Konnatale Schädelimpression: Fallbericht und Literaturübersicht

A 40-week gestational age infant was delivered by cesarean section because of intense contractions and pathological fetal heart rate pattern. The umbilical artery pH was 7.03, Apgar scores were 1/4/7 at 1, 5 and 10 min of age. The 3,250-gram infant had a skull depression of 5 x 7 cm in the left temporal-parietal region with a depth of 1.5 cm. There were no edemas or hematomas in this area; neurological examination was normal. A CT scan did not show a fracture, but the cortex below the depression appeared slightly compressed. At the age of 11 days, the depressed part of the parietal squama was surgically elevated. The child was discharged in good condition 8 days later and remained well at a 6-month follow-up examination

Randomized crossover comparison of proportional assist ventilation and patient-triggered ventilation in extremely low birth weight infants with evolving chronic lung disease

Background: Refinement of ventilatory techniques remains a challenge given the persistence of chronic lung disease of preterm infants. Objective: To test the hypothesis that proportional assist ventilation ( PAV) will allow to lower the ventilator pressure at equivalent fractions of inspiratory oxygen (FiO(2)) and arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation in ventilator-dependent extremely low birth weight infants in comparison with standard patient-triggered ventilation ( PTV). Methods: Design: Randomized crossover design. Setting: Two level-3 university perinatal centers. Patients: 22 infants ( mean (SD): birth weight, 705 g ( 215); gestational age, 25.6 weeks ( 2.0); age at study, 22.9 days ( 15.6)). Interventions: One 4- hour period of PAV was applied on each of 2 consecutive days and compared with epochs of standard PTV. Results: Mean airway pressure was 5.64 ( SD, 0.81) cm H2O during PAV and 6.59 ( SD, 1.26) cm H2O during PTV ( p < 0.0001), the mean peak inspiratory pressure was 10.3 ( SD, 2.48) cm H2O and 15.1 ( SD, 3.64) cm H2O ( p < 0.001), respectively. The FiO(2) ( 0.34 (0.13) vs. 0.34 ( 0.14)) and pulse oximetry readings were not significantly different. The incidence of arterial oxygen desaturations was not different ( 3.48 ( 3.2) vs. 3.34 ( 3.0) episodes/ h) but desaturations lasted longer during PAV ( 2.60 ( 2.8) vs. 1.85 ( 2.2) min of desaturation/ h, p = 0.049). PaCO2 measured transcutaneously in a subgroup of 12 infants was similar. One infant met prespecified PAV failure criteria. No adverse events occurred during the 164 cumulative hours of PAV application. Conclusions: PAV safely maintains gas exchange at lower mean airway pressures compared with PTV without adverse effects in this population. Backup conventional ventilation breaths must be provided to prevent apnea-related desaturations. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Base

Modeling Cerebral Blood Flow Dependence on Carbon Dioxide and Mean Arterial Blood Pressure in the Immature Brain With Accounting for the Germinal Matrix

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is one of the most critical complications in the development of preterm infants. The likelihood of IVH is strongly associated with disturbances in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and with microvascular fragility in the germinal matrix (GM). The CBF value and its reactivity to changes in arterial carbon dioxide pressure (pCO2) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) are relevant indicators in the clinical assessment of preterm infants. The objective of the present study is mathematical modeling of the influence of pCO2 and MABP on CBF in immature brain, based on clinical data collected from 265 preterm infants with 23–30 gestational weeks. The model was adapted to the peculiarities of immature brain by taking into account the morphological characteristics of the GM capillary network and vascular reactivity, according to gestational and postnatal age. An analysis of model based values of CBF and its reactivity to changes in MABP and pCO2 was performed separately for each gestational week and for the first two days of life both for preterm infants with and without IVH. The developed model for the estimation of CBF was validated against equivalent experimental measurements taken from the literature. A good agreement between the estimated values of CBF, as well as its reaction on changes in MABP and pCO2 and the equivalent values obtained in experimental studies was shown

Pulmonary stretch receptor activity during partial liquid ventilation in cats with healthy lungs

Aim: To study whether pulmonary stretch receptor (PSR) activity in mechanically ventilated young cats with healthy lungs during partial liquid ventilation (PLV) is different from that during gas ventilation (GV). Methods: In 10 young cats (4.4 +/- 0.4 months, 2.3 +/- 0.3 kg; mean B SD), PSR instantaneous impulse frequency (PSR f(imp)) was recorded from single fibres in the vagal nerve during GV and PLV with perfluorocarbon (30 ml/kg) at increasing positive inspiratory pressures (PIP; 1.2, 1.8, 2.2 and 2.7 kPa), and at a positive end-expiratory pressure of 0.5 kPa. Results: All PSRs studied during GV maintained their phasic character with increased impulse frequency during inspiration during PLV. Peak PSR fimp was lower at PIP 1.2 kPa (p < 0.05) and at PIP 2.7 kPa (p = 0.10) during PLV than during GV, giving a lower number of PSR impulses at these two settings during PLV (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The phasic character of PSR activity is similar during GV and PLV. PSR activity is not higher during PLV than during GV in cats with healthy lungs, indicating no extensive stretching of the lung during PLV. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

Regulation of Breathing under Different Pulmonary Conditions

The breathing pattern of preterm infants is immature and is associated with a variety of reflexes. In a patient on the ventilator these reflexes interfere with spontaneous breathing. A better understanding of the immature control of breathing could lead to further improvements in ventilatory techniques. This thesis concerns studies of pulmonary stretch receptor (PSR) and phrenic nerve activity as part of the regulation of breathing in an animal model. During assist/control ventilation with three different inspiratory pressure waveforms in animals with healthy lungs, squarewave pressure waveform strongly inhibits spontaneous inspiratory activity. During partial liquid ventilation (PLV) in animals with healthy lungs, all PSRs studied maintained their phasic character, with increased impulse frequency during inspiration. PSR activity was not higher during PLV than during gas ventilation (GV), indicating that there was no extensive stretching of the lung during PLV. During proportional assist ventilation (PAV) the applied airway pressure is servo-controlled proportionally to the ongoing breathing effort, thereby interacting with the activity of PSRs. Peak PSR activity was higher and occurred earlier during PAV than during CPAP. The regulation of breathing is maintained during PAV in surfactant-depleted animals before and early after surfactant instillation, with a higher ventilatory response and a lower breathing effort than during CPAP in both conditions. Both lung mechanics and gas exchange influence the regulation of breathing. Inhibition of inspiratory activity occurred at a lower arterial pH and a higher PaCO2 during PLV than during GV in animals with surfactant-depleted lungs, which might be related to recruitment of a larger number of pulmonary stretch receptors during PLV. In summary, selected aspects of the regulation of breathing were studied in an animal model with different ventilatory techniques under different lung conditions similar to those that can occur in infants

Regulation of Breathing under Different Pulmonary Conditions

The breathing pattern of preterm infants is immature and is associated with a variety of reflexes. In a patient on the ventilator these reflexes interfere with spontaneous breathing. A better understanding of the immature control of breathing could lead to further improvements in ventilatory techniques. This thesis concerns studies of pulmonary stretch receptor (PSR) and phrenic nerve activity as part of the regulation of breathing in an animal model. During assist/control ventilation with three different inspiratory pressure waveforms in animals with healthy lungs, squarewave pressure waveform strongly inhibits spontaneous inspiratory activity. During partial liquid ventilation (PLV) in animals with healthy lungs, all PSRs studied maintained their phasic character, with increased impulse frequency during inspiration. PSR activity was not higher during PLV than during gas ventilation (GV), indicating that there was no extensive stretching of the lung during PLV. During proportional assist ventilation (PAV) the applied airway pressure is servo-controlled proportionally to the ongoing breathing effort, thereby interacting with the activity of PSRs. Peak PSR activity was higher and occurred earlier during PAV than during CPAP. The regulation of breathing is maintained during PAV in surfactant-depleted animals before and early after surfactant instillation, with a higher ventilatory response and a lower breathing effort than during CPAP in both conditions. Both lung mechanics and gas exchange influence the regulation of breathing. Inhibition of inspiratory activity occurred at a lower arterial pH and a higher PaCO2 during PLV than during GV in animals with surfactant-depleted lungs, which might be related to recruitment of a larger number of pulmonary stretch receptors during PLV. In summary, selected aspects of the regulation of breathing were studied in an animal model with different ventilatory techniques under different lung conditions similar to those that can occur in infants

Regulation of Breathing under Different Pulmonary Conditions

The breathing pattern of preterm infants is immature and is associated with a variety of reflexes. In a patient on the ventilator these reflexes interfere with spontaneous breathing. A better understanding of the immature control of breathing could lead to further improvements in ventilatory techniques. This thesis concerns studies of pulmonary stretch receptor (PSR) and phrenic nerve activity as part of the regulation of breathing in an animal model. During assist/control ventilation with three different inspiratory pressure waveforms in animals with healthy lungs, squarewave pressure waveform strongly inhibits spontaneous inspiratory activity. During partial liquid ventilation (PLV) in animals with healthy lungs, all PSRs studied maintained their phasic character, with increased impulse frequency during inspiration. PSR activity was not higher during PLV than during gas ventilation (GV), indicating that there was no extensive stretching of the lung during PLV. During proportional assist ventilation (PAV) the applied airway pressure is servo-controlled proportionally to the ongoing breathing effort, thereby interacting with the activity of PSRs. Peak PSR activity was higher and occurred earlier during PAV than during CPAP. The regulation of breathing is maintained during PAV in surfactant-depleted animals before and early after surfactant instillation, with a higher ventilatory response and a lower breathing effort than during CPAP in both conditions. Both lung mechanics and gas exchange influence the regulation of breathing. Inhibition of inspiratory activity occurred at a lower arterial pH and a higher PaCO2 during PLV than during GV in animals with surfactant-depleted lungs, which might be related to recruitment of a larger number of pulmonary stretch receptors during PLV. In summary, selected aspects of the regulation of breathing were studied in an animal model with different ventilatory techniques under different lung conditions similar to those that can occur in infants

PEDIATRIC ORIGINAL Adaptive mechanical backup ventilation for preterm infants on respiratory assist modes -a pilot study

Abstract Background: Mechanical respiratory-assist modes, such as assist/control, low-rate intermittent mandatory ventilation, continuous positive airway pressure, or proportional assist ventilation (PAV), require a continuous respiratory effort. Because of the frequent occurrence of periodic breathing and/or apnea, mechanical backup ventilation must be initiated during episodes of reduced or absent respiratory drive to maintain gas exchange. The common approach to this problem is a regular conventional mechanical ventilation, which is initiated and withdrawn in an &quot;on/off&quot; function. Objective: To develop and evaluate a mechanical backup ventilation mode that is adaptive to the rapidly changing breathing pattern of preterm infants. Design: Prospective randomized clinical crossover trial. Setting: Neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Munich, Germany. Patients: Preterm infants undergoing PAV. Interventions: The infants were ventilated with PAV using a newly developed adaptive backup support, with and without pulse-oximetryguided operation (SpO 2 -sensitive backup). Each infant was ventilated with both modes of backup support on 2 consecutive days, with the sequence randomized. Measurements and results: The analysis on 11 preterm infants showed a statistically significant and clinically relevant reduction of the incidence (33%) and duration of oxygen desaturations (52%) when SpO 2 -sensitive adaptive backup support was used. Conclusions: SpO 2 -sensitive adaptive backup proved safe and effective in reducing the incidence and duration of oxygen desaturation in this short-term trial. This technology is potentially applicable to other assisted modalities of ventilation, such as noninvasive nasal ventilation