Consensus approach to nasal high-flow therapy in neonates.

OBJECTIVE: Nasal high-flow therapy (nHFT) is commonly used for noninvasive respiratory support in the neonatal intensive care unit. Our objective was to determine which aspects of neonatal nHFT have achieved adequate evidence base to support consensus among experienced clinical investigators, and to document areas lacking consensus to promote future investigations. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, modified Delphi collation of tabular queries related to specific aspects of neonatal nHFT. Seven international nHFT clinical researchers were queried regarding approaches to initiation, escalation, weaning and discontinuing nHFT. Completed tables were reviewed independently by each investigator, results clarified and discussed and areas of consensus determined. RESULTS: Consensus agreement was reached for many aspects of nHFT including: need for adequate heating and humidification, need to prevent nares occlusion, maximum flow rate of 8 l min-1, assessment of fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) and work of breathing for either flow escalation or weaning, equivalence of nHFT to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) for noninvasive support of infants of ⩾28 weeks with resolving respiratory distress and use of nHFT for noninvasive support of stable infants on nCPAP. There was general agreement for initial gas flow rates in the range of 4 to 6 l min-1 and for nHFT as primary therapy for mild respiratory distress. There was no consensus on the approach to discontinuing nHFT. CONCLUSIONS: Among an experienced group of nHFT clinical researchers, there was general consensus in the approach to neonatal nHFT. Additional randomized studies are indicated to provide better evidence related to several aspects of nHFT, as well as to identify other clinical conditions where nHFT may provide safe, effective noninvasive support.

Assessment of pulmonary function in a follow-up of premature infants: our experience.

Respiratory diseases are a major cause of morbidity in neonates, especially preterm infants; a long term complication of prematurity such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is particularly relevant today. The exact role of the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) in this area is not yet well defined; the PFT in newborns and infants - in contrast to what happens in uncooperative children and adults - are routinely used only in a few centers. The assessment of pulmonary function in newborns and infants, however, is nowadays possible with the same reliability that in cooperative patients with the possibility to extend the assessment of polmonary function from bench to bed. The assessment of pulmonary function must be carried out with non invasive and safe methods, at the bedside, with the possibility of continuous monitoring and providing adequate calculation and management of data. The ability to assess lung function helps to define the mechanisms of respiratory failure, improving the treatment and its effects and is therefore a useful tool in the follow-up of newborn and infant with pulmonary disease.

Comparison between two different modes of non-invasive ventilatory support in preterm newborn infants with respiratory distress syndrome mild to moderate: preliminary data.

Despite of improved survival of premature infants, the incidence of long term pulmonary complications, mostly associated with ventilation-induced lung injury, remains high. Non invasive ventilation (NIV) is able to reduce the adverse effects of mechanical ventilation. Although nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) is an effective mode of NIV, traumatic nasal complications and intolerance of the nasal interface are common. Recently high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is emerging as a better tolerated form of NIV, allowing better access to the baby's face, which may improve nursing, feeding and bonding. HFNC may be effective in the treatment of some neonatal respiratory conditions while being more user-friendly for care-givers than conventional NCPAP. Limited evidence is available to support the specific role, efficacy and safety of HFNC in newborns and to demonstrate efficacy compared with NCPAP; some studies suggest a potential role for HFNC in respiratory care of the neonate as a distinct non invasive ventilatory support. We present the preliminary data of a randomized clinical trial; the aim of this study was to assess efficacy and safety of HFNC compared to NCPAP in preterm newborns with mild to moderate respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

[Therapy with high-flow nasal prongs in preterm infants]. / La terapia con nasocannule ad alto flusso nel neonato pretermine.

Despite of improved survival of premature infants, the incidence of long-term pulmonary complications, mostly associated with ventilation-induced lung injury, remains high. Non invasive ventilation (NIV) is able to reduce the adverse effects of mechanical ventilation. Although nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) is an effective mode of NIV, traumatic nasal complications and intolerance of the nasal interface are common. Recently high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is emerging as an efficient, better tolerated form of NIV, allowing better access to the baby's face, which may improve nursing, feeding and bonding. The aim of this review is to discuss the available evidence of effectiveness and safety of HFNC in preterm newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). It is known that distending pressure generated by HFNC increases with increasing flow rate and decreasing infant size and varies according to the amount of leaks by nose and mouth. The effects of HFNC on lung mechanics, its clinical efficacy and safety are still insufficiently investigated. In conclusion, there is a growing evidence of the feasibility of HFNC as an alternative mode of NIV. However, further larger randomized trials are required, before being able to recommend HFNC in the treatment of moderate respiratory distress of preterm infants.

[Management of outbreaks of nosocomial pathogens in neonatal intensive care unit]. / Gestione degli eventi epidemici in Terapia Intensiva Neonatale.

Outbreaks of nosocomial pathogens are one of the most relevant problems in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Many factors contribute to the onset of an epidemic, including virulence of the pathogen and vulnerability of the infants hospitalized in NICU. Outbreaks are often caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). MDROs are defined as microorganisms, predominantly bacteria, that are resistant to one or more classes of antimicrobial agents. MDROs, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and certain gram-negative bacilli (GNB), have important infection control implications. Once MDROs are introduced into a healthcare setting, transmission and persistence of the resistant strain is determined by the availability of vulnerable patients, selective pressure exerted by antimicrobial use, increased potential for transmission from larger numbers of infected or colonized patients ("colonization pressure"), and the impact of adherence to prevention efforts. Often, routine infection control measures are not enough to contain outbreaks, and additional control measures are needed, including implementation of hand hygiene, cohorting of infected/colonized infants, neonatal surveillance cultures, screening of healthcare workers and decolonization of neonates and/or healthcare workers in selected cases. In this review, we report the practices we developed in our NICU to contain an epidemic. These recommendations reflect the experience of the group, as well as the findings of the current literature.

[Assessment of pulmonary function in a follow-up of premature infants: our experience]. / Valutazione della funzionalità respiratoria nell'ambito di un follow up respiratorio di neonati prematuri: la nostra esperienza.

Respiratory diseases are a major cause of morbidity in neonates, especially preterm infants; a long-term complication of prematurity such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is particularly relevant today. The exact role of the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) in this area is not yet well defined; the PFT in newborns and infants--in contrast to what happens in uncooperative children and adults--are routinely used only in a few centers. The assessment of pulmonary function in newborns and infants, however, is nowadays possible with the same reliability that in cooperative patients with the possibility to extend the assessment of polmonary function from bench to bed. The assessment of pulmonary function must be carried out with non invasive and safe methods, at the bedside, with the possibility of continuous monitoring and providing adequate calculation and management of data. The ability to assess lung function helps to define the mechanisms of respiratory failure, improving the treatment and its effects and is therefore a useful tool in the follow-up of newborn and infant with pulmonary disease.

Circulation of different rhinovirus groups among children with lower respiratory tract infection in Kiremba, Burundi.

The purpose of this investigation was to collect information regarding rhinovirus (RV) circulation in children with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in Burundi, Central Africa. We enrolled all of the children aged between 1 month and 14 years who were admitted to the hospital of Kiremba, North Burundi, with fever and signs and symptoms of LRTI (i.e., cough, tachypnea, dyspnea or respiratory distress, and breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds with rales) between 1 November 2010 and 31 October 2011, and obtained nasopharyngeal swabs for RV detection by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The VP4/VP2 region of the positive samples was sequenced to determine the species of RV (A, B, or C). Four hundred and sixty-two children were enrolled: 160 (34.6 %) with bronchitis, 35 (7.6 %) with infectious wheezing, and 267 (57.8 %) with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). RV infection was demonstrated in 186 patients [40.3 %; mean age ± standard deviation (SD) 1.77 ± 2.14 years]. RV infection was detected in 78 patients aged <12 months (40.0 %), 102 aged 12-48 months (44.3 %), and six aged >48 months (16.7 %; p < 0.01 vs. the other age groups). The most frequently identified RV was RV-A (81 cases, 43.5 %), followed by RV-C (47, 25.3 %) and RV-B (18, 9.7 %); subtyping was not possible in 40 cases (21.5 %). RV-A was significantly associated with bronchitis and CAP (p < 0.01) and RV-C with wheezing (p < 0.05). In Burundi, RVs are frequently detected in children with LRTIs. RV-A seems to be the most important species and is identified mainly in patients with bronchitis and CAP.