Off-label use of drugs in neonatal intensive care units.

Objective: To estimate proportion of off-label medication use in neonates and to evaluate evidence of efficacy and safety of these medications.

Methods: Chart audit in neonatal intensive care units of two institutions in Chandigarh, India.

Results: Among 568 prescriptions in 156 neonates, 286 (50%) were off-label.

Empyema thoracis in children: Still a challenge in developing countries.

Background: To evaluate the effectiveness of surgical intervention in managing empyema thoracis in children.

Patients And Methods: A total of 70 patients aged 1-14 years diagnosed to have empyema thoracis and who underwent tube thoracostomy from January 2010 to December 2013 were studied. All patients of which 12 patients needed decortication.

Risk assessment strategy for prediction of pathological hyperbilirubinemia in neonates.

Objective: To evaluate combined ability of clinical risk factors and transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) in predicting pathological hyperbilirubinemia (PHB) needing treatment during first week of life in healthy term and late preterm neonates.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included healthy neonates with gestation ≥35 wk and birth weight ≥2000 g. TcB was measured with a multi-wavelength transcutaneous bilirubinometer (Bilichek®) at 30 ± 12 h of postnatal age.