Assessment of therapy for arterial hypotension in critically ill preterm infants.

The aim of this paper is to assess the efficacy of albumin and dopamine compared with albumin and dobutamine in treating hypotension in preterm newborn infants (PNI). A randomized, open-label, prospective, cross-over study, was designed on 66 PNI whose weights were between 1,000 to 1,500 g, and persistent hypotension, defined as a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of < 30 mmHg. Infants were randomly allocated to two groups and received a 5% albumin infusion at a dosage of 20 mL/kg, in 30 min. Thereafter, one group received dopamine and the other dobutamine at doses of 5 microg/kg/min. If there was not an increase in MAP values > 30 mmHg, the infusions were increased every 20 min by 2.5 microg/kg/min, up to a maximum of 10 microg/kg/min. Treatment failure was considered when there was no pressure response within 2 hr after the infusion started; then patients were changed to the other catecholamine. Statistical analysis was done with student's t-test, x2, and Fisher's exact probability test. There were no differences between groups in initial features. Overall, MAP was normalized with dopamine in 29 of 33 infants and with dobutamine in 25 of 33 infants (p > 0.05). The initial dosage of 5 microg/kg/min, was adequate in 22 infants treated with dopamine and in 13 treated with dobutamine (p < 0.05). The change from dopamine to dobutamine was successful in three out of four patients, while changing from dobutamine to dopamine was adequate in seven out of eight patients. Dopamine is recognized as the drug of choice to treat hypotension in PNI. Since our results showed only small differences in responses, it is proposed that dobutamine is also as efficacious and useful as dopamine.

[Perinatal mortality risk factors in a case-control study]. / Los factores de riesgo de la mortalidad perinatal en un estudio de casos y controles.

PIP: This work describes a cross-sectional case-control study conducted in a marginal area of the city of Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, to identify risk factors for perinatal mortality. 104 deaths identified in the civil register as occurring during 1982 in the study area were each matched to 2 controls selected from the same district and with birth dates within 30 days of the case. Perinatal mortality was defined as occurring between the 27th week of pregnancy and the 7th day after birth. 39 factors were stuided, including 10 socioeconomic factors, 6 maternal factors such as weight, height, and smoking, 10 factors concerning obstetrical history, 4 factors related to pathology during pregnancy, 6 factors referring to labor and delivery, and 2 concerning medical attention. In the univariate analysis, 18 factors were significant: unmarried or illiterate mother, maternal age under 17 or over 35, more than 7 previous births, previous perinatal death, less than 30 weeks or more than 200 weeks between pregnancies, hypertension, hemorrhage in the 2nd half of pregnancy, morning edema of pregnancy, no prenatal care, and birth attended by midwife. Some factors were eliminated because they were found to be dependent on a 2nd factor, and factors linked to perinatal events were also eliminated. A final model achieved after discriminant function analysis included 8 risk factors for perinatal mortality: 1) less than 30 weeks between pregnancies 2) more than 200 weeks between pregnancies 3) hypertension during pregnancy 4) maternal age under 18 5) maternal age over 35 6) unmarried mother 7) previous fetal deaths and 8) no prenatal care.^ieng

[Blood in the feces as an aid to the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis]. / Sangre en heces como ayuda para el diagnóstico de enterocolitis necrosante.

The presence of macro or microscopic blood in the stools of 300 premature babies was studied prospectively in relation with the future risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The microscopic blood was investigated using the bililabstix reactive stripe. Four group were made up: group A babies, with no blood in their stools. Group B babies with microscopic blood in feces. Group C babies with macroscopic or gross blood and group D babies with initially microscopic and later gross blood in their feces. The frequency of NEC for these groups were as follows: group A 0.0%, group B 0.47%, group C 63.3% and group D 89.6%. We conclude that it is possible to predict absence of manifestations of NEC when a premature baby does not show gross blood in the stools during the first 21 days of life. When the babies show gross blood in the feces, the frequency of NEC is 63.3% and the higher frequency (89.6%), belongs to the babies with initially microscopic and later gross blood.