Changes in Cerebral Regional Oxygen Saturation Variability in Neonates Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Near-infrared spectroscopy is routinely used in the monitoring of cerebral regional oxygen saturation (crSO) in neonates following congenital heart surgery. Decreased postoperative crSO variability in these patients is associated with worse clinical outcomes, including neurodevelopmental outcomes. We sought to explore changes in crSO variability between the preoperative and postoperative periods and associations with short-term clinical outcomes in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery.

Primary cutaneous mucormycosis in a premature neonate treated conservatively with amphotericin B.

Cutaneous mucormycosis is a rare, often fatal fungal infection that most commonly affects patients with underlying immunosuppression but also can occur in premature neonates. We report the case of an extremely premature boy (<25 weeks) who developed primary cutaneous mucormycosis shortly after birth. Although surgical debridement has been a mainstay of treatment in combination with antifungal therapy, our patient was successfully treated with amphotericin B alone-the management only reported in three other cases to date.

Framework for Considering Abnormal Heart Rate Characteristics and Other Signs of Sepsis in Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

Objective: A heart rate characteristics index (HeRO score), incorporating low variability and superimposed decelerations, was developed as a sepsis risk indicator for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A rise in the risk score should prompt consideration of other clinical changes that may be signs of sepsis to decide whether a workup and antibiotics are needed. We aimed to develop a framework to systematically consider signs potentially indicating sepsis in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.