Pediatrics
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The purpose of this study was to conduct an acoustic analysis of incubator noise under two conditions: when the incubator was associated with different types of life-support equipment; and when impulse noise was created by striking the side of the incubator or by opening and closing the doors of the storage unit. It was found that the life-support equipment increased the overall noise levels of incubators by as much as 15 to 20 dB. ⋯ Impulse signals created by striking the side of the incubator ranged from 130 to 140 dB. A representative impulse for opening the incubator was 92.8 dB, whereas closing the door produced a peak amplitude of 114 dB.
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While 24 newborn infants (ages, 2 to 48 hours; gestational ages, 24 to 42 weeks) breathed various concentrations of oxygen, the PO2 values on their unheated skin surface were measured by an unheated microcathode electrode for transcutaneous PO2 monitoring. In infants with arterial PO2 values in the range of 50 to 100 torr and with similar skin temperatures, the mean surface PO2 of unheated skin was inversely related to birth weight: 27.2 torr in infants weighing less than 1,500 gm, 14.3 torr in infants weighing 1,500 to 2,500gm, and 2.9 torr in infants weighing more than 2,500 gm. ⋯ Phototherapy, crying, or blood transfusion increased the surface PO2 of unheated skin, but not the tcPO2 measured at 44 degrees C. These findings suggest that blood flow to the skin in excess of its metabolic needs due to immature control of cutaneous circulation, along with low resistance to oxygen diffusion, determines the high oxygen permeability of skin in premature infants.
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The prevalence of neonatal urinary tract infection (UTI) was studied in 1,762 high-risk neonates. Symptomatic bacteriuria was found in 1.9% and asymptomatic bacteriuria in 0.5% of these neonates. Male preponderance was 5:1. ⋯ A mixed infection was found in four patients. Roentgenographic examination of the urinary tract showed abnormalities in 44% of the symptomatic patients. It is conclued that symptomatic high-risk newborn infants should be screened for bacteriuria, and that radiological investigations be preformed in those with proven infection.