Efficacy of Intravenous and Endotracheal Epinephrine during Neonatal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in the Delivery Room.

A retrospective examination is presented of intravenous vs a lower (0.03?mg/kg) and higher (0.05?mg/kg) dose of endotracheal epinephrine during delivery room cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Repeated dosing of intravenous and endotracheal epinephrine is needed frequently for successful resuscitation. Research regarding optimal dosing for both routes is needed critically.

Change in care among nonenrolled patients during and after a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: Parkland Memorial Hospital (PMH) participated in Surfactant, Positive Pressure, and Oxygenation Randomized Trial (SUPPORT), an unblinded controlled trial, in which preterm neonates of 24(0/7) to 27(6/7) weeks' gestational age (GA) were randomized in the delivery room (DR) to endotracheal intubation or nasal continuous positive airway pressure. We hypothesized that DR intubation could change in nonenrolled patients at PMH and that the change would be larger than in comparable centers not participating in the trial. METHODS: The PMH Cohort included eligible but nonenrolled neonates of 24(0/7) to 27(6/7) weeks (primary) and noneligible neonates of 28 to 34(6/7) weeks (confirmatory). A subset (24(0/7)-29(6/7)weeks) of that cohort was compared with a contemporaneous cohort born in centers participating in the Vermont Oxford Network (VON). We used a Poisson regression model to obtain adjusted relative risks (RRs) of DR intubation (during/after SUPPORT versus before SUPPORT) for PMH and for VON along with the ratio of these RRs. RESULTS: In the PMH cohort (n = 3527), the proportion of DR intubation decreased during/after SUPPORT in the lower GA group (adjusted RR 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-0.96) and the upper GA group (adjusted RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.46-0.70). Compared with the RR for DR intubation in VON, the RR at PMH was smaller in the lower (ratio of RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65-0.87) and the upper GA group (ratio of RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.39-0.68). CONCLUSIONS: A center's participation in an unblinded randomized trial may affect process of care of nonenrolled patients.

Short-term outcomes of newborns with perinatal acidemia who are not eligible for systemic hypothermia therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To determine short-term outcomes of infants who had perinatal acidemia and were evaluated for hypothermia therapy but did not qualify based on a standardized neurologic examination. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, single-site cohort study of inborn infants of ≥ 36 weeks gestation who had perinatal acidemia from October 2005-September 2008 and had a standardized neurologic examination performed by a certified neonatologist to assess eligibility for hypothermia therapy. An abnormal short-term nursery outcome was defined as death, seizures, brain magnetic resonance imaging consistent with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, abnormal neurologic examination at discharge, gastrostomy tube feeding, or inability to nipple all feeds beyond the first week of age. RESULTS: One hundred forty-four (0.3%) of 46 887 newborns with perinatal acidemia had a neurologic examination performed that was either normal (n = 29) or consistent with mild encephalopathy (1 or 2 abnormal categories; n = 60). Of the latter infants classified as having mild encephalopathy, 12 (20%) experienced an abnormal short-term outcome (feeding difficulties, n = 8; abnormal neurologic examination at discharge, n = 7; abnormal brain magnetic resonance imaging, n = 6; seizures, n = 5; gastrostomy, n = 1; or death, n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: Twenty percent of newborns with perinatal acidemia and a neurologic examination that revealed only mild encephalopathy had abnormal short-term outcomes that could be attributed to the encephalopathy. Adjunctive tools or biomarkers for optimal assessment of infants with fetal acidemia for hypothermia therapy are needed.

End-tidal CO2 detection of an audible heart rate during neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation after asystole in asphyxiated piglets.

Even brief interruption of cardiac compressions significantly reduces critical coronary perfusion pressure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). End-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) monitoring may provide a continuous noninvasive method of assessing return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) without stopping to auscultate for heart rate (HR). However, the ETCO2 value that correlates with an audible HR is unknown. Our objective was to determine the threshold ETCO2 that is associated with ROSC after asphyxia-induced asystole. Neonatal swine (n = 46) were progressively asphyxiated until asystole occurred. Resuscitation followed current neonatal guidelines with initial ventilation with 100% O2 followed by cardiac compressions followed by epinephrine for continued asystole. HR was auscultated every 30 s, and ETCO2 was continuously recorded. A receiver operator curve was generated using the calculated sensitivity and specificity for various ETCO2 values, where a positive test was defined as the presence of HR >60 bpm by auscultation. An ETCO2 cut-off value of 14 mm Hg is the most sensitive ETCO2 value with the least false positives. When using ETCO2 to guide uninterrupted CPR in this model of asphyxia-induced asystole, auscultative confirmation of return of an adequate HR should be performed when ETCO2 ≥ 14 mm Hg is achieved. Correlation during human neonatal CPR needs further investigation.