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Despite the growing body of literature supporting the use of point-of-care lung ultrasound (POC-LU) in neonates, its adoption in Canadian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) remains limited. This study aimed to identify healthcare providers' perceptions and barriers to implementing POC-LU in Canadian NICUs. We conducted an electronic survey targeting neonatologists, neonatal fellows, neonatal nurse practitioners, and registered respiratory therapists in 20 Canadian NICUs. The survey comprised a 28-item questionnaire divided into four sections: (1) participants' demographics and availability of POC-LU equipment, (2) experience and interest in POC-LU learning, (3) perception of POC-LU as a diagnostic tool, and (4) barriers to POC-LU implementation in NICUs. A total of 194 participants completed the survey, with neonatologists comprising the majority (45%). Nearly half of the participants (48%) reported prior experience with POC-LU. The most prevalent indications for POC-LU use were diagnosis of pleural effusion (90%), pneumothorax (87%), and respiratory distress syndrome (76%). Participants identified the primary barrier to POC-LU adoption as the lack of trained providers available for both training and clinical integration. Notably, most respondents (87%) expressed keen interest in learning neonatal POC-LU. A subgroup analysis based on the responses collected from NICU-directors of 12 institutions yielded results consistent with those of the overall participant pool. Conclusion: This survey underscores the perceived importance of POC-LU among NICU healthcare providers. A Canadian consensus is required to facilitate the development of widespread training programs as well as standardized clinical practice guideline for its implementation. What is Known: • In recent years, point-of-care lung ultrasound (POC-LU) has emerged as an important tool in neonatology, revolutionizing the assessment and management of critically ill infants. However, its adoption in Canadian Neonatal Intensive Care Units remains limited. What is New: • Most Canadian healthcare providers showed high level of interest in learning POC-LU techniques. Additionally, POC-LU was perceived as a useful tool for diagnosis and guiding intervention in various neonatal respiratory diseases. Nonetheless, the lack of expertise emerged as the primary barrier to its adoption and practice across different groups of participants regardless of their clinical experience level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Surfactant administration via a thin catheter (STC) is an alternative to surfactant administration post endotracheal intubation in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS); however, the benefits particularly in infants <29 weeks' gestation and the neurodevelopmental outcomes remain unclear. Thus, our objective was to systematically review and meta-analyze the efficacy and safety of STC compared to intubation for surfactant or nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in preterm infants with RDS. Methods: Medical databases were searched until December 2022 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing STC compared to controls that included intubation for surfactant or nCPAP in preterm infants with RDS. The primary outcome was bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at 36 weeks gestation in survivors. Subgroup analysis was conducted comparing STC to controls in infants < 29 weeks' gestation. The Cochrane risk of bias (ROB) tool was used and certainty of evidence (CoE) was rated according to GRADE. Results: Twenty-six RCTs of 3349 preterm infants, in which half of the studies had low risk of bias, were included. STC decreased the risk of BPD in survivors compared to controls (17 RCTs; N = 2408; relative risk (RR) = 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51 to 0.85; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) = 13; CoE: moderate). In infants < 29 weeks' gestation, STC significantly reduced the risk of BPD compared to controls (6 RCTs, N = 980; RR 0.63; 95% CI 0.47 to 0.85; NNTB = 8; CoE: moderate). Conclusions: Compared to controls, STC may be a more efficacious and safe method of surfactant delivery in preterm infants with RDS, including infants < 29 weeks' gestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]