Biomedical subjects

P Van Reempts

Publications and source records attributed to P Van Reempts.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

Congenital pneumonia due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

A case of probable vertical transmission of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is presented. The presence of M pneumoniae was demonstrated by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the nasopharyngeal aspirate of a newborn who developed pneumonia shortly after birth. This result was confirmed by performing a second PCR, amplifying another part of the genome of M pneumoniae. It is concluded that M pneumoniae can be added to the long list of pathogens known to cause congenital pneumonia.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1989

Organization of neonatal care in Belgium.

The objectives of this paper are (1) to describe the organization of neonatal care in Belgium; (2) to review evaluative studies aiming at assessing the availability, effectiveness and cost of care, and (3) to compare the situation in Belgium with that in other countries. In the future, basic neonatal care should be provided in each maternity unit. This means that many maternities need upgrading in staffing and equipment. For intensive care, there is only a need for 10-12 specialized centers in the country. A policy for rapid transfer of sick neonates to specialized centers should be implemented.

Belgium↗

PubMed1986

[Definition and classification of perinatal mortality].

Analysis of problems related to the classification of perinatal mortality was made possible through the evaluation of data collected from the medical records of nine maternity hospitals in South-Hainaut. Medical records of 135 fetal and early neonatal deaths were investigated. Perinatal mortality statistics were compiled on the basis of five different definitions of perinatal mortality. Depending on which definition was used, perinatal mortality varied between 10.2% and 15.1%. This study shows that reporting of perinatal mortality in hospital registries according to the legal requirement is incomplete. Standard data should be collected for each pregnancy product, on the basis of clearly defined, national and international accepted definitions. It is suggested that the 1975 recommendations of the World Health Organization (International Classification of Diseases, 9th edition), be used for definition and classification of perinatal mortality.

Belgium↗

PubMed1985

The effect of rebreathing CO2 on ventilation and diaphragmatic electromyography in newborn infants.

We tested the hypothesis of whether the reduced ventilatory response to CO2 in preterm as compared to term infants is related to primary central unresponsiveness, or to mechanical impairment of the respiratory pump. Eleven preterm (n = 19; gestational age 32 +/- 0.4 wk) and 14 term (n = 24; GA 40 +/- 0.3 wk) infants were studied. Minute integrated diaphragmatic activity EMGDi X f), and mean inspiratory diaphragmatic activity (EMGDi/TI), were used as indices of central output. After 3 min breathing 21% O2 (control), infants rebreathed from a bag containing 5% CO2 in 40% O2 for 2 to 3 minutes. We measured VE, VT, f, VT/TI. Sleep states were monitored. Preterm infants had a decreased ventilatory response to CO2 both in quiet sleep (QS) (0.0379 +/- 0.067 vs 0.505 +/- 0.032 L . (min . kg . kPa PACO2)-1; P less than 0.04) and in active sleep (AS) (0.210 +/- 0.032 vs 0.331 +/- 0.048 L . (min . kg . kPa PACO2)-1; P less than 0.04). The decrease in response primarily was a function of a lack of increase in tidal volume with CO2 in QS and a lack of increase in f in AS. Parallel to these changes there were significant correlations between the increases in EMGDi X f and VE with inhaled CO2 (r = 0.75; P less than 0.001); VT and EMGDi (r = 0.63; P less than 0.01); and between the increases in EMGDi/TI and VT/TI with inhaled CO2 (r = 0.64; P less than 0.001). The results suggest that ventilatory response to CO2 is (1) correlated highly with diaphragmatic indices of central output; (2) less in active than in quiet sleep; (3) less in preterm than in term infants. We conclude that despite their increased chest wall compliance, preterm infant respond less to CO2 because of central unresponsiveness.

Carbon Dioxide↗

PubMed1984

Naloxone reduces decrease in ventilation induced by hypoxia in newborn infants.

The mechanism responsible for the decrease in ventilation during breathing of low fractional concentration of inspired O2 in the newborn infant is poorly understood. The present study tested the hypothesis that endogenous opiates account for this ventilatory decrease. Eleven healthy newborn infants breathed 15% O2, balance N2 for 5 min following an injection of saline and following an injection of naloxone. Neither injection caused a change in minute ventilation (VE) or ventilatory pattern when the infants were breathing room air. However, the decreased ventilation during hypoxia following naloxone was significantly less than that following saline. VE dropped about 14% following saline but only about 4% following naloxone. However, the adult ventilatory response to hypoxemia, i.e., a relatively sustained increase in VE, was not attained. Naloxone had no influence on the occurrence of periodic breathing during hypoxemia. Thus in the healthy full-term newborn infant, endogenous opiates account only for a part of the decreased ventilation during hypoxemia.

Humans↗