Effect of electrode temperature on measurements of transcutaneous carbon dioxide partial pressure and oxygen partial pressure in very low birth weight infants. / 电极温度对极低出生体重儿经皮二氧化碳分压和氧分压监测的影响.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy and safety of measurements of transcutaneous carbon dioxide partial pressure (TcPCO2) and transcutaneous oxygen partial pressure (TcPO2) at electrode temperatures lower than the value used in clinical practice in very low birth weight infants. METHODS: A total of 45 very low birth weight infants were enrolled. TcPCO2 and TcPO2 measurements were performed in these infants. Two transcutaneous monitors were placed simultaneously for each subject. One electrode was set and maintained at 42℃ used in clinical practice for neonates (control group), and the other was successively set at 38℃, 39℃, 40°C, and 41℃ (experimental group). The paired t-test was used to compare the measurement results between the groups. A Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the measurement results of the experimental group and control group, and between the measurement results of experimental group and arterial blood gas parameters. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in TcPCO2 between each experimental subgroup (38-41℃) and the control group. TcPCO2 in each experimental subgroup (38-41℃) was strongly positively correlated with TcPCO2 in the control group (r>0.9, P<0.05) and arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (r>0.8, P<0.05). There were significant differences in TcPO2 between each experimental subgroup (38-41℃) and the control group (P<0.05), but TcPO2 in each experimental subgroup (38-41℃) was positively correlated with TcPO2 in the control group (r=0.493-0.574, P<0.05) and arterial oxygen partial pressure (r=0.324-0.399, P<0.05). No skin injury occurred during transcutaneous measurements at all electrode temperatures. CONCLUSIONS: Lower electrode temperatures (38-41℃) can accurately measure blood carbon dioxide partial pressure in very low birth weight infants, and thus can be used to replace the electrode temperature of 42°C. Transcutaneous measurements at the lower electrode temperatures may be helpful for understanding the changing trend of blood oxygen partial pressure.

Effects of Taurine Supplementation on Growth in Low Birth Weight Infants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effect of taurine supplementation on growth in low birth weight infants (LBW). METHODS: PubMed, EmBase, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched for published articles through March 2017. Analysis was done to examine the effect of taurine supplementation on growth, and sensitivity analysis was performed by removing each individual study from meta-analysis. RESULTS: Results of 9 trials totaling 216 LBW infants in the present meta-analysis were collected and analyzed. The conclusion of included studies demonstrated that taurine supplementation significantly reduced length gain (WMD:-0.18; P < 0.001), plasma glycine (WMD:-106.71; P = 0.033), alanine (WMD:-229.30; P = 0.002), leucine (WMD:-64.76; P < 0.001), tyrosine (WMD:-118.11; P < 0.001), histidine (WMD:-52.16; P < 0.001), proline (WMD: -84.29; P = 0.033), and asparagine-glutamine (WMD:-356.30; P < 0.001). However, taurine supplementation was associated with higher levels of acidic sterols (WMD:0.61; P = 0.024), total fatty acids (WMD:7.94; P = 0.050), total saturated fatty acids (WMD:9.70; P < 0.001), and unsaturated fatty acids (WMD:6.63; P < 0.001). Finally, taurine supplementation had little or no significant effect on weight gain, head circumference gain, plasma taurine, threonine, serine, citrulline, valine, methionine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, ornithine, lysine, arginine, glutamate, hydroxyproline, aspartate, dietary cholesterol, endogenous neutral sterols, cholesterol synthesis, and medium-chain triglycerides. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that although there are several significant differences in plasma indeces, no significant effect on growth in LBW infants was observed with taurine supplementation.