How to improve CPAP failure prediction in preterm infants with RDS: a pilot study.

We aimed to test the diagnostic accuracy in predicting continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) failure in premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) by integrating oxygen saturation (SpO2)/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) (SF ratio) with the measurement of peak velocity of the right diaphragmatic excursions (RD-PV), during the inspiration (I-Peak) and expiratory (E-Peak) phases, performed by pulsed-wave Tissue Doppler imaging. This is a prospective, observational pilot study conducted over a 2-year period. Neonates at ≤ 32 weeks gestation supported by early CPAP were eligible. Natural surfactant was delivered via a minimally invasive technique. We performed serial measurements of SF ratio and RD-PV during the early post-natal hours to test the accuracy in predicting surfactant administration as well as invasive ventilation support within 72 h from birth because of the RDS worsening. Of 56 preterm infants enrolled, 34 (61%) failed CPAP support. SF ratio showed a significant inverse relationship with both Silverman-Andersen score at birth (rho = - 0.417; P = .001) and RD-PV [E-Peak] (rho = - 0.361; P = .007). We achieved a high accuracy in predicting CPAP failure (AUC = 95%; 95% CI, 89-100%) by integrating gender, SF ratio, and RD-PV [E-Peak] at the restricted, multivariate analysis.Conclusions: SF ratio and RD-PV, as measured by pulsed-wave Tissue Doppler, may help physicians to improve their confidence in optimizing therapeutic options in preterm infants with RDS. What is Known: • Continuous positive airway pressure is the recommended first-line treatment for respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants, but failure rates remain unacceptably high. • Choosing the optimal treatment in terms of non-invasive ventilation effectiveness and timeliness of surfactant administration for these patients is often challenging, also due to our inability to identify a worsening respiratory failure. What is New: • The integration of oxygen saturation, as measured by SpO2/FiO2, with right diaphragm peak motion velocities, as measured by pulsed-wave tissue Doppler, allows for high prediction accuracy of non-invasive ventilation support failure in premature infants at risk of respiratory distress syndrome. • These measurements may help physicians in providing optimal supportive therapy for these patients.

Right Diaphragmatic Peak Motion Velocities on Pulsed Wave Tissue Doppler Imaging in Neonates: Method, Reproducibility, and Reference Values.

OBJECTIVES: To test the reproducibility and report the reference ranges of the right diaphragmatic excursion's peak velocities recorded by pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging in healthy term neonates. METHODS: We formerly assessed intraobserver and interobserver variability of the method for the right hemidiaphragm in a small group of neonates, including ventilated neonates. We did not attempt to test the approach for the left hemidiaphragm because of the recognized high failure rate of visualization. Next, we recorded the peak velocities of both hemidiaphragms throughout inspiration and expiration in 229 healthy term neonates near birth to establish weight-dependent reference ranges for the measurements. RESULTS: The study population included 116 male and 113 female neonates. The reproducibility of the technique was excellent even in neonates supported by ventilation. We always recorded the right diaphragmatic peak velocities in the normative study group, whereas the left ones were only recorded in 110 of 229 (48%) and 148 of 229 (65%) neonates from the anterior and lateral views, respectively. The modality of delivery and sex showed no influence on diaphragmatic kinetics. The mean inspiratory peak velocities ± SD were 1.4 ± 0.2 cm/s for the right hemidiaphragm and 1.5 ± 0.3 cm/s for the left hemidiaphragm. The mean expiratory peak velocities were 1.3 ± 0.2 cm/s for the right hemidiaphragm and 1.4 ± 0.3 cm/s for the left hemidiaphragm. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of right diaphragmatic kinetics as assessed by pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging was found to be a reliable technique. Its clinical applicability for the prompt diagnosis and effective management of neonatal respiratory failure deserves further investigation.

Cerebral Sinovenous Thrombosis in the Asphyxiated Cooled Infants: A Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis is unusual in the asphyxiated cooled infants, but reliable data regarding the incidence of this comorbidity are lacking. We assessed the incidence of sinovenous thrombosis in a population of asphyxiated cooled infants by performing routine brain magnetic resonance venography. METHODS: All asphyxiated infants who underwent therapeutic cooling at our institution completed brain magnetic resonance venography after rewarming. Assessing the incidence of cerebral sinovenous thrombosis was the primary goal. Secondary analyses included group comparisons for laboratory tests and monitored parameters, relationship between variables, logistic regression models, and receiver operating characteristic curve for cerebral sinovenous thrombosis prediction. RESULTS: Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis was detected in 10 of 37 infants (27%), most commonly affecting the superior sagittal sinus (eight of ten). These infants manifested higher blanket (P < 0.001) and lower esophageal temperatures (P = 0.006), lower platelet counts (P = 0.045), and received more red blood cell transfusions (P = 0.038) than the cooled infants without thrombosis. Blanket temperature was independently associated with cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (P = 0.049), and 32°C/hour was the optimal cutoff value to predict the event (sensitivity, 90%; specificity, 88.5%). CONCLUSIONS: High incidence or cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in neonates treated with therapeutic hypothermia suggests that magnetic resonance venography may be reasonable in many of these children. High blanket temperature may be one variable that helps identify patients at higher risk.