Evaluating of neonatal early onset sepsis through lactate and base excess monitoring.

Early-onset sepsis (EOS) is one of the leading causes of neonatal death and morbidity worldwide and timely initiation of antibiotic therapy is, therefore, of paramount importance. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive effect of lactate and base excess (BE) values in the cord arterial blood gas and the 6th hour of life venous blood gas analysis on clinical sepsis in newborns. This is a cohort case-control study. In this study, 104 cases were divided into clinical and suspected sepsis groups according to the evaluation at the 24th hour after delivery. Lactate and BE values were evaluated in the cord arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA) and at the postnatal 6th-hour venous blood gas. The cord ABGA and postnatal 6th-hour results were compared in the clinical and suspected sepsis groups. Clinical sepsis was found to be associated with a lactate value above 2 mMol/L at postnatal 6th-hour venous blood gas (p = 0.041). This association was the highest when the clinical sepsis group's postnatal 6th-hour lactate cut-off value was determined as 3.38 mMol/L (sensitivity 57.9% and specificity 68.5%) (p = 0.032). However, no association was found between clinical sepsis diagnosis and venous BE's value in cord ABGA at the postnatal 6th hour. We found that a venous lactate value above 3.38 mMol/L at the postnatal 6th hour was the cut-off value that could indicate early-onset clinical sepsis. However, none of the biomarkers used in diagnosing EOS can accurately show all cases.

Early Hemodynamic Effects of Mydriatic Eye Drops in Preterm Infants.

OBJECTIVE: Mydriatic eye drops used for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) examination can cause systemic effects, and there are case reports of serious adverse effects in the literature. In this prospective study, we aimed to evaluate the early hemodynamic effects of mydriatic eye drops to understand the possible mechanisms of adverse effects. STUDY DESIGN: Between December 2018 and March 2019, preterm babies less than 32 gestational weeks and who underwent ophthalmologic examination in our unit were included. The vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation [SpO2], and blood pressure values), cerebral and mesenteric tissue saturation by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and left ventricular functions of infants were recorded before and after applying mydriatic eye drops (2.5% phenylephrine and 0.5% tropicamide). The data were compared statistically. Strict adherence to prevent systemic absorption of the eye drops was applied. RESULTS: Thirty-two mydriasis procedures were evaluated in 26 patients. The mean gestational age was 28.5 ± 1.7 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 943 ± 233 g. There were no significant differences in terms of vital signs of infants including heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation [SpO2] levels before and after eye-drop application. In addition, NIRS values showed no significant differences between before and after measurements. No significant differences were detected at echocardiographic evaluation performed before and after mydriatic administration. No adverse reaction was observed in the study population during the study. CONCLUSION: This is the first study that evaluated the early hemodynamic effects of mydriatic eye drops used for ROP screening by vital signs, NIRS, and echocardiographic evaluation. Mydriatic eye drops have no significant effect on early hemodynamic parameters including vital signs, NIRS, and echocardiographic findings in preterm infants. We suggest that a cautious approach for avoiding the systemic absorption of these agents may prevent the possible early systemic effects in this high-risk population. KEY POINTS: · Mydriatic eye drops are commonly used for pupil dilatation before retinopathy of prematurity examination, and there are reports of serious adverse events caused by these drops.. · Due to the adverse events of eye drops, hemodynamic effects of these agents were investigated by clinical findings, near-infrared spectroscopy, and echocardiography.. · No significant early hemodynamic effect was observed so avoiding systemic effects may be prevented with precautions..

The Effect of Pethidine Analgesia on Labor Duration and Maternal-Fetal Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Opioid analgesics had been used from time to time for treating labor pain. However, their use have been concerning. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of pethidine on duration of active phase of labor, labor pain and maternal-neonatal outcomes. METHODS: In the present case-control study, the study group received a 50 mg pethidine intramuscular injection upon the start of active phase of labor, and the control group consisted of patients who receive placebo injeciton. In both groups, vital signs were measured before, and at 0, 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes after the injection. Pain intensity was evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) prior to, and 1 hour and 2 hours after injection. Data regarding labor phase durations, maternal side effects, newborn APGAR scores and fetal respiratory problems were recorded. RESULTS: 102 patients in Pethidine group and 92 patients in control group, were included into the study. Labor pain VAS-scores were significantly lower in the study group (p<0.001). Moreover, active phase of labor duration was significantly shorter in the study group (p<0.001). Maternal pulse significantly decreased, and maternal nausea-vomiting was frequent in the study groups. However, the groups were similar in terms of other side effects and neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Pethidine significantly reduces active phase of labor duration, has a favorable analgesic effect in treating labor pain and is not associated with serious maternal or neonatal complications. It is therefore considered an acceptable agent for use during active phase of labor.

SIMPLE: A Novel Scoring System for Predicting Hemodynamically Significant Patent Ductus Arteriosus Without Echocardiographic Evaluation in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants.

Aim: To develop a novel clinical scoring system for predicting hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted among ELBW infants born in the study center during a 6-month period. Fourteen items were selected on a literature review basis and weighed by severity on an arbitrary 1-4 scale, the sum of which represented the Scoring preterm Infants for PDA cLinically without Echocardiographic evaluation (SIMPLE) score. The SIMPLE scores were compared at several time points during the first 3 days of life between two groups of patients: those with an hsPDA at echocardiography and those without. Results: A total of 48 ELBW infants were enrolled, of which 30 infants developed hsPDA. The SIMPLE scores of the infants with hsPDA were significantly greater than those of the infants who did not develop hsPDA. Cut-off SIMPLE scores that were significantly associated with detection of symptomatic hsPDA at each evaluation time point were identified. Conclusions: SIMPLE is the first scoring system that depends on the risk factors and clinical findings of ELBW infants for early prediction of hsPDA. It is simple, objective and easy to perform, and it does not require any additional tests and/or echocardiographic evaluation. We suggest that SIMPLE can be used as a screening tool for determining the need for echocardiographic evaluation in ELBW infants in order to minimize the number of unnecessary pediatric cardiology consultations.

What is the main factor in predicting the morbidity and mortality in patients with gastroschisis: delivery time, delivery mode, closure method, or the type of gastroschisis (simple or complex)?

Background/aim: There are numerous debates in the management of gastroschisis (GS). The current study aimed to evaluate perinatal outcomes and surgical and clinical characteristics among GS patients based on their type of GS, abdominal wall closure method, and delivery timing. Materials and methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of 29 fetuses with GS that were prenatally diagnosed, delivered, and managed between June 2015 and December 2019 at the Obstetrics and Pediatric Surgery Clinics of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital. Results: Twenty-three of the patients had simple GS, and six of them had complex GS. The reoperation requirement, number of operations, duration of mechanical ventilation, time to initiate feeding, time to full enteral feeding, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) duration, TPN-associated cholestasis, wound infection, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis were significantly lower in the simple GS group than in the complex GS group. The mean hospital length of stay was 3.5 times longer in the complex GS group (121.50 ± 24.42 days) than in the simple GS group (33.91 ± 4.13 days, p = 0.009). There were no cases of death in the simple GS group. However, two deaths occurred in the complex GS group. Conclusion: This study indicated that simple GS, compared with complex GS, was associated with improved neonatal outcomes. We suggest that the main factor affecting the patients' outcomes is whether the patient is a simple or complex GS rather than the abdominal wall closure method.