Limitation of life-sustaining treatment in NICU: Physicians' beliefs and attitudes in the Buenos Aires region.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the ethical beliefs and attitudes of Argentinean neonatologists regarding limitation of life-sustaining treatment (LST) for very sick infants. METHODS: We used an anonymous questionnaire including direct questions and hypothetical clinical cases (inevitable demise and anticipated survival with severe long-term disability). Multivariable analysis was carried out to assess the relation between type of clinical case and physicians' LST attitudes. RESULTS: Overall, 315 neonatologists in 34 units in the Buenos Aires region participated (response rate 54%). Most responders would agree with decisions to start or continue LST. In both clinical cases, continuing current treatment with no therapeutic escalation was the only form of LST limitation acceptable to a substantial proportion (about 60%) of neonatologists. Agreement with LST limitation was slightly but significantly more likely when death was inevitable. CONCLUSION: Argentinean neonatologists showed a conservative attitude regarding LST limitation. Patient prognosis and options of non-treatment decision significantly influenced their choices.

Describen un protocolo de toma de decisiones en la unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatales / Application of a decision-making protocol in the neonatal intensive care unit

La práctica de la medicina implica una continua toma de decisiones, tanto diagnósticas como pronósticas, terapéuticas y éticas; la actuación diagnóstica es la opción nosológica más probable entre las posibles. La reflexión bioética contemporánea en la neonatología se ha interesado por los problemas del niño hospitalizado, las malformaciones congénitas y la eutanasia neonatal, entre otras, dedicándole poca atención a las actividades del médico y de los enfermeros en el ejercicio de su profesión. Este trabajo hace una valoración del cumplimiento del protocolo de actuación en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales del Hospital Ginecoobstétrico de Guanabacoa. El estudio se hizo de forma descriptiva, prospectiva y longitudinal. El universo de estudio fue el total de neonatos críticos que ingresaron desde el mes de enero de 2005 hasta diciembre de 2008. La elaboración de los datos se obtuvo de los expedientes clínicos y del registro de ingreso en la unidad y se aplicaron encuestas a las madres y familiares de los niños ingresados. El resultado logrado es que los trabajadores cumplen con los requisitos establecidos en el protocolo de actuación, logrando una adecuada relación médico-paciente y un elevado nivel de satisfacción por los servicios recibidos, base de una buena práctica médica.

Enfermagem cuidando do recém-nascido na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal: um olhar ético da ação profissional / Nursing care of the newborn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: an ethical look at the professional action

Trata-se de um estudo do tipo qualitativo, sobre as ações experienciadas pela equipe de enfermagem no cotidiano da Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal (UTI Neonatal), tendo como objetivo apreender os aspectos éticos implícitos nas ações experienciadas pelos profissionais de enfermagem ao cuidar do recém-nascido (RN). Foram utilizados como referencial teórico-filosófico alguns autores renomados como: Mehry, Pegoraro, Pessini, entre outros. A abordagem metodológica aplicada no estudo foi a fenomenologia sociológica de Alfred Schutz, buscando, na intencionalidade das ações de enfermagem, a motivação que sustenta este cuidar. A aproximação face a face aos sujeitos do estudo deu-se solicitando o seguinte: Fale-me sobre a sua experiência ao cuidar de um RN no cotidiano da UTI. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto, utilizei as questões orientadoras da entrevista fenomenológica: O que você tem em vista ao cuidar do RN na UTI? Em relação à ética, o que você pensa ao cuidar do RN? As entrevistas foram realizadas com 16 profissionais da equipe de enfermagem da UTI de uma Maternidade Pública do Município do Rio de Janeiro, escolhidos de forma aleatória. Foram respeitados os critérios estabelecidos pela Resolução nº 196/96, garantindo a privacidade e o anonimato dos entrevistados, bem como aprovação do estudo pelo comitê de ética em pesquisa. A partir da análise das falas emergiram três categorias, que possibilitaram a apreensão dos aspectos éticos das ações de enfermagem na UTI como um típico. Esses profissionais têm em vista realizar o melhor cuidado desejando a cura e a alta do RN, apoiando-se na tecnologia para valorizar a perspectiva humana do cuidado na UTI e na possibilidade de agir com ética. Na realidade pesquisada, a tecnologia manifestou-se de maneira positiva no projeto intencional dos profissionais, mostrando uma enfermagem que acredita estar fazendo o seu melhor, envolvida com as questões éticas e humanas...

This is a qualitative study about experienced actions in the daily routine of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) by the nursing staff. It aims to understand implicit ethical aspects in experienced actions of nurses concerning the newborn care. Mehry. Pegoraro, Pessini and others renowned authors were used as theoretical and philosophical reference. The sociological phenomenology of Alfred Schutz was the methodological approach of the study as it seeks the motivation that confirms this care by the intention of nursing actions. The face-to-face approach to people of this study asked the following: Tell me about your experience in taking care of newborns in a NICU routine? Guiding questions of the phenomenological interview were used to achieve the proposed objective: What do you have in mind about taking care of newborns in a NICU? What do you think about when taking care of a newborn in relation to ethics? Sixteen professionals chosen at random of the nursing staff of a public hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro carried the interviews out. The established criteria of the 196/96 resolution ensured the privacy and anonymity of the respondents and approves the study by the ethics committee on research. Three categories emerged from the analysis of the discourse and they allowed the understanding of ethical aspects of typical actions of the nursing staff in an Intensive Care Unit. These professionals aims to achieve the best care as they wants the newborn left the hospital well. So, they rely on technology in order to value the human perspective of care in the NICU and the ability to act ethically. The research proved that technology is a positive instrument in the intentional design of the nursing staff as it shows professionals who believe that ethical and human aspects help them to do their best...

[Clinical bioethics: contributions to decision-making in neonatal intensive care units]. / Bioética clínica: contribuições para a tomada de decisões em unidades de terapia intensiva neonatais.

This article presents a reflection about decision-making in Neonatal Intensive Care Units based on the principle of distributive justice and considering the theoretical approaches of the Bioethics of Protection, formulated by Schramm and Kottow, and the Theory of Capabilities developed by Nussbaum and Sen. Within the concept of justice in the health area adopted in this study, we characterize the essential needs of the citizens that must be satisfied by the State. Then we discuss the question of who should be benefited in the neonatal intensive care units--and in which way--given the scarce public resources available, considering three groups of newborn that in general represent the demand for intensive care services in these units. We conclude that, the better the clinical information available, the more it is likely that a better and more qualified ethical choice can be taken. Further studies will be necessary for the construction of reasonable evidence, prognosis included, so that the involved families can be provided with even more adequate information and, most importantly, for allowing the parents of the child to take part in the clinical decisions.

[Bioethical aspects in the care of extremely preterm infants]. / Aspectos bioéticos en el cuidado de los recién nacidos extremadamente prematuros.

The survival rate of extremely preterm infants improved over the last years as a result of a better prenatal and neonatal care mainly due to a greater use of antenatal steroids, appropriate management in the delivery room and in the initial care, surfactant therapy, and better modalities of assisted ventilation. However, this improvement in survival has not been associated with an equal reduction in morbidity. In fact, the frequency of bronchopulmonary displasia, sepsis, poor growth, and neurological disorders in the future may have increased. The purpose of this article is to examine, from a bioethical point of view, different aspects in perinatal care at the threshold of viability.

The ethics of neonatal resuscitation at the margins of viability: informed consent and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the adequacy of records of parental counseling in mothers with threatened preterm delivery before 27 weeks gestation, whether interventions performed at birth were consistent with recorded antenatal decisions and whether extent of resuscitation affected the occurrence of serious short-term morbidity. STUDY DESIGN: Antenatal consultation records and records of resuscitation and short-term outcomes were analyzed of 65 mothers with threatened delivery at 21 weeks to 26 weeks and 6 days gestation, and their 61 infants who delivered before 27 weeks. RESULTS: Discussions about survival rates and the frequency of handicap were more likely to be recorded before 25 weeks gestation than after; the adequacy of the records varied among individuals. A decision not to resuscitate was present in 6 of the 13 consultations performed before 23 weeks gestation, and in none of the 52 at 23 weeks or above. A decision to resuscitate only if the infant's condition at birth was good was found in 7 consultations, 6 of which were at less than 24 weeks gestation. All infants born at 23 weeks and above were resuscitated, including the infants with conditional resuscitation decisions. Three of the 6 infants receiving heart massage were discharged alive without major short-term morbidity (severe intracranial hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, or threshold retinopathy). All 8 infants of less than 25 weeks gestation with a heart rate at 3 minutes that was still less than 100 beats/min, in spite of active resuscitation, either died or had major short-term morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Records of antenatal consultations were often lacking important information. Variations in physician documentation practices are substantial and affect the care offered to infants at the threshold of viability. Even extensive resuscitation can be followed by intact survival if the resuscitation required is brief.

Intervención sensorio-motriz en recién nacidos prematuros / Sensorio-motor intervention in new born premature

La dramática reducción en la mortalidad infantil de los recién nacidos prematuros se ha acompañado del concomitante aumento en las condiciones de minusvalía. Entre el 10 y 20 por ciento de los prematuros de muy bajo peso presentan alteraciones del neurodesarrollo asociadas con parálisis cerebral, alteraciones visuales y auditivas, y retardo mental. Los niños prematuros son neurológicamente inmaduros, consecuentemente ellos presentan dificultad para adaptarse al invasivo medio ambiente de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI). Este medio ambiente se caracteriza por luces brillantes, ruido y frecuentes intervenciones médicas y manipulaciones del neonato. En este esfuerzo por hacer frente al medio ambiente extrauterino, los niños prematuros intentan autorregularse fisiológicamente. Con frecuencia, ellos manifiestan signos y señales de estrés. Las personas encargadas de su atención deben sensibilizarse y aprender a reconocer los signos de autorregulación y las señales de estrés para modificar la forma de sus atenciones y cuidados. En las últimas dos décadas, se han utilizado en los prematuros una variedad de intervenciones que buscan compensar su inmadurez y su abreviada experiencia intrauterina. Estas intervenciones intentan modificar el medio ambiente de la UCI Neonatal para reducir la sobreestimulación y favorecer el desarrollo del neonato. Los clínicos han investigado vías para aminorar el ruido y la luz en las Unidades Intensivas Neonatales. De esta forma, se ha demostrado que las intervenciones médicas y los procedimientos de sus cuidados pueden ser modificados para asistir a los neonatos y poder manejarlos con éxito. Según reportes de la literatura, las intervenciones neonatales tienen efectos beneficiosos sobre el crecimiento y aumento de peso a corto plazo, disminuyen el soporte ventilatorio, disminuyen los días de hospitalización y en consecuencia los costos de hospitalización, y favorecen el neurodesarrollo. (2)finalmente, podemos concluir que mediante la estimulación suplementaria y la reducción de los agentes estresantes de las Unidades de Neonatología, se pueden obtener numerosos beneficios físicos, emocionales, fisiológicos y psicológicos que repercutirán en la vida futura del niño.