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Evaluation of healthy full-term and late preterm infants presenting with apnea in the newborn nursery: A comparison of neonatal apnea and infantile acute life threatening event (ALTE)
- Source :
- Journal of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 3:271-276
- Publication Year :
- 2010
- Publisher :
- IOS Press, 2010.
-
Abstract
- Objective: To describe common etiologies and diagnostic evaluations performed on term and late preterm neonates with neonatal apnea and to compare these etiologies and evaluations with those infants with infantile acute life threat ening event (ALTE). Methods: Infants 35 weeks, with diagnosis of apnea or ALTE were identified at Bo ston Children's Hospital from June 2000 to June 2009. Medical rec ords were reviewed for diagnostic evaluations and discharge diagnoses. For analysis, neonates who presented with neonatal apnea within the first week of life and prior to discharge f rom the birth hospitalization were classified as the Inpatient Grou p and infants who presented with apnea post discharge were identified as the Outpatient Group. Infants with clear presenting etiologies were excluded from the study. Results: One hundred otherwise healthy subjects with diagnosis of apnea or ALTE in the study period were identified. Approxi- mately one third were classified as the Inpatient Group. Diag nostic evaluations were highly variable, but testing for ba cterial or viral sepsis was most commonly performed. In most cases, an etiology was not determined, and the diagnosis of "apnea of imma- turity" was assigned. Other defined etiologic diagnoses inc luded viral infection or pertussis, reflux/aspiration, lar yngomalacia, and seizures. Conclusions: Diagnostic evaluation for apnea, in otherwise well-appearing full-term and late preterm infants, remains highly variable. Testing for infection, seizure, laryngomalacia and reflux may determine the majority of treatable etiologie s. Guidelines for diagnostic evaluations and treatment strategies are cl early needed.
Details
- ISSN :
- 19345798
- Volume :
- 3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........5e8484eca9dda081236da277f30b527b
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3233/npm-2010-0125