Quality Improvement Approach to Reducing Admission Hypothermia Among Preterm and Term Infants.

BACKGROUND: Newborns, particularly premature newborns, are susceptible to hypothermia when transitioning from birth to admission to the NICU, potentially leading to increased mortality and morbidity. Despite attention to this issue, our rate of admission hypothermia was 39.8%. METHODS: We aimed to reduce the rate of admission hypothermia for all inborn infants admitted to our institution to <10%. We undertook a quality improvement effort that spanned from 2013 through 2019 in our level IV NICU. Current state analysis involved investigating patient risk factors for hypothermia and staff understanding of hypothermia prevention. Improvement cycles included auditing processes, an in-hospital relocation of our NICU, expanded use of chemical heat mattresses and polyethylene bags, and staff education. Improvement was evaluated by using Shewhart control charts. RESULTS: We demonstrated a reduction in admission hypothermia from 39.8% to 9.9%, which was temporally related to educational efforts and expanded use of chemical heat mattresses and polyethylene bags. There was not an increase in admission hyperthermia over this time period. We found that our group at highest risk of admission hypothermia was not our most premature cohort but those infants born between 33 and 36 6/7 weeks' gestation and those infants prenatally diagnosed with congenital anomalies. CONCLUSIONS: Expanded use of polyethylene bags and chemical heat mattresses can improve thermoregulation particularly when combined with staff education. Although premature infants have been the focus of many hypothermia prevention efforts, our data suggest that older infants, and those infants born with congenital anomalies, require additional attention.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Outcomes Associated with Parent-Nurse Controlled Analgesia vs. Continuous Opioid Infusion in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

PURPOSE: Prospectively compare parent/nurse controlled analgesia (PNCA) to continuous opioid infusion (COI) in the post-operative neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) population. DESIGN/METHODS: A randomized controlled trial compared neonates treated with morphine PNCA to those treated with morphine COI. The primary outcome was average opioid consumption up to 3 post-operative days. Secondary outcomes included 1) pain intensity, 2) adverse events that may be directly related to opioid consumption, and 3) parent and nurse satisfaction. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 25 post-operative neonates and young infants randomized to either morphine PNCA (n = 16) or COI (n = 9). Groups differed significantly on daily opioid consumption, with the PNCA group receiving significantly less opioid (P = .02). Groups did not differ on average pain score or frequency of adverse events (P values > .05). Parents in both groups were satisfied with their infant's pain management and parents in the PNCA group were slightly more satisfied with their level of involvement (P = .03). Groups did not differ in nursing satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: PNCA may be an effective alternative to COI for pain management in the NICU population. This method may also substantially reduce opioid consumption, provide more individualized care, and improve parent satisfaction with their level of participation. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Patients in the NICU represent one of our most vulnerable patient populations. As nurses strive to provide safe and effective pain management, results of this study suggest PNCA may allow nurses to maintain their patients' comfort while providing less opioid and potentially improving parental perception of involvement. STUDY TYPE: Treatment study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I.