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Introduction: This review acquaints neonatal clinicians using point‐of‐care ultrasound with a range of pathological bowel ultrasound findings, with the aim to promote utility of this skill as a diagnostic assessment tool in diseased neonatal intestinal states. Overview: A range of normal and pathological bowel ultrasound findings are illustrated with case examples from our neonatal intensive care unit. The technical challenges of lack of familiarity with sonographic appearance of bowel (healthy and diseased), occurrence of gas artefacts and requirements of high‐resolution linear transducer probes are described to allow the development of skills amongst neonatologists trained in point‐of‐care ultrasound. Plain abdominal radiography continues to remain the standard investigation to differentiate benign bowel states such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) belly syndrome in preterm infants from life‐threatening pathological intestinal states such as necrotising enterocolitis. Although plain radiography is the gold standard modality in the evaluation of neonatal diseased bowel states, real‐time point‐of‐care bowel ultrasound performed in conjunction can provide valuable information on bowel peristalsis, bowel wall thickness and bowel vascularity. Abnormal configuration of superior mesenteric vessels on colour Doppler can alert the clinician to the diagnosis of neonatal intestinal malrotation‐a time critical emergency. Conclusion: Further research is needed to explore true‐negative and true‐positive predictive values of bowel ultrasound. However, with expansion of knowledge, appropriate training of techniques, neonatologists will be able to enhance their diagnostic acumen by performing point‐of‐care bowel ultrasound in conjunction with plain radiography in the evaluation of broad array of neonatal intestinal states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: International neonatal resuscitation guidelines recommend the use of laryngeal mask airway (LMA) with newborn infants (≥34 weeks' gestation or >2 kg weight) when bag-mask ventilation (BMV) or tracheal intubation is unsuccessful. Previous publications do not allow broad LMA device comparison.Objective: To compare delivered ventilation of seven brands of size 1 LMA devices with two brands of face mask using self-inflating bag (SIB).Design: 40 experienced neonatal staff provided inflation cycles using SIB with positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) (5 cmH2O) to a specialised newborn/infant training manikin randomised for each LMA and face mask. All subjects received prior education in LMA insertion and BMV.Results: 12 415 recorded inflations for LMAs and face masks were analysed. Leak detected was lowest with i-gel brand, with a mean of 5.7% compared with face mask (triangular 42.7, round 35.7) and other LMAs (45.5-65.4) (p<0.001). Peak inspiratory pressure was higher with i-gel, with a mean of 28.9 cmH2O compared with face mask (triangular 22.8, round 25.8) and other LMAs (14.3-22.0) (p<0.001). PEEP was higher with i-gel, with a mean of 5.1 cmH2O compared with face mask (triangular 3.0, round 3.6) and other LMAs (0.6-2.6) (p<0.001). In contrast to other LMAs examined, i-gel had no insertion failures and all users found i-gel easy to use.Conclusion: This study has shown dramatic performance differences in delivered ventilation, mask leak and ease of use among seven different brands of LMA tested in a manikin model. This coupled with no partial or complete insertion failures and ease of use suggests i-gel LMA may have an expanded role with newborn resuscitation as a primary resuscitation device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The T-piece resuscitator (TPR) is in common use worldwide to deliver positive pressure ventilation during resuscitation of infants <10 kg. Ease of use, ability to provide positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), availability of devices inbuilt into resuscitaires and cheaper disposable options have increased its popularity as a first-line device for term infant resuscitation. Research into its ventilation performance is limited to preterm infant and animal studies. Efficacy of providing PEEP and the use of TPR during term infant resuscitation are not established.Aim: The aim of this study is to determine if delivered ventilation with the Neopuff brand TPR varied with differing (preterm to term) test lung compliances (Crs) and set peak inspiratory pressures (PIP).Design: A single operator experienced in newborn resuscitation provided positive pressure ventilation in a randomised sequence to three different Crs models (0.5, 1 and 3 mL/cmH2O) at three different set PIP (20, 30 and 40 cmH2O). Set PEEP (5 cmH2O), gas flow rate and inflation rate were the same for each sequence.Results: A total of 1087 inflations were analysed. The delivered mean PEEP was Crs dependent across set PIP range, rising from 4.9 to 8.2 cmH2O. At set PIP 40 cmH2O and Crs 3 mL/cmH2O, the delivered mean PIP was significantly lower at 35.3 cmH2O.Conclusions: As Crs increases, the Neopuff TPR can produce clinically significant levels of auto-PEEP and thus may not be optimal for the resuscitation of term infants with healthy lungs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 6-week-old ex-25-week gestation male infant developed candidal sepsis with subsequent bilateral acute obstructive nephropathy that was not responsive to intravenous antifungal therapy. Bilateral percutaneous nephrotomies were performed and irrigation with fluconazole started. Owing to the persistence of the candidaemia and left renal obstruction, streptokinase was administered through the nephrostomy with eventual resolution of obstruction and improvement in his kidney function. This case report discusses the use of the streptokinase therapy as an adjunct therapy in the clearance of fungal bezoars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]