RESUMO
PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of and physiologic characteristics associated with hypothermia in a very low birth weight (VLBW) population. METHODS: Retrospective through medical record review. Records were reviewed from most current dating backward. A total of 199 consecutive records were reviewed to achieve a sample of 100 VLBW infants meeting inclusion criteria from a 40-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in an urban tertiary care center in the midwest. PROCEDURE: Admission serum glucose content, blood bicarbonate, oxygen concentration, and temperature were recorded from the medical record and examined for differences. RESULTS: Forty-five percent of the sample was hypothermic on admission. Hypothermic infants were significantly more likely to be academic (p = 0.0001) than normothermic infants. No significant differences were found between the groups for glucose values or oxygen requirements. CONCLUSIONS: Hypothermia continues to be an important issue in neonatal care affecting almost half of VLBW infants. Interventions need to be used to reduce hypothermia and acidemia in VLBW infants.
