Effects of endotracheal suctioning duration cerebral oxygenation in preterm infants.

AIM: This study evaluates the effects of endotracheal suctioning duration on cerebral oxygenation and physiological parameters in preterm infants in intensive care. DESIGN: Prospective and observational s tudy. METHOD: In this study, 51 preterm infants born at 28-34 weeks of gestation in NICU were evaluated. Cerebral oxygenation was measured before, during, and after endotracheal suctioning with near-infrared spectroscopy. Pain levels of the infants were with N-PASS scale. RESULTS: A negative correlation was found between the lowest cerebral oxygenation value during endotracheal suctioning and the duration of endotracheal suctioning. Cerebral oxygenation levels during endotracheal suctioning were lower than pre- and post-endotracheal suctioning levels. Higher cerebral oxygenation was observed in infants whose endotracheal aspiration time was less than 13 s. The duration of endotracheal suctioning was positively correlated with pain and cerebral oxygenation stabilization time. CONCLUSION: Prolonged endotracheal suctioning duration negatively affects cerebral oxygenation in preterm infants. The study suggests an optimal endotracheal suctioning duration under 13 s. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Properly executed endotracheal suctioning, with the correct technique and knowledge, can alleviate the adverse physiological effects observed in preterm infants and contribute to routine nursing care in intensive care units. REPORTING METHOD: This study has been reported in line with STROBE checklists. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution was required to design or undertake this research. Patients contributed only to the data collection. IMPACT: This study contributes to defining the ideal endotracheal aspiration duration, as there is not enough data so far. It showed the effect of prolonged endotracheal aspiration time on cerebral oxygenation, pain and physiological parameters in preterm infants.

Comparison of Simultaneous Capillary Blood Gases and End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide in Mechanically Ventilated Pediatric Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure.

In the follow-up of ventilation, invasive blood gas analysis and noninvasive monitoring of end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO 2 ) are used. We aimed to investigate the relationship between capillary partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PcCO 2 ) levels and ETCO 2 and also to investigate ETCO 2 's predictive feature of PcCO 2 levels. This study included 28 female and 30 male pediatric patients; 28 patients were type-1 respiratory failure (RF), 16 patients were acute respiratory distress syndrome, and 14 patients were type-2 RF. Our results showed a significant correlation between ETCO 2 and PcCO 2 . Although the strength of the correlation was weak throughout the measurements, the strength of this correlation increased significantly in type-2 RF.

An overview of the health status of Syrian refugee children in a tertiary hospital in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: Migration is a problem affecting all family members, but particularly children. Child refugees are the highest risk group for the health systems of receiving countries. We investigated the health of 104 Syrian child refugees presenting to a tertiary hospital in Turkey. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A retrospective study was conducted in the pediatric clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical files of Syrian refugee children (0-18 years) presenting to Adiyaman University Hospital, Pediatric Clinic between 01 and 30 November 2015, were investigated. Demographic data, body measurements, and laboratory results obtained from patients' medical records were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean age of patients was 53.5 ± 49.6 (2-198) months; 63 were male and 41 were female. Seventy-two patients (69.2%) were under 5 years of age. Weight in 20 patients (19.2%), height in 33 (31.7%), head circumference in 2 (1.9%), and body mass index in 7 (6.7%) were below the third percentile. All patients with body weight below the third percentile had chronic malnutrition. Anemia was present in 35 (50%) of the 70 patients for whom complete blood count data were available. CONCLUSION: Health workers involved with Syrian refugee children must consider the two preventable conditions; malnutrition and anemia.

The Assessment of Skin Color and Iron Levels in Pediatric Patients with ß-Thalassemia Major Using a Visual Skin Color Chart.

Patients with ß-thalassemia major (ß-TM), a disease that emerges due to disorder of hemoglobin (Hb) synthesis, require life-long erythrocyte transfusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate skin color and iron levels of patients with ß-TM using a visual skin color chart. Each patient's skin color was matched on a skin color chart under a fluorescent lamp by the same physician on each occasion. Iron, iron binding capacity, ferritin and complete blood count (CBC) were studied for each patient enrolled. Colors marked on the visual skin color chart were compared with the laboratory results. Thirty-five patients being monitored at our hospital were included, 19 (54.3%) males and 16 (45.7%) females. The colors marked on the chart darkened as patients aged (p = 0.002, r = 0.49), the frequency of annual transfusions (p = 0.022, r = 0.385), ferritin levels (p < 0.001, r = 0.72) and iron levels increased (p = 0.001, r = 0.538) and as total iron binding capacity (TIBC) decreased (p < 0.001, r = -0.709). On the basis of this study, iron deposition in patients with ß-TM was correlated with the colors on the chart.