ABSTRACT
Minimally invasive surfactant therapy (MIST) has emerged as a preferred method of surfactant delivery. Pioneers of this technique have described the use of direct laryngoscopy (DL) for MIST. With the increasing application of video laryngoscopy (VL) for neonatal airway management, it is speculated that MIST techniques can be adapted for use with VL. OBJECTIVE: To compare procedural success, operator ease of use, and complication of MIST using VL vs. MIST using DL. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational cohort study conducted at a tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit after obtaining ethical approval. We included neonates who received MIST between 1 October 2020 and 31 October 2022. Baseline demographic characteristics, along with procedural data, were collected. Primary outcome measures included the overall procedural success rate, the need for multiple attempts, and the total number of attempts. Secondary outcome measures included the occurrence of adverse events, the need for a second dose of surfactant, and the need for intubation within 7 days of the procedure. Means and SDs, independent t-tests, frequencies, and chi-square were used as appropriate. p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 79 neonates included, 37 neonates received MIST via VL, while 42 received MIST via DL. The median gestational age was lower in the VL group at 29.0 weeks vs. 30.5 weeks (p = 0.011) in the DL group. The median birthweight in the VL group was 1260 g, IQR (1080, 1690), which was significantly lower than the DL group, which was 1575 g, IQR (1220, 2251), p = 0.028. Purpose-built catheter use was higher in the DL group. The overall procedural success was similar between groups. The need for multiple attempts was lower with VL in comparison to DL [4 (11%) vs. 13 (31%); p = 0.034)] at the univariate level but not significant at multivariate analysis (p = 0.131). Procedural complications, the need for a second dose of surfactant, the need for mechanical ventilation post-MIST, and operator ease of use were similar. User comments emphasized the value of VL in providing real-time visual information to confirm catheter placement and guide operators/trainees. CONCLUSION: Overall, in our cohort, despite VL being a more recently adapted technology used more in smaller, sicker, and more premature neonates, procedural success, complications, and operator ease of use for MIST using VL and DL were comparable. Our findings show the successful application of VL for MIST and suggest procedural advantages that might facilitate universal adoption.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Infants in the first 90 days of life are more prone to develop serious bacterial infections (SBIs). Multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are emerging as important pathogens causing SBIs. We reviewed the epidemiology of SBIs in infants 0-90 days old and compared the clinical features, laboratory values and final outcome for SBIs due to MDROs vs. non-MDROs. METHODS: Episodes of culture-proven SBIs (bacteremia, urinary tract infections, or meningitis) with age at onset of 0-90 days during a 7-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Health care-associated infections were excluded. We collected demographics, clinical features, and laboratory and microbiology data. We compared clinical characteristics, laboratory data, microbiologic results and final outcome for SBIs due to MDROs vs. non-MDROs. RESULTS: Ninety-four episodes (88 patients) including bacteremia (42.6%), urinary tract infections (54.3%) and meningitis (3.1%) were caused by Gram-negative bacteria (67%), and Gram-positive bacteria (33%). Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and GBS were the most common causes. MDROs caused SBIs in 39 patients (44.3%). SBIs due to MDROs were associated with more delay in providing targeted antimicrobial therapy compared to non-MDROs (74.4% vs. 0%, P ≤ 0.001), but no difference in case-fatality rate (12.8% vs. 12.2%, P = 1.0). Clinical features or basic laboratory values were not statistically different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The bacteriology of SBIs in the first 90 days of life is changing to include more MDROs, which causes more delay in providing targeted antimicrobial therapy. Awareness of the local epidemiology is crucial to ensure appropriate antibiotics are provided in a timely manner.
