Ventilator to study short-term complications in newborn infants with respiratory problems
Project location: Italy, Rome
Project start date: June 2010 -
Project end date: June 2011
Project number: 2010-14
Beneficiary: Cicogna In Volo Onlus
Cicogna in volo Onlus, non-profit association, based in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Pediatric Department of Policlinico Umberto I in Rome, was founded in 2005 and as President Prof. Patrizia Colarizi, Director of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Vice-President Prof. T. De Luca, Secretary Dr M. Gente and as partners pediatricians and neonatologists committed for years to improve survival and quality of life of many infants hospitalized in the same Unit.
The main objectives of the Association Cicogna in volo Onlus are to promote clinical and scientific activity in neonatology and specifically in:
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• Neonatal Emergency Transport and Toll Free number "Salvabebè"
• Prevention and treatment outcomes in the short and long term.
Neonatal Emergency Transport Service (STEN) and Toll Free Salvabebè telephone number (800.283.110) are part of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
1. The Neonatal Emergency Transport Service (STEN) is a service dedicated to the transfer of the sick newborn, need of care and assistance that can not be guaranteed in the place of birth. This service is equipped with two ambulances and two medical teams and nursing and operates throughout the Region Lazio;
2. since May 2002, within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is active Toll Free Salvabebè (800.283.110), thanks to the Associations' "I Diritti Civili nel 2000" e "Terzo Sole". This Toll Free is for all women in difficulty, who want to leave their child. Toll Free respond neonatologists, nurses and personnel of the NICU of the hospital Policlinico Umberto I, which has made available its facilities and its operators for:
- admit abandoned newborn;
- provide to pregnant women in difficulty the information necessary to give birth anonymously, as allowed by law;
- assist all mothers who need help for their children.
By calling Toll Free "Salvabebè", you activate an ambulance equipped for emergency neonatal transport, available 24 hours on 24 for the medical care to abandoned babies and their admission in the NICU of the hospital Policlinico Umberto I.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the hospital Umberto I Policlinico of Rome assists approximately 150 infants per year with cardio-respiratory diseases, of which about half are premature infants with birth weight ≤ 1500 g. These infants require different modes of ventilatory support, in relation to their weight and the disease from which are affected, as well as times of ventilation of varying lengths depending on their severity.
Respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn is a severe disease with high mortality rate and complications in the short and long term. In particular, the preterm infants needs respiratory support by dedicated neonatal mechanical ventilators.
The respirator that will be buy is a device of last generation, dedicated to the treatment of neonatal cardiopulmonary diseases. It is extremely practical and allows you to apply all the different modes of ventilation adaptable to neonatal disorders and age. It is also the only neonatal respirator that allows for Proportional Ventilation representation, which is a necessary way to decrease the high incidence of iatrogenic complications (pneumothorax and intraventricular haemorrhage).
Infants enrolled will be assigned to different modes of ventilation of the respirator Stephanie, on the basis of their birth weight and severity of respiratory disease.
The main objectives of the study are represented by: 1. increase the survival of babies of low birth weight and 2. reduce the incidence of complications in the short term (intracranial hemorrhage and bronchopulmonary dysplasia).
The methodology consists of: 1. trying to ventilate the baby with the mode of ventilation most appropriate its weight and its pathology and 2. wean the baby from the respirator as soon as possible.
