Study on the Relationship between Nursing Staffing and Nosocomial Infection in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Background: At present, there is no domestic research on the relationship between nurse staffing and hospital infection in very low birth weight infants. In this paper, we will explore the relationship between nurses of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and nosocomial infections. Methods: The clinical data of 280 very low birth weight infants born in our hospital from January 2010 to January 2020 were collected, and the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to study the nursing staff of each very low birth weight infant who was admitted to the NICU The relationship between the number of infections and hospital infections. Results: On average, each nurse needs to care for 4.3 very low birth weight infants (lowest to highest: 2.50 - 8.42). In the univariate analysis, the higher the incidence of urinary tract infection (P < 0.05), the multivariate logistic regression analysis of neonatal nosocomial infection showed that nurse staffing was significantly related to the incidence of urinary tract infection (OR = 1.78;95% confidence interval, 1.17 - 2.35, P < 0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between nurse staffing and bloodstream infection (OR = 0.91;95% confidence interval, 0.74 - 1.06, P > 0.05) or Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) infection (OR = 1.17;95% confidence interval, 0.94 - 1.47, P > 0.05). Conclusion: Our research shows that in the neonatal intensive care unit, the reasonable deployment of nursing staff is an important factor in preventing urinary tract infections in very low birth weight infants. It is important for improving the survival rate of very low birth weight infants and reducing the occurrence of sequelae.

A Clinical Analysis of Physical and Neurological Development in very Low Birth Weight Infants with MEIR(Massage,Exercises,Intelligence training,and Rehabilitation training)

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the application of MEIR(Massage,Exercises,Intelligence training,and Rehabilitation training)in Chinese VLBW infants and to observe its effects on infants’growth and deve1opment.Methods:Clinical data of 92 VLBW infants who were treated at the neonatal intensive care unit(NICU)of Loudi Centra1 Hospital were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were grouped as the MEIRgroup(n=47)and controls(n=45).Physical and neurodevelopment deve1opment were compared between the two groups.Results:There were differences in height and weight and head circumference between the two groups at all corrected ages(all P<0.05).Abnormal motions,reflexes,muscular tension,audio-visual reactions,and posture,and the total numbers of abnormalities of 3-,6-,9-and 12-corrected month-old infants in the MElRgroup were 1ower than in the control group(all P<0.05).The mental development index and psychomotor development index of 6-and 12-corrected month infants in the MEIR group were higher than in the control group(all P<0.05).Conclusion:MEIR could improve the physical and neurological developments of VLBW infants,reduce the incidence of adverse events,and improve their growth and development.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Premature Infants with Very Low Birth Weight: A Single Centre Retrospective Study in China

To investigate bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and its treatment with dexamethasone (DEX) in premature infants with birth weight (BW) < 1500 g. We retrospectively reviewed the records of preterm infants admitted to the Division of Neonatology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University between September 2011 and December 2014. Patients were excluded if they needed oxygen therapy but were lost to follow-up at ≤36 weeks post-menstrual age (PMA) or <56 days after birth, or they had severe congenital anomalies. The incidence of BPD was 18% (37/212). Gestational age (GA) was <32 weeks in all BPD patients. GA, BW, and Apgar scores were lower and hospitalization duration and pulmonary surfactant (PS) use were higher in the BPD group than in the non-BPD group (P < 0.05). Risk factors for BPD included neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal pneumonia, positive sputum culture, pulmonary hemorrhage, respiratory failure. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that GA (odds ratio [OR]: 0.479, P = 0.004) and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (OR: 6.146, P = 0.043) were independent risk factors for BPD. DEX was administered to 26 patients after the diagnosis of BPD. After one and two weeks of DEX treatment, the oxygen requirement had significantly reduced compared to the week prior to treatment (P < 0.05), while during treatment, the weight gain rate and weight gain efficiency slower significantly than that during either of the two preceding weeks (P < 0.001). These results suggest that low GA was the most important risk factor for BPD, DEX reduced oxygen dependency but decreased weight gain.

Application of prolonging small feeding volumes early in life to prevent of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight preterm infants

Objective:To study the effects of prolonging small feeding volumes early in life on the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC)in very low birth weight(VLBW)preterm infants.Methods:A total of 128 VLBW infants who could not be breastfed were assigned into the experimental group(63 cases)and the control group(65 cases)using a random number table.The experiment group was fed 12 mL/(kg·d)on day 1 which was increased to 24 mL/(kg·d)for the first 10 study days.The control group was fed 12 mL/(kg·d)for the first 14e48 hours.Then,the feeding volume increased by 24-36 mL/(kg·d)up to 140e160 mL/(kg·d)and maintained until the 10th day after birth.The incidence of feeding intolerance and NEC,duration of hospitalization,time to full enteral feedings,incidence of intrahepatic cholestasis,and the levels of gastrin and motilin in serum were assessed.Results:The incidence of feeding intolerance was significantly lower in the experimental group compared with the control group(15.87% vs.33.84%).There was a significant reduction in the incidence of NEC between the experimental and control groups(7.9% vs.16% in the control group).Conclusion:A protocol that prolongs small feeding volumes early in life can reduce the incidence and severity of NEC,but still warrants further study.

Fish oil-containing lipid emulsions prevention on parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis in very low birth weight infants:a meta-analysis

Background The effect of fish oil-containing lipid emulsions on preventing parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis(PNAC)in very low birth weight(VLBW)infants is not known.Thus,we conducted a meta-analysis to identify any preven-tion effect.Methods PubMed,EMBASE,and CENTRAL were searched up to 26 January 2021 for studies related to the preventive effect of fish oil-containing lipid emulsions and fish oil-free lipid emulsions on cholestasis in VLBW infants.Revman 5.3 was used to synthesize the results.A fixed-effect model was used to summarize the data when the heterogeneity was non-significant(I2<50%),and a random-effects model was used when the heterogeneity was significant(I2>50%).Results Of 728 articles,11 randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria.The meta-analysis indicated that fish oil-containing lipid emulsion reduced the occurrence of PNAC significantly with risk ratio(RR)=0.53,95%confidence interval(CI)0.36-0.80,P=0.002.The heterogeneity was non-significant with I2=23%.Subgroup analysis based on par-enteral nutrition duration and median birth weight was performed.The synthesis results for patients with parenteral nutri-tion duration exceeding 14 days revealed I2=35%(P=0.15)and pooled RR=0.47,95%CI 0.30-0.73,P=0.0008;and for patients with duration less than 14 days revealed I2=0%(P=0.72)and pooled RR=1.14,95%CI 0.39-3.35,P=0.81.The synthesis for patients with birth weight more than 1000 g revealed I2=0%(P=0.41)and pooled RR=0.55,95%CI 0.26-1.18,P=0.12;and for patients with birth weight below 1000 g revealed I2=44%(P=0.11)and pooled RR=0.53,95%CI 0.33-0.85,P=0.009.Conclusions The fish oil-containing lipid emulsion can reduce the occurrence of PNAC in VLBW infants based on the avail-able original randomized controlled trial studies,especially for patients with parenteral nutrition duration exceeding 14 days and extremely low birth weight infants.Future studies should be performed before a definitive conclusion can be established.

Prevention of peripherally inserted central catheter-related infections in very low-birthweight infants by using a central line bundle guideline with a standard checklist

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of using a central line bundle(CLB)guideline with a standard checklist in the prevention of peripherally inserted central catheter(PICC)-related infections(CRIs)in very low-birth-weight infants(VLBWIs).Methods:Fifty-seven VLBWIs who underwent PICC insertion at a hospital in Qingdao,China,between November 2012 and June 2013,were monitored with the CLB guideline and a standard checklist.Fifty-three VLBWIs who underwent PICC insertion were monitored by standard hospital procedures.The incidence of CRIs was compared between the two groups.Results:The incidence of infection significantly decreased from 10.0%catheter days in the control group to 2.2%catheter days in the study group(p<0.05).The indwelling catheter time significantly increased in the study group compared to the control group(31.9±15.0days vs.24.8±7.4 days,respectively,p<0.05).Colonization infections also decreased from 6.9% catheter days in the control group to 2.2%catheter days in the study group(p<0.05).The incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections decreased from 3.1%catheter days in the control group to 0%catheter days in the study group.Conclusion:The use of a CLB guideline with a standard checklist could be an effective and feasible protocol for preventing CRIs and prolonging indwelling catheter timein VLBWIs.

Development of necrotizing enterocolitis after blood transfusion in very premature neonates

Background Prior studies report conflicting evidence on the association between packed red blood cell(PRBC)transfu-sions and necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC),especially in early weeks of life where transfusions are frequent and spontaneous intestinal perforation can mimic NEC.The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the association between PRBC transfusions and NEC after day of life(DOL)14 in very premature neonates.Methods A retrospective cohort analysis of very premature neonates was conducted to investigate association between PRBC transfusions and NEC after DOL 14.Primary endpoints were PRBC transfusions after DOL 14 until the date of NEC diagnosis,discharge,or death.Wilcoxon ranked-sum and Fisher's exact tests,Cox proportional hazards regression,and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze data.Results Of 549 premature neonates,186(34%)received transfusions after DOL 14 and nine(2%)developed NEC(median DOL=38;interquartile range=32-46).Of the nine with NEC after DOL 14,all were previously transfused(P<0.001);therefore,hazard of NEC could not be estimated.Post hoc analysis of patients from DOL 10 onward included five additional patients who developed NEC between DOL 10 and DOL 14,and the hazard of NEC increased by a factor of nearly six after PRBC transfusion(hazard ratio=5.76,95%confidence interval=1.02-32.7;P=0.048).Conclusions Transfusions were strongly associated with NEC after DOL 14.Prospective studies are needed to determine if restrictive transfusion practices can decrease incidence of NEC after DOL 14.