Rahmi Örs

Procalcitonin measurement at 24 hours of age may be helpful in the prompt diagnosis of early-onset neonatal sepsis

BACKGROUND The clinical signs of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) are nonspecific and indistinguishable from those of noninfectious disorders. The early diagnosis of EONS is difficult, but is essential to improve outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of procalcitonin (PCT) at birth and at 24h of age in the prompt diagnosis of EONS. METHODS The patient group consisted of neonates with a Töllner score of ≥ 10 or a Töllner score of 5-10 but with the presence of prolonged rupture of the membranes (> 18 h) or chorioamnionitis or maternal fever (n=171). The control group (n=89) comprised neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit for different disease entities. Procalcitonin levels at birth (first) and at 24h of age (second) were measured for each neonate in both of the study groups. RESULTS There was no difference between the two groups in terms of gender, birth weight, or gestational age. The mean (min-max) first PCT level was 0.48 (0.07-3.48)ng/ml in the controls and 0.51 (0.09-28.6)ng/ml in patients. The mean (min-max) second PCT level was 1.72 (0.21-18.23)ng/ml in the controls and 16.17 (0.17-100)ng/ml in patients. There was no statistically significant difference in PCT levels between the patient and control groups at birth. However, at 24h of age, PCT levels were significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group (p<0.001). Serum PCT levels in controls at 24h of age were slightly increased compared to levels at birth, but as a normal reaction. PCT thresholds for the diagnosis of sepsis were 0.59 ng/ml at birth (sensitivity 48.7%, specificity 68.6%) and 5.38 ng/ml at 24h of life (sensitivity 83.3%, specificity 88.6%). CONCLUSIONS In EONS, PCT measurements at birth may initially be normal; a serial PCT measurement at 24h of age may be more helpful for an early diagnosis. During the first 24h of life PCT is a more sensitive marker of infection than C-reactive protein. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Normal values of left and right ventricular function measured by M‐mode, pulsed doppler and Doppler tissue imaging in healthy term neonates during a 1‐year period

BACKGROUND The measurements of left and right ventricular functions change after birth due to the influence of several hemodynamic changes upon the immature myocardium. AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) functions of healthy term newborns using conventional and Doppler echocardiography during a 1-year period. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Fifty healthy term newborns were examined prospectively on the first day, 3-4, 6-7, 9-10 and 11-12 months of their lives by M-mode, pulsed Doppler (PD) and Doppler tissue imaging techniques (DTI). PD velocities were obtained from mitral and tricuspid valves while DTI velocities were obtained from the lateral annuluses of atrioventricular valves. RESULTS EF and FS did not change significantly by time. Early (E) flow velocity and early myocardial (Em) velocity were higher than late (A) flow velocity and atrial systolic (Am) velocity for LV, while A and Am velocities were higher than E and Em velocities for RV, respectively during the study period. E, A, Em, Am, Sm velocities and Em/Am ratios increased while E/Em ratios decreased significantly by time (P<0.05) for both ventricle. However, E/A ratios of LV and RV did not change significantly by time. Myocardial performance index (MPI), obtained by PD for RV and by DTI for LV, decreased significantly by time (P<0.05) and these DTI values were higher than PD values during the study period. CONCLUSIONS Due to hemodynamic and maturation change of myocardium PD and DTI velocity changes took place during the first year of life which reflects differences in ventricular adaptation.

The incidence of congenital anomalies associated with cleft palate/cleft lip and palate in neonates in the Konya region, Turkey.

Additional congenital anomalies have often been found in patients with orofacial clefts. We wanted to find out the incidence and type of congenital malformations that may accompany cleft palate (CP) and cleft lip and palate (CLP) in babies born in the Konya region. A total of 121 newborn babies with CP or CLP were prospectively included in the study, and all were assessed in detail for congenital anomalies. Of 121 babies, 86 (71%) had CLP and 35 (29%) had CP. There was at least one congenital malformation in 80 (66%) of the cases. Additional congenital malformations were seen in 26 (74%) of the 35 with isolated CP, and 54 (63%) in the 86 patients with CLP (p<0.05). The most common congenital malformation was congenital heart disease, followed by head and neck anomalies. The most common congenital heart disease was atrial septal defect. A serious chromosomal anomaly was found in 18/121 patients with CP or CLP (15%). Of the 80 babies in whom congenital malformations were found, 31 (39%) had dysmorphic features. While 21 (68%) of dysmorphic cases had isolated CP, 10 (32%) had CLP (p<0.05). The rates of premature delivery, intrauterine growth retardation, and consanguinity between parents were higher in patients with CP or CLP. The neonatal mortality was 20% (n=24). Our results indicate that at least one congenital anomaly is also present in about two-thirds of newborn babies with CP and CLP, and these anomalies significantly increase their morbidity and mortality. All newborn babies with CP and CLP should be screened for additional congenital anomalies, particularly of the cardiovascular system.

NMR-Based Screening for Inborn Errors of Metabolism: Initial Results from a Study on Turkish Neonates

Approximately 1 in 400 neonates in Turkey is affected by inherited metabolic diseases. This high prevalence is at least in part due to consanguineous marriages. Standard screening in Turkey now covers only three metabolic diseases (phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, and biotinidase deficiency). Once symptoms have developed, tandem-MS can be used, although this currently covers only up to 40 metabolites. NMR potentially offers a rapid and versatile alternative.We conducted a multi-center clinical study in 14 clinical centers in Turkey. Urine samples from 989 neonates were collected and investigated by using NMR spectroscopy in two different laboratories. The primary objective of the present study was to explore the range of variation of concentration and chemical shifts of specific metabolites without clinically relevant findings that can be detected in the urine of Turkish neonates. The secondary objective was the integration of the results from a healthy reference population of neonates into an NMR database, for routine and completely automatic screening of congenital metabolic diseases.Both targeted and untargeted analyses were performed on the data. Targeted analysis was aimed at 65 metabolites. Limits of detection and quantitation were determined by generating urine spectra, in which known concentrations of the analytes were added electronically as well as by real spiking. Untargeted analysis involved analysis of the whole spectrum for abnormal features, using statistical procedures, including principal component analysis. Outliers were eliminated by model building. Untargeted analysis was used to detect known and unknown compounds and jaundice, proteinuria, and acidemia. The results will be used to establish a database to detect pathological concentration ranges and for routine screening.

Persistent Nasal Bleeding Due to Nasal CPAP Application in 2 Premature Newborns Successfully Treated With Topical “Ankaferd Blood Stopper”

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is one of the most common causes of hospitalization of premature babies in newborn intensive care units. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been used widely for a long time in the treatment of RDS. Nasal bleeding due to nasal mucosal injury is not rare in the course of nasal CPAP application. Nasal bleeding can usually be controlled uneventfully with simple applications. However, to bring these bleedings under control can sometimes be difficult and time consuming. Furthermore, continuous bleeding can occlude the respiratory route by forming a plug. Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) is a herbal product that can stop cutaneous, dental, and postoperational external bleeding in a few minutes. Herein, we wanted to share our experience in using topical ABS to control epistaxis that had appeared in 2 premature babies related to CPAP application, and which could not be controlled using conventional methods. Nasal CPAP was applied on 2 premature babies born at 30 and 32 weeks of gestation and hospitalized for RDS treatment. However, unilateral nasal bleeding began on the first and the third day of treatment, respectively. Nasal bleeding was attempted to be controlled using conventional methods (pressure on the nose, irrigation with hot water, topical vasoconstrictor agent application, etc), but bleeding could not be stopped. Thrombocyte counts and routine hemostasis tests of both babies were normal. Intramuscular vitamin K (0.5 mg) was administered at birth. Ankaferd blood stopper (Ankaferd Health Products Ltd, _ Istanbul, Turkey) was applied onto the bleeding nostrils of both babies as a topical spray form. Bleeding stopped in a few minutes following ABS application and did not recur. No systemic or local adverse effects were observed. Ankaferd blood stopper is a hemostatic agent consisting of 5 distinct herbal extracts named Urtica dioica, Vitis vinifera, Glycrrhiza glabra, Alpinia officinarum, and Thymus vulgaris. This product, which is used in traditional Turkish medicine, has been licensed by the Ministry of Health. There are many clinical and experimental studies proving its effect on controlling digestive tract, oral, nasal, and cutaneous bleedings, which show whether there they accompany any coagulation disorders. In published studies, it has been shown that this product has no serious adverse effects. Ankaferd blood stopper achieves hemostasis independently from coagulation factors and the classical coagulation cascade. It constitutes a structural network via interference with blood proteins, mainly with fibrinogen, and thus, it provides vital aggregation of erythrocytes. It can be used both for individuals with normal hemostasis and primary or secondary hemostasis disorders as it does not interfere with the cascade working upon coagulation factors. Based on our experience in these 2 cases, we can conclude that topical ABS application is a practical, effective, and safe hemostatic treatment modality. We believe that topical ABS application will create a novel treatment modality in superficial cutaneous and mucosal bleedings in newborns including premature babies.

Fully automated simultaneous umbilical arteriovenous exchange transfusion in term and late preterm infants with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia

Abstract Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of two different catheterization techniques of exchange transfusion (ET) used in the therapy of newborn jaundice: fully automated two-way ET technique and the classical one-way ET. Patients and methods: The study included babies at gestational age of >34 weeks. In total, 107 ETs were performed on 86 babies. Totally, the umbilical vein (UV) group included 54 babies having undergone 69 ETs and the UV/UA group included 32 babies having undergone 38 ETs. Results: The declines in bilirubin levels right after ET (p = 0.018) and 8 h after ET (p = 0.014) were higher in the fully automated UV/UA technique than in the classical UV technique. Furthermore, the duration of intensive phototherapy following ET was shorter in the UV/UA method than in the UV method (p = 0.003). There was no difference between the two methods in terms of ET-associated complications (p = 0.927). Conclusions: In neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, ET with fully automated UV/UA technique is more efficient than the classical ET technique, causing no additional side-effects. It is also more physiological than the classical technique, since it minimizes the fluctuations in the blood volume and intravascular pressure during ET.

Is myocardial performance index useful in differential diagnosis of moderate and severe hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy? A serial Doppler echocardiographic evaluation

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of myocardial performance index as an additive criterion to Sarnat criteria in differential diagnosis of newborn babies with moderate and severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. METHODS Our study group included 50 healthy term newborn babies and 20 newborn babies with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. The 20 newborn babies with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy were scored using Sarnat grades. Left and right ventricular functions were determined on the first day and thereafter in the 1, 3-4, 6-7, and 11-12 months of life by M-Mode and pulsed Doppler. RESULTS Myocardial performance indexes of the left ventricle were significantly higher in the severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy group than in the control group during the first, second, and third analyses (p = 0.01, p = 0.02, p = 0.02, respectively) and only during the first analysis (p = 0.01) in the moderate hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy group. In addition, the myocardial performance indexes of the right ventricle were significantly higher during the first, second, and third analyses in both severe and moderate hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy groups than in the control group (p = 0.01, all). Hypoxia-induced alterations last longer in the right ventricle than in the left ventricle in the moderate group, as during the second and third analyses myocardial performance index continues to be higher than the control group. CONCLUSION Myocardial performance indexes for the left and right ventricles were significantly higher in both severe and moderate hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy groups than in the control group during the first analysis, and myocardial performance index greater than or equal to 0.5 can be used in order to distinguish moderate and severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy babies according to Sarnat grades as a discriminative additive criterion.

Congenital tuberculosis in premature twins after in vitro fertilisation

Genital tuberculosis is a major cause of infertility in countries where tuberculosis is endemic. With recent advances in assisted reproductive technology, women with tuberculous endometritis may become pregnant and ultimately have children with congenital tuberculosis. In vitro fertilisation represents a useful treatment for infertility. Congenital tuberculosis is a rare and severe, rapidly progressive, disease. Making an early diagnosis of congenital tuberculosis is difficult, because it can mimic many neonatal illnesses. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first cases of premature twins with congenital tuberculosis following in vitro fertilisation. After the diagnosis of genital tuberculosis in the mother, the twins were screened and diagnosed for tuberculosis. The twins dramatically improved after anti-tuberculosis therapy. We also wish to draw attention to the importance of searching for genital tuberculosis as the possible cause of congenital infection, even if the mother is asymptomatic.

[Comparison of left and right ventricular pulsed and tissue Doppler myocardial performance index values using Z-score in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy].

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study is determination of myocardial performance index (MPI/Tei index) using pulsed (PD) and tissue Doppler (TD) techniques to show cardiac response in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and healthy newborns and eventually evaluation of the differences between these two techniques. METHODS The study is a prospective observational study. Twenty term newborns diagnosed as perinatal asphyxia during postnatal 24 hours due to the defined criteria and fifty healthy term neonates as control group were included the study. Hypoxic group was divided into two groups with Sarnat stages, Sarnat Stage 1 and 2-3. MPIs (Tei indexes) were calculated with PD and TD echocardiographic techniques in all groups after the 24 hours of birth and one year later. The statistical differences between same techniques were calculated with Kruskal-Wallis test and Z score was used to compare the superiority of two techniques. RESULTS The MPI values calculated by PD (0.41±0.04, 0.51±0.02) and TD (0.59±0.04, 0.51±0.02) during the first day of life in Sarnat Stage 2-3 in both ventricles were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.01, p<0.02, p<0.03). While the Z score, calculated for MPI measured by PD and TD methods, were found similar in both ventricles in Sarnat Stage 1 and control groups, it was significantly different in other groups of Sarnat stages. CONCLUSION The degree of cardiac response in neonates with HIE is associated with the severity of hypoxia. MPI values are not different from the controls in newborns received mild hypoxia while they are higher in the patients who were received moderate or severe hypoxia. Any advantage could not be found between two techniques according to the measurement values, but higher variability in the value of MPI, measured by TD method, calculated from moderate and severe hypoxia group was detected.