November-December 2010

Fall Bulletin Online Now
A rare disorder called “children’s interstitial lung disease” and how RTs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are helping to educate families about it is featured in our Fall Bulletin, along with an article on why you should further your education and part two of our two part series on bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Our editors also share news and information in their “Notes” column. READ THE ISSUE

Proposals for 2011 Congress Due Jan. 5
You have until Jan. 5 to submit a proposal for a presentation at the 2011 International Respiratory Congress in Tampa. The Program Committee will review all submissions and make decisions early in February for the November 5-8 convention. READ PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Rise in Empyema Cases Linked to H1N1
Researchers publishing in the Oct. issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal believe the H1N1 influenza pandemic may have resulted in a rise in the number of children diagnosed with empyema. The study involved data on children diagnosed with empyema at one Salt Lake City Hospital from 2004 to 2009. From May to June 2009, when H1N1 was affecting the community, the number of empyema cases nearly doubled, from 10.8 cases during the same time of the year in 2004-2008 to 21 cases. All of the children had a flu-like illness prior to being hospitalized, and most of the kids with confirmed influenza tested positive for H1N1. “There is an urgent need to better understand bacterial complications of pandemic influenza,” write the authors. “In the interim, influenza vaccines, antiviral agents, and pneumococcal vaccines should be used to prevent cases of secondary bacterial pneumonia whenever possible.” READ PRESS RELEASE

VLBW isn’t an Automatic Ticket to the NICU
NICU care is considered paramount for infants born with very low birth weight (VLBW), but not all infants who meet this criteria receive care in the NICU. According to a new report from the CDC that analyzed 2006 birth data for 19 states:

• 77.3% of VLBW infants were admitted to an NICU, ranging from a high of 93.4% in North Dakota to a low of 63.7% in California.
• Among VLBW infants born to Hispanic mothers, 71.8% were admitted to NICUs, compared to 79.5% of those with non-Hispanic black mothers and 80.5% of those with non-Hispanic white mothers.
• Multivariate analysis of the data indicated that preterm delivery, multiple births, and cesarean delivery were all independently associated with greater prevalence of NICU admission.

The authors conclude, “Wide variation was observed among states in the prevalence of NICU admission of infants with VLBW; these state data should be assessed further, and barriers to NICU admission should be identified and addressed.” The study was published in the Nov. 12 edition of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. READ ABSTRACT

Simulation Shows Early INO Outperforms Late INO in Effectiveness and Costs
University of Arizona researchers who conducted a Monte Carlo simulation of 10,000 cases involving the use of early or late inhaled nitric oxide (INO) therapy in neonates with hypoxic respiratory failure conclude early INO is both more effective in reducing the probability of severe hypoxic respiratory failure and less costly. Mean hospital costs for early vs. late INO were $21,462 and $27,226, respectively, and the investigators found early INO beat late INO in terms of both cost and effectiveness in 87% of the scenarios. The study was published in the Nov. Epub edition of Current Medical Research and Opinion. READ ABSTRACT

Predicting RSV Outbreaks