Resuscitation of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the respiratory response to resuscitation in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) as measured by a respiratory function monitor differed between those who did and did not survive. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Tertiary perinatal centre. PATIENTS: Thirty-eight infants born at 34 weeks of gestation or greater and diagnosed antenatally with a CDH. INTERVENTIONS: Expiratory tidal volume (VTe), peak inflation pressure (PIP) and end-tidal carbon dioxide level (ETCO2) were simultaneously recorded during resuscitation using a respiratory function monitor. Oxygen saturation was also monitored. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mortality related to the median VTe, PIP, compliance (VTe divided by PIP) and ETCO2 levels in the first and last minute of recorded resuscitation and the maximum oxygen saturation. RESULTS: The median gestational age, birth weight and duration of resuscitation of the 11 infants who died did not differ significantly from those who survived. During the first minute of recorded resuscitation, the VTe (median 1.89 vs 2.68 mL/kg) (p=0.009)), the ETCO2 (median 11.7 vs 41.7 mm Hg) (p=0.023)) and the compliance (0.06 vs 0.08 mL/cm H2O/kg) (p=0.018)) were lower in the non-survivors. In the last minute, the PIP was higher (32.5 vs 30.3 cm H2O) (p=0.03)), the VTe (3.22 vs 4.66 mL/kg) (p=0.003)) and compliance (0.10 vs 0.15 mL/cm H2O/kg) (p=0.004)) were lower in the non-survivors. The maximum oxygen saturation achieved in the labour suite was lower in the non-survivors (93% vs 100%) (p=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Infants with CDH who did not survive responded less well even to initial resuscitation.

End tidal carbon dioxide levels during the resuscitation of prematurely born infants.

BACKGROUND: Successful resuscitation of prematurely born infants is dependent on achieving adequate alveolar ventilation and vasodilation of the pulmonary vascular bed. Elevation of end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO(2)) levels may indicate pulmonary vasodilation. AIMS: This research aims to study the temporal changes in ETCO(2) levels and the infant's respiratory efforts during face mask resuscitation in the labour suite, and to determine if the infant's first inspiratory effort was associated with a rise in the ETCO(2) levels, suggesting pulmonary vasodilation had occurred. STUDY DESIGN: This study is an observational one. SUBJECTS: The subjects of the study are forty infants with a median gestational age of 30 weeks (range 23-34). OUTCOME MEASURES: Inflation pressures, expiratory tidal volumes and ETCO(2) levels were measured. RESULTS: The median expiratory tidal volume of inflations prior to the onset of the infant's respiratory efforts (passive inflations) was lower than that of the inflation associated with the first inspiratory effort (active inflation) (1.8 (range 0.1-7.3) versus 6.3 ml/kg (range 1.9-18.4), p<0.001), as were the median ETCO(2) levels (0.3 (range 0.1-2.1) versus 3.4 kPa (0.4-11.5), p<0.001). The median expiratory tidal volume (4.5 ml/kg (range 0.5-18.3)) and ETCO(2) level (2.2 kPa (range 0.3-9.3)) of the two passive inflations following the first active inflation were also higher than the median expiratory tidal volume and ETCO(2) levels of the previous passive inflations (p<0.001, p<0.0001 respectively). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that during face mask resuscitation, improved carbon dioxide elimination, likely due to pulmonary vasodilation, occurred with the onset of the infant's respiratory efforts.