ABSTRACT
About 10% of newborns require some degree of assistance to begin their breathing, and 1% necessitates extensive resuscitation. Sick neonates are exposed to a number of invasive life-saving procedures as part of their management, either for investigation or for treatment. In order to support the neonates with the maximum possible benefits and reduce iatrogenic morbidity, health-care providers performing these procedures must be familiar with their indications, measurements, and potential complications. Hence, the aim of this review is to summarise ten of the main neonatal intensive care procedures with highlighting of their indications, measurements, and complications. They include the umbilical venous and arterial catheterizations and the intraosseous line which represent the principal postnatal emergency vascular accesses; the peripherally inserted central catheter for long-term venous access; the endotracheal tube and laryngeal mask airway for airway control and ventilation; chest tube for drainage of air and fluid from the thorax; and the nasogastric/orogastric tube for enteral feeding. Furthermore, lumber puncture and heel stick were included in this review as very important and frequently performed diagnostic procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit.
ABSTRACT
Vallecular cyst, a benign yet rare laryngeal lesion, may cause stridor and even life-threatening upper airway obstruction in infants. It can cause apnoea and poor feeding habits, thus reducing the chance of survival. Although laryngomalacia remains the most common cause of stridor in this age group, awareness and a high level of suspicion for this condition can help lead to early management and intervention. Direct laryngoscopy is accepted as the gold standard for diagnostic purposes, and marsupialisation of the cyst is the preferred treatment. We describe 2 cases of vallecular cysts in infants admitted to our hospital where timely diagnoses led to appropriate treatment.
