Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography.

Abstract

Targeted neonatal echocardiography (TnECHO) refers to the use of comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation and physiologic data to obtain accurate, reliable, and real-time information on developmental hemodynamics in sick newborns. The comprehensive assessment is based on a multiparametric approach that overcomes the reliability issues of individual measurements, allows for earlier recognition of cardiovascular compromise and promotes enhanced diagnostic precision and timely management. TnECHO-driven research has led to an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms of illness and the development of predictive models to identify at-risk populations. This information may then be used to formulate a diagnostic impression and provide individualized guidance for the selection of cardiovascular therapies. TnECHO is based on the expert consultative model in which a neonatologist, with advanced training in neonatal hemodynamics, performs comprehensive and standardized TnECHO assessments. The distinction from point of care ultrasonography (POCUS), which provides limited and brief one-time assessments, is important. Neonatal hemodynamics training is a 1-year structured program designed to optimize image acquisition, measurement analysis, and hemodynamic knowledge (physiology, pharmacotherapy) to support cardiovascular decision-making. Neonatologists with hemodynamic expertise are trained to recognize deviations from normal anatomy and appropriately refer cases of possible structural abnormalities. We provide an outline of neonatal hemodynamics training, the standardized TnECHO imaging protocol, and an example of representative echo findings in a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus.