Academic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Research Articles

Continuous improvement of non-emergent neonatal intubations in a level IV NICU.

We sought to improve practices and outcomes related to non-emergent neonatal intubations in a level IV academic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. A multidisciplinary team created guidelines for non-emergent neonatal intubations. In period 1, premedication practices were standardized. In period 2, paralytic use and video laryngoscope use were recommended. Premedication and video laryngoscopy practices were assessed along with number of intubation attempts and frequency of bradycardia and desaturation. 636 intubations performed by neonatology fellows and neonatal advanced practice providers were reviewed over six academic years. Two academic years were included in each of the following study periods: baseline, period 1, and period 2. In our unit, compliance with recommended premedication practices and administration of paralytic medication has increased considerably, and video laryngoscopy is now utilized in most of our procedures. The frequency of intubation success on the first attempt has increased, and the frequency of both bradycardia and desaturation during intubation has decreased. In our analysis, paralytic use (AOR 2.41, 95 CI (1.53, 3.81)) and the combination of paralytic and video laryngoscopy (AOR 4.07, 95 CI (2.09, 7.92)) are associated with increased odds of intubating successfully on the first attempt. This initiative increased the use of standardized premedication, paralytic medication and video laryngoscopy for non-emergent neonatal intubations with temporally associated improvement in patient outcomes including fewer intubation attempts and reduction in physiologic instability.

From frozen to feeding: storage characteristics of banked donor human milk used in a single level IV academic neonatal intensive care unit.

The storage time of banked donor human milk (DHM) administered in an academic hospital to critically ill preterm neonates was previously unknown. This study was designed to determine the storage time of banked DHM by measurements obtained at the hospital level (by lot finish date) and individual patient level (by feeding date) over 2-year observation period. Both methods of measuring storage time (hospital-level and patient-level) showed that DHM was stored on average 8 ±1 months before use. Variations in storage time fluctuated across months with a minimum and maximum storage duration of 119 to 317 days. Most infants received a median of 3 [2-5 IQR] unique lots of DHM. The storage time of DHM was successfully measured. Over 95% of DHM received was stored longer than 6 months. Storage times varied widely, uncovering a potential area of future research.

Quantitative Lung Ultrasonography to Guide Surfactant Therapy in Neonates Born Late Preterm and Later

Surfactant administration may be needed in late preterm through full-term neonates, but the pathophysiology of their respiratory failure can be different from that of early preterm neonates. The lung ultrasonography score (LUS) is accurate to guide surfactant replacement in early preterm neonates, but to our knowledge, it has not yet been studied in the late preterm through full-term neonatal population. To assess whether LUS is equally accurate to predict surfactant need in late preterm through full-term neonates as in early preterm neonates. This prospective, international, multicenter diagnostic study was performed between December 2022 and November 2023 in tertiary academic neonatal intensive care units in France, Italy, Spain, and the US. Late preterm through full-term neonates (≥34 weeks' gestation) with respiratory failure early after birth were enrolled. Point-of-care lung ultrasonography to calculate the neonatal LUS (range, 0-18, with higher scores indicating worse aeration), which was registered in dedicated research databases and unavailable for clinical decision-making. The main outcomes were the area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristic analysis and derived accuracy variables, considering LUS as a replacement for other tests (ie, highest global accuracy) and as a triage test (ie, highest sensitivity). Sample size was calculated to assess noninferiority of LUS to predict surfactant need in the study population compared with neonates born more prematurely. Correlations of LUS with the ratio of hemoglobin oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) to fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) and with the oxygen saturation index (OSI) were assessed. A total of 157 neonates (96 [61.1%] male) were enrolled and underwent lung ultrasonography at a median of 3 hours (IQR, 2-7 hours) of life; 32 (20.4%) needed surfactant administration (pretest probability, 20%). The AUC was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.81-0.92). The highest global accuracy and sensitivity were reached for LUS values higher than 8 or 4 or lower, respectively. Subgroup analysis gave similar diagnostic accuracy in neonates born late preterm (AUC, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81-0.97; n = 111) and early term and later (AUC, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73-0.96; n = 46). After adjusting for gestational age, LUS was significantly correlated with SpO2:FiO2 (adjusted β, -10.4; 95% CI, -14.0 to -6.7; P < .001) and OSI (adjusted β, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.3; P < .001). In this diagnostic study of late preterm through full-term neonates with respiratory failure early after birth, LUS accuracy to predict surfactant need was not inferior to that observed in earlier preterm neonates. An LUS higher than 8 was associated with highest global accuracy (replacement test), suggesting that it can be used to guide surfactant administration. An LUS value of 4 or lower was associated with the highest sensitivity (triage test), suggesting it is unlikely for this population to need surfactant.

Factors that impact second attempt success for neonatal intubation following first attempt failure: a report from the National Emergency Airway Registry for Neonates

ObjectiveTo determine the factors associated with second attempt success and the risk of adverse events following a failed first attempt at neonatal tracheal intubation.DesignRetrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on...

Effectiveness of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure vs Nasal Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation vs Noninvasive High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation as Support After Extubation of Neonates Born Extremely Preterm or With More Severe Respiratory Failure

The NASONE (Nasal Oscillation Post-Extubation) trial showed that noninvasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (NHFOV) slightly reduces the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in preterm infants, whereas NHFOV and noninvasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) result in fewer reintubations than nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP). It is unknown whether NHFOV is similarly effective in extremely preterm neonates or in those with more severe respiratory failure (based on the duration of previous ventilation and CO2 levels). To clarify whether NHFOV is better than NIPPV and NCPAP in reducing the duration of IMV in extremely preterm neonates or those with severe respiratory failure. This study is a predefined secondary analyses of a multicenter randomized clinical trial that was performed at tertiary academic neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in China. Participants included neonates enrolled in the NASONE trial between December 2017 and May 2021 and belonging to 3 predefined subgroups: (1) born at less than or equal to 28 weeks' (plus 6 days) gestation, (2) invasively ventilated for more than 1 week from birth, and (3) with CO2 greater than 50 mm Hg before or in the 24 hours after extubation. Data analysis was performed in August 2022. NCPAP, NIPPV, or NHFOV since the first extubation and until NICU discharge, with airway pressure higher in NHFOV than in NIPPV and than in NCPAP. The co-primary outcomes were total duration of IMV during the NICU stay, need for reintubation, and ventilator-free days calculated as per the original trial protocol. Outcomes were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis as for the whole trial, and subgroup analyses followed the original statistical plan. Among 1137 preterm infants, 455 (279 boys [61.3%]) were born at 28 weeks' gestation or less, 375 (218 boys [58.1%]) underwent IMV for more than 1 week from birth, and 307 (183 boys [59.6%]) had CO2 greater than 50 mm Hg before or in the 24 hours after extubation. Both NIPPV and NHFOV were associated with significantly fewer reintubations (risk difference range, -28% [95% CI, -39% to -17%] to -15% [95% CI, -25% to -4%]; number needed to treat, 3-7 infants) and early reintubations (risk difference range, -24% [95% CI, -35% to -14%] to -20% [95% CI, -30% to -10%]) than NCPAP, and these reintubations were less frequently due to refractory hypoxemia. IMV was shorter in the NIPPV and NHFOV groups (mean difference range, -5.0 days [95% CI, -6.8 to -3.1 days] to -2.3 days [95% CI, -4.1 to -0.4 days]) than in the NCPAP group. Co-primary outcomes were not different between NIPPV and NHFOV; there was no significant interaction effect. Infants in the NHFOV group showed significantly less moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia than infants in the NCPAP group (range, -12% to -10%; number needed to treat, 8-9 infants) and better postextubation gas exchange in all subgroups. The 3 interventions were provided at different mean airway pressure and were equally safe. The subgroup analyses of extremely preterm or more ill infants confirm the results obtained in the whole population: NIPPV and NHFOV appeared equally effective in reducing duration of IMV compared with NCPAP. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03181958.

Multivariate Models to Diagnose Early Referral-Warranted Retinopathy of Prematurity With Handheld Optical Coherence Tomography.

The purpose of this study was to create multivariate models predicting early referral-warranted retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) using non-contact handheld spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and demographic data. Between July 2015 and February 2018, infants ≤1500 grams birth weight or ≤30 weeks gestational age from 2 academic neonatal intensive care units were eligible for this study. Infants were excluded if they were too unstable to participate in ophthalmologic examination (2), had inadequate image quality (20), or received prior ROP treatment (2). Multivariate models were created using demographic variables and imaging findings to identify early referral-warranted ROP (referral-warranted ROP and/or pre-plus disease) by routine indirect ophthalmoscopy. A total of 167 imaging sessions of 71 infants (45% male infants, gestational age 28.2+/-2.8 weeks, and birth weight 995.6+/-292.0 grams) were included. Twelve of 71 infants (17%) developed early referral-warranted ROP. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.94 for the generalized linear mixed model (sensitivity = 95.5% and specificity = 80.7%) and 0.83 for the machine learning model (sensitivity = 91.7% and specificity = 77.8%). The strongest variables in both models were birth weight, image-based Vitreous Opacity Ratio (an estimate of opacity density), vessel elevation, and hyporeflective vessels. A model using only birth weight and gestational age yielded an AUC of 0.68 (sensitivity = 77.3% and specificity = 63.4%), and a model using only imaging biomarkers yielded 0.88 (sensitivity = 81.8% and specificity = 84.8%). A generalized linear mixed model containing handheld OCT biomarkers can identify early referral-warranted ROP. Machine learning produced a less optimal model. With further validation, this work may lead to a better-tolerated ROP screening tool.

Respiratory and haemodynamic effects of 6h-pronation in neonates recovering from respiratory distress syndrome, or affected by acute respiratory distress syndrome or evolving bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a prospective, physiological, crossover, controlled cohort study.

Pronation ameliorates oxygenation in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); the effect in neonates with ARDS or other types of respiratory failure is unknown. We aimed to verify if pronation has similar respiratory and haemodynamic effects in three common types of neonatal respiratory failure. Prospective, physiologic, crossover, quasi-randomised, controlled cohort study performed in a tertiary academic neonatal intensive care unit. We enrolled neonates with: 1) recovering respiratory distress syndrome (RDS, mild restrictive pattern); 2) neonatal ARDS (NARDS, severe restrictive pattern); or 3) evolving bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), that is chronic pulmonary insufficiency of prematurity (mixed restrictive/obstructive pattern). Neonates with other lung disorders, malformations or haemodynamic impairment were excluded. Patients were started prone or supine and then shifted to the alternate position for 6h; measurements were performed after 30' of "wash out" from the positioning and at the end of 6h period. Primary outcomes were respiratory (PtcCO2, modified ventilatory index, PtcO2/FiO2, SpO2/FiO2, oxygenation index, ultrasound-assessed lung aeration) and haemodynamic (perfusion index, heart rate, arterial pressure, cardiac output) parameters. Between May 1st, 2019, and May 31st, 2021, 161 participants were enrolled in this study, and included in the final analysis. Pronation improved gas exchange and lung aeration (p always <0.01) and these effects were overturned in the alternate position, except for lung aeration in NARDS where the improvement persisted. The effects were greater in patients recovering from RDS than in those with evolving BPD than in those with NARDS, in this order (palways <0.01). Pronation produced a net recruitment as lung ultrasound score decreased in patients shifted from supine (16.9 (standard deviation: 5.8)) to prone (14.1 (standard deviation: 3.3), p<0.01) and this reduction correlated with oxygenation improvement. Haemodynamic parameters remained within normal ranges. 6h-pronation can be used to improve gas exchange and lung aeration in neonates with recovering RDS, evolving BPD or NARDS without relevant haemodynamic effects. None.

Detection of Parechovirus and Enterovirus Among Infants Evaluated for Late-onset Sepsis in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: The Viral Respiratory Infections in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-Parechovirus-Enterovirus Study.

In a prospective cohort study of 65 inborn infants who were evaluated for late-onset sepsis at >72 hours of age in 2 academic neonatal intensive care units, none had parechovirus or enterovirus RNA detected by polymerase chain reaction performed on nasopharyngeal specimens during the first or subsequent sepsis evaluations (n = 80).

Early versus delayed enteral nutrition for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy undergoing therapeutic hypothermia: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe practice of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is widely used for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) despite its corresponding feeding strategies are still controversial. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated to evaluate the effect of early vs. delayed enteral nutrition on the incidence of feeding intolerance (FI) and other association during TH.MethodsThis single center, parallel-group, and no-blinded RCT was processed in a level III, and academic neonatal intensive care unit. Infants who were diagnosed with HIE and undertaken TH from September 2020 to August 2021 were enrolled. Participants were randomized to receive enteral nutrition either during TH/rewarming (early enteral nutrition, EEN) or after TH (delayed enteral nutrition, DEN) according to a recommend enteral feeding protocol. All data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software with a p-value< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsNinety-two infants were enrolled after randomization, but 12 (13.04%) cases including 3 (3.26%) deaths were excluded from eventually analyzed, who did not initiate or discontinue the intervention. 80 cases (42 and 38 in the EEN and DEN group, respectively) who completed the interventions were eventually analyzed. Besides initial time of enteral feeds, two groups had processed the same feeding method. Total 23 (25.0%) cases developed FI, and no difference of morbidity was found between two groups (23.4% vs 26.7%, p = 0.595; Log Rank, p = 0.803). There was no case died or developed late-onset bloodstream and no difference of the incidence of hypoglycemia or weight gain was found (p > 0.05). The percentage of infants who had not reaching the goal of full enteral feeding volume between the two groups was similar (21.43% vs 23.68%, p = 0.809). The average time of parenteral nutrition, reaching full enteral feeds and hospital stay were shorter in the EEN group compared with the DEN group with significant differences (8.81 ± 1.67 vs 10.61 ± 2.06 days, p < 0.001; 9.91 ± 1.88 vs 12.24 ± 2.50 days, p < 0.001; 12.55 ± 4.57 vs 16.47 ± 5.27 days, p = 0.001 respectively).ConclusionsCompared with delayed enteral nutrition, introduction of early enteral nutrition according to a recommend feeding strategy for neonatal HIE undergoing TH may be feasible and safe.FI is frequent in this high-risk group of infants which should not be ignored during feeding process.Trial registrationThe Chinese Clinical Trial Registry,ChiCTR2000038193, 2020-9-13, https://www.chictr.org.cn.

Implementation of a Bedside Point-of-Care Ultrasound Program in a Large Academic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

In the adult and pediatric critical care population, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can aid in diagnosis, patient management, and procedural accuracy. For neonatal providers, training in ultrasound and the use of ultrasound for diagnosis and management is increasing, but use in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is still uncommon compared with other critical care fields. Our objective was to describe the process of implementing a POCUS program in a large academic NICU and evaluate the role of ultrasound in neonatal care during early adaption of this program. A POCUS program established in December 2018 included regular bedside scanning, educational sessions, and quality assurance, in collaboration with members of the cardiology, radiology, and pediatric critical care divisions. Core applications were determined, and protocols outlined guidelines for image acquisition. An online database included images and descriptive logs for each ultrasound. A total of 508 bedside ultrasounds (76.8% diagnostic and 23.2% procedural) were performed by 23 providers from December 2018 to December 2020 in five core diagnostic applications: umbilical line visualization, cardiac, lung, abdomen (including bladder), and cranial as well as procedural applications. POCUS guided therapy and influenced clinical management in all applications: umbilical line assessment (26%), cardiac (33%), lung (14%), abdomen (53%), and cranial (43%). With regard to procedural ultrasound, 74% of ultrasound-guided arterial access and 89% of ultrasound-guided lumbar punctures were successful. Implementation of a POCUS program is feasible in a large academic NICU and can benefit from a team approach. Establishing a program in any NICU requires didactic opportunities, a defined scope of practice, and imaging review with quality assurance. Bedside clinician performed ultrasound findings can provide valuable information in the NICU and impact clinical management. · Use of point-of-care ultrasound is increasing in neonatology and has been shown to improve patient care.. · Implementation of a point-of-care ultrasound program requires the definition of scope of practice and can benefit from the support of other critical care and imaging departments and providers.. · Opportunities for point-of-care ultrasound didactics, imaging review, and quality assurance can enhance the utilization of bedside ultrasound..

Intranasal Fentanyl for Procedural Analgesia in Preterm Infants.

BackgroundDespite the availability of evidence-based analgesic strategies, neonatal pain management continues to be suboptimal. Intranasal (IN) fentanyl is an alternative pharmacotherapy for procedural pain in neonatal units. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IN fentanyl for procedural pain in preterm infants.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted in infants who received IN fentanyl between May 2019 and December 2020 at an academic neonatal intensive care unit. Main outcome measures were pain responses, physiological parameters before and up to 60 min after IN fentanyl administration, and adverse events. Paired t-test and analysis of variance were used to compare pain scores and physiological parameters, respectively.ResultsThirteen infants received IN fentanyl on 22 occasions. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) gestational age and birthweight were 27 (25, 27.6) weeks and 850 (530, 1,030) grams, while median (IQR) post-menstrual age and weight were 30.9 (28.9, 32.9) weeks and 1,280 (945, 1,623) grams at the time of IN fentanyl administration. IN fentanyl was most used for lumbar puncture (55%) followed by insertion of epicutaneo-caval catheters (27%). There was a difference between the mean pre- and post-procedure Premature Infant Pain Profile scores of 1.3 (95% CI = 0.07, 2.5; p = 0.04). Physiological parameters did not differ before and up to 60 min post IN fentanyl administration (p > 0.05). Two adverse events (one apnea and one desaturation) were noted.ConclusionIn our limited experience, IN fentanyl appears to be an alternative pharmacotherapy for procedural pain management in the absence of intravenous access in preterm infants.

Stepwise interventions for improving hand hygiene compliance in a level 3 academic neonatal intensive care unit in north India.

We evaluated effect of sequentially introducing four WHO-recommended interventions to promote hand-hygiene compliance in tertiary-care NICU. Four dedicated research nurses directly observed doctors and nurses to record success in hand-hygiene opportunities at randomly selected NICU beds and randomly sampled time-slots in four phases (of 4-weeks each): I-Baseline, II-Self-directed learning; III-Participatory learning; IV-Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV); and V-CCTV-plus (with feedback). Hand-hygiene compliance changed from 61.8% (baseline) to 77% (end) with overall relative change: 24.6% (95% CI 18, 32; p value= 0.003); compared with preceding phase, relative changes of 21% (15, 28; <0.001), 4% (0, 8; 0.008), -10% (-13, -6; <0.001), and 10% (5, 15; <0.001) during phases II, III, IV, and V, respectively were observed. Rise in hand-hygiene compliance was higher for after-WHO-moments (12.7%; upto 2.5-folds for moment 5, <0.001) compared to before-WHO-moments (5.2%). Educational interventions, feedback and monitoring WHO moments can improve hand-hygiene compliance significantly among health-care providers in NICU.

Interface leakage during neonatal CPAP treatment: a randomised, cross-over trial

ObjectiveTo determine leakage for two neonatal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) interfaces and evaluate leak-corrective manoeuvres.DesignThe ToNIL (Trial of NCPAP Interface Leakage) study was a randomised, clinical, cross-over trial with...

Improving Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Providers' Perceptions of Palliative Care through a Weekly Case-Based Discussion.

Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a weekly palliative care-guided, case-based discussion of high-risk infants on Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) physician (MD) and Advanced Practice Provider (APP) perceptions of pediatric palliative care (PPC).Study Design: The study setting was a level IV academic NICU in a United States midwestern children’s hospital. A pre/post design was used to evaluate the effects of a weekly palliative care-guided, case-based discussion of high-risk infants on neonatology providers’ (MD and APP) perspectives of palliative and end-of-life care in the NICU using a previously published survey instrument. Surveys were completed at baseline and after 12 months of implementation. Data was analyzed with a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test with significance set at p < 0.05.Results: Thirty-one providers (13 APPs and 18 MDs) completed both pre- and post-intervention surveys. Post-intervention, providers were more likely to endorse that they “are comfortable with PPC”, “feel comfortable teaching PPC to trainees”, “feel confident handling end-of-life care”, “have time to discuss PPC”, and “were satisfied with the transition to end-of-life care for their most recent patient”. They also were more likely to report, “families' perception of burden is relevant when making ethical decisions”, that “parents are involved in decisions regarding palliative care”, and that their “institution is supportive of palliative care.” (p-values < 0.05 for all).Conclusion: NICU provider perceptions of palliative care can be improved through the implementation of a case-based interdisciplinary conference that emphasizes palliative care domains in the context of Neonatal ICU care.

Evaluation of the Neonatal Sequential Organ Failure Assessment and Mortality Risk in Preterm Infants With Late-Onset Infection

Infection in neonates remains a substantial problem. Advances for this population are hindered by the absence of a consensus definition for sepsis. In adults, the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) operationalizes mortality risk with infection and defines sepsis. The generalizability of the neonatal SOFA (nSOFA) for neonatal late-onset infection-related mortality remains unknown. To determine the generalizability of the nSOFA for neonatal late-onset infection-related mortality across multiple sites. A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted at 7 academic neonatal intensive care units between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019. Participants included 653 preterm (<33 weeks) very low-birth-weight infants. Late-onset (>72 hours of life) infection including bacteremia, fungemia, or surgical peritonitis. The primary outcome was late-onset infection episode mortality. The nSOFA scores from survivors and nonsurvivors with confirmed late-onset infection were compared at 9 time points (T) preceding and following event onset. In the 653 infants who met inclusion criteria, median gestational age was 25.5 weeks (interquartile range, 24-27 weeks) and median birth weight was 780 g (interquartile range, 638-960 g). A total of 366 infants (56%) were male. Late-onset infection episode mortality occurred in 97 infants (15%). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for mortality in the total cohort ranged across study centers from 0.71 to 0.95 (T0 hours), 0.77 to 0.96 (T6 hours), and 0.78 to 0.96 (T12 hours), with utility noted at all centers and in aggregate. Using the maximum nSOFA score at T0 or T6, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for mortality was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.84-0.91). Analyses stratified by sex or Gram-stain identification of pathogen class or restricted to infants born at less than 25 weeks' completed gestation did not reduce the association of the nSOFA score with infection-related mortality. The nSOFA score was associated with late-onset infection mortality in preterm infants at the time of evaluation both in aggregate and in each center. These findings suggest that the nSOFA may serve as the foundation for a consensus definition of sepsis in this population.

23 Current Trends in Canada in Neonatal Palliative Care

Abstract Background The area of palliative care in pediatrics has been expanding, as evidence emphasizes the benefits of providing pediatric patients and their families with optimized care in cases of chronic illness and end-of-life. The majority of pediatric deaths occur in infants under one year, with significant portions of these deaths taking place in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). The expansion of palliative care into neonatal medicine is of significant importance, as symptom management and end-of-life care plays a vital role in providing complete care to these infants. Guidelines that have been put into place can vary significantly between centers. Published studies in neonatal palliative care (PC) describe these challenges, however little data currently exists specific to Canadian NICUs. Objectives The primary objective was to gather information about current practice trends and themes around barriers in neonatal PC. Design/Methods An anonymous survey was distributed to Canadian Level 3 NICU staff, including neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners (NP), and neonatal fellows through the Qualtrics platform. Surveys were distributed through email and responses tracked in the Qualtrics system. Results The survey response rate was 57. The majority of respondents were neonatologists (50%), with many having more than 5 years of experience. Provision of palliative care was common with 20/57 respondents being involved in 5 or more cases in the past year. Only 40% of respondents reported that neonatologists and neonatal NPs received palliative care training at their center. When education did exist, lectures (31%) and workshops (26%) were most common. 97% said their centre would benefit from more education. 53% of respondents said their center had an established guideline around neonatal PC, 20% did not know and 27% answered no. Only 8% of respondents who work at centres with a guideline found that it was consistently followed. Respondents were asked to identify barriers to implementation at their place of practice. Common responses noted challenges in NICU collaborations with maternal-fetal medicine and palliative care teams, as well as lack of education and providers’ personal beliefs. Lastly, respondents provided details of their guidelines or common practices in PC which has been collated and summarized. Conclusion The results provide a snapshot of the current palliative care practices in academic NICUs across Canada. Overall the results were positive with many centers having a guideline and some provider education. The perceived barriers highlight focus areas for future education and policy development, and emphasize the importance of improved collaboration moving forward.

Improving Accuracy of Handoff by Implementing an Electronic Health Record-generated Tool: An Improvement Project in an Academic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Written patient handoffs are susceptible to errors or incompleteness. The accuracy is dependent on the person inputting the information. Thus, handoff printouts generated by electronic health records (EHR) with automation reduces the risk of transcription errors and improves consistency in format. This single-center quality improvement project aims to increase the accuracy of handoff printouts with an EHR-generated handoff tool. This project used a plan-do-study-act methodology. Participants included registered nurses, neonatal nurse practitioners, neonatal hospitalists, pediatric residents, neonatal fellows, and neonatologists. The goals were to (1) increase accuracy of information to 80%, (2) reduce verbal handoff time by 20%, (3) reduce the frequency of incorrectly listed medications below 20%, and (4) improve user satisfaction by 1 point (on a 5-point Likert scale) over 6 months. Baseline assessment included a survey and a review of handoff reports 4 months before transitioning to the new handoff tool. We created a new handoff tool using EHR autogenerated phrases (Epic SmartPhrases) and autopopulated fields for pertinent Neonatal Intensive Care Unit patient data. After the unit-wide implementation of the new tool, the accuracy of 16 patient data points increased from 51% to 97%, while the frequency of patients with incorrectly listed medications decreased from 51% to 0%. Handoff time remained unchanged, while a 5-question user satisfaction survey showed an increase on the Likert scale. We demonstrated that handoff printouts generated by EHR have fewer inaccuracies than manually scripted versions and do not add to the time required to give verbal handoff.

Use of an Electronic Reporting Tool and Clinical Surveillance Process in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to Decrease Risk for Central Venous Catheter Complications Associated With Tip Migration.

This quality improvement project formalized central venous catheter tip surveillance augmented by the use of electronic patient reporting tool. The project setting was a large level IV academic neonatal intensive care unit with a representative convenience sample of patients with central venous catheters and quality improvement reports of complications from tip migration. Providers received education before implementation of a central venous catheter tip surveillance program using a revised electronic reporting tool was initiated. Provider evaluations of the electronic reporting tool included compliance with the guidelines and use of the tool in multidisciplinary patient rounds, and were entered into a database for analysis. Nine evaluations of the electronic reporting tool were completed, with an average of 97% compliance with guidelines. Seven evaluations during multidisciplinary patient rounds using the reporting tool data demonstrated use by both resident physicians and advanced practice nurses. Central venous catheter patient data were reviewed after process implementation. Overall, infant central venous catheter complications related to tip migration decreased following implementation. Therefore, the use of an electronic reporting tool improved compliance with evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and resulted in a decrease in the risk for central venous line complications related to tip migration in this setting.

Survival, Morbidities, and Developmental Outcomes among Low Birth Weight Infants with Congenital Heart Defects.

Prematurity and low birth weight (LBW) are risk factors for increased morbidity and mortality in infants with congenital heart defects (CHDs). We sought to describe survival, inhospital morbidities, and 2-year neurodevelopmental follow-up in LBW infants with CHD. We included infants with birth weight (BW) <2,500 g diagnosed with CHD (except isolated patent ductus arteriosus) admitted January 2013 to March 2016 to a single level-IV academic neonatal intensive care unit. We reported CHD prevalence by BW and gestational age; selected in-hospital morbidities and mortality by infant BW, CHD type, and surgical intervention; and developmental outcomes by Bayley's scales of infant and toddler development, third edition (BSID-III) scores at age 2 years. Among 420 infants with CHD, 28 (7%) underwent cardiac surgery. Median (25th and 75th percentiles) gestational age was 30 (range: 27-33) weeks and BW was 1,258 (range: 870-1,853) g. There were 134 of 420 (32%) extremely LBW (<1,000 g) infants, 82 of 420 (20%) were small for gestational age, and 51 of 420 (12%) multiples. Most common diagnosis: atrial septal defect (260/420, 62%), followed by congenital anomaly of the pulmonary valve (75/420, 18%). Most common surgical procedure: pulmonary artery banding (5/28, 18%), followed by the tetralogy of Fallot corrective repair (4/28, 14%). Survival to discharge was 88% overall and lower among extremely LBW (<1,000 g, 81%) infants and infants undergoing surgery (79%). Comorbidities were common (35%); retinopathy of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were most prevalent. BSID-III scores were available on 148 of 176 (84%); any scores <85 were noted in 73 of 148 (49%), with language being most commonly affected. Among LBW infants with congenital heart disease, hospital mortality varied by BW and cardiac diagnosis. · In low birth weight infants with congenital heart disease, survival varied by birth weight and cardiac diagnosis.. · Overall survival was higher than previously reported.. · There were fewer morbidities than previously reported.. · Bayley's scale-III scores at 2 years of age were <85 for nearly half..

Vitreous Findings by Handheld Spectral-Domain OCT Correlate with Retinopathy of Prematurity Severity

To evaluate the association between retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and vitreous findings in premature infants detected by handheld spectral-domain (SD) OCT. Prospective, observational cohort study. Consecutive sample of 92 premature infants requiring ROP screening at 2 academic neonatal intensive care units between July 2015 and March2018. Infants underwent handheld SD OCT at the time of routine ROP examinations. Two masked, trained graders analyzed right-eye vitreoretinal findings, including semiautomated quantification of punctate hyperreflective vitreous opacities within 5 foveal or parafoveal B-scans (vitreous opacity ratio). Excluding posttreatment data, vitreous findings were compared with clinical ROP diagnoses. Agreement between image graders for all vitreoretinal findings was 91% (κ= 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.90; P < 0.001). Among 92 infants undergoing 280 imaging sessions (52% male; mean gestational age, 28.3 ± 2.8 weeks; mean birthweight, 1014.5 ± 285.0 g), 36 of 92 (39%) demonstrated ROP. Punctate hyperreflective vitreous opacities were identified in 61 of 92 infants (66%). The presence of punctate hyperreflective vitreous opacities at least once was associated with a diagnosis of ROP (62% vs. 29% without opacities; P= 0.003), maximum ROP stage (P= 0.001), preplus or plus disease (24% vs. 5%; P= 0.005), and type 1 disease (14% vs. 2%; P= 0.03). Among 29 infants (45 imaging sessions) with right-eye punctate hyperreflective vitreous opacities, the vitreous opacity ratio from 2 graders (F1 score, 0.82 ± 0.36; Dice coefficient, 0.97 ± 0.04) correlated with ROP stage (P= 0.02). Tractional vitreous bands on imaging correlated with plus disease status (29% vs. 5% without bands; P= 0.05). Punctate hyperreflective vitreous opacities and tractional vitreous bands predict the presence and severity of ROP. Further studies should explore handheld OCT as a noninvasive ROP screening tool.