Examining the Utility of Rapid Salivary C-Reactive Protein as a Predictor for Neonatal Sepsis: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

This study aimed to compare the rapid bedside quantitative assessment of C-reactive protein (CRP) in saliva to serum CRP to predict blood culture-positive sepsis in neonates. The research was carried out over eight months at Fernandez Hospital in India (February 2021-September 2021). The study included 74 randomly selected neonates with clinical symptoms or risk factors of neonatal sepsis requiring blood culture evaluation. SpotSense rapid CRP test was conducted to estimate salivary CRP. In analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) on the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used. The study population's mean gestational age and median birth weight were 34.1 weeks (SD: ±4.8) and 2370 g (IQR: 1067-3182). The AUC on ROC curve analysis for predicting culture-positive sepsis was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.58 to 0.86, p-value: 0.002) for serum CRP and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70 to 0.97, p-value: <0.0001) for salivary CRP. The Pearson correlation coefficient between salivary and serum CRP was moderate (r = 0.352, p-value: 0.002). Salivary CRP cut-off scores were comparable to serum CRP in terms of sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy in predicting culture-positive sepsis. The rapid bedside assessment of salivary CRP appears to be an easy and promising non-invasive tool in culture-positive sepsis prediction.

Comparison of STOPS and SNAPPE-II in Predicting Neonatal Survival at Hospital Discharge: A Prospective, Multicentric, Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare SNAPPE-II and STOPS admission severity scores in neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with a gestational age of ≥ 33 wk. METHODS: In this multicenter, prospective, observational study, the sickness scoring was done on all the neonates at 12 h after admission to the NICUs. The scoring systems were compared by the area under the curve (AUC) on the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 669 neonates with gestational age ≥ 33 wk (mortality rate: 2.4%), who were admitted to five participating NICUs within 24 h of birth, were included. Both SNAPPE-II and STOPS had the good discriminatory and predictive ability for mortality with AUCs of 0.965 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.94-0.98] and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87-0.99), respectively. The STOPS scoring system with a cutoff score ≥ 4 on the ROC curve had 85% accuracy, whereas the SNAPPE-II cutoff score ≥ 33 on the ROC curve had 94% accuracy in predicting mortality. CONCLUSION: In infants with the gestational age of ≥ 33 wk, SNAPPE-II and STOPS showed similar predictive ability, but the STOPS score, being a simpler clinical tool, might be more useful in resource-limited settings.

Comparison of CRIB-II with SNAPPE-II for predicting survival and morbidities before hospital discharge in neonates with gestation ≤ 32 weeks: a prospective multicentric observational study.

Various studies validated and compared Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology with Perinatal extension-II (SNAPPE-II) and Clinical Risk Index for Babies-II (CRIB-II) admission sickness severity scores for predicting survival, but very few studies compared them for predicting the morbidities in preterm infants. In this multicenter prospective observational study, SNAPPE-II and CRIB-II newborn illness severity scores were compared for predicting mortality and morbidities in infants with gestational age of ≤ 32 weeks. Major morbidities were classified as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, abnormal cranial ultrasound (presence of intraventricular hemorrhage grade III or more or periventricular leukomalacia grade II to IV), and retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment. Combined adverse outcome was defined as death or any major morbidity. Comparison of the scoring systems was done by area under the curve (AUC) on receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC curve) analysis. A total of 419 neonates who were admitted to 5 participating NICUs were studied. The mortality rate in the study population was 8.8%. Both CRIB-II (AUC: 0.795) and SNAPPE-II (AUC: 0.78) had good predictive ability for in-hospital mortality. For predicting any one of the major morbidities and combined adverse outcome, CRIB-II had better predictive ability than SNAPPE-II with AUC of 0.83 vs. 0.70 and 0.85 vs. 0.74, respectively. CONCLUSION: In infants with gestational age of ≤ 32 weeks, both CRIB-II and SNAPPE-II are good scoring systems for predicting mortality. CRIB-II, being a simpler scoring system and having better predictive ability for major morbidities and combined adverse outcome, is preferable over SNAPPE-II. WHAT IS KNOWN: • SNAPPE-II and CRIB-II scores have good predictive ability on in-hospital mortality in preterm neonates. WHAT IS NEW: • SNAPPE-II and CRIB-II both have good predictive ability for mortality, but CRIB-II has better ability for short-term morbidities related to the prematurity.

Outcomes of Very Preterm Neonates Born by Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART): A Propensity Score Matched Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes of preterm neonates born through assisted reproduction techniques (ART) and non-ART conception. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included very preterm neonates (26 weeks to 31 weeks) admitted to our neonatal unit over a six year period from 2014 to 2019. The primary outcome was composite adverse outcome of mortality or any of the major morbidities i.e., intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) grade ≤3, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) grade ≤2, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at 36 weeks, and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring treatment. RESULT: Total of 759 neonates (253 in ART group, 506 in non-ART group) were included after propensity score matching for gestational age, sex, and small for gestational age (SGA). Neonates in ART group had similar rates of composite adverse outcome [aOR (95% CI) 0.86 (0.55 - 1.36)], mortality [0.93, (0.53- 1.64)] BPD [1.18, (0.37 - 3.76)]; ROP requiring treatment [ 0.49 (0.14-1.71], and other morbidities. CONCLUSION: Very preterm neonates born through ART were not at increased risk of adverse neonatal outcomes.

Mortality and Morbidity in Premature Infants: An East and West Comparative Study.

OBJECTIVE: Survival of preterm infants differs dramatically depending on birthplace. No previous studies have compared outcomes of preterm infants between low middle-income and high-income countries such as India and the United States. The purpose of this study is to evaluate differences in care practices, resources, mortality, and morbidities in preterm infants with birth weight 700 to 1,500 g between two major neonatal centers in these countries. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study with de-identified data from Fernandez Hospital (FH) in Hyderabad, India, and Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) in Houston, TX, for infants born January 2016 to December 2018, and weighing 700 to 1,500 g at birth. The primary outcome was death before hospital discharge. RESULTS: Of 1,195 infants, 736 were admitted to FH and 459 were admitted to TCH. After controlling for differences in gestational age, small for gestational age, and antenatal corticosteroid use, TCH patients had lower mortality before hospital discharge (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.48, p < 0.001) and more bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; aOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.51-3.21, p < 0.001). The composite outcome of death or BPD and death or any major morbidity (BPD or intraventricular hemorrhage grade II or more or periventricular leukomalacia grade II or more or retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment) were not different. CONCLUSION: In this study, TCH infants had decreased odds of death before hospital discharge compared with FH but higher odds of BPD, which may be related to increased survival and differences in care practices. KEY POINTS: · Few studies compared outcomes of premature infants between different high-income countries.. · There are no studies comparing preterm infants between low middle-income and high-income countries such as India and the United States.. · This study evaluated detailed comparison of care practices and infrastructure of NICUs in India and United states..

Propensity-Matched Comparison of Very Preterm Small- and Appropriate-for-Gestational-Age Neonates.

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of mortality and major morbidities between very preterm (< 32 wk gestational age) small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) neonates. METHODS: A retrospective observational study of neonates born between 26-31 wk gestational age from January 2015 to December 2019 was done in level-3 neonatal intensive care unit of a high-risk perinatal center in South India. RESULTS: Of the 1,178 very preterm neonates born in the study period, 909 were eligible for inclusion. After propensity score matching for gestational age, gender, and antenatal steroid use, 592 (444 AGA and 148 SGA) were included in the final analysis. SGA neonates had increased odds of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) ≥ stage 2A [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.2; 95% CI: 1.15-4.21], abnormal composite outcome, i.e., any one of the mortality or major morbidities (aOR: 2.99; 95% CI: 1.96-4.57), hypoglycemia requiring intravenous fluids (aOR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.05-4.23), and anemia requiring blood transfusions (aOR: 3.13; 95% CI: 1.98-4.93); and a trend towards increased odds of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (aOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 0.92-3.91). Mortality, intraventricular hemorrhage ≥ grade 2, periventricular leukomalacia ≥ grade 2, and retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment were not different. CONCLUSIONS: SGA neonates have higher odds of having NEC ≥ stage 2A, abnormal composite outcome, hypoglycemia, and anemia compared to appropriately grown neonates.

A quality improvement initiative to improve management of procedural pain in preterm neonates.

BACKGROUND: Neonates managed in neonatal intensive care units undergo several invasive procedures. However, neonatal procedural pain is not well recognized and managed in most neonatal units. AIMS: To decrease the severity of procedural pain in preterm neonates (<37 weeks gestational age at birth), as measured by Premature Infant Pain Profile , by 50% by April 2020. METHODS: A quality improvement initiative was conducted in a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit in South India. The pain was assessed independently by 2 interns not involved in clinical care using Premature Infant Pain Profile. After a baseline data recording and questionnaire assessing knowledge of healthcare personnel regarding neonatal pain, the interventions were planned. These were conducted as plan-do-study-act cycles-(i) Educational sessions, (ii) Introduction of bedside visual aids, (iii) Simulation sessions demonstrating the use of nonpharmacological measures and introduction of procedure surveillance chart in daily rounds, and (iv) Video feedback-based sessions. In the maintenance phase, the observations were continued. RESULTS: The healthcare personnel under recognized pain related to heel pricks and endotracheal intubation. They also had poor awareness of signs and symptoms of neonatal pain. A total of 202 procedures were observed during the study period. The mean pain score decreased significantly from 12.8 ± 4.5 in baseline period to 6.2 ± 1.8 in the maintenance phase. The use of analgesic measures increased from 13% in the baseline period to 73% in the maintenance phase. The use of automated lancet for heel prick increased from 0% to 94% in maintenance phase. More and more procedures were done with appropriate environment and baby state. The mean number of procedures per day decreased from 6.5 ± 1.8 in baseline period to 2.7 ± 0.9 in the maintenance phase. CONCLUSIONS: Targeted interventions can improve neonatal procedural pain management by improving use of analgesic measures, decreasing the number of procedures, and educating and training healthcare personnel.

Predictors of length of hospital stay among preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care unit: Data from a multicentre collaborative network from India (INNC: Indian National Neonatal Collaborative).

AIM: Prediction of length of stay (LOS) among preterm neonates is important for counselling of parents and for assessing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) census and economic burden. The aim of this study is to evaluate perinatal and postnatal factors that influence LOS in preterm infants (25-33 weeks of gestation) admitted to participating NICUs of Indian National Neonatal Collaborative (INNC). METHODS: From the INNC database, the data which were prospectively entered using uniformed pre-defined criteria were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 3095 infants were included from 12 centres. Every week decrease in gestation increased LOS by 9 days. The median LOS for infants with gestational age of 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 weeks were 86, 70, 62, 52, 40, 30, 23, 16 and 10 days, respectively. On multivariate analysis, abnormal antenatal umbilical artery doppler, severe small for gestational age (SGA), requirement of resuscitation, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), seizures, sepsis, necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), major malformations and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) increased LOS by 5.4 (3.5-7.4), 21.6 (19-23.9), 4.7 (3.3-6.1), 3 (1.7-4.3), 15.2 (8.5-22.1), 11.2 (9.1-13.2), 9.8 (5.2-14.4), 8.8 (4.4-13.3) and 5.6 (0.5-10.7) days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from lower gestation and birth weight, abnormal antenatal umbilical artery doppler, severe SGA, resuscitation need, major malformations, RDS, seizures, sepsis, NEC and BPD influenced LOS in preterm infants. In comparison with other networks or data from developed countries, LOS in our network was comparatively less for similar gestational age infants.

The impact of a quality improvement project to reduce admission hypothermia on mortality and morbidity in very low birth weight infants.

This prospective observational study was aimed to analyze the impact of a quality improvement project to reduce admission hypothermia on composite outcome of neonatal mortality and major morbidities. Infants with birth weight between 500 and 1499 g and gestation ≥ 25 weeks without major congenital malformations delivered between January 2018 and January 2020 who were admitted directly from delivery room to NICU were included in the study. Study period was divided in three phases including pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention phase. There were a total of 368 VLBW infants included in the study. Mean admission temperature of neonates was 35.3 ± 0.6 °C, 36.0 ± 0.8 °C, and 36.4 ± 0.4 °C during pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention phase, respectively. Absolute incidence of composite outcome was 31%, 20%, and 13.2% during pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention phase, respectively. Risk of adverse composite outcome was significantly lower in post-intervention period as compared to pre-intervention period (aRR 0.68, 95% CI 0.49-0.92). Nosocomial sepsis and need for invasive ventilation was also significantly less in post-intervention period as compared to pre-intervention period.Conclusion: Implementation of thermoregulatory interventions best suited to local settings help in significant reduction of neonatal hypothermia, which in turn can help to improve neonatal outcomes. What is known: • Admission hypothermia is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes. • Implementation of quality improvement projects help reducing hypothermia incidence. What is new: • Implementation of quality improvement project to reduce admission hypothermia resulted in reduction in incidence of adverse composite neonatal outcome. • Also implementation of quality improvement project led to reduction in incidence of nosocomial sepsis and need of invasive ventilation.

Accuracy of Bilistick (a Point-of-Care Device) to Detect Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia.

INTRODUCTION: Early diagnosis and appropriate management of neonatal jaundice is crucial in avoiding severe hyperbilirubinemia and brain injury. A low-cost, minimally invasive, point-of-care (PoC) tool for total bilirubin (TB) estimation which can be useful across all ranges of bilirubin values and all settings is the need of the hour. OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of Bilistick system, a PoC device, for measurement of TB in comparison with estimation by spectrophotometry. DESIGN/METHODS: In this cross-sectional clinical study, in infants who required TB estimation, blood samples in 25-µl sample transfer pipettes were collected at the same time from venous blood obtained for laboratory bilirubin estimation. The accuracy of Bilistick in estimating TB within ±2 mg/dl of bilirubin estimation by spectrophotometry was the primary outcome. RESULTS: Among the enrolled infants, 198 infants were eligible for study analysis with the mean gestation of 36 ± 2.3 weeks and the mean birth weight of 2368 ± 623 g. The median age at enrollment was 68.5 h (interquartile range: 48-92). Bilistick was accurate only in 54.5% infants in measuring TB within ±2 mg/dl difference of TB measured by spectrophotometry. There was a moderate degree of correlation between the two methods (r = 0.457; 95% CI: 0.339-0.561, p value < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean difference of 0.5 mg/dl (SD ± 4.4) with limits of agreement between -8.2 and +9.1 mg/dl. CONCLUSION: Bilistick as a PoC device is not accurate to estimate TB within the clinically acceptable difference (±2 mg/dl) of TB estimation by spectrophotometry and needs further improvement to make it more accurate.