Comparison of porcine versus bovine surfactant in preterm respiratory distress syndrome: Evidence from real-world data. A multicentre collaboration from Karnataka.

Background & Objectives: Porcine surfactant (200 mg/kg initial dose) seems to be superior to bovine surfactants (100 mg/kg) in respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). There is limited data on the choice of surfactant from the developing world. Logically, using higher doses of porcine surfactant comes with an additional cost burden.

Creating and sustaining a digital community of practice for quality improvement in South-East Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Ensuring quality of care in Low and Middle Income countries (LMICs) is challenging. Despite the implementation of various quality improvement (QI) initiatives in public and private sectors, the sustenance of improvements continues to be a major challenge. A team of healthcare professionals in India developed a digital community of practice (dCoP) focusing on QI which now has global footprints.

Sustaining extended Kangaroo mother care in stable low birthweight babies in NICU: a quality improvement collaborative of six centres of Karnataka.

Background: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a proven intervention for intact survival in preterms. Despite evidence, its adoption has been low. We used a point of care quality improvement (QI) approach to implement and sustain KMC in stable low birthweight babies from a baseline of 1.

Feasibility of Minimal Enteral Nutrition During Therapeutic Hypothermia for Perinatal Asphyxia: A Five-Year Multicenter Experience from South India.

Limited evidence shows minimal enteral nutrition (MEN) during therapeutic hypothermia (TH) in neonates to be feasible and have benefits of shorter time to full-feeds. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of MEN during TH. MEN was initiated after 12 h if there were no altered aspirates, abdominal distension, and inotrope requirement.

Prediction score for prolonged hospital stay in meconium aspiration syndrome: A multicentric collaborative cohort of south India.

Background And Objective: With improved survival in neonates with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), the focus is currently on mitigating the morbidities. The objective of this study was to predict factors determining prolonged hospital stay in neonates with MAS.

Materials And Methods: It was a retrospective cohort from five centers of south India between 2018 and 2020.

Sustaining immediate newborn care processes (delayed cord clamping and early breastfeeding initiation) in the delivery room: a quality improvement study.

Background: Immediate newborn care processes like delayed cord clamping (DCC) and early breastfeeding initiation (EBFI) in the delivery room have several benefits including survival. Despite the evidence, the practices have not been widely adopted. We used a point-of-care quality improvement (QI) to implement and sustain these two immediate newborn care processes in our delivery room over a period of 2 years through a series of plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles.

Sustaining prolonged kangaroo mother care in stable low birthweight babies over 2 years in a predominant outborn unit: a quality improvement approach.

Background: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a proven intervention for improving intact survival in low birthweight babies. Despite the evidence, its adoption and implementation have been low. Availability of mothers for the first few days of life is a specific challenge at outborn units.

Reducing healthcare-associated infections by improving compliance to aseptic non-touch technique in intravenous line maintenance: a quality improvement approach.

Background: Lack of standardisation and failure to maintain aseptic techniques during procedures contributes to healthcare-associated infections (HCAI). Although numerous procedures are performed in neonatal intensive care units (NICU), handling peripheral intravenous lines is one of the simple and common procedures performed daily. Despite evidence-based care bundle approach variability is higher, and compliance to asepsis is less in routine clinical practice.

Decreasing antibiotic over-use by implementation of an antibiotic stewardship programme in preterm neonates in resource limited settings - a quality improvement initiative.

Background: Antibiotics play a critical role in neonatal sepsis but excessive use is associated with adverse outcomes and the current prescribing rates of antibiotics are unacceptably high.

Aim: To reduce antibiotic over-use in preterm neonates by implementing an antibiotic stewardship programme using a quality improvement (QI) initiative.

Methods: This study was conducted at a neonatal intensive care unit in a resource-limited setting.