Haemodynamic assessment and management of hypotension in the preterm.

The management of low blood flow states in premature neonates is fraught with many challenges. We remain over-reliant on regimented stepwise protocols that use mean blood pressure as a threshold for intervention to guide treatment, without giving due consideration to the underlying pathophysiology. The current available evidence does not reflect the need to concentrate on the unique pathophysiology of the preterm infant and thus leads to widespread misuse of vasoactive agents that often do not provide the desired clinical effect.

Relationship Between Postnatal Pulmonary Arterial Pressure and Altered Diastolic Function in Neonates with Down Syndrome.

Objective: To assess the influence of diastolic dysfunction on the evolution of pulmonary hypertension in neonates with Down Syndrome over the early newborn period.

Study Design: This was a prospective observational cohort study. Echocardiography was performed three times over the first week of life in both Down syndrome and control cohorts.

Altered Cytokine Endotoxin Responses in Neonatal Encephalopathy Predict MRI Outcomes.

Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome and is linked with systemic inflammation. Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines are known to play a role in the pathology of NE by activating innate immune cells. Eighty-seven infants were enrolled including 53 infants with NE of whom 52 received therapeutic hypothermia (TH) and 34 term infant healthy controls (TC).

Neurodevelopmental outcome following hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and therapeutic hypothermia is related to right ventricular performance at 24-hour postnatal age.

Objective: Our aim was to determine whether right ventricular (RV) dysfunction at 24-hour postnatal age predicts adverse developmental outcome among patients with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) undergoing therapeutic hypothermia (TH).

Design: Neonates≥35 weeks with HIE/TH were enrolled in a physiological study in the neonatal period (n=46) and either died or underwent neurodevelopmental follow-up at 18 months (n=43). The primary outcome was a composite of death, diagnosis of cerebral palsy or any component of the Bayley Scores of Infant Development III<70.

Multicentre prospective observational study exploring the predictive value of functional echocardiographic indices for early identification of preterm neonates at risk of developing chronic pulmonary hypertension secondary to chronic neonatal lung disease.

Introduction: Although chronic pulmonary hypertension (cPH) secondary to chronic neonatal lung disease is associated with increased mortality and respiratory and neurodevelopmental morbidities, late diagnosis (typically ≥36 weeks postmenstrual age, PMA) and the use of qualitative echocardiographic diagnostic criterion (flat interventricular septum in systole) remain significant limitations in clinical care. Our objective in this study is to evaluate the utility of relevant quantitative echocardiographic indices to identify cPH in preterm neonates, early in postnatal course and to develop a diagnostic test based on the best combination of markers.

Methods And Analysis: In this ongoing international prospective multicentre observational diagnostic accuracy study, we aim to recruit 350 neonates born <27 weeks PMA and/or birth weight <1000 g and perform echocardiograms in the third week of age and at 32 weeks PMA (early diagnostic assessments, EDA) in addition to the standard diagnostic assessment (SDA) for cPH at 36 weeks PMA.

Hypotension in Preterm Infants (HIP) randomised trial.

Objective: To determine whether restricting the use of inotrope after diagnosis of low blood pressure (BP) in the first 72 hours of life affects survival without significant brain injury at 36 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA) in infants born before 28 weeks of gestation.

Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial. Caregivers were masked to group assignment.

Cardiac Function and Ventricular Interactions in Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to use a comprehensive imaging protocol to identify echocardiographic correlations of right and left ventricular size, function, and hemodynamics in neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn and describe their relationship with key clinical variables.

Design: Retrospective case-control echocardiography-based study of persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn.

Setting: A tertiary neonatal ICU in Canada.

Defining "Haemodynamic Significance" of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus: Do We Have All the Answers?

Optimum management of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants remains one of the most debated topics within the field of neonatology. Despite numerous observational studies and over 60 randomized control trials, consensus on PDA management remains elusive. In order to make meaningful progress on the controversial issue of PDA management, several key factors must be thoroughly addressed; namely (1) accurate identification of infants at greatest risk of long-term morbidities from PDA exposure, (2) acceptance that the PDA is not a dichotomous entity and an individualised approach to its management is required for each neonate, (3) international consensus on what constitutes a haemodynamically significant PDA and (4) the incorporation of multi-organ assessment when evaluating the impact a PDA may pose on overall neonatal physiology.

Impaired Right Ventricular Performance Is Associated with Adverse Outcome after Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.

Asphyxiated neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) are at risk of myocardial dysfunction; however, echocardiography studies are limited and little is known about the relationship between hemodynamics and brain injury. To analyze the association between severity of myocardial dysfunction and adverse outcome as defined by the composite of death and/or abnormal magnetic resonance imaging. Neonates with HIE undergoing therapeutic hypothermia were enrolled.

Accuracy and reliability of qualitative echocardiography assessment of right ventricular size and function in neonates.

Background: Subjective assessment of right ventricular (RV) function by neonatal echocardiography lacks validation. Incorrect diagnostic assignment in patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension (PH) may lead to unnecessary treatment or missed treatment opportunities.

Methods: Six evaluators (experts [n = 3], novice [n = 3]) were asked to independently rate RV characteristics (global function, dilation, and septal flattening) based on standardized echocardiography images.

Objective cardiovascular assessment in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Traditionally, cardiovascular well-being was essentially based on whether the mean blood pressure was above or below a certain value. However, this singular crude method of assessment provides limited insight into overall cardiovascular well-being. Echocardiography has become increasingly used and incorporated into clinical care.

Left Ventricular Function in Healthy Term Neonates During the Transitional Period.

Objectives: To evaluate whether incorporating conventional, tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking echocardiography are reliable and can characterize changes in left ventricular (LV) function properly in healthy neonates in the early transitional newborn period.

Study Design: A prospective observational study was conducted in 50 healthy term neonates with a mean ± SD gestational age and birth weight of 39.3 ± 1.

Clinical utility of right ventricular fractional area change in preterm infants.

Introduction: Right ventricular fractional area change (RV FAC) is a novel non-invasive quantitative measure of RV function. Reference values of RV FAC and RV end systolic and diastolic areas (RVEDA, RVESA) have recently been established in preterm infants, but their role as marker to assess the efficacy of patient management strategies in the first week of life is largely unknown. The aims of this study were to assess the relationship between RV FAC and gestational age/birthweight, assess the RV FAC on day one of age to predict the later evolution of peri/intraventricular haemorrhage (P/IVH), and assess the influence of a persistent patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) on RV FAC during the first week of age.

The effect of milrinone on right and left ventricular function when used as a rescue therapy for term infants with pulmonary hypertension.

Introduction: Milrinone may be an appropriate adjuvant therapy for infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. We aimed to describe the effect of milrinone administration on right and left ventricular function in infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension not responding to inhaled nitric oxide after 4 hours of administration.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective review of infants born after or at 34 weeks of gestation with persistent pulmonary hypertension who received milrinone treatment.

Assessment of myocardial performance in preterm infants less than 29 weeks gestation during the transitional period.

Background: The transitional circulation and its effect on myocardial performance are poorly understood in preterm infants.

Aims: We assessed myocardial performance in infants less than 29 weeks gestation in the first 48 h of life using a comprehensive echocardiographic assessment.

Design: Infants <29 weeks gestation were prospectively enrolled.

Assessment and treatment of post patent ductus arteriosus ligation syndrome.

Objective: To compare differences in tissue Doppler imaging, global longitudinal strain (GLS), and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) between infants with low (<200 mL/kg/min) and high (>200 mL/kg/min) left ventricular (LV) output 1 hour after duct ligation and assess the impact of milrinone treatment on cardiac output and myocardial performance.

Study Design: LV function was assessed preoperatively and 1 and 18 hours postoperatively. Infants were categorized into a low-output or a normal-output group based on the echocardiographic assessment of LV output at 1 hour.

Acute changes in myocardial systolic function in preterm infants undergoing patent ductus arteriosus ligation: a tissue Doppler and myocardial deformation study.

Background: Ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants causes profound hemodynamic changes that can result in low cardiac output syndrome and hypotension. The effect of PDA ligation on left ventricular myocardial function has not been studied using tissue Doppler and myocardial deformation imaging, mainly because of the limited validation of these methods in preterm infants. The primary objective of the present study was to determine the feasibility and reliability (intraobserver and interobserver variability) of tissue Doppler and myocardial deformation imaging for evaluating myocardial function in preterm infants undergoing surgical PDA ligation.

Troponin T, N-terminal pro natriuretic peptide and a patent ductus arteriosus scoring system predict death before discharge or neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years in preterm infants.

Background: There is little consensus regarding the use of echocardiography in patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) treatment in preterm infants. The use of troponin T (cTnT) and N-terminal Pro-BNP (NTpBNP) in combination with echocardiography assessment may facilitate the development of a superior predictive model.

Objective: To investigate the ability of cTnT, NTpBNP and a PDA scoring system applied at 48 h of life to predict death before discharge and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age.

Neonatologist-performed functional echocardiography in the neonatal intensive care unit.

The use of point-of-care functional ultrasound to assess cardiovascular function is gaining interest in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The modality has been in use in adult intensive care units for some time and has often guided management. Clinical signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and capillary refill time, which physicians traditionally have relied upon, provide limited insight into the adequacy of systemic blood flow and organ perfusion.

Influence of a patent ductus arteriosus on cardiac troponin T levels in preterm infants.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) on the myocardium by measuring levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT), a marker of ischemic myocardial damage.

Study Design: Eighty infants with a median gestation of 28 weeks (interquartile range ([IQR] = 26.1 to 29.

Serum troponin in neonatal intensive care.

Cardiac troponins have a major role in screening and diagnosis of myocardial ischaemia in adults and children. Their introduction has redefined the diagnosis of myocardial infarction in adults and provided valuable prognostic information. In the paediatric population, troponins show a good correlation with the extent of myocardial damage following cardiac surgery and cardiotoxic medication, and can be used as predictors of subsequent cardiac recovery and mortality.