Use of antenatal corticosteroids among infants with gestational age at 24 to 31 weeks in 57 neonatal intensive care units of China: a cross-sectional study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) can significantly improve the outcomes of preterm infants. This study aimed to describe the ACS use rates among preterm infants admitted to Chinese neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and to explore perinatal factors associated with ACS use, using the largest contemporary cohort of very preterm infants in China.@*METHODS@#This cross-sectional study enrolled all infants born at 24 +0 to 31 +6 weeks and admitted to 57 NICUs of the Chinese Neonatal Network from January 1st, 2019 to December 30th, 2019. The ACS administration was defined as at least one dose of dexamethasone and betamethasone given before delivery. Multiple logistic regressions were applied to determine the association between perinatal factors and ACS usage.@*RESULTS@#A total of 7828 infants were enrolled, among which 6103 (78.0%) infants received ACS. ACS use rates increased with increasing gestational age (GA), from 177/259 (68.3%) at 24 to 25 weeks' gestation to 3120/3960 (78.8%) at 30 to 31 weeks' gestation. Among infants exposed to ACS, 2999 of 6103 (49.1%) infants received a single complete course, and 33.4% (2039/6103) infants received a partial course. ACS use rates varied from 30.2% to 100% among different hospitals. Multivariate regression showed that increasing GA, born in hospital (inborn), increasing maternal age, maternal hypertension and premature rupture of membranes were associated with higher likelihood to receive ACS.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The use rate of ACS remained low for infants at 24 to 31 weeks' gestation admitted to Chinese NICUs, with fewer infants receiving a complete course. The use rates varied significantly among different hospitals. Efforts are urgently needed to propose improvement measures and thus improve the usage of ACS.

Non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion in very preterm and extremely preterm infants in Chinese neonatal intensive care units / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To describe the use of non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion in very preterm and extremely preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of the Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) in 2019, to explore the disparity between different centers, and to further investigate the rationality and standardability of non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on the CHNN cohort of very preterm and extremely preterm infants. All 6 598 infants with gestational age (GA)<32 weeks and admitted to the 57 NICU of CHNN within 24 h of life in 2019 were enrolled. Non-erythrocyte blood products included platelet, plasma, albumin, immunoglobulin, cryoprecipitate and prothrombin complex. Infants who received at least one type of non-erythrocyte blood products were defined in transfusion group. The comparison between infants with and without transfusion was done by t-test, rank-sum test or χ2 test as appropriate. Linear regression model was used to generate adjusted transfusion rate of each center, and to investigate the correlation between adjusted rate and center-level characteristics. Results: A total of 6 598 infants were enrolled in the study, with gestational age of 30.0 (28.7, 31.0) weeks and birth weight of (1 353±312) g, and 43.6 % (2 877) of them were female. Among them, 42.7% (2 816) infants were enrolled in transfusion group, with the times of transfusion as 3 (1, 6) times. Compared to the infants without any transfusion of non-erythrocyte blood products, those infants received transfusion had lower gestational age (Z=17.62, P<0.01), lower birth weight (t=18.64, P<0.01), higher proportion of small-for-gestation age (χ2=31.06, P<0.01), multiple birth (χ²=12.82, P<0.01) and intensive resuscitation in delivery room (χ²=287.52, P<0.01), as well as lower proportion of females (χ²=10.68, P<0.01) and even lower proportion of infants born in this hospital (χ²=78.23, P<0.01). Among the entire study population, albumin (25.4%, 1 674 cases), immunoglobulin (21.5%, 1 417 cases) and plasma (18.9%, 1 245 cases) were the most commonly used non-erythrocyte blood products. Overall, 60.4% (544/901) infants with gestational age <28 weeks received transfusion 4 (2, 8) times. A total of 39.9% (2 272/5 697) infants between 28-31weeks received non-erythrocyte blood products 3 (1, 6) times. The non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion rates of critically-ill and non-critically-ill infants were 62.2% (1 693/2 723) and 29.0% (1 123/3 875) respectively, and the transfusion times were 4 (2,7) and 2 (1,4) times. The transfusion rates varied significantly among different NICU, and the disparities remained obvious after adjustment (adjusted χ²=153.48, P<0.01). Conclusion: Near half of very preterm and extremely preterm infants admitted to Chinese NICU in 2019 receive non-erythrocyte blood products during hospitalization with significant disparities among different hospitals.

Effects of nosocomial infection trends on neonatal outcomes in preterm infants <33 weeks of gestational age in Canadian NICUs / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To characterize recent trends of nosocomial infection (NI) among preterm infants admitted to Canadian Level 3 NICUs during 2008-2012, and its association with neonatal outcomes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective observational cohort study was performed including infants born <33 weeks gestational age and admitted to 24 NICU sites participating in the Canadian Neonatal NetworkTM during 2008-2012. NICU sites were classified into three groups according to their baseline NI rates in 2008 [Low NI group (≤14%), Medium NI group (14.1%-19%) and High NI group (>19%)], and NICU sites were also classified according to their NI trend during 2008-2012 (decreased, null and increased). Trends in NI were further examined for each baseline-NI group. Trends for a composite outcome indicating mortality or severe morbidities (intraventricular hemorrhage grades≥3 or periventricular leukomalacia, retinopathy of prematurity stages≥3, bronchopulmonary dysplasia or necrotizing enterocolitis stages≥2) were examined for each baseline-NI and trend-NI NICU site groups using multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for potential confounders.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Baseline high NI group showed significantly decreased trends in NI rates, while for with medium or low baseline NI groups showed no significant trends in NI rates. The composite outcome (mortality during NICU stay or any severe neonatal morbidity such as intraventricular hemorrhage grades 3-4, periventricular leukomalacia, retinopathy of prematurity stages 3-5, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and necrotizing enterocolitis stages 2-3) decreased significantly for sites with decreased (OR=0.89, 95% CI=0.85-0.93) or null (OR=0.94, 95% CI=0.90-0.98) NI trends, but no significant trends in the composite outcome were detected for sites with increased NI rates.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The neonatal outcome is possibly influenced by NI rates and trend. The trend in the mortality and the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity stage≥3 and intraventricular hemorrhage>2 were significantly decreased for sites with decreased NI trend, suggesting that these improved outcomes may be associated with effort to decrease NI rate.</p>