Automated ABR screening for hearing loss and its clinical determinants among newborns with hyperbilirubinemia in National Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria.

Background: Severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a known risk factor for sensorineural hearing loss which is usually undiagnosed in our environment until school age due to a lack of routine screening programs. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted between August 2020 and February 2021 employed a universal sampling of consecutive eligible participants after their mothers' consent. Hearing screening was conducted using an automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) device (Otoport OAE + ABR®). The proportion of AABR screening failure was assessed while associated clinical risk factors were determined using logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at 5% for all comparative analyses. Results: One hundred and sixty newborns below 28 days of age, delivered at 34 weeks gestation and above, who had jaundice were recruited. The prevalence of screening AABR failure in at least one ear was 26.2%. Significant risk factors for AABR screening failure in addition to extreme and hazardous hyperbilirubinemia were acute bilirubin encephalopathy (ABE) (Odds Ratio (OR) =4.44, 95% CI = 3.19-6.17), birth weight below 2500 g (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.48-6.77), dull tympanic membrane (TM) (OR = 5.94, 95% CI = 2.36-14.92) and exchange blood transfusion (OR = 4.84, 95% CI = 1.87-12.58). Conclusion and Recommendations: The prevalence of AABR screening failure was high, and a dull TM was its strongest predictor among late preterm and term neonates with hyperbilirubinemia. Otoscopy should be included in the care of newborn with hyperbilirubinemia and screening programs established to mitigate hearing loss among high-risk neonates in Abuja.

An audit of a decade of acute peritoneal dialysis in children with acute kidney injury: A single-center experience.

Background: Acute peritoneal dialysis (PD) is the modality of choice to manage children with acute kidney injury (AKI). However, its use remains underutilized, despite the unquestionable advantages. Aims: This study, therefore, aimed to audit the complications, outcomes, and challenges encountered with PD as well as indications for PD and causes of AKI among under-5 children that had PD in a Nigerian tertiary hospital over a decade. . Patients and Methods: : A retrospective study of children with AKI, aged 0 to 5 years, managed with PD. In all the children, a PD catheter was inserted at the bedside by surgeons. PD was performed manually. Data were presented in descriptive statistics and a P value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Twenty-nine (29) children had PD over a decade (January 2009 to December 2018). There were 12 males and 17 females aged 4-60 months (mean ± SD 18.8 ± 16.9). The PD yearly frequency was 2-7 times/year, mean of 2.9/year. The major identified indication for PD was difficulty of vascular access (86.2%) while the causes of AKI were sepsis 21 (43.8%); gastroenteritis 11 (22.9%); severe malaria 9 (18.8%); toxins/herbal medications 5 (10.4%); multiple congenital anomalies 2 (4.2%). Multiple causes of AKI occurred in some children. The major observed PD complications were catheter lockage 9 (37.5%); dialysate fluid retention 4 (16.7%); and peritonitis 4 (16.7%). The short-term outcome of the 29 children that had PD showed 20 (69%) discharged and 9 (31%) deaths over the period. The major challenge encountered was PD-related sepsis evidenced by the prevalence of peritonitis and catheter site infection. Conclusion: The predominant PD complications were catheter-related, mostly catheter blockage in a manually performed PD while the leading cause of AKI in our center was sepsis, affecting a large population of children requiring PD.