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Biomedical subjects

T K Belgaumkar

Publications and source records attributed to T K Belgaumkar.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Neurodevelopmental outcome after neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the neurodevelopmental outcome of neonates who underwent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO group) and similarly critically ill newborns with a lower Oxygenation Index who underwent conventional treatment (comparison group), and to determine whether factors such as the underlying diagnosis and the distance transported from outlying areas affect outcome. DESIGN: Multicentre prospective longitudinal comparative outcome study. SETTING: An ECMO centre providing services to all of western Canada and four tertiary care neonatal follow-up clinics. SUBJECTS: All neonates who received treatment between February 1989 and January 1992 at the Western Canadian Regional ECMO Center and who were alive at 2 years of age; 38 (95%) of the 40 surviving ECMO-treated subjects and 26 (87%) of the 30 surviving comparison subjects were available for follow-up. INTERVENTIONS: ECMO or conventional therapy for respiratory failure. OUTCOME MEASURES: Neurodevelopmental disability (one or more of cerebral palsy, visual or hearing loss, seizures, severe cognitive disability), and mental and performance developmental indexes of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. RESULTS: Six (16%) of the ECMO-treated children had neurodevelopmental disabilities at 2 years of age, as compared with 1 (4%) of the comparison subjects; the difference was not statistically significant. The mean mental developmental index (91.8 [standard deviation (SD) 19.5] v. 100.5 [SD 25.4]) and the mean performance developmental index (87.2 [SD 20.0] v. 96.4 [SD 20.9]) did not differ significantly between the ECMO group and the comparison group respectively. Among the ECMO-treated subjects those whose underlying diagnosis was sepsis had the lowest Bayley indexes, significantly lower than those whose underlying diagnosis was meconium aspiration syndrome. The distance transported did not affect outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Neurodevelopmental disability and delay occurred in both groups. The underlying diagnosis appears to affect outcome, whereas distance transported does not. These findings support early transfer for ECMO of critically ill neonates with respiratory failure who do not respond to conventional treatment. Larger multicentre studies involving long-term follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.

Developmental Disabilities↗

Modular transport ventilation system for twins.

A single modular transport ventilation system has been modified for ventilation of twins by duplicating the gas supply lines, gas blender, and ventilator. This twin ventilator system can be assembled easily in minutes, has essential built-in safety features, and provides simultaneous yet individualized ventilation support to each infant during transport without the need for additional personnel.

Equipment Design↗

Prevention of group-B beta-haemolytic streptococcal septicaemia in low-birth-weight neonates by penicillin administered within two hours of birth.

Between January, 1969, and May, 1974, 11 of 1208 low-birth-weight infants had early onset group-B streptococcal septicaemia. All 11 infants were of less than 35 weeks gestational age and 9 presented with the clinical and radiological signs of idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome. 10 died. Antibotics were given to 3 infants only, but not before the age of 12 h. From June, 1974, infants less than 35 weeks gestational age, and from January, 1977, infants less than 2500 g, received systemic penicillin by 2 h of age after throat, ear, umbilical, rectal, and blood cultures. Penicillin was continued for 10 days if group-B streptococci were isolated but was stopped at 48 h of age if all cultures were negative. Between June, 1974, and November, 1977, there was 1 case of septicaemia and no death from group-B streptococal infection in the 983 low-birth-weight infants born during this period. These data suggest that systemic penicillin from birth prevents low-birth-weight infants from dying of group-B streptococcal infection.

Cross Infection↗

Group B beta-hemolytic streptococci in an intramural neonatal population.

An intramural population of 2480 neonates (88.7% of total births at the Grace Maternity Hospital, Halifax, Canada) was studied by rectal swabs collected within one hour after birth. Group B streptococci were recovered from 54 (21.7/1000 livebirths). Of these, 12(4.8/1000 livebirths) became symptomatic; all were term infants and none was born after prolonged membrane rupture. Two infants with pneumonia (0.8/1000) had severe life threatening illness; one was infected with group B streptococcus, serotype III, the other with both serotypes Ia and II. Serotyping of isolates showed equal distribution of types Ia, Ib, II and III but the symptomatic group showed a predominance of serotype III.

Cross Infection↗

Apnea in premature infants: recording by arterial catheter.

Respirations and apnea were recorded through an arterial catheter and observed simultaneously in 13 premature infants. Based on simultaneous clinical observation and characteristic recordings of preapneic and apneic periods, three distinct mechanisms of evolution of apneic spells were noted. Studies to elucidate pathophysiologic changes during apnea should recognize varied mechanisms of their origin.

Aorta, Abdominal↗

Effects of low humidity on small premature infants in servocontrol incubators. I. Decrease in rectal temperature.

19 small premature infants in servocontrol incubators, whose abdominal skin temperature was 36.0 +/- 0.3 degrees C, were subjected to alternate high- and low-humidity environments. With low humidity, rectal temperature dropped significantly below abdominal skin temperature. Skin was the predominant site of evaporative heat loss. The temperature was lower on naked skin than on an area covered by adhesive tape. Thus, servocontrol with low humidity increases evaporative heat loss and engenders a cycle of events that results in paradoxical body temperature decrease as the incubator temperature increases.

Abdomen↗