Use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to monitor neonatal and pediatric extracorporeal life support.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an invasive life support technique that requires a blood pump, an artificial membrane lung, and vascular cannulae to drain de-oxygenated blood, remove carbon dioxide, oxygenate, and return it to the patient. ECMO is generally used to provide advanced and prolonged cardiopulmonary support in patients with refractory acute cardiac and/or respiratory failure. After its first use in 1975 to manage a severe form of meconium aspiration syndrome with resultant pulmonary hypertension, the following years were dominated by the use of ECMO to manage neonatal respiratory failure and limited to a few centers across the world. In the 1990s, evidence for neonatal respiratory ECMO support increased; however, the number of cases began to decline with the use of newer pharmacologic therapies (e.g., inhaled nitric oxide, exogenous surfactant, and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation). On the contrary, pediatric ECMO sustained steady growth. Combined advances in ECMO technology and bedside medical management have improved general outcomes, although ECMO-related complications remain challenging. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an essential tool to monitor all phases of neonatal and pediatric ECMO: evaluation of ECMO candidacy, ultrasound-guided ECMO cannulation, daily evaluation of heart and lung function and brain perfusion, detection and management of major complications, and weaning from ECMO support.  Conclusion: Based on these considerations and on the lack of specific guidelines for the use of POCUS in the neonatal and pediatric ECMO setting, the aim of this paper is to provide a systematic overview for the application of POCUS during ECMO support in these populations. What is Known: • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides advanced cardiopulmonary support for patients with refractory acute cardiac and/or respiratory failure and requires appropriate monitoring. • Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an accessible and adaptable tool to assess neonatal and pediatric cardiac and/or respiratory failure at bedside. What is New: • In this review, we discussed the use of POCUS to monitor and manage at bedside neonatal and pediatric patients supported with ECMO. • We explored the potential use of POCUS during all phases of ECMO support: pre-ECMO assessment, ECMO candidacy evaluation, daily evaluation of heart, lung and brain function, detection and troubleshooting of major complications, and weaning from ECMO support.

Ultrasound-guided lung lavage for life-threatening bronchial obstruction due to meconium plug.

We present a case of life-threatening airway obstruction caused by meconium aspiration, a condition with significant neonatal mortality and morbidity. Lung ultrasound detected the obstruction and helped in the clinical management allowing to perform a quick and selective bronchoalveolar lavage with diluted surfactant.

Effect of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Infants With Meconium Aspiration Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) as a primary respiratory therapy in meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) has not been studied extensively. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure, when applied in newborns with MAS, may resolve atelectasis by sufficiently expanding partially obstructed small airways and stabilizing the collapsing terminal airways to enhance oxygen exchange. Objective: To compare NCPAP vs standard care in neonates with moderate to severe respiratory failure due to MAS in reducing the need for invasive ventilation. Design, Settings, and Participants: This multicenter open-label, parallel-group (1:1 ratio) randomized clinical trial was conducted from August 5, 2014, to May 26, 2016. Data were collected from 3 tertiary care neonatal intensive care units. All infants admitted with respiratory distress, defined as Downe score greater than 4 and peripheral capillary oxygen saturation less than 90%, were assessed for study eligibility if the chest radiograph was suggestive of MAS and they met the other inclusion criteria: gestation longer than 35 weeks, a birth weight greater than 2000 g, and born through meconium-stained amniotic fluid. Interventions: Infants were randomly assigned to either NCPAP or standard care (5-10 L/min hood oxygen). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the need for mechanical ventilation in the first 7 days of life. Results: After excluding 14 infants, 67 infants were randomized to bubble NCPAP and 68 infants to standard care. Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. Infants randomized to the bubble NCPAP group needed mechanical ventilation less frequently in the first 7 days of life compared with standard care (2 [3.0%] vs 17 [25.0%]); odds ratio, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.02-0.43; P = .002). The need for surfactant (3 [4.5%] vs 11 [16.2%]; odds ratio, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.05-0.87) and culture-positive sepsis (4 [6.0%] vs 13 [19.0%]; odds ratio, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.09-0.93) were higher in the standard care group. There was an increased duration of oxygen therapy (median [interquartile range], 45.5 [28.0-78.3] vs 26 [20.0-48.0] hours; P = .001) in the standard care group. In the NCPAP group vs standard care group, incidence of persistent pulmonary hypertension (9 [13%] vs 19 [28%]; odds ratio, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.17-1.01) and duration of hospital stay (median [interquartile range], 5.0 [4.0-8.8] vs 4.0 [4.0-6.0] days; P = .14) were similar. Conclusions and Relevance: Bubble NCPAP in comparison with standard care for infants with MAS reduces the need for mechanical ventilation in the first 7 days of life. Trial Registration: Clinical Trial Registry, India Identifier: CTRI/2015/03/005631.

Diagnostic Performance of Point of Care Ultrasonography in Identifying the Etiology of Respiratory Distress in Neonates.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the diagnostic test performance of Point of care ultrasonography (PoC-USG) for identifying the etiology of respiratory distress (RD) in neonates when combination of radiological and clinical criteria is considered as the gold standard. METHODS: A neonate was included in the study if he/she had RD and underwent x-ray chest and ultrasound within 4 h of admission and the age was less than 24 h. The neonates admitted with non-respiratory illness were chosen as controls. A trained neonatologist took trans-thoracic and trans-abdominal views and a radiologist, as per the defined criteria, did the interpretation. RESULTS: During the study period, 63 neonates with RD and 31 control neonates were enrolled. Overall from the clinical-radiological findings, the final diagnosis was respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), transient tachypnea of newborn (TTNB) and pneumonia in 29, 33 and one infants respectively. The ultrasound diagnosis of respiratory distress was RDS in 30 infants and TTNB in 33 infants. Pneumonia was not a diagnosis in any of the infants on PoC-USG. The sensitivity and specificity of USG in the diagnosis of respiratory distress were 98.4% and 100% respectively. One infant with diagnosis of pneumonia on chest x-ray was interpreted as RDS on USG. CONCLUSIONS: PoC-USG can be used to diagnose different etiologies of RD in neonates.

Routine application of lung ultrasonography in the neonatal intensive care unit.

The aim of this study was to study the features of lung ultrasonography (LUS) in lung disease and to evaluate the usefulness of LUS in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).All of 3405 neonates included in this study underwent an LUS examination. Diagnoses were based on medical history, clinical manifestation, laboratory examination, and signs on chest radiography (CR) and/or computed tomography (CT). A single expert physician performed all LUS examinations.There were 2658 cases (78.9%) with lung disease and 747 cases (21.9%) without lung disease. The main signs of neonates with lung disease on LUS were as follows: absence of A-lines, pleural-line abnormalities, interstitial syndrome, lung consolidation, air bronchograms, pulmonary edema, and lung pulse. These abnormal signs were reduced or eliminated on LUS as patient conditions improved. There were 81 cases that could not be diagnosed as lung disease by CR but were discovered as pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), or transient tachypnea of newborn (TTN) on LUS. Likewise, 23 cases misdiagnosed as RDS by CR were diagnosed as TTN on LUS. Among 212 cases of long-term oxygen dependence (LTOD) that failed to yield signs of pulmonary edema and lung consolidation on CR, 103 cases showed abnormal signs on LUS. Among 747 cases without lung disease, B-lines of 713 neonates (95.4%) could be found within 3 days after birth, and 256 neonates (34.3%) could be observed from 3 days to 1 week after birth. B-lines of 19 cases could be detected from 1 to 2 weeks after birth. The longest time at which B-lines could still be observed was 19 days after birth.LUS has clinical value for the diagnosis of lung disease and the discrimination of causes of LTOP in premature infants, particularly for the diagnosis and identification of RDS and TTN. Moreover, LUS has additional advantages, including its lack of radiation exposure and its ability to noninvasively monitor treatment progress. Therefore, LUS should be routinely used in the NICU.

Lung ultrasonography to diagnose meconium aspiration syndrome of the newborn.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of lung ultrasonography for neonatal meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). Methods This prospective observational study enrolled patients diagnosed with MAS based on medical history, clinical manifestations and chest X-ray and control newborns without MAS. During ultrasonography, each lung was divided into three regions (front, lateral, and back), using anterior and posterior axillary lines as the boundary. While scanning each region of the lungs, the hand piece was perpendicular or parallel to the ribs. Results This study enrolled 117 newborns with MAS and 100 controls. The main lung ultrasonographic findings in patients with MAS were: (i) pulmonary consolidation with air bronchogram was found in all patients; (ii) pleural line anomalies and the disappearance of the A-line was found in all patients; (iii) atelectasis was found in 19 (16.2%) severe cases, who demonstrated severe massive atelectasis and visible lung pulse; (iv) pleural effusion was found in 16 patients (13.7%); and (v) alveolar-interstitial syndrome or B-line in the non-consolidation area was found in all patients with MAS. Conclusion Ultrasonography can be used routinely to diagnose MAS in an accurate, reliable, convenient, and non-invasive manner.

Lung Ultrasonography to Diagnose Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn.

BACKGROUND: This study explored the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound for diagnosing transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN). METHODS: Ultrasound was performed by one export. Patients were placed in a supine, lateral recumbent, or prone position. The probe was placed perpendicular or parallel to the ribs, and each region of the lung was scanned. The scan results were compared with conventional chest radiographic results. RESULTS: A total of 1,358 infants were included in this study. We identified 412 cases without pulmonary diseases, 228 TTN cases, 358 respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) cases, 85 meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) cases, 215 infectious pneumonia cases, and 60 other cases. The primary ultrasonic characteristic of TTN was pulmonary edema. "White lung" or a "compact B-line" were only observed in severe cases, whereas TTN primarily presented as pulmonary interstitial syndrome or "double lung point." Furthermore, double lung point could appear during the recovery period of severe TTN or RDS, MAS, and pneumonia. Lung consolidation with air bronchograms was not observed in TTN patients. The results showed that white lung or a compact B-line exhibited a sensitivity of 33.8% and a specificity of 91.3% in diagnosing TTN, whereas double lung point exhibited a sensitivity of 45.6% and a specificity of 94.8% in diagnosing severe TTN. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary edema, alveolar-interstitial syndrome, double lung point, white lung, and compact B-line are the primary ultrasound characteristics of TTN. Ultrasonic diagnosis of TTN based on these findings is accurate and reliable. TTN can be ruled out in the presence of lung consolidation with air bronchograms.

Suspected fetal onset of neonatal transient eosinophilic colitis and development of respiratory distress.

Neonatal transient eosinophilic colitis (NTEC) is a new disease concept within eosinophilic gastroenteritis, which was proposed by Ohtsuka et al. It causes hematochezia as a result of eosinophilia, in neonates who have not yet started to receive enteral nutrition, although the whole-body status of the infant is in fact relatively good. To date, there have been no reports of this disease in which abnormalities were noted during gestation, and the clinical phenomena surrounding it, along with any complications, are not yet clear. We encountered a suspected case of NTEC causing respiratory distress with aspiration of hematochezia, in which dilated bowel was noted during gestation. This case indicates that NTEC may occur at the fetal stage and be complicated by respiratory distress.

Lung ultrasound findings in meconium aspiration syndrome.

Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a rare and life-threatening neonatal lung injury induced by meconium in the lung and airways. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a quick, easy and cheap imaging technique that is increasingly being used in critical care settings, also for newborns. In this paper we describe ultrasound findings in MAS. Six patients with MAS of variable severity were examined by LUS during the first hours of life. Chest X-rays were used as reference. The following dynamic LUS signs were seen in all patients: (1) B-pattern (interstitial) coalescent or sparse; (2) consolidations; (3) atelectasis; (4) bronchograms. No pattern was observed for the distribution of signs in lung areas, although the signs varied with time, probably due to the changing localisation of meconium in the lungs. LUS images corresponded well with X-ray findings. In conclusion, we provide the first formal description of LUS findings in neonates with MAS. LUS is a useful and promising tool in the diagnosis and management of MAS, providing real-time bedside imaging, with the additional potential benefit of limiting radiation exposure in sick neonates.

Lung ultrasound: its role in neonatology and pediatrics.

BACKGROUND: Lung ultrasound (LUS) has become more and more popular in the first decade of the 21(st) century, both in neonatal and in pediatric age groups. Several papers addressed the usefulness of this procedure mainly because of its possibility to be utilised at the bedside, without risk of irradiation along with simple and immediate interpretations of the images. AIMS: The purpose of this paper is to update the knowledge on LUS related to the most common neonatal respiratory diseases and some pediatric acute lung diseases. STUDY DESIGN: We describe the technique of LUS execution, the normal LUS appearance and the LUS findings in the most common neonatal and pediatric acute diseases. SUBJECTS: LUS findings related to neonates of different gestational age as well as of pediatric patients from infancy to childhood are shown. OUTCOME MEASURES: Issues on the evolution and effect of treatment related to LUS findings of neonatal and pediatric respiratory diseases are discussed. RESULTS: LUS depicted peculiar and reproducible patterns in all the lung diseases described. CONCLUSIONS: The use of LUS in the clinical field seems to be a reasonable and easy-to-use practice that can be considered an extension of the clinical exam. As a consequence of this feature, LUS, to fully express its potential, must be performed by the clinician in charge of the patient.

A case of massive meconium peritonitis in utero successfully managed by planned cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the newborn.

We report a case of emergent massive meconium peritonitis due to intrauterine volvulus without malrotation. Fetal ascites was detected on a regular ultrasonographic examination, and fetal distress was found on cardiotocographic monitoring. The mother had noticed a slight decrease in fetal movements over the preceding 24 hours. Prenatal magnetic resonance imaging allowed us to distinguish the meconium from fetal peritoneal fluid and to evaluate the degree of compression of the fetal thoracic cavity. The infant was delivered by emergency cesarean section and demonstrated tense abdominal ascites with edema at birth. She required cardiopulmonary resuscitation and immediate paracentesis.

Prolonged resuscitation in a newborn recovering from meconium aspiration syndrome.

A complication during the course of meconium aspiration syndrome associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension in a newborn results in hypotension, bradycardia, and desaturation. The dilemmas and critical actions during the resuscitation are presented.

Surfactant lavage and replacement in meconium aspiration syndrome with pulmonary hemorrhage.

We reported two case studies of meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) with pulmonary hemorrhage in which we applied surfactant lavage and replacement. Surfactant lavage and replacement of MAS with pulmonary hemorrhage appears to be effective and safe adjunctive therapy. The relatively small replacement doses of surfactant required may be attributed to surfactant lavage followed by surfactant replacement. We suggest that surfactant lavage and replacement of MAS with pulmonary hemorrhage should be further investigated by a randomized controlled trial.

Surfactant tracheobronchial lavage for the management of a rabbit model of meconium aspiration syndrome.

We evaluated the effect of tracheobronchial lavage with diluted surfactant solution (bovine lipid extract surfactant, bLES) in a rabbit model of meconium aspiration. All animals were anaesthetized, tracheotomized and given 3-4 ml/kg of 25% slurry of human meconium into the endotracheal tube and mechanically ventilated for 1 h. The animals were then randomly assigned to surfactant lavage (n = 12) with 15 ml/kg of diluted surfactant at a concentration of 5.4 mg phospholipid/ml administered in aliquots of 2 ml; or simple endotracheal suction (control n = 12) when the oxygenation index (OI) was >/=15. Changes in the arterial blood gases and the histomorphological and radiological appearances of the lungs were recorded. The OI and arterial/alveolar oxygen tension (a/A PO2) of the surfactant lavage group improved significantly at 5 min post-treatment, and these improvements were observed throughout the ensuing 4 h of ventilation. There was significantly more solid content recovered by surfactant lavage compared with the control group (p = 0.0001). Radiologically, the post-treatment air space opacification scores of the lavage group were significantly lower compared with the control (p = 0.002). The post-treatment radiographs of the lavage-treated rabbits were rated by the radiologist, who was blinded to the treatment groups, as much improved in 5 and improved in 4, whereas the control rabbits were rated as much worse in 3 and worse in 4. Histological examination showed the lungs of the lavaged rabbits had significantly more normal airway (p < 0.0001), more fields showing completely normal airspace (p = 0.0001) and less fields showing severe overdistension with meconium (p = 0.0005). We concluded that lavage with diluted surfactant solution effectively washed out the meconium, improved gases exchanges, and improved the histological and radiological appearances in the rabbit model of MAS.

Meconium peritonitis in utero.

To clarify the relationship between clinical features in utero and postnatal prognosis, 20 fetuses who underwent ultrasonic (US) evaluation for meconium peritonitis (MP) over a 17-year period were reviewed. According to final US findings in utero, patients were classified into three types. Type I (massive meconium ascites) was noted is 5 cases, type II (giant pseudocyst) in 4, and the other 11 were classified as type III (calcification and/or small pseudocyst). Abdominal calcifications were identified in only 5 cases (2 type I, 1 type II, 2 type III). Seven fetuses who had associated polyhydramnios (1 Type I, 1 Type II, 2 Type III) and fetal hydrops (3 Type II) were delivered before 36 weeks' gestation. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation at birth was required in 9 cases (5 type I, 4 type II) who underwent abdominal drainage before delivery and/or immediately after birth. Although dilatation of the intestine was identified in 10 fetuses (2 type II, 8 Type III), 18 had intestinal atresia and 2 had fecal obstruction of the distal ileum. Four infants (2 type I, 1 type II, 1 type III) died of respiratory failure and postoperative complications. These results indicated that careful fetal US may be useful for perinatal management of MP.

Delayed adaptation of the pulmonary hemodynamics in infants with mild to moderate meconium aspiration syndrome.

Early postnatal pulmonary hemodynamic changes were investigated with Doppler echocardiography in 17 infants with mild or moderate meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) and 16 healthy infants in a control group. The results indicate that the physiologic adaptation of the pulmonary hemodynamics is delayed in mild and moderate forms of MAS. Thus infants with clinical evidence of MAS need careful cardiovascular monitoring during postnatal circulatory transition.

Meconium aspiration syndrome complicated by massive intravascular thrombosis.

Fetal aspiration of meconium in amniotic fluid during fetal distress by newborn infants can induce the meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), a form of neonatal respiratory distress. Should this event occur, admission to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and vigorous airway management and monitoring are required. We present a term gestation resulting in MAS complicated by a massive intravascular thrombosis. Despite airway management considered appropriate, the infant developed respiratory distress a few hours after birth and died 5 days later. Postmortem examination showed a diffuse alveolar damage of the lungs with alveoli filled with meconium and amniotic epithelial cells as well as disseminated thrombi in the pulmonary vascular tree, portal system, suprahepatic veins, and peripheral arterial vascular tree.