Karin Grossauer

Regional Oxygen Saturation of the Brain and Peripheral Tissue during Birth Transition of Term Infants

OBJECTIVE To evaluate regional tissue oxygenation of the brain and preductal and postductal peripheral (muscle) tissue during immediate transition after birth, and to correlate with peripheral preductal and postductal arterial oxygen saturation. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a prospective observational study. With near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), changes in regional oxygen saturation of the brain (rSO2brain), peripheral preductal tissue (rSO2pre), and peripheral postductal tissue (rSO2post) were measured during the first 10 minutes of life in 59 healthy term infants after elective caesarean delivery. Fractional tissue oxygen extraction was calculated for all 3 regions. RESULTS Mean rSO2brain increased rapidly from 44% (3 minutes) to 76% (7 minutes); thereafter no significant change occurred. Mean rSO2pre and rSO2post increased constantly from minute 3 to minute 10, from 36%(pre)/27%(post) to 66%(pre)/58%(post). Fractional tissue oxygen extraction decreased in all 3 regions during the first minutes of life. Fractional tissue oxygen extraction of the brain did not change significantly after 5 minutes, and preductal and postductal fractional tissue oxygen extraction did not change significantly after 8 minutes. CONCLUSIONS During transition, the brain had the highest saturation levels, indicating a preference of oxygen delivery to the brain. Fractional tissue oxygen extraction of the brain reached a plateau earlier compared with peripheral tissue.

Comparison of peripheral and cerebral tissue oxygenation index in neonates

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive method to measure haemoglobin and tissue oxygenation continuously. Measurement of “cerebral tissue oxygenation index” (c-TOI)1 and “peripheral tissue oxygenation index” (p-TOI)2 is based on spatially resolved spectroscopy (SRS). SRS is realised with one light detector having sensors at different distances. The aim of the present study was to measure c-TOI and p-TOI simultaneously to compare the two values. NIRS measurements were carried out in 20 term and preterm infants (gestational age >29 weeks and birth weight >1200 g) within the first 8 weeks after birth. At time of measurements the infants had …

Congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasis.

Congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasis (CPL) is a rare vascular malformation causing dilated lymph vessels and disturbed drainage of lymph fluid. Based on the pathogenesis and clinical phenotype it can be classified as primary or secondary CPL. Associated genetic syndromes with or without lymphedema, familial occurrence and gene mutations have been described. In utero, it may present as non-immune hydrops with pleural effusions. At birth neonates may have respiratory failure due to chylothorax and pulmonary hypoplasia, causing very high short term mortality rates. Other cases may become symptomatic any time later in childhood or even during adult life. CPL is usually diagnosed based on the combination of clinical signs, imaging and histological findings. Open-lung biopsy is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of CPL. Treatment is primarily supportive featuring aggressive mechanical ventilation and the management of problems associated with congenital chylothorax including chest-drainage, medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) diet, and octreotide.

Tilting the Head Changes Cerebral Haemodynamics in Neonates

Background: Tilting only the head influences cerebral haemodynamics in term and preterm neonates. Objective: To evaluate near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a method to detect changes of cerebral oxygenated (HbO2) and deoxygenated haemoglobin (Hb) and ‘cerebral tissue-oxygenation-index’ (cTOI) while tilting. Furthermore to investigate whether the comparison of cTOI and ‘cerebral mixed venous oxygen saturation’ (tiltSvO2), calculated out of the increase of HbO2 and Hb, improves reproducibility. Methods: During five ‘reapplication’ periods of NIRS optodes on the left forehead of 40 neonates, five tilting manoeuvres of the head were performed. Changes of NIRS parameters during tilting were analysed. The first quality criterion was defined by a linear increase of total haemoglobin (HbT; r2 > 0.95). The second quality criterion was: cTOI > tiltSvO2 (= cTOI – tiltSvO2> 0). Analysis of variance components and comparison of mean of standard deviations were applied to data after introduction of each quality criterion. Results: While HbO2, Hb and HbT showed a linear increase in all neonates during tilting, cTOI did not change. With the introduction of the second criterion, mean cTOI increased from 73.7 ± 6.9 to 75.1 ± 6.9%, mean tiltSvO2 decreased from 72.6 ± 7.1 to 65.3 ± 6.9% and mean of standard deviations of both parameters decreased. The analysis of variance components showed no significant change. Conclusion: A tilting-down manoeuvre of the head of term and preterm neonates can cause an increase of HbO2, Hb and HbT. tiltSvO2 can be calculated out of these changes. By introducing two quality criteria, reproducibility of cerebral NIRS measurements (cTOI and tiltSvO2) improved.

Severe primary pulmonary lymphangiectasis in a premature infant: Management and follow up to early childhood

Primary pulmonary lymphangiectasis (PPL) is a rare congenital developmental abnormality of the lung with a generally poor prognosis. Only a limited number of patients with neonatal‐onset PPL have been reported to survive. We present the case of a male preterm infant (gestational age 34 weeks 6 days) with histologically confirmed PPL, complicated by hydrops fetalis, bilateral hydrothorax (treated in utero with pleuro‐amniotic shunts), and immediate respiratory distress at birth. He survived after extensive neonatal intensive care therapy and was discharged home at the age of 7 months. At last follow up he was 3 years 7 months old, still requiring assisted ventilation via tracheostomy, having recurrent episodes of wheezing and had mild global developmental delay. This case demonstrates that survival beyond the neonatal period is possible even with severe PPL but long‐term morbidity may be relevant, and multidisciplinary management and close follow up are essential.