Improved Diagnostic Sensitivity of Bowel Disease of Prematurity on Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound

Bowel diseases of prematurity, including necrotizing enterocolitis, are dreaded ailments of neonates. Early diagnosis is difficult, with clinical and radiographic findings often inconclusive. We present a novel use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in detection of pediatric bowel disease. Early identification of compromised blood flow or an at-risk bowel can be quantitatively detected and monitored. This ability has implications for guidance of emerging therapies, allowing targeting of inflammation. These findings represent an advancement in detection of bowel disease in neonates.     

枸橼酸咖啡因与氨茶碱对早产儿神经行为发育影响分析

目的 比较枸橼酸咖啡因和氨茶碱对早产儿神经行为发育的影响,为早产儿早期合理干预提供临床依据。方法 选择2014年6月-2018年6月在中国西电集团医院新生儿科住院接受枸橼酸咖啡因治疗的原发性呼吸暂停(AOP)早产儿62例作为研究组;2011 年 12 月-2014年5月同在中国西电集团医院新生儿科住院采用氨茶碱治疗的AOP患儿69例作为对照组。出生3~8 d及矫正胎龄40周时分别行头颅MRI检查,评估脑白质损伤(WMD)并进行两组比较;6个月及12个月时应用Gesell婴幼儿发育量表测试比较两组神经行为发育水平。结果 两组患儿在性别、出生胎龄及体重、产前孕母糖皮质激素应用及分娩方式、5 min Apgar评分、辅助通气和表面活性物质的应用等方面差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。首次头颅MRI显示两组患儿WMD差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。矫正胎龄40周时头颅MRI显示,咖啡因组WMD较氨茶碱组明显改善,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);且6个月及12个月时Gessell婴幼儿发育量表测试,随访至校正6月龄时,咖啡因组患儿的大运动、精细运动及个人-社交评分均高于氨茶碱组(P<0.05);随访至校正12月龄时,咖啡因组患儿的大运动、精细运动、语言、适应性评分均高于氨茶碱组(P<0.05)。结论 枸橼酸咖啡可明显改善AOP患儿6个月及12个月时的神经行为发育。     

Retinopathy of prematurity: approaches to surgical therapy

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vaso-proliferative disease with infiltration of the vitreous gel. Contraction of the infiltrate results in traction detachment with typical peripheral trough formation. Cryotherapy inhibits proliferation in the active stages of the disease (Stage 3, 'plus'). With development of traction detachment involving the macula (Stage 48) encircling buckling procedures should first be tried. Closed vitrectomy is considered when high retinal detachment and opacification by vitreous strands occur. The surgical technique is described. Anatomical (64%) and functional (43%) successes are reasonably high for Stage 4 cases, but disappointing (anatomical 40%, functional 16%) for Stage 5 ROP. Open funnels of detached retina fare better than closed ones. It is probably best to perform surgery not before the cicatricial stage, i.e. six months after birth.     

Comparison of airway pressure-triggered and airflow-triggered ventilation in very immature infants

Failure of patient-triggered ventilation in very immature infants may be due to the use of inappropriate triggering systems. Two types of airflow trigger were therefore compared consecutively to an airway pressure (SLE) triggering system. Each comparison was made in 10 infants, ≤28 weeks of gestation. Comparison was made of the delivered volume, trigger performance and blood gases using each system for 1 h. Both comparisons showed that the airflow triggering systems performed better: one (Draeger Babylog 8000) had a higher sensitivity ( p < 0:01) and the other (Bird VIP airflow trigger), in which inflation was terminated by sensing a reduction in inspiratory flow, had a lower degree of asynchrony ( p < 0:01) and a tendency to deliver higher volumes. These results suggest that triggering systems sensing airflow changes may be superior to those sensing airway pressure changes in very immature infants. The use of a mechanism to synchronize the termination of inflation to the end of the patient's inspiration may offer further advantages.     

Retinopathy of prematurity in infants less than 29 weeks' gestation at birth

From January 1986 to December 1991 we examined the eyes of 206 infants born at Westmead Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit who were less than 29 weeks' gestation at birth to determine the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity. Eighty-five infants (41.3%) had no retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in either eye, 82 infants had stages 1 or 2 ROP (39.8%), 29 had stage 3 ROP (14.1%) and 11 had stage 4 ROP (5.3%). Of these, cryotherapy was performed in 18; six now have bilateral retinal detachment and are blind The more severe stages of ROP were significantly associated with an increase in the number of days of oxygen supplementation, an increase in the number of days of mechanical ventilation and the presence of patent ductus arteriosus. Infants receiving steroids for mechanical ventilator dependence had a significantly greater chance of requiring cryotherapy (11 or 22 receiving steroids versus seven of 43 without steroids; P < 0.01).     

Prematurity Stereotyping by Mothers of Premature Infants

Previous research has experimentally documented a prematuritystereotype in college students and mothers of full-term infants.The present investigation extends the scope of earlier studiesto mothers of premature infants. Thirty-two mothers of prematureinfants viewed four videotapes of 9-month-old full-term infants,each labeled either full-term or premature and either male orfemale. When infants were labeled premature the mothers perceivedthem as littler, finer featured, weaker, more passive, and slowerthan infants labeled full-term. The mothers also perceived labeledboys as bigger than labeled girls. Differences in stereotypingbetween the mothers in this study and both mothers of full-terminfants and college students are identified and discussed. Resultssuggest that mothers of premature infants expect deficits inpremature infants' physical development but not in prematureinfants' mental or social development. The likely sources andpossible self-fulfilling nature of these biased perceptionsare considered     

急进性后极部早产儿视网膜病变的临床进程及疗效观察

目的 描述急进性后极部早产儿视网膜病变(AP-ROP)的临床进程及特征,评价视网膜光凝及冷凝对急进性后极部早产儿视网膜病变的治疗效果.方法 前瞻性、非对比性、连续性病例.2006年1月至2008年6月经检查确诊为急进性后极部ROP的患儿8例16只眼.确诊后24h内行间接眼底镜下行视网膜光凝治疗联合或不联合直视下冷凝治疗.结果 急进性后极部早产儿视网膜病变以病变大部分位于后极部1区,所有象限视网膜血管扩张迂曲,病程进展快,若不及时治疗,迅速发生视网膜漏斗状全脱离为临床特征.本组8例16只眼视网膜光凝和(或)冷凝治疗后,9只眼病变完全退化或控制,占56.2%.7只眼病情未能控制,最终发展为4b至5期视网膜病变.结论 AP-ROP进展快,预后不良,部分患儿虽经严密观察和治疗,病情仍进展.视网膜光凝和(或)冷凝治疗能控制大部分AP-ROP患儿视网膜病变的发展,挽救患儿视功能.临床上需要加强观察和随访,早发现、早诊断、早治疗是减低该病致盲率的惟一方法.     

以新生儿重症监护病房为中心的早产儿视网膜病变筛查模式

目的：介绍一种较为完善的早产儿视网膜病变（ROP）筛查模式。方法：建立基本完善的ROP登记、会诊、筛查、转诊等制度,所有工作均在新生儿重症监护病房（N ICU）完成,形成以NICU为中心的ROP筛查模式,并按此模式开展筛查工作。结果：登记符合ROP筛查标准的患儿239例,其中接受至少一次筛查的患儿222例（占应筛查总数的92.89%）,按要求完成筛查的患儿176例（占应筛查总数的73.64%）。发现ROP患儿39例（占实际筛查数的17.57%）,其中阈值前期1型或阈值期病变11例（占实际筛查数的4.96%）。结论：这种以NICU为中心的ROP筛查模式,制度较为完善,临床中易于操作,能有效节约医疗资源,适合在中小城市中推广。     

Congenital esophageal atresia successfully treated by early ligation of a tracheoesophageal fistula and delayed repair of the esophagus in a premature infant: Report of a case

We report herein the case of a premature infant with esophageal atresia (EA) and a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) associated with cardiac anomalies who was successfully treated by an early ligation of the TEF following gastrostomy, and delayed repair of the esophagus. A 1212-g male was born prematurely at 31 gestational weeks, at which time he was diagnosed as having EA with TEF and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), ventricular septal defect (VSD), and atrial septal defect (ASD). A gastrostomy was initially performed but following extubation he gradually became tachypneic. A chest roentogenogram revealed atelectasis and ground-glass appearance, and reintubation was required. Ligation of the TEF was performed 53h after his birth. Following the improvement of his respiratory condition through ventilatory support and the intratracheal administration of pulmonary surfactant, he underwent repair of the esophagus on the 6th day of life. Postoperatively, he suffered from heart failure, but was treated with peritoneal dialysis and pharmacological closure of the PDA. Weaning the infant from the ventilator proved difficult, but it was finally achieved when he had reached a weight of 2268g at 3 months of age by enteral feeding. Our experience of this case demonstrates that early ligation of TEF should be performed for a premature infant with EA and TEF before respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) has developed. If a gastrostomy is required to prevent gastric distention, it should be followed by simultaneous or immediate ligation of the TEF.