head injury: lactated Ringer's solution versus hypertonic saline

OBJECTIVES

Resuscitation in severe head injury may be detrimental when given with hypotonic fluids. We evaluated the effects of lactated Ringer's solution (sodium 131 mmol/L, 277 mOsm/L) compared with hypertonic saline (sodium 268 mmol/L, 598 mOsm/L) in severely head-injured children over the first 3 days after injury.

DESIGN

An open, randomized, and prospective study.

SETTING

A 16-bed pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) (level III) at a university children's hospital.

PATIENTS

A total of 35 consecutive children with head injury.

INTERVENTIONS

Thirty-two children with Glasgow Coma Scores of <8 were randomly assigned to receive either lactated Ringer's solution (group 1) or hypertonic saline (group 2). Routine care was standardized, and included the following: head positioning at 30 degrees; normothermia (96.8 degrees to 98.6 degrees F [36 degrees to 37 degrees C]); analgesia and sedation with morphine (10 to 30 microg/kg/hr), midazolam (0.2 to 0.3 mg/kg/hr), and phenobarbital; volume-controlled ventilation (PaCO2 of 26.3 to 30 torr [3.5 to 4 kPa]); and optimal oxygenation (PaO2 of 90 to 105 torr [12 to 14 kPa], oxygen saturation of >92%, and hematocrit of >0.30).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Mean arterial pressure and intracranial pressure (ICP) were monitored continuously and documented hourly and at every intervention. The means of every 4-hr period were calculated and serum sodium concentrations were measured at the same time. An ICP of 15 mm Hg was treated with a predefined sequence of interventions, and complications were documented. There was no difference with respect to age, male/female ratio, or initial Glasgow Coma Score. In both groups, there was an inverse correlation between serum sodium concentration and ICP (group 1: r = -.13, r2 = .02, p < .03; group 2: r = -.29, r2 = .08, p < .001) that disappeared in group 1 and increased in group 2 (group 1: r = -.08, r2 = .01, NS; group 2: r = -.35, r2 =.12, p < .001). Correlation between serum sodium concentration and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) became significant in group 2 after 8 hrs of treatment (r = .2, r2 = .04, p = .002). Over time, ICP and CPP did not significantly differ between the groups. However, to keep ICP at <15 mm Hg, group 2 patients required significantly fewer interventions (p < .02). Group 1 patients received less sodium (8.0 +/- 4.5 vs. 11.5 +/- 5.0 mmol/kg/day, p = .05) and more fluid on day 1 (2850 +/- 1480 vs. 2180 +/- 770 mL/m2, p = .05). They also had a higher frequency of acute respiratory distress syndrome (four vs. 0 patients, p = .1) and more than two complications (six vs. 1 patient, p = .09). Group 2 patients had significantly shorter ICU stay times (11.6 +/- 6.1 vs. 8.0 +/- 2.4 days; p = .04) and shorter mechanical ventilation times (9.5 +/- 6.0 vs. 6.9 +/- 2.2 days; p = .1). The survival rate and duration of hospital stay were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of severe head injury with hypertonic saline is superior to that treatment with lactated Ringer's solution. An increase in serum sodium concentrations significantly correlates with lower ICP and higher CPP. Children treated with hypertonic saline require fewer interventions, have fewer complications, and stay a shorter time in the ICU.

The effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells in anemic premature infants

In vitro and animal studies suggest that high concentrations of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) might divert multipotent progenitors into erythroid maturation at the expense of granulocyte production. We determined whether changes of number and lineage commitment of peripheral blood progenitor cells occur in premature infants during therapy with rHuEPO. Thirty preterm infants were randomly assigned either to receive 300 IU of eopoetin alpha s.c. per kilogram body weight three times a week for four weeks or to a control group. At study entry and after two weeks of treatment the numbers of circulating BFU-E, granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) and granulocyte-erythrocyte-macrophage-megakaryocyte CFU (CFU-GEMM) were analyzed by semisolid culture technique, CD34+ cells and early myeloid CD34+CD45RA- progenitors by flow cytometry. As compared with the control group, rHuEPO treatment did not exert any significant modulatory effect on numbers of CFU-GM, nor was there a significant change in numbers of BFU-E, CFU-GEMM, total-CFU, percentage of CD34+ or CD34+CD45RA- cells. Mean neutrophil count was not significantly reduced at any period during the study. Compared with the control group, the infants receiving rHuEPO had higher hematocrit values (p = 0.003) and absolute reticulocyte counts (p < 0.001). The median cumulative volume of blood transfused per kilogram per day was 0.86 ml (first quartile 0.5 ml; third quartile 1.1 ml) in the control group and 0 ml (first quartile 0 ml; third quartile 0.47 ml) in the rHuEPO group (p = 0.038). We conclude using a relatively high dose of rHuEPO in premature infants, no significant in vivo effect on circulating peripheral blood progenitor or neutrophil count could be detected.

Changes in left ventricular function in shocked newborns

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether the change in cardiac output after volume replacement is due to elevation of stroke volume or heart rate and to determine the effect of mechanical ventilation on the hemodynamic situation.

DESIGN

Prospective study.

SETTING

A ten-bed neonatal intensive care unit (level III) at a university hospital.

PATIENTS

15 consecutive newborns with blood pressure below the 10th percentile related to age and weight.

INTERVENTIONS

Volume replacement with Ringer's lactate 20 ml/kg body weight.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

Before and after volume replacement, arterial pressure recordings, blood gas analysis, and an echocardiographic study were carried out. Left ventricular and aortic diameters were measured by the two-dimensional M-mode technique and velocity time integral of aortic flow by the pulsed color Doppler technique. From these data, stroke volume and cardiac output were calculated. Cardiac output (703 +/- 204 vs 826 +/- 166 ml/ min, p < 0.005) and cardiac index (267 +/- 69 vs 302 +/- 55 ml/min per kg body weight, p < 0.01) changed significantly due to an appreciable elevation in stroke volume (5.2 +/- 1.7 vs 5.8 +/- 1.7 ml, p < 0.05), whereas heart rate was unaltered (140 +/- 12 vs 142 +/- 20 beats/min; NS). The change in blood pressure (32 +/- 5 vs 38 +/- 8 mm Hg, p < 0.01) was also significant. Cardiac index before and after volume replacement showed a significant inverse correlation with the severity of respiratory disease expressed as alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (A-aDO2) (A-aDO2 vs cardiac index before volume replacement: r = -0.77, p < 0.001; after volume replacement: r = -0.73, p < 0.005) or oxygenation index (oxygenation index vs cardiac index before volume replacement: r = -0.73, p < 0.005; after volume replacement: r = -0.73, p < 0.005). Changes in left ventricular diastolic diameter, left ventricular systolic diameter, and fractional shortening were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that the major regulator of left ventricular output in newborns with hypovolemic or cardiogenic shock is stroke volume and not heart rate and that cardiac output depends on the severity of the respiratory disease.

Comparison of different modes of high-frequency ventilation in surfactant-deficient rabbits

Various modes of high-frequency ventilation (HFV) have been developed to avoid the disadvantages of conventional mechanical ventilation. In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that high-frequency oscillation (HFO) is superior to high-frequency positive pressure ventilation (HPPV) and combined high-frequency ventilation (CHFV) in surfactant-deficient rabbits. The aim of the ventilator strategy was to adjust the mean airway pressure to 2 cm above critical opening pressure of the inflation limb of the respiratory system pressure volume (P/V) curve, achieve a normal tidal volume (VT) (5 ml/kg body weight) and apply repeated sustained inflations. We studied the effect of these HFV modes on oxygenation, lung mechanics and lung histology in 15 New Zealand White rabbits during a 6-hour experiment. Statistically, the HFO group demonstrated significantly better oxygenation (P < 0.05), lung mechanics (lung stability index: P < 0.05), and better lung tissue histology compared to the HPPV and CHFV groups. In contrast to the HPPV and CHFV groups, the P/V curves of the HFO group showed significant recovery over the 6-hour period after lavage. The lungs of the HFO-treated group had a more uniform distribution of alveoli and less overdistention than the HPPV group (P < 0.002), and less atelectasis than the CHFV group (P < 0.05). The HFO group had less lung injury than the CHFV groups (P < 0.01) and its lungs contained significantly less water than both other groups (P < 0.05). We conclude that the relationship between mean and end-expiratory pressures impacts strongly on both oxygenation and the progression of injury during HFV at the same mean airway pressures. The HFO group showed less acute lung injury than the other ventilatory groups.

Neonatal lupus erythematosus with congenital heart block and severe heart failure due to myocarditis and endocardititis of the mitral valve

We report a case of neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) with congenital heart block and severe myocardial failure, which was followed from the 25th week of gestation because of fetal bradycardia. The child was delivered at the 37th week of gestation by elective cesarean section because of echocardiographically documented heart enlargement, pericardial effusion and moderate insufficiency of the mitral and tricuspid valves. In spite of immediate pacing, intubation and supportive treatment, the newborn developed progressive heart failure. Echocardiography showed endocarditis of the mitral valve and diffuse myocarditis. The heart failure resolved under steroid treatment. Our experience supports the early use of steroids in treating myocarditis due to NLE. Intrauterine steroid treatment in the presence of fetal hydrops and congenital heart block is discussed.

[Transoral CO2 laser resection of extensive nasal and oropharyngeal teratoma]

BACKGROUND

Teratomas are quite rare congenital tumours, especially originating from the skull base in the region of the nasopharynx (1:40,000).

PATIENTS

We report on a premature 36-week old girl with an extensive nasopharyngeal and oral teratoma.

METHOD

With CO2 laser and micro-endoscopic techniques the tumour was successfully resected directly via the transoral route without needing external incisions.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

These techniques, and particularly the use of CO2 laser, allow gentle resection of nasopharyngeal teratomas with only moderate bleeding. General pathological aspects, clinical symptoms and update management or teratomas in the head and neck area are discussed, based on this case. CO2 laser in conjunction with microscope and videoendoscope seems to offer an advantage compared to resection with conventional instruments alone.

Fulminant hepatic failure in a child as a potential adverse effect of trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole

Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) is considered a safe drug for treatment of infectious bacterial diseases in children. Side-effects are rare and generally take the form of a hypersensitivity reaction to the sulphamethoxazole component of the drug. Hepatic injury usually presents as a transient elevation of liver enzymes, which is of little clinical relevance. Fulminant liver failure due to TMP-SMZ has been reported in only six adults and never in children. We here report a 5-year-old girl who developed fulminant liver failure 3 weeks after her third exposure to TMP-SMZ. After a biphasic clinical course she underwent successful liver transplantation.

CONCLUSION

Trimethoprim-Sulphamethoxazole may cause fulminant liver failure in children. The disease can run a biphasic clinical course and liver transplantation must be considered as the therapeutic option for these patients.

Tracheostomy in children

We reviewed the records of 108 patients who had a tracheostomy performed over a 10-year period from July 1979 to April 1989. Median age at tracheostomy was 6 months (1 week-15 years). Indications for surgery were acquired subglottic stenosis (31.4%), bilateral vocal cord paralysis (22.2%), congenital airway malformations (22.2%) and tumours (11.1%). No epiglottis and no emergency situation had to be managed by tracheostomy. Operation was uneventful in all, but 8 patients (7.4%) developed a pneumothorax in the postoperative period. Twenty-one (19.5%) had severe complications during the cannulation period (tube obstruction in 11 patients with cardiorespiratory arrest in 4; dislocation of the tube in 6 patients). Fifteen patients (13.8%) had severe complications after decannulation (2 had a cardiorespiratory arrest); all 15 had to be recannulated. At the end of the study period 85 patients (78.7%) were successfully decannulated with a median period of tracheostomy of 486 days (8 days-6.6 years). The median hospital stay was 159 days (13 days-2.7 years). All patients could be discharged. Eight patients (7.4%) died but no death was related to tracheostomy. In summary the mortality rate is lower than reported in previous reviews and tracheostomy is a safe operation even in small children but cannula-related complications may lead to life-threatening events. The management of tracheostomized small children and infants in a highly staffed and monitored intensive care unit has allowed better handling of complications and has resulted in a reduction in cannula-related deaths.

Squamous-cell carcinoma arising in a non-irradiated child with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

We describe a patient with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) associated with human papilloma virus (HPV), who developed a fatal squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. At the age of 1 year he presented with hoarseness, dyspnoea and inspiratory stridor but the diagnosis of RRP was made only 1 year later. At the age of 4 years he was tracheostomized because of upper airway obstruction. In spite of multiple surgical excisions and topic treatment with 5-fluorouracil the papillomata extended to the lung parenchyma. At the age of 16 years he developed a squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung and died 4 months later. Transformation to pulmonary carcinoma is a rare complication in non-irradiated patients with lung papillomatosis. We found only 11 similar cases in the literature.

Resuscitation after severe hypoxia in a young child: temporary isoelectric EEG and loss of BAEP components

EEG and multimodality evoked potentials are currently used to ascertain brain death. We have observed electrocerebral silence (ECS) and loss of wave IV and V in BAEP in a 28-month-old child, 2 h after resuscitation from severe hypoxia, followed by reappearance of EEG activity and of waves IV and V (latencies and amplitudes within normal range) 18 h later. Temporary loss of EEG activity has been observed occasionally, while rapid reoccurrence of BAEP waves IV and V was unexpected and in contrast to the common observation, that rostro-caudal loss of BAEP waves is irreversible. This observation suggests that temporary loss of BAEP waves IV and V may occur and that caution is necessary in the interpretation of BAEP recorded immediately after a resuscitation.

Constitutional interstitial deletion of 17(p11.2) (Smith-Magenis syndrome): a clinically recognizable microdeletion syndrome. Report of two cases and review of the literature

We present two patients, a 12 year old Turkish and a 7 year old Italian girl, with severe mental retardation, multiple congenital malformations and a constitutional interstitial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 17, del(17) (11.2). The main clinical features of this syndrome which is also referred to as the Smith-Magenis syndrome consist of a broad flat midface with brachycephaly, broad nasal bridge, brachydactyly, speech delay, hoarse deep voice and peripheral neuropathy. Behavioural abnormalities include hypermotility, self mutilation and sleep disturbances. The remarkable consistency of the main clinical features of the 59 patients documented so far permits the clinical diagnosis of this syndrome; a fact which is of importance, since many of the reported patients--including ours--were considered normal on earlier cytogenetic studies.