Massive pulmonary gas embolism in a neonate with ileal atresia and meconium peritonitis.

We presented the case of a neonate with portal venous gas and pulmonary gas embolism. The patient presented with severe respiratory distress and abdominal distension 12 hours after birth. An ultrasound revealed intravascular microbubbles moving into a pulmonary artery that were traveling from the portal venous system through a ductus venosus. Additional clinical observations were hypotension and a sudden decrease in end-tidal carbon dioxide with a markedly discrepant high Pco(2), indicating a massive pulmonary gas embolism. Operative findings revealed congenital ileal atresia and meconium peritonitis with abscess. Gas-forming Escherichia coli was recovered from the abscess contents. The patient had respiratory distress, shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and intractable diarrhea but eventually recovered and was discharged on the 131st postoperative day.

Factors affecting short-term mortality in very low birth weight infants in Japan.

No epidemiological surveys have examined risk factors related to the death of very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) in Japan. The objectives of this study were to examine the death rate and fatalities related to complications among VLBWIs, and to analyze factors possibly determining the death of VLBWIs. The subjects of this study were 811 VLBWIs admitted to the Neonatal Care Center of Niigata City General Hospital between April 1987 and March 2003. We obtained information on gender, birth weight, gestational age, Apgar scores, single/multiple pregnancy, postnatal transfer, mode of delivery, complications and outcome (alive or deceased) at the time of discharge from medical records. Of the 811 infants, 98 died prior to discharge (12.1%). Logistic regression analysis showed that independent risk factors for death of VLBWIs were male gender (relative risk [RR]: 2.0), low birth weight (RR: 0.56), necrotizing enterocolitis (RR: 58.0), pulmonary hypoplasia (RR: 37.8), chromosomal abnormalities (RR: 36.3), congenital heart diseases (RR: 9.8), persistent fetal circulation (RR: 9.6), neonatal asphyxia (RR: 6.3) and sepsis (RR: 4.4). The risk for death rises 1.8-fold if birth weight decreases by 100 g. A very high risk of perinatal death is associated with necrotizing enterocolitis, pulmonary hypoplasia or chromosomal abnormalities. The risk of death due to congenital heart diseases or neonatal asphyxia is relatively lower, but the incidences of these two disorders are high (8% and 6%, respectively). From the viewpoint of prophylactic treatment aimed at reducing the death rate of VLBWIs, measures to increase birth weight are of primary importance. Furthermore, early treatment and improved perinatal management of congenital heart diseases and neonatal asphyxia are anticipated to reduce the overall death rate of VLBWIs.