Unveiling pseudo-pulseless electrical activity (pseudo-PEA) in ultrasound-integrated infant resuscitation.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) holds immense potential to manage critically deteriorating infants within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and is increasingly used in neonatal clinical practice worldwide. Recent ultrasound-based protocols such as the Sonographic Assessment of liFe-threatening Emergencies-Revised (SAFE-R) and Crashing Neonate Protocol (CNP) offer step-by-step guidance for diagnosing and addressing reversible causes of cardiorespiratory collapse. Traditionally, pulseless electrical activity (PEA) has been diagnosed solely based on absent pulses on clinical examination, disregarding myocardial activity. However, integrating POCUS into resuscitation unveils the concept of pseudo-PEA, where cardiac motion activity is observed visually on the ultrasound but fails to generate a detectable pulse due to inadequate cardiac output. Paradoxically, existing neonatal resuscitation protocols lack directives for identifying and effectively leveraging pseudo-PEA insights in infants, limiting their potential to enhance outcomes. Pseudo-PEA is extensively described in adult literature owing to routine POCUS use in resuscitation. This review article comprehensively evaluates the adult pseudo-PEA literature to glean insights adaptable to neonatal care. Additionally, we propose a simple strategy to integrate POCUS during neonatal resuscitation, especially in infants who do not respond to routine measures. CONCLUSION: Pseudo-PDA is a newly recognized diagnosis in infants with the use of POCUS during resuscitation. This article highlights the importance of cross-disciplinary learning in tackling emerging challenges within neonatal medicine. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Point-of-Care ultrasound (POCUS) benefits adult cardiac arrest management, particularly in distinguishing true Pulseless Electrical Activity (PEA) from pseudo-PEA. • Pseudo-PEA is when myocardial motion can be seen on ultrasound but fails to generate palpable pulses or sustain circulation despite evident cardiac electrical activity. WHAT IS NEW: • Discuss recognition and management of pseudo-PEA in infants. • A proposed algorithm to integrate POCUS into active neonatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedures.

The Best Interests of Infants and Families During Palliative Care at the End of Life: A Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Palliative care is an integral element of care provision in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Healthcare providers working in NICUs are likely to provide palliative care at some point in their career. PURPOSE: This article examines what neonatal palliative care entails, how parents perceive healthcare providers' actions, what they potentially need at the end of their infant's life, and what bereavement interventions are most supportive for parents. SEARCH STRATEGY: We conducted a search of full-text articles published in English in PubMed and CINAHL using the following key words: "NICU bereavement care," "end-of-life care," "infant loss," and "palliative care." FINDINGS: Healthcare providers should consider alleviation of the infant's pain and suffering when discussing whether to provide or continue aggressive medical interventions. The timing of these discussions is important. Parents appear to be most comforted by compassionate, caring healthcare providers who show competence and knowledge in the provision of medical/nursing and palliative care. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Healthcare providers working in NICUs require specific training in bereavement/palliative care for infants. Families facing the death of their infant must receive support from qualified providers both during and after that death. Furthermore, the infant's quality of life must be considered when discussing withholding or withdrawing care. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: There is a need for further research investigating the specific types of training required by healthcare providers in NICU settings who are providing bereavement/palliative care to neonates, in order to best support the families' needs in these situations.