Acute renal failure SNAPPE and mortality.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to determine, using the score for neonatal acute physiology and perinatal extension II (SNAPPE-II), whether there is an association with acute renal failure (ARF) and whether it is possible to identify newborns at risk for ARF prior to a rise in creatinine in newborns. METHODS: Information on postnatal risk factors and SNAPPE-II on the first day of life (non-ARF group, n= 475; ARF group, n= 78) were collected. Renal failure was defined as serum creatinine level >1 mg/dL and >1.3 mg/dL (for ≥ 33 weeks and < 33 weeks, respectively) after 48 h of life. RESULTS: In newborns with ARF (n= 78), the median (range) of SNAPPE-II and mortality rate were significantly higher than those of the control group. Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), SNAPPE-II, and resuscitation were identified as independent predictors of ARF in infants on forward stepwise logistic regression. Sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome, ARF, DIC, and SNAPPE-II were identified as independent predictors of mortality in infants on the same analysis. CONCLUSIONS: SNAPPE-II on the first day of life was significantly higher among babies with ARF, suggesting a positive association between higher scores and the development of ARF and mortality, but based on receiver operating characteristic curve results, SNAPPE-II at admission did not enhance the assessment of risk for ARF prior to a rise in creatinine.

Effect of silicon gel sheeting in nasal injury associated with nasal CPAP in preterm infants.

We conducted this study to investigate the efficacy of the silicon gel application on the nares in prevention of nasal injury in preterm infants ventilated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP). Patients (n=179) were randomized into two groups: Group 1 (n=87) had no silicon gel applied to nares, and in Group 2 (n=92), the silicon gel sheeting was used on the surface of nares during ventilation with NCPAP. Nasal injury developed in 13 (14.9%) neonates in Group 1 and 4 (4.3%) newborns in Group 2 (OR:3.43; 95% CI: 1.1-10.1; P<0.05). The incidence of columella necrosis was also significantly higher in the Group 1 (OR: 6.34; 95% CI: 0.78-51.6; P<0.05). We conclude that the silicon gel application may reduce the incidence and the severity of nasal injury in preterm infants on nasal CPAP.

[Is serologic screening necessary in the donor bloods for cytomegalovirus seronegative blood transfusion to risky patients?]. / Riskli gruplara sitomegalovirus seronegatif kan transfüzyonu için bagisçi kanlarinda tarama gerekli mi?

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are commonly seen in humans and are usually mild or asymptomatic. However, these infections have significant medical risks in pregnant women, newborns and immunocompromised patients. Seronegative subjects and infants acquire CMV through infected blood products or direct contact with infected people. The use of seronegative blood products for selected patients, as in newborns and/or immunosuppressed patients has vital importance in medical management. Providing seronegative blood in countries where the prevalence of CMV is high (>90%), is difficult since this requires screening of a great number of blood donations. The aim of this study was to detect the CMV seroprevalence among voluntary blood donors in Kocaeli (located at northwestern region of Turkey) and to determine whether the screening procedure was cost-effective. CMV-IgG was investigated by a commercial ELISA method (AXSYM, Abbott, USA) in 1264 blood donors who were voluntarily admitted to donate blood for newborns between January to December 2006. In 1229 (97.2%) of these donors CMV-IgG was found positive while it was negative in 35 (2.8%). It was estimated that CMV-IgG screening was not cost-effective to provide seronegative blood donations because of the high rate of seropositivity in Kocaeli as well as other regions of Turkey, so it would be more favorable to apply alternative methods such as leukocyte reduction.

Cord blood cardiac troponin I as an early predictor of short-term outcome in perinatal hypoxia.

BACKGROUND: In most perinatal-hypoxia survivors, myocardial dysfunction can be reversed with appropriate inotropic support and oxygenation. The main problem related to outcome is cerebral damage. OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a known marker of myocardial injury, is also an early predictor of severity of cerebral damage and mortality in intrauterine hypoxia. METHODS: Venous and arterial cord blood samples were collected at delivery from 54 consecutive newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and from 50 consecutive healthy controls. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed and levels of cTnI, creatine kinase and creatine kinase-MB in venous cord blood were measured. The same serum parameters were also measured on the 3rd and 7th day of life. RESULTS: Infants with hypoxia had a significantly higher cord blood cTnI levels than controls (p < 0.0001). Cord blood and 3rd and 7th day serum cTnI values showed a significant increase with severity of HIE (p < 0.0001). In non-survivors cord blood cTnI levels were significantly higher than the survivors (5.9 ng/ml, range 2.1-12.8, and 1.6 ng/ml, range 0.4-5.8, respectively; p < 0.0001). Receiver-operator curve analysis revealed cord cTnI as the most sensitive factor for predicting early death (area under curve = 0.956; SE: 0.028; 95% CI: 0.9-1.01). Cord blood cTnI of 4.6 ng/ml was identified as the optimal cut-off level for predicting serious risk of early mortality. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that significant elevation of cord cTnI is an excellent early predictor of severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and mortality in term infants.

Acrocyanosis as a side effect of tricyclic antidepressants: a case report.

Acrocyanosis is probably the most unusual side effect of tricyclic antidepressant drugs. In this paper, we report a 10-year-old boy with primary enuresis nocturna and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who developed two episodes of acrocyanosis, the first of which was after imipramine treatment and the second after desipramine usage. We also review the possible pathogenesis of acrocyanosis. We suggest that physicians should be aware of this rare side effect of tricyclic antidepressants.

Infantile Malignant Osteopetrosis: Delay in Diagnosis Eliminates Chance of Cure.

A 4.5 year-old girl presented with abdominal distention, failure to thrive, visual and hearing loss. In her medical history there was meningitis in the neonatal period, convulsions, enlargement of her head, nistagmus and exophtalmus at the tenth month. When she was 15 month-old, she had ventriculoperitoneal shunt and surgical transection of the filum terminale due to tethered cord. When she was 3 yearold she had headaches and swallowing difficulties and she underwent suboccipital craniectomi and C1 laminectomi. On admission to our Center she had normal mental and motor development, high arched palate, only three teeth, hepatosplenomegaly, weight and height below 3 percentile, leukoerythroblastic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Roentgenograms of bones showed sclerosis and no medullary tissue could be obtained in bone marrow biopsy. Diagnosis was infantile malignant osteopetrosis but the patient can not be referred to bone marrow transplantation due to delay in diagnosis and irreversible visual and hearing loss and lack of medullary space for marrow engraftment.