Neonatology
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Therapeutic hypothermia (HT) is the standard treatment for newborns after perinatal asphyxia. Preclinical studies report that HT is more effective when started early. ⋯ Starting cooling before 3 h of age in surviving asphyxiated newborns is safe and significantly improves motor outcome. Cooling should be initiated as soon as possible after birth in eligible infants.
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Mechanical ventilation (MV) is associated with changes in autonomic nervous system activity in preterm infants, which can be assessed by measurements of heart rate variability (HRV). Decreased HRV has been described in adults undergoing disconnection from MV; such information is not available in preterm infants. ⋯ Infants considered 'ready to be extubated' but who subsequently failed their first extubation attempt had decreased HRV prior to extubation. Though promising, the value of HRV as a predictor of extubation readiness requires further evaluation.
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During mask ventilation, the mask volume can vary as it is pressurized or when it is squeezed. The change in volume of the mask may affect tidal volumes delivered and difference in inspired (Vti) and expired tidal volumes (Vte). ⋯ Variation in mask hold during mask ventilation can influence volume measurement, but this hardly occurs when testing caregivers.
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Comparative Study
Nasal high-frequency oscillation for lung carbon dioxide clearance in the newborn.
Noninvasive ventilation has been used increasingly in recent years to minimize the duration of endotracheal mechanical ventilation in neonates due to its association with lung injury. Nasal high-frequency oscillation (nHFO) is a relatively new noninvasive modality but evidence for its use is limited. ⋯ Nasal HFO is effective and superior to NIPPV at lung CO2 elimination in a newborn mannequin model. The use of nHFO as the preferred mode of noninvasive ventilation warrants further clinical studies.
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Alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACD/MPV) is a rare, fatal, neonatal developmental lung disorder, which usually presents as persistent pulmonary hypertension unresponsive to treatment. The authors report the case of a neonate with persistent pulmonary hypertension, associated with duodenal stenosis secondary to annular pancreas and intestinal malrotation. Support treatment, inhaled nitric oxide, oral sildenafil and nebulized iloprost were used with no clinical improvement. ⋯ FOXF1 has been identified as one of the genes responsible for ACD/MPV associated with multiple congenital malformations. This clinical case is the first report of a heterozygous nonsense mutation c.539C>A;p. S180X in the first exon of FOXF1, in a patient with ACD/MPV associated with annular pancreas and intestinal malrotation.