Descending Aorta Blood Flow Characteristics before the Development of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Neonates

PURPOSE: To investigate the hemodynamic risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), we analyzed the characteristics of descending aorta (DA) blood flow in preterm neonates, who later developed NEC. METHODS: This was an observational case-control study on 53 preterm neonates at a tertiary referral center. Clinical and echocardiographic data were collected from 23 preterm neonates with NEC (NEC group), and compared with those of 30 preterm neonates without NEC (control group). Echocardiography was done at a median (interquartile range) of 5 (3–9) days after birth and 2 (1–2.5) days before the diagnosis of NEC. RESULTS: Basic clinical characteristics including gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, breast feeding status, use of umbilical catheters, and mode of invasive ventilator care were similar between the groups. Compared with the control group, the lowest diastolic velocity of DA was significantly decreased, whereas the diastolic reverse flow and the ratio of diastolic reverse to systolic forward flows were significantly increased in the NEC group. In addition, the resistive index (RI) of DA was significantly increased in the NEC group and showed a positive association with the development of NEC. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that increasing RI of DA was an independent risk factor for the development of NEC (P=0.008). CONCLUSION: Significant changes in DA flow characteristics including decreased diastolic velocity and increased diastolic reverse flow along with increased peripheral vascular resistance were observed before the development of NEC in preterm neonates. These findings may help clinicians stratify in advance neonates at a risk of developing NEC and may help improve outcomes in these neonates.

Usefulness of Abdominal Sonography in Accurate Diagnosis for Necrotizing Enterocolitis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of abdominal sonography in the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 51 neonates who were diagnosed with NEC in the neonatal intensive care unit at Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University in Korea between January 2008 and December 2012. The neonates underwent abdominal ultrasonography on the day of their diagnosis and on the third day after diagnosis. Simple abdominal radiography was performed on the same day as the sonography. The neonates were diagnosed with NEC in accordance with the abdominal sonographic findings. Abdominal radiography and sonography were used to assess the NEC stages in the neonates. RESULTS: On the day of NEC diagnosis by abdominal sonography, 50 neonates were diagnosed with stage II NEC and 1 was diagnosed with stage III NEC. However, simple radiography diagnosed 49 neonates with stage I NEC, 1 with stage II NEC, and 1 with stage III NEC. On the third day after NEC diagnosis by abdominal sonography, 48 neonates were diagnosed with stage II NEC and 3 were diagnosed with stage III NEC. On the other hand, simple radiography diagnosed 26 neonates with stage I NEC, 24 with stage II NEC, and 1 with stage III NEC. CONCLUSION: Abdominal sonography can be used as a tool for accurately diagnosing NEC and treating neonates showing ambiguous symptoms during the early stages of NEC.

Risk Factors for Severity of Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Very Low Birth Weight Infants and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes / 대한주산의학회잡지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the perinatal risk factors for severity of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) and to study the following neurodevelopmental outcomes depending on the degree of IVH severity. METHODS: The retrospective study included 145 VLBWIs who were admitted at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital between May of 2009 and April of 2013. Prenatal, obstetric and postnatal risk factors for IVH were investigated. VLBWIs were divided into the group of IVH grade 1-2 and IVH grade 3-4. During this study period, 26 VLBWIs were died and 11 VLBWIs were lost to followed up, thereby 108 infants were included in the final analysis. They were regularly followed up and assessed for presence of major neurodevelopmental impairments including cognitive impairment, cerebral palsy, visual deficit, hearing deficit, and epilepsy. Among 108 infants, 23 (21.3%) patients had neurodevelopmental impairments. RESULTS: The lower gestational age and birth weight were significant prenatal risk factors for severe IVH. Lower Apgar score at 1 and 5 min, hypotension/shock, higher levels of partial pressure of carbon dioxide, presence of patent ductus arteriosus, pneumothorax, thrombocytopenia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were significant postnatal risk factors for severe IVH. After multiple logistic regression analysis, gestational age, birth weight, and hypotension/shock were independent risk factors for severe IVH. The incidence of major neurodevelopmental impairments were also significantly higher in VLBWIs who survived after severe IVH. CONCLUSION: In addition to preterm birth, minimizing hypotension/shock, the risk factor of severe IVH, is important to prevent major neurodevelopmental impairments in VLBWIs.

Partial Seizures Manifesting as Apnea Only in Preterm Infant

PURPOSE: Extremely-low-birth-weight infants (ELBWIs), especially those or =26-GW (n=65) infants nursed in 60% humidity. RESULTS: Survival rate until discharge was 33%, 82%, 75%, and 89.3% in 22-GW, 23-GW, 24-GW, and > or =26-GW infants, respectively. Fluid intake and IWL was higher in 22-GW and 23-WG, but not different in 24-GW, than in > or =26-GW infants. At postnatal days (P) 3-5, the urine output was significantly lower in > or =26-GW infants than in the other age groups. Serum sodium level was significantly higher in 22-, 23-, and 24-GW (P1-2) than in > or =26-GW infants. Hypernatremia (>150 mEq/dl sodium) was more frequent in 22-GW (71%), 23-GW (41%), and 24-GW (21%) than in > or =26-GW infants (14%). CONCLUSION: High-humidity environments significantly decreased fluid intake and improved electrolyte imbalance in 24-GW, but not 22- and 23-GW, infants. Increased IWL in the latter might be related to more immature skin, and implicates the need for additional nurturing conditions.

PRISM III in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with Multiple Disease Entities / 대한구급학회지

BACKGROUND: We applied the pediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) III score to study patients in a pediatric intensivecare unit (PICU), where children with various kinds of diseases were hospitalized. We analyzed whether this scoring system was useful to predict patient mortality in the PICU. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients hospitalized in a 5-bed PICU at a tertiary general hospital. Children who were transferred to other hospitals and remained under pediatric intensive care were excluded from this study. RESULTS: We studied a total of 105 children, which included 63 boys (60%) and 42 girls (40%). The mean age was 4.2 years (range 0-17 years). The children were admitted to the PICU for various conditions, including respiratory disease (31 children), neurological disease (30 children), congenital anomaly or neonatal disease (11 children), hemato-oncological disease (10 children), accident or poisoning (7 children), cardiovascular disease (5 children), sepsis (2 children), and the other miscellaneous diseases (9 children). The mean period of PICU stay was 9 days (range 2-66 days). Out of the 105 patients, 94 survived and 11 died. Thus, the mortality rate was calculated as 10.5%. PRISM III scores of the patients were between 0 and 38, with a mean +/- SD of 5.0 +/- 6.7. In comparison with previous studies on PICU patients with similar PRISM scores, the patients included in our study exhibited a higher mortality. The area under the curve for the prediction of mortality by PRISM III was 0.107. Among the variables included in PRISM III, Glasgow coma scale, pupillary light reflex, and platelet counts were associated with patient mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In a PICU with a wide spectrum of diseases, PRISM III was not a useful predictor of patient mortality.

Pediatric Flexible Bronchoscopy: Clinical Experience of 100 Cases of Bronchoscopy from a Single Institute / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: Flexible bronchoscopy is effectively used in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases in children. This report attempted to analyze the indication, effectiveness, and complications of bronchoscopy in children who visited a single tertiary care, university-based hospital in Korea. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of the medical records of a total of 100 cases of flexible bronchoscopy that were performed at the Department of Pediatrics of the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital from April 8, 2007 to June 16, 2010. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients (48 males and 37 females) were involved in the study. The range in age was 5 days old to 18 years old. Eighty cases were for diagnosis, 7 cases for treatment, and 13 cases for both. The purpose of flexible bronchoscopy was accomplished in 67 of 100 cases. In 60 cases where bronchoalveolar lavage was provided, microbial organisms were identified in 38 cases. Minor complications were observed in 12 cases. CONCLUSION: Pediatric flexible bronchoscopy is shown to be an effective and safe diagnostic and interventional tool, even in young or immunocompromised hosts. This study also found that children under one year of age were more frequently treated with bronchoscopy and that the detection rate in microbiological diagnosis was improved due to the introduction of the virus polymerase chain reaction method.