Platelet transfusion in neonatal intensive care units of 22 European countries: a prospective observational study.

Background: Platelet transfusions are given to preterm infants with severe thrombocytopenia aiming to prevent haemorrhage. The PlaNeT2/MATISSE trial revealed higher rates of mortality and/or major bleeding in preterm infants receiving prophylactic platelet transfusions at a platelet count threshold of 50 × 10/L compared to 25 × 10/L. The extent to which this evidence has been incorporated into clinical practice is unknown, thus we aimed to describe current neonatal platelet transfusion practices in Europe.

If things were simple, word would have gotten around. Can complexity science help us improve pediatric research?

Complexity science is a discipline which explores how complex systems behave and how we interact with them. Though it is widely implemented outside medicine, particularly in the sciences involving human behavior, but also in the natural sciences such as physics and biology, there are only a few applications within medical research. We propose that complexity science can provide new and helpful perspectives on complex pediatric medical problems.

Coagulation assay results at birth in preterm infants: A cohort study highlighting the relevance of local reference values for interpretation.

Background And Objectives: Routine coagulation screens at birth are still standard in some European neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), although interpretation of these results is complex in preterm infants. It is unclear to what extent local coagulation assay results agree with published reference ranges when using different analysers and reagents. We aimed to assess coagulation assay results on day 1 of life in very preterm infants admitted to the NICU.