Current Challenges in Neonatal Resuscitation: What is the Role of Adrenaline?

Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a hormone, neurotransmitter, and medication. It is the best established drug in neonatal resuscitation, but only weak evidence supports current recommendations for its use. Furthermore, the available evidence is partly based on extrapolations from adult studies, and this introduces further uncertainty, especially when considering the unique physiological characteristics of newly born infants.

Preventing medication errors in neonatology: Is it a dream?

Since 1999, the problem of patient safety has drawn particular attention, becoming a priority in health care. A "medication error" (ME) is any preventable event occurring at any phase of the pharmacotherapy process (ordering, transcribing, dispensing, administering, and monitoring) that leads to, or can lead to, harm to the patient. Hence, MEs can involve every professional of the clinical team.

Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in pregnancy: impact on the fetus and newborn.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly prescribed in pregnancy to treat fever, pain and inflammation. Indications for chronic use of these agents during pregnancy are inflammatory bowel or chronic rheumatic diseases. Since the seventies, NSAIDs have been used as effective tocolytic agents: indomethacin has been the reference drug, delaying delivery for at least 48 hours and up to 7-10 days.

Bronchiolitis-associated encephalopathy in critically-ill infants: an underestimated complication?

Objective: To investigate the bronchiolitis-associated encephalopathy in critically ill infants.

Methods: The records of infants with severe bronchiolitis admitted to our intensive care unit between 1991 and 2003 were reviewed. Subjects with underlying neurological disorders were excluded.

The infant incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit: unresolved issues and future developments.

Since the 19th century, devices termed incubators were developed to maintain thermal stability in low birth weight (LBW) and sick newborns, thus improving their chances of survival. Remarkable progress has been made in the production of infant incubators, which are currently highly technological devices. However, they still need to be improved in many aspects.

Intrauterine smoke exposure: a new risk factor for bronchopulmonary dysplasia?

Objective: To evaluate the role of intrauterine smoke exposure and other variables on the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in infants with birth weight < 1500 g (VLBW).

Methods: This case-control study investigated 277 VLBW infants (141 cases, 136 controls) admitted at birth to neonatal intensive care unit and survived to discharge. A retrospective telephone interview provided detailed parental information supplementing clinical data.