Nasal High-Flow Therapy for Newborn Infants in Special Care Nurseries.

Background: Nasal high-flow therapy is an alternative to nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as a means of respiratory support for newborn infants. The efficacy of high-flow therapy in nontertiary special care nurseries is unknown.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, randomized, noninferiority trial involving newborn infants (<24 hours of age; gestational age, ≥31 weeks) in special care nurseries in Australia.

Accuracy of a Weight-Based Formula for Neonatal Gastric Tube Insertion Length.

Background: Gastric tubes are used in nurseries on a daily basis. Various methods of estimating gastric tube length for insertion using anatomical landmarks are used to assist correct placement. Sometimes, however, they can be up to 55% inaccurate.

Early observations in the use of oral rotavirus vaccination in infants with functional short gut syndrome.

Aim: Universal vaccination with an oral live-attenuated rotavirus vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age was introduced in Australia in July 2007. There are no data on the short-term effects of vaccination for those infants most at risk of severe complications from rotavirus infection. The aim of this study was to describe the effects of rotavirus vaccination on weight gain and gastrointestinal losses in infants with functional short gut syndrome secondary to an ileostomy.

Polymorphisms in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion protein, PcrV - implications for anti-PcrV immunotherapy.

The type III secretion system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, responsible for acute infection, is composed of over twenty proteins that facilitate cytotoxin injection directly into host cells. Integral to this process is production and secretion of PcrV. Administration of a recently developed, anti-PcrV immunoglobulin, either as a therapeutic or prophylactic has previously demonstrated efficacy against laboratory strains of P.