Protocol and Guidelines for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound in Diagnosing Neonatal Pulmonary Diseases Based on International Expert Consensus.

Ultrasound is a safe bedside imaging tool that obviates the use of ionizing radiation diagnostic procedures. Due to its convenience, the lung ultrasound has received increasing attention from neonatal physicians. Nevertheless, clear reference standards and guideline limits are needed for accurate application of this diagnostic modality. This document aims to summarize expert opinions and to provide precise guidance to help facilitate the use of the lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of neonatal lung diseases.

The use of less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) in the United States with review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The majority of extremely low gestational age neonates undergo intubation for surfactant therapy. Less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) uses a thin catheter inserted into the trachea to deliver the surfactant. During the procedure, the infant is breathing spontaneously while supported with continuous positive airway pressure. Although LISA is widely adapted in Europe and Australia, the rate of LISA use in the United States is unknown. STUDY DESIGN: The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of LISA in the US. A web-based survey was distributed via SurveyMonkey to 2550 neonatologists from AAP's SoNPM mailing list. RESULTS: Of the 472 neonatologists who answered the survey, 15% used LISA either as a part of routine care (8%) or as part of research (7%). CONCLUSION: Unlike several regions of Europe, LISA is not widely used in the US. Future studies should address ambiguities regarding infant selection, procedure training and "roadblocks" to its broader application.

Patient selection and vitamin E treatment in diabetes mellitus.

In diabetes, there is an increase in oxidative stress due to elevated glucose levels in the plasma. High glucose promotes glycosylation, of both plasma and cellular proteins, which particularly affects the endothelial-cell lining of the blood vessel wall and interferes with its normal function. Thus, diabetes mellitus patients suffer from a higher incidence of cardiovascular complications such as atherosclerosis as compared with the nondiabetic population. Haptoglobin (Hp) is a plasma protein that binds free hemoglobin and prevents heme-iron mediated oxidation. There are three different types of Hp, which differ in their antioxidant ability. Several clinical studies have shown that the Hp 2-2 genotype is associated with higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases among diabetics. Vitamin E, a low-cost, easy-to-use antioxidant, was found to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in Hp 2-2 diabetic patients. This review summarizes several studies that show the importance of vitamin E supplementation in a specific subgroup of patients, diabetic individuals carrying the Hp 2-2 genotype.