Surfactant administration during endotracheal CPAP: Feasibility, risk factors for failure and short-term outcomes of DD-SURF.

Aim: Whereas there is agreement that surfactant should be administered without mechanical ventilation, there is still a debate concerning the optimal method. DD-SURF combines the benefits of INSURE and less invasive surfactant administration (LISA). The efficacy of this approach has not been evaluated yet.

Tactile stimulation in very preterm infants and their needs of non-invasive respiratory support.

Aim: Despite the lack of evidence, current resuscitation guidelines recommend tactile stimulation in apneic infants within the first minutes of life. The aim was to investigate whether timing, duration or intensity of tactile stimulation influences the extent of non-invasive respiratory support in extremely preterm infants during neonatal resuscitation.

Methods: In an observational study, we analyzed 47 video recordings and physiological parameters during postnatal transition in preterm infants below 32 weeks of gestational age.

Peripheral Arterial Lines in Extremely Preterm Neonates: A Potential Alternative to Umbilical Arterial Catheters.

Background: Arterial catheterization is a routine procedure in extremely preterm neonates. Umbilical arterial catheters (UACs) are typically used for this purpose, but life-threatening complications have been described. Peripheral arterial lines (PALs) might offer a valuable alternative, but their feasibility in extremely preterm newborns is unclear.

Neonatal and young infant sepsis by Group B Streptococci and Escherichia coli: a single-center retrospective analysis in Germany-GBS screening implementation gaps and reduction in antibiotic resistance.

The last nationwide surveillance study on neonatal and young infant sepsis due to Group B Streptococci (GBS) and Escherichia coli in Germany was conducted between 2009 and 2010. The aim of this study is to provide longitudinal epidemiological data on neonatal and young infant sepsis caused by GBS and E. coli to reevaluate existing data and to inform clinical decision-making.

Development of a Diagnostic Clinical Score for Hemodynamically Significant Patent Ductus Arteriosus.

There is no consensus about the hemodynamic significance and, therefore, the need to treat a persistent ductus arteriosus in preterm newborns. Since the diagnosis of a hemodynamically significant persistent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) is made by a summary of non-uniform echo-criteria in combination with the clinical deterioration of the preterm neonate, standardized clinical and ultrasound scoring systems are needed. The objective of this study was the development of a clinical score for the detection and follow-up of hsPDA.