Diaphragm atrophy during invasive mechanical ventilation is related to extubation failure in preterm infants: An ultrasound study.

BACKGROUND: Diaphragm dysfunction is associated with poor outcomes in critically ill patients. Ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction (VIDD), including diaphragm atrophy (DA), is poorly studied in newborns. We aimed to assess VIDD and its associations in newborns. METHODS: Single-center prospective study. Diaphragm thickness was measured at end-inspiration (TDI) and end-expiration (TDE) on the right midaxillary line. DA was defined as decrease in TDE ≥ 10%. Daily measurements were recorded in preterm newborns on invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) for ≥2 days. Clinical characteristics of patients and extubation failure were recorded. Univariate analysis, logistic regression, and mixed models were performed to describe VIDD and associated factors. RESULTS: We studied 17 patients (median gestational age 270/7 weeks) and 22 IMV cycles (median duration 9 days). Median TDE decreased from 0.118 cm (interquartile range [IQR] 0.094-0.165) on the first IMV day to 0.104 cm (IQR 0.083-0.120) on the last IMV day (p = .092). DA occurred in 11 IMV cycles (50%) from 10 infants early during IMV (median: second IMV day). Mean airway pressure (MAP) and lung ultrasound score (LUS) on the first IMV day were significantly higher in patients who developed DA. DA was more frequent in patients with extubation failure than in those with extubation success within 7 days (83.3 vs. 33.3%, p = .038). CONCLUSIONS: DA, significantly associated with extubation failure, occurred in 58.8% of the study infants on IMV. Higher MAP and LUS at IMV start were associated with DA. Our results suggest a potential role of diaphragm ultrasound to assess DA and predict extubation failure in clinical practice.

Bile Acids Pneumonia: A Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Early-Term Neonates.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) complicates among 0.2-2% of pregnancies and has been associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, including sudden stillbirth, meconium strained fluid, preterm birth, perinatal asphyxia, and transient tachypnea of the newborn. The diagnosis of "bile acids pneumonia" was previously proposed and a causative role of bile acids (BA) was supposed with a possible mechanism of action including surfactant dysfunction, inflammation, and chemical pneumonia. In the last few years, the role of lung ultrasound (LUS) in the diagnosis and management of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome has grown, and LUS scores have been introduced in the literature, as an effective predictor of the need for surfactant treatment among neonates with respiratory distress syndrome. We present four cases of infants born from pregnancies complicated by ICP, who developed respiratory distress syndrome early after birth. Lung ultrasound showed the same pattern for all infants, corresponding to a homogeneous alveolar-interstitial syndrome characterized by a diffuse coalescing B-line pattern (white lung). All infants evaluated require non-invasive respiratory support and in three cases surfactant administration, despite the near-term gestational age, with rapid improvement of respiratory disease and a good clinical outcome.

The Utility and Safety of a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) in Asphyxiated Neonates during Therapeutic Hypothermia.

BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to assess the feasibility and reliability of a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) in a population of asphyxiated neonates during therapeutic hypothermia. METHODS: This non-randomized feasibility study was conducted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) facilities of Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCSS. Infants matching the criteria for hypothermic treatment were included in this study and were connected to the CGMS (Medtronic, Northridge, CA, USA) within the first 12 h of life. Hypoglycemia was defined as a glucose value ≤ 47 mg/dL, and hyperglycemia was defined as a glucose value ≥ 180 mg/dL. Data obtained via the CGMS were compared with those obtained via a point-of-care blood glucometer (GTX). RESULTS: The two measuring techniques were compared using the Modified Clarke Error Grid (MCEG). Sixteen infants were enrolled. The sensor had an average (standard deviation) duration of 93 (38) h. We collected 119 pairs of glycemia values (CGMVs) from the CGMS vs. GTX measurements. The CGMS detected twenty-five episodes of hypoglycemia and three episodes of hyperglycemia. All the CGMVs indicating hyperglycemia matched with the blood sample taken via the point-of-care glucometer. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a CGMS would be useful as it could detect more episodes of disglycemia than standard care. Our data show poor results in terms of the accuracy of the CGMS in this particular setting.

The future of neonatal lung ultrasound: Validation of an artificial intelligence model for interpreting lung scans. A multicentre prospective diagnostic study.

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising field in the neonatal field. We focused on lung ultrasound (LU), a useful tool for the neonatologist. Our aim was to train a neural network to create a model able to interpret LU. METHODS: Our multicentric, prospective study included newborns with gestational age (GA) ≥ 33 + 0 weeks with early tachypnea/dyspnea/oxygen requirements. For each baby, three LU were performed: within 3 h of life (T0), at 4-6 h of life (T1), and in the absence of respiratory support (T2). Each scan was processed to extract the region of interest used to train a neural network to classify it according to the LU score (LUS). We assessed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of the AI model's scores in predicting the need for respiratory assistance with nasal continuous positive airway pressure and for surfactant, compared to an already studied and established LUS. RESULTS: We enrolled 62 newborns (GA = 36 ± 2 weeks). In the prediction of the need for CPAP, we found a cutoff of 6 (at T0) and 5 (at T1) for both the neonatal lung ultrasound score (nLUS) and AI score (AUROC 0.88 for T0 AI model, 0.80 for T1 AI model). For the outcome "need for surfactant therapy", results in terms of area under receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) are 0.84 for T0 AI model and 0.89 for T1 AI model. In the prediction of surfactant therapy, we found a cutoff of 9 for both scores at T0, at T1 the nLUS cutoff was 6, while the AI's one was 5. Classification accuracy was good both at the image and class levels. CONCLUSIONS: This is, to our knowledge, the first attempt to use an AI model to interpret early neonatal LUS and can be extremely useful for neonatologists in the clinical setting.

Cord blood presepsin as a predictor of early-onset neonatal sepsis in term and preterm newborns.

BACKGROUND: To date, no studies on presepsin values in cord blood of term infants with risk factors for early-onset sepsis (EOS) are available, whereas only one study reported presepsin values in cord blood of preterm infants at risk. In this study, we investigated the presepsin values in cord blood of term and preterm infants with documented risk factors for EOS. METHODS: In this single-center prospective pilot study, we enrolled neonates presenting with documented risk factors for EOS. P-SEP levels were assessed in a blood sample collected from the clamped umbilical cord after the delivery in 93 neonates, using a point-of-care device. The primary outcome of our study was to evaluate the role of cord blood P-SEP in predicting clinical EOS in term and preterm infants. RESULTS: During the study period, we enrolled 93 neonates with risk factors for EOS with a gestational age ranging between 24.6 and 41.6 weeks (median 38.0). The median P-SEP value in all infants was 491 pg/ml (IQR 377 - 729). Median cord P-SEP values were significantly higher in infants with clinical sepsis (909 pg/ml, IQR 586 - 1307) rather than in infants without (467 pg/ml, IQR 369 - 635) (p = 0.010). We found a statistically significant correlation between cord P-SEP value at birth and the later diagnosis of clinical sepsis (Kendall's τ coefficient 0.222, p = 0.002). We identified the maximum Youden's Index (best cut-off point) at 579 pg/ml, corresponding to a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 71.8% in predicting clinical sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: Maximum Youden's index was 579 pg/ml for clinical EOS using cord P-SEP values. This could be the starting point to realize multicenter studies, confirming the feasibility of dosing P-SEP in cord blood of infants with risk factors of EOS to discriminate those who could develop clinical sepsis and spare the inappropriate use of antibiotics.

Lung Ultrasound in the Early Diagnosis and Management of the Mild Form of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome: A Case Report.

MAS is a common cause of neonatal respiratory distress in term and post-term neonates. Meconium staining of the amniotic fluid occurs in about 10-13% of normal pregnancies, and about 4% of these infants develop respiratory distress. In the past, MAS was diagnosed mainly on the basis of history, clinical symptoms, and chest radiography. Several authors have addressed the ultrasonographic assessment of the most common respiratory patterns in neonates. In particular, MAS is characterised by a heterogeneous alveolointerstitial syndrome, subpleural abnormalities with multiple lung consolidations, characterised by a hepatisation aspect. We present six cases of infants with a clinical history of meconium-stained fluid who presented with respiratory distress at birth. Lung ultrasound allowed the diagnosis of MAS in all the studied cases, despite the mild clinical picture. All children had the same ultrasound pattern with diffuse and coalescing B-lines, pleural line anomalies, air bronchograms, and subpleural consolidations with irregular shapes. These patterns were distributed in different areas of the lungs. These signs are specific enough to distinguish between MAS and other causes of neonatal respiratory distress, allowing the clinician to optimise therapeutic management.

Lowering of the Neonatal Lung Ultrasonography Score after nCPAP Positioning in Neonates over 32 Weeks of Gestational Age with Neonatal Respiratory Distress.

Respiratory distress (RD) is one of the most common causes of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Correct diagnosis and timely intervention are crucial. Lung ultrasonography (LU) is a useful diagnostic tool for the neonatologist in the diagnosis of RD; the neonatal lung ultrasonography score (nLUS) can be used in the diagnostic process, but some authors hypothesise that it is also useful for the management of some neonatal RD. The aim of this study is to analyse the changes in nLUS score before (T0) and after (T1) the start of respiratory support with nasal CPAP in neonates over 32 weeks of age with RD. Thirty-three newborns were enrolled in this retrospective study. LU was performed before and after the start of CPAP. The median nLUS scores at T0 and T1 were 9 (IQR 7−12) and 7 (IQR 4−10), respectively, and showed a significant difference (p < 0.001). The magnitude of reduction in nLUS score, expressed as a percentage, was inversely related to the need for subsequent administration of exogenous surfactant. The study suggests the usefulness of the nLUS score in assessing the response to CPAP in neonates over 32 weeks gestational age.

Presepsin levels in neonatal cord blood are not influenced by maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection.

OBJECTIVES: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can present with various symptoms and can involve multiple organs. Women infected during pregnancy have a higher incidence of obstetrical complications and infants born to "positive" mothers may get the infection with different manifestations. Presepsin seems to be a promising sepsis biomarker in adults and neonates. The aim of this study was to assess if presepsin levels in neonatal cord blood could be influenced by maternal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. METHODS: A total of 119 neonates born from women with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled and presepsin levels of cord blood samples were collected. All neonates were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection at birth and after 48-72 h. RESULTS: The median presepsin value in umbilical cord blood samples collected after birth was 455 pg/mL. Presepsin levels were not influenced by maternal symptoms of COVID-19, weight for gestational age, or delivery mode, and did not significantly differ between infants with and without adverse neonatal outcomes. Infants hospitalized for more than 5 days had a significantly higher presepsin level at birth rather than those discharged up to 4 days of life. Three infants with positive nasopharyngeal swab at birth had higher Presepsin levels than two infants tested positive at 48 h. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study reporting cord presepsin levels in term and preterm infants born to mothers with COVID-19, that appeared to be not influenced by maternal clinical presentation. However, further studies are needed to explain the mechanisms of P-SEP increase in neonates exposed to perinatal maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection or with an indeterminate/possible SARS-CoV-2 infection in the same neonates.

Strict glycaemic control in very low birthweight infants using a continuous glucose monitoring system: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a strict glycaemic control protocol using a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in infants at high risk of dysglycaemia with the aim of reducing the number of dysglycaemic episodes. DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Neonatal intensive care unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome. PATIENTS: All infants <1500 g fed on parental nutrition (PN) since birth were eligible. A total of 63 infants were eligible and 48 were randomised. INTERVENTION: All participants wore a CGM sensor and were randomised in two arms with alarms set at different cut-off values (2.61-10 mmol/L (47-180 mg/dL) vs 3.44-7.78 mmol/L (62-140 mg/dL)), representing the operative threshold requiring modulation of glucose infusion rate according to an innovative protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the number of severe dysglycaemic episodes (<2.61 mmol/L (47 mg/dL) or >10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL)) in the intervention group versus the control group, during the monitoring time. RESULTS: We enrolled 47 infants, with similar characteristics between the two arms. The number of dysglycaemic episodes and of infants with at least one episode of dysglycaemia was significantly lower in the intervention group (strict group): respectively, 1 (IQR 0-2) vs 3 (IQR 1-7); (p=0.005) and 12 (52%) vs 20 (83%); p=0.047. Infants managed using the strict protocol had a higher probability of having normal glycaemic values: relative risk 2.87 (95% CI 1.1 to 7.3). They spent more time in euglycaemia: 100% (IQR 97-100) vs 98% (IQR 94-99), p=0.036. The number needed to treat to avoid dysglycaemia episodes is 3.2 (95% CI 1.8 to 16.6). CONCLUSION: We provide evidence that CGM, combined with a protocol for adjusting glucose infusion, can effectively reduce the episodes of dysglycaemia and increase the percentage of time spent in euglycaemia in very low birthweight infants receiving PN in the first week of life.

Sensitivity of prick test with walnut commercial extracts and of prick by prick with raw walnut compared with open food challenge in walnut allergy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Diagnosis of walnut allergy includes the evaluation of IgE sensitization by skin prick tests (SPT) with standardized commercial extracts. When assuming the loss of relevant allergens due to extract preparation and storage, it is possible to perform SPT with fresh foods, i.e., prick by prick (PbP). To our knowledge, there is no published comparison between SPT with commercial extracts and PbP with fresh food about their sensitivity to the diagnosis of walnut allergy. Therefore, we describe our experience. METHODS: We observed seven children (mean age + SD 6.8 years + 5.2, range 2 - 15 years; male 85%) with an history of immediate adverse reaction following walnut ingestion. All but one the patients underwent SPT with at least two out of three walnut commercial extracts (Lofarma, Milan, Italy; ALK-Abellò, Milan, Italy; Allergopharma, Rome, Italy). It has also been performed PbP with raw walnut. IgE-mediated walnut allergy was diagnosed based on suggestive history, positivity of PbP and failed open food challenge with walnut. RESULTS: The SPT with Lofarma extract was never positive (sensitivity = 0%), that performed with ALK extract was positive in 2/5 cases (sensitivity 40%) and that of Allergopharma extract was positive in 1/5 cases (sensitivity 20%). PbP was positive in 7/7 cases (sensitivity 100%). CONCLUSIONS: In the specific case of walnut allergy in pediatric age, the execution of SPT alone with commercial extract may not be sufficient and clarifying in the diagnostic iter. We suggest to always associate the execution of PbP test.

Oral allergy syndrome by fruit and vegetable PR-10 allergy: Accuracy of in vivo diagnosis.

Routine diagnostic methods for allergies to plant-derived foods are based on skin prick test (SPT) with commercial extracts, prick-by-prick (PbP) with fresh food, serum-specific IgE measurement, and oral food challenge.We discuss the possibility and the advantages of performing, in patients with oral allergy syndrome (OAS) by fruit and vegetables (excluding nuts) PR-10 allergy, component-resolved diagnosis (CRD) by SPT and PbP with raw and cooked vegetables, rather than performing a CRD with in vitro tests by drawing blood.Based on our clinical experience and the studies published in the literature, we believe that, at least for the OAS by fruit and vegetables (excluding nuts) PR-10 allergy, the search for sensitizing allergens and related cross-reactive allergens with SPT and PbP can be performed routinely in clinical practice, even at the primary-care level.

Effect of Different Milk Diet on the Level of Fecal Calprotectin in Very Preterm Infants.

Objective: To evaluate the course of fecal calprotectin (FC) in very preterm infants over the first 15 days of life in relation to the type of milk diet. Methods: This study was part of a randomized controlled trial comparing two different ways of integrating the own mother's milk (OMM) for the evaluation of feeding tolerance in very preterm infants. In infants with gestational age of ≤ 32 weeks randomized to receive preterm formula (PF group) or pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM group) as a supplement to the OMM insufficient or unavailable, FC level was planned to be measured at the first meconium passage and at days 8 and 15 of life (T0, T1, and T2, respectively). Results: FC data were available for all the 70 infants randomized, 35 in the PF group, and 35 in the PDHM group. The mean FC levels were similar in the two study groups at T0 and T1, whereas they were significantly higher in the PF group than the PDHM group at T2. FC values decreased over the first week of life in both groups and significantly increased over the second week of life only in the PF group. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a significant increase in FC levels when PF is used as a supplement to the OMM compared to the use of PDHM. Further studies are needed to establish if the higher FC levels in infants receiving PF are the expression of a normal immunological maturation rather than an initial inflammatory process.

Correction to: Unexpected tracheal agenesis with prenatal diagnosis of aortic coarctation, lung hyperecogenicity and polyhydramnios: a case report.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Unexpected tracheal agenesis with prenatal diagnosis of aortic coarctation, lung hyperecogenicity and polyhydramnios: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Tracheal agenesis (TA) is a rare disorder usually diagnosed prenatally when a congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS) is identified. We present a case of unexpected TA in a neonate without prenatal diagnosis of airway obstruction, with a difficult management at birth. Moreover, we discuss about differential diagnosis, classification and treatment issues. CASE PRESENTATION: A 2280 g female neonate was born at 35 week gestational age (GA) with prenatal diagnosis of aortic coarctation, polyhydramnios and diffuse hyperechogenicity of the right lung. At birth, the neonate had no audible cry, no air entry to the lungs, and hypotonia. Tracheal intubation was unsuccessful, and no visualization of the trachea was obtained when tracheostomy was attempted. Post-mortem examination showed tracheal agenesis associated with tracheoesophageal fistula and revealed no cardiologic malformations. Aortic coarctation had been suspected prenatally because of the first portion of the descendent thoracic aorta being compressed by a fibrous band connecting the proximal and distal tracheal branches. CHAOS had not developed due to the tracheoesophageal fistula (TOF). CONCLUSIONS: TA is not always diagnosed in the fetus and it may present unexpectedly making the neonate's management at birth critical. An effective rescue temporary oxygenation may be obtained with mask ventilation or oesophageal intubation in those cases of TA associated with a TOF. We suggest to consider a fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) when the association polyhydramnios/lung hyperechogenicity occurs, even in the absence of CHAOS or other malformations. Once a diagnosis is provided, the mother should be transferred to selected centres where an ex-utero intrapartum procedure (EXIT) can be attempted. Moreover, despite high mortality, different surgical management are described to improve survival.