Efficacy of corticosteroids in prevention of acute kidney injury in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery-A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Heart surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) causes an inflammatory response which may further induce acute kidney injury (AKI). In the present randomized controlled study we evaluated whether corticosteroids can prevent CPB related AKI in neonates undergoing heart surgery. METHODS: Forty neonates were randomized to receive 2 mg/kg methylprednisolone followed by hydrocortisone infusion 0.2 mg/kg/h perioperatively with tapering doses for 5 days, or placebo administered in a similar fashion. The primary outcome was the inflammatory response (plasma concentrations of interleukins 6 and 10). The correspondence of the interleukin concentrations with AKI was analysed as secondary outcome. In addition, plasma and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), plasma cystatin C, and urine kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) levels were measured. RESULTS: Six patients (15%) developed post-operative AKI. No significant difference in the AKI occurrence between the treatment (n = 2) and the placebo (n = 4) groups could be found (risk ratio 2.00, 95% confidence interval 0.41-9.71; P = .661) despite significant reduction in inflammatory response in the treatment group. One patient in the treatment group and two patients in the placebo group required acute peritoneal dialysis. Plasma creatinine and cystatin C or urine NGAL and KIM-1 concentrations did not differ between the treatment and the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Significantly reduced inflammatory reaction induced by corticosteroid treatment in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery did not reduce the incidence of AKI defined by KDIGO classification or decrease the rise of AKI biomarkers.

Recurrent wheezing after respiratory syncytial virus or non-respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis in infancy: a 3-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that rhinovirus-associated early wheezing is a greater risk factor for development of recurrent wheezing in children than is early wheezing associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We determined the development of recurrent wheezing in young children within 3 years after hospitalization for RSV or non-RSV bronchiolitis. METHODS: We identified retrospectively all children <2 years of age who were admitted to Turku University Hospital because of bronchiolitis in the months of August-December during 1988-2001. The primary outcome was recurrent wheezing that required long-term asthma medication. Data on asthma medications of the individual children were derived from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. RESULTS: Within the first year after hospitalization, 36 of 217 (16.6%) children with non-RSV bronchiolitis developed recurrent wheezing, compared with five of 199 (2.5%) children with RSV bronchiolitis [relative risk (RR) 6.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6-16.5]. The rates of recurrent wheezing were significantly increased in the non-RSV group also within 2 years (RR 2.9; 95% CI 1.7-5.1) and 3 years (RR 3.4; 95% CI 2.0-5.7) after hospitalization. The increased risk of recurrent wheezing in children with non-RSV-associated bronchiolitis was observed both in boys and girls at all time points of the 3-year follow-up, and it was not explained by the age difference between the RSV and non-RSV groups or any confounding seasonal factors. CONCLUSION: Children hospitalized with bronchiolitis caused by other viruses than RSV develop recurrent wheezing at substantially higher rates during a 3-year follow-up period than do children with RSV-induced bronchiolitis.

Hospital admission of high risk infants for respiratory syncytial virus infection: implications for palivizumab prophylaxis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the rates of hospital admission for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection among children born at different gestational ages. To assess the theoretical impact of palivizumab prophylaxis on admissions for RSV infection. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of children born in 1991-2000. SETTING: Tertiary care university hospital. METHODS: Data on all children born during the 10 year period were combined with information on laboratory confirmed RSV infections in these children until the end of 2002. The theoretical impact of palivizumab on RSV associated admissions was estimated by applying the current recommendations for prophylaxis to the study population and using the observed rates of admission in the calculations. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of RSV infection and hospital admission in different subgroups of children. RESULTS: Children with chronic lung disease (CLD) were admitted for RSV infection at a rate of 12.0%. The corresponding rates in children born at