Decreasing incidence of admission neonatal hypothermia in Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: quality improvement project.

BACKGROUND: WHO reported that neonatal hypothermia accounts for about 27% of newborn deaths worldwide. It is a serious concern in Ethiopia and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa; it poses a serious threat to global health, increasing morbidity and mortality. Hypothermic neonates are more likely to experience respiratory distress, infections and other issues that could result in longer hospital stays and delayed development. The objective of this quality improvement project was to minimise intensive medical treatments, maximise resource usage and enhance overall health outcomes for newborns at Gandhi Memorial Hospital by reducing neonatal hypothermia. METHODS: Over 10 months (from 1 March 2021 to 30 January 2022), neonatal hypothermia incidence was assessed using Quality Supervision Mentoring Team and Health Management Information System data. Root cause analysis and literature review led to evidence-based interventions in a change bundle. After team training and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) relocation, Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles tested the bundle. Close temperature monitoring and data collection occurred. Run charts evaluated intervention success against baseline data, informing conclusions about effectiveness. RESULT: The quality improvement project reduced neonatal hypothermia in NICU admissions from a baseline median of 80.6% to a performance median of 30%. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The quality improvement project at Gandhi Memorial Hospital effectively reduced neonatal hypothermia through interventions such as the temperature management bundle and NICU relocation, leading to improved patient care, fewer hypothermic neonates and enhanced body temperature management. Continuous monitoring, adherence to best practices, sharing success and outcome assessment are crucial for enhancing the project's effectiveness and sustaining positive impacts on neonatal hypothermia reduction and patient outcomes.

Inequalities in birth before arrival at hospital in South West England: a multimethods study of neonatal hypothermia and emergency medical services call-handler advice.

OBJECTIVES: To examine inequalities in birth before arrival (BBA) at hospitals in South West England, understand which groups are most likely to experience BBA and how this relates to hypothermia and outcomes (phase A). To investigate opportunities to improve temperature management advice given by emergency medical services (EMS) call-handlers during emergency calls regarding BBA in the UK (phase B). DESIGN: A two-phase multimethod study. Phase A analysed anonymised data from hospital neonatal records between January 2018 and January 2021. Phase B analysed anonymised EMS call transcripts, followed by focus groups with National Health Service (NHS) staff and patients. SETTING: Six Hospital Trusts in South West England and two EMS providers (ambulance services) in South West and North East England. PARTICIPANTS: 18 multidisciplinary NHS staff and 22 members of the public who had experienced BBA in the UK. RESULTS: 35% (64/184) of babies conveyed to hospital were hypothermic on arrival. When compared with national data on all births in the South West, we found higher percentages of women with documented safeguarding concerns at booking, previous live births and 'late bookers' (booking their pregnancy >13 weeks gestation). These women may, therefore, be more likely to experience BBA. Preterm babies, babies to first-time mothers and babies born to mothers with disability or safeguarding concerns at booking were more likely to be hypothermic following BBA. Five main themes emerged from qualitative data on call-handler advice: (1) importance placed on neonatal temperature; (2) advice on where the baby should be placed following birth; (3) advice on how to keep the baby warm; (4) timing of temperature management advice and (5) clarity and priority of instructions. CONCLUSIONS: Findings identified factors associated with BBA and neonatal hypothermia following BBA. Improvements to EMS call-handler advice could reduce the number of babies arriving at hospital hypothermic.

An Assessment of Physical and N6-Cyclohexyladenosine-Induced Hypothermia in Rodent Distal Focal Ischemic Stroke.

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) mitigates damage in ischemic stroke models. However, safer and easier TH methods (e.g., pharmacological) are needed to circumvent physical cooling complications. This study evaluated systemic and pharmacologically induced TH using the adenosine A1 receptor agonist, N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA), with control groups in male Sprague-Dawley rats. CHA was administered intraperitoneally 10 minutes following a 2-hour intraluminal middle cerebral artery occlusion. We used a 1.5 mg/kg induction dose, followed by three 1.0 mg/kg doses every 6 hours for a total of 4 doses, causing 20-24 hours of hypothermia. Animals assigned to physical hypothermia and CHA-hypothermia had similar induction rates and nadir temperatures, but forced cooling lasted ∼6 hours longer compared with CHA-treated animals. The divergence is likely attributable to individual differences in CHA metabolism, which led to varied durations at nadir, whereas physical hypothermia was better regulated. Physical hypothermia significantly reduced infarction (primary endpoint) on day 7 (mean reduction of 36.8 mm3 or 39% reduction; p = 0.021 vs. normothermic animals; Cohen's d = 0.75), whereas CHA-induced hypothermia did not (p = 0.33). Similarly, physical cooling improved neurological function (physical hypothermia median = 0, physical normothermia median = 2; p = 0.008) and CHA-induced cooling did not (p > 0.99). Our findings demonstrate that forced cooling was neuroprotective compared with controls, but prolonged CHA-induced cooling was not neuroprotective.

Bundle para regulação da temperatura corporal de recém-nascidos maiores de 34 semanas: construção e validação / Bundle for regulating the body temperature of newborns over 34 weeks: Construction and validation / Paquete para regular la temperatura corporal de recién nacidos de más de 34 semanas: construcción y validación

Objetivo: Descrever o processo de construção e validação de um bundle para promoção da regulação da temperatura corporal de recém-nascidos maiores de 34 semanas. Métodos: Pesquisa metodológica executada em três etapas: revisão de escopo, construção da primeira versão do bundle e validação de conteúdo realizada por 15 experts, sendo nove enfermeiros e seis médicos, selecionados conforme critérios adaptados de referencial na área. O índice de validade de conteúdo acima de 0,80 foi considerado aceitável para a concordância entre os experts sobre cada cuidado. Foram necessárias duas rodadas de avaliação para a confecção da versão final. Resultados: O bundle foi estruturado em cuidados: na sala de parto, no transporte e no alojamento conjunto, com total de 15 itens, todos com concordância acima de 0,90 após a segunda rodada de avaliação. Conclusão: O bundle elaborado foi considerado válido quanto ao conteúdo e estabelece cuidados baseados em evidências científicas de maneira padronizada e segura para a equipe de assistência ao parto.

Objective: Describe the process of building and validating a bundle to promote body temperature regulation in newborns over 34 weeks of age. Methods: This methodological research was carried out in three stages: a scoping review, construction of the first version of the bundle, and content validation by 15 experts, nine nurses and six physicians, selected according to criteria adapted from references in the field. A content validity index above 0.80 was considered acceptable for the agreement among the experts on each type of care. Two rounds of evaluation were required to produce the final version. Results: The bundle was structured into care in the delivery room, during transportation, and in the rooming- in unit, with a total of 15 items, all with agreement above 0.90 after the second round of evaluation. Conclusion: The bundle developed was considered valid in terms of content and establishes care based on scientific evidence in a standardized and safe way for the childbirth care team.

Objetivo: Describir el proceso de creación y validación de un paquete para promover la regulación de la temperatura corporal en recién nacidos de más de 34 semanas de edad. Métodos: Investigación metodológica realizada en tres etapas: una revisión del alcance, la construcción de la primera versión del paquete y la validación del contenido llevada a cabo por 15 expertos, nueve enfermeras y seis médicos, seleccionados según criterios adaptados a partir de referencias en la materia. Se consideró aceptable un índice de validez de contenido superior a 0,80 para el acuerdo entre los expertos sobre cada tipo de atención. Fueron necesarias dos rondas de evaluación para elaborar la versión final. Resultados: El paquete se estructuró en cuidados: en la sala de partos, durante el transporte y en la unidad de alojamiento, con un total de 15 ítems, todos ellos con una concordancia superior a 0,90 tras la segunda ronda de evaluación. Conclusión: El paquete se consideró válido en cuanto a su contenido y establece una atención basada en pruebas científicas de forma estandarizada y segura para el equipo de atención al parto.

Analysis of hospital and payer costs of care: aggressive warming versus routine warming in abdominal major surgery.

Background: Hypothermia is common and active warming is recommended in major surgery. The potential effect on hospitals and payer costs of aggressive warming to a core temperature target of 37°C is poorly understood. Methods: In this sub-analysis of the PROTECT trial (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03111875), we included patients who underwent radical procedures of colorectal cancer and were randomly assigned to aggressive warming or routine warming. Perioperative outcomes, operation room (OR) scheduling process, internal cost accounting data from the China Statistical yearbook (2022), and price lists of medical and health institutions in Beijing were examined. A discrete event simulation (DES) model was established to compare OR efficiency using aggressive warming or routine warming in 3 months. We report base-case net costs and sensitivity analyses of intraoperative aggressive warming compared with routine warming. Costs were calculated in 2022 using US dollars (USD). Results: Data from 309 patients were analyzed. The aggressive warming group comprised 161 patients and the routine warming group comprised 148 patients. Compared to routine warming, there were no differences in the incidence of postoperative complications and total hospitalization costs of patients with aggressive warming. The potential benefit of aggressive warming was in the reduced extubation time (7.96 ± 4.33 min vs. 10.33 ± 5.87 min, p < 0.001), lower incidence of prolonged extubation (5.6% vs. 13.9%, p = 0.017), and decreased staff costs. In the DES model, there is no add-on or cancelation of operations performed within 3 months. The net hospital costs related to aggressive warming were higher than those related to routine warming in one operation (138.11 USD vs. 72.34 USD). Aggressive warming will have an economic benefit when the OR staff cost is higher than 2.37 USD/min/person, or the cost of disposable forced-air warming (FAW) is less than 12.88 USD/piece. Conclusion: Despite improving OR efficiency, the economic benefits of aggressive warming are influenced by staff costs and the cost of FAW, which vary from different regions and countries. Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier (NCT03111875).

Evidence-based severity assessment of the forced swim test in the rat.

The forced swim test (FST) is a traditional assay, which has been used for more than 40 years to assess antidepressant effects of novel drug candidates. In recent years, a debate about the test has focused on the assumption that the FST is highly aversive and burdening for the animals because of the earlier anthropomorphic interpretation and designation as a "behavioral despair test". The Directive 2010/63/EU and the German Animal Welfare law require a prospective severity classification of the planned experimental procedures. Still, an objective examination of the animals' burden in this test has not been performed yet. To fill this gap, we conducted an evidence-based severity assessment of the forced swim test in rats according to a 'standard protocol' with a water temperature of 25°C. We examined parameters representing the physiological and the affective state, and natural as well as locomotion-associated behaviors in three separate experiments to reflect as many dimensions as possible of the animal's condition in the test. Hypothermia was the only effect observed in all animals exposed to the FST when using this standard protocol. Additional adverse effects on body weight, food consumption, and fecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations occurred in response to administration of the antidepressant imipramine, which is frequently used as positive control when testing for antidepressant effects of new substances. We conclude that this version of the FST itself is less severe for the animals than assumed, and we suggest a severity classification of 'moderate' because of the acute and short-lasting effects of hypothermia. To refine the FST according to the 3Rs, we encourage confirming the predictive validity in warmer water temperatures to allow the rats to maintain physiological body temperature.

Proteome profiling of hippocampus reveals the neuroprotective effect of mild hypothermia on global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Cerebral ischemia is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. Blood reperfusion of ischemic cerebral tissue may cause cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. In this study, a rat model of global cerebral I/R injury was established via Pulsinelli's four-vessel occlusion (4-VO) method. The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and bioinformatics analysis were employed to examine the ipsilateral hippocampus proteome profiles of rats with/without MH (32 °C) treatment after IR injury. Totally 2 122 proteins were identified, among which 153 proteins were significantly changed associated with MH (n = 7 per group, fold change-1.5, p < 0.05). GO annotation of the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) revealed that cellular oxidant detoxification, response to zinc ions, aging, oxygen transport, negative regulation of catalytic activity, response to hypoxia, regulation of protein phosphorylation, and cellular response to vascular endothelial growth factor stimulus were significantly enriched with MH treatment. The KEGG analysis indicated that metabolic pathways, thermogenesis, pathways of neurodegeneration, chemical carcinogenesis-reactive oxygen species, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum were significantly enriched with MH treatment. Importantly, changes in 16 DEPs were reversed by MH treatment. Among them, VCAM-1, S100A8, CaMKK2 and MKK7 were verified as potential markers associated with MH neuroprotection by Western blot analysis. This study is one of the first to investigate the neuroprotective effects of MH on the hippocampal proteome of experimental models of cerebral IR injury. These DEPs may be involved in the most fundamental molecular mechanisms of MH neuroprotection, and provide a scientific foundation for further promotion of reparative strategies in cerebral IR injury.

Assessing bystander first aid: development and validation of a First Aid Quality Assessment (FAQA) tool.

BACKGROUND: Injuries are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Bystanders at the scene can perform first aid measures before the arrival of health services. The quality of first aid measures likely affects patient outcome. However, scientific evidence on its effect on patient outcome is limited. To properly assess bystander first aid quality, measure effect, and facilitate improvement, validated assessment tools are needed. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a First Aid Quality Assessment (FAQA) tool. The FAQA tool focuses on first aid measures for injured patients based on the ABC-principle, as assessed by ambulance personnel arriving on scene. METHODS: In phase 1, we drafted an initial version of the FAQA tool for assessment of airway management, control of external bleeding, recovery position and hypothermia prevention. A group of ambulance personnel aided presentation and wording of the tool. In phase 2 we made eight virtual reality (VR) films, each presenting an injury scenario where bystander performed first aid. In phase 3, an expert group discussed until consensus on how the FAQA tool should rate each scenario. Followingly, 19 respondents, all ambulance personnel, rated the eight films with the FAQA tool. We assessed concurrent validity and inter-rater agreement by visual inspection and Kendall's coefficient of concordance. RESULTS: FAQA-scores by the expert group concurred with ± 1 of the median of the respondents on all first aid measures for all eight films except one case, where a deviation of 2 was seen. The inter-rater agreement was "very good" for three first aid measures, "good" for one, and "moderate" for the scoring of overall quality on first aid measures. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that it is feasible and acceptable for ambulance personnel to collect information on bystander first aid with the FAQA tool and will be of importance for future research on bystander first aid for injured patients.

Educational inequalities in hypothermia mortality in the Baltic countries and Finland in 2000-15.

BACKGROUND: Despite an increased focus on cold-related mortality in recent years, there has been comparatively little research specifically on hypothermia mortality and its associated factors. METHODS: Educational inequalities in hypothermia mortality among individuals aged 30-74 in the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Finland in 2000-15 were examined using data from longitudinal mortality follow-up studies of population censuses (the Baltics) and from a longitudinal register-based population data file (Finland). RESULTS: Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) were much higher in the Baltic countries than in Finland across the study period. From 2000-07 to 2008-15, overall ASMRs declined in all countries except among Finnish women. Although a strong educational gradient was observed in hypothermia mortality in all countries in 2000-07, inequalities were larger in the Baltic countries. Between 2000-07 and 2008-15, ASMRs declined in all educational groups except for high-educated women in Finland and low-educated women in Lithuania; the changes however were not always statistically significant. The absolute mortality decline was often larger among the low educated resulting in narrowing absolute inequalities (excepting Lithuania), whereas a larger relative decline among the high educated (excepting Finnish women) resulted in a considerable widening of relative inequalities in hypothermia mortality by 2008-15. CONCLUSION: Although some reduction was observed in absolute educational inequalities in hypothermia mortality in 2000-15, substantial and widening relative inequalities highlight the need for further action in combatting factors behind deaths from excessive cold in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, including risky alcohol consumption and homelessness.

Thermoregulatory costs of the innate immune response are modulated by winter food availability in a small passerine.

In winter, a challenge to the immune system could pose a major energetic trade-off for small endotherms, whereby increasing body temperature (Tb ; i.e. eliciting fever) may be beneficial to fight off invading pathogens yet incur a cost for vital energy-saving mechanisms. Having previously shown that the availability and acquisition of energy, through manipulation of food predictability, influences the depth of rest-phase hypothermia in a wild bird in winter, we expected that the nocturnal thermoregulatory component of the acute-phase immune response would also be modulated by food availability. By manipulating winter food availability in the wild for great tits Parus major, we created an area offering a "predictable" and constant supply of food at feeding stations, while an unmanipulated area was subject to naturally "unpredictable" food. Birds were subject to an immune challenge shortly after dusk, and the thermoregulatory response was quantified via continuous recording of nocturnal Tb , using subcutaneous thermo-sensitive transponders. In response to immune challenge, all birds increased Tb above the level maintained prior to immune challenge (i.e. baseline). However, birds experiencing a naturally unpredictable food supply elevated Tb more than birds subject to predictable food resources, during the period of expected peak response and for the duration of the night. Furthermore, "unpredictable-food" females took longer to return to their baseline Tb . Assuming baseline nocturnal Tb reflects an individual's optimum, based on their available energy budget, the metabolic cost of eliciting an acute-phase response for "unpredictable-food" birds was more than double that of "predictable-food" birds. The absence of differences in absolute Tb during the peak response could support the idea of an optimal Tb for immune system activation. Alternatively, "predictable-food" birds could have acquired tolerance to endotoxin as a result of using feeding stations, thus affording them reduced costs associated with a smaller Tb increase. These findings shed new light on the trade-offs associated with food acquisition, thermoregulation and immune function in small-bodied endotherms. This knowledge is of increasing importance, given the predicted elevated pathogen risks associated with changes in climate and anthropogenic activities.

Selection of single domain anti-transferrin receptor antibodies for blood-brain barrier transcytosis using a neurotensin based assay and histological assessment of target engagement in a mouse model of Alzheimer's related amyloid-beta pathology.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) presents a major obstacle in developing specific diagnostic imaging agents for many neurological disorders. In this study we aimed to generate single domain anti-mouse transferrin receptor antibodies (anti-mTfR VHHs) to mediate BBB transcytosis as components of novel MRI molecular contrast imaging agents. Anti-mTfR VHHs were produced by immunizing a llama with mTfR, generation of a VHH phage display library, immunopanning, and in vitro characterization of candidates. Site directed mutagenesis was used to generate additional variants. VHH fusions with neurotensin (NT) allowed rapid, hypothermia-based screening for VHH-mediated BBB transcytosis in wild-type mice. One anti-mTfR VHH variant was fused with an anti-amyloid-beta (Aß) VHH dimer and labeled with fluorescent dye for direct assessment of in vivo target engagement in a mouse model of AD-related Aß plaque pathology. An anti-mTfR VHH called M1 and variants had binding affinities to mTfR of <1nM to 1.52nM. The affinity of the VHH binding to mTfR correlated with the efficiency of the VHH-NT induced hypothermia effects after intravenous injection of 600 nmol/kg body weight, ranging from undetectable for nonbinding mutants to -6°C for the best mutants. The anti-mTfR VHH variant M1P96H with the strongest hypothermia effect was fused to the anti-Aß VHH dimer and labeled with Alexa647; the dye-labeled VHH fusion construct still bound both mTfR and Aß plaques at concentrations as low as 0.22 nM. However, after intravenous injection at 600 nmol/kg body weight into APP/PS1 transgenic mice, there was no detectible labeling of plaques above control levels. Thus, NT-induced hypothermia did not correlate with direct target engagement in cortex, likely because the concentration required for NT-induced hypothermia was lower than the concentration required to produce in situ labeling. These findings reveal an important dissociation between NT-induced hypothermia, presumably mediated by hypothalamus, and direct engagement with Aß-plaques in cortex. Additional methods to assess anti-mTfR VHH BBB transcytosis will need to be developed for anti-mTfR VHH screening and the development of novel MRI molecular contrast agents.

Fever and hypothermia do not affect the all-cause 30-day hospital readmission.

BACKGROUND: One of the goals of the Affordable Care Act is to decrease hospital readmissions. While widely adhered to, there is no published research to support the practice of delaying discharge if patients exhibit fever or hypothermia in the preceding 24 h, which is the focus of our study. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the minimal (Tmin) and maximal (Tmax) body temperatures collected during the last 24 h before discharge of 19,038 inpatients. Fever was defined as Tmax >99.5F (+1SD from the mean Tmax) or >100.2F (+2SDs), and hypothermia as Tmin <97.1F (-1SD from the mean Tmin) or <96.7F (-2SDs). RESULTS: The overall readmission rate was 10.2% (highest for General Medicine and Pediatrics). The rate of readmission was not different between normothermic patients and those with abnormal body temperature, except for higher readmission rate (12.2%) for patients with fever at 1SD from Tmax compared with normothermic patients (9.96%). Neither fever nor hypothermia was associated with shorter time to readmission, except for fever at 2 SDs from Tmax (10.6 days) compared with normothermic patients (12.6 days). Surprisingly, univariate analysis revealed that higher Tmax and older age were associated with lower readmission probability. Both uni- and multivariate analysis showed that the presence of fever is associated with lower readmission probability. Evaluating 200 individual cases, the most common explanation for body temperature abnormality was infection and 90% of the preventable readmissions were due to infection. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal body temperature 24 h prior to discharge was not useful for predicting the probability of readmission.

Prediction and Evaluation of Machine Learning Algorithm for Prediction of Blood Transfusion during Cesarean Section and Analysis of Risk Factors of Hypothermia during Anesthesia Recovery.

Objective: To explore the application of machine learning algorithm in the prediction and evaluation of cesarean section, predicting the amount of blood transfusion during cesarean section and to analyze the risk factors of hypothermia during anesthesia recovery. Methods: (1)Through the hospital electronic medical record of medical system, a total of 600 parturients who underwent cesarean section in our hospital from June 2019 to December 2020 were included. The maternal age, admission time, diagnosis, and other case data were recorded. The routine method of cesarean section was intraspinal anesthesia, and general anesthesia was only used for patients' strong demand, taboo, or failure of intraspinal anesthesia. According to the standard of intraoperative bleeding, the patients were divided into two groups: the obvious bleeding group (MH group, N = 154) and nonobvious hemorrhage group (NMH group, N = 446). The preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative indexes of parturients in the two groups were analyzed and compared. Then, the risk factors of intraoperative bleeding were screened by logistic regression analysis with the occurrence of obvious bleeding as the dependent variable and the factors in the univariate analysis as independent variables. In order to further predict intraoperative blood transfusion, the standard cases of recesarean section and variables with possible clinical significance were included in the prediction model. Logistic regression, XGB, and ANN3 machine learning algorithms were used to construct the prediction model of intraoperative blood transfusion. The area under ROC curve (AUROC), accuracy, recall rate, and F1 value were calculated and compared. (2) According to whether hypothermia occurred in the anesthesia recovery room, the patients were divided into two groups: the hypothermia group (N = 244) and nonhypothermia group (N = 356). The incidence of hypothermia was calculated, and the relevant clinical data were collected. On the basis of consulting the literatures, the factors probably related to hypothermia were collected and analyzed by univariate statistical analysis, and the statistically significant factors were analyzed by multifactor logistic regression analysis to screen the independent risk factors of hypothermia in anesthetic convalescent patients. Results: (1) First of all, we compared the basic data of the blood transfusion group and the nontransfusion group. The gestational age of the transfusion group was lower than that of the nontransfusion group, and the times of cesarean section and pregnancy in the transfusion group were higher than those of the non-transfusion group. Secondly, we compared the incidence of complications between the blood transfusion group and the nontransfusion group. The incidence of pregnancy complications was not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). The incidence of premature rupture of membranes in the nontransfusion group was higher than that in the transfusion group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the fetal umbilical cord around neck, amniotic fluid index, and fetal heart rate before operation in the blood transfusion group, but the thickness of uterine anterior wall and the levels of Hb, PT, FIB, and TT in the blood transfusion group were lower than those in the nontransfusion group, while the number of placenta previa and the levels of PLT and APTT in the blood transfusion group were higher than those in the nontransfusion group. The XGB prediction model finally got the 8 most important features, in the order of importance from high to low: preoperative Hb, operation time, anterior wall thickness of the lower segment of uterus, uterine weakness, preoperative fetal heart, placenta previa, ASA grade, and uterine contractile drugs. The higher the score, the greater the impact on the model. There was a linear correlation between the 8 features (including the correlation with the target blood transfusion). The indexes with strong correlation with blood transfusion included the placenta previa, ASA grade, operation time, uterine atony, and preoperative Hb. Placenta previa, ASA grade, operation time, and uterine atony were positively correlated with blood transfusion, while preoperative Hb was negatively correlated with blood transfusion. In order to further compare the prediction ability of the three machine learning methods, all the samples are randomly divided into two parts: the first 75% training set and the last 25% test set. Then, the three models are trained again on the training set, and at this time, the model does not come into contact with the samples in any test set. After the model training, the trained model was used to predict the test set, and the real blood transfusion status was compared with the predicted value, and the F1, accuracy, recall rate, and AUROC4 indicators were checked. In terms of training samples and test samples, the AUROC of XGB was higher than that of logistic regression, and the F1, accuracy, and recall rate of XGB of ANN were also slightly higher than those of logistic regression and ANN. Therefore, the performance of XGB algorithm is slightly better than that of logistic regression and ANN. (2) According to the univariate analysis of hypothermia during the recovery period of anesthesia, there were significant differences in ASA grade, mode of anesthesia, infusion volume, blood transfusion, and operation duration between the normal body temperature group and hypothermia group (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that ASA grade, anesthesia mode, infusion volume, blood transfusion, and operation duration were all risk factors of hypothermia during anesthesia recovery. Conclusion: In this study, three machine learning algorithms were used to analyze the large sample of clinical data and predict the results. It was found that five important predictive variables of blood transfusion during recesarean section were preoperative Hb, expected operation time, uterine weakness, placenta previa, and ASA grade. By comparing the three algorithms, the prediction effect of XGB may be more accurate than that of logistic regression and ANN. The model can provide accurate individual prediction for patients and has good prediction performance and has a good prospect of clinical application. Secondly, through the analysis of the risk factors of hypothermia during the recovery period of cesarean section, it is found that ASA grade, mode of anesthesia, amount of infusion, blood transfusion, and operation time are all risk factors of hypothermia during the recovery period of cesarean section. In line with this, the observation of this kind of patients should be strengthened during cesarean section.

Evaluation of community health worker's performance at home-based newborn assessment supported by mHealth in rural Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: In low to middle-income countries where home births are common and neonatal postnatal care is limited, community health worker (CHW) home visits can extend the capability of health systems to reach vulnerable newborns in the postnatal period. CHW assessment of newborn danger signs supported by mHealth have the potential to improve the quality of danger sign assessments and reduce CHW training requirements. We aim to estimate the validity (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value) of CHW assessment of newborn infants aided by mHealth compared to physician assessment. METHODS: In this prospective study, ten CHWs received five days of theoretical and hands-on training on the physical assessment of newborns including ten danger signs. CHWs assessed 273 newborn infants for danger signs within 48 h of birth and then consecutively for three days. A physician repeated 20% (n = 148) of the assessments conducted by CHWs. Both CHWs and the physician evaluated newborns for ten danger signs and decided on referral. We used the physician's danger sign identification and referral decision as the gold standard to validate CHWs' identification of danger signs and referral decisions. RESULTS: The referrals made by the CHWs had high sensitivity (93.3%), specificity (96.2%), and almost perfect agreement (K = 0.80) with the referrals made by the physician. CHW identification of all the danger signs except hypothermia showed moderate to high sensitivity (66.7-100%) compared to physician assessments. All the danger signs assessments except hypothermia showed moderate to high positive predictive value (PPV) (50-100%) and excellent negative predictive value (NPV) (99-100%). Specificity was high (99-100%) for all ten danger signs. CONCLUSION: CHW's identification of neonatal danger signs aided by mHealth showed moderate to high validity in comparison to physician assessments. mHealth platforms may reduce CHW training requirements and while maintaining quality CHW physical assessment performance extending the ability of health systems to provide neonatal postnatal care in low-resource communities. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NCT03933423 , January 05, 2019.

Desenvolvimento de protocolo clínico assistencial para prevenção e tratamento da hipotermia perioperatória / Desarrollo de un protocolo clínico de atención para la prevención y el tratamiento de la hipotermia perioperatoria / Development of a clinical care protocol for the prevention and treatment of perioperative hypothermia

RESUMO Objetivo: desenvolver um protocolo de prevenção e tratamento da hipotermia perioperatória. Método: pesquisa do tipo desenvolvimento tecnológico em saúde, realizada em três etapas: i) revisão de diretrizes clínicas sobre fatores de risco para desenvolvimento de hipotermia perioperatória; ii) identificação da ocorrência de hipotermia perioperatória e dos fatores de risco associados ao seu desenvolvimento em um centro cirúrgico; e iii) elaboração do protocolo de prevenção de hipotermia perioperatória. Resultados: os fatores de risco identificados nas diretrizes foram categorizados em características clínicas (idade, Índice de Massa Corporal, comorbidades e temperatura corporal) e anestésico-cirúrgicas (tipo e duração da anestesia e da cirurgia e temperatura da sala cirúrgica). Na segunda etapa, 90 pacientes cirúrgicos foram avaliados. A ocorrência de hipotermia foi de 28,9% na admissão cirúrgica, 77,8% na admissão da Sala de Recuperação Pós-Anestésica e 45,6% na alta do centro cirúrgico. Houve associação estatisticamente significativa entre ocorrência de hipotermia e índice ASA (p = 0,049), idade (p = 0,037), comorbidades (p = 0,031) e hipotermia pré-operatória (p = 0,015). Conclusão: para elaboração do protocolo, foram considerados os fatores de risco descritos na literatura, os resultados de estudo local e o acesso às tecnologias disponíveis na instituição. As ações incluíram os seguintes aspectos: avaliação de fatores de risco e de situações desencadeantes; monitorização e registro da temperatura e outros parâmetros; aquecimento passivo para pacientes normotérmicos; aquecimento ativo para pacientes hipotérmicos; infusão de soluções endovenosas aquecidas; suporte de oxigênio para pacientes hipotérmicos.

RESUMEN Objetivo: de sarrollar un protocolo paralaprevención y el tratamiento de la hipotermia perioperatoria. Método: una investigación de desarrollo tecnológico sanitario, desarrollada en tres etapas: Revisión de las directrices clínicas sobre los factores de riesgo para el desarrollo de la hipotermia perioperatoria; Identificación de la ocurrencia de la hipotermia perioperatoria y de los factores de riesgo asociados a su desarrollo en un centro quirúrgico y Elaboración de un protocolo de pre vención de la hipotermia perioperatoria. Resultados: los factores de r iesgo identificados en las directrices se clasificaron en caracterí st icas clínica s (edad, Índice de Masa Corporal, comorbilidades, temperatura corporal) y anestésico-quirúrgicas (tipo y duración de la anestesia y la cirugía, temperatura del quirófano). En la segunda etapa, se evaluaron 90 pacientes quirúrgicos. La apar ición de hipotermia fue del 28,9% al ingreso quirúrgico, del 77,8% al ingreso en la Sala de Recuperación Postanestésica y del 45,6% al alta del quirófano. Se encontró una a sociación estadísticamente significativa entre la aparición de hipoter mia y el índice ASA (p = 0,049), la edad (p = 0,037), las comorbilidades (p = 0,031), la hipotermia preoperatoria (p = 0,015). Conclusión: para desarrollar el protocolo, se consideraron los factores de r iesgo descritos en el documento, los resultados de un estudio local y el acceso a las tecnologías disponibles en la institución. Las acciones incluían la evaluación de los factores de rie sgo y las situaciones desencadenantes, la monitorización y el registro de la temperatura y otros parámetros, el calentamiento pasivo para los pacientes normotérmicos, el calentamiento act ivo para los pacientes hipotérmicos, la infusión de soluciones intravenosas calentadas y el apoyo de oxígeno para los pacientes hipotérmicos.

ABSTRACT Objective: to develop a protocol for the prevention and treatment of perioperative hypothermia. Method: research of the technological development in health type, carried out in three stages: i) review of clinical g uidelines on risk factors for the development of perioperative hypothermia; ii) identification of the occur rence of perioperative hypothermia and the risk factors a ssociated with its development in a surgical center; and iii) development of a protocol for the prevention of perioperative hypothermia. Results: the risk factors identified in the guidelines were categorized into clinical characteristics (age, Body Mass Index, comorbidities and body temperature) and anesthetic-surgical characteristics (type and duration of anesthesia and surgery and operat ing room temperature). In the second stage, 90 surgical patients were evaluated. The occurrence of hypothermia was 28.9% at surgical admission, 77.8% at admission to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit and 45.6% at discharge from the operating room. There was a statistically significant association bet ween the occurrence of hypothermia and ASA index (p = 0.049), age (p = 0.037), comorbidities (p = 0.031) and preoperative hy pothermia (p = 0.015). Conclusion: for the elaboration of the protocol, the risk factors described in the literat ure, the results of a local study and the access to the technologies available in the instit ution were considered. The actions included the following aspects: a ssessment of risk factors and triggering situations; monitoring and recording of temperature and other parameters; passive warming for normothermic patients; active warming for hypothermic patients; infusion of war med intravenou s solutions; oxygen support for hypothermic patients.

Accidental hypothermia: direct evidence for consciousness as a marker of cardiac arrest risk in the acute assessment of cold patients.

BACKGROUND: Rapid stratification of the risk of cardiac arrest is essential in the assessment of patients with isolated accidental hypothermia. Traditional methods based on measurement of core temperature are unreliable in the field. Behavioural observations have been used as predictors of core temperature and thus indirect predictors of cardiac arrest. This study aims to quantify the direct relationship between observed conscious level and cardiac arrest. METHODS: Retrospective case report analysis identified 114 cases of isolated accidental hypothermia meeting inclusion criteria. Level of consciousness in the acute assessment and management phase was classified using the AVPU system with an additional category of "Alert with confusion"; statistical analysis then related level of consciousness to incidence of cardiac arrest. RESULTS: All patients who subsequently suffered cardiac arrest showed some impairment of consciousness (p < < .0001), and the risk of arrest increased directly with the level of impairment; none of the 33 fully alert patients arrested. In the lowest impairment category, Alert confused, a quarter of the 12 patients went on to arrest, while in the highest Unresponsive category, two thirds of the 43 patients arrested. Where core temperature was available (62 cases), prediction of arrest by consciousness level was at least as good as prediction from core temperature. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides retrospective analytical evidence that consciousness level is a valid predictor of cardiac arrest risk in isolated accidental hypothermia; the importance of including confusion as a criterion is a new finding. This study suggests the use of consciousness alone may be at least as good as core temperature in cardiac arrest risk prediction. These results are likely to be of particular relevance to the management of accidental hypothermia in the pre-hospital and mass casualty environment, allowing for rapid and accurate triage of hypothermic patients.

Epidemiology, Management, and Outcomes of Accidental Hypothermia: A Multicenter Study of Regional Care.

BACKGROUND: Hypothermia is an uncommon, potentially life-threatening condition. We hypothesized (1) advanced rewarming techniques were more frequent with increased hypothermia severity, (2) active rewarming is increasingly performed with smaller intravascular catheters and decreased cardiopulmonary bypass, and (3) mortality was associated with age, hypothermia severity, and type. METHODS: Trauma patients with temperatures <35°C at 4 ACS-verified trauma centers in Wisconsin and Minnesota from 2006 to 2016 were reviewed. Statistical analysis included chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. A P value < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: 337 patients met inclusion criteria; primary hypothermia was identified in 127 (38%), secondary in 113 (34%), and mixed primary/secondary in 96 (28%) patients. Hypothermia was mild in 69%, moderate in 26%, and severe in 5% of patients. Intravascular rewarming catheter was the most frequent advanced modality (2%), used increasingly since 2014. Advanced techniques were used for primary (12%) vs. secondary (0%) and mixed (5%) (P = .0002); overall use increased with hypothermia severity but varied by institution. Dysrhythmia, acute kidney injury, and frostbite risk worsened with hypothermia severity (P < .0001, P = .031, and P < .0001, respectively). Mortality was greatest in patients with mixed hypothermia (39%, P = .0002) and age >65 years (33%, P = .03). Thirty-day mortality rates were similar among severe, moderate, and mild hypothermia (P = .44). CONCLUSION: Advanced rewarming techniques were used more frequently in severe and primary hypothermia but varied among institutions. Advanced rewarming was less common in mixed hypothermia; mortality was highest in this subgroup. Reliance on smaller intravascular catheters for advanced rewarming increased over time. Given inconsistencies in management, implementation of guidelines for hypothermia management appears necessary.

Health Technology Assessment for the Prevention of Peri-Operative Hypothermia: Evaluation of the Correct Use of Forced-Air Warming Systems in an Italian Hospital.

This study investigates the implications of using a system for the maintenance of normothermia in the treatment of patients undergoing surgery, determining whether the FAW (Forced-Air Warming) systems are more effective and efficient than the non-application of appropriate protocols (No Technology). We conducted Health Technology Assessment (HTA) analysis, using both real-world data and the data derived from literature, assuming the point of view of a medium-large hospital. The literature demonstrated that Inadvertent Perioperative Hypothermia (IPH) determines adverse events, such as surgical site infection (FAW: 3% vs. No Technology: 12%), cardiac events (FAW: 3.5% vs. No Technology: 7.6%) or the need for blood transfusions (FAW: 6.2% vs. No Technology: 7.4%). The correct use of FAW allows a medium saving of 16% per patient to be achieved, compared to the non-use of devices. The Cost Effectiveness Value (CEV) is lower in the hypothesis of FAW: it enables a higher efficacy level with a contextual optimization of patients' path costs. The social cost is reduced by around 30% and the overall hospital days are reduced by between 15% and 26%. The qualitative analyses confirmed the results. In conclusion, the evidence-based information underlines the advantages of the proper use of FAW systems in the prevention of accidental peri-operative hypothermia for patients undergoing surgery.

Value of Active Warming Devices for Intraoperative Hypothermia Prevention-A Meta-Analysis and Cost-Benefit Analysis.

PURPOSE: Historically, studies suggested that intraoperative hypothermia (IH) could result in significant resource consumption, but more recent studies have found the opposite. The purpose of this study is to estimate the value of active warming devices for IH prevention based on synthesized evidence. METHODS: A cost-benefit analysis was conducted using the effect of active warming versus passive warming devices for intraoperative hypothermia from a meta-analysis. The item-based aggregated treatment cost approach was adopted to estimate the cost of each adverse event, which was then weighted to calculate the total cost of IH. RESULTS: IH was associated with higher risks of bleeding, surgical site infection, and shivering compared with normothermia. The cost of one case of IH was $363.80, and the use of active warming devices might save $152.80. Extra investment in active warming (e.g., $291.00) might only be cost-beneficial when the minimum willingness-to-pay is $150.00. CONCLUSIONS: Synthesized evidence showed that the cost of IH might be overestimated. Furthermore, the value of using active warming devices remains uncertain because the willingness to pay may vary between decision-makers. As not enough awareness of hypothermia prevention in some countries, further research into the clinical use of active warming devices during major surgeries is warranted.

The use of neuroimaging, Prechtl's general movement assessment and the Hammersmith infant neurological examination in determining the prognosis in 2-year-old infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy who were treated with hypothermia.

BACKGROUND: The use of neuroimaging, the General Movement Assessment (GMA), and the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) to identify the risk of neurodevelopmental delay in early infancy is recommended. AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the predictive power of neuroimaging, GMA and HINE for neurodevelopmental delay and cerebral palsy (CP) in infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) who were treated with hypothermia. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SUBJECTS AND OUTCOME MEASURES: This retrospective study included 47 (18 female and 29 male) infants who were treated with hypothermia due to HIE. Neonates with a diagnosis of HIE were followed and assessed using neuroimaging, GMA, HINE and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-II (Bayley II) between 3 m and 2 years of age. RESULTS: Out of the 47 infants with HIE, no fidgety movements were observed in 5 infants. The sensitivity and specificity in determining the psychomotor developmental index (PDI) score were 97% and 100%, respectively, for MRI; 92.9% and 100% for GMA; and 91.9% and 80% for the HINE. The sensitivity and specificity in determining the mental developmental index (MDI) score were 95% and 85.7%, respectively, for MRI; 90.5% and 80% for GMA; and 91.9% and 50% for HINE. The sensitivity and specificity in determining CP diagnosis at the age of 2 years were 83.3% and 95%, respectively, for MRI; 83.3% and 100% for GMA; and 83.3% and 87.8% for HINE. CONCLUSION: The interpretation of MRI, GMA, and HINE that are performed within the early period of life may be the gold standard for the early detection of neurodevelopmental risks in 2-year-old infants with HIE. Clinical implementation of these methods in the early period in the follow-up of these infants offers useful information for the early identification of neurodevelopmental risk and for planning early intervention.