Premature infants are at unique risk for developing acute kidney injury (AKI) due to incomplete nephrogenesis, early exposure to nephrotoxic medications, and coexisting conditions such as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Unfortunately, laboratory testing for the diagnosis of AKI in this population is problematic because of the physiology of both the placenta and the extra-uterine premature kidney. Recent research has led to the development of promising biomarkers for the early detection of AKI in children but there are no published reports in neonates. Our goal was to determine whether urine neutrophil gelatinaseassociated lipocalin (NGAL) was detectable in premature infants and to correlate levels with gestational age, birth weight (BW), or indomethacin exposure. We enrolled 20 infants in four BW groups: 500 -750, 751-1000, 1001-1250, and 1251-1500 g. Urine was collected every day for the first 14 d of life. Neonates born at earlier gestational ages and lower BWs had higher urine NGAL levels (p Ͻ 0.01). We conclude that urine NGAL is easily obtained in premature infants and that it correlates significantly with both BW and gestational age. The use of urinary NGAL as a biomarker of AKI in premature infants warrants further investigation. (Pediatr Res 64: [423][424][425][426][427][428] 2008)

Medical simulation has long been used as a way to immerse trainees in realistic practice scenarios to help them consolidate their formal medical knowledge and develop teamwork, communication, and technical skills. Debriefing is regarded as a critical aspect of simulation training. With a skilled debriefing facilitator, trainees are able to go beyond a rote review of the skills and steps taken to explore their internal process and self-reflect on how their experience during the simulation shaped their decision making and behavior. However, the sense of vulnerability is an aspect of experiential training that can raise a trainee's defensiveness. Anxiety increases when trainees anticipate being evaluated for their performance, or when the simulation scenario pertains to complex interpersonal activities such as learning how to break bad news (BBN), a commonly encountered aspect of medical practice with inadequate training. Thus, collaborative reflective training (CRT), developed out of ideas based in family therapy, was designed as an approach for facilitating open dialogue and greater self-reflection while receiving training in BBN. This article will discuss the conceptual framework of CRT, explain how it was developed, and describe the nature of how it was used with a team of neonatology and pediatric fellows and medical family therapy interns. (PsycINFO Database Record

Objective To examine the effects of 30% oral dextrose on biochemical markers of pain, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation, and oxidative stress in preterm neonates experiencing a clinically required heel lance. Study design Utilizing a prospective study design, preterm neonates that met study criteria (n = 169) were randomized to receive either (1) 30% oral dextrose, (2) facilitated tucking, or (3) 30% oral dextrose and facilitated tucking 2 min before heel lance. Plasma markers of ATP degradation (hypoxanthine, uric acid) and oxidative stress (allantoin) were measured before and after the heel lance. Pain was measured using the premature infant pain profile-revised (PIPP-R). Results Oral dextrose, administered alone or with facilitated tucking, did not alter plasma markers of ATP utilization and oxidative stress. Conclusion A single dose of 30% oral dextrose, given before a clinically required heel lance, decreased signs of pain without increasing ATP utilization and oxidative stress in premature neonates.

Background: Metronidazole is frequently used off-label in infants with complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) to provide coverage against anaerobic organisms, but its safety and efficacy in this indication are unknown. Methods: In the Antibiotic Safety in Infants with Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infections open-label multicenter trial infants ≥34 weeks gestation at birth and <121 days postnatal age with cIAIs were administered metronidazole as part of multimodal therapy. Metronidazole safety was evaluated by reporting of adverse events (AEs) and safety events of special interest. Cure from disease was determined by blood cultures and a clinical cure score >4. A blinded adjudication committee reviewed all safety events of special interest. Results: Fifty-five infants were included, median gestational age was 36 weeks (range: 34–41) and postnatal age was 7 days (0–63). The most common additional antibiotics received included gentamicin, piperacillin-tazobactam, ampicillin and vancomycin. Only one AE, a candidal rash, was identified to be potentially caused by metronidazole administration. One infant died of cardiopulmonary failure, which was deemed unrelated to metronidazole. The most common events of special interest included feeding intolerance in 18 (33%) infants, and exploratory laparotomy in 10 (18%) requiring intestinal anastomosis in 7 (13%) infants. There was 1 (2%) intestinal stricture. Fifty-three infants (96%) achieved overall therapeutic success, 54 (98%) were alive through 30 days post-study therapy, and 54 (98%) had 30-day clinical cure score >4. Conclusions: In a cohort of late pre-term and term infants with cIAIs, combination antibiotic therapy that included metronidazole was safe, and therapeutic success was high.