Neonatal Acute Kidney Injury: A Survey of Perceptions and Management Strategies Amongst Pediatricians and Neonatologists.

Background: Neonatal Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) occurs in 40-70% of critically ill newborn infants and is independently associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Understanding the practice patterns of physicians (neonatologists and pediatricians), caring for neonates in India is important to optimize care and outcomes in neonatal AKI. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify differences in physician's perception and practice variations of diagnosis, management, and follow-up of newborn infants with AKI in India. Methods: An online survey of neonatologists and pediatricians in India caring for newborn infants with AKI. Results: Out of 800 correspondents, 257 (135 neonatologists and 122 pediatricians) completed the survey, response rate being 32.1%. Resources available to the respondents included level III NICU (59%), neonatal surgery (60%), dialysis (11%), and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO, 3%). Most respondents underestimated the risk of AKI due to various risk factors such as prematurity, asphyxia, sepsis, cardiac surgery, and medications. Less than half the respondents were aware of the AKIN or KDIGO criteria, which are the current standard criteria for defining neonatal AKI. Only half of the respondents were aware of the risk of CKD in preterm neonates and nearly half were unaware of the need to follow up with a pediatric nephrologist. Conclusions: Similar to other regions worldwide, there exists a knowledge gap in early recognition, optimal management and follow up of newborn infants with AKI amongst Indian physicians.

Seven versus 10 days antibiotic therapy for culture-proven neonatal sepsis: A randomised controlled trial.

AIM: Optimal duration of parenteral antibiotics for treating neonatal sepsis ranges from 7-14 days. We compared the efficacy of 7 versus 10 days duration of intravenous antibiotics for neonatal septicaemia. METHODS: We randomised blood culture-proven septic neonates (≥32 weeks and birth weight ≥1.5 kg) to receive either 7 or 10 days duration of intravenous antibiotics. We followed up neonates upto 28 days after stopping antibiotics for treatment failure defined by reappearance of clinical sepsis with a blood culture growing the same organism as cultured earlier, or in the absence of a positive culture, the presence of C-reactive protein and as adjudicated by an expert committee. RESULTS: A total of 132 neonates were randomised to receive either 7 (n = 66) or 10 (n = 66) days duration of antibiotic therapy. Out of 128 neonates (64 per group) followed up, two (one per group) were regarded as 'treatment failure', and two were labelled as fresh episodes of sepsis (both in 10-day group). The risk (95% confidence interval) for treatment failure in the 7-day group was (1.0 (0.064-15.644) was not significantly higher. Neonates in both groups had comparable need for oxygen, inotropic support and blood products, duration of oxygen therapy and time to attainment of full feeds. The duration of hospitalisation was significantly longer in the 10-day group. CONCLUSION: A 7-day course of intravenous antibiotics may be sufficient to treat neonatal sepsis with the advantage of shorter hospital stay, but a larger meta-analysis would be required to state this with a degree of certainty.

Pediatric renal transplant practices in India.

Limited access to tertiary-level health care, limited trained pediatric nephrologists and transplant physicians, lack of facilities for dialysis, lack of an effective deceased donor program, non-affordability, and non-adherence to immunosuppressant drugs poses a major challenge to universal availability of pediatric transplantation in developing countries. We present the results of a survey which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first such published attempt at understanding the current state of pediatric renal transplantation in India. A designed questionnaire formulated by a group of pediatric nephrologists with the aim of understanding the current practice of pediatric renal transplantation was circulated to all adult and pediatric nephrologists of the country. Of 26 adult nephrologists who responded, 16 (61.5%) were involved in pediatric transplantation, and 10 of 15 (66.6%) pediatric nephrologists were involved in pediatric transplantation. Most of the centers doing transplants were private/trust institution with only three government institutions undertaking it. Induction therapy was varied among pediatric and adult nephrologists. There were only a few centers (n=5) in the country routinely doing >5 transplants per year. Preemptive transplants and protocol biopsies were a rarity. The results demonstrate lower incidence of undertaking pediatric transplants in children below 6 years, paucity of active cadaveric programs and lack of availability of trained pediatric nephrologists and staff. In contrast to these dissimilarities, the immunosuppressant use seems to be quite similar to Western registry data with majority favoring induction agent and triple immunosuppressant (steroid, mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus) for maintenance. The survey also identifies major concerns in availability of this service to all regions of India as well as to all economic segments.

Multifocal tuberculous osteomyelitis in a 3-year-old child.

Multifocal skeletal tuberculosis accounts for less than 1% of all tuberculous lesions in children. A 3-year-old unimmunised child presented with painless symmetrical swelling of both arms, pallor and hepatosplenomegaly. A skeletal survey demonstrated lytic lesions of the metadiaphysis of both humeri, a rib and the sacrum. The possibility of Langerhans cell histiocytosis or multifocal fibrous dysplasia was considered; however, acid-fast bacilli were detected in the biopsy specimen and real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Culture for M. tuberculosis was negative. The patient responded to anti-tuberculous therapy.

Incidence and outcomes of neonatal acute kidney injury (AWAKEN): a multicentre, multinational, observational cohort study.

Background: Single-center studies suggest that neonatal acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with poor outcomes. However, inferences regarding the association between AKI, mortality, and hospital length of stay are limited due to the small sample size of those studies. In order to determine whether neonatal AKI is independently associated with increased mortality and longer hospital stay, we analyzed the Assessment of Worldwide Acute Kidney Epidemiology in Neonates (AWAKEN) database. Methods: All neonates admitted to 24 participating neonatal intensive care units from four countries (Australia, Canada, India, United States) between January 1 and March 31, 2014, were screened. Of 4273 neonates screened, 2022 (47·3%) met study criteria. Exclusion criteria included: no intravenous fluids ≥48 hours, admission ≥14 days of life, congenital heart disease requiring surgical repair at <7 days of life, lethal chromosomal anomaly, death within 48 hours, inability to determine AKI status or severe congenital kidney abnormalities. AKI was defined using a standardized definition -i.e., serum creatinine rise of ≥0.3 mg/dL (26.5 mcmol/L) or ≥50% from previous lowest value, and/or if urine output was <1 mL/kg/h on postnatal days 2 to 7. Findings: Incidence of AKI was 605/2022 (29·9%). Rates varied by gestational age groups (i.e., ≥22 to <29 weeks =47·9%; ≥29 to <36 weeks =18·3%; and ≥36 weeks =36·7%). Even after adjusting for multiple potential confounding factors, infants with AKI had higher mortality compared to those without AKI [(59/605 (9·7%) vs. 20/1417 (1·4%); p< 0.001; adjusted OR=4·6 (95% CI=2·5-8·3); p=<0·0001], and longer hospital stay [adjusted parameter estimate 8·8 days (95% CI=6·1-11·5); p<0·0001]. Interpretation: Neonatal AKI is a common and independent risk factor for mortality and longer hospital stay. These data suggest that neonates may be impacted by AKI in a manner similar to pediatric and adult patients. Funding: US National Institutes of Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Cincinnati Children's, University of New Mexico.