Adam Buckmaster

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy for Infants With Respiratory Distress in Non–Tertiary Care Centers: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE. Our objective was to determine whether continuous positive airway pressure therapy would safely reduce the need for up-transfer of infants with respiratory distress from nontertiary centers. METHODS. We randomly assigned 300 infants at >30 weeks of gestation with respiratory distress to receive either Hudson prong bubble continuous positive airway pressure therapy or headbox oxygen treatment (standard care). The primary end point was “up-transfer or treatment failure.” Secondary end points included death, length of nursery stay, time receiving oxygen therapy, cost of care, and other measures of morbidity. RESULTS. Of 151 infants who received continuous positive airway pressure therapy, 35 either were up-transferred or experienced treatment failure, as did 60 of the 149 infants given headbox oxygen treatment. There was no difference in the length of stay or the duration of oxygen treatment. For every 6 infants treated with continuous positive airway pressure therapy, there was an estimated cost saving of

Mild encephalopathy with reversible splenial lesion: An important differential of encephalitis

10000. Pneumothorax was identified for 14 infants in the continuous positive airway pressure group and 5 in the headbox group. There was no difference in any other measure of morbidity or death. CONCLUSIONS. Hudson prong bubble continuous positive airway pressure therapy reduces the need for up-transfer of infants with respiratory distress in nontertiary centers. There is a clinically relevant but not statistically significant increase in the risk of pneumothorax. There are significant benefits associated with continuous positive airway pressure use in larger nontertiary centers.

Parental stress and satisfaction in the non-tertiary special care nursery

Mild encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) is a clinico-radiological syndrome characterized by a transient mild encephalopathy and a reversible lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum on MRI. This syndrome has almost universally been described in children from Japan and East Asia. Here we describe seven cases of MERS occurring in Caucasian Australian children from one centre seen over a 3 year period. All patients had a fever-associated encephalopathy (n = 7), which presented with confusion (n = 4), irritability (n = 3), lethargy (n = 3), slurred speech (n = 3), drowsiness (n = 2) and hallucinations (n = 2). Other neurological symptoms included ataxia (n = 5) and seizures (n = 1). These symptoms resolved rapidly over 4-6 days followed by complete neurological recovery. In all patients, MRI performed within 1-3 days of onset of encephalopathy demonstrated a symmetrical diffusion-restricted lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum. Three patients had additional lesions involving other parts of the corpus callosum and adjacent periventricular white matter. These same three patients had mild persisting white matter changes evident at followup MRI, while the other patients had complete resolution of radiological changes. A potential trigger was present in five of the seven cases: Kawasaki disease, Salmonella, cytomegalovirus, influenza B and adenovirus (all n = 1). Elevated white cell count (n = 4), elevated C reactive protein (n = 5) and hyponatremia (n = 6) were commonly observed. CSF was performed in four patients, which showed no pleocytosis. This case series of MERS demonstrates this condition occurs outside of East Asia and is an important differential to consider in children presenting with acute encephalopathy.

Ethical issues in preventing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B by immunisation

AIM This paper is a report of a study examining the effects of using headbox oxygen and continuous oxygen positive airway pressure treatments for respiratory distress on stress and satisfaction of parents with infants in a special care nursery, and the relationship between parental stress and satisfaction. BACKGROUND Continuous positive airway pressure respiratory support is increasingly used in special care nurseries worldwide. Almost nothing is known about effects of different types of respiratory support on the stress and satisfaction of parents with babies in the special care nursery. METHOD Questionnaires were used from August 2004 to June 2006 in five special care nurseries to measure parental stress using an adaptation of the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and 5-point scales to measure overall stress and satisfaction. FINDINGS Questionnaires were returned from 42 parents of babies receiving headbox oxygen and 51 parents of babies receiving continuous positive airway pressure (62% response rate). High stress was commonly reported. Stress did not differ statistically significantly between the two treatments. Parents with babies receiving continuous positive airway pressure were more satisfied compared to the headbox group. Stress and satisfaction were not statistically significantly correlated. CONCLUSION Clinicians need not favour either method of respiratory support when attempting to minimize parental experience of environmental stress. Further research is needed to test parental stress reduction strategies in the special care nursery.

Practice variation in initial management and transfer thresholds for infants with respiratory distress in Australian hospitals. Who should write the guidelines

Without intervention, a pregnant woman who is a chronic hepatitis B carrier is at risk of transmitting hepatitis B and of her infant becoming a chronic carrier and having a significantly increased lifetime risk of developing liver cancer or cirrhosis. Hepatitis B vaccine and immunoglobulin reduce the risk of the baby becoming a carrier, but with only a short window period after birth to deliver this potentially life-saving intervention. We reviewed the evidence on the magnitude of the risk. If the carrier mother is e antigen positive (highly infective), the calculated risk to the infant without intervention is 75.2%, reduced to 6.0% by giving vaccine and immunoglobulin at birth. If the mother is surface antigen positive but e antigen negative, the risk to the infant without intervention is 10.3%, reduced to 1.0% by giving vaccine and immunoglobulin. If vaccine is accepted but immunoglobulin refused, as for example by some Jehovahs Witnesses, the risk to babies of e antigen positive mothers is reduced to 21.0% and to babies of e antigen negative mothers to 2.6%. These figures can be used to inform parents and as a possible basis for child protection proceedings if parents decline vaccine and/or immunoglobulin. We argue from the perspective of the best interests of the child that the severity of the condition justifies initiating child protection proceedings whenever a baby is born to a hepatitis B carrier mother and, despite concerted attempts to persuade them, the parents refuse vaccine and/or immunoglobulin.

CPAP use in babies with respiratory distress in Australian special care nurseries

Aim:  In Australian hospitals: (i) to identify current practices in the initial oxygen management of infants with respiratory distress; (ii) to identify factors important in deciding to transfer an infant; and (iii) to identify thresholds for transfer.

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure for respiratory distress in non‐tertiary care centres: What is needed and where to from here?

Aim:  This study sought to identify the number of special care nurseries (SCNs) already using CPAP in 2004, and the number considering its use in the following 2 years, and to describe the characteristics of those hospitals.

‘Halving the heel pricks’: Evaluation of a neonatal jaundice protocol incorporating the use of a transcutaneous bilirubinometer

Respiratory distress is one of the commonest reasons for admission to a special care nursery (SCN) affecting between 2.5 and 5.0% of all babies born per year. While most recover with supplemental oxygen, some require transfer to a neonatal intensive care leading to significant family disruption, and financial cost. Does nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) improve outcomes in babies with respiratory distress? What are the risks of its use? Should it be used in SCNs, and, if so, what is required in order to undertake nCPAP safely? There is strong evidence to support the use of nCPAP in the treatment of babies with respiratory distress. The risk benefit ratio of providing nCPAP in SCNs depends upon many factors including the ability to maintain the skills required and the distance/time to the nearest tertiary centre. Appropriate nurseries should be identified with the aim of supporting them in the provision of nCPAP in a safe manner.

Need for intensive care for neonates born between 29 and 34 weeks inclusive gestation.

Aim:  This study aimed to assess the impact of implementing a new jaundice protocol incorporating the use of the Konica Minolta/Air Shields JM 103 Jaundice Meter (JM103) (Konica Minolta Sensing Inc., Osaka, Japan) in the setting of an Australian post‐natal ward.

Targeted oxygen therapy in special care nurseries: Is uniformity a good thing?

To identify the proportion of preterm infants needing neonatal intensive care (NIC) between 29 and 34 weeks gestation. To identify any associated risk factors.