Respiratory adaptation in term infants following elective caesarean section.

OBJECTIVE: To determine respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (TV) and end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) values in full-term infants immediately after caesarean section, and to assess whether infants that develop transient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN) follow the same physiological patterns. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: A Respironics NM3 Monitor (Philips, Netherlands) continuously measured RR, TV and EtCO2 for 7 min in infants >37 weeks' gestation following elective caesarean section (ECS). Monitoring was repeated at 2 hours of age for 2 min. Gestation, birth weight, Apgar scores and admissions to neonatal unit were documented. SETTING: The operative delivery theatre of Cork University Maternity Hospital, Ireland. RESULTS: There were 95 term infants born by ECS included. Median (IQR) gestation was 39 weeks (38.2-39.1) and median (IQR) birth weight 3420 g (3155-3740). Median age at initiation of monitoring was 26.5 s (range: 20-39). Data were analysed for the first 7 min of life. Mean breaths per minute (bpm) increased over the first 7 min of life (44.31-61.62). TV and EtCO2 values were correlated and increased from 1 min until maximum mean values were recorded at 3 min after delivery (5.18 mL/kg-6.44 mL/kg, and 4.32 kPa-5.64 kPa, respectively). Infants admitted to the neonatal unit with TTN had significantly lower RRs from 2 min of age compared with infants not admitted for TTN. CONCLUSIONS: TV and EtCO2 values are correlated and increase significantly over the first few minutes following ECS. RR increases gradually from birth, and rates were lower in infants that develop TTN.

Eficacia del tratamiento antibiótico en la bronquitis aguda / Efficacy of antibiotic treatment in acute bronchitis

Partiendo de una viñeta clínica la autora plantea el siguiente interrogante: ¿En pacientes mayores de 65 años con diag-nóstico probable de bronquitis aguda, el uso de antibióticos produce mejora en algún parámetro clínico?Luego de realizar una busqueda bibliográfica se resumen la evidencia publicada en una reciente revisión sistemática, la cual concluye que si bien existen beneficios estadísticamente significativos en algunos resultados de interés, estos no parecen tener impacto clínico teniendo en cuenta la naturaleza habitualmente autolimitada y benigna de esta enfermedad y la posibilidad de efectos colateales relacionados con el tratamiento. Es importante destacar sin embargo que la eviden-cia resultó limitada para abordar cabalmente a la población anciana afectada por este problema. (AU)

Moved by a clinical vignette, the author propose the following question: In patients over 65 with probable diagnosis of acute bronchitis, does the use of antibiotics produce improvement in any clinical outcome?After carrying out a bibliographic search, the evidence published in a recent systematic review is summarized, which concludes that although there are statistically significant benefits in some results of interest, these do not seem to have clinical impact, tak-ing into account the usually self-limited and benign nature of this disease and the possibility of collateral effects related to the treatment. It is important to highlight, however, that the evidence was limited to fully address the elderly population affected by this problem. (AU)

Respiratory Presentation of Pediatric Patients in the 2014 Enterovirus D68 Outbreak.

Background. In the fall of 2014, a North American outbreak of enterovirus D68 resulted in a significant number of pediatric hospital admissions for respiratory illness throughout North America. This study characterized the clinical presentation and risk factors for a severe clinical course in children admitted to British Columbia Children's Hospital during the 2014 outbreak. Methods. Retrospective chart review of patients with confirmed EV-D68 infection admitted to BCCH with respiratory symptoms in the fall of 2014. Past medical history, clinical presentation, management, and course in hospital was collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Comparison was made between those that did and did not require ICU admission to identify risk factors. Results. Thirty-four patients were included (median age 7.5 years). Fifty-three percent of children had a prior history of wheeze, 32% had other preexisting medical comorbidities, and 15% were previously healthy. Ten children (29%) were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. The presence of complex medical conditions (excluding wheezing) (P = 0.03) and copathogens was associated with PICU admission (P = 0.02). Conclusions. EV-D68 infection resulted in severe, prolonged presentations of asthma-like illness in the hospitalized pediatric population. Patients with a prior history of wheeze and preexisting medical comorbidities appear to be most severely affected, but the virus can also cause wheezing in previously well children.

Delivery room hospice.

Advances in perinatal science over the past five decades have reduced the practical 'threshold of viability' by approximately one week every 10 years such that survivors are expected as early as 22 weeks. Ethical standards regarding treatment of this periviable patient population remain enigmatic. CONCLUSION: We review limitations in the current ethical rationale for caring for these infants in the delivery room and introduce an alternative utilising a delivery room hospice care approach involving the administration of opioids.

Severely deranged vital signs as triggers for acute treatment modifications on an intensive care unit in a low-income country.

BACKGROUND: Critical care saves lives of the young with reversible disease. Little is known about critical care services in low-income countries. In a setting with a shortage of doctors the actions of the nurse bedside are likely to have a major impact on the outcome of critically ill patients with rapidly changing physiology. Identification of severely deranged vital signs and subsequent treatment modifications are the basis of modern routines in critical care, for example goal directed therapy and rapid response teams. This study assesses how often severely deranged vital signs trigger an acute treatment modification on an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Tanzania. METHODS: A medical records based, observational study. Vital signs (conscious level, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate and systolic blood pressure) were collected as repeated point prevalences three times per day in a 1-month period for all adult patients on the ICU. Severely deranged vital signs were identified and treatment modifications within 1 h were noted. RESULTS: Of 615 vital signs studied, 126 (18%) were severely deranged. An acute treatment modification was in total indicated in 53 situations and was carried out three times (6%) (2/32 for hypotension, 0/8 for tachypnoea, 1/6 for tachycardia, 0/4 for unconsciousness and 0/3 for hypoxia). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that severely deranged vital signs are common and infrequently lead to acute treatment modifications on an ICU in a low-income country. There may be potential to improve outcome if nurses are guided to administer acute treatment modifications by using a vital sign directed approach. A prospective study of a vital sign directed therapy protocol is underway.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to ICU following activation of the medical emergency team: impact of introducing a two-tier response system.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of introducing a two-tier system for responding to deteriorating ward patients on ICU admissions after medical emergency team review. DESIGN: Retrospective database review before (2006-2009) and after (2011-2013) the introduction of a two-tier system. SETTING: Tertiary, university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 1,564 ICU admissions. INTERVENTIONS: Two-tier rapid response system. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The median number of medical emergency team activations/1,000 hospitalizations increased from 22 to 31 (difference [95% CI], 9 [5-10]; p<0.0001) with a decreased rate of medical emergency team activations leading to ICU admission (from median 11 to 8; difference [95% CI], 3 [3-4]; p=0.03). The median proportion of medical emergency team reviews leading to ICU admission increased for those triggered by tachypnoea (from 11% to 15%; difference [95% CI], 4 [3-5]; p<0.0001) and by hypotension (from 27% to 43%; difference [95% CI], 15 [12-19]; p<0.0001) and decreased for those triggered by reduced level of consciousness (from 20% to 17%; difference [95% CI], 3 [2-4]; p<0.0001) and by clinical concern (from 18% to 9%; difference [95% CI], 10 [9-13]; p<0.0001). The proportions of ICU admissions following medical emergency team review did not change significantly for tachycardia, seizure, or cardiorespiratory arrest. The overall ICU mortality for admissions following medical emergency team review for tachypnoea, tachycardia, and clinical concern decreased (from 29% to 9%: difference [95% CI], 20 [11-29]; p<0.0001) but did not change for the other triggers. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation predicted and observed ICU mortality and the proportion of patients dying with a not-for-resuscitation order decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of a two-tier response to clinical deterioration increased ICU admissions triggered by cardiorespiratory criteria, whereas admissions triggered by more subjective criteria decreased. The overall ICU mortality for patients admitted following medical emergency team review decreased, suggesting that the two-tier system led to earlier recognition of reversible pathology or a decision not to escalate the level of care.

Impact of late preterm birth on neonatal intensive care resources in a tertiary perinatal center.

OBJECTIVE: To examine delivery indications, short-term morbidities, and use of resources for late preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a tertiary perinatal center. STUDY DESIGN: Data for 1137 inborn infants 340/7 to 366/7 weeks' gestational age discharged between July 2004 and December 2009 were collected from an electronic NICU database. Birth information was obtained from maternal charts. RESULTS: Forty-two percent of late preterm infants were admitted to the NICU. Their mean ( ± standard deviation) birth weight was 2347 ± 569 g; 15.1% were small for gestational age, 35.5% were multiples, and 17.8% had an antenatally diagnosed anomaly. Most births (52%) occurred following spontaneous rupture of membranes or labor. Cesarean section rate was 56.8%. Mortality rate was 1.2%. Most frequent morbidities were transient tachypnea (18.8%), cardiac or other congenital anomaly (16.8%), and respiratory distress syndrome (7.4%). Although 41.5% received ventilatory support, duration was short (1.1 ± 3.1 days). Mean length of NICU stay was 8.1 ± 9.3 days with 38% transferred to community hospitals before discharge. CONCLUSION: For many late preterm infants admitted to the NICU, the duration of intensive therapy was short and some required no interventions. One impact of late preterm birth was bed occupancy.