Diagnosis and Management of Neonatal Hypoglycemia: A Comprehensive Review of Guidelines.

Hypoglycemia represents one of the most frequent metabolic disturbances of the neonate, associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially if left untreated or diagnosed after the establishment of brain damage. The aim of this study was to review and compare the recommendations from the most recently published influential guidelines on the diagnosis, screening, prevention and management of this common neonatal complication. Therefore, a descriptive review of the guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM), the European Foundation for the Care of the Newborn Infants (EFCNI), the Queensland Clinical Guidelines-Australia (AUS), the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) and the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES) on neonatal hypoglycemia was carried out. There is a consensus among the reviewed guidelines on the risk factors, the clinical signs and symptoms of NH, and the main preventive strategies. Additionally, the importance of early recognition of at-risk infants, timely identification of NH and prompt initiation of treatment in optimizing the outcomes of hypoglycemic neonates are universally highlighted. All medical societies, except PES, recommend screening for NH in asymptomatic high-risk and symptomatic newborn infants, but they do not provide consistent screening approaches. Moreover, the reviewed guidelines point out that the diagnosis of NH should be confirmed by laboratory methods of BGL measurement, although treatment should not be delayed until the results become available. The definition of NH lacks uniformity and it is generally agreed that a single BG value cannot accurately define this clinical entity. Therefore, all medical societies support the use of operational thresholds for the management of NH, although discrepancies exist regarding the recommended cut-off values, the optimal treatment and surveillance strategies of both symptomatic and asymptomatic hypoglycemic neonates as well as the treatment targets. Over the past several decades, ΝH has remained an issue of keen debate as it is a preventable cause of brain injury and neurodevelopmental impairment; however, there is no clear definition or consistent treatment policies. Thus, the establishment of specific diagnostic criteria and uniform protocols for the management of this common biochemical disorder is of paramount importance as it will hopefully allow for the early identification of infants at risk, the establishment of efficient preventive measures, the optimal treatment in the first hours of a neonate's life and, subsequently, the improvement of neonatal outcomes.

Potent P2Y12 inhibitors versus clopidogrel to predict adherence to antiplatelet therapy after an acute coronary syndrome: insights from IDEAL-LDL.

BACKGROUND: Superiority of potent P2Y12 inhibitors over clopidogrel after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been well established, however potent P2Y12 inhibition is responsible for more adverse events, which may influence patient adherence to treatment. Aim of the present study is to investigate the adherence to the prescribed P2Y12 inhibitor (P2Y12i) in patients on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after an ACS. METHODS: In an IDEAL-LDL trial substudy, we included 344 patients after ACS discharged on DAPT. The primary outcome was the difference between potent P2Y12i and clopidogrel in terms of adherence, as well as other predictors of adherence to the antiplatelet regimen. Secondary outcomes included the prevalence of DAPT continuation and its predictors and the antiplatelet regimen selection after DAPT. RESULTS: Adherence to the potent P2Y12i and to clopidogrel was observed in 140/178 (78.7%) and 111/166 (66.9%) patients (p = 0.016), respectively. In the multivariate model, after adjustment for P2Y12i switching during the first year of therapy, there was no difference observed in adherence between potent P2Y12i and clopidogrel (odds ratio [OR] = 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.55-1.74). Significant predictors included history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.31-0.86) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) index event treatment (OR = 2.58, 95% CI = 1.38-4.82). Of patients, 72% continued DAPT >12 months and female gender was a negative predictor of DAPT prolongation (adjusted OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.21-0.90). DAPT was continued until the end of follow-up in 42.7%, while 54.6% resumed with single antiplatelet regimen. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to DAPT was not affected by the P2Y12i potency, whereas history of CVD and PCI treatment were associated with reduced and increased adherence, respectively. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02927808, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02927808.

Predictive Role of Platelet-Associated Indices on Admission and Discharge in the Long-Term Prognosis of Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients.

Our study aimed to investigate the association between platelet indices and their in-hospital change and long-term prognosis in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Data from a randomized controlled trial (NCT02927808) recruiting ACS patients were analyzed (survival analysis). The examined variables were platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT) on admission and discharge, as well as their alteration during hospitalization. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke or hospitalization for unstable angina) and all-cause mortality, while secondary endpoints were all-cause hospitalization and bleeding events. The study included 252 patients with a follow-up of 39 (28-45) months. In the univariate analysis, MACE was associated with discharge PC [hazard ratio (HR) 2.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-4.40], discharge MPV (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.25-0.94), and in-hospital PC difference (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.13-0.51). In the multivariable analysis, only in-hospital PC decrease correlated with lower MACE incidence (adjusted HR .27, 95% CI 0.14-0.54) and lower all-cause hospitalization risk (adjusted HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.19-0.68). PC reduction during hospitalization for ACS is an independent predictor of better prognosis.