Neonatal network : NN
-
Oxygen is one of the most commonly administered drugs in the neonatal intensive care unit. A variety of techniques exists to deliver oxygen to infants who are not on a ventilator or who are not receiving positive pressure. These techniques include oxygen hood, nasal cannula, face mask delivery or "free flow," and "flooding" the incubator with oxygen. ⋯ Recent advances in incubator technology have improved the delivery of supplcmental oxygen by incubator flooding. This technique is generally underutilized, but it has some advantages over thc other modalities in certain clinical scenarios. The neonatal nurse needs to be aware of the characteristics of the various oxygen delivery technologies and the tools needed to optimally care for infants who are dependent on supplemental oxygen.
-
This article examines common cyanotic congenital heart lesions that result in an increase in pulmonary blood flow. These lesions include transposition of the great arteries, truncus arteriosus, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, tricuspid atresia, and single ventricle. ⋯ The hemodynamics, presentation, diagnosis, medical management, and surgical treatment of each lesion are discussed. Support and teaching needs of the parents are also addressed.
-
Neonatal network : NN · Oct 1996
ReviewThe value of the white blood cell count and differential in the prediction of neonatal sepsis.
Infection is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in high-risk neonates. Because infection has many nonspecific signs and symptoms, the neonatal nurse plays a crucial role in the early recognition of infection. The interpretation of the white blood cell (WBC) count and differential can be difficult and must take into account many factors, including gestational age, weight, and postconceptional age. This article focuses on those factors that affect WBC interpretation, as well as steps nurses can take to minimize specimen and sampling errors.