Post-ligation cardiac syndrome is associated with increased morbidity in preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: The influence of post-ligation cardiac syndrome (PLCS), a complication of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligations, on neonatal outcomes is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the risks of PLCS on severe pulmonary morbidity and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of infants who underwent a PDA ligation between 2006 and 2015. Data were collected on patients with and without PLCS. The primary outcome was the difference in severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) between groups. Secondary outcomes included discharge with home oxygen and severe ROP. RESULT: A total of 100 infants that underwent PDA ligation during the study period were included in the study; 31 (31%) neonates developed PLCS. In adjusted analysis, PLCS was associated with increased risk for severe BPD (RR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.15-2.42) and home oxygen therapy (RR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.09-1.99) only. No association with severe ROP was seen (RR: 1.48; 95% CI: 0.87-2.52). CONCLUSION: PLCS is associated with severe neonatal pulmonary morbidity, but not with severe ROP. Further investigation is warranted to validate these results.

Predictive Ability of Direct Antibody Testing in Infants Born to Mothers with Rh(D) and Other Minor Red Blood Cell Antibodies.

OBJECTIVE: Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) most commonly occurs in neonates whose mothers carry nonpassively acquired antibodies directed against red blood cell (RBC) antigens. Because affected neonates may develop severe hyperbilirubinemia, early identification of at-risk neonates is critically important. We hypothesized that use of the direct antibody test (DAT) would be of high predictive value in identifying those neonates most likely to meet treatment criteria for hyperbilirubinemia. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective chart review of all mother-infant pairs in which RBC antibodies were detected on routine prenatal screening during the current pregnancy (2011-2013). We then compared DAT results of neonates who eventually met the treatment criteria for hyperbilirubinemia with those who did not. MAIN RESULTS: Fifty-sixty neonates were born to mothers with clinically significant antibodies. The sensitivity and specificity of a positive DAT result for meeting the treatment criteria were 87.5 and 93.3%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 77.8 and 96.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The result of a DAT, obtained in neonates of mothers with clinically relevant alloantibodies, is a specific marker with good positive predictive value for identifying those who are most likely to meet the treatment criteria for hyperbilirubinemia.

Emergent thrombectomy in a neonate with an upper extremity arterial thrombus.

Case This case report is of a 39 (4/7)weeks infant who presented at the time of birth with an immobile, cyanotic right upper extremity consistent with ischemia but without evidence of gangrene. Doppler examination identified pulses in the axillary but not the brachial or radial arteries. Extremity arterial ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis of an arterial thrombosis extending from the right axillary artery to the brachial artery bifurcation. An emergent balloon thrombectomy was performed successfully with immediate return of blood flow. Intraoperative ultrasound demonstrated patent axillary and brachial arteries with forward flow. A retroperitoneal ultrasound and limited hypercoagulable workup failed to identify a source of the arterial thrombus. The infant had normal return of function without residual limb effects. Conclusion Emergent balloon thrombectomy should be heavily considered in neonates with an extremity arterial thrombosis of undeterminable duration both for limb salvage, preserve function, and to prevent long-term growth discordance.

Heart-rate-corrected QT interval evolution in premature infants during the first week of life.

Automated monitoring of the QT interval is increasingly common in a variety of clinical settings. A better understanding of how the heart-rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) evolves in early postnatal life is needed before its clinical utility in neonates can be determined. This study aimed to use real-time bedside monitoring as a tool to describe the QTc evolution of premature neonates during the first week of life. All neonates born at a gestation age (GA) of 31 weeks or later and admitted to the level 2 intensive care nursery of the authors' institution between December 2012 and March 2013 were included in this study. The authors prospectively collected QTc values at 15-min intervals during the first week of life, then used two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare these data among three GA cohorts: 31 to <34 weeks (cohort A), 34 to <37 weeks (cohort B), and ≥37 weeks (cohort C). All the cohorts demonstrated a statistically significant decline in the 24-h average QTc during the first 3-4 days of life before reaching a stable baseline. No diurnal variation in the QTc was identified in any of the study patients. Marked variability and a progressive decline in the QTc of premature neonates occur during the first 3-4 days of life. Understanding this phenomenon is imperative when screening programs for the early detection of QT prolongation are considered.