Surgical neonates: A retrospective review of procedures and postoperative outcomes at a quaternary children's hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Neonates have a high incidence of respiratory and cardiac perioperative events. Disease severity and indications for surgical intervention often dovetail with an overall complex clinical course and predispose these infants to adverse long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes and increased length of stay. Our aims were to describe severe and nonsevere early postoperative complications to establish a baseline of care outcomes and to identify subgroups of surgical neonates and procedures for future prospective studies. METHODS: Electronic health record data were examined retrospectively for a cohort of patients who had general anesthesia from January 26, 2015 to August 31, 2018. Inclusion criteria were full-term infants with postmenstrual age less than 44 weeks or premature infants less than 60 weeks postmenstrual age undergoing nonimaging, noncardiac surgery. Severe postoperative complications were defined as mortality, reintubation, positive blood culture, and surgical site infection. Nonsevere early postoperative outcomes were defined as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, hypothermia, hyperthermia, and readmission within 30 days. RESULTS: About 2569 procedures were performed in 1842 neonates of which 10.9% were emergency surgeries. There were 120 postoperative severe complications and 965 nonsevere postoperative outcomes. Overall, 30-day mortality was 1.8% for the first procedure performed, with higher mortality seen on subgroup analysis for patients who underwent exploratory laparotomy (10.3%) and congenital lung lesion resection (4.9%). Postoperative areas for improvement included hyperglycemia (13.9%) and hypothermia (7.9%). DISCUSSION: The mortality rate in our study was comparable to other studies of neonatal surgery despite a high rate of emergency surgery and a high prevalence of prematurity in our cohort. The early outcomes data identified areas for improvement, including prevention of postoperative glucose and temperature derangements. CONCLUSIONS: Neonates in this cohort were at risk for severe and nonsevere adverse postoperative outcomes. Future studies are suggested to improve mortality and adverse event rates.

Congenital Infantile Fibrosarcoma in the Premature Infant.

BACKGROUND: Congenital infantile fibrosarcoma (CIF) is rare and represents less than 1% of all childhood cancers. It is a tumor that originates in the connective fibrous tissue found at the ends of long bones and then spreads to other surrounding soft tissues. These lesions are typically large, grow rapidly, and can often be mistaken for teratomas. Diagnosis is confirmed by pathology, where cellular proliferation of fibroblasts occurs. Imaging is an important part of the diagnosis, which includes the use of magnetic resonance imaging and/or computed tomography scan. Although surgical resection is the primary treatment, chemotherapeutic agents may be used as adjuvant therapy. PURPOSE: To describe modalities for accurate diagnosis and treatment of CIF. METHODS/SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed was searched using terms "congenital infantile fibrosarcoma" and "infantile fibrosarcoma." Eleven relevant, English language articles were identified and utilized in the preparation of this case presentation. FINDINGS/RESULTS: Complications addressed in this case presentation are prenatal diagnostic challenges, pharmacologic interventions in the setting of prematurity, immunosuppression, and acute liver and renal failure. Pharmacologic treatments will include chemotherapy agents, antimicrobial agents, as well as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for immunosuppression. Nursing challenges included positioning and integumentary disturbances. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Utilization of diagnostic imaging and pathology to accurately identify and diagnose CIF is essential. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: Safety and efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents in premature infants with CIF need to be established.

A mother with glandular hypoplasia and a late preterm infant.

This case study presents a maternal-infant dyad, both of whom bring risk factors to the breastfeeding relationship. The mother had true glandular hypoplasia that was not detected in the antenatal period or during her hospital stay. In addition, the infant was a late preterm infant, bringing the risks of poor feeding behavior and ineffective removal of milk from the breast as well as limited body reserves. Through the use of breastfeeding technology, including test weights, use of a hospital grade double electric breast pump and use of a nipple shield, in addition to a pharmacologic intervention, in which Domperidone was administered, this mother was able to maximize her milk yield and the infant was able to receive human milk for 6 months. This case report highlights the need for a thorough assessment of the breasts as well as the breastfeeding process in all breastfeeding dyads.