OPIATES AND INTERMEDIARY METABOLISM IN VENTILATED PRETERM BABIES

Oesophageal pressure measurements in ventilated preterm babies.

Oesophageal pressure measured with an air-filled, thin latex balloon on a 6 French gauge catheter can accurately measure intraoesophageal pressures in ventilated preterm babies. Intraoesophageal pressures and intrapleural pressures are equivalent. Less than 10% of the applied positive ventilator pressure is transmitted to the oesophageal balloon and the intrapleural catheter (intercostal drain)...

Dynamic compliance in preterm ventilated babies.

Oesophageal pressure measurements in ventilated preterm babies

Sir, Drs Greenough and Morley' conclude that very little ventilator pressure is transmitted to the oesophageal balloon in paralysed babies because of low lung compliance, and support this by showing lack of transmission to chest drains inserted in 2 babies with pneumothorax. Although this fits well with their other observations, they did not say whether there was any intrapleural air remaining ...

Impaired parasympathetic response to feeding in ventilated preterm babies.

BACKGROUND Premature very low birthweight (VLBW) infants are born with an underdeveloped parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which may limit their ability to respond adequately to feeding and may limit their capacities for extrauterine growth and development. OBJECTIVES To describe the patterns of autonomic response to feeding and identify relationships between change in heart period variabi...

Nephrocalcinosis in preterm babies.

OBJECTIVES To determine prospectively the incidence and cause of nephrocalcinosis in preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN Inborn babies of gestation less than 32 weeks or birth weight less than 1500 g were eligible to be entered into a prospective observational study. Two renal ultrasound scans were performed, the first at 1 month postnatal age and the second at term or discharge. Data were collecte...