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Biomedical subjects

B L Koops

Publications and source records attributed to B L Koops.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Current issues in Texas neonatology.

Since almost 10% of the births in the United States occur in Texas, issues that affect neonatal care in Texas are important for both the state and the nation. Although overall statistics are similar for the state and nation, closer examination reveals a need for improvement in specific areas, namely prenatal care, black and Hispanic mortality, and low birth-weight rates. Lay midwifery regulation has been an important concern in Texas. Surfactant use and education to prevent birth asphyxia have had a positive impact on perinatal health, contributing to public health efforts to improve perinatal outcome.

Humans↗

Outcome of very-low-birth-weight infants: does antepartum versus neonatal referral have a better impact on mortality, morbidity, or long-term outcome?

To evaluate the effect of aggressive intrapartum and early neonatal resuscitation on perinatal mortality, neonatal morbidity, and long-term outcome, we evaluated two groups of low-birth-weight infants who received different intrapartum and early neonatal care. One group of infants was delivered at a university-based regional perinatal center offering both high-risk obstetric and tertiary neonatal care. The second population consisted of infants from five community hospitals with level I nurseries. These two groups were selected because they differed in the ability to provide intrapartum and early neonatal care and because a total base population could be evaluated. During the 4-year study period, 174 infants with birth weights of 500 to 1499 gm were delivered at the university center and 297 infants were delivered at the community hospitals. At the university center, there was a significant reduction in fetal deaths, a delay in the time of neonatal deaths, and a reduction in hyaline membrane disease. Neonatal mortality rates at the university center were not reduced, and the incidence of sequelae was not affected. These data suggest that for the smallest infant, intrapartum and immediate neonatal care at a tertiary center may decrease fetal mortality and neonatal morbidity rates. Neonatal mortality and long-term outcome, however, may be less affected.

Child Development↗

Outcome of very-low-birth-weight infants: are populations of neonates inherently different after antenatal versus neonatal referral?

Postnatal transfer of high-risk infants to a neonatal intensive care unit has been an accepted medical practice for more than two decades. More recently, antepartum maternal referral for the smallest infants has been recommended to reduce infant mortality, morbidity, and long-term handicaps. The limited data available to compare in utero and postnatal transfer suggest that maternal risk factors may also influence antenatal referral. We evaluated antepartum maternal and postnatal infant referrals from five metropolitan Denver hospitals with level I facilities. Mothers who were referred to the tertiary perinatal center before delivery were more likely to have one or more high-risk conditions. The presence of a maternal risk factor (preeclampsia, antepartum bleeding, prolonged rupture of the membranes, or chorioamnionitis) was significantly more common in the maternal transfer group (p less than 0.002). Neonatal weight was higher for the maternal referrals compared with neonatal referrals. Neonatal survival was independently improved by transport of mother or infant, increasing birth weight, and higher Apgar scores. We suggest that maternal risk factors were an important determinant in the choice of antenatal referral to our perinatal center for both the community and regional hospitals during this study period. Studies that compare outcome of infants after maternal and infant transfer must control for potentially inherent differences between the antenatally and postnatally transferred infants.

Child Development↗

Timing and course of neonatal intracranial hemorrhage using real-time ultrasound.

Knowledge of the timing and course of neonatal intracranial hemorrhage is essential in determining the etiology of hemorrhage, since the key to preventing neurologic damage in newborns is to define preventable causes and to treat the complications of hemorrhage. In an intensive study of 49 neonates delivered less than or equal to 32 weeks gestation, the initial hemorrhage typically occurred in the first three days of life, with 36% occurring on day 1, 32% on day 2, and 18% on day 3. Most of the major hemorrhages (Grades III and IV) occurred on day 1, although ventricular enlargement occurred at a variable time after the initial insult. By the sixth day, 91% of all intracranial hemorrhage had occurred.

Cerebral Hemorrhage↗

Pulmonary vascular response to oxygen in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

The cardiac catheterization data of six infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) were reviewed to examine the responsiveness of their pulmonary vascular beds to changes in oxygen tension. The infants were studied because of slow recovery from their oxygen requirements and clinical evidence of persistent pulmonary hypertension. All were receiving home oxygen therapy and had abnormal chest radiographs and right ventricular hypertrophy by ECG at the time of catheterization (mean age, 25 months). All infants had mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 25 mm Hg in room air, with a mean of 48 mm Hg. All decreased mean pulmonary artery pressure by at least 10 mm Hg when placed in high levels of inspired oxygen (FiO2 greater than 80), with a mean pulmonary artery pressure of 25 mm Hg. This represented a significant decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure from room air pressures (P less than .005). Mean pulmonary artery pressure was also measured in three infants who were breathing supplemental oxygen by nasal cannula at flow rates similar to levels used for outpatient therapy. Most of the reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure that occurred at high FiO2 occurred at these lower flow rates of supplemental oxygen. It is concluded that infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia who have pulmonary hypertension generally have reactive pulmonary vascular beds, responsive to supplemental oxygen. Continuous oxygen therapy by nasal cannula may be useful in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia↗

Neonatal hyperviscosity: randomized study of effect of partial plasma exchange transfusion on long-term outcome.

The use of partial plasma exchange transfusion in newborns with polycythemia and hyperviscosity was evaluated. Ninety-three infants with polycythemia and hyperviscosity were randomly assigned to receive either partial plasma exchange transfusion or symptomatic treatment; the infants were matched with control infants without polycythemia. Neonatal course and outcome at 1 and 2 years were evaluated for each of the three groups. Polycythemic infants had more fine motor and speech problems at 1 year of age than did control infants. At 2 years of age, polycythemic infants had more gross motor delays, neurologic diagnoses, fine motor abnormalities, and speech delays than did the control infants. There was no significant difference at 1 year between the polycythemic infants who had received partial plasma exchange transfusion and those given only symptomatic care. At 2 years, the group receiving partial plasma exchange transfusion had fewer neurologic diagnoses and fine motor abnormalities.

Blood Viscosity↗

Gastrointestinal injury in polycythemic term infants.

Necrotizing enterocolitis is uncommon among term infants. In this group, necrotizing enterocolitis has been associated with two risk factors: polycythemia and umbilical catheterization. During a randomized trial of partial plasma exchange transfusion for treatment of polycythemia, an increased risk of gastrointestinal problems was noted. Eight hyperviscous patients treated with partial plasma exchange transfusion, no symptomatically treated patients, and no control infants developed typical necrotizing enterocolitis (blood in the stools, pneumatosis, and systemic signs). The incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis was significantly greater among patients treated with exchange transfusion compared with patients treated symptomatically or control subjects (P less than .001).

Blood Viscosity↗

Systemic hypertension in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Thirteen of 30 infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia demonstrated systolic blood pressure readings above 113 mm Hg on at least three separate occasions. In contrast, only one of 22 infants without BPD developed hypertension. The onset of hypertension often followed discharge from the nursery, was transient, and responded well to antihypertensive medication. Its significance is exemplified by the presence of left ventricular hypertrophy in three infants and a cerebrovascular accident in one child. We conclude that systemic hypertension is a significant problem in infants with BPD, and recommend close monitoring of blood pressure during their follow-up care.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia↗

Experience with home oxygen in the management of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

We followed the clinical course of 23 infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) on home oxygen therapy during the first year of life in order to monitor patterns of growth, need for hospital readmission, and improvement in oxygenation. Oxygenation was assessed by serial, resting, awake, and room air transcutaneous PO2 (tcPO2) measurements at clinic visits. Weight gain was poor, with boys growing below the fifth percentile and girls growing at the tenth percentile. Ten of the 23 infants (43%) required rehospitalizations. There were no deaths. Fourteen of the 23 infants (61%) were taken off supplemental oxygen by 12 months corrected age, at a mean age of 7.9 months. Mean rate of improvement in tcPO2 was 3 torr/month, but wide individual variation was found. Infants off of oxygen treatment at 12 months corrected age grew at a significantly greater rate than those still requiring oxygen supplementation (p less than 0.02). Infants with right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) by electrocardiogram tended to resolve their RVH while on home oxygen therapy. We conclude that infants with BPD on home oxygen therapy generally show steady improvement in oxygenation, but grow poorly and require frequent hospitalizations.

Body Weight↗

Role of coagulopathy in newborn intracranial hemorrhage.

Fifty newborn infants of less than 33 weeks' gestation were followed prospectively from birth with serial coagulation and real-time ultrasound studies. A significant association of hypocoagulability in the first four hours of life with subsequent onset or progression of intraventricular or other clinical hemorrhages was documented. Abnormalities included lower values for fibrinogen, platelet count, antithrombin III, and factor VIII with higher values for fibrin monomer and longer Laidlaw whole blood clotting times. These abnormalities tended to correct spontaneously in surviving infants. An association between gestational complications and incidence of hypocoagulability and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) was noted. Babies of preeclamptic mothers had fewer abnormalities and babies born to mothers with premature rupture of membranes and suspected amnionitis manifested more hypocoagulability and more severe intracranial hemorrhages.

Blood Coagulation Disorders↗

Timing and antecedents of intracranial hemorrhage in the newborn.

Fifty newborn infants of less than 33 weeks' gestation were followed prospectively from birth to evaluate the temporal relationships of various clinical factors to the onset and progression of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in an inborn population given maximal support. ICH was diagnosed and followed with bedside ultrasound every eight hours. The incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage was 30% and of any ICH was 40% with onset from less than 2 hours to 8 days of age. Grades 2, 3, and 4 ICH correlated with Apgar scores of less than 5 at five minutes, vaginal delivery, longer labors, and intrapartum hemorrhage. There was a significant correlation between ICH and both blood pressure fluctuations of greater than 100% and rapid colloid infusions. Slow transfusions of packed red cells did not appear to precipitate episodes of ICH. In a setting of optimal care, ICH appears to be more related to prenatal stresses than to specific postnatal complications.

Apgar Score↗

Neonatal mortality risk in relation to birth weight and gestational age: update.

Neonatal mortality risk for all birth weight-gestational age categories has been prepared based on data from an inborn population at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center for the years 1974 to 1980. There were 14,413 live births and 252 neonatal deaths during this six-year period, reflecting fairly current clinical practices. Based on birth weight alone, neonatal mortality was 0.47% for infants weighing greater than 2,500 gm; based on gestational age alone, mortality was 0.28% for infants greater than 34 weeks. A chart of neonatal mortality risk has been constructed based on birth weights and gestational ages of all these infants. The zones of mortality risk have been color matched to equivalent areas of mortality for the 1958 to 1969 data previously published from the Center for easy comparison. These two populations have also been compared on a graph plotting the predicted mortality at the estimated gestational age and its fiftieth percentile birth weight. This may be useful for consultation by perinatal obstetricians who must make decisions about transfer and care of high-risk mothers before delivery occurs. Where comparisons can be made with other perinatal centers, there is a remarkable similarity in neonatal survival rates, indicating that continuing communication between obstetric perinatologists and neonatologists is a prime factor in reducing mortality, rather than specific new therapeutic procedures at any single clinical center.

Birth Weight↗

Developmental and neurologic sequelae of neonatal hyperviscosity syndrome.

One hundred eleven consecutive infants with neonatal hyperviscosity were identified by screening all newborns for polycythemia in an 18-month period. These polycythemic infants were matched with non-polycythemic newborns for birth weight, gestational age, Apgar scores, and sex. Maternal, intrapartum, and neonatal data were analyzed for associated morbidity. Maternal preeclampsia was more common among the hyperviscous patients than among control subjects. Hypoglycemia was also significantly increased among the hyperviscous patients. Follow-up studies at 1 to 3 years of age revealed a significantly higher incidence (38% vs 11%) of motor and neurologic abnormalities in the infants with neonatal hyperviscosity. The data suggested that concurrent hypoglycemia increased the risk of a poor outcome in hyperviscous infants inasmuch as 55% of infants with both characteristics were abnormal at follow-up. This, however, was not significantly different from the outcome of infants with hyperviscosity alone (P greater than .05 but less than .1). Further studies will be needed to confirm or deny this relationship.

Blood Viscosity↗

Posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus in low-birth-weight infants: treatment by serial lumbar punctures.

We have performed weekly computed tomographic brain scans on 28 surviving low-birth-weight infants with cerebral intraventricular hemorrhage and acute ventricular dilatation. Evolving hydrocephalus was observed in 15 infants. Twelve of the 15 infants were treated by removing large volumes of cerebrospinal fluid with serial lumbar punctures. Arrest in the progression of hydrocephalus was evident in 11 of the 12. Clinical hydrocephalus requiring surgical intervention occurred in one of the treated infants and in all three untreated infants. No complications of serial lumbar punctures were noted, whereas shunt-related morbidity was 100%. Our results suggest that serial lumbar punctures are effective in arresting the development of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus.

Brain↗

Who pays the bill for neonatal intensive care?

The Children's Hospital Newborn Emergency Service conducted 174 transports to the Newborn Center during a four-month period in 1976. The transport charge directly related to the distance between the referring hospital and the NBC. Two years after the NBC discharged the last study infant, 150 of 174 accounts have been paid in full. Insurance paid 85%, families paid 4%, and the hospital wrote off 11% of all hospital charges. The Children's Hospital referred 2% of all hospital charges to a bill collection agency. One hundred-forty-four infants (84%) survived and 27 (16%) died. The mean charge per day for survivors was $338; the mean charge per day for nonsurvivors was $607.

Colorado↗